Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attention-driven tile splitting method for improved efficiency of omnidirectional versatile video coding

A common approach used in omnidirectional video coding is based on frame splitting into tiles, allowing partial delivery of only the subset of tiles that is necessary to render the user’s current viewing region, defined as a specific viewport or Field-of-View (FoV). Since tiles can be independently encoded, such mechanism provides a flexible solution for encoding planar representations with ultra-high definition (UHD), such as the Equirectangular Projection (ERP), using Versatile Video Coding (VVC). By only selecting and transmitting the coded data that is required to render the necessary FoV, rather than the full 360°, a great deal of bandwidth can be saved. While current solutions are based on splitting the omnidirectional video frames into tiles of equal size, this paper proposes a new approach based on adaptive tile size, driven by visual attention. Those regions where the visual attention is higher are partitioned in smaller tiles to obtain higher bit rate granularity, allowing to decode the most frequent FoVs with minimum out-of-FoV pixels and reduced bandwidth. Optimal tile boundaries are found by solving a lagrangian minimisation problem with a cost function that achieves the best tradeoff between the standard deviation and the average attention-weighted bit rate per tile. The experimental results show that an average of 7.17% and 17.73% of bit rate savings is obtained in comparison with conventional tilling methods for the commonly used FoVs of $90^{\circ} \times 90^{\circ}$ and $45^{\circ} \times 45^{\circ}$, respectively.
The crystal structures of pyrope and grossularite at elevated temperatures

Single crystal X-ray intensity data have been collected for a grossularite at 25" ,365" and 675"C and a pyrope at25o,350",550o, and 750oC. Anisotropic least-squares ref inements reveal that the oxygen positional parameters remain approximately constant in grossularite but change in pyrope. Linear thermal expansion coefficients per 1'C l(h lrr.)/(T 25\/1"*) for the mean interatomic distances Ca-O and Al-O in grossularite are 0.8 X lO-u and 1.3 X 10-6, respectively, while those from Mg-O and Al-O in pyrope are 1.3 X 10-5 and 0.8 X 10-5, respectively. The Si-O interatomic distances do not increase significantly as a function of temperature. In pyrope, with increasing temperature, the rigid SiO. tetrahedra rotate to allow the shared octahedral edge to lengthen at a greater rate than the unshared edge, thereby decreasing the octahedral bond angle strain. In grossularite the tetrahedra do not rotate, and the octahedral bond angle strain does not change. Structural changes in aluminum silicate garnets as a function of heating are compared to changes resulting from chemical substitution at the triangular dodecahedral site.
Social inclusion and collective skill formation systems: policy and politics

This thematic review essay focuses on the relationship between social inclusion and collective skill formation systems. It briefly surveys foundational literature in comparative political economy and comparative social policy that documented and explained the traditionally socially inclusive nature of these systems. It reviews how the literature conceptualized the current challenges faced by collective skill formation systems in upholding their inclusive nature in the context of the transition to post-industrial societies. It then discusses in detail a recent strand of literature that investigates the policy responses that have been deployed across countries to deal with these challenges. It concludes by providing heuristics that may be useful for researchers who seek to advance the study of the policy and politics of social inclusion in collective skill formation systems.
Too little, Too late: Addressing the Roles of A School Safety Programme in Earthquake Preparedness of Elementary Students in Turkey

ABSTRACT Earthquake preparedness is a critical part of developing a sustainable community concerning reducing vulnerability to earthquakes. This study focuses on reducing children’s vulnerability, particularly through a school safety program, to increase their physical and emotional preparedness for children against earthquakes. A comparative case study is designed to explore the roles of the integration of non-formal and informal learning into formal education in raising school children’s earthquake preparedness. The participants include six teachers with different subject areas and 251 elementary students at a public elementary school, and 95 students at a different public school located in an earthquake-prone city in Turkey. Data are collected through student questionnaires, interviews, classroom observations, and documents to achieve triangulation and trustworthiness. While the qualitative data are analysed through inductive content analysis, descriptive and interpretative analysis are utilized for the quantitative data. The results reveal that a school safety program with a supplementary role to the formal education raises awareness among students about factual knowledge for earthquake preparedness, vital safety actions, and major household preparedness and mitigation measures. This finding has important implications for developing the chances of galvanizing protective behaviours of children and their families.
Editors' Critical Introduction: Conceptions of Internationalisation Challenging Dominant Knowledge Traditions

