Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Effective Deep Network for Head Pose Estimation without Keypoints

Human head pose estimation is an essential problem in facial analysis in recent years that has a lot of computer vision applications such as gaze estimation, virtual reality, and driver assistance. Because of the importance of the head pose estimation problem, it is necessary to design a compact model to resolve this task in order to reduce the computational cost when deploying on facial analysis-based applications such as large camera surveillance systems, AI cameras while maintaining accuracy. In this work, we propose a lightweight model that effectively addresses the head pose estimation problem. Our approach has two main steps. 1) We first train many teacher models on the synthesis dataset - 300W-LPA to get the head pose pseudo labels. 2) We design an architecture with the ResNet18 backbone and train our proposed model with the ensemble of these pseudo labels via the knowledge distillation process. To evaluate the effectiveness of our model, we use AFLW-2000 and BIWI - two real-world head pose datasets. Experimental results show that our proposed model significantly improves the accuracy in comparison with the state-of-the-art head pose estimation methods. Furthermore, our model has the real-time speed of $\sim$300 FPS when inferring on Tesla V100.
Serological Evidence of Rickettsial Infection by Weil-Felix Test in Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Introduction: Rickettsial infections are re-emerging diseases and are major causes of febrile illnesses throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It is difficult to diagnose due to the non-specific clinical manifestations, absence of reliable and affordable diagnostic tests thereby contributes to increasing the acute febrile burden and preventive illness in many populations. Undiagnosed or late-diagnosed cases are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Objectives: The study aimed to determine rickettsial disease by Weil-Felix test and to know the frequency of rickettsial diseases in febrile patients presenting to tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: In this study, a total of 135 peripheral blood samples were taken and tested by Weil Felix test from clinically suspected patients of rickettsial fever. Results: Weil- Felix test was positive in 33((24.4%) cases. Of Weil- Felix test-positive cases, OX-2 was positive in 87.87% cases, followed by OX-K (6.06%), OX-19 (3.03%), and both OX-2 & OX-K (3.03%) cases. OX-2 positive cases are suggestive of spotted fever group, OX-K of scrub typhus group, OX-19 of typhus group, and OX-2 & OX-K are suggestive of both spotted fever group and scrub typhus group. This finding suggests that most cases were infected with spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR). Conclusion: Analyzing the present study's findings, it may be concluded that rickettsial infection is not uncommon in Bangladesh. Weil-Felix test can be used in laboratories to diagnose rickettsial diseases where specific reliable serological or molecular test is not available.
Effects of mineral nutrient supply on needle growth and photosynthesis in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.)

The aims of this project were to study the effects of mineral nutrient supply on the growth, and development of photosynthetic capacity of needles of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. ). Needle development was studied in field material, using healthy mature trees (Controls), and trees deficient in P, K or all nutrients. Needle dimensions, fresh weight, projected surface area, and dry weight:fresh weight ratio were determined, according to needle position on the shoot, throughout the growth season, and needle growth was also characterised in terms of cell size and number. Variation in material was great, but cell division lasted for about 3 weeks following bud burst in early May, with cell expansion continuing for a further 3 weeks until mid June. The greatest reduction in all variables measured was with P deficiency. Cell size and cell number were equally important in controlling final needle size, although despite slight treatment differences in cell size, differences in final needle size with needle position and nutrition were determined by differences in cell number. Final needle size was partly predetermined by primordium cell number, as a result of nutrient conditions during primordium initiation, but refertilisation of N-deficient potted trees showed that limitations to needle growth could be overcome by supplying nutrients during the period of needle expansion. The development of photosynthetic capacity was studied using healthy 2-3 year old potted seedlings (Controls), and seedlings where deficiency of Mg, K, P, N or all nutrients had been induced by differential fertilisation, and following restoration of these trees to full nutrient supply. Some morphological characteristics of needle development were also monitored, for comparison with field trees. Net photosynthetic rate was studied throughout the season, as well as pigment content, activity of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, stomatal conductance to CO 2' and the intercellular partial pressure of CO 2* Most photosynthetic variables showed an increase throughout the season, with a slight or more obvious decrease in August/September. Some treatment differences existed for the photosynthetic variables, and N-deficiency caused the largest inhibition to photosynthesis and growth, with fewer effects on needle growth being found with other nutrient deficiencies than in the field. The differences in photosynthetic variables and the correlations between them,
Parallelized Domain Decomposition for Multi-Dimensional Lagrangian Random Walk, Mass-Transfer Particle Tracking Schemes

