Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real time backbone for semantic segmentation

The rapid development of autonomous driving in recent years presents lots of challenges for scene understanding. As an essential step towards scene understanding, semantic segmentation thus received lots of attention in past few years. Although deep learning based state-of-the-arts have achieved great success in improving the segmentation accuracy, most of them suffer from an inefficiency problem and can hardly applied to practical applications. In this paper, we systematically analyze the computation cost of Convolutional Neural Network(CNN) and found that the inefficiency of CNN is mainly caused by its wide structure rather than the deep structure. In addition, the success of pruning based model compression methods proved that there are many redundant channels in CNN. Thus, we designed a very narrow while deep backbone network to improve the efficiency of semantic segmentation. By casting our network to FCN32 segmentation architecture, the basic structure of most segmentation methods, we achieved 60.6\% mIoU on Cityscape val dataset with 54 frame per seconds(FPS) on $1024\times2048$ inputs, which already outperforms one of the earliest real time deep learning based segmentation methods: ENet.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the leafhopper Idiocerus herrichii (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae)

Abstract We determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the leafhopper Idiocerus herrichii by next-generation sequencing. Similar to the typical mtDNA of insects, the mitogenome is 15,489 bp in size, with an A + T content of 78.4%, comprises 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and one non-coding region. Most of the PCGs are initiated with the typical ATN codon, with exception to ATP8 and ND5, which are started with TTG. Most PCGs are terminated with the typical TAA codon, except for COX2, ND5, ND4 and ND1 with the incomplete termination codon T. The concatenated PCGs were used to conduct Bayesian phylogenetic analyses together with 20 mitogenome data of leafhoppers in GenBank. The phylogenetic tree confirms the monophyly of Idiocerinae, indicating I. herrichii being closely related to I. laurifoliae plus Populicerus popili.
Hyperspectral image-based analysis of thermal damage in living liver undergoing laser ablation

Laser ablation (LA) is a minimally invasive procedure based on light/tissue interaction aimed to induce a controlled tumor necrosis by increasing tissue temperature. Given the relationship between tissue damage and produced heat, LA needs a fine control of evolving thermal effects in order to evaluate and control procedure outcome. This study relies on biomedical optics principles for non-invasive diagnostic tools development, and presents a contactless approach based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to monitor thermal damage during in vivo porcine LA. By collecting relative pixel-by-pixel reflectance/absorbance of a wide range spectrum (500-1000nm), HSI can track molecular structure modifications caused by the thermoablative procedure. Indeed, these modifications alter tissue light scattering and absorption. In order to investigate tissue spectrum change by increasing temperature, HSI was collected at fixed maximum temperatures (37, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 °C) and immediately after LA (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes). Tissue spectral response for two tests was analyzed also relying on the ablated area considered. Regions of Interest of different dimensions (16, 77, and 170 pixels) were placed in the images after applying a motion correction. Obtained spectra show noticeable variations once a specific temperature threshold has been reached (80-100 °C). Specifically, the measured absorbance variation for selected wavelengths (630, 760, 960nm, for methemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and water respectively) confirms tissue optical behavior dependence with its thermal state. This preliminary investigation discloses the potential of HSI measurement to characterize LA damage, encouraging future studies to standardize this novel technique.
Coupled Nitrate and Phosphate Availability Facilitated the Expansion of Eukaryotic Life at Circa 1.56 Ga

Recent geochemical and paleontological studies have revealed a significant ocean oxygenation episode and an evolutionary leap of eukaryotes at the onset of the Mesoproterozoic. However, the potential role of nitrogen availability and its interaction with other nutrients in these environmental and biological events have not been investigated. Here we present an integrated study of nitrogen isotopes (δ15N), organic carbon isotopes (δ13Corg), and major and trace element concentrations from Member III of the Gaoyuzhuang Formation in the central North China Craton where the earliest macroscopic multicellular eukaryotic fossils were reported. The enrichments of redox‐sensitive elements (Mo, U, and V), coupled with Mo‐U covariations, δ13Corg, and I/(Ca + Mg), indicate that the Gaoyuzhuang Member III in the study area was deposited in largely suboxic‐anoxic environments with ephemeral occurrences of euxinia. These data reinforce previous inferences of a strongly redox stratified ocean during the early Mesoproterozoic, but a pulsed oxygenation event may have resulted in deepening of the chemocline. The high δ15N values from the study section are interpreted as a result of aerobic N cycling and the presence of a fairly stable nitrate pool in the surface oxic layer, possibly due to the combined effects of oxygenation and low primary productivity. Increased availability of nitrate could have contributed to the expansion of eukaryotic life at this time. However, our data also suggest that nitrate alone was not the only trigger. Instead, this evolutionary leap was likely facilitated by multiple environmental factors, including a rise in O2 levels and increasing supplies of phosphorus and other bio‐essential trace elements.
Variability in high-salinity shelf water production in the Terra Nova Bay polynya, Antarctica

