Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust background subtraction for moving cameras and their applications in ego-vision systems

OF DISSERTATION ROBUST BACKGROUND SUBTRACTION FOR MOVING CAMERAS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN EGO-VISION SYSTEMS Background subtraction is the algorithmic process that segments out the region of interest often known as foreground from the background. Extensive literature and numerous algorithms exist in this domain, but most research have focused on videos captured by static cameras. The proliferation of portable platforms equipped with cameras has resulted in a large amount of video data being generated from moving cameras. This motivates the need for foundational algorithms for foreground/background segmentation in videos from moving cameras. In this dissertation, I propose three new types of background subtraction algorithms for moving cameras based on appearance, motion, and a combination of them. Comprehensive evaluation of the proposed approaches on publicly available test sequences show superiority of our system over state-of-the-art algorithms. The first method is an appearance-based global modeling of foreground and background. Features are extracted by sliding a fixed size window over the entire image without any spatial constraint to accommodate arbitrary camera movements. Supervised learning method is then used to build foreground and background models. This method is suitable for limited scene scenarios such as Pan-Tilt-Zoom surveillance cameras. The second method relies on motion. It comprises of an innovative background motion approximation mechanism followed by spatial regulation through a Mega-Pixel denoising process. This work does not need to maintain any costly appearance models and is therefore appropriate for resource constraint ego-vision systems. The proposed segmentation combined with skin cues is validated by a novel application on authenticating handgestured signature captured by wearable cameras. The third method combines both motion and appearance. Foreground probabilities are jointly estimated by motion and appearance. After the mega-pixel denoising process, the probability estimates and gradient image are combined by Graph-Cut to produce the segmentation mask. This method is universal as it can handle all types of moving cameras.
Analysis of climate change impacts on surface energy balance of Lake Huron (estimation of surface energy balance components: Remote sensing approach for water -- atmosphere parameterization)

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the physical processes of energy exchange between the water surface and atmosphere of Lake Huron in order to explain the processes behind such changes in long-term water levels and to monitor their spatial and temporal fluctuations. The lake surface water temperature and the four components of surface energy balance, including net radiation, latent heat, sensible heat, and heat storage, as well as evaporation rate, were estimated using the daily remotely sensed data from eleven years (20022012) with a multi-spatial resolution of 1 km to 5 km using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board Terra satellite, together with in-situ measurements. The regression analysis of the entire lake daily mean water surface temperature revealed a positive trend of 0.1 °C per year, indicating that the lake surface temperature increased by 1.1°C during the period 2002-2012. The warming rate was found to be greatest in the deepest areas of the lake, with a statistically-significant correlation between warming rate and depth. The four components of surface energy balance showed temporal and spatial heterogeneities. There were strong seasonal patterns for all of the components, which were very high in summer and low in
From the Absorptive Capacity of Middle Managers and Their Employees to the Commitment in the Implementation of New Work Routines

The objective of this proposal is to present a theoretical reflection on the concept of projects absorptive (absorption) capacity and the role of managers’ and employees’ commitment in the implementation of work routines. The general problem lies in a context of simultaneous project implementation, which can create additional pressure on employees with regard to available resources. The development of a theoretical framework, highlighting project implementation demands, absorptive capacity, routines and commitment, thus leads to the proposal of a three stage conceptual framework. The first moment represents the project during its implementation. The second moment specifically concerns absorptive capacity as a resource and the final moment highlights the relationship between absorptive capacity and commitment. Ultimately, this theoretical approach attempts to demonstrate that examining the project’s absorptive capacity reveals a significant theoretical originality, and that digging deeper into the concepts of commitment and work routines pushes the limits of project management research.
Analysis of Public Satisfaction at the Bengkalis Regency Population and Civil Registration Office Riau Province Indonesia

