Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A model-based edge estimation method with increased edge localization accuracy for medical images

This study proposes an improved method based on a nonlinear parametric model for intensity profile to increase the edge localization accuracy in medical images gathered from different imaging modalities. The edge model consists of three parameters associated with an edge point. It also takes into account local background intensity, noise, and blurring. The Marquardt-Levenberg algorithm is used to estimate the parameters because of its accuracy and good convergence rate. Performance of the proposed method is tested quantitatively by comparing the results with those of the well-known active contour method on synthetic vessel images. Qualitative comparisons on real MRI, coronary angiography, CT, ultrasound, and retinal images showed that the proposed method accurately estimates edges in medical images.
STUDY OF PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE PHASE MOTORS

Single phase shaded pole motor and permanently split capacitor motor are analyzed with double-filed revolving theory and method of symmetrical components is used for defining motor mathematical models. As an output from mathematical models steady-state performance characteristics of both motors are calculated for different operating regimes. Results from developed mathematical models are verified with experiments. Calculated currents of stator windings from mathematical models are used as input data in numerical models of the motors analyzed with Finite Element Method (FEM). Magnetic flux density in cross section of the motors is calculated from numerical motor models under different operating regimes. Parts of magnetic cores with high flux density are discovered and construction of the motors is further improved by applying soft magnetic powders.
Urban Segregation and the Paradigm of Security - A Discourse Analysis of Swedish Urban Policies

The aim of this thesis is to explore the modalities of Swedish urban policy in its approach to urban segregation. By using a diachronic discourse analytic approach inspired by Foucault, I attempt to reconstruct the narrative of urban policy by looking at the problematizations of urban phenomena in urban programmes extending over the course of two decades. With respect to situating urban policy between the material realities of the spaces it seeks to address and the political rationalities that underline their framing in policies, I have used Foucault’s concepts of governmentality and dispositif. The overarching goal of this study is to demonstrate the contentious nature of policy decisions which have been informed by the material realities of segregated areas as much as they have been informed by dominant socio-political and economic narratives under which the rhetoric construct of ‘breaking segregation’ (Andersson, 2006) has been subsumed. The study shows that policy decisions are often submerged in the “truth effects” of discourses established well beyond the boundaries of concentrated urban poverty, such as narratives of flows and mobility, sustainable development or economic growth which in turn significantly affect the policy interpretation of phenomena such as poverty, urban crime and ethnic polarization.
Systemic Sclerosis Sine Scleroderma: A Multicenter Study of 1417 Subjects

Objective. To describe the clinical and serological features of systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc) in a multicentered SSc cohort. Methods. Data from 1417 subjects in the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group registry were extracted to identify subjects with ssSSc, defined as SSc diagnosed by an expert rheumatologist, but without any sclerodactyly or skin involvement prior to baseline study visit or during followup. Clinical and serological features of ssSSc subjects were compared to limited (lcSSc) and diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) subjects. Results. At the first registry visit, only 57 subjects (4.0%) were identified as having ssSSc. Of these, 30 (2.1%) were reclassified as lcSSc within 1.9 years. Thus, only 27 ssSSc subjects (1.9%) remained, with mean followup of 2.4 years. Clinical profiles of ssSSc were generally similar or milder compared to lcSSc, and milder than dcSSc, including rates of interstitial lung disease (25.9% ssSSc, 25.4% lcSSc, 40.3% dcSSc). Patients with ssSSc had serological profiles similar to those with lcSSc, including high rates of anticentromere antibodies (50.0% ssSSc, 47.5% lcSSc, 12.1% dcSSc), and low rates of antitopoisomerase I (16.7% ssSSc, 7.0% lcSSc, 21.8% dcSSc) and anti-RNA polymerase III (0 ssSSc, 11.1% lcSSc, 34.9% dcSSc). Conclusion. The condition ssSSc is rare and resembles lcSSc. These observations suggest that ssSSc is most likely a forme fruste of lcSSc, and that the absence of skin involvement may in part be related to misclassification arising from early or subtle skin involvement. There is little evidence to consider ssSSc as a distinct clinical or serological subset of SSc.
Thermoelastic Oscillations of Anisotropic Bodies

