Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generalized likelihood ratio test for optical subpixel objects’ detection with hypothesis-dependent background covariance matrix

Abstract. Much interest has arisen in the problem of detecting weak optical subpixel objects in a sequence of images immersed in a heavy homogeneous Gaussian clutter background. In optical systems, the presence of the objects changes the background plus the channel noise covariance matrix. Hence, this matrix may be different under null and alternative hypotheses. Because the maximum likelihood estimate of the background covariance matrix is not available when using the primary data set, we use an approximate estimate of a certain number of eigenvalues of the background covariance matrix that are available for estimation. We derived the general likelihood ratio test for the problem at hand and obtained the modified spectrum matching detector (MSpMD). Using the simulation results, we contrast it with well-known spectrum matching detectors and the hypothesis-independent matched subspace detectors. We also present experimental results of small subpixel objects detection on an agitated sea surface, using digital optical experiments that demonstrate the validation of the simulating results. We show the advantage of the MSpMD that allows to detect small subpixel floating objects on an agitated sea surface even with the same means and variances of the reflected signals from the sea surface and the object.
Soil temperature and water evaporation of small steel and plastic lysimeters replaced daily.

Soil water evaporation (E) measured by small, weighable lysimeters is affected by their size, construction materials, and replacement frequency. Steel and plastic are commonly used materials, but they have different thermal characteristics. Our objective was to investigate how wall material affects E and soil temperature of small lysimeters filled daily with undisturbed soil. Research was conducted during 5 days in August 1995 at Bushland, Texas, where the soil is a Pullman silty clay loam (fine, mixed, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll, 30% clay, 53% silt). Plastic and steel lysimeters 76 mm long, with inside diameters of 82 and 86 mm, respectively, were filled each morning by pressing them into undisturbed soil, and E was determined by mass change. Soil temperatures inside additional steel and plastic lysimeters were measured by thermocouples. No significant differences in E due to wall material were measured. For lysimeters of both wall materials, daily E ranged from 2 to 5 mm, daytime and nighttime E averaged 2.7 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively, and total cumulative E was 15.5 mm. Evaporation from small lysimeters was within 5% of E from a nearby large, precision, weighing lysimeter. Steel lysimeters were warmer at night near the surface, with significant differences from 0.5 to 0.9 °C, and warmer during the day at the bottom, with significant differences from 0.5 to 2.8 °C. Plastic lysimeters had greater vertical soil temperature differences than steel lysimeters. Significant differences inside plastic lysimeters ranged from about 2.0 to 3.5 °C greater than those of steel lysimeters during the daytime, and 0.5 to 1.0 °C greater during the nighttime. Measured temperature differences were consistent with greater thermal conductivity and enhanced heat transfer in steel sidewalls compared with plastic. Wall material affected temperature distribution, but not evaporation, of small lysimeters that were replaced daily.
Testing coyotes in an object choice task following a human gesture

Interspecific communication is often studied by determining a species ability to respond to human gestures. Results emerging from pet versus free-roaming domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) elucidate differences in the behavioral changes that occur based on life experience and human socialization in the development of social cognition. Additional research on wild species of canids raised with minimal levels of human socialization may provide insight into the importance of human socialization in the ability of non-human animals to correctly respond to a human gesture. We used captive coyotes (Canis latrans) to test whether coyotes could use human pointing gestures to succeed in an object-choice task. We specifically tested two groups of coyotes; both were minimal human socialization but one group was coyote-reared while the other group had high levels of human socialization during early ontogenetic development because they were hand-reared until 12 weeks of age. We tested 12 coyotes (n = 5 hand-reared, n = 7 coyote-reared) on responses to a human distal-pointing gesture across 10 trials each. Only one coyote, a hand-reared male, performed better than expected by chance and made correct choices in eight trials (incorrect choices in trials three and four). We found no difference between coyote- or hand-reared coyotes in their abilities to respond correctly to a human distal-pointing gesture (t = – 0.043, P = 0.97). Performance did not improve over time among all coyotes or within either group. The preliminary results from this study suggest that most coyotes will not respond to human gestures and early life experience does not appear to improve adult performance. These findings are in contrast to most studies of gesture studies of canids.
Mother to Mother: Mothers’ Social Comparison-Based Emotions on Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites (SNSs) are platforms where people make social comparisons very frequently, and because of those comparisons, they have the potential for evoking a wide range of emotions. According to typology of social comparison-based emotions, the emotions felt after social comparisons may vary according to the direction of comparison (upward vs. downward) as well as the internal process that triggered by those comparisons (assimilation vs. contrast). The current study aims to examine the mothers' emotions they felt after social comparisons they make with other mothers on the SNSs, and search out the usefulness of using the typology of social comparison-based emotions in examining those emotions. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted on 42 mothers between the ages of 20 and 48, who have been a member of SNSs for at least six months. Mothers responses to two open-ended questions; one is about the emotions they feel after upward comparisons, and the other is about the ones that they felt after downward comparison they made with other mothers on SNSs, were examined through thematic analyses. The results pointed out that the emotion classification offered in Smith’s theory might be useful in examining the social comparisons on SNSs made by mothers, with the addition of some new categories. Specifically, it was found that some mothers feel doubts about the credibility of information in other mothers’ posts, and some others denied they are emotionally influenced by social comparisons. Another interesting finding was that mothers reported to feel assimilative and contrastive emotions simultaneously.
Potential Benefits of the EAPI Agro-processing Skills Training Course on Micro, Small, and Medium Scale (MSMEs) Agro-processors in Uganda

Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Uganda contribute significantly to socio-economic growth and development. Several training programs have been organized to upgrade the skills and competencies of personnel in these agro-processing enterprises but these often lack a wholistic approach. An Empowerment of the Agro-Processing Industry (EAPI) training was organised to include eight modules covering the key concepts necessary for an agro-processor. These included; food process and value-chain management, product optimization, national and international food standards, Good Management Practices (GMP) and hygienic food processing, quality control, waste management, infrastructure development for food production and food product marketing. This study assessed the potential benefits of the EAPI training on 40 agro-processors from 40 selected agro-processing facilities. Upon completion of a three-day skills development training, MSME practitioners were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive, scale, and thematic analysis were used in the study. The questionnaire used was reliable (Cronbach’s coefficient alpha for relevancy = 0.873). Agro-processors found all modules relevant with an average score ranging between 8.7 and 9.5 on a scale of 10. Increase in knowledge, and interaction between stakeholders were the most outstanding potential benefits of the training. Respondents anticipated improving their operations after the training. Provision of handouts, increasing the number of days for the training, and simplifying the language of delivery were some of the suggested improvements. The study suggests that trainings of this nature could improve operations at different agro-processing facilities.
Evaluating the role of coastal hypoxia on the transient expansion of microencruster intervals during the early Aptian

the role of coastal hypoxia on the expansion of Worldwide, a growing number of modern coastal marine ecosystems are increasingly exposed to suboxic ‐ or even anoxic conditions. Low seawater oxygen levels trigger signi ﬁ cant ecosystem changes and may result in mass mortality of oxygen ‐ sensitive biota. The applicability of observations from recent (anthropogenically in ﬂ uenced) suboxic coastal settings to fossil anoxic shallow ‐ marine environments is, however, as yet poorly explored. The test case documented here are upper Barremian to lower Aptian strata in the Lusitanian Basin (Ericeira section, Portugal). These are characterized by the tran- sient demise of rudist – coral communities and the rapid establishment of microencruster facies in the vacant ecological niches. The hypothesis is tested that the temporal expansion of the microencrusting organism Lithocodium aggregatum took place in response to platform ‐ top seawater oxygen depletion. We critically discuss the outcome of a multi ‐ proxy palaeoseawater redox approach (e.g. Rare Earth Elements (REEs), U isotopes and palaeoecology) and put the robustness of the proxies applied here to the test. This is done by considering issues with these methods in general but also empha-sizing the signi ﬁ cance of terrigenous contamination and fractionation effects. Data shown here document that evidence for coastal seawater oxygen depletion in the pre-lude of Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 1a is lacking, and hence, anoxia was not the driv- ing mechanism for the demise of rudist – coral ecosystems in the proto ‐ North Atlantic platform setting studied here. In contrast, well ‐ oxygenated early Aptian platform ‐ top water masses are proposed for this site. Geologically short (decades to millennia) ﬂ uc-tuations in seawater oxygen levels cannot be excluded, however. But even if these took place, they offer no explanation for the Kyr to Myr ‐ scale patterns discussed here. The present paper is relevant as it sheds light on the complexity of mechanisms that drive punctuated Early Cretaceous coral – rudist ecosystem turnover, and assess strengths and weaknesses of redox proxies applied to ancient shallow ‐ marine platform carbon- ates. □ Anoxia, cerium anomalies, Cretaceous, Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a, redox proxies, uranium isotopes.
Biometry, Distribution and Genetic Characterization of Blue Jack Mackerel Trachurus picturatus (Bowdich, 1825), a Rare Pelagic Fish Species in the Adriatic Sea

