Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating 3D local descriptors for future LIDAR missiles with automatic target recognition capabilities

ABSTRACT Future light detection and ranging seeker missiles incorporating 3D automatic target recognition (ATR) capabilities can improve the missile’s effectiveness in complex battlefield environments. Considering the progress of local 3D descriptors in the computer vision domain, this paper evaluates a number of these on highly credible simulated air-to-ground missile engagement scenarios. The latter take into account numerous parameters that have not been investigated yet by the literature including variable missile – target range, 6-degrees-of-freedom missile motion and atmospheric disturbances. Additionally, the evaluation process utilizes our suggested 3D ATR architecture that compared to current pipelines involves more post-processing layers aiming at further enhancing 3D ATR performance. Our trials reveal that computer vision algorithms are appealing for missile-oriented 3D ATR.
Outcome Measures in Clubfoot

The Ponseti method for the treatment of clubfoot is in widespread use around the globe, and while a variety of measures or tools have been used to evaluate outcomes, few have been validated in different contexts, and none have been standardized or universally accepted. Our goal is to review how outcomes are currently reported in the clubfoot literature, and we have chosen to frame the discussion based on a conceptual model, namely the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). We have chosen to group outcome measures based on whether they are “impairment-based” or “function-based”, the latter being subcategorized as healthcare provider-reported, patient/proxy-reported, or hybrid. Finally, we discuss the limitations of how clubfoot outcomes are currently reported, the challenges in accepting a universal outcome measure, and encourage the clubfoot researchers and clinicians to develop an outcome measure that can be used across cultures and throughout the developed and developing world, to homogenize clubfoot outcome measures and improve the standard-of-care.
Clinical and histopathological profile of female genital schistosomiasis

Objective: The present research performed a clinical and histopathological analysis of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) cases. This was a descriptive and retrospective study, with a quantitative approach based on secondary databases belonging to Memorial Nestor Piva from Universidade Tiradentes. Methodology: Medical records and biopsies from patients affected with genital schistosomiasis (1984-1994) 75 pathology reports were found, biopsies of feminine genitals, with the respective paraffin blocks and slides. In these three search blocks, to contain sufficient quantity of biological material underwent histological new. For pathological analysis, hematoxylin-eosin, picrosirius Red and Masson's trichrome staining were used. A distribution of cases per year was performed to obtain an average and a percentage distribution among the most affected organs. In addition, the chi-square test was used to establish an association between schistosomiasis and its anatomical location and with other pathologies. Results: An average of four cases per year was obtained and the infection was found in all genital system organs, with its highest concentration in the ovaries followed by the uterus. In addition, there was an association between the parasitosis and cervical metaplasia, uterine tumors and salpingitis. In the histopathological analysis, several granulomas containing Schistosoma mansoni eggs, in productive and curing phases, were observed. Conclusion: It was concluded that ovaries were the most affected anatomical sites and that the presence of genital schistosomiasis may favor the occurrence of associated pathologies, thus causing a high morbidity rate to women's health.
A Hierarchical Analysis On Ecosystem Classification of Land

Background: The ecosystem classification of land (ECL) has been studied for a couple of decades, from the beginning of the perfect organism system “top-down” approach to a reversed “bottom-up” approach, defining micro-ecological unit. After reviewing two study cases of the ecosystem classification of land, the ecosystem classification framework implements in different ecoregions were examined and analyzed. Results: Theoretically, Bailey’s upper levels ECL (1995) was applied to the United States, and world continents. China's Eco-geographic classification was most likely fitted into Bailey’s Ecosystem Classification regime. With a binary decision tree analysis, it demonstrated that the top-level, Domain has an empty entity between the US and China ecoregion framework. Based on the biogeoclimate condition, vegetation distribution, landform, and plant species feature, classified HIIC1 into two subsections ( labeled as i, ii ), and delineated iia of QiLian Mountain East Alpine Shrub and Alpine Tundra ecozone into iia-1 and iia-2 zone.Conclusions: 1) The Plateau Domain 500 should be added into the top-level Bailey’s ecoregion framework, coordinately it includes HI and HII Divisions, and humid, dub-humid, semiarid, and arid provinces. 2) Two case comparisons recommend using a practical approach, objectively defined ecosystem classification for the lower-level ECLs in matter of time and project cost.
Determination of sexual dimorphism using morphometric techniques in Rachycentron canadum (Perciformes: Rachycentridae) cultivated in captivity