The purpose of this study was to analyze the satisfaction of service quality at the Department of Population and Civil Registry of Bengkalis Regency. The research carried out is a descriptive qualitative study, in which the researchers not only distribute questionnaires but also conduct in-depth interviews with the heads of related units at the Bengkalis Regency Population and Civil Registry Office. In general, all the 14 assessment indicators got an average score of 72.4 which means good. While the service element that gets the highest score is service procedure of 3.24, and the lowest is service security. This study provides an overview that can be used by the Department of Population and Civil Registry of Bengkalis Regency to evaluate all units related to community services. Community satisfaction in this study uses the Community Satisfaction Index (CSI) and the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) which has been published by the Ministry of Administrative Reform through the Decree of the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment Number: KEP/25/M.PAN/2/2004. The method used in this research is Servqual, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA), and Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) with 200 respondents selected by convenience technique. In general, the value obtained by the Department of Population and Civil Registry of Bengkalis Regency using the Community Satisfaction Index is 2,896 x 25 = 72.4. This means that the performance of the service unit of the Department of Population and Civil Registry of Bengkalis Regency is in service quality "B" with the category "Good".
Igneous or metamorphic? Hornblende phenocrysts as greenschist facies reaction cells in the Half Dome Granodiorite, California

Abstract The Half Dome Granodiorite, Yosemite National Park, California, is recognized in the field by euhedral, fresh-looking, black hornblende phenocrysts up to 2 cm in length. This variety of granodiorite typifies intermediate-age hornblende-phyric units of Cretaceous nested plutonic suites in the Sierra Nevada batholith. Although only inclusions of feldspar are evident in hand samples, the phenocrysts are riddled with up to 50% inclusions of every major mineral found in the host granodiorite plus metamorphic minerals formed during cooling. Amphibole compositions within single phenocrysts vary from actinolite with less than 1 wt% Al2O3 to magnesiohornblende with over 8 wt%. Elemental zoning within the amphibole is highly irregular on the micrometer scale, showing patches and polygonal zones with dramatically different compositions separated by sharp to gradual transitions. The chemical compositions of entire phenocrysts are equivalent to hornblende plus a small proportion of biotite, suggesting that the non-biotite inclusions are the result of metamorphism of the phenocrysts. Backscattered electron imaging shows evidence of brecciation that may have been the result of volume changes as hornblende was converted to actinolite. Pressure calculations using the Al-in-hornblende barometer show unreasonably wide variations on the micrometer scale that cannot have been produced by temperature or pressure variations during crystallization. These hornblende phenocrysts would thus be unsuitable for geobarometry, and caution must be used to avoid similarly zoned phenocrysts in the application of the Al-in-hornblende geobarometer.
relatedness among caribou Temporally dynamic habitat suitability predicts genetic

Cite this article: Yannic G, Pellissier L, LeCorre M, Dussault C, Bernatchez L, Coˆte´ SD.2014 Temporally dynamic habitat suitabilitypredicts genetic relatedness among caribou.Proc. R. Soc. B 281: 20140502.http://dx.doi. org/10.1098/rspb.2014. 0502Received: 2 March 2014Accepted: 22 July 2014Subject Areas:ecology, geneticsKeywords:landscape genetics, least-cost path, circuittheory, Rangifer tarandus, habitat suitabilitymodels, causal modellingAuthor for correspondence:Glenn Yannice-mail: glenn.yannic@gmail.com
Applications of the Reflected Signals Found in GNSS Radio Occultation Events

