Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Survey on Color Image Segmentation Techniques for Melanoma Diagnosis

Image segmentation is an important process in Melanoma diagnosis. It divides the image into segments which provides a better path for extracting features and classifying them accordingly and so far many literatures have explained how the segmentation has been carried out for gray scale images. Though most algorithms have been written for gray scale images it is not necessary that we must stick on only to that instead we can also use color images directly for segmentation process. On doing so, variation in color can be used as an important feature for melanoma diagnosis. Color is a unique feature which can be used to provide a distinct differentiation between Melanoma and Benign. Hence on applying this color image segmentation, earlier detection can be done easily. This literature presents a survey on existing techniques for color image segmentation. Color images when segmented directly, yields better differentiation between the lesions.
International Labour Mobility and Child Work in Developing Countries

This paper investigates the labor market effect of international migration on child work in countries of origin. We use an original cross-country survey dataset, which combines information on international migration with detailed individual-level data on child labor at age 5-14 in a wide range of developing countries. By exploiting both within- and cross-country variation and controlling for country fixed effects, we find a strong empirical regularity about the role of international mobility of workers in reducing child labor in disadvantaged households through changes in the local labor market.
Modeling Growth and Yield of Schizolobium amazonicum under Different Spacings

This study aimed to present an approach to model the growth and yield of the species Schizolobium amazonicum (Parica) based on a study of different spacings located in Para, Brazil. Whole-stand models were employed, and two modeling strategies (Strategies A and B) were tested. Moreover, the following three scenarios were evaluated to assess the accuracy of the model in estimating total and commercial volumes at five years of age: complete absence of data (S1); available information about the variables basal area, site index, dominant height, and number of trees at two years of age (S2); and this information available at five years of age (S3). The results indicated that the 3 × 2 spacing has a higher mortality rate than normal, and, in general, greater spacing corresponds to larger diameter and average height and smaller basal area and volume per hectare. In estimating the total and commercial volumes for the three scenarios tested, Strategy B seems to be the most appropriate method to estimate the growth and yield of Parica plantations in the study region, particularly because Strategy A showed a significant bias in its estimates.
External consultants and knowledge sharing : a comparative study of permanent employees and external consultants

This empirical study is an examination of permanent employees and external consultants and the factors that affect their knowledge sharing behavior. It aims at answering the research question: What factors enhance knowledge-sharing behavior of external consultants, in comparison with permanent employees? A quantitative method is used to collect and analyze the empirical data, collected from the oil and gas industry in Norway, an industry with growing use of external consultants. Past research on knowledge sharing has been conducted mainly on standard work relations. Thus, the theoretical framework and hypotheses are developed on this basis. Due to the nature of external consultancy work, the main hypothesis of this research is that external consultants are more reluctant to share knowledge. As employment contract is expected to influence an individual‘s attitudes and behavior, this study compares permanent employees and external consultants along several factors that may affect knowledge sharing behavior, namely: organizational support, integration, organizational commitment, trust, individual motivation, and job autonomy. The results of this research found no significant difference in knowledge sharing behavior of permanent employees and external consultants, while organizational support, trust, and intrinsic motivation were found to be important factors enhancing knowledge sharing between employees. Results also show that external consultants are more extrinsically motivated and have a lower perception of job autonomy than permanent employees, which may have implications for individual initiative and accountability.
Implementation of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems for Broadband Folded Dipole Array

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are widely used in biotechnology, medicine, communication and inertial sensing. Utilizing the integrated combination of electro and mechanical systems, MEMS are able to achieve new functionality. In particular, a folded dipole array is an important component in radio frequency communication due to its broadband feature. One major drawback preventing folded dipole arrays being used in certain applications lies in their unidirectional nature, i.e., their radiation direction is fixed once the fabrication is done and not easy to change in use. In this paper, we propose a novel method to implement MEMS for a folded dipole array, which makes the radiation direction flexible. A comparison of whether MEMS are implemented on radiating elements to make them move or as circuit elements is also reported to provide insight for future research in the field of radio frequency MEMS.
The extent of personality change: Rank order consistency, mean level change, individual level change, and ipsative stability

An individual's traits do not necessarily remain at a fixed strength throughout their lifespan. Consequently, contemporary psychologists debate the extent to which personality changes over time. Focusing on contemporary literature, this essay uses trait consistency to address personality changes and is divided into four comprehensive definitions of personality continuity or change: rank order consistency, mean level change, individual level change, and ipsative stability. Both rank order consistency and mean level change, appeared to consistently increase and develop in relation to the population across the adult lifespan. Both the magnitude of individual level change and ipsative stability exhibited predictable consistency in relation to maturity development rather than age.
Een basis voor continu verbeteren bij AWL

