Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
KEYPOINT DETECTOR RETRAINING TECHNIQUES FOR THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM OF SIGN LANGUAGE SPEAKERS

The study described in this article examines the approaches of retraining of the deep learning model for hand palm keypoint detection in images. This is one of the studies conducted to create an innovative communication system for sign language speakers. The target of the given study is to find an optimal technique of retraining for increasing the degree of the keypoint detector generalization. So, it must be able to accurately detect keypoints in images it has not seen during training. It will make the communication system usable in real-life conditions. In the article, there are reviewed three approaches of retraining: Retraining in series, retraining using ‘united’ dataset and retraining using mixed datasets. Experiments were conducted to test the effectiveness of each of them. The paper presents the results of the experiments and a relatively optimal method selected among them.
Fast grid search and bootstrap‐based inference for continuous two‐phase polynomial regression models

Two‐phase polynomial regression models (Robison, 1964; Fuller, 1969; Gallant and Fuller, 1973; Zhan et al., 1996) are widely used in ecology, public health, and other applied fields to model nonlinear relationships. These models are characterized by the presence of threshold parameters, across which the mean functions are allowed to change. That the threshold is a parameter of the model to be estimated from the data is an essential feature of two‐phase models. It distinguishes them, and more generally, multiphase models, from the spline models and has profound implications for both computation and inference for the models. Estimation of two‐phase polynomial regression models is a nonconvex, nonsmooth optimization problem. Grid search provides high‐quality solutions to the estimation problem, but is very slow when performed by brute force. Building upon our previous work on piecewise linear two‐phase regression models estimation, we develop fast grid search algorithms for two‐phase polynomial regression models and demonstrate their performance. Furthermore, we develop bootstrap‐based pointwise and simultaneous confidence bands for mean functions. Monte Carlo studies are conducted to demonstrate the computational and statistical properties of the proposed methods. Three real datasets are used to help illustrate the application of two‐phase models, with special attention on model choice.
Current research and future prospective of cobalt‐based Heusler alloys as thermoelectric materials: A density functional approach

Energy harvesting along with the thermoelectric materials has been investigated over recent decades with increased interest. This is not only due to their structural capability for demonstrating and integrating various new concepts to enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit but also high thermal stability, which is useful for thermoelectric devices. In the present investigation, we have used density functional theory combined with Boltzmann transport scheme to predict the properties of Co2XAl (X = Zr, Nb, Hf) Heuslers. The elastic parameters are simulated to determine the strength and ductile nature of these materials. Three different methods for exchange correlations are utilized to investigate the band profile for that modified Becke‐Johnson potential illustrates the better results than generalized gradient approximation and GGA + U functional. The band profile found to be n‐type (indirect band‐gap) for Co2NbAl and p‐type (direct band‐gap) for Co2ZrAl and Co2HfAl Heuslers near the Fermi level. The formation and cohesive energy approve the thermodynamic stability of these materials. The band occupation and density of states in the post DFT treatment are used to predict the relations among various transport properties. The most important lattice portion of thermal conductivity has been keenly determined by Slack's equation. The half‐metallic nature along with efficient thermoelectric parameters, including electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, power factor, and zT suggest the likelihood of these materials to have a potential application in designing the shape of memory devices and imminent thermoelectric and energy harvesting materials.
Social Resilience in the Labour Market: Learning from Young Adults with Visual Impairments in Oslo and Delhi

Globally, young adults with visual impairments (YAVI) encounter multiple employment barriers. However, many circumscribe the risk of labour market exclusion and secure gainful employment. This article surfaces protective factors that enable some qualified YAVI from Oslo and Delhi to participate in the labour market. It answers what similar individual and structural protective factors enable YAVI to overcome employment barriers in Oslo and Delhi. The article is theoretically couched in the three dimensions of social resilience linked to the individual’s coping, adaptive and transformative capacities, which are mediated by formal institutions, that is, disability organizations and public employment agencies. This comparative article is based on a qualitative case study wherein 29 YAVI were interviewed. It sparks a much-needed cross-national dialogue within youth studies and disability research to view YAVI as resourceful agents and not passive actors.
The Influence of Different Ripening Stages, Harvest and Drying Methods on Quality of Unsulfured Sun-Dried Apricots

