Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Color Correction and Contrast Enhancement for Natural Images and Videos. (Correction des couleurs et amélioration du contraste pour images et vidéos naturelles)

L'amelioration d'image est une sorte de technique pour ameliorer la qualite visuelle d'image, qui joue un role tres important dans les domaines du traitement d'image et de la vision d'ordinateur. En particulier, nous considerons la correction de couleur et l'amelioration de contraste pour ameliorer la qualite d'image.Dans la premiere partie de cette these, nous nous concentrons sur la correction des couleurs pour les images naturelles. Tout d'abord, nous donnons un examen simple de la correction des couleurs. Deuxiemement, nous proposons une methode efficace de correction des couleurs pour la couture d'images via la specification d'histogramme et la cartographie globale. Troisiemement, nous presentons une approche de coherence des couleurs pour les collections d'images, basee sur la specification de la gamme conservation histogramme.Dans la deuxieme partie, nous pretons attention a l'amelioration du contraste pour les images et les videos naturelles. Tout d'abord, nous donnons un simple examen de l'amelioration du contraste. Deuxiemement, nous proposons une methode de preservation du contraste global de naturalite, qui peut eviter une survalorisation. Troisiemement, nous presentons une methode de fusion a base de variation pour l'amelioration de l'image d'illumination non uniforme, qui peut eviter la sur-amplification ou la sous-amelioration. Enfin, nous etendons le cadre base sur la fusion pour ameliorer les videos avec une strategie temporellement coherente, qui n'entraine pas de scintillement des artefacts.
Implantable Technology : History, Controversies, and Social Implications [Commentary]

Many recent advances in implantable devices not so long ago would have been strictly in the domain of science fiction. At the same time, the public remains mystified, if not conflicted about implantable technologies. Rising awareness about social issues related to implantable devices requires further exploration. Recently, even popular media are running stories related to implantable technologies. Discusses the economic, social, and technological aspects of implantable technologies and the implications for society as a whole.
Quantifying Bicycle Network Connectivity in Lisbon Using Open Data

Stimulating non-motorized transport has been a key point on sustainable mobility agendas for cities around the world. Lisbon is no exception, as it invests in the implementation of new bike infrastructure. Quantifying the connectivity of such a bicycle network can help evaluate its current state and highlight specific challenges that should be addressed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop an exploratory score that allows a quantification of the bicycle network connectivity in Lisbon based on open data. For each part of the city, a score was computed based on how many common destinations (e.g., schools, universities, supermarkets, hospitals) were located within an acceptable biking distance when using only bicycle lanes and roads with low traffic stress for cyclists. Taking a weighted average of these scores resulted in an overall score for the city of Lisbon of only 8.6 out of 100 points. This shows, at a glance, that the city still has a long way to go before achieving their objectives regarding bicycle use in the city.
Detecting Anomalous Trajectories Using the Dempster-Shafer Evidence Theory Considering Trajectory Features from Taxi GNSS Data

In road networks, an ‘optimal’ trajectory is a geometrically optimal drive from the source point to the destination point. In reality, the driver’s driving experience or road traffic conditions will lead to differences between the ‘actual’ trajectory and the ‘optimal’ trajectory. When the differences are excessive, these trajectories are considered as anomalous trajectories. In addition, these differences can be observed in various trajectory features, such as velocity, distance, turns, and intersections. In this paper, our aim is to fuse these trajectory features and to quantitatively describe this difference to infer anomalous trajectories. The Dempster-Shafer (D-S) evidence theory is a theory and method that uses different features as evidence to infer uncertainty. The theory does not require prior knowledge or conditional probabilities. Therefore, we propose an automatic, anomalous trajectory inference method based on the D-S evidence theory that considers driving behavior and road network constraints. To achieve this objective, we first obtain all of the ‘actual’ trajectories of drivers for different source-destination pairs in taxi Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) trajectories. Second, we define and extract five trajectory features: route selection ( R S ), intersection rate ( I R ), heading change rate ( HCR ) , slow point rate ( SPR ), and velocity change rate ( VCR ) . Then, different features of each trajectory are combined as evidence according to Dempster’s combinational rule. The precise probability interval of each trajectory is calculated based on the D-S evidence theory. Finally, we obtain the anomalous possibility of all real trajectories and infer anomalous trajectories whose trajectory features are significantly different from normal ones. The experimental results show that the proposed method can infer anomalous trajectories effectively and that it can be used to monitor driver behavior automatically and to discover adverse urban traffic events.
Annotating a Low-Resource Language with LLOD Technology: Sumerian Morphology and Syntax