Abstract. Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica is a formation region for high-salinity shelf water (HSSW), which is a major source of Antarctic Bottom Water. Here, we analyze spatiotemporal salinity variability in Terra Nova Bay with implications for the local HSSW production. The salinity variations in the Drygalski Basin and eastern Terra Nova Bay near Crary Bank in the Ross Sea were investigated by analyzing hydrographic data from instrumented moorings, vessel-based profiles, and available wind and sea-ice products. Near-bed salinity in the eastern Terra Nova Bay (∼660 m) and Drygalski Basin (∼1200 m) increases each year beginning in September. Significant salinity increases (>0.04) were observed in 2016 and 2017, which is likely related to active HSSW formation. According to velocity data at identical depths, the salinity increase from September was primarily due to advection of the HSSW originating from the coastal region of the Nansen Ice Shelf. In addition, we show that HSSW can also be formed locally in the upper water column (<300 m) of the eastern Terra Nova Bay through convection supplied by brine from the surface, which is related to polynya development via winds and ice freezing. While the general consensus is that the salinity of the HSSW was decreasing from 1995 to the late 2000s in the region, the salinity has been increasing since 2016. In 2018, it returned to values comparable to those in the early 2000s.
An Improved Res-UNet Model for Tree Species Classification Using Airborne High-Resolution Images

Tree species classification is important for the management and sustainable development of forest resources. Traditional object-oriented tree species classification methods, such as support vector machines, require manual feature selection and generally low accuracy, whereas deep learning technology can automatically extract image features to achieve end-to-end classification. Therefore, a tree classification method based on deep learning is proposed in this study. This method combines the semantic segmentation network U-Net and the feature extraction network ResNet into an improved Res-UNet network, where the convolutional layer of the U-Net network is represented by the residual unit of ResNet, and linear interpolation is used instead of deconvolution in each upsampling layer. At the output of the network, conditional random fields are used for post-processing. This network model is used to perform classification experiments on airborne orthophotos of Nanning Gaofeng Forest Farm in Guangxi, China. The results are then compared with those of U-Net and ResNet networks. The proposed method exhibits higher classification accuracy with an overall classification accuracy of 87%. Thus, the proposed model can effectively implement forest tree species classification and provide new opportunities for tree species classification in southern China.
Recover and RELAX: Concern-Oriented Software Architecture Recovery for Systems Development and Maintenance

The stakeholders of a system are legitimately interested in whether and how its architecture reflects their respective concerns at each point of its development and maintenance processes. Having such knowledge available at all times would enable them to continually adjust their systems structure at each juncture and reduce the buildup of technical debt that can be hard to reduce once it has persisted over many iterations. Unfortunately, software systems often lack reliable and current documentation about their architecture. In order to remedy this situation, researchers have conceived a number of architectural recovery methods, some of them concern-oriented. However, the design choices forming the bases of most existing recovery methods make it so none of them have a complete set of desirable qualities for the purpose stated above. Tailoring a recovery to a system is either not possible or only through iterative experiments with numeric parameters. Furthermore, limitations in the scalability of the employed recovery algorithms make it prohibitive to apply the existing techniques to large systems. Finally, since several current recovery methods employ non-deterministic sampling, their inconsistent results do not lend themselves well to tracking a systems course over several versions, as needed by its stakeholders. RELAX (RELiable Architecture EXtraction), a new concern-based recovery method that uses text classification, addresses these issues efficiently (1) by assembling the overall recovery result from smaller, independent parts, (2) basing it on an algorithm with linear time complexity and (3) being tailorable to the recovery of a single system or a sequence thereof through the selection of meaningfully named, semantic topics. An intuitive and informative architectural visualization rounds out RELAX's contributions. RELAX is illustrated on a number of existing open-source systems and compared to other recovery methods.
Self-efficacy and Reach Performance in Individuals With Mild Motor Impairment Due to Stroke