This study was carried out between 2017 and 2018 to determine physical and chemical influences of two drying methods (drying on wooden fruit drying trays and drying cloths), two harvesting periods (commercial / physiological maturity and late harvest), and two harvesting methods (harvesting by hand and shaking) on dried fruit samples of Hacihaliloglu and Kabaasi cultivars. Titrable acidity, browning level, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity (ABTS), color (L*, a*, b*), pH, humidity and water activity (aw) parameters of dried fruit samples were examined. Results indicated that different harvesting periods, methods and drying methods significantly affected almost all fruit quality parameters. L value was higher in apricots dried on trays than dried on the cloths. L* values of dried apricots ranged from 27,13 to 54,74. Similarly, moisture content and water activity values were also found to be lower in apricots dried on wooden fruit drying trays than dried on clothes. When chemical parameters were examined, it was observed that phenolic compounds and total antioxidant contents decreased with fruit ripening. The effect of the applications on drying efficiency was not determined as significant, on the contrary, the individual weights of the dried apricots harvested at the late period were found significantly higher and the number of dried apricots per kilogram was lower. As a result of the study, it was concluded that in sun-dried apricot production, harvesting at late period and the drying on trays positively affected various quality parameters.
Electrochemical Behavior of Organics Oxidation On Palladium-Based Nanocatalysts Synthesized From Bromide Anion Exchange

Palladium-based and gold nanomaterials were synthesized by the so-called "Bromide Anion Exchange" method. This soft and clean synthetic route leads to well dispersed small nanoparticles on carbon support. Accordingly, these nanoscale structures have a high active surface area like 81 m(2) g(-1) for the 20 wt. % Pd/C electrocatalyst. The CO stripping experiments performed in alkaline medium have highlighted the dependence of the CO adsorption mode on palladium. When used as anode for glycerol or glucose electrooxidation in alkaline medium, they exhibit good activities. Moreover, the bimetallic catalysts showed an important improvement of the kinetics at lower potentials when compared to Pd/C. Some added value products like glycerate or glycolate have been detected by chromatographic analysis. These nanomaterials are promising electrodes in fuel or hybrid biofuel cell devices in a cogeneration of high value chemicals and energy process.
Geopolitical music to the students’ minds

ABSTRACT As music remains one of the most popular activities of everyday life, this paper builds on critical and popular geopolitics to introduce music as a key endeavour in teaching such topics. The paper attempts to go beyond scrutiny of the popular music by connecting it with the historical strings of geopolitical evolution and their current re-representation. It communicates how music may assist students in understanding geopolitics. Surprised at first by music’s relation with geopolitics, students can delve into more complex questions that allow them to scrutinize the forces, institutions and theoretical frameworks that shape geopolitics. Mediated by music, teaching may provide a way to deconstruct geopolitical imaginations and empower students to reflect beyond the texts, and popular contexts.
Poisonous Vapor Adsorption on Pure and Modified Aluminum Nitride Nanosheet for Environmental Safety: A DFT Exploration

Through Density Functional Theory (DFT), we have unveiled the atomic structures, adsorption characteristics and electronic structures of the poisonous and explosive vapor, m-dinitrobenzene (m-DNB), on pure, defective and various doped AlN nanosheets from a physical perspective. It is found that the adsorption energy, band gap change and sensitivity to the vapor are significantly increased through atomic-scale modification of the nanosheet. The AlN monolayer with Al-N divacancy has the largest adsorption energy and has potential to be utilized as adsorption or filtration materials for m-DNB vapor. The Si-doped AlN nanosheet possesses a much larger band gap change (−0.691 eV) than the pure nanosheet (−0.092 eV) after adsorption and has a moderate adsorption energy, which could be candidate material for explosive vapor sensing. This theoretical work is proposed to provide guidance and clue for experimentalists to develop more effective two-dimensional materials for environmental safety and sustainability.
Corrections to the Kinetic Theory of Fluid Diffusion

