Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Convolutional Neural Networks in Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Colorectal Polyps and Cancer: A Review

As a relatively high percentage of adenoma polyps are missed, a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) tool based on deep learning can aid the endoscopist in diagnosing colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer in order to decrease polyps missing rate and prevent colorectal cancer mortality. Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is a deep learning method and has achieved better results in detecting and segmenting specific objects in images in the last decade than conventional models such as regression, support vector machines or artificial neural networks. In recent years, based on the studies in medical imaging criteria, CNN models have acquired promising results in detecting masses and lesions in various body organs, including colorectal polyps. In this review, the structure and architecture of CNN models and how colonoscopy images are processed as input and converted to the output are explained in detail. In most primary studies conducted in the colorectal polyp detection and classification field, the CNN model has been regarded as a black box since the calculations performed at different layers in the model training process have not been clarified precisely. Furthermore, I discuss the differences between the CNN and conventional models, inspect how to train the CNN model for diagnosing colorectal polyps or cancer, and evaluate model performance after the training process.
E-mobility as a sustainable system innovation : insights from a captured niche

In 2009, the German government launched its "National Development Plan for Electric Mobility" which set the concrete target of having 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2020. However, there have been hypes around e-mobility before and even if this goal were to be reached, a merely quantitative aim of a certain number of electric vehicles will not suffice to contribute to a more sustainable development in transport. This requires a more comprehensive vision of sustainable e-mobility as a system innovation. Thus, the question addressed in this thesis is: How can we assess - at this critical early stage - whether there is potential for e-mobility developing as a sustainable system innovation? A theoretical framework will be developed for assessing the potential of a wider transition at an early stage by analyzing current patterns of socio-technical co-evolution and embedding these in a wider framework of the structural dynamics involved in transitions. The aim of the analysis is to identify whether 'system-innovative' projects do emerge in the case of Germany/Baden-Wurttemberg and what patterns (e.g. in terms of specific actor constellations, institutional adjustments etc.) can explain this. It will be shown that the system-innovative potential of this e-mobility niche remains limited, due to the powerful influence of incumbents, conflicting political goals and traditional science approaches. A few more system-innovative activities emerge where powerful actors from outside are involved, who are capable of viewing mobility in a more systemic way (e.g. actors from the public transport or housing sector). It is argued that the role of large demonstration projects is important, but they need to be designed as transdisciplinary research projects from the beginning.
Fear Emotion Decelerates Outcomes of Climate Change Education

Emotion mediating educational outcomes has been recognized for decades. However, empirical experiments to test these predictions, particularly for climate change education, which is often mixed with various emotions, are rare. In this study, we conducted a two-week climate change education program with specific video clips designed to induce fear or hope in students to explore how emotions affect educational outcomes. The study involved 1,730 students from nine middle schools in three coastal cities (Xiamen, Shenzhen, and Ningbo) in China. The results demonstrated that emotional video clips are a successful stimulus for the target emotion. In the hope treatment group, emotion did not significantly affect the educational outcomes, as indicated by the limited change in students’ climate change involvement, self-efficiency, and mitigation behavior. However, in the fear treatment group, emotion significantly decelerated students’ change in mitigation behavior compared to the lecture-only group. These decelerated behaviors are mostly located at the behavior change of low carbon life. Based on the mediation analysis, both the hope group and lecture-only group had direct effects on climate change mitigation behavior, while the fear group only had an indirect effect on climate change behavior, mediated primarily by climate change involvement. The study thus highlighted that both negative and positive emotions should not indiscriminately used in climate change education programs to safeguard significant educational outcomes.
JIEDDO Research Project Optimally Locating BETSS-C Surveillance Assets

Abstract : This is the final report for the project entitled "Optimally Locating BETSS-C Surveillance Assets" sponsored by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. The research has focused on developing optimization models for optimal placement of cameras and tower-mounted surveillance systems such as BETSS-C (Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance Systems-Combined). These systems have proven themselves useful in detecting improvised explosive devices as they are being emplaced, and in making certain locations less desirable for emplacement. We have created models and solution software that locate a given set of camera towers (also observation towers or aerostats) to optimally cover "points of interest" on the ground. Computational results show that it is possible to obtain near-optimal solutions for problems with up to 30 cameras and 100 points of interest on a laptop computer in less than one minute.
Assesment of Project Performance: Time for a Multidimensional Approach