This chapter provides a critical and comprehensive review of the internationalisation literature. It starts with a brief discussion of the main factors and features that need to be considered when internationalising the educational administration and leadership field. This is followed by a critique of the internationalisation of education and the many challenges that hinder the achievement of proper internationalisation. The third section provides an overview of the internationalisation models and practices in different disciplines such as psychology, sociology and political science, which is followed by a discussion on the internationalisation of education organisations in different countries with some examples from Arab and non-Western countries. The final section presents a critical review of literature on internationalising the curriculum and how culture competency and knowledge acquisition are key factors in achieving effective internationalisation. The chapter concludes with an overview of the book collection and the main ideas and concepts discussed in each chapter.
What Drives Senegalese SMEs to Adopt Renewable Energy Technologies? Applying an Extended UTAUT2 Model to a Developing Economy

Renewable energy technology (RET) can help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies to both meet the need for a stable energy supply and contribute to the fight against climate change. In Senegal, SMEs have the opportunity through RET to become electricity prosumers. Whether it works as such in Senegalese SMEs is one of the questions we were able to address through qualitative interviews with 23 SMEs and 13 experts. Using qualitative content analysis, we examined what factors promote the adoption of RET by these SMEs. We also examined how well the established Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model (UTAUT2) can serve as a guiding framework for this type of investigation. We find that effort expectancy is generally underestimated. Performance expectancy, when high, may influence the adoption process positively, while social influence does not seem to play a role. Both SMEs and experts point to customer service and government support for SMEs adopting RET as important facilitating conditions. The cost of RET is another factor influencing the adoption of these technologies. However, we regard the UTAUT2 as only partially helpful for the Senegalese context, due to the informal sector economy in Senegal. This leads us to add the factors knowledge, communication channels and entrepreneurial orientation. Moreover, we question the unequivocally positive notion of prosumerism for African contexts, as the idea draws its motivating power from a Western mindset.
Effects of Cations/Anions in Recycled Tailing Water on Cationic Reverse Flotation of Iron Oxides

It is well known that reverse flotation performance of iron oxides is affected by water quality. Since many potential variations among water sources recycling in a mineral processing plant bring unpredictable effects on the flotation system of iron oxides: disturbing ions/compounds, pH, hardness, residual reagents, etc. In this study, the recycled tailing water from a local plant, characteristically constituting of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Al3+, Fe3+, Cl−, SO42− etc., was introduced into the cationic reverse flotation process of an iron ore. A series of bench flotation tests using iron ores, micro-flotation tests using pure fine quartz, water chemical analyses, and zeta potential measurement were conducted with the objective of identifying the possible influences of both cations and anions in the recycled tailing water on the flotation performance. The flotation results pointed out that the cation with higher valency had more severe influences on the recovery of iron oxides. The formation of the pH-dependent surface complexes on mineral surfaces, for example, Fe(OH)+, Fe(OH)2+, and Fe(OH)3 resulted from Fe3+ ions adsorption, contributed to the less negative zeta potentials of the quartz, and consequently weakened its interaction with the amine collector. It is worthy to note that SO42− ions seem to have a more positive effect on the recovery of iron oxides than Cl− ions. This is probably attributed to the formation of inner/outer- sphere surface complexes on the iron oxides, inhibiting the dissolution of the iron ions/species, and the coordination with these cations from the recycled tailing water, shielding their disturbances in the flotation.
Musical interaction with children and young people with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: a scoping review

This scoping review addresses peer-reviewed research on musical interaction with children and young people with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (S/PIMD). Twenty-five articles published between the years 2000 and 2020 met the inclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis was used to summarise and evaluate different features, including participant characteristics, study design and methods, type of musical interaction, the abilities and behaviours in focus, reported benefits, promising components of musical interaction, and quality appraisal of the studies. The results revealed a variation in participant characteristics and study designs, where small-sample descriptive case studies were most common. In terms of the type of musical interaction, active music therapy was the most commonly used approach, followed by technology-mediated and multisensory musical activities. In terms of abilities and behaviours, a large majority of the studies focused on social interaction and communication, followed by engagement, attention and affect. Six categories were identified as promising components of musical interaction: the responsivity of the interaction partner, singing songs, structure and predictability in the activities, long-term interventions, technology-mediated and multisensory musical activities, and a therapeutic alliance between interaction partners. Based on this review, we discuss future research and practical implications for musical interaction and music therapy for children and young people with S/PIMD.
Sediment transport at the network scale and its link to channel morphology in the braided Vjosa River system

