Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Infrared and Visible Image Fusion Combining Interesting Region Detection and Nonsubsampled Contourlet Transform

The most fundamental purpose of infrared (IR) and visible (VI) image fusion is to integrate the useful information and produce a new image which has higher reliability and understandability for human or computer vision. In order to better preserve the interesting region and its corresponding detail information, a novel multiscale fusion scheme based on interesting region detection is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the MeanShift is used to detect the interesting region with the salient objects and the background region of IR and VI. Then the interesting regions are processed by the guided filter. Next, the nonsubsampled contourlet transform (NSCT) is used for background region decomposition of IR and VI to get a low-frequency and a series of high-frequency layers. An improved weighted average method based on per-pixel weighted average is used to fuse the low-frequency layer. The pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN) is used to fuse each high-frequency layer. Finally, the fused image is obtained by fusing the fused interesting region and the fused background region. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can integrate more background details as well as highlight the interesting region with the salient objects, which is superior to the conventional methods in objective quality evaluations and visual inspection.
Greenhouse gas emissions of Canadian beef production in 1981 as compared with 2011

The present study compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and breeding herd and land requirements of Canadian beef production in 1981 and 2011. In the analysis, temporal and regional differences in feed types, feeding systems, cattle categories, average daily gains and carcass weights were considered. Emissions were estimated using life-cycle assessment (cradle to farm gate), based primarily on Holos, a Canadian whole-farm emissions model. In 2011, beef production in Canada required only 71% of the breeding herd (i.e. cows, bulls, calves and replacement heifers) and 76% of the land needed to produce the same amount of liveweight for slaughter as in 1981. Compared with 1981, in 2011 the same amount of slaughter weight was produced, with a 14% decline in CH4 emissions, 15% decline in N2O emissions and a 12% decline in CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use. Enteric CH4 production accounted for 73% of total GHG emissions in both years. The estimated intensity of GHG emissions per kilogram of liveweight that left the farm was 14.0 kg CO2 equivalents for 1981 and 12.0 kg CO2 equivalents for 2011, a decline of 14%. A significant reduction in GHG intensity over the past three decades occurred as a result of increased average daily gain and slaughter weight, improved reproductive efficiency, reduced time to slaughter, increased crop yields and a shift towards high-grain diets that enabled cattle to be marketed at an earlier age. Future studies are necessary to examine the impact of beef production on other sustainability metrics, including water use, air quality, biodiversity and provision of ecosystems services.
[Hepatic stellate cell conditioned medium induces proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via activating ERK1/2 signaling pathway in hepatoma cells].

Objective To investigate the influence of hepatic stellate cells( HSCs) on malignant biological behavior of hepatoma cells and related mechanisms. Methods Human hepatoma cell lines SMMC-7721 and Hep G2,and hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 were cultured separately. HSC conditioned medium( LX2-CM),MAPK specific inhibitor U0126 were used to treat hepatoma cells,separately or together. The invasion and migration abilities of hepatoma cells were detected by TranswellTMassay,and cell proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 assay. The mRNA and protein expression levels of p-ERK1 /2,ERK1 /2,c-Myc,vimentin and E-cadherin were determined by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis,respectively. Results LX2-CM promoted the proliferation,invasion and migration of SMMC-7721 and Hep G2 cells,and these effects were inhibited by U0126. LX2-CM up-regulated the expression levels of p-ERK1 /2,c-Myc,vimentin and down-regulated the expression level of E-cadherin. Conversely,after U0126 treatment,the expression levels of p-ERK1 /2,c-Myc and vimentin decreased significantly,while E-cadherin expression level increased. Conclusion LX2-CM could activate c-Myc via ERK1 /2signaling pathway in hepatoma cells,and consequently promote cell proliferation,invasion and migration,and also induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
Macroeconomic Variables and Stock Market Prices in Nigeria: A Cointegration and Vector Error Correction Model Tests

