Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Light Field Depth Estimation via Stitched Epipolar Plane Images.

Depth estimation is a fundamental problem in light field processing. Epipolar-plane image (EPI)-based methods often encounter challenges such as low accuracy in slope computation due to discretization errors and limited angular resolution. Besides, existing methods perform well in most regions but struggle to produce sharp edges in occluded regions and resolve ambiguities in texture-less regions. To address these issues, we propose the concept of stitched-EPI (SEPI) to enhance slope computation. SEPI achieves this by shifting and concatenating lines from different EPIs that correspond to the same 3D point. Moreover, we introduce the half-SEPI algorithm, which focuses exclusively on the non-occluded portion of lines to handle occlusion. Additionally, we present a depth propagation strategy aimed at improving depth estimation in texture-less regions. This strategy involves determining the depth of such regions by progressing from the edges towards the interior, prioritizing accurate regions over coarse regions. Through extensive experimental evaluations and ablation studies, we validate the effectiveness of our proposed method. The results demonstrate its superior ability to generate more accurate and robust depth maps across all regions compared to state-of-the-art methods. The source code will be publicly available at https://github.com/PingZhou-LF/Light-Field-Depth-Estimation-Based-on-Stitched-EPIs.
Composition and properties of the Pierre Shale and equivalent rocks, northern Great Plains region

Bl Introduction . 2 Acknowledgments. 3 Stratigraphic setting . 3 Sampling . 5 Methods . 5 Types of shale and other rock in the Pierre Shale and equivalents. 5 Suitability of outcrop samples weathering. 8 Mineralogical composition . 9 Methods of analysis . 9 Hydroxide or chlorite interlayers heated code, table 1 . 9 Exchangeable cations air-dried code, table 1 . 11 Anorthite content of plagioclase. 11 Composition . 12 Pierre Shale and equivalents the whole unit. 12 Environment of deposition . 13 Lithologic type . 15 Ordinary shale and siltstone. 15 Organic-rich shale . 15 Shale directly above bentonite. 17 Frothy-weathering shale . 17 Siliceous shale . 18 Marl . 19 Volcanic-rich shale . 21 Volcanic-rich siltstone . 21 Bentonite . 25 Regional and stratigraphic variation. 28 Illite, beidellite, and montmorillonite in mixedlayer clay. 29 Clay minerals in total clay-mineral fraction . 29 Minerals in the total sample . 30 Types of quartz . 39 Chemical composition. 40 Major, minor, trace, and rock-forming elements terminology . 40 Explanation of table 1. 40 Page Chemical composition Continued Methods . B40 Abundance of elements in the Pierre Shale and some statistical considerations . 42 Distribution and occurrence of elements within the Pierre Shale . 44 Rock-forming constituents. 44 Major elements . 44 Minor elements sulfur and carbon . 53 Trace elements and some minor elements. 54 Some tools for determination of occurrence . 54 Occurrence of elements in other shale. 54 Correlation coefficients . 54 Heavy minerals and size-fractionation. 56 Minor elements (TiO2, P2O5 , F, and Cl). 57 Trace elements occurring mainly in heavy resistates (Zr, Y, Yb, La, and Sn). 60 Trace elements occurring almost entirely in clay minerals (Sc and B) . 61 Trace elements having multiple occurrences (Ga, Pb, Ba, Sr, and Mn). 63 Trace elements associated with sulfur or organic matter. 66 Interrelations between sulfur (pyrite), organic matter, and their related elements . 66 Sulfur-related elements (Co, Ni, and Zn). 67 Organic-matter-related elements (Cd; Cr, V, and Cu; Mo, Se, and As; U). 68 Effects of weathering . 70 Interrelated physical and chemical properties . 72 Grain density . 72 Bulk density and porosity . 73 pH . 73 Atterberg limits . 76 Cation-exchange capacity . 77 Conclusions . 77 References cited . 82 Index. 85
Corporate Governance and Intellectual Capital: some conceptualisations

One of the persistent problems facing corporate governance is the increasing shift toward knowledge-intensive organisations. This article focuses on the fiduciary responsibility of corporate governance for creating, developing, and leveraging the intellectual capital existing and embedded in the people, structures, and processes of the firm. Research and practice, traditionally concerned with governance responsibility for financial and physical capitals, has not much focused on the relations between governance and intellectual capital. Here, the authors’ intellectual capital paradigm is overlayered on a recent taxonomy of systems and features of corporate governance. The result is an explication of the role and characteristics of corporate governance in relation to the intellectual capital of the firm.
Analytic and bootstrap-after-cross-validation methods for selecting penalty parameters of high-dimensional M-estimators