Abstract. Lagrangian particle tracking schemes allow a wide range of flow and transport processes to be simulated accurately, but a major challenge is numerically implementing the inter-particle interactions in an efficient manner. This article develops a multi-dimensional, parallelized domain decomposition (DDC) strategy for mass-transfer particle tracking (MTPT) methods in which particles exchange mass dynamically. We show that this can be efficiently parallelized by employing large numbers of CPU cores to accelerate run times. In order to validate the approach and our theoretical predictions we focus our efforts on a well-known benchmark problem with pure diffusion, where analytical solutions in any number of dimensions are well established. In this work, we investigate different procedures for “tiling” the domain in two and three dimensions (2-D and 3-D), as this type of formal DDC construction is currently limited to 1-D. An optimal tiling is prescribed based on physical problem parameters and the number of available CPU cores, as each tiling provides distinct results in both accuracy and run time. We further extend the most efficient technique to 3-D for comparison, leading to an analytical discussion of the effect of dimensionality on strategies for implementing DDC schemes. Increasing computational resources (cores) within the DDC method produces a trade-off between inter-node communication and on-node work. For an optimally subdivided diffusion problem, the 2-D parallelized algorithm achieves nearly perfect linear speedup in comparison with the serial run-up to around 2700 cores, reducing a 5 h simulation to 8 s, while the 3-D algorithm maintains appreciable speedup up to 1700 cores.
Comparing Behavior between a Large Sample of Smart Students and a Representative Sample of Japanese Adults

We address a concern about the external validity, in particular, the representativeness of the sampled population, of an experiment conducted with university students. We do so by conducting largescale (partly) incentivized online surveys of students at a Japanese university and of a sample of Japanese adults to measure individual characteristics such as cognitive ability, mentalizing skills, preferences for risk and distribution, and personality traits. While significant differences between these two samples are observed in many of these characteristics, the correlational structures among these characteristics are very similar in the two samples.
Visual-only Voice Activity Detection using Human Motion in Conference Video

In this paper, we propose a visual-only Voice Activity Detec tion (VAD) method using human movements. Although audio VAD is commonly used in many applications, it has a problem it is not robust in noisy environments. In such the cases, multi-modal VAD using speech and mouth information is effective. However, due to the current pandemic situation, people wear masks cau sing we cannot observe mouths. On the other hand, utilizing a video capturing the entire of a speaker is u sef l for visual VAD, because gestures and motions may contribute to identify speech segments. In our sch eme, we firstly obtain dynamic images which represent motion of a person. Secondly, we fuse dynamic and o riginal images using Multi-Modal Transfer Module (MMTM). To evaluate the effectiveness of our scheme, w conducted experiments using conference videos. The results show that the proposed model has better t han the baseline. Furthermore, through model visualization we confirmed that the proposed model focused m uch more on speakers.
Growth and characterization of (Ga1−xFex)2O3 thin films by pulsed laser deposition for wide-bandgap and spintronics applications

(Ga1−xFex)2O3 thin films were grown on (0001)-Al2O3 substrates with a partial O2 pressure of 1.5 × 10–6 torr and temperature of 700°C by pulsed laser deposition. The incorporation of Fe into Ga2O3 expands the lattice constant and causes a transformation from the monoclinic phase to gamma phase for x ≥ 0.10, confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Surface analysis shows that Fe is also responsible for controlling the grains and the migration of adatoms with the increasing Fe concentration. Optical transmission measurements show that with increasing Fe content, the absorption edge moves toward longer wavelengths with no intermediate absorption.
A proposed biaxial-tensile device for fatigue testing

In this paper, the major experimental techniques used to generate biaxial cyclic stress conditions are briefly reviewed with an emphasis on the advantages and inconveniences associated with each technique. The available techniques are discussed within the framework of two broad categories, depending upon the biaxial stress ratio specification: (1) tests using two or more independent loading systems and (2) tests using a single loading system. Subsequently, a new apparatus is proposed in order to assess fatigue life under in-phase biaxial-tensile loading at elevated temperatures. It makes use of an annular disk-specimen and can be easily mounted onto a standard push-pull machine so that the uniaxial force is converted into radial forces extending the disk-specimen. The ratio between the two principal stresses (tangential and radial stresses) at the reduced section of the disk-specimen can thus be imposed; this ratio depends upon the specimen configuration and may be fixed to a value ranging from 0.5 to 0.9, by varying the inner diameter of the disk. The proposed apparatus may be regarded as a low cost alternative with respect to other available techniques used to simulate such particular loading conditions. The experimental fixture worked properly and preliminary data obtained to date is discussedmore » in this paper. « less
Linguistically Responsive Leaders: Working With Multilingual Students and Their Families