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of macroeconomic variables on stock market prices using annual time series datasets for Nigeria for the period 1980-2013. The data were analyzed with the application of OLS regression technique. The study employs Johansen cointegration and VECM based on arbitrage pricing theory (APT) of Ross (1976). The macroeconomic variables utilized were gross domestic product (GDP) and broad money supply (M2). The results of the findings indicate that Nigerian stock market prices have long-run relationship with macroeconomic variables. However, GDP has significant long-run negative effect on stock prices contrary to a priori expectation that GDP has significant positive effect on stock prices. But M2 has significant long-run positive effect on stock prices, the result being consistent with a priori expectation. Again, there is unidirectional causal effect between GDP and stock prices with direction running from stock prices to GDP. Whereas there is no causal effect between stock prices and broad money supply. However, in the short-run both GDP and M2 have positive but insignificant effect on stock prices in Nigeria. This result suggests that stock market in Nigeria is informational inefficient. It shows that predicting stock prices based on macroeconomic factors is difficult.
Screening Various Plant and Fungal Extracts Against Clostridium perfringens for Antimicrobial Activity

Clostridium is an anaerobic, endospore forming Gram-positive bacillus genus containing many important pathogenic species, including Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens. Both of these pathogenic species have been implicated as the causative agents of serious gastrointestinal tract infections. Recently, there has been an emergence of antimicrobial drug resistant Clostridium species. Because of these concerns, a new drug is warranted. There is an ecological rationale that antimicrobial products could be synthesized in fungi and plants to ward of pathogens like Clostridium. To explore this further, plant and fungal specimens have been collected and a solvent extraction procedure has been performed. Crude extracts taken from various plants and fungal fruiting bodies have been screened against C. perfringens for evidence of antimicrobial activity. A total of 238 extracts from various fungi and plant species have been screened against C. perfringens. Of these, 25 showed antimicrobial activity against C. perfringens. Furthermore, a total of 17 fungal extracts demonstrated hemolytic activity and antimicrobial activity against C. perfringens while 8 extracts generated no hemolytic activity while showing antimicrobial activity. Further purification and analysis is currently being performed on promising crude extracts in order to unearth any potential novel antimicrobial agents.
Heterologous Expression, Purification, and Characterization of the HspX, Ppe44, and EsxV Proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Background Subunit vaccines are appropriate vaccine candidates for the prevention of some infections. In this study, three immunogenic proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including HspX, Ppe44, and EsxV as a new construction, were expressed alone and as a fusion protein to develop a new vaccine candidate against tuberculosis infection. Methods To make the fusion protein, the three genes were linked together by AEAAAKEAAAKA linkers and inserted into pET21b and pET32b vectors. Escherichia coli (E. coli) Top10 cells were transformed with the plasmid, and the purified plasmid was used to transform E. coli BL21 cells. Protein expression was induced with IPTG. After optimizing protein expression, the recombinant proteins were purified by Ni-NTA chromatography. Protein purification was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting with an anti-poly histidine-peroxidase monoclonal antibody against the 6His-tags at the proteins' C termini. Results Directional cloning was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction enzyme digestion, and sequencing. The highest expression of the tri-fusion protein and HspX were obtained by the addition of 0.2 mM of IPTG to E. coli BL-21 cells at 37 °C and 18 h of incubation. For Ppe44 and EsxV, the optimum expression conditions were 18 °C and 16 h of incubation. SDS-PAGE and Western blots confirmed that the desired proteins were produced. Conclusion The three desired proteins and the fusion protein were successfully expressed and the conditions for optimum expression determined. These recombinant proteins will be evaluated as vaccine candidates against tuberculosis. Further studies are needed to evaluate the abilities of these proteins to induce strong immunological responses.
Long-Run Equilibrium Ratios of Business Investment to Output in the United Kingdom

Over the past 20 years, the constant-price and current-price ratios of business investment to total output have behaved very differently. In this article we use a simple framework to examine how these two ratios should behave in long-run equilibrium. We investigate the conditions in which each ratio will be constant and, more generally, consider how each might evolve over time.
Behaviour Modelling and System Control with Human in the Loop. (Modélisation du comportement et commande avec l'humain dans la boucle)