Dit verslag beschrijft een onderzoek bij AWL Techniek b.v. in Harderwijk. AWL is een producent van gerobotiseerde (las)verbindingsmachines. Bij AWL wordt een ticketsysteem gebruikt om fouten te rapporteren die in de interne processen zijn gemaakt. Het systeem bepaalt vervolgens hoe een fout opgelost moet worden en welke schakels in het bedrijf daarbij betrokken zijn. Het systeem fungeert dus om de oplossing te leiden, maar het bevat ook veel interessante data over de fouten vanuit het oorzakelijk perspectief. Met deze data wordt momenteel nog niet genoeg gedaan, en het doel van het onderzoek was dan ook om een manier te vinden om deze data om te zetten in informatie. Aan de hand van de Design Science Research Methodology is begonnen met het de�fini�eren van het probleem. Vervolgens is eerst bepaald wat het resultaat (output) van het te ontwerpen systeem moet zijn, oftewel, welke informatie uit het systeem moet komen. Toen de gewenste informatie bekend was is bepaald welke data nodig is om deze informatie uit te extraheren. Tot slot is het systeem uitgedacht waarin de data wordt verzameld en omgezet naar informatie.
Thai version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (Thai-OHIP) in Thai dental patients

The objective of this study was to develop a Thai version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (Thai-OHIP) and to investigate its psychometric properties (operational definition: validity and reliability tests). The original English version of the OHIP with 49 items was translated into Thai following the accepted cultural adaptation technique guidelines using a forward-backward method. A de novo development of Thai items was conducted to establish content validity. Five new items („bite cheeks‟, 'dry mouth', 'embarrassing joint sounds', 'avoiding eating with others' and 'take longer to complete a meal') were added to the OHIP. The associations between OHIP summary scores, self-reported oral health, self-reported denture quality and six oral conditions were investigated for construct validity in a convenience sample of Thai dental patients (n = 600, age 20-87 yrs). The pattern of the observed associations supported the construct validity of the Thai-OHIP (P < 0.001). To establish the reliability of the Thai-OHIP, internal consistency and test-retest reliability (n = 60; 2 week intervals) were examined. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good. Sufficient psychometric properties of the ThaiOHIP make new instrument suitable for assessment of oral health-related quality of life in Thai dental patients.
The authors did a great job during their response to the reviewers remarks and significantly improved the manuscript entitled “Microbial and Next Generation Sequencing Approach for Bacteria in Snow and Frost Flowers: Selected Identification, Abundance and Freezing

• The manuscript is still highly speculative. For instant, the authors discussed the role of Geobaccter species in uranium utilization (lines 330-336) but I didn’t find any support for presence of Geobacter species presented in the dataset (Table 2; Table 3; Table A.1 and Table A.2). Moreover, throughout the manuscript the authors attempt to infer about bacterial origin and physiological characteristics based on 16S gene similarity, however the percentage of similarity presented here range from 87 to 98%. It is well established that even bacteria with 100% of similarity of the 16S gene, may have completely different metabolic capacities. For instance, E. coli strains share 100% similarity however the physiological and metabolic characteristics among them have varied from harmful pathogens to commensal bacteria. Thus I suggest to authors more carefully rewrite the discussion.
Energy Intake, Expenditure and Body Composition of Adolescent Boys and Girls in Public Boarding Secondary Schools in Umuahia, Nigeria

This was a cross sectional study conducted to determine the energy intake, expenditure and body composition of adolescent boys and girls aged 11-18 yrs in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a total of 416 subjects consisting of 208 boys and 208 girls from six boarding secondary schools. The subjects were further stratified into 11-14 and 15-18 years age groups. Energy expenditure was estimated by factorial method, body composition by anthropometry and energy intake by weighed inventory over a seven day period inclusive of a weekend day. The results showed that in the general group (11-18yrs), the adolescent boys were taller and heavier than the girls. The BMI was normal for both sexes, however, there was significant difference in the BMI of boys (19.9+2.6kg/m 2 ) and girls (23.02+3.9kg/m 2 ) in the 15-18 years age group. Generally, the adolescent girls had significantly higher body fat than boys (p<0.05). Over 80% of food energy was derived from starchy foods for both sexes. The boys had higher energy intake and expenditure than the girls (P<0.05). Energy intake and expenditure were below standards in both sexes. When compared with FAO/UNU/WHO standards the adolescents fell into the sedentary lifestyle group. Energy intake and expenditure were below standards in both sexes. The study showed that both sexes fell short of their energy requirements. Keywords: Energy intake, expenditure, adolescents, body composition, school.
Effect of Storage at SoC on the Bacterial Flora and Physical Properties of Malaysian Fishballs

