Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Semantically Meaningful Class Prototype Learning for One-Shot Image Segmentation

One-shot semantic image segmentation aims to segment the object regions for the novel class with only one annotated image. Recent works adopt the episodic training strategy to mimic the expected situation at testing time. However, these existing approaches simulate the test conditions too strictly during the training process, and thus cannot make full use of the given label information. Besides, these approaches mainly focus on the foreground-background target class segmentation setting. They only utilize binary mask labels for training. In this paper, we propose to leverage the multi-class label information during the episodic training. It will encourage the network to generate more semantically meaningful features for each category. After integrating the target class cues into the query features, we then propose a pyramid feature fusion module to mine the fused features for the final classifier. Furthermore, to take more advantage of the support image-mask pair, we propose a self-prototype guidance branch to support image segmentation. It can constrain the network for generating more compact features and a robust prototype for each semantic class. For inference, we propose a fused prototype guidance branch for the segmentation of the query image. Specifically, we leverage the prediction of the query image to extract the pseudo-prototype and combine it with the initial prototype. Then we utilize the fused prototype to guide the final segmentation of the query image. Extensive experiments demonstrate the superiority of our proposed approach. The source codes and models have been made available at https://github.com/NUST-Machine-Intelligence-Laboratory/SMCP.
The policing of subway fare evasion in postindustrial Los Angeles

According to the postindustrial policing thesis, cities that use cultural development strategies to attract new residents and visitors rely on order maintenance policing tactics to reinforce middle-class perspectives of safety and civility. This study applies that thesis to understand how shifting social structural dynamics influence the policing of fare evasion across the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority subway system. In accordance with the postindustrial perspective, results indicate that order maintenance policing is most intense at stations located in gentrifying neighborhoods; and, at the average station this form of policing is overwhelmingly directed towards Black and Latinx riders. Collectively, study findings suggest that mass transit in gentrifying areas represents a disputed resource that is policed in the interests of urban revitalization. Moreover, this treatment of fare evasion joins a growing body of penal remedies that expands the sphere of public social control, and further marginalizes disenfranchised groups.
Quantitative Study of Residual Oil Distribution during Water Flooding through Digital Core Analysis

The character of residual oil formed during water flooding, one important technique to enhance oil recovery, is helpful to further study permeability and recovery in tight sandstone oil reservoirs. In this paper, we take a tight sandstone reservoir in Ordos Basin as the research object and use in situ displacement X-CT scanning technology to analyze the dynamic characteristics of oil during water flooding. Firstly, core pore radius and oil storage space radius were measured from digital cores which are acquired in different water flooding stages by X-CT scanning technology. Secondly, analytical and evaluation methods were established to describe fluid distribution in the pore space of the core in different water flooding stages based on curve similarity. Finally, by numerical results, we analyzed the oil distribution features in the process of water flooding for core samples. In this paper, the oil distribution characteristics during water flooding are revealed based on digital core analysis. Also, a quantitative evaluation method is given to provide theoretical guidance.
Organic-geochemical investigations on the mode of incorporation of a defined nonylphenol isomer and the herbicide MCPA in soil derived organo-clay complexes