Three-dimensional basic problems of statics, pseudo-oscillations, general dynamics and steady state oscillations of the thermoelasticity of isotropic bodies have been completely investigated by many authors (see [7,8,9,12,18] and references therein). In particular, exterior steady state oscillation problems have been studied on the basis of Sommerfeld-Kupradze radiation conditions in the thermoelasticity, and the uniqueness theorems were proved with the help of the well-known Rellich’s lemma, since the components of the displacement vector and the temperature in the isotropic case can be represented as a sum of metaharmonic functions (for details see [12]). Unfortunately, the methods of investigation of thermoelastic steady state oscillation problems developed for the isotropic case are not applicable in the case of general anisotropy. This is stipulated by a very complicated form of the corresponding characteristic equation which plays a significant role in the study of far field behaviour of solutions to the oscillation equations (cf. [15,19]). We note that the basic and crack type boundary value problems (BVPs) for the pseudo-oscillation equations of the thermoelasticity theory in the anisotropic case are considered in [3,14]. To the best of the authors’ knowledge the problems of thermoelastic steady oscillations for anisotropic bodies have not been treated in the scientific literature. In the present paper we will consider a wide class of basic and mixed type BVPs for the equations of thermoelastic steady state oscillations. We will formulate thermoelastic radiation conditions for an anisotropic medium (the generalized Sommerfeld-Kupradze type radiation conditions) and prove the uniqueness theorems in corresponding spaces. To derive these conditions we have essentially applied results of Vainberg [19,20,21]. Further, using the potential method and the theory of pseudodifferential equations on manifolds we will prove existence theorems in various functional spaces and establish the smoothness properties of solutions.
The Power of Words: Exploring Consumers' Perceptions of Words Commonly Associated with Agriculture

Individuals interpret words differently according to the experiences that have shaped their lives. As agricultural communicators, it is important to understand how individuals perceive certain words and if these perceptions influence their attitudes toward the agricultural industry. To better understand consumers’ perceptions, this study used focus group methodology to present words commonly associated with agriculture to consumer participants. Four focus groups were conducted over a period of two weeks. A total of 36 individuals participated in the focus groups. The results indicated some words activated participants’ attitudes and elicited a richer discussion. Divergent attitudes and perceptions were observed in the discussion of some words, while participants perceived other words similarly. For the agricultural industry to improve communications with consumer audiences, it is important to understand consumers’ existing perceptions of such commonly used descriptors.
Session-aware Information Embedding for E-commerce Product Recommendation

Most of the existing recommender systems assume that user's visiting history can be constantly recorded. However, in recent online services, the user identification may be usually unknown and only limited online user behaviors can be used. It is of great importance to model the temporal online user behaviors and conduct recommendation for the anonymous users. In this paper, we propose a list-wise deep neural network based architecture to model the limited user behaviors within each session. To train the model efficiently, we first design a session embedding method to pre-train a session representation, which incorporates different kinds of user search behaviors such as clicks and views. Based on the learnt session representation, we further propose a list-wise ranking model to generate the recommendation result for each anonymous user session. We conduct quantitative experiments on a recently published dataset from an e-commerce company. The evaluation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which can outperform the state-of-the-art.
On optimal stopping and free boundary problems

available up to now to prove the direct half of the coding theorem for a multiway channel is based on Shannon's random coding argument. So far no other type of proof has been given. Also, for multi-way channels there is a theory of coding for average errors and a theory of coding for maximal errors. Up to now a weak converse of the coding theorem for average errors has been proved for multi-way channels, but not yet a strong converse. This indicates that there are many unsolved problems in coding theory of multi-way channels, some of which we have stressed in our paper. Our survey is based on the following references: Ahlswede [1] and [2], Bergmans [3], Cover [4], Shannon [6], and van der Meulen [7] and [8].
Experimental indicators of ergonomic wellness and quality of life: salivary and hair cortisol.