The demographic composition of the United States (US) has transformed since the early 1990s with immigrant arrivals from Mexico and Central America. Education leaders frequently exit preparation programs without content focused on opportunities around working successfully with multilingual students. This qualitative case study explores the implementation of online learning modules focused on engaging multilingual students and their families that were embedded into advanced leadership preparation coursework. Utilizing data (e.g., classwork, fieldnotes, semi-structured interviews) collected from 10 participants, findings include recommendations for stronger preparation on multilingual learners and flexible learning experiences that encourage the application of knowledge in professional practice.
Automated Classification System for Tick-Bite Defect on Leather

Natural leather is a durable, breathable, stretchable, and pliable material that comes in various styles, colors, finishes, and prices. It is an ideal raw material to manufacture luxury products such as shoes, dresses, and luggage. The leather will be categorized into different grades that are determined by visual appearance, softness, and natural defects. This grading process requires a manual visual inspection from experienced experts to ensure proper quality assurance and quality control. To facilitate the inspection process, this paper introduces an efficient automated defect classification framework that is capable to evaluate if the sample patches contain defective segments. A six-step preprocessing procedure is introduced to enhance the quality of the leather image in terms of visibility and to preserve important features representation. Then, multiple classifiers are utilized to differentiate between defective and nondefective leather patches. The proposed framework is capable to generate a classification accuracy rate of 94% from a collection of samples of 1600 pieces of calf leather patches.
“Retro-Greening” Suburban Calgary

Green-factor systems, rating the “ecological value” of a site and the green factors for landscape elements according to their positive effects on the ecosystem, are adaptable and applicable to many cities. The “positive effects” of landscape elements, however, vary with climatic and geographic conditions. One method of evaluating elements such as green roofs, permeable pavement, vegetated walls, rain gardens, and bioswales considers their contribution to stormwater management. In this study, runoff depth, volume, peak-flow rate, and the mass loading of contaminants, determined through analysis of a typical Calgary residential site using climatic data and simulation tools (NRCS-CN, crop coefficient, and Rational Methods), are compared with those of two green-intervention scenarios with differing landscape elements achieving a Seattle Green Factor of 0.3. Calculated results show that Scenario 1—with green roofs and vegetated walls—could reduce total annual runoff volume by 31 percent, peak-flow runoff by 17 percent, mass loading of total suspended solids by 8 percent, and nutrient content to 36 percent. Scenario 2—with green roofs, permeable pavement, rain garden and bioswales—could reduce total annual runoff volume by 96 percent, peak-flow runoff by 28 percent, mass loading by 90 percent, and nutrient content to 96 percent.
Automation of Polishing Process by Industrial Robots

The study deals with the automation of polishing process for free-form surfaces by means of an industrial robot. In general, the polishing process has been performed by handwork of skilled workers. Since the polishing environment is extremely inferior and the polishing process is time-consuming and tedious work, the automation of polishing process is strongly desired and the robot systems have been introduced recently. However, the polishing by robots has not necessarily been performed in success. In the study, the polishing path generation is devised to improve the surface quality of workpieces. Thus, the relationship between the surface curvature of workpiece and the contact length of polishing tool is investigated by polishing experiments, which results in the new polishing path generation method. The method is successfully applied to polish an impeller of food and osmetics agitators, which consists of free-form surfaces. As a result, it is found that the new polishing path generation method is effective for polishing automation by robots.
High Performance Flexible Transistors With Polyelectrolyte/Polymer Bilayer Dielectric