Simulation and statistical empirical work has been done to show that the presence of reflected signals in GNSS occultations is an indicator of good data quality, resulting in atmospheric profiles that better match the post-analyzed ECMWF background. In order to conduct this work, an automatic tool to detect reflected signals in Level-1 data has firstly been implemented, and 102118 occultations classified according to its reflection content. Geographic and seasonal effects are also noticeable.
Combination Analysis of PCDHGA12 and CDO1 DNA Methylation in Bronchial Washing Fluid for Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Background When suspicious lesions are observed on computer-tomography (CT), invasive tests are needed to confirm lung cancer. Compared with other procedures, bronchoscopy has fewer complications. However, the sensitivity of peripheral lesion through bronchoscopy including washing cytology is low. A new test with higher sensitivity through bronchoscopy is needed. In our previous study, DNA methylation of PCDHGA12 in bronchial washing cytology has a diagnostic value for lung cancer. In this study, combination of PCDHGA12 and CDO1 methylation obtained through bronchial washing cytology was evaluated as a diagnostic tool for lung cancer. Methods A total of 187 patients who had suspicious lesions in CT were enrolled. PCDHGA12 methylation test, CDO1 methylation test, and cytological examination were performed using 3-plex LTE-qMSP test. Results Sixty-two patients were diagnosed with benign diseases and 125 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer. The sensitivity of PCDHGA12 was 74.4% and the specificity of PCDHGA12 was 91.9% respectively. CDO1 methylation test had a sensitivity of 57.6% and a specificity of 96.8%. The combination of both PCDHGA12 methylation test and CDO1 methylation test showed a sensitivity of 77.6% and a specificity of 90.3%. The sensitivity of lung cancer diagnosis was increased by combining both PCDHGA12 and CDO1 methylation tests. Conclusion Checking DNA methylation of both PCDHGA12 and CDO1 genes using bronchial washing fluid can reduce the invasive procedure to diagnose lung cancer.
Isolation, Identification, and Quantification of Two Compounds from Cassia glauca Cultivated in Iraq

The Cassia glauca Lam. is the tree that belongs to the Fabaceae family and is native to India has many uses in indigenous systems of medicine, folk medicine, and traditional Brazilian medicine. Has many pharmacological activities such as anti-diabetic, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-hemolytic, anticancer, cardio-protective, and Hepato-protection. The aim of study is to Isolation, identification, and quantification of some compounds from aerial parts of Cassia glauca since no phytochemical investigation had previously been done in Iraq for this plant. The aerial parts were defatted in n. hexane for 48 hours. The defatted materials were extracted in 85% ethanol using the hot method (soxhlet), then the extract was fractionated using different solvents (chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), was used for identification and quantification by using authenticated standards, and preparative layer chromatography (PLC) was used for the isolation of the identified compounds. The isolated compounds were identified after isolation by liquid chromatography Mass Spectrometry LC-MS/MS-Q-TOF method. The different chromatographic and spectroscopic methods results indicate the presence of luteolin and chlorogenic acid in the ethyl acetate fraction and n-butanol fraction respectively and estimated the quantity as (130.77µg/1g) for luteolin, and (0.0006%) for chlorogenic acid from 50g of plant material.
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF DETERMINANTS INFLUENCING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INVESTMENT BY SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN VIETNAM

After implementing Doi Moi (Renovation) in 1986, Vietnam moved to a market economy and reached many achievements in socio-economic development. The Vietnamese business community has grown significantly and made great contributions to the country's development, including the great role of small and medium enterprises. This study investigates the determinants of environmental protection investment in small and medium companies in Vietnam by using the Vietnam Enterprise Dataset (2021) with multiple regression models. We find that loans borrowed from banks, value of fixed assets, profit and the number of employees significantly impacts the companies’ environmental protection investment. The study also shows that ownership forms, education level and enterprise’s years of operation have no impact on environmental investment decisions. Implications drawn from the study include increasing awareness of environmental protection for enterprises, along with providing market information and financial support for them to better capacity to invest in environmental protection, contributing to improving the competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises.
Holocene climatic evolution at the Chinese Loess Plateau: Testing sensitivity to the global warming-cooling events