P. L. Esposito, A. Comin, T. Peric, M. Montillo, M. Mascolo, G. Tubaro and A. Prandi SPRINT, University of Udine, via Petracco 8, 33100 Udine, Italy Department of Food Science, University of Udine, via Sondrio 2, 33100 Udine, Italy Department of Neurology, Hospital of San Giorgio, via Gemelli 10, 33170 Pordenone, Italy Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
Effects of orange winemaking variables on antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds

Ascorbic acid, carotenoids and polyphenols stand out among the orange juice natural antioxidants. The winemaking process affects their bioavailability and bioactivity. Antioxidant activities (AA) were estimated in different process conditions to asses those properties. The AA and their correlation with ascorbic acid, total phenolics and carotenoids content were calculated. The variables and levels analyzed were: pasteurized and natural must (PJ and NJ), pH 3.5 and 4.0 and fermentation temperatures at 10°C and 20°C. Statistically significant differences (α=0.05) were found among bioactive compounds concentrations. Antioxidant compounds concentration was higher in raw material than in orange wine. Juice pasteurization caused the major losses while subsequent vinification affects them to a lesser extent. Highest antioxidants retention was measured in wines from JN fermented at pH 3.5 and 10 °C (JN-3.5-10) followed by wines from JP and fermented at the same conditions (JP-3.5-10). AA determined by DPPH showed a positive and close correlation with FRAP, while ABTS showed a low correlation with former assays. Juice pasteurization process and fermentation temperature influenced bioactive compound reduction which correlates with the AA variation.
BNL-90418-2009-CP Touschek Lifetime Calculations for NSLS-II

The Touschek effect limits the lifetime for NSLS-II. The basic mechanism is Coulomb scattering resulting in a longitudinal momentum outside the momentum aperture. The momentum aperture results from a combination of the initial betatron oscillations after the scatter and the non-linear properties determining the resultant stability. We find that higher order multipole errors may reduce the momentum aperture, particularly for scattered particles with energy loss. The resultant drop in Touschek lifetime is minimized, however, due to less scattering in the dispersive regions. We describe these mechanisms, and present calculations for NSLS-II using a realistic lattice model including damping wigglers and engineering tolerances.1
Throughput of ideality routed wireless ad hoc networks

In our present work we model the maximum throughput of stationary ad hoc networks. The routing process we apply is ideal in the sense that it includes collision avoidance and transmits using shortest paths between random source– destination pairs. Our model not only confirms the n−1/2 decay of the throughput that was published earlier in the literature, but also provides an approach to acquire the function relations between various network parameters. This way the effects of changes in surface topology occupied by the network, traffic generation algorithm or other network characteristics can be predicted using first order approximation.
Boremys (Testudines, Baenidae) from the Latest Cretaceous and Early Paleocene of North Dakota: An 11-Million-Year Range Extension and an Additional K/T Survivor

ABSTRACT For over a century, the baenid turtle Boremys has been recognized as being restricted to the Campanian of North America. Herein we describe new material of Boremys sp. from the Hell Creek Formation (Maastrichtian) and Fort Union Formation (Puercan) of southwestern North Dakota and eastern Montana, increasing the stratigraphic range of this taxon by 11 million years. The material was recovered from the base of the Hell Creek Formation to 14 m above the pollencalibrated K/T boundary in the basal Fort Union Formation. Most of the specimens consist of isolated shell elements, which are easily misidentifled as belonging to a kinosternid or chelydrid turtle, but complete shells are present as well. The presence of Boremys sp. in the Hell Creek formation increases the baenid taxonomic diversity of this particular rock unit to nine and the overall turtle diversity to 20 taxa, and the presence of Boremys sp. in the Fort Union Formation increases the number of baenid lineages that survive the K/T extinction event to eight.
Nonlinear Magnetic Dynamics and The Switching Phase Diagrams in Spintronic Devices