Background: Persistent deficits in arm function are common after stroke. An improved understanding of the factors that contribute to the performance of skilled arm movements is needed. One such factor may be self-efficacy (SE). Objective: To determine the level of SE for skilled, goal-directed reach actions in individuals with mild motor impairment after stroke and whether SE for reach performance correlated with actual reach performance. Methods: A total of 20 individuals with chronic stroke (months poststroke: mean 58.1 ± 38.8) and mild motor impairment (upper-extremity Fugl-Meyer [FM] motor score: mean 53.2, range 39 to 66) and 6 age-matched controls reached to targets presented in 2 directions (ipsilateral, contralateral). Prior to each block (24 reach trials), individuals rated their confidence on reaching to targets accurately and quickly on a scale that ranged from 0 (not very confident) to 10 (very confident). Results: Overall reach performance was slower and less accurate in the more-affected arm compared with both the less-affected arm and controls. SE for both reach speed and reach accuracy was lower for the more-affected arm compared with the less-affected arm. For reaches with the more-affected arm, SE for reach speed and age significantly predicted movement time to ipsilateral targets (R2 = 0.352), whereas SE for reach accuracy and FM motor score significantly predicted end point error to contralateral targets (R2 = 0.291). Conclusions: SE relates to measures of reach control and may serve as a target for interventions to improve proximal arm control after stroke.
microRNA 92b-3p regulates primordial follicle assembly by targeting TSC1 in neonatal mouse ovaries

ABSTRACT The primordial follicle pool, providing all oocytes available to a female throughout her reproductive life, is established perinatally. The formation of primordial follicle pool is regulated by precise transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Recent studies have identified several microRNAs as post-transcriptional regulatory factors in the process of primordial follicle assembly. Here, we showed that miR-92b-3p was significantly upregulated in the stage of primordial follicle assembly in newborn mouse ovaries. Inhibiting miR-92b-3p suppressed the formation of primordial follicles, while overexpression of miR-92b-3p accelerated the processes of cyst breakdown and the following primordial follicle assembly. Accordingly, the expression of follicular development-related genes was reduced upon inhibiting of miR-92b-3p and increased under miR-92b-3p overexpression. Mechanistic studies identified TSC1 as a direct target of miR-92b-3p. miR-92b-3p could activate mTOR/Rps6 signaling through targeting and inhibiting TSC1 expression. In addition, knockdown of TSC1 showed an identical phenotype with that of miR-92b-3p overexpression in accelerating processes of cyst breakdown and primordial follicle formation. Thus, our work demonstrates that miR-92b-3p is a novel regulator of primordial follicle assembly by negatively regulating TSC1 in mTOR/Rps6 signaling.
A Functional Analysis of Technological Innovation Systems in Developing Countries: An Evaluation of Iran’s Photovoltaic Innovation System

For developing countries to catch up, it is vital that they develop emerging technologies and the system that supports that development. The literature suggests developing a technological innovation system (TIS) framework to investigate the development of technologies in a country. Nonetheless, most of this research focuses on developed countries without taking into account developing countries. Therefore, in this paper, we have two main goals. First, reviewing the indicators introduced to the functional analysis of TISs and modifying these indicators based on developing countries’ circumstances. Second, applying this framework to the specific case of Iran’s renewable energy program by using these indicators for analyzing Iran’s photovoltaic TIS to identify the problems. Accordingly, we review indicators used for a functional analysis by considering the needs of developing countries, and we propose a list of indicators that can be used for assessing functions in developing countries’ TISs. The results show that, to evaluate some functions of TIS, we need to use new indicators in developing countries. Finally, we propose some policy recommendations to tackle these functional problems.
A Wild Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.), Thouars, IBS 3471, for Improved Insect-Resistance in Cultivated Pigeonpea

Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.), Thouars, is the closest wild crop relative of cultivated pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan (L.), Millspaugh. This wild pigeonpea has several insect-resistance mechanisms, particularly to Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner). Estimated economic losses in the semi-arid tropics from H. armigera damage in pigeonpea are approximately two billion USD/year. Therefore, it is imperative to improve pest resistance in this crop. In this study, we investigated insect-resistance components in IBS 3471, a C. scarabaeoides accession, and explored the possibility of transferring resistance mechanism/s to cultivated pigeonpea. A detached leaf bioassay revealed that IBS 3471 has more effective antibiosis and antixenosis resistance mechanisms against H. armigera compared to the susceptible C. cajan variety, ICPL 87. To further investigate the antibiosis resistance mechanism, we fed H. armigera larvae a heated and non-heated artificial diet supplemented with lyophilised IBS 3471 leaf powder. Incorporation of IBS 3471 leaf powder inhibited H. armigera larval weight and delayed larval development compared to larvae reared on diet supplemented with ICPL 87 leaf powder. The putative insect-resistance compounds in C. scarabaeoides were heat-labile. Proteomic analysis revealed higher levels of potential insecticidal proteins, namely lectin and cysteine proteinase inhibitor, in wild pigeonpea compared to the cultivated variety. Nutritional analysis and interspecific hybridisation experiments also indicated that IBS 3471 is a potential candidate for improvement of insect-resistance in pigeonpea. This study demonstrates that IBS 3471 has multiple resistance mechanisms against H. armigera, and they are transferable to cultivated pigeonpea.
Effects of Laser Hardening Process Parameters on Hardness Profile of 4340 Steel Spline—An Experimental Approach