The measured diffusion coefficients of methane along the liquid branch of the liquid‐vapor coexistence curve at temperatures from the critical down to near the normal boiling temperature can be quantitatively predicted on the basis of hard‐sphere diffusion theory. This constitutes an experimental verification of the van der Waals theory of transport, and furthermore, it shows the practical importance of the contribution of correlated events to hard sphere diffusion, recently observed in computer experiments.
First field record of an introduced pet‐feeder cockroach, Blaptica dubia (Serville, 1838) (Blattidae, Blaberinae), in a temperate zone of Japan

The expansion of the worldwide pet trade has increased the invasion risks from not only exotic pet animals, but also live feeder organisms for predatory pet animals. Here, we report the first field record of a tropical live feeder cockroach, Blaptica dubia (Serville, 1838), in the central part of Japan. This widely traded feeder insect may be able to colonize temperate zones because they were estimated to survive through two winters in Japan at temperatures close to the upper limits of their critical thermal minimum. Further field observations are needed to understand the behavior of this species in the wild and predict the risk of invasion in temperate zones.
Visual preference for abstract curvature and for interior spaces: Beyond undergraduate student samples.

Smoothly curved objects elicit feelings of pleasantness and tend to be preferred over angular objects. Furthermore, individual differences (i.e., art expertise, openness to experience, holistic thinking), and the complexity of the stimuli are known to moderate the effect. We extended the study of individual differences to 2 theoretically relevant groups. Study 1 compared liking for curvature in individuals with autism and a matched neurotypical control group (for age, gender, and IQ). Because preference for curvature depends on both sensory (visuospatial) and affective input, for which individuals with autism exhibit anomalies, we hypothesized a difference in preference for curved stimuli between the 2 groups. Study 2 examined preference for curvature in a group of quasi-expert students of design. Because working architects and designers tend to regard curved interior spaces as beautiful, we hypothesized to replicate this effect within quasi-experts as well, thereby extending the effect across levels of expertise. Using an identical methodology across both studies, we administered abstract stimuli consisting of irregular polygons (angular vs. curved) and patterns of colored lines (angular vs. curved), as well as concrete stimuli consisting of images of interior spaces. Preference for curvature was confirmed with abstract stimuli in all 3 groups. For interior design, the curvature effect diminished in magnitude, and this was especially evident in individuals with autism. Interestingly, quasi-experts preferred rectilinear over curvilinear interiors. We discuss the results in relation to the impact of individual differences and expertise on preference for curvature, and their implication for design studies in ecologically valid settings.
Exploring the green purchasing behavior of young generation in Pakistan: opportunities for green entrepreneurship

This paper aims to assess the impact of green purchasing behavior (GPB) of a young generation in Pakistan. ,The data were collected from students of different colleges affiliated with Shah Abdul Latif University from Sukkur and Larkana regions of Upper Sindh. A total of 400 questionnaires were administrated among students and 361 completed questionnaires were returned. A pen-and-paper method was applied to collect the data. ,Model 1 revels that interpersonal influence and environmental knowledge were found positively related to GPB, whereas media and price were found positively but insignificantly related to GPB. Lastly, trust in green products was also found negatively and insignificantly related with GPB. Model 2 was used to test the moderating impact of price on the relationship between EA and GPB. ,To promote GPB, government can play significant role by sponsoring environmental campaigns and environmental culture and these campaigns may include broadcasting promotional messages, distributing leaflets with utility bills, speeches in schools and colleges and advertisements with the help of printing and electronic sources. ,Regarding green food purchase, this study’s results contribute to the literature by providing some theoretical contributions in literature. Green purchasing is so far a very new notion in Pakistan and therefore, literature on promotion of GPB is still lacking in the said country.
Overview on the chemical oxygen-iodine laser technology