Spin-transfer torque induced magnetic switching, by which the spin-polarized current transfers its magnetic moment to the ferromagnetic layer and changes its magnetization, holds great promise towards faster and smaller magnetic bits in data-storage applications due to the lower power consumption and better scalability. We propose an analytic approach which can be used to calculate the switching phase diagram of a nanomagnetic system in the presence of both magnetic field and spin-transfer torque in an exact fashion. This method is applied to the study of switching conditions for the uniaxial, single domain magnetic layers in different spintransfer devices. In a spin valve with spin polarization collinear with the easy axis, we get a modified Stoner-Wohlfarth astroid which represents many of the features that have been found in experiment. It also shows a self-crossing boundary and demonstrates a region with three stable equilibria. We demonstrate that the region of stable equilibria with energy near the maximum can be reached only through a narrow bottleneck in the field space, which sets a stringent requirement for magnetic field alignment in the experiments. Switching diagrams are then calculated for the setups with magnetic field not perfectly aligned with the easy axis. In a ferromagnet-heavy-metal bilayer device with strong spin Hall effect, the in plane current becomes spin-polarized and transfers its magnetic moment to the ferromagnetic layer by diffusion. The three-dimensional asymmetric phase diagram is calculated. In the case that the external field is confined in the vertical plane defined by the direction of the current and the easy axis, the spin-transfer torque shifts the conventional in-plane (IP) equilibria within the same plane, and also creates two
Open Archive TOULOUSE Archive Ouverte (OATAO)

The current study examines the role of cognitive and perceptual loads in inattentional deafness (the failure to perceive an auditory stimulus) and the possibility to predict this phenomenon with ocular measurements. Twenty participants performed Air Trafﬁc Control (ATC) scenarios—in the Laby ATC-like microworld—guiding one (low cognitive load) or two (high cognitive load) aircraft while responding to visual notiﬁcations related to 7 (low perceptual load) or 21 (high perceptual load) peripheral aircraft. At the same time, participants were played standard tones which they had to ignore (probability = 0.80), or deviant tones (probability = 0.20) which they had to report. Behavioral results showed that 28.76% of alarms were not reported in the low cognitive load condition and up to 46.21% in the high cognitive load condition. On the contrary, perceptual load had no impact on the inattentional deafness rate. Finally, the mean pupil diameter of the ﬁxations that preceded the target tones was signiﬁcantly lower in the trials in which the participants did not report the tones, likely showing a momentary lapse of sustained attention, which in turn was associated to the occurrence of inattentional deafness.
The Impact of Behavioral Symptoms of Burnout on Work Engagement of Older Employees: The Case of Slovenian Companies

Abstract The main objective of the paper is to determine the impact of behavioral symptoms of burnout of older employees on their work engagement in large- and mediumsized companies in Slovenia. The research is based on the implementation of a factor analysis by which we wanted to reduce the large number of variables into a smaller number of factors. With those factors, we performed a simple linear regression. Based on the results, we confirmed the hypothesis that behavioral symptoms of burnout of older employees have a statistically significant negative impact on their work engagement. Well-being of employees of varying ages in the workplace is key for long-term effectiveness of companies. From this point of view, companies should apply appropriate measures to reduce burnout as well as to contribute to employees’ well-being and better workplace performance, which is reflected in work engagement of employees.
DEM Working Paper Series Inference on Factor Structures in Heterogeneous Panels