This paper describes work on the morphological and syntactic annotation of Sumerian cuneiform as a model for low resource languages in general. Cuneiform texts are invaluable sources for the study of history, languages, economy, and cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions. Assyriology, the discipline dedicated to their study, has vast research potential, but lacks the modern means for computational processing and analysis. Our project, Machine Translation and Automated Analysis of Cuneiform Languages, aims to fill this gap by bringing together corpus data, lexical data, linguistic annotations and object metadata. The project’s main goal is to build a pipeline for machine translation and annotation of Sumerian Ur III administrative texts. The rich and structured data is then to be made accessible in the form of (Linguistic) Linked Open Data (LLOD), which should open them to a larger research community. Our contribution is two-fold: in terms of language technology, our work represents the first attempt to develop an integrative infrastructure for the annotation of morphology and syntax on the basis of RDF technologies and LLOD resources. With respect to Assyriology, we work towards producing the first syntactically annotated corpus of Sumerian.
An Effective Feature Segmentation Algorithm for a Hyper-Spectral Facial Image

The human face as a biometric trait has been widely used for personal identity verification but it is still a challenging task under uncontrolled conditions. With the development of hyper-spectral imaging acquisition technology, spectral properties with sufficient discriminative information bring new opportunities for a facial image process. This paper presents a novel ensemble method for skin feature segmentation of a hyper-spectral facial image based on a k-means algorithm and a spanning forest algorithm, which exploit both spectral and spatial discriminative features. According to the closed skin area, local features are selected for further facial image analysis. We present the experimental results of the proposed algorithm on various public face databases which achieve higher segmentation rates.
Long-Haul Northeast Travel Disrupts Sleep and Induces Perceived Fatigue in Endurance Athletes

Introduction: Long-haul transmeridian travel is known to cause disruptions to sleep and immune status, which may increase the risk of illness. Aim: This study aimed to determine the effects of long-haul northeast travel for competition on sleep, illness and preparedness in endurance athletes. Methods: Twelve trained (13.8 ± 3.2 training h/week) masters (age: 48 ± 14 years) triathletes were monitored for sleep (quantity via actigraphy and quality via self-report), mucosal immunity (salivary immunoglobulin-A) and stress (salivary cortisol) as well as self-reported illness, fatigue, recovery and preparedness. Baseline measures were recorded for 2 weeks prior to travel for all variables except for the saliva samples, which were collected on three separate days upon waking. Participants completed normal training during the baseline period. Measures were subsequently recorded before, during and after long-haul northeast travel from the Australian winter to the Hawaiian summer, and in the lead up to an Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Results: All comparisons are to baseline. There was a most likely decrease in sleep duration on the over-night flight (-4.8 ± 1.2 h; effect size; ±90% confidence limits = 3.06; ±1.26) and a very likely increase in sleep duration on the first night after arrival (0.7 ± 1.0 h; 1.15; ±0.92). After this time, sleep duration returned to baseline for several days until it was very likely decreased on the night prior to competition (-1.2 ± 1.0 h; 1.18; ±0.93). Nap duration was likely increased on the first day after arrival (36 ± 65 min; 3.90; ±3.70). There was also a likely increase in self-reported fatigue upon waking after the first night in the new destination (1.1 ± 1.6 AU; 0.54; ±0.41) and there were three athletes (25%) who developed symptoms of illness 3–5 days after arrival. There were no changes in sleep quality or mucosal measures across study. Discussion: Long-haul northeast travel from a cool to a hot environment had substantial influences on sleep and self-reported fatigue, but these alterations had returned to pre-departure baseline 48 h after arrival. Endurance athletes undertaking similar journeys may benefit from optimizing sleep hygiene, especially on the first 2 days after arrival, or until sleep duration and fatigue levels return to normal.
Gyrification Connectomes in Unmedicated Patients With Schizophrenia and Following a Short Course of Antipsychotic Drug Treatment