We develop two new methods for selecting the penalty parameter for the L1-penalized high-dimensional M-estimator, which we refer to as the analytic and bootstrap-after-cross-validation methods. For both methods, we derive nonasymptotic error bounds for the corresponding L1-penalized M-estimator and show that the bounds converge to zero under mild conditions, thus providing a theoretical justification for these methods. We demonstrate via simulations that the finite-sample performance of our methods is much better than that of previously available and theoretically justified methods.
Professional Self-Concept among Student Nurses

Professional self-concept plays a vital role among nursing students enabling them to accept the profession and willingly render quality care to the patients in the future. This study aims to assess the level of professional self-concept among student nurses and to associate their socio demographic characteristics with it. A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted using Cowin’s Nurses Self Concept Questionnaire (NSCQ) based on six dimensions namely Nurse General Self-Concept (NGSC), Care, Staff Relations, Communication, Knowledge and Leadership among 169 students, of RNBSN Bridge and BSN program selected using purposive sampling technique. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 23) with differential and inferential statistics. In the area of professional self-concept, communication (44.4 + 0.38) and care 44.74 + 0.29) dimensions had higher mean among students of RN BSN bridge program. Among the BSN, students with self-concept (40.8 + 1.01) care (40.2 + 0.68) and communication (40.3 + 0.67) gained higher mean scores. Professional self-concept was found to have a significant relationship between student nurses age, marital status and the program of study with the subdomains namely staff relations, care, communication, knowledge and leadership (P< 0.000
Tourism development in rural and urban North Yorkshire : a geography of social relations

This work is a critical analysis of tourism development in Goathland village, North Yorkshire, and York city centre. Although these two places are very different one is a small rural village and the other is a city they share a common characteristic in that both are increasingly popular heritage sites. In the case of Goathland, besides its 'traditional' rural appeal, it has become the filming location for the Yorkshire Television series 'Heartbeat', which has instigated a manifold increase in tourist numbers to the village, and heralded a marked shift in the way the local environment is consumed by them. And since the early 1980s, York has seen a substantial increase in the number of heritage attractions it offers to an expanding amount of visitors. In short, heritage presentation, and representation in the form of nostalgia themes, have become so commercial and popular in both places that many local people believe their 'real' traditions and identities are being either threatened or compromised. Drawing primarily on the results of qualitative research, in which interviews were held with tourists, residents and key informants, the thesis analyses the changes that tourism has brought about in Goathland and York. However, the study is not a straight forward assessment of tourism impacts. Rather, the focus is on the changing social and economic relations at the local, national and international scales which are embroiled in the way both Goathland and York have developed as tourist attractions in recent years. In this, tourism impacts are seen as local expressions of dynamic social, political and economic processes. This also means that respondents' views on tourism development and management are treated as arbitrary claims which can reveal the vested interests and value judgments contained within them. Furthermore, the research findings are linked to other socio-geographic concerns, such as the construction and consumption of Englishness, heritage, nostalgia, postmodern leisure space, rural and urban lifestyle identities, and so on, to illustrate how these can inflect the local tourism process and influence the way so-called costs and benefits are evaluated, managed and negotiated by different interest groups and agents.
Identification of an Antimicrobial Peptide from the Venom of the Trinidad Thick-Tailed Scorpion Tityus trinitatis with Potent Activity against ESKAPE Pathogens and Clostridioides difficile

Envenomation by the Trinidad thick-tailed scorpion Tityus trinitatis may result in fatal myocarditis and there is a high incidence of acute pancreatitis among survivors. Peptidomic analysis (reversed-phase HPLC followed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and automated Edman degradation) of T. trinitatis venom led to the isolation and characterization of three peptides with antimicrobial activity. Their primary structures were established asTtAP-1 (FLGSLFSIGSKLLPGVFKLFSRKKQ.NH2), TtAP-2 (IFGMIPGLIGGLISAFK.NH2) and TtAP-3 (FFSLIPSLIGGLVSAIK.NH2). In addition, potassium channel and sodium channel toxins, present in the venom in high abundance, were identified by CID-MS/MS sequence analysis. TtAP-1 was the most potent against a range of clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobes and against the anaerobe Clostridioides difficile (MIC = 3.1–12.5 µg/mL). At a concentration of 1× MIC, TtAP-1 produced rapid cell death (<15 min against Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus). The therapeutic potential of TtAP-1 as an anti-infective agent is limited by its high hemolytic activity (LC50 = 18 µg/mL against mouse erythrocytes) but the peptide constitutes a template for the design of analogs that maintain the high bactericidal activity against ESKAPE pathogens but are less toxic to human cells. It is suggested that the antimicrobial peptides in the scorpion venom facilitate the action of the neurotoxins by increasing the membrane permeability of cells from either prey or predator.
Risk Factors and Interpretation of Inconclusive Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Diagnosis of Solid Pancreatic Lesions