The blue jack mackerel Trachurus picturatus (Bowdich, 1825) specimens (N = 155) were collected during the MEDITS survey, done along the eastern side, precisely, of the Croatian fishing ground in July 2018. Biometrical analysis of ten morphometric and five meristic characters, as well as genetic analysis proved that the collected specimens were blue jack mackerel. The total length (TL) and weight (W) of all observed specimens ranged from 9.2 to 33.7 cm (12.15 ± 2.95 cm) and from 5.79 to 384.94 g (17.64 ± 39.42 g), respectively. All calculated length–length relationships were linear (r > 0.923). Sex was determined only on two larger specimens (28 cm < TL < 32.8 cm), which were females. In the length–weight relationship, positive allometry was established (b = 3.1789). Based on 37 partial cytochrome b sequences, the overall haplotype diversity (h) of 0.812 ± 0.048 and nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.0064 ± 0.0007 indicated high levels of haplotype and low nucleotide diversity. The obtained sequences were compared to previously published research within the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, confirming the absence of genetic structure among these populations.
Optimisation of a modern numerical library: a bottom-up approach

Numerical libraries lie in the heart of modern applications, from machine learning, scientific computation and to Internet of Things (IoT). It has dominated many aspects of our daily lives. Numerical library used to lie in the low level of applications, and only need to focus on provide fast calculation. However, with social awareness of privacy and personal data arising, computation is gradually moved to devices in heterogeneous environment. Recently development of edge devices such as Edge TPU also promotes a trend of decentralised computation. Given this trend, a new understanding of the full stack of computation is required to optimise computation at various levels. In this thesis, based on my experience participating in the development of a numerical library, I present a bottom-up approach that centres on numerical library to describe the optimisation of computation at various levels. I present the low-level design of numerical operations and show the related impact on performance optimisation. I create new algorithms for key operations, and build an automatic tuning module to further improve performance. At the graph level, which consists of multiple operations, I present the idea of using graph as common Intermediate Representation to enable interoperability on other computation frameworks and devices. To demonstrate this approach, I build the TFgraph system that provides a symbolic representation layer to exchange the computation between Owl and other frameworks. At a higher level, the computation graph can be seen as a unit, and at this level I identify the problems of computation composition and deployment. I build the Zoo system to address these two problems. It provides a small Domain-specific Language to enable composition of advanced data analytics services. Benefiting from OCaml’s powerful type system, the Zoo provides type checking for the composition. Besides, the Zoo DSL supports fine-grained version control in composing. It also involves deploying composed services to multiple backends. Finally, the top level involves collaboration of multiple deployed computations. At this level, I focus on the barrier control methods, propose two quantitative metrics to evaluate existing barrier control methods, and bring new insights into their design. I have also built a simulation platform and real-world experiments to perform thorough evaluation of the PSP compared to existing barrier methods.
Constructing the moral geographies of educational dark tourism

ABSTRACT Many dark tourism sites are positioned as a domain for exploring moral judgements and behaviours. This study draws on German students’ narratives of Auschwitz to examine the dark tourism site as an alternate teaching space. Employing thematic analysis of students’ comments to identify the meanings that the students attached to the Auschwitz site, the findings reveal that Auschwitz provided the students with learning opportunities, affirming collective identity, emotional engagement, and moral reflection. Auschwitz was experienced as a moral space imbued with moral judgements. The theoretical concept of moral geographies is valuable for explaining the moral complexities associated with educational dark tourism and informing effective management of dark tourism sites to guide the objectives in educating young people.
Calculating the Universal Energy‐Level Alignment of Organic Molecules on Metal Oxides

Recently, Greiner et al. [Nat. Mater. 2012, 11, 76] published a survey of the level alignment of about 40 metal oxide/organic molecule interfaces. They observed a striking regularity in the electronic level alignment of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the Fermi level that depends solely on the difference between the substrate work function and the ionization energy of the molecule independent of the details of the electronic structure of the oxide. The authors could reproduce their data under the assumption of thermodynamic equilibrium occupation of the HOMO using four adjustable parameters. A model that quantifies well‐established concepts in heterojunction physics and achieves the same result without any adjustable parameters is presented here. This approach explains why the level alignment is rather independent of the experimental details, such as the electronic structure of the oxide, defects in the oxide, and the thickness of oxide and overlayer. The model can also be extended to organic molecules or polymers on metals without any intermediate oxide as long as certain conditions are met. It also sheds new light on the large polaronic binding energy required to interpret the electronic level alignment of metal‐polymer interfaces.
Electrospun biodegradable poly(ε‐caprolactone) membranes for annulus fibrosus repair: Long‐term material stability and mechanical competence