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a d isease characterized by brain dysconnectivity and abnormal brain development. The study of cortical gyrification in schizophrenia may capture underlying alterations reflective of neurodevelopmental abnormalities more accurately than other imaging modalities. Graph-based connectomic approaches have been previously used in schizophrenia to study structural and functional brain covariance using a diversity of techniques. The goal of the present study was to evaluate morphological covariance using a measure of local gyrification index in patients with schizophrenia. The aims of this study were two-fold: (1) Evaluate the structural covariance of local gyrification index using graph theory measures of integration and segregation in unmedicated patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls and (2) investigate changes in these measures following a short antipsychotic drug (APD) treatment. Using a longitudinal prospective design, structural scans were obtained prior to treatment in 34 unmedicated patients with SZ and after 6 weeks of treatment with risperidone. To control for the effect of time, 23 matched healthy controls (HC) were also scanned twice, 6 weeks apart. The cortical surface of each structural image was reconstructed and local gyrification index values were computed using FreeSurfer. Local gyrification index values where then parcellated into atlas based regions and entered into a 68 × 68 correlation matrix to construct local gyrification index connectomes for each group at each time point. Longitudinal comparisons showed significant group by time interactions for measures of segregation (clustering, local efficiency) and modularity, but not for measures of integration (path length, global efficiency). Post-hoc tests showed increased clustering, local efficiency, and modularity connectomes in unmedicated patients with SZ at baseline compared to HC. Post-hoc tests did not show significant within group differences for HCs or patients with SZ. After 6 weeks of treatment, there were no significant differences between the groups on these measures. Abnormal cortical topography is detected in schizophrenia and is modified by short term APD treatment reflective of decreases in hyper-specialization in network connectivity. We speculate that changes in the structural organization of the brain is achieved through the neuroplastic effects that APDs have on brain tissue, thus promoting more efficient brain connections and, possibly, a therapeutic effect.
The Potential Cost of Cultural Fit: Frame Switching Undermines Perceptions of Authenticity in Western Contexts

Behaving consistently across situations is fundamental to a person’s authenticity in Western societies. This can pose a problem for biculturals who often frame switch, or adapt their behavior across cultural contexts, as a way of maintaining fit with each of their cultures. In particular, the behavioral inconsistency entailed in frame switching may undermine biculturals’ sense of authenticity, as well as Westerners’ impressions of biculturals’ authenticity. Study 1 had a diverse sample of biculturals (N = 127) living in the United States and Canada describe an episode of frame switching (vs. no switching control vs. neutral control) and report on their state authenticity during the episode. Results showed that biculturals recalled feeling less authentic during an instance of frame switching compared to no switching control and neutral control. Study 2 had mainstream Canadians (White and of American, Canadian, or Western European cultural heritage, N = 97) read a hypothetical vignette, from a third-person perspective, about a bicultural who frame switches (vs. no switching control vs. neutral control) and provide their impressions of the bicultural’s authenticity and multiple other desirable traits. Participants rated the bicultural as less authentic when he frame switched compared to no switching control and neutral control, and rated him as less likeable, trustworthy, and warm (but not competent) as downstream consequences of seeing him as less authentic. These results demonstrate that frame switching can come at a cost to authenticity, both in terms of how biculturals see themselves and are seen by others, at least in Western societies. These findings highlight that the way biculturals negotiate their cultures affects them psychologically and socially. In the context of cultural fit, the active process of establishing and maintaining fit with one’s cultures can have unforeseen consequences.
The Seasonal Metabolic Activity Cycle of Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba): Evidence for a Role of Photoperiod in the Regulation of Endogenous Rhythmicity

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), a key species in the Southern Ocean, reduce their metabolism as an energy saving mechanism in response to the harsh environmental conditions during the Antarctic winter. Although the adaptive significance of this seasonal metabolic shift seems obvious, the driving factors are still unclear. In particular, it is debated whether the seasonal metabolic cycle is driven by changes in food availability, or if an endogenous timing system entrained by photoperiod might be involved. In this study, we used different long-term photoperiodic simulations to examine the influence of light regime and endogenous rhythmicity on the regulation of krill seasonal metabolic cycle. Krill showed a seasonal cycle of growth characterized by null-to-negative growth rates during autumn-winter and positive growth rates during spring-summer, which was manifested also in constant darkness, indicating strong endogenous regulation. Similar endogenous cycles were observed for the activity of the key-metabolic enzyme malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and for the expression levels of a selection of metabolic-related genes, with higher values in spring-summer and lower values in autumn-winter. On the other side, a seasonal cycle of oxygen consumption was observed only when krill were exposed to simulated seasonal changes in photoperiod, indicating that light-related cues might play a major role in the regulation of krill oxygen consumption. The influence of light-regime on oxygen consumption was minimal during winter, when light-phase duration was below 8 h, and it was maximal during summer, when light-phase duration was above 16 h. Significant upregulation of the krill clock genes clk, cry2, and tim1, as well as of the circadian-related opsins rh1a and rrh, was observed after light-phase duration had started to decrease in early autumn, suggesting the presence of a signaling cascade linking specific seasonal changes in the Antarctic light regime with clock gene activity and the regulation of krill metabolic dormancy over the winter.
Waterlogging of Winter Crops at Early and Late Stages: Impacts on Leaf Physiology, Growth and Yield