During the last decades the scienti c interest to understand the interactions of organic contaminates with naturally occurring organic material increased. Emphasis was laid on the toxicity, bioavailability and transport of xenobiotics within the environment. Numerous publications have shown, that high portions of anthropogenic substances could not be released by conventional extraction procedures from soils or sediments. It was assumed, that these non-extractable residues are incorporated in the organic matter or constituents of soils and sediments as both, the applied parent compound or a transformation product. Incorporation of the so called bound residues depends on several factors such as system characteristics (e.g. soil composition, pH-value, water content, aerob/anaerob conditions), microbial activity and even the performed extraction method. So far, publications had predominantly dealed with extractable and hydrolytically cleavable contaminants. However, for the understanding of the incorporation behavior, knowledge of the binding mode of non-extractable substances is required. In terms of the performed work, numerous authors revealed organo-clay complexes as one of the major compartments in soil responsible for the formation of non-extractable residues due to their huge surface area, the high potential of the organic matter to be adsorbed and the resulting enormous amount of functional groups (reacting sites). To enhance the knowledge of the formation of non-extractable (bound) residues and to understand and explain the re-mobilization potential as well as the environmental behavior of low molecular weight, polar organic contaminates, distinct experiments were performed with C and C-labeled substances. Both applied compounds di ered in their biochemical properties and degradation behavior in soil. The rst approach showed, that both 353-Nonylphenol (4-(3,5-dimethylhept-3-yl)phenol) and MCPA (4-chloro-2methylphenoxyacetic acid) rapidly (48 h) formed non-extractable residues, especially in the clay fraction. A separation of organo-clay complexes in distinct sub-fractions by means of the MIBK method (HCl fraction, humic acids, fulvic acids, bound humic acids, bound lipids) showed, that nonylphenol (NP) was predominantly incorporated into humic acids and MCPA into fulvic acids. In the following experiments, the mode of incorporation of both xenobiotics into organo-clay complexes was investigated in more detail. The performance of a sequential chemical degradation procedure (1. alkaline hydrolysis, 2. BBr3, 3. RuO4 oxidation, 4. TMAH thermochemolysis) facilitated the selective cleavage of chemical bonds and thus, revealed information on the mode of incorporation and the resulting relevance of non-extractable residues for the environment. In case of
Drinking water quality assessment using Principal Component Analysis: Case study of the town of Souk Ahras, Algeria

Water quality can be considered a key contributor to both health and disease for humans. To obtain more advanced information about water quality the principal component analysis (PCA) was applied using the drinking water supply network data during four seasons in 2018 in Souk Ahras city/Algeria in order to extract principal factors that can explain the quality of drinking water. These factors aim to bring together the main explanatory elements of the water quality and their order of responsibility on the quality of the water through physicochemical parameters measured in situ. During the course of study 14 parameters were used for the characterization of the quality of drinking water in Souk Ahras city, these parameters were replaced by six (6) principal components explaining approximately 65.33% of the variance of the data. The study highlights two main problems, the strong signs of the presence of harmful germs and probably malfunction in part of the equipment of the processing and distribution facilities; and second, amount of the residual chlorine in water
EPEC 4.0: an Industry 4.0-supported lean production control concept for the semi-process industry

Abstract The combination of lean production and Industry 4.0 exhibits excellent potential in advancing operations management and, especially, production control. This improvement potential is applicable to the semi-process industry (S-PI), as higher product variety and higher demand variability require greater flexibility from production systems. This flexibility is difficult to achieve in S-PI environments, in which it is imperative to cope with the long setup times and stability needed for the high utilization requirements. Heijunka addresses this stability-flexibility paradox but was designed for short setup times and is thus considered not directly applicable. In this article, we use design science research to adapt Heijunka to the S-PI and combine it with cyber-physical systems technologies. The developed production control concept, every product every cycle (EPEC) 4.0, aims to schedule the production system as efficiently as possible, providing the necessary flexibility and minimum schedule perturbation. Furthermore, we present the findings from a validation case study within the automotive supply industry.
Massive OAM-MIMO transmission scheme for 5G networks and beyond

The combination of orbital angular momentum (OAM) and massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) brings the possibility of almost inﬁnite transmission capability, which may be applied in the coming 5th generation networks and beyond. In this study, a uniform line array (ULA)-based massive OAM-MIMO scheme in a multipath scene is presented. The cumulative phase of OAM carriers and multiple reference coordinate systems relative to each transmitting antenna are used to describe the OAM-MIMO wireless channel model theoretically. The performance indices of interest including capacity, energy efﬁciency, and capacity gain are numerically investigated in detail. The results indicate that the presented ULA-based massive OAM-MIMO scheme performs better overall than a conventional MIMO scheme via enhancing the OAM multiplexing intensity, and multi-fold capacity gain can be obtained especially in the low signal-to-noise rate communications.
Numerical Study of Meteorological Factors for Tropospheric Nocturnal Ozone Increase in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo

One of the central problems in large cities is air pollution, mainly caused by vehicular emissions. Tropospheric ozone is an atmospheric oxidizing gas that forms in minimal amounts naturally, affecting peoples’ health. This pollutant is formed by the NO2 photolysis, creating a main peak during the day. Nighttime secondary peaks occur in several parts of the world, but their intensity and frequency depend on the local condition. In this sense, this works aims to study the local characteristics for tropospheric nocturnal ozone levels in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo, in Brazil, using the Simple Photochemical Module coupled to the Brazilian Developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. For this, three different situations of nocturnal occurrence were studied. The results show that the nocturnal maximum of ozone concentrations is related to the vertical transport of this pollutant from higher levels of the atmosphere to the surface and is not related to the synoptic condition.
General decay for weak viscoelastic equation of Kirchhoff type containing Balakrishnan–Taylor damping with nonlinear delay and acoustic boundary conditions

In this paper, we consider the general decay of solutions for the weak viscoelastic equation of Kirchhoff type containing Balakrishnan–Taylor damping with nonlinear delay and acoustic boundary conditions. By using suitable energy and Lyapunov functionals, we prove the general decay for the energy, which depends on the behavior of both σ and k .
Cellulose Solvents - Remarkable History, Bright Future

The paper summarizes different approaches for the dissolution of cellulose and the use of these cellulose solutions for analysis, regeneration, and homogeneous modification of the polymer. Aqueous and non-aqueous solvents, melts, and soluble cellulose intermediates are discussed with the focus on new developments for the shaping and the homogeneous conversion of cellulose. It will be shown that these media open up new paths towards nanostructured regenerated cellulose and tailored cellulose derivatives not accessible via heterogeneous reactions. Moreover, the preparation of conventional cellulose products with new structural features obtainable by conversion in cellulose solvents will be illustrated.
Dissimilatory Iron-Reducing Microorganisms Are Present and Active in the Sediments of the Doce River and Tributaries Impacted by Iron Mine Tailings from the Collapsed Fundão Dam (Mariana, MG, Brazil)

On 5 November 2015, a large tailing deposit failed in Brazil, releasing an estimated 32.6 to 62 million m3 of iron mining tailings into the environment. Tailings from the Fundão Dam flowed down through the Gualaxo do Norte and Carmo riverbeds and floodplains and reached the Doce River. Since then, bottom sediments have become enriched in Fe(III) oxyhydroxides. Dissimilatory iron-reducing microorganisms (DIRMs) are anaerobes able to couple organic matter oxidation to Fe(III) reduction, producing CO2 and Fe(II), which can precipitate as magnetite (FeO·Fe2O3) and other Fe(II) minerals. In this work, we investigated the presence of DIRMs in affected and non-affected bottom sediments of the Gualaxo do Norte and Doce Rivers. The increase in Fe(II) concentrations in culture media over time indicated the presence of Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms in all sediments tested, which could reduce Fe(III) from both tailings and amorphous ferric oxyhydroxide. Half of our enrichment cultures converted amorphous Fe(III) oxyhydroxide into magnetite, which was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The conversion of solid Fe(III) phases to soluble Fe(II) and/or magnetite is characteristic of DIRM cultures. The presence of DIRMs in the sediments of the Doce River and tributaries points to the possibility of reductive dissolution of goethite (α-FeOOH) and/or hematite (α-Fe2O3) from sediments, along with the consumption of organics, release of trace elements, and impairment of water quality.
Integration of coupling resonator as port-isolator and MMLC-Minkowiski fractal loop for Wi-Max rejection in 4-port compact UWB MIMO antenna