Rachycentron canadum is an economically important fish in aquaculture due to its resistance to environmental variations, the feasibility of culture in confinement, high growth rates, and good acceptance by consumers. The profitability of their cage culture is negatively affected by the difficulty of implementing monosex cultures due to the apparent similarity between sexes. In this study, morphometric techniques were used to determine sexual dimorphism by analyzing measurements and the fish’s shape. Differences were found between the sexes in the position of the eyes, lips, pectoral fin and ventral fin, and the body’s general shape. The sexing precision of the individuals was 75.4 % with distances and 82.7 % with geometric morphometry.
A Conditional Simulation Method for Predicting Wind Pressure Fields of Large-Span Spatial Structures

Wind load is among the control loads for large-span spatial structures. Wind tunnel test is one of the commonly used methods for measuring wind pressure fields of different kinds of structures. However, due to the limited wind pressure data obtained from wind tunnel testing, it is quite meaningful to employ the limited measured data to predict the unknown wind pressure at target points. Considering the complexity of wind pressure fields of large-span spatial structures, a simplified nonparametric method based on conditional simulation is proposed to predict the unknown pressures using the existing data. The Karhunen–Loève (KL for short) expansion is employed to represent wind pressure random variants as eigenfunctions of the covariance operator. To reduce the variant dimensionality, the nearest neighboring estimator is given for the transition distribution of the KL expansion. The targeted wind pressure fields are obtained by expanding the Fourier basis of the eigenfunction and estimating its expansion coefficients. The proposed method is applied to estimate wind pressures on a gable roof building. The relevant parameters of the wind pressure field are obtained, and the results compare well with those from wind tunnel testing, with higher efficiency. The proposed method effectively reduces the dimensionality of the predicted wind pressures, with reduced errors, higher accuracy, and increased efficiency.
Solubility, correlation, dissolution thermodynamics and preferential solvation of meloxicam in aqueous mixtures of 2-propanol

Background: Meloxicam is a powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug widely prescribed by physicians in current therapeutics. Because of the very low aqueous equilibrium solubility of meloxicam, this property has been studied in {2-propanol + water} mixtures from (293.15 to 313.15) K to expand the solubility database about pharmaceutical compounds in mixed solvents useful for homogeneous liquid dosage forms design. Methods: Flask shaken method and UV-vis spectrophotometry were used for meloxicam solubility determinations. Jouyban-Acree model was challenged for solubility correlation. The van’t Hoff and Gibbs equations were employed here to calculate the respective apparent standard thermodynamic quantities for the dissolution and mixing processes, namely Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy. In addition, the inverse Kirkwood-Buff integrals were employed to compute the preferential solvation parameters of meloxicam by 2-propanol in the mixtures. Results: Meloxicam solubility increases with temperature arising and maximum solubilities are observed in the mixture of x1 = 0.70 at all temperatures. Jouyban-Acree model correlates the meloxicam solubility very well. Dissolution processes were endothermic in all cases and entropy-driven in the interval 0.20 ≤ x1 ≤ 1.00. Non-linear enthalpy–entropy relationship was observed in the plot of enthalpy vs. Gibbs energy exhibiting negative but variant slopes in the composition region 0.00 < x1 < 0.40 and variant negative and positive slopes in the other mixtures. Meloxicam is preferentially solvated by water in water-rich mixtures, it is apparently solvated by water in 2-propanol-rich mixtures, but it is preferentially solvated by 2-propanol in the composition interval of 0.19 < x1 < 0.78. Conclusion: Solid-liquid equilibrium of meloxicam in {2-propanol + water} mixtures has been studied at several temperatures as a contribution to preformulation studies of homogeneous liquid pharmaceutical dosage forms based on this drug.
Structural Performance of R-Type Steel Damper Used in Reinforced Concrete Members

This study proposes a steel damper with a simple shape and excellent energy dissipation capacity. The proposed damper has a rectangular shape (R-type) and has an energy dissipation part and a load transmission part. The energy dissipation part dissipates external energy through the yielding of the steel material; it comprises a vertical member and upper and lower horizontal members. This study performed two-phase experiments to verify the structural performance of the proposed damper. The Phase I test was performed to evaluate the load history characteristics and energy dissipation capacity of the damper and the Phase II test was performed to confirm the structural performance of reinforced concrete members with the proposed damper. The experimental results showed that the proposed R-type steel damper had high-energy dissipation performance despite having a simple shape.
Application of graphene in low‐temperature fuel cell technology: An overview