Waterlogging is expected to increase as a consequence of global climate change, constraining crop production in various parts of the world. This study assessed tolerance to 14-days of early- or late-stage waterlogging of the major winter crops wheat, barley, rapeseed and field pea. Aerenchyma formation in adventitious roots, leaf physiological parameters (net photosynthesis, stomatal and mesophyll conductances, chlorophyll fluorescence), shoot and root growth during and after waterlogging, and seed production were evaluated. Wheat produced adventitious roots with 20–22% of aerenchyma, photosynthesis was maintained during waterlogging, and seed production was 86 and 71% of controls for early- and late-waterlogging events. In barley and rapeseed, plants were less affected by early- than by late-waterlogging. Barley adventitious roots contained 19% aerenchyma, whereas rapeseed did not form aerenchyma. In barley, photosynthesis was reduced during early-waterlogging mainly by stomatal limitations, and by non-stomatal constraints (lower mesophyll conductance and damage to photosynthetic apparatus as revealed by chlorophyll fluorescence) during late-waterlogging. In rapeseed, photosynthesis was mostly reduced by non-stomatal limitations during early- and late-waterlogging, which also impacted shoot and root growth. Early-waterlogged plants of both barley and rapeseed were able to recover in growth upon drainage, and seed production reached ca. 79–85% of the controls, while late-waterlogged plants only attained 26–32% in seed production. Field pea showed no ability to develop root aerenchyma when waterlogged, and its photosynthesis (and stomatal and mesophyll conductances) was rapidly decreased by the stress. Consequently, waterlogging drastically reduced field pea seed production to 6% of controls both at early- and late-stages with plants being unable to resume growth upon drainage. In conclusion, wheat generates a set of adaptive responses to withstand 14 days of waterlogging, barley and rapeseed can still produce significant yield if transiently waterlogged during early plant stages but are more adversely impacted at the late stage, and field pea is not suitable for areas prone to waterlogging events of 14 days at either growth stage.
The Costs of Healthcare in Prison and Custody: Systematic Review of Current Estimates and Proposed Guidelines for Future Reporting

Aims: We aimed to review prison healthcare expenditure internationally. Objectives: To systematically review healthcare spending on prisoners worldwide, examine comparability between countries, and develop guidelines to improve reporting. Methods: Five bibliographic indexes (International Monetary Fund, ProQuest: Statistical Abstracts of the World, PubMed, Google Scholar, and JSTOR) were searched for the costs of prison and prison healthcare, supplemented with country-specific searches for the 20 countries with the highest prison populations. Information on overall healthcare costs, their breakdown by categories, and their proportion to overall prison expenditure was extracted. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Results: Prison healthcare expenditure data was identified for 10 countries, and overall operating costs were reported for 12 countries. The most commonly reported healthcare cost was for primary medical care. Healthcare costs reporting varied widely, and few countries were comparable. We developed a set of guidelines for consistent and transparent reporting of healthcare costs. Conclusions: Few countries report the costs of healthcare services in prison. When reported, there is a lack of clarity and consistency as to what is included. Using the proposed reporting guidelines would enable national trends and international comparisons to be investigated, and any recommended benchmarks to be monitored.
Stereotactic Radiotherapy Followed by Surgical Stabilization Within 24 h for Unstable Spinal Metastases; A Stage I/IIa Study According to the IDEAL Framework

Background: Routine treatment for unstable spinal metastases consists of surgical stabilization followed by external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) after a minimum of 1–2 weeks to allow for initial wound healing. Although routine treatment, there are several downsides. First, radiotherapy induced pain relief is delayed by the time interval required for wound healing. Second, EBRT often requires multiple hospital visits and only 60% of the patients experience pain relief. Third, spinal implants cause imaging artifacts hindering SBRT treatment planning and delivery. Reversing the order of surgery and radiotherapy, with dose sparing of the surgical area by SBRT, could overcome these disadvantages and by eliminating the interval between the two treatments, recovery, and palliation may occur earlier. Design: The safety of SBRT followed by surgical stabilization within 24 h for the treatment of unstable spinal metastases was investigated. Safety was evaluated using the Common-Toxicity-Criteria-Adverse-Events-4.0, with the occurrence of wound complications within 90-days being the primary concern. Results: Between June-2015 and January-2017, 13 patients underwent SBRT followed by surgical stabilization for unstable spinal metastases. The median time between SBRT and surgery was 17-h (IQR 5–19). None of the patients experienced wound complications. Improvements in pain and quality of life were observed over time for all patients. Conclusion: SBRT followed by surgical stabilization within 24 h for the treatment of unstable spinal metastases is safe. Palliation may be experienced earlier and with both treatments being performed in one hospital admission the treatment burden decreases.