This paper presents a 4-port compact UWB MIMO antenna. It has 45 tilted offset feed for better impedance matching and connected to cornered cut-out quad-radiators. Radially symmetric resonators are provided for impedance matching and isolation improvements. A miniaturized magnetic LC (MMLC) Minkowiski fractal loop acts as a magnetic shield between electric walls of feed and resonator for Wi-max band rejection. The contra-rotational symmetry of resonator and rotationally asymmetric strips in ground enhances isolation. To validate, a prototype antenna is fabricated and measured which shows good agreements. The proposed antenna has a compact dimension 31 mm × 31 mm, operates from 2.27 to 11.7 GHz and reject bands at 3.0–4.2 GHz. The average gain is > 4 dBi with ECC < 0.16 in the operating band. An equivalent circuit topology is also modelled which validates the design. The multi-port antenna system can be used for microwave imaging, RF-sensing and radar applications.
Organotrialkoxysilane-functionalized mesoporous Pd–Ni nanocatalyst for selective hydrazine decomposition and sensing

Organotrialkoxysilanes, particularly amino-glycidoxy and epoxy-functionalized alkoxysilanes, allow for the controlled synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles and bimetallic nanoparticles; these materials enable a concentration-dependent enhancement in resonance Rayleigh scattering, which may be useful for the selective detection of hydrazine. 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-APTMS)-treated gold cations were converted into gold nanoparticles within a few seconds (< 1 min) in the presence of 3-glycidoxypropylytrimethoxysilane (3-GPTMS). Organotrialkoxysilane-functionalized gold nanoparticles that exhibit an average size of 9 nm or 17 nm were processed and evaluated for synchronous fluorescence-based detection of hydrazine. Organotrialkoxysilane allowed the formation of nickel–palladium bimetallic nanocrystallite-supported mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Organotrialkoxysilane served as a template for the stabilization and formation of bimetallic Pd–Ni nanocrystallites within a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSNP) support. The as-made heterogeneous support enabled real-time degradation of hydrazine.
Atomic fluorine densities in electron beam generated plasmas: A high ion to radical ratio source for etching with atomic level precision

Electron beam generated plasmas are generally characterized by a high plasma density (>1010 cm−3), and very low electron temperatures (<1 eV), making them well-suited for next generation processing techniques where high fluxes of low energy ions are desirable. In addition, both modeling and optical emission spectroscopy indicate relatively low concentrations of atomic radicals compared to discharges. Due to their relevance to industrial etching applications, this work focuses on the characteristics of electron beam generated plasmas produced in fluorine-containing chemistries (SF6, CF4, F2), with particular attention paid to atomic fluorine densities. Atomic F* emission is measured in Ar/SF6, Ar/CF4, and Ar/F2 mixtures and the Ar 750 nm/F 704 nm line ratios are then used to calculate the F atom densities as a function of reactive gas concentration, the first radical density measurement in this type of plasma to date. These results are compared with F atom density calculations performed using a zero dimens.
A bilevel programming approach for real‐time pricing strategy of smart grid considering multi‐microgrids connection

As an important method for demand‐side management, the real‐time pricing can not only adjust the power balance between the supply and demand‐sides, but also effectively promote the internal energy dispatching behavior of the microgrid. In this article, a bilevel programming model is proposed based on the demand response to coordinate the master‐slave hierarchical relationship in the electricity market. At the upper level, the main grid determines the prices and generation for the supplier's maximum profit. At the lower level, we consider multiple microgrids, which operate in isolated‐island or grid‐connected mode, with photovoltaic generation system, energy storage system, and loads. Then, the optimal energy strategy is emerged for the user's maximum welfare according to the dynamic prices. Furthermore, we solve the upper and lower models separately to avoid user privacy being violated. The upper problem uses the genetic algorithm (GA), while the lower problem is handled by the branch and bound algorithm (BBA). A novel distributed algorithm named GA‐BBA is developed accordingly. Finally, taking an example of a smart grid system with three microgrids, the model and algorithm are simulated and compared. The results show that the peak‐to‐average ratio under the real‐time pricing is reduced from 1.6547 (fixed electricity price) and 1.4513 (time‐of‐use) to 1.2545. The peak‐to‐valley difference is also decreased by approximately 14.33%. In addition, the total social welfare of the system is increased by 145.53 kCNY (Chinese Yuan) through comparison with the existing model. The conclusions verify that the proposed bilevel programming model not only effectively reduces peak load but also increases the social welfare, which is more reasonable and realistic.
Implementation of the Federal Performance Framework under Presidents Obama and Trump: A Comparative Analysis of Agency Strategic Plans