The "Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser" (COIL) has passed through a tremendous development from the first milliwatt to a multi-kilowatt power, and thus offered a great opportunity for investigations in the COIL technology based on a multidisciplinary science. This overview has been aimed at a demonstration of enormous endeavor of the international COIL community in the last years to bring this laser system soon to the end-users by a focusing on advanced concepts of the hardware design, improvement and scaling-up the existing facilities. The overall COIL technology is considered as a sequence of the coexistent technologies of main laser components with a mutual impact: a technology of the singlet oxygen generator, gasdynamic mixing and expansion nozzle, energy extraction and optical resonator, and the exhaust and pressure recovery system. Advanced concepts of the named technologies based on inherent supporting research disciplines - a computational modeling, kinetic studies and diagnostic techniques - are briefly described. A critical insight into the COIL performance via an energy flow, energy losses, power extraction, and a chemical efficiency of this laser system utilizes the established heuristic phenomenology. The paper ends with a reference to developed projects and suggested potential applications of the chemical oxygen-iodine laser technology.
Variance partitioning and spatial eigenvector analyses with large macroecological datasets

Macroecological data are usually structured in space, so taking into account spatial autocorrelation in regression and correlation analyses is essential for a better understanding of patterns and processes. Many methods are available to deal with spatial autocorrelation, but there are some difficulties when one is dealing with huge geographical extents and fine-scale data. So, we propose a relatively simple and fast computer-intensive approach to deal with Principal Coordinate of Neighbor Matrices (PNCM)/Moran’s Eigenvector Mapping (MEM) analyses for large datasets, using global richness pattern of sharks as a model. We performed a variance partitioning approach by regressing species richness against environmental variables and spatial eigenvectors derived from PCNM. Due to the large number of ocean grid cells (> 9000), we ran the analyses 1000 timesby randomly subsampling each time 50 to 4500 cells and compared the distribution of the variance partitioning components, as well as the slopes of the environmental variables. We also estimated Moran’s I coefficients for regression residuals to check if spatial eigenvectors took into account spatial autocorrelation. Comparing statistics of analyses with different sample sizes, we note that although the environmental component increases linearly, other components (unique space and shared) of the most important variables stabilize with about 1000 cells, whereas all other smaller effects tend to stabilize between 2500 and 3000 cells. Besides that, PCNM eigenvectors were able to control spatial autocorrelation very well. We showed that shark richness patterns are strongly and positively correlated with temperature range, according to the well-known pattern of distribution for the taxon, and strong negatively correlated with oxygen supplies, which are higher in polar zones where ice acts as a barrier to sharks. Our approach clearly shows that it is possible to perform a robust evaluation of global patterns of diversity using eigenvector approaches based on a resampling strategy and allows effective computation of the variance partitioning even when dealing with large datasets.
Identifying Key Properties of Electrolytes for Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

The electrolyte is a key component in light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), as it facilitates in situ electrochemical doping and associated attractive device features. LiCF3SO3 dissolved in hydroxyl-capped trimethylolpropane ethoxylate (TMPE-OH) constitutes an electrolyte with which we have attained high stability and efficiency for polymer LECs, but the turn-on time of such devices is unfortunately slow. By replacing hydroxyl with methoxy as the TMPE end-group, we produced LECs with a desired combination of high efficiency, good stability, and fast turn-on time. Specifically, we showed that the turn-on time to high luminance (300 cd/m2) at a current density of 7.7 mA/cm2 is lowered from 1740 to 16 s, that the efficiency is improved by ∼20%, and that the other device properties are either maintained or improved. In a parallel modeling and experimental effort, we demonstrated that the faster kinetics following the shift in the TMPE end-group is attributed to a marked decrease in the level of both in.
The Shear‐Dependent Phase Separation Behavior of the Ternary Blend Polystyrene/Polyvinyl Methyl Ether/Styrene–Acrylonitrile Copolymer