This paper seeks to highlight the emerging multidimensional concepts in performance measurement as opposed to the traditional system of measurement. It identifies the similarities between the approaches used by researchers in both the manufacturing and project management (and construction management) and suggests that the construction sector can establish a single unified framework that will be flexible and adaptable enough to be used on all construction projects in all socio-economic set-up.
Accuracy and Jump Measurements of the 5.56-mm M855 Cartridge

Abstract : The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) performed a jump test and analysis to evaluate the accuracy of the M855 projectile when fired from the M4 weapon system, and from a Mann barrel for comparison. The firings consisted of a four 10-round groups, each in a different configuration, fired through the ARL Aerodynamics Experimental Facility spark range. The performance from two different standard barrels was similar. Removal of the compensator resulted in slightly increased muzzle motion, which can be attributed to removal of mass from the muzzle. The Mann barrel exhibited drastically reduced muzzle motion. The largest jump component dispersion contributors for all four configurations were the relative center of gravity (CG) jump and the aerodynamic jump. Strong interactions were identified between relative CG jump and aerodynamic jump, which served to reduce the total jump. The overall effect of the compensator was positive, in that it resulted in lower total jump dispersion due to strengthened negative correlations. For the Mann barrel, there was a decrease in magnitude and dispersion of all jump components, most likely due to the fact that lower gun motion imparted smaller linear and angular impulses to the bullet. One implication is that the Mann barrel provides a significantly different dynamic launch environment than the standard M4 weapon, which must be taken into consideration when using Mann barrels to evaluate ammunition performance other than aerodynamics.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration: The CIFE iRoom

The CIFE iRoom is a collection of linked software and hardware that allows users to readily structure, display and manipulate the various information used to design and implement a large construction project. The objectives of this research are to define and evaluate new ways for project teams to interact with and visualize project information to facilitate fast and effective decision-making. This paper summarizes the CIFE iRoom infrastructure and gives examples of its use. It shows the importance of separating a model from its view and from its control and of visualizing relationships across different views to conveniently view and compare alternative states of a project model simultaneously.
3D Electrode Array for Single-cell selectivity in Visual Prosthesis

Background : Visual prostheses electrically stimulate nearby neurons to generate artificial vision in patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases. Current prosthetic devices offer limited spatial resolution that results in unselective stimulation of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). This can be understood as a falling short of visual prosthesis to generate a complete visual scene with detail perception. In this report, the 3D linear electrode carrier is introduced. Our analysis develops a proof of principle to identify the usefulness of the 3D array to activate selectively single RGCs using small electrode size at the highest-density cell.Methods : A simulation framework was built by locating the 3D linear electrode carrier with the highest-density cell. Stimulation of the 3D carrier is implemented at horizontal meridian in the superior retina within the region of 1 mm away from the fovea centralis. Stimulation in that space is needed for critical functions such as object recognition, reading, and driving. The simulation framework obeyed the RGC density and distribution, ganglionic layer thickness, vertical distribution and cell diameter at the fovea. To verify RGC electrical stimulation, the relevant retinal interface elements and dynamics of the voltage-gated ionic channels were integrated into a 3D computational model in COMSOL Multiphysics.Results : the distribution of stimulus from a single active electrode to ground generates a volume of stimulation equivalent to the volume contained by a single RGC at the highest-density cell. Sensitive retinal tissue is safeguarded from electrochemical reactions caused by excessive charge density, the formation of corrosion and neural tissue heating since the advanced technology of the 3D array injects low thresholds for effective stimulation.Conclusions : The 3D electrode array can provide a safe stimulus to enhance visual resolution that can be delivered by +1000 electrodes. This is required in humans for activities where visual detail is of primary importance and thus relevant for high-resolution vision. The 3D electrode array reveals small proximities of electrodes to cells for activation. This is of an advantage for cells located near and very-deep in the ganglion layer because low thresholds are injected to the electrodes producing a well-defined localization of stimulus, an independent activation that targets single RGCs and a safe stimulus.
Research assessments should recognize responsible research practices — Narrative review of a lively debate and promising developments