In this article we apply the CASCADE network‐scale sediment connectivity model to the Vjosa River in Albania. The Vjosa is one of the last unimpaired braided rivers in Europe and, at the same time, a data scarce environment, which limits our ability to model how this pristine river might respond to future human disturbance. To initialize the model, we use remotely sensed data and modeled hydrology from a regional model. We perform a reach‐by‐reach optimization of surface grain size distribution (GSD) and bedload transport capacity to ensure equilibrium conditions throughout the network. In order to account for the various sources of uncertainty in the calculation of transport capacity, we performed a global sensitivity analysis. The modeled GSD distributions generated by the sensitivity analysis generally match the six GSDs measured at different locations within the network. The modeled bedload sediment fluxes increase systematically downstream, and annual fluxes at the outlet of the Vjosa are well within an order of magnitude of fluxes derived from previous estimates of the annual suspended sediment load.
Relational Contract, Asset Specificity and Business Performance: An Empirical Investigation of Small Enterprises in Seethawaka Divisional Secretariat Division in Colombo District, Sri Lanka

This study explores the effect of relational contracts on asset specificity and business performance of Small Enterprises (SEs) in Sri Lanka. The study used primary data gathered from 197 SEs in Seethawaka Divisional Secretariat Division in Colombo District using a structured questionnaire survey. Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyze the data. Empirical results show that relational qualities positively influence business performance and asset specificity. Further, asset specificity and business performance have a positive association. Also, asset specificity acts as a mediator by improving the relationship between relational contract and business performance. Therefore, the business performance of SEs can be enhanced by organizing network formation programs such as seminars and conferences to create strong relationships with exchange parties that encourage asset specificity.
The Inter-Relationship between Innovation Capability and SME Performance: The Moderating Role of the External Environment

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial part in a country’s economic growth and sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between innovation and the performance of SMEs. An external environmental factor acts as a moderating variable between the exogenous and endogenous variables. Data were collected from 350 textile SMEs operating in Pakistan using a cross-sectional study design through self-administered questionnaires. Of these, only 335 surveys were valid for further analysis. The structural equational modeling technique was used for analyzing the data and testing the hypotheses that innovation and the external environment affect an SME’s performance. The results indicate a significant association between innovation and SME performance, and the external environment has a moderating impact on innovation and SME performance. This paper offers valuable recommendations to senior managers and owners of SMEs to consider the innovation and external environment as crucial factors when assessing their SME’s performance. This study contributes towards the body of knowledge on this subject and can help practitioners and researchers explore the effects of innovation and the external environment on the performance of SMEs.
Design Method for Specific Charge in Deep Mining considering Influence of In Situ Stress

In situ stress has a large influence on blasts in deep mines and should be considered in blasting design. In this study, explosion crater tests were conducted to investigate the variation of specific charges under different stress loading conditions. It was revealed that rock blasting under high stress is different from that under low stress. A correction coefficient for specific charge was defined to consider the influence of in situ stress on blasting. A quantitative relation between the correction coefficient, stress-to-strength ratio, and lateral stress coefficient was presented. Based on the explosion-crater test results, a design method for specific charges was proposed with the consideration of in situ stress. Finally, the design method was applied to a field blasting test at Hongtoushan Copper Mine. The test results indicate that the proposed design method can effectively use the high in situ stress at depth for rock fragmentation. Compared with the original blasting design, the specific charge is reduced by 19.8% and the average block rate is reduced from 6.8% to 2.84%. At the same time, the blasting boundary is well controlled and the ore loss and dilution rates are reduced. This research has important guiding significance to deep mine blasting design.
Oil Flax Straw Processing and Utilization

The flax (Linum usitatissimum) is widely used as a source of linen oil and fiber. As a rule, the flax varieties serve to produce either seeds (oil), or stem fibers, as the "fiber'' varieties bring the low amount of seeds, while the "oil'' varieties have poor fibers that cannot be used in textile. The straw of the oil flax has not been applied in industry and has to be burned or degrade naturally in the field. However, it contains a low degree of polymerization cellulose, which can be used at least for varnish production. The main challenge in the industrial application of the oil flax cellulose is the necessity of separating the cellulose fibers and shive enriched in lignin. On the other hand, the low cost of the final products restricts the set of available tools. Here we describe a machine designed for oil flax straw stripping and several ways of further conversion of the obtained tow into microcrystalline or fluff-like cellulose. The supposed processes run at the temperatures below the water boiling point and at the atmospheric pressure and could be held in the plastic reactors.
Assessment in Musical Theatre: A Tool for Transparency, Equity, and Student Learning