The phase behavior and phase separation dynamics of a PS/PVME/SAN ternary blend using light scattering under a shear rate range of 0.1∼40 s−1 were investigated. The cloud point temperature first increases and then decreases with the increase of shear rates. At higher shear rates, the cloud point temperature again increases. The phase separation behavior in the early and later stages under shear field can be explained by the Cahn–Hilliard theory and the exponential growth law, respectively. The delay time τ d , the apparent diffusion coefficient D app, the growth rate R(q), and the exponent term show strong dependence on the difference between the experimental temperature and the cloud point temperature (ΔT), and on the shear rates. Compared with PS/PVME binary blends at lower shear rates, τ d for a PS/PVME/SAN ternary blend is smaller, while at higher shear rates τ d is larger. At higher shear rates, the introduction of the third component SAN to a PS/PVME binary blends slows the phase separation process.
Mechanical Properties of Corroded-Damaged Reinforced Concrete Pile-supporting Wharves

Corrosion is one of the significant deteriorations of reinforced concrete structures. It accelerated the performance loss of the structures, leading to a cross-sectional reduction of steel, which affects its mechanical properties, particularly its tensile capacity and ductility. The purpose of this study is to assess the serviceability and safety of corroded-damaged structures, particularly those exposed to aggressive marine environments. A total of 54 pcs of 150 mm-diameter and 300mm-height of cylindrical specimen were cast. Small-scaled specimens were accelerated to corrosion using impressed current techniques with a constant current density of 200 µA/cm 2 . Samples were immersed in a simulated environment with a 5% solution of sodium bicarbonate during corrosion acceleration. Corrosion alters the surface configuration of the steel bar. Pitting corrosions due to chloride aggression causes the residual cross-sectional area of corroded rebars to no longer round and varies considerably along its circumference and length. The reduction of the steel cross-sectional area has a significant impact on the degradation of the strength and durability of reinforcing structures. The residual capacity of the corroded reinforcement decreases with the reduction of the cross-sectional area of the steel reinforcement. The rate of corrosion affects the extent of the remaining service life of a corroded reinforced concrete structure. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2020-03091624 Full Text: PDF
Fluorescence Excitation Spectra and Quantum Efficiencies of Organic Crystals

Fluorescence excitation spectra are measured for some organic crystals using excitation wavelengths down to 2200 A. The fluorescence quantum efficiency of crystalline p-terphenyl is found to be constant with wavelength of exciting radiation but apparent variations are found for trans-stilbene and particularly for anthracene crystals. These variations are due to surface escape of fluorescence the extent of which is sensitive to the depth of penetration of the exciting light in crystals which re-absorb their molecular fluorescence. The fluorescence excitation spectrum thus provides information about the absorption spectrum of the crystal. For excitation of the 001 crystal face of anthracene absorption maxima are found at 3960 A, 3740 A, 3540 A, 3370 A, 3220 A; these wavelengths are rather longer than hitherto reported. The first fluorescence maximum lies at 3980 A hence the 0-0 absorption and fluorescence transitions effectively coincide. Measurements made with an anthracene crystal having a very thin surface quenching layer of low fluorescence efficiency show that migration of electronic excitation energy through the crystal lattice occurs initially by a short range and non-radiative process. Possible transfer mechanisms are discussed and it is concluded that the most probable process is a quantum-mechanical resonance exchange between adjacent molecules resulting in a random diffusion of the excitation energy through the lattice. This is followed by the secondary and trivial process of fluorescence emission and re-absorption. The absolute photofluorescence quantum efficiencies of p-terphenyl and trans-stilbene crystals are measured by comparison with anthracene for which the quantum efficiency is 0.80 ± 0.05. At a temperature of 290°K the efficiencies of p-terphenyl and trans-stilbene crystals are respectively 0.52 and 0.65.