Research assessments have been under growing scrutiny in the past few years. The way in which researchers are assessed has a tangible impact on decisions and practices in research. Yet, there is an emerging understanding that research assessments as they currently stand might hamper the quality and the integrity of research. In this chapter, we provide a narrative review of the shortcomings of current research assessments and showcase innovative actions that aim to address these. To discuss these shortcomings and actions, we target five different dimensions of research assessment. First, we discuss the content of research assessment, thereby introducing the common indicators used to assess researchers and the way these indicators are being used. Second, we address the procedure of research assessments, describing the resources needed for assessing researchers in an ever-growing research system. Third, we describe the crucial role of assessors in improving research assessments. Fourth, we present the broader environments in which researchers work, explaining that omnipresent competition and employment insecurity also need to be toned down substantially to foster high quality and high integrity research. Finally, we describe the challenge of coordinating individual actions to ensure that the problems of research assessments are addressed tangibly and sustainably.
A simulation model of conifer ring growth and cell structure

TreeRing, version 3, is a process model of daily cambial activity simulating the ring width, cell number, cell size, wall thickness and ring-width index of growth variations in conifer tree rings. Input data are daily precipitation and temperature, actual cell measurements for trees growing in the simulated area and the annual ring-width index. Input parameters define mathematical constants and initial data for the equations describing the processes governing daily changes in the tree water balance, photosynthesis, carbon allocation, crown growth and cambial activity. Outputs from the whole-tree processes along with limiting environmental conditions of temperature, water stress, and available sucrose (carbon) govern the initiation of cambial activity, rates of cell division, cell enlargement, wall thickening and growth cessation. Derivatives of crown growth represent net growth regulator flux. The growth rate, cell size, wall thickness and state (dividing, enlarging, maturing, or dead) of each tracheid is calculated for each day of the year. Data are stored in tabular form and selected information is plotted on the screen as the simulation progresses through time. Actual measurements from a tree in the simulated forest are compared to the simulated annual ring widths, cell numbers, cell sizes, wall thicknesses and ring-width indices (a replicated time series portraying the relative ring-width response of many trees in the forest); and the statistics of comparison are calculated at the end of each simulation run. A variety of initial conditions and input measurements including altitude, tree height, sapwood and heartwood, root depth and spread, soil characteristics, stored sucrose, and needle retention are used to estimate crown surface, proportion of leaves, stems, and roots, living and growing masses, carbon allocation and water balance. An iteration subroutine can be used to cycle through simulations while varying one parameter at a time and minimizing the residual variance to allow fine tuning of the model. Simulations account for 50 percent or more of the variance in actual cellular and ring measurements from a single tree. This percentage is near the upper
Detecting Impending Symptom Transitions Using Early-Warning Signals in Individuals Receiving Treatment for Depression

Drawing on dynamical systems theory, we investigated whether within-persons-detected early-warning signals in momentary affect preceded critical transitions toward lower levels of depressive symptoms during therapy. Participants were 41 depressed individuals who were starting psychological treatment. Positive and negative affect (high and low arousal) were measured 5 times a day using ecological momentary assessments over 4 months (M = 522 observations per individual). Depressive symptoms were assessed weekly over 6 months. Within-persons rising autocorrelation was found for 89% of individuals with transitions in at least one variable (vs. 62.5% for individuals without transitions) and in a consistently higher proportion of the separate variables (~44% across affect measures) than for individuals without transitions (~27%). Rising variance was found for few individuals, both preceding transitions (~11%) and for individuals without transitions (~12%). Part of our sample showed critical slowing down, but early-warning signals may have limited value as a personalized prediction method.
Neuroaesthetics: a narrative review of neuroimaging techniques

Abstract As a new discipline, neuroaesthetics has developed rapidly to become an important branch of neuroscience. The study of neuroaesthetics is of great significance to understanding the mechanisms underlying human aesthetics. In this review, we briefly define neuroaesthetics, and then review the current state of aesthetics research with a focus on single-modal and multi-modal neuroimaging technologies using the visual and auditory modalities. Finally, we summarize current challenges and trends in the field.
Factors That Influencing Project Management Performance: A Review

Optimal project performance is vital to success and avoid delay. Assessing projects improve their performance by providing accurate feedback to team members and managers. To construct an assessment tool that is both valid and reliable, it is necessary to understand what should be measured . The purpose of this paper is to introduce a review on how to measure performance in the project and to determine factors that influenced the project performance. The present paper focuses on the importance of project performance and the factors that influence on project performance. It also offer valuable information to the researchers in the field of project management. The outcome of this study introduces a literature review for project performance according to the previous studies in the field of project management. The analysis of the literature contributes to the body of knowledge on the subject of project management and factors that influenced project performance.
COMPARISON PERFORMANCE OF INDUCTION MOTOR USING SVPWM AND HYSTERESIS CURRENT CONTROLLER