Flexible organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ polyelectrolyte polyacrylic acid (PAA) bilayer gate dielectric are demonstrated. These devices exhibited maximum field-effect mobility of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu _{\text {max}} ~\sim {0.94}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{{2}}\cdot \text{V}^{-{1}}\cdot \text{s}^{-{1}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> with an average of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu _{\text {avg}} ~\sim {0.7}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> (±0.1) cm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{{2}}\cdot \text{V}^{-{1}}\cdot \text{s}^{-{1}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in the saturation regime and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${I}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}/{I}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 10^{{4}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> with an operating voltage of −5 V. Apart from high electrical stability upon bias stress and repeated measurement of transfer curves, these devices showed excellent stability in electrical performance upon being subjected to sequential bending in various directions, i.e., vertical, horizontal, and diagonal to the channel length. Even after the application of 500 cycles of bending, no significant degradation in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${I}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> was observed. This very high electromechanical stability in devices was achieved due to a super strong and highly tough hydrogen-bonded polyelectrolyte/polymer bilayer dielectric. In addition, external resistor-loaded inverters were also demonstrated with these devices to evaluate the circuit performance.
Free-Hand versus Surgical Guide Implant Placement

One of the most key areas of dentistry is dental implant surgery. The use of digital equipment and software in dentistry has developed considerably in recent years compared to other fields of medicine. Since examining the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, along with case studies, can help physicians make informed decisions, this review study aims to raise the awareness of dentists to make easier decisions about using guided or free-hand surgery. When planning for a dental implant, one of the most challenging questions that doctors face is which method to use (guided surgery or free-hand). Choosing the right method, such as other clinical considerations, will depend on the individual circumstances of each patient and the preference of the treating physician. Free-hand surgery is a cost-effective method in which the flap is reflected, and, according to the doctor's diagnostic information, an implant is placed, which in many cases is a useful method. Guided surgery has the highest level of accuracy and control, in which osteotomy is designed and printed through a digital surgery guide, and depending on the complexity of the case and the patient's anatomy, it has a higher level of value than free surgery. The surgical guide helps the surgeon make the implant surgery more accurate, safer, simpler, at a lower cost, and in less time. In fact, there are patterns that convey information about the position of the tooth to the dentist before the implant is placed.
GRADUAL -RANDOMIZED MODEL OF POWERED ROOF SUPPORTS WORKING CYCLE

Due to increasing efforts on saving natural environment – observed also as an increase of renewable resource energy production – a traditional underground coal mining introduces new technologies of machine diagnosis to assure this process to be more safe and generate less pollution. Also the economic reasons influence development of monitoring systems. Among the most important elements of underground coal mining are longwall systems, whose essential parts are powered roof supports. Avoiding failures and limitation of power consumption should result in more ecological underground coal mining. The paper presents the new model of powered roof support single unit work. The better understanding of its operating and the possibility to generate data describing a proper and improper operation will help to develop monitoring and diagnosis systems.
Behaviour of Square and Rectangular Tunnels Using an Improved Finite Element Method

Due to its advantages (fast and accurate calculations), the Hyperstatic Reaction Method (HRM) was used to calculate the internal forces of circular tunnel linings in former works. This paper presents an improved HRM method that is developed to estimate the internal forces induced in square and rectangular tunnel linings. Based on the comparison of the internal forces induced in these linings obtained from the HRM method and the finite element method (FEM), the improved HRM method was validated. An extensive parametric analysis of the tunnel lining and ground parameters was then carried out using both the HRM and FEM. The results indicated a great influence of the lateral earth pressure coefficient K0, and the tunnel lining flexibility ratio F on the internal forces induced. Accordingly, the bending moments M, normal forces N, and shear forces T, induced in the tunnel lining decrease when the flexibility ratio of tunnel lining F increases. The maximum bending moment is observed at the tunnel sides that are perpendicular with the larger principal stress direction.
The Rise in Investors Awareness of Climate Risks After the Paris Agreement and the Clean Energy-Oil-Technology Prices Nexus

Investors’awareness of climate risks and attention to green investments are on the rise especially after the Paris Agreement. It stands to reason that this rise in awareness has an impact on the connection between clean energy prices, oil prices and technology prices. In this paper, we test this hypothesis by fitting an exogenous smooth transition regression model to the cycle of clean energy with oil and technology stock prices as exogenous regime driving variables before and after the Paris Agreement. After controlling for carbon price, market volatility, and policy uncertainty, we find that oil price has a stronger asymmetric persistence on the cycle of clean energy assets pre-Paris Agreement. In the period post Paris Agreement, however, the roles are reversed. Technology stock prices are the best regime drivers for clean energy assets with strong nonlinear asymmetric persistence, and the impact of oil price is completely absent. The superiority of technology stock prices over oil prices in driving the cyclical behavior of clean energy assets supports our argument that the Paris Agreement and other recent climate-related events are contributing to the decoupling of the clean energy sector from traditional energy markets. Our findings are particularly important for climate mitigation and adaptation policies.