Abstract. A high resolution petromagnetic and sedimentary grain size analyses demonstrate that pedogenic alterations in the Holocene loess sequences from the region of the Guanzhong Basin and the Mu Us Desert of the Chinese Loess Plateau were affected by the climatic variations in temperature and precipitation, but not by the climatic variations of wind intensity. Three warm-humid intervals (~ 8.4–3.7 ka, ~ 2.4–1.2 ka, and ~ 0.81–0.48 ka), associated with the soil formation and relatively high values of petromagnetic parameters, occurred during the Holocene. A significant paleosol development from ~ 8.4 to 3.7 ka, along with the higher values of proxy parameters, indicates a generally strong warm-humid phase in the mid-Holocene which can be attributed as the Holocene optimum in the studied regions. The study demonstrates that the Holocene climate in China is sensitive to the large warming and cooling events and insensitive to millennial scale climate changes. A complete Holocene climate record is constructed, and that correlates well with the other regional climate records along the south-to-north of eastern Chinese loess plateau, suggesting that similar climatic pattern of changes occurred in the eastern monsoonal China during the Holocene. Results are supported by the other evidence of climate record in different regions of the world, implying the Holocene climatic optimum took place at the same time interval all over the northern hemisphere, and thus, our results correspond to global climate records as well.
Comparing Different Methods to Determine Soil Physical Quality in a Mediterranean Forest and Pasture Land

Soil physical quality (SPQ) can be assessed by different experimental methodologies and criteria and the optimal/critical values or ranges for SPQ indicators are still approximate. Sampling soils with minimal anthropic pressures should allow improvements in SPQ assessment. Different experimental methodologies and criteria were applied to sample a Mediterranean oak forest (Quercus ilex L.) and pasture land, in Sicily, with a varying degree of anthropic disturbance. Soil water retention was determined in the laboratory and the field, using the BEST (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters) procedure of soil hydraulic characterization. Capacity-based indicators, the S index, and location and shape parameters of the pore volume distribution function were calculated for assessing SPQ. With the laboratory data, only the criterion using the capacity-based indicators suggested that SPQ increased as external pressures decreased. Therefore, this criterion appeared to be more reliable than the other tested criteria in the sampled environment. The field method was more prone to suggest good conditions and less able to signal differences between plots as compared with the laboratory method. A forest soil with a good SPQ has an ability to store and provide water to plant roots similar to, but it is more aerated than, a good agricultural soil. Developing BEST for SPQ assessment is advisable since parameters descriptive of the soil water transport properties can be collected with a single experiment. Simultaneous characterization of dendrometric and soil parameters at other sites is recommended to explore the relationships between SPQ indicators and characteristics of the forest cover.
Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance trends of Acinetobacter species in the United Arab Emirates: a retrospective analysis of 12 years of national AMR surveillance data

Introduction Acinetobacter spp. , in particular A. baumannii, are opportunistic pathogens linked to nosocomial pneumonia (particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia), central-line catheter-associated blood stream infections, meningitis, urinary tract infections, surgical-site infections, and other types of wound infections. A. baumannii is able to acquire or upregulate various resistance determinants, making it frequently multidrug-resistant, and contributing to increased mortality and morbidity. Data on the epidemiology, levels, and trends of antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter spp. in clinical settings is scarce in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. Methods A retrospective 12-year analysis of 17,564 non-duplicate diagnostic Acinetobacter spp. isolates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was conducted. Data was generated at 317 surveillance sites by routine patient care during 2010–2021, collected by trained personnel and reported by participating surveillance sites to the UAE National AMR Surveillance program. Data analysis was conducted with WHONET.1 Results Species belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex were mostly reported (86.7%). They were most commonly isolated from urine (32.9%), sputum (29.0%), and soft tissue (25.1%). Resistance trends to antibiotics from different classes during the surveillance period showed a decreasing trend. Specifically, there was a significant decrease in resistance to imipenem, meropenem, and amikacin. Resistance was lowest among Acinetobacter species to both colistin and tigecycline. The percentages of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and possibly extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolates was reduced by almost half between the beginning of the study in 2010 and its culmination in 2021. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. (CRAB) was associated with a higher mortality (RR: 5.7), a higher admission to ICU (RR 3.3), and an increased length of stay (LOS; 13 excess inpatient days per CRAB case), as compared to Carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter spp. Conclusion Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. are associated with poorer clinical outcomes, and higher associated costs, as compared to carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter spp. A decreasing trend of MDR Acinetobacter spp. , as well as resistance to all antibiotic classes under surveillance was observed during 2010 to 2021. Further studies are needed to explore the reasons and underlying factors leading to this remarkable decrease of resistance over time.
Gram-Negative ESKAPE Bacteria Surveillance in COVID-19 Pandemic Exposes High-Risk Sequence Types of Acinetobacter baumannii MDR in a Tertiary Care Hospital