Background: The inconclusive cytological findings of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) remain a major clinical challenge and often lead to treatment delays. Methods: Patients who had undergone EUS-FNA sampling for solid pancreas lesions between 2014 and 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. The “atypical” and “non-diagnostic” categories of the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology System were considered inconclusive and the “negative for malignancy” category of malignancy was suspected clinically. We determined the frequency and predictors of inconclusive cytological finding. Results: A total of 473 first EUS-FNA samples were included, of which 108 cases (22.83%) were inconclusive. Significant increases in the odds of inconclusive cytological findings were observed for lesions with a benign final diagnosis (OR 11.20; 95% CI 6.56–19.54, p < 0.001) as well as with the use of 25 G FNA needles (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.09–4.01, p = 0.023) compared to 22 G needles. Furthermore, the use of a single EUS-FNA technique compared to the combined use of slow-pull and standard suction techniques (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.06–2.70, p = 0.027) and less than three punctures per procedure led to an elevation in the risk of inconclusive cytology (OR 2.49; 95% CI 1.49–4.14, p < 0.001). Risk reduction in inconclusive cytology findings was observed in lesions between 2–4 cm (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.23–0.68, p = 0.001) and >4 cm (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.08–0.31, p < 0.001) compared to lesions ≤2 cm. Conclusions: The more than two punctures per EUS-FNA sampling with larger-diameter needle (19 G or 22 G) using the slow-pull and standard suction techniques in combination may decrease the probability of inconclusive cytological findings.
A robust FLIR target detection employing an auto-convergent pulse coupled neural network

ABSTRACT Automatic target detection (ATD) of a small target along with its true shape from highly cluttered forward-looking infrared (FLIR) imagery is crucial. FLIR imagery is low contrast in nature, which makes it difficult to discriminate the target from its immediate background. Here, pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN) is extended with auto-convergent criteria to provide an efficient ATD tool. The proposed auto-convergent PCNN (AC-PCNN) segments the target from its background in an adaptive manner to identify the target region when the target is camouflaged or contains higher visual clutter. Then, selection of region of interest followed by template matching is augmented to capture the accurate shape of a target in a real scenario. The outcomes of the proposed method are validated through well-known statistical methods and found superior performance over other conventional methods.
Experimental Study of Drainage Basin Evolution and Its Hydrologic Implications

Abstract : An experimental study was undertaken to document the evolution of a drainage basin and to identify hydrologic changes. A 9 by 15 m facility was built and filled with a homogeneous mixture of sand, silt, and clay. A sprinkling system was established along the sides of the container, and it provided four intensities of rainfall to the nearly 140 sq. m drainage basin. Two experiments were performed each of which documented the evolution of the drainage system on gently sloping surfaces. The initial conditions (relief and initial surface slope) of each experiment were different, and these initiated differences in the mode of network growth. Nevertheless, during both experiments drainage patterns evolved through the sequence of network initiation, extension of the network to maximum extension, and, finally, to abstraction. Sediment yields from the basin undergoing erosional evolution show an exponential decline with time. This overall trend is characterized by high variability. Hydrographs generated as basin evolution progressed suggest that runoff produced by lower precipitation intensities is most influenced by the geomorphology of the basin. The ratio of peak discharge to the equilibrium discharge shows a dramatic increase during early basin development. The efficiency of the hydrologic response, appears to increase to a maximum as drainage density and/or relief increases. Further increases in drainage density do not increase the efficiency of the hydrologic system. (Author)
On the spectrum Structure for One difference eigenvalue Problem with nonlocal boundary conditions

The difference eigenvalue problem approximating the one-dimensional differential equation with the variable weight coefficients in an integral conditions is considered. The cases without negative eigenvalue in the spectrum of difference eigenvalue problem were analyzed. Analysis of the conditions of stability of difference schemes for parabolic equations was carried out according to the theoretical results and results of the numerical experiment.
The Role of Social Media in Building Pandemic Resilience in an Urban Community: A Qualitative Case Study