Abstract Strategic plans are a foundational element of the Federal Performance Framework introduced by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2012 to encourage agency implementation of the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010. This study compared federal Chief Financial Officer (CFO) agency strategic plans written between Fiscal Years (FY) 2012 and 2019 under Presidents Obama and Trump, respectively. A component analysis of selected agency strategic plans revealed that CFO agencies adhered to a rational plan design before and after the presidential transition. But under President Obama, agency plans adhered more closely to the design criteria in OMB implementation guidance. A decrease was observed in the number of strategic goals and strategic objectives in agency strategic plans written under President Trump. Under both Presidents, CFO agencies pursued a mix of strategic objectives including a larger percentage that were externally-oriented, mission-related outcomes or objectives in both administrations. A higher percentage of strategic objective statements in all of the CFO agency plans written under President Trump were more externally-oriented and included more mission-related outcomes, when compared to agency plans written under President Obama.
Radiation Induced Grafting of Viscose Rayon Fabrics with Some Acrylic Acid Derivatives and Styrene

Radiation induced grafting of viscose rayon fabrics, consisting mainly of cellulose fibers, with some acrylic acid derivatives, namely methyl acrylate, acrylamide and acrylonitrile, and also styrene, has been studied. The resultant graft yields have been determined as a function of the applied different experimental parameters. The impact of the graft yields on the physicochemical properties of viscose rayon fabrics such as swelling, moisture absorption, tensile strength, elongation at break, crease recovery angle and also dyeing ability of the grafted fabrics, has been also studied.
Flexible supercapacitors based on a polyaniline nanowire-infilled 10 nm-diameter carbon nanotube porous membrane by in situ electrochemical polymerization

The significant volumetric change of electrically conducting polymers (ECPs) during the cyclic charging–discharging process causes the capacitance to decrease and electrodes to degrade. Herein we introduce a new strategy for the synthesis of a flexible supercapacitor device based on conducting polyaniline (PANI) nanowires confined within a 10 nm-diameter multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) porous membrane. The PANI nanowires with a diameter of 8 nm and an aspect ratio over 100 are deposited inside the hollow channels of MWCNTs through an in situ electro-polymerization method. The aligned nanostructure of graphitic CNTs provides both protection to the organic polymers and efficient pathways for charge transfer. More importantly, the confined CNT nano-channels suppress the structural change of the PANI chains during multiple charging–discharging cycles and increase the lifetime of the device. Conducting polymers encapsulated inside MWCNTs as such have significant potential to be manufactured into thin, flexible supercapacitor films. The films we made showed a good electrochemical capacitance of 296 F g−1 at a current density of 1.6 A g−1 and considerable stability with the capacitance loss being less than 5% after 2000 charging–discharging cycles.
Siccasura, a new genus for the Afrasura numida (Holland, 1893) species-group, with descriptions of six new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)

The present paper contains the description of a new genus Siccasura gen. nov. established for the members of the Afrasura numida (Holland, 1893) species-group. A review of all currently known taxa is provided, including the descriptions of six new species: S. kongo sp. nov. (DRC), S. sosta sp. nov. (Ivory Coast, Liberia, Gabon, Congo and CAR), S. hollandi sp. nov. (Gabon, Congo and DRC), S. transtillata sp. nov. (Cameroon), S. morettoi sp. nov. (Ivory Coast and Liberia), and S. spatulata sp. nov. (Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon). A lectotype for Miltochrista numida Holland, 1893 is designated. All taxa are illustrated in 34 colour and 37 black and white diagnostic figures.