The interruption of bacteriological surveillance due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought serious consequences, such as the collapse of health systems and the possible increase in antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, it is necessary to know the rate of resistance and its associated mechanisms in bacteria causing hospital infections during the pandemic. The aim of this work was to show the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of antimicrobial resistance in ESKAPE bacteria in a Mexican tertiary care hospital in the second and third years of the pandemic. For this purpose, during 2021 and 2022, two hundred unduplicated strains of the ESKAPE group (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii) were collected from various clinical sources and categorized by resistance according to the CLSI. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) complemented by the Tukey test was performed to search for changes in antimicrobial susceptibility profiles during the study period. Finally, the mechanisms of resistance involved in carbapenem resistance were analyzed, and the search for efflux pumps and high-risk sequence types in A. baumannii was performed by multilocus analysis (MLST). The results showed no changes in K. pneumoniae resistance during the period analyzed. Decreases in quinolone resistance were identified in E. coli (p = 0.039) and P. aeruginosa (p = 0.03). Interestingly, A. baumannii showed increases in resistance to penicillins (p = 0.004), aminoglycosides (p < 0.001, p = 0.027), carbapenems (p = 0.027), and folate inhibitors (p = 0.001). Several genes involved in carbapenem resistance were identified (blaNDM, blaVIM, blaOXA, blaKPC, blaOXA-40, and blaOXA-48) with a predominance of blaOXA-40 and the adeABCRS efflux pump in A. baumannii. Finally, MLST analysis revealed the presence of globally distributed sequence types (ST369 and ST758) related to hospital outbreaks in other parts of the world. The results presented demonstrate that the ESKAPE group has played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic as nosocomial antibiotic-resistant pathogens and in particular A. baumannii MDR as a potential reservoir of resistance genes. The implications of the increases in antimicrobial resistance in pathogens of the ESKAPE group and mainly in A. baumannii during the COVID-19 pandemic are analyzed and discussed.
Carbon Sequestration in Tropical and Subtropical Plant Species in Collaborative and Community Forests of Nepal

Different plant species have different capacity of carbon sequestration but it is not assessed yet in Nepal. Therefore, this study was done to assess the species-wise carbon sequestration in two periods in forests. Three collaborative and three community forests were selected for the study. The selected forests were surveyed using GPS and mapped and stratified into tree, pole, and regeneration. Specifically 32, 33, and 31 samples were collected from Banke-Maraha, Tuteshwarnath, and Gadhanta-Bardibash collaborative forests, respectively, while 30, 25, and 22 samples were collected from Chureparwati, Buddha, and Chyandanda community forests correspondingly. The sample plots were of 25 m 20 m for tree strata. The diameter and height of plants were measured and samples were collected for three consecutive years. The estimated carbon stock of Shorea robusta was the highest 35.93 t ha−1 in 2011 which was slightly decreased to 34.43 t ha−1 in 2012 and reached 32.02 t ha−1 in 2013 in Banke-Maraha collaborative forest but it was the least 7.97, 8.92, and 10.29 t ha−1 in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively, in Chyandanda community forest. The highest carbon sequestration was recorded about 5.02 t ha−1 of Shorea robusta in Chyandanda community forest in between t2013 and t2012.