ABSTRACT There is an ever-growing need for transparency and accountability in higher education and in the arts. Universities and accreditors are increasingly holding their educators accountable for their students’ learning outcomes, as well as encouraging a more learner-centered model of teaching. Additionally, universities and students alike are calling for more equitable practices in the classroom, including more transparency and student ownership. This literature review explores assessment as one way to improve transparency, equity, and student learning in both higher education and in the arts. The interdisciplinary nature of musical theatre programs is unique in that they combine studies of acting, dance, and music. This poses challenges to assessment, with each discipline requiring its own assessment strategy. Additionally, they may be housed in theatre schools, music schools, or a combination of both, which all inherently come with different assessment structures in place. In order to understand how musical theatre could benefit from formalized assessment, this article examines current literature, exploring ways to implement assessment across the musical theatre disciplines.
Multiway clustering in tourism research

ABSTRACT The importance of controlling for intragroup correlation in clustered samples is largely acknowledged in applied econometrics. However, this issue has remained underexplored in tourism research. In many instances, the observation units are naturally grouped, either geographically or due to the sampling scheme, and therefore the iid assumption of the error term in linear regression is broken. This paper presents two case studies to show how default standard errors overstate the estimator precision when the error terms are independent across clusters but correlated within clusters. First, hedonic pricing functions for the Airbnb rental market are revisited using data for almost 225,000 listings in 14 countries. Second, destination choice modelling is reconsidered exploiting monthly household microdata for Spain involving 115,937 tourism trips between 2015 and 2019. Practical implications for research practice are derived.
Análise in vitro da atividade antifúngica de extratos vegetais frente a leveduras pertencentes à espécie Candida albicans

A candidíase é uma das afecções mais comuns, estimando-se que a grande parte das mulheres apresentará, ao longo da vida, pelo menos um episódio da infecção. E com isso a importância de estudos sobre outros métodos alternativos para tratamento baseados em extratos vegetais, os quais apresentam potencial ecológico para substituir o emprego de produtos sintéticos. Assim, a pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a atividade antifúngica de extratos brutos dos vegetais Morinda citrifolia (None), Caryocar brasiliense (Pequi), Annona muricata (Graviola), Morus alba L. (Amora) e Apis mellífera L. (Própolis) frente a levedura Candida albicans. Os vegetais foram coletados no município de Teresina-PI e secos a temperatura ambiente sob a sombra, com exposição diária de 4 h; moídos em moinho de facas; os extratos foram obtidos em metanol e os testes de suscetibilidade foram realizados em triplicata nos meios de cultura ágar-ágar e ágar Muller-Hinton, pela técnica da difusão em ágar. Utilizou-se a cepa de Candida albicans ATCC-76485 nos testes. Dos cinco vegetais utilizados, os extratos de Pequi e de Própolis, apresentaram atividade antifúngica sobre a cepa de C. albicans, com o segundo extrato apresentando maior poder de ação sobre a levedura. Portanto, os extratos do Apis melífera L. e do Caryocar brasiliense apresentaram atividade anti C. albicans, enquanto os de Morus alba L. , Morinda citifolia L. e Annona muricata L. não apresentaram.
Modelling Critical Innovation Factors in Rural Agrifood Industries: A Case Study in Cuenca, Spain

The agrifood industry contributes to sustaining the population and the economic growth in rural areas of Spain. Innovation in the agrifood sector has therefore become a necessity as a means of improving the competitiveness of companies and the territory, thus promoting sustainable rural development in areas currently characterised by social issues such as depopulation. Meeting this need requires the generation of specific knowledge on innovation in the rural agrifood industry to strategically steer the business management of innovation. This study aims to contribute to further improving the competitiveness of the agrifood industry through the interrelation of critical innovation factors in small and medium-sized agrifood enterprises, thus shedding light on the innovation environment of differentiated local products in depopulated rural regions. The qualitative Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology was used with the participation of entrepreneurs and experts from the sector. The ISM was applied to a case study in Alcarria Conquense, a Spanish region that embodies the current problems of many rural territories. The results show four factors (cooperation, managerial skills, absorptive capacity, and market orientation) are binding variables with a high power of influence and dependence, and a fifth factor, funding, is the most dependent on the others. The work contributes to the literature by revealing the needs and opportunities for a potential strategic planning of rural development that can positively influence the problems of the region through innovation management in this industry.