This paper explores the influence of social media in fostering resilience within an urban spatial context, specifically in Bangalore, India, during the COVID-19 lockdown, a period marked by a surge in digital communication due to movement restrictions. To control the rapid spread of the virus, over 1.38 billion people were given stay-at-home orders by the government of India during the onset of the pandemic. The restrictions in movement forced individuals to shift to online modes of connection and communication. As the field of digital epidemiology, that is, the use of digital tools and data to understand and improve health took center stage during the pandemic, the focus shifted towards the social media landscape, which is often associated with its negative aspects, such as misinformation. However, this paper delves into social media’s potential to build resilience on a local scale, particularly given its increased usage during the pandemic. Through in-depth online interviews with eight urban residents, we conducted a thematic analysis to understand social media’s role during the lockdown. Results indicate that social media facilitated effective information exchange and fostered a sense of community. Furthermore, it engendered an environment conducive to prosocial behavior, a known resilience amplifier. We also highlight the importance of baseline context regarding the users directly engaged in social media data generation with respect to digital epidemiology analytics tools for large-scale social media data and the need for qualitative input feeding into their design. Our study highlights the need for a balanced perspective on social media use in times of crisis, recognizing its potential to boost community resilience in an urban setting, and further enriching digital epidemiology approaches.
Outcomes of the Next In Vitro Fertilization Cycle in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome after a Failed In Vitro Maturation Attempt

Background: In vitro maturation (IVM) is indicated in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who have a very good ovarian response during in vitro fertilization (IVF) and are therefore at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). According to the latest practice committee document, IVM could be a major advance in assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures (reduced cost and simplified treatment); nevertheless, retrospective studies of IVM versus IVF still demonstrate lower chances of a live birth with IVM. Could IVM prove to be an optimal first-line treatment approach? And limited information is available concerning the success of the subsequent IVF cycle after the failure of an IVM cycle. Does IVM treatment adversely affect the subsequent IVF cycle, and is this worth considering before performing the IVF cycle for women with PCOS? Methods: This prospective nested case–control study at the Peking University Reproductive Medicine center in China was performed between March 2018 and September 2020. Women aged 20–38 years with PCOS and infertility and who were scheduled for their first IVF attempt were eligible. A total of 351 women were randomly allocated to receive one cycle of unstimulated natural IVM (n = 175) or one cycle of standard IVF with a flexible GnRH antagonist protocol followed by hCG as an ovulation trigger (n = 176). This study involved 234 women (58 women with no blastocysts in the first IVM cycle and 158 women who underwent the first IVF cycle). Cumulative live birth rate at 12 months after oocyte retrieval and OHSS of a standard controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) IVF cycle were compared between 58 women in an IVF cycle following a failed IVM cycle and 158 women who underwent the first IVF cycle. Results: No significant differences were found in the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR), ongoing pregnancy rate, or clinical pregnancy rate at 12 months after oocyte retrieval between the two groups (56.9% vs. 58.9%, p = 0.795; 58.6% vs. 60.8%, p = 0.776; and 84.5% vs. 76.0%, p = 0.178). The incidence of moderate-to-severe OHSS was not significantly different between the groups (6.9% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.742). Additionally, there were no significant differences in the total gonadotropin dose, stimulation duration, number of retrieved oocytes, number of retrieved mature oocytes, or fertilization rates. Conclusions: Even if the first IVM attempt failed in subfertile women with PCOS, comparable cumulative live birth rates were observed in the subsequent IVF cycle. IVM treatment does not adversely affect the subsequent IVF cycle.
Augmented-Reality Presentation of Household Sounds for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People

Normal-hearing people use sound as a cue to recognize various events that occur in their surrounding environment; however, this is not possible for deaf and hearing of hard (DHH) people, and in such a context they may not be able to freely detect their surrounding environment. Therefore, there is an opportunity to create a convenient device that can detect sounds occurring in daily life and present them visually instead of auditorily. Additionally, it is of great importance to appropriately evaluate how such a supporting device would change the lives of DHH people. The current study proposes an augmented-reality-based system for presenting household sounds to DHH people as visual information. We examined the effect of displaying both the icons indicating sounds classified by machine learning and a dynamic spectrogram indicating the real-time time–frequency characteristics of the environmental sounds. First, the issues that DHH people perceive as problems in their daily lives were investigated through a survey, suggesting that DHH people need to visualize their surrounding sound environment. Then, after the accuracy of the machine-learning-based classifier installed in the proposed system was validated, the subjective impression of how the proposed system increased the comfort of daily life was obtained through a field experiment in a real residence. The results confirmed that the comfort of daily life in household spaces can be improved by combining not only the classification results of machine learning but also the real-time display of spectrograms.