Fishballs from six local factories were stored at SoC for 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 d. There were no changes in texture at 3 d of storage but bacterial spoilage rendered the fishballs unacceptable by the fourth day. Most of the bacteria were non-halophilic. The main genera isolated were Aerococcus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, Micrococcus, Streptococcus and Enterobacteria.
IMAGE COMPLETION BY SPATIAL-CONTEXTUAL CORRELATION FRAMEWORK USING AUTOMATIC AND SEMI-AUTOMATIC SELECTION OF HOLE REGION

An image inpainting scheme has been proposed that utilizes the spatial contextual information approach for image completion. The domain to be inpainted is smooth for texture images. It can be inpainted using exemplar and variational methods. In proposed method, the regions to be removed from the image are segmented and pull out of the image where it is tenure as hole. As the hole in the image to be inpainted is an unsupervised approach, we are computing the pixel in the holes using spatial contextual correlations. The method’s efficacy is embodied by real images.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION GUROVA, GALINA A PROGRAMME FOR RUSSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS THROUGH THE NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT LENS Masters Thesis in Education Master's Degree Programme in Education and Globalisation

This thesis calls attention to a previously unexplored phenomenon: leadership programmes for educators in support of education reforms. Such programmes, appearing nowadays in different parts of the world, are designed to enable educators to carry out certain activities, and to change their perceptions about newly introduced policies. This study analyzes such a programme for university leaders, initiated and supervised by Russian Ministry of education and science. Theoretically the study builds on a concept of New Public Management (NPM), arguing that this concept is relevant to both Russian education reforms and the programme contents. NPM refers to a complex phenomenon of introducing private sector mechanisms into the public sphere. This thesis shows how Russian higher education reforms since early 1990s are going along the lines of NPM, but at the same time paradoxically combine it with planned economy approaches and tight state control. Apart from internal contradictions, the reforms implementation in Russia is also impeded by public resistance and lack of leadership in universities. The study suggests that the programme in focus served as a means of NPM reform implementation, and provided a concentrated version of the local higher education narrative. Research aims were formulated as follows: 1) to uncover the specifics of NPM narrative in Russian context; 2) to discuss the programme as an instrument of facilitating higher education reform in Russia. Methodologically this research is a qualitative case study. Transcripts of the programme lectures served as the primary data for analysis, complemented by interviews and field notes. The data was processed through a theory-guided qualitative content analysis procedure. The results of analysis show that 80 per cent of the contents were in line with the NPM narrative, which was justified primarily through international competitiveness argumentation. The study reveals the ambiguous role of the state, which was positioned as the main controller or customer, but was also addressed as a barrier for development. It shows how student-centeredness lacked from the narrative, while industries and regions were pictured as important stakeholders. The study also uncovers contradictions within the narrative that can explain difficulties in reform implementation: the call for cooperation contradicts enhanced competition; the orientation to the global market contradicts local functions of universities; and suggested NPM means contradict humanitarian missions of higher education. Basing on a single case with the corresponding limitations to generalization, this thesis contributes to the body of research on NPM, studying it in the previously uninvestigated context of Russian higher education.
How Will Online Affiliate Marketing Networks Impact Search Engine Rankings

In online affiliate marketing networks advertising web sites offer their affiliates revenues based on provided web site traffic and associated leads and sales. Advertising web sites can have a network of thousands of affiliates providing them with web site traffic through hyperlinks on their web sites. Search engines such as Google, MSN, and Yahoo, consider hyperlinks as a proof of quality and/or reliability of the linked web sites, and therefore use them to determine the relevance of web sites with regard to search queries. In this research we investigate the potential impact of online affiliate marketing networks on the ranking of advertisers’ web sites in search results. This article empirically explores how seven different affiliate marketing networks affect the rankings of the advertising web sites within web search engines. The field study followed intensively seven online affiliate marketing networks for twelve weeks after their launch. The results indicate that newly started affiliate networks effectively improve the rankings of advertising web sites in search engine results. Also, it was found that the effects of affiliate marketing networks on search engine rankings were smaller for advertising web sites operating in highly competitive markets. Another finding was that a growth in visitors coming from search engines was present as a result of the improvement of search engine rankings. Finally, the results indicate that cost-benefit metrics associated with affiliate marketing programs, such as the average marketing cost will decrease when the positive effects of affiliate marketing on search engine rankings are taken into account.
Effects of Variations in Sea and Land Surface Temperature on Rainfall Pattern over Nigerian Coastal Zone