This paper develops an estimation and testing framework for a stationary large panel model with observable regressors and unobservable common factors. We allow for slope heterogeneity and for correlation between the common factors and the regressors. We propose a two stage estimation procedure for the unobservable common factors and their loadings, based on Common Correlated Effects estimator and the Principal Component estimator. We also develop two tests for the null of no factor structure: one for the null that loadings are cross sectionally homogeneous, and one for the null that common factors are homogeneous over time. Our tests are based on using extremes of the estimated loadings and common factors. The test statistics have an asymptotic Gumbel distribution under the null, and have power versus alternatives where only one loading or common factor differs from the others. Monte Carlo evidence shows that the tests have the correct size and good power. JEL codes: C12, C33.
Microbial keratinases : enzymes with promising biotechnological 3 applications 4 5

doi: 10.17113/ftb.56. 03.18. 5658 review 1 2 Microbial keratinases: enzymes with promising biotechnological 3 applications 4 5 Beti Vidmar and Maša Vodovnik 6 Chair of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Animal Science, 7 Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia 8 9 Received: Jan 3, 2018 10 Accepted: May 31, 2018 11 12 Summary 13 Keratin is a complex and structurally stable protein found in human and animal hard tissues, 14 such as feathers, wool, hair, hoof and nails. Some of these, like feathers and wool, represent 15 one of the main sources of protein-rich waste with significant potential to be transformed into 16 value-added products such as feed, fertilizers or bioenergy. A major limitation impeding 17 valorization of keratinous substrates is their recalcitrant structure and resistance to hydrolysis 18 by common proteases. However, these substrates can be efficiently degraded by specialized 19 keratinolytic enzymes produced by some microorganisms. Keratinases have already found a 20 way in pharmaceutical, textile and leather industries. However, their wider implementation in 21 other processes, such as cost-effective (pre)treatment of poultry waste, still requires 22 optimization of production and performance of the available enzymes. Here we present a 23 comprehensive review covering molecular properties and characteristics of keratinases, their 24 classification, traditional and novel approaches in discovery of novel enzymes, production, 25 characterization, improvement and biotechnological applications. 26 27
Generalized Quadrupeds , Committed Bipeds , and the Shift to Open Habitats : An Evolutionary Model of Hominid Divergence

2 Introduction. 3 Hominoid Phylogenies and Hominid Divergence . 3 Prehominoid. 3 Prepongid . 3 Pongid . 4 Parallelisms, Primitive Reversions, or Retentions . 5 Evolutionary Models Accounting for Human Characters . 5 Phylogenetic Models . 5 Casual Models . 6 The Distinguishing Human Characters . 8 Distribution . 8 Locomotor Characters . 8 Manipulative Characters . 23 Cranial, Facial, and Dental Characters . 24 Cervical Characters . 26 Visceral Characters . 27 External Characters . 28 Sexual Characters . 28 Research Associate, Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History. Copyright C American Museum of Natural History 1998 ISSN 0003-0082 / Price $8.20 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Development . Culture . Derived vs. Primitive or Generalized Characters . Phylogeny . Hominid Ancestors . New Model of Hominid Divergence . Cercopithecines . Stage I . Stage II . Full Development of Distinguishing Hominid Characters and African Ape Divergence Fossil Record . Oreopithecus . Hadar . Sterkfontein . Swartkrans . Makapansgat . Kromdraii . Olduvai . Omo . Lake Turkana and Kanapoi (Eastern Rift Valley Kenya) . Fossil Phylogeny . Conclusions . Acknowledgements. References .
Stress corrosion of organosilicate glass films in aqueous environments : Role of pH

Subcritical cracking of thin glass films caused by stress-corrosion phenomena cannot be neglected when it comes to application and manufacturing processes that involve exposure to aqueous environments. A protocol is introduced to allow for a quantitative study of stress corrosion through channel cracking experiments. By this method, an exponential dependence of the crack propagation rate on the pH of the aqueous environment is revealed. Therefore, this behavior should be accounted for through the use of an appropriate pre-exponential factor in the expression of channel cracking rate. This factor should reflect the reduced crack resistance of the glass film caused by the weakening of the silica bonds behind the crack tip in the aqueous environment. A direct comparison between commercial slurries and reference solutions confirms that the crack resistance is a function of the pH of the ambient.