Fuel cells offer the possibility of zero‐emission electricity generation and increased energy security. However, fuel cell technology, particularly the low‐temperature fuel cell, still has some major problems that hinder their commercialization, including costly components, durability issues, hydration, and an efficiency loss of approximately 60% during operation. Recently, graphene has been introduced as a potential solution to enhance the performance of fuel cell systems. This article presents a review on the application of graphene in fuel cell technology and the presentation of the electrochemical characteristic of graphene. This article also summarizes the recent research trends in graphene and its economic aspects, with a discussion on the modifications that increases the graphene strength along with other benefits for the future development of graphene technology. Finally, this work also addressed the current problems and future advances in adopting graphene in a low‐temperature fuel cell system.
Short‐term nutrient reduction reduces cover of an invasive winter annual grass without negatively impacting the soil microbial community

Invasive winter annual grasses have degraded ecosystems around the world, forming large monocultures. However, common management methods, such as tillage, herbicide, and prescribed burning, also reduce native plant diversity and harm the soil microbial community. Early‐season, short‐term nutrient reduction applied to intact vegetation to manage invasive winter annual grasses could potentially decrease their abundance, while not impacting later season species. Low rates of sucrose, a labile carbon, were applied in a Pacific Northwest semiarid grassland in early spring to stimulate microbial growth and reduce nutrient availability to the invasive grass Ventenata dubia. Inorganic nitrogen was tracked throughout the experiment and plant and soil microbial community changes were determined at the end of the growing season. Sucrose application reduced nitrogen at the beginning of the season, but effects did not persist to mid‐May when most plants were still active and soil moisture was not limiting. Treatments reduced V. dubia cover, per area seed production, and seed mass with no corresponding impact on perennial or other annual plants, except at the highest application rate when annual cover was reduced by 2%. The soil microbial community, determined via phospholipid fatty acid and neutral lipid fatty acid analysis, and the soil nematode community were largely unchanged at the end of the growing season with no reduction in the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. This short‐term nutrient reduction method has the potential to not only target invasive winter annual grasses, but any plants that are active earlier or later than the rest of the community.
Intellectual capital, isomorphic forces and internal controls over financial reporting in Ugandan microfinance institutions

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the role of intellectual capital and isomorphic forces in strengthening internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) in microfinance institutions (MFIs). This study is cross-sectional and correlational. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 66 MFIs that are members of the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Uganda (AMFIU). Both intellectual capital and isomorphic forces positively and significantly contribute to the strength of ICFR. In terms of control variables, ownership structure, capital structure and firm age are not significant predictors of ICFR. Policy-wise, the regulator(s) of MFIs should always issue-specific and time-bound directives to MFIs with ICFR shortfalls to enhance their control environment. Also, the responsibility of maintaining adequate ICFR should be extended to the management of MFIs by tasking them to account for lapses in ICFR. This would reduce incidences of senior management usurping the powers of the board, which would lead to overriding of ICFR. Also, policies should be specific on the composition of the board to improve its intellectual potential. To the authors’ knowledge, this study provides initial empirical evidence of the influence of intellectual capital and isomorphic forces in strengthening ICFR in MFIs using evidence from a developing African country. Overall, this study found that intellectual capital (entity factor) and isomorphic forces (institutional factors) are all predictors of ICFR. This is possible because managers, employees and those charged with governance of the entity can be influenced by institutional forces that affect ICFR positively.
A Modified Recursive Regularization Factor Calculation for Sparse RLS Algorithm with l1-Norm

In this paper, we propose a new calculation method for the regularization factor in sparse recursive least squares (SRLS) with l1-norm penalty. The proposed regularization factor requires no prior knowledge of the actual system impulse response, and it also reduces computational complexity by about half. In the simulation, we use Mean Square Deviation (MSD) to evaluate the performance of SRLS, using the proposed regularization factor. The simulation results demonstrate that SRLS using the proposed regularization factor calculation shows a difference of less than 2 dB in MSD from SRLS, using the conventional regularization factor with a true system impulse response. Therefore, it is confirmed that the performance of the proposed method is very similar to that of the existing method, even with half the computational complexity.
Mask RCNN algorithm for nuclei detection on breast cancer histopathological images

Nuclei detection is a key step in computer assisted pathology. Due to the variability of the size, shape, appearance, and texture of breast cancer nuclei in histopathological images, automated nuclei detection has always been a difficult aspect of computer‐aided pathology research. In this article, Mask RCNN is presented for the automatic detection of nuclei on high‐resolution histopathological images of breast cancer. Mask RCNN uses the ResNet network and effectively combines modules such as feature pyramid networks (FPN), ROIAlign, and fully convolutional networks (FCN). FPN can efficiently extract features of various dimensions in images. ROIAlign can improve the accuracy of the detection model in the detection task. FCN renders the prediction results more detailed. The experiment results show that the application of this algorithm is superior to other algorithms in terms of its intuitive vision, as well as in performance indicators such as accuracy, recall, and F‐Measure.
Above- and below-ground species richness of bryophytes in Estonian mires: diversity and differences