This study evaluated the variations in sea and land temperature from 1901 to 2013 with a view to examining their effects on rainfall pattern in the coastal zone of Nigeria. It used the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) over the Atlantic Ocean (longitude 0 o E - 8 o .20 ′ E and latitude 1 o N - 3 o .50 ′ N). Land Surface Temperature (LST) and rainfall dataset sourced from the archive of the University of Delaware (UDEL) and ground station observations (NIMET) over four selected coastal locations (Calabar, Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Warri) were also used. The mean observations of rainfall and temperature of NIMET and UDEL for the overlapping period ( i.e . 1974-2013) were compared Using paired T-test and Percent Bias. The annual and seasonal trends in these climatic variables were examined using their deviations from means and trend analyses. The study then employed Pearson multiple linear regression analysis to evaluate the combined effects of LST and SST on rainfall pattern over the study areas. The results revealed the highest values of SST and LST in MAM and the lowest in JJA season. It rained in all months across the stations with the maximum rainfall (163.5 - 471.2 mm/month) in JJA and the least (24.0 - 47.2mm/month) in DJF. The comparison of both UDEL and NIMET observations suggested no significant difference between both datasets at P = . 05. The results demonstrated increasing trends in both SST (0.012 o C year -1 ) and LST (0.003 to 0.007 o C year -1 ). Both SST and LST significantly influenced rainfall pattern (0.445 ≥ R ≤ 0.731; R > 39%) at P = . 05. The contributions of SST to rainfall variations were, however, significantly higher (0.530: 0.422) than those of LST (0.452: 0.215) in Lagos and Port-Harcourt due to the proximity and locations of these stations to the Atlantic Ocean. Keywords: Sea and land surface temperature, rainfall variations, effects, coastal zone
On algorithms with good mesh properties for problems with moving boundaries based on the Harmonic Map Heat Flow and the DeTurck trick

In this paper, we present a general approach to obtain numerical schemes with good mesh properties for problems with moving boundaries, that is for evolving submanifolds with boundaries. This includes moving domains and surfaces with boundaries. Our approach is based on a variant of the so-called the DeTurck trick. By reparametrizing the evolution of the submanifold via solutions to the harmonic map heat flow of manifolds with boundary, we obtain a new velocity field for the motion of the submanifold. Moving the vertices of the computational mesh according to this velocity field automatically leads to computational meshes of high quality both for the submanifold and its boundary. Using the ALE-method in [16], this idea can be easily built into algorithms for the computation of physical problems with moving boundaries.
Exploiting Social Contexts for Movie Recommendation

A social networking service (SNS) allows users to share information with family, friends, and communities. Since there are many kinds of information uploaded and shared through an SNS, the amount of information on such siteskeeps increasing exponentially. In particular, Facebook has adopted some interesting features related to entertainment (e.g., movies, music, and TV shows). However, they do not consider contextual information of users for recommendations (e.g., time, location, and social context). Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel approach for movie recommendations based on the integration ofa variety ofcontextual information (i.e., when the users watched the movies, where the users watched the movies, and who watched the movie with them). Thus, we developed a Facebook application (called MyMovieHistory) for recording the movie history of users and recommending relevant movies.
Ex-post real interest rates versus ex-ante real rates: a CCAPM approach

We use an integrated framework based on the CCAPM to jointly estimate ex-ante interest rates, (bounds on) inflation risk premia and (bounds on) agents' inflation expe tion errors. Using the Spanish economy as a natural case study, we illustrate that, for ferent preference specifications, 1-year ex-ante real interest rates exhibit a very correlation with the 1-year ex-post rate. According to our results, the difference betw both real rates seems to be mainly explained in terms of agents' inflation expecta errors, while the inflation premia play a minor role.
Study of Unentanglement in Quantum Computers

This report explains the research work done during a February-June 2008 internship at MIT under the supervision of Scott Aaronson and Seth Lloyd. It exposes some necessary background knowledge in quantum mechanics, quantum computing and quantum complexity theory, and then focuses on the work conducted during this internship. The subject of this internship is to study two important classes of quantum problems, QMA and QMA(2), which consist of all languages that can be verified using respectively one and two unentangled quantum proofs. Whether these classes are equal or distinct is an open problem of great interest in quantum computing. To prove that they are the same, one can possibly simulate QMA(2) problems in QMA using a quantum operation called a disentangler. However, it has been conjectured that polynomial disentanglers do not exist, and therefore this approach fails. In this report, we investigate this conjecture and give two results: in a specific situation, when exponential precision is required, this conjecture holds as long as P 6= NP. Moreover, in the same situation, we show that the conjecture could be proven unconditionally using a stronger hypothesis.