This paper presents the comparative performances of three phase induction motors using space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) and hysteresis current controller. An indirect field orientation is applied to ensure decoupling control between torque and flux of the induction motor. The hysteresis current controller is built in with PI speed controller and three hysteresis current bands while the SVPWM system is embedded with the two control loops, the inner current control loop and the outer speed control loop using PI controller. Both systems were run and tested using MATLAB/SIMULINK software. The simulation results demonstrate that the SVPWM can improve the quality of the stator current and reduce the torque ripple while maintaining the other performance characteristics of the system.
Analysis of LIDAR Sensors for New ADAS Applications. Usability in Moving Obstacles Detection

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) applications feasibility is connected with the necessity of trustable sensors. The lack of cheap and reliable sensors underlines the need to use different sensors at the same time. LIDAR provides reliable but limited information of the surroundings for a vehicle application. This paper presents a comparison between two different kinds of LIDAR sensors focusing on their possibilities of being used in ADAS applications. Finally a new method for detecting moving obstacles, mainly vehicles, is proposed. This method has been implemented and tested; results of the different test performed are shown.
Enterprise System Post-Implementation: A Practice of System Evaluation Issues in Health Care Organization : A case study of Jönköping County Council

Introduction: As Information Technology (IT) becomes more and more advanced, the Enterprise System (ES) starts to attract researcher’s attention. While with the high rate of failure IT projects, it is important to evaluate the IT project properly. This paper conducts a case study in the Health Care area and chooses Jonkoping County Council’s ROS system to be the target system. According to the established linkage between theory and real world organization, a practice of Enterprise System Evaluation is conducted by using an existing Uwizeyemungu et al.’s Enterprise System Effects Evaluation Model (ESEM). The research questions are as follows: What are the Enterprise Systems Effects which impact on business processes? To what extend do the ES effects impact on the business processes? Purpose: the study is an exploratory study that aims at identifying what are the ES Effects which impact on the business processes and assessing the importance and the actual degree of these effects. The answers of the first goal are explored by analyzing the documents and the record of interview, and the results are the basis of the second question. Method: This research has adopted a combined approach because of the nature of the research questions. Data has been collected through face-to-face interview, survey and the organizational documents. Secondary data are also be used for analyzing. Both qualitative and quantitative data are used for getting a reliable conclusion. Conclusions: The Enterprise System effects can be categorized into automaional effects, informational effects and transformational effects. The relationship between such effects and Performance indicators are very important. By determining the importance and impacts degree of such relationships, the evaluation results can be explicitly calculated and understood.
Trends in U.S. Chemical Industry Accidents

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the accident history data reported under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act Amendments. This data provides a fairly complete record of the consequences of reportable accidental releases occurring during the time frame 1995-1999 in the U. S. chemical industry and covering 77 toxic and 63 flammable substances subject to the provisions of 112(r). Our analysis shows that the frequencies of reported accidents climbed from approximately one per 67 facilities in 1994 to one in 35 facilities in 1997 and 1998, then declined again to approximately one per sixty facilities in 2000. While this change was highly statistically significant (p<.0001), some or all of this trend may be due to spurious data collection effects. No statistically significant differences in injury rates over time were observed. Future rounds of RMP*Info reporting may allow trend analyses under weaker assumptions than required here.
Crack Propagation in Cruciform Welded Joints : Study of Modern Analysis

This thesis is investigating how the effective notch method can be used for fatigue assessment of welded joints. The effective notch method is based on a finite element analysis where the joint is modeled with all notches fictitiously rounded with a radius of 1 mm. Analyses are performed on a cruciform fillet welded joint where parameters such as, load case, steel plate thickness and weld size, are varied. The achieved lifetime estimations are then compared to calculations with other fatigue assessment methods, linear elastic fracture mechanics and the nominal method. The goal is to draw conclusions about pros and cons of the effective notch method. The results are also compared to experimental fatigue tests performed on the same geometry. The results indicates that the effective notch method tends overestimating the lifetime, especially when the steel plate thickness is small. This leads to a non conservative method that is dangerous to use as guidance when designing. The estimations are though better when considering a toe crack then when considering a root crack. Due to a large scatter in experimental test results, it is hard to validate a fatigue assessment method in an absolute sense. That is also the case for the effective notch method, and more results from experimental fatigue tests are needed before the effective notch method can be fully used. For relative analysis, when variations of the same design needs to be compared, the effective notch can be a very powerful tool. This is because of the flexibility for different geometries that this method grants.