ABSTRACT Introduction. In temperate zones, the main peat-forming plants are bryophytes, and the restoration capacity of disturbed peatland depends largely on the availability of suitable bryophyte diaspores. We investigated the species richness of bryophytes in the above-ground flora and diaspore bank of three types of mire common in Estonia and northern Europe: ombrotrophic bogs, poor fen and rich fen. Methods. The above-ground flora was recorded and diaspore bank samples were collected from study sites in eastern Estonia representing bog, poor fen and rich fen (three sites per mire type). For each mire type, the diaspore bank samples from the study sites were blended and placed in a growth chamber for 6 months, and the bryophytes that subsequently emerged were identified. Key results. In total, 54 bryophyte species were found, including six liverworts. Of the three mire types, rich fen had the most species both above and below ground. The number of species in the diaspore bank was lowest in bog (8) and highest in rich fen (27). Three species with conservation value were found: Hamatocaulis vernicosus (in the above-ground flora only) and Meesia longiseta and Splachnum ampullaceum (in the diaspore bank only). The species richness of the bryophyte diaspore bank was similar and significantly related to that of the above-ground bryophyte flora. Conclusion. In temperate-zone mires, the diaspore bank can be a depository of species that have disappeared from the above-ground flora. The local diaspore bank could a valuable source of species richness for the restoration of disturbed mire communities.
From Available to Actionable Data: An Exploration of Expert and Re-users Views of Open Data

ABSTRACT The level of open data re-utilization was still low 10 years after the launch of the Basque Government’s open data platform, when, unexpectedly, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Suddenly, charts and infographics—fed on open data—were lingua franca; not only experts but also ordinary citizens were demanding understandable data to make decisions. The motto during the confinement was “let’s flatten the curve. ” This article relies on participant observation of a three-day workshop, interviews with experts and open data re-users (N=15), and an analysis of urban projects that rely on open data (N=78). Data collection was conducted before the first wave and after the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, from November 27, 2019, to February 17, 2021, allowing researchers to make comparisons. We find that citizens are pushing for actionable open data; that is, data embedding the attributes that make them useful and usable. This includes integrating data literacy and citizens’ inputs and forming interdisciplinary teams of people inside and outside the government. This article proposes a definition for actionable data, which can be scalable to other realities.
Growth inhibition of Hydrilla verticillata by freshwater fungi

Abstract. Triadiati T, Sukarno N, Rahmah IS. 2021. Growth inhibition of Hydrilla verticillata by freshwater fungi. Biodiversitas 22: 2876-2882. The uncontrolled growth of hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle) in Mekarsari Fruit Garden, Bogor causes various losses. A Freshwater fungus is one of the alternatives to control hydrilla growth. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the damage and growth inhibition of hydrilla using freshwater fungi. Freshwater fungi were isolated from Lake Mekarsari Fruit Garden. Hydrilla growth characteristics observed were stem length, stem nodus number, number of healthy leaves, leaf number, leaf damage, wet and dry weight. The results showed that a total of seven isolates of freshwater fungi were obtained from Lake Mekarsari Fruit Garden. Two species, i.e. Myrothecium sp. and Stachybotrys sp. were selected to control hydrilla growth. Fungal treatment reduced the stem length and leaf number of hydrilla. The combination of both fungal isolates showed less leaf damage than Myrothecium sp. The damage of hydrilla leaves by Myrothecium sp. and Stachybotrys sp. were 98.07% and 78.71%, respectively.
Representation of Disabled People in Advertisements in Turkey
 

The purpose of this study was to discover how disabled people are represented in advertisements in Turkey. Ten purposefully chosen TV channels (ATV, FOX, TV8, SHOW TV, KANAL D, STAR TV, TRT 1, KANAL 7, TRT HABER, TRT COCUK) were used in a pilot study to identify ads featuring people with disabilities. Because the results of the pilot study showed no such advertisements, data for the current study were collected from internet. Three types of advertisements featuring people with disabilities emerged: public service announcements, consumption-centered ads, and supportive ads. Critical discourse analysis was applied to the data derived from the latter two types. Results indicate that the media, which play an important role not only in reflecting public attitudes and values regarding disability but also in shaping them, may assist in reducing stigma and misinformation and in increasing social acceptance and inclusion only if the portrayals are positive and comprehensive. Any positive change in attitude along with better programs and laws can accelerate the integration of people with disabilities into society.