This study displays the effect of laser surface hardening parameters on the hardness profile (case depth) of a splined shaft made of AISI 4340 steel. The approach is mainly based on experimental tests wherein the hardness profile of laser hardened splines is acquired using micro-hardness measurements. These results are then evaluated with statistical analysis (ANOVA) to determine the principal effect and the contributions of each parameter in the laser hardening process. Using empirical correlations, the case depth of splined shaft at tip and root of spline’s teeth is also estimated and verified with measured data. The obtained results were then used to study the sensitivity of the measured case depths according to the evolution of laser process parameters and geometrical factors. The feasibility and efficiency of the proposed approach lead to a reliable statistical model in which the hardness profile of the spline is estimated with respect to its specific geometry.
Creative Design and Working Drawing: Challenges of Fashion Design and Textile Students in Technical Universities in Ghana

Creativity is an integral and essential part of the fashion design process. Without creativity in design, there is no potential for innovation, which is where creative ideas are applied and transformed into commercial value. The purpose of the current study was sought to identify the challenges student face in Creative Design and Working Drawing and suggest measures that can make the teaching and learning of the course meaningful and effective. The descriptive survey research design was employed as the research design for the study. Questionnaires were the primary data collection instrument. The target population was all students at Ho Technical University. Using purposive sampling technique, a total of 122 students were sampled to participate in the study. The study found that students at the Technical university level find it difficult to perceive the main features of the source of inspiration and immediately link those features to design elements in the fashion domain. It was also discovered that the study found that students have challenges regarding the originality of creative designs as they emerge and how they can enhance creativity during the actual process of apparel design. It was observed that the difficulties encountered by the students relative to their creative design and drawing competencies could be attributed to the unavailability of modern studios with the state-of-the-art architecture that can support practical training of the course. Hence imperative that infrastructural improvements remain critical to the sustainability of the Fashion departments. Keywords: Creativity, Creative Process, apparel design DOI: 10.7176/ADS/81-02 Publication date: March 31 st 2020
Youth Philosophy Conferences and the Development of Adolescent Social Skills

In this paper we present an empirical case study into the effects of attending a philosophy conference on social skill development in 15- to 18-year-old students. We focus on the impact that the conference had on their communication skills, sociability, cooperation and teamwork skills, self-confidence, determination, social responsibility, and empathy. These are social skills previously studied in 2017 by Siddiqui et al. who found student development in these areas as a result of Philosophy for Children (P4C) sessions in primary schools. In this paper, we ask whether our conference—Pursuit of Knowledge—brought about comparable results. Overall, attendees reported that they felt that the conference had improved their communication skills, sociability, cooperation and teamwork, self-confidence, determination, social responsibility and empathy. We conclude that further research into the potential of models of philosophy akin to the model employed by the conference should be conducted. We discuss the potential of this model as a means of educating for social skills.
Characterization of In vitro inhibitory effects of consensus short interference RNAs against non-structural 5B gene of hepatitis C virus 1a genotype

Purpose: Chronic hepatitis C has infected approximately 170 million people worldwide. The novel direct-acting antivirals have proven their clinical efficacy to treat hepatitis C infection but still very expensive and beyond the financial range of most infected patients in low income and even resource replete nations. This study was conducted to establish an in vitro stable human hepatoma 7 (Huh-7) cell culture system with consistent expression of the non-structural 5B (NS5B) protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) 1a genotype and to explore inhibitory effects of sequence-specific short interference RNA (siRNA) targeting NS5B in stable cell clones, and against viral replication in serum-inoculated Huh-7 cells. Materials and Methods: In vitro stable Huh-7 cells with persistent expression of NS5B protein was produced under gentamycin (G418) selection. siRNAs inhibitory effects were determined by analysing NS5B expression at mRNA and protein level through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative real-time PCR, and Western blot, respectively. Statistical significance of data (NS5B gene suppression) was performed using SPSS software (version 16.0, SPSS Inc.). Results: siRNAs directed against NS5B gene significantly decreased NS5B expression at mRNA and protein levels in stable Huh-7 cells, and a vivid decrease in viral replication was also exhibited in serum-infected Huh-7 cells. Conclusions: Stable Huh-7 cells persistently expressing NS5B protein should be helpful for molecular pathogenesis of HCV infection and development of anti-HCV drug screening assays. The siRNA was effective against NS5B and could be considered as an adjuvant therapy along with other promising anti-HCV regimens.