Electrospun (ES) poly(ɛ‐caprolactone) (PCL) is widely used to provide critical mechanical support in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Therefore, there is a clear need for understanding the change in the mechanical response of the membranes as the material degrades in physiological conditions.
PERFORMANCE OF AIR INDUCTION SPRAY NOZZLE MODELS UNDER DIFFERENT OPERATING CONDITIONS

For the successful application of phytosanitary products, it is essential to understand the spraying process well. The present work aims to evaluate the spectrum and speed of the droplets produced by different spray nozzle models with air induction, working under different operating conditions. The experiment was conducted using an entirely randomized design with five repetitions in a 3 × 3 × 3 factor scheme that incorporates three nozzle models (ADIA, AIXR, and GA), three nominal flows (0.76, 1.14, and 1.51 L min -1 ), and three operating pressures (200, 300, and 400 kPa). The spectrum and speed of the droplets were determined directly using a real-time droplet analyzer based on high-resolution image analysis. The spray nozzle model interfered with the results. The ADIA promoted Dv 0.5 (VMD) higher than AIXR and GA, reaching differences of up to 90%. The increase in pressure promoted a reduction in the droplet size; however, there was no well-defined behavior for the relationship between flow rate and size. The ADIA and AIXR gave rise to greater uniformity of the droplets in most of the evaluated conditions. The increase in pressure promoted an increase in the speed of the droplets. However, the effect on was the flow.
Impacts of Soil Organic Matter and Temperature on Sorption of Acetazolamide on Four Soils

Batch sorptions of acetazolamide (AZ) were conducted using four soils from China. Sorption of AZ was found to be impacted by OC, clay content, and soil pH, with higher kd values for soils with higher clay content. The kd values of SOM-removed soils are much lower than those of bulk soils. Sorption data were well fitted with a Freundlich model (r2 > 0.99). Chelating with the metal ions on the surfaces of soil particles was probably involved. With pH increase, the electrostatic attraction between anionic AZ and positively charged soil surface may increase. The sorption capacity decreased when the temperature increased from 20 to 40°C, and the calculated thermodynamics parameters of ΔG0, ΔH0, and ΔS0 indicated that the sorption was a non-spontaneous, physisorption, and exothermic process. Sorption coefficients (kd) for the compound in soil were low (ranging from 0.42 to 1.19 L·kg−1) and indicated that low level sorption of AZ with appreciable risk of ground water contamination.
Meeting the Needs of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in Entrepreneurial Education in Malaysia: The Government’s Role

Entrepreneurship education holds great value for all students of science, technology, mission work, social work, healthcare, and education. It also serves as a great incubator for the types of creative, innovative ideas of our students and the global needs in the 21st century where combining entrepreneurship syllabus and exposure of the fourth industrial revolution is essential. This study explores the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as an opportunity to change models of innovation-driven entrepreneurship for the better, and create an environment that makes entrepreneurship more inclusive, while maximizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s benefits to the society and minimizing the risks that come with it. The role of Malaysian government in enhancing entrepreneurial education must therefore recognize the fourth industrial evolution and its impacts that must be compatible with Malaysia’s industry policy. Promotion of entrepreneurial experimentation within an appropriate entrepreneurial education ecosystem will provide entrepreneurs with smart government support that invests in entrepreneurial skills in Malaysia. This article assesses (i) fourth industrial revolution impact on entrepreneurial education; (ii) new expectations arising from impacts of fourth industrial evolution in Malaysia: method in teaching and learning; (iii) government’s role in supporting entrepreneurship education and finally (iv) entrepreneurial education reforms in Malaysia.
Performance of the chemical and electrochemical composites of PPy/CNT as electrodes in type I supercapacitors

Polypyrrole (PPy) is one of the most studied conducting polymers and a very promising material for various applications such as lithium-ion secondary batteries, light-emitting devices, capacitors, and supercapacitors, owing to its many advantages, including good processability, easy handling, and high electronic conductivity. In this work, PPy films were chemically and electrochemically synthesized, both in and around carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The cyclic voltammograms of the device, composed of the electrochemically synthesized PPy/CNT composites as working and counter electrodes (Type I supercapacitor with p-type doping), showed a predominantly capacitive profile with low impedance values and good electrochemical stability, with the anodic charge remaining almost constant (11.38 mC), a specific capacitance value of 530 F g-1 after 50 charge and discharge cycles, and a coulombic efficiency of 99.2%. The electrochemically synthesized PPy/CNT composite exhibited better electrochemical properties compared to those obtained for the chemically synthesized composite. Thus, the electrochemically synthesized PPy/CNT composite is a promising material to be used as electrodes in Type I supercapacitors.