Malgre le progres en recherche et developpement dans le domaine de systeme autonome, de tels systemes necessitent l’intervention humaine pour resoudre les problemes imprevus durant l’execution des tâches par l’utilisateur.Il est donc necessaire, malgre cette autonomie, de tenir compte du comportement du conducteur et il est difficile d’ignorer l’effet de l’intervention humaine dans le cadre de l’evolution continue de l’environnement et des preferences de l’utilisateur. Afin d’executer les operations selon les attentes de l’operateur, il est necessaire d’incorporer dans la commande les besoins de l’utilisateur.Dans les travaux presentes dans cette these un modele comportemental de l’utilisateur est developpe et integre dans la boucle de commande afin d’adapter la commande a l’utilisateur. Ceci est applique a la commande des fauteuils electrique et assiste dans la navigation du fauteuil dans un milieu encombre.Le developpement du modele comportemental est base sur la methode de potentielles orientees et la detection des obstacles et le comportement du conducteur vs de ces obstacles par l’adaptation duL’etude contribue egalement au developpement d’un modele dynamique du fauteuil utilisable dans des situations normales et exceptionnelles telle que le derapage. Ce modele est developpe pour un le cas le plus courant des fauteuil avec roues arriere conductrices utilisant le formalisme Euler Lagrange avec les forces gravitationnelles et sur des surfaces inclinees.Dans la formulation de la commande, le modele du conducteur est introduit dans la boucle de commande. L’optimalite de la performance est assuree par l’utilisation du commande predictif generalise pour le systeme en temps continue. Les resultats de la simulation demontrent l’efficacite de l’approche proposee pour l’adaptation de la commande au comportement du conducteur
Does tailoring matter? Meta-analytic review of tailored print health behavior change interventions.

Although there is a large and growing literature on tailored print health behavior change interventions, it is currently not known if or to what extent tailoring works. The current study provides a meta-analytic review of this literature, with a primary focus on the effects of tailoring. A comprehensive search strategy yielded 57 studies that met inclusion criteria. Those studies-which contained a cumulative N = 58,454-were subsequently meta-analyzed. The sample size-weighted mean effect size of the effects of tailoring on health behavior change was found to be r = . 074. Variables that were found to significantly moderate the effect included (a) type of comparison condition, (b) health behavior, (c) type of participant population (both type of recruitment and country of sample), (d) type of print material, (e) number of intervention contacts, (f) length of follow-up, (g) number and type of theoretical concepts tailored on, and (h) whether demographics and/or behavior were tailored on. Implications of these results are discussed and future directions for research on tailored health messages and interventions are offered.
Essays on monetary policy and banking regulation

Essays on Monetary Policy and Banking Regulation. (August 2004) Jingyuan Li, Diploma; M.S., Huazhong University of Science and Technology Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Guoqiang Tian A central bank is usually assigned two functions: the control of inflation and the maintenance of a safety-banking sector. What are the precise conditions under which trigger strategies from the private sector can solve the time inconsistency problem and induce the central bank to choose zero inflation under a nonstationary natural rate? Can an optimal contract be used together with reputation forces to implement a desired socially optimal monetary policy rule? How to design a truth-telling contract to control the risk taking behaviors of the bank? My dissertation attempts to deal with these issues using three primary methodologies: monetary economics, game theory and optimal stochastic control theory.
L'arbitrage cohésion-croissance. Une analyse des régions européennes (1980-2000)

De nombreux apports theoriques mettent en evidence l'influence positive de l'agglomeration geographique des activites sur la croissance economique. Cet article propose une analyse empirique de cet arbitrage de politique economique entre la defense de la cohesion spatiale et la recherche d'une croissance maximale. Nous estimons l'influence de la dispersion des pib par tete et des activites economiques au sein des macro-regions europeennes (nuts1) sur la croissance economique de ces dernieres. Nos resultats montrent que les inegalites intra-regionales ont un effet positif sur la croissance regionale, du moins pour les regions du Nord de l'Europe.
Retinal on-pathway deficit in congenital disorder of glycosylation due to phosphomannomutase deficiency.

OBJECTIVE To describe novel electroretinographic (ERG) findings associated with congenital disorder of glycosylation due to phosphomannomutase deficiency (PMM2-CDG) (previously known as congenital disorder of glycosylation type 1a). METHODS Two male siblings with genetically confirmed PMM2-CDG underwent full-field ERG to a range of scotopic and photopic flash luminances that extended the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision standard protocol and included scotopic 15-Hz flicker and photopic prolonged on-off stimulation. RESULTS Photopic prolonged ERGs were profoundly electronegative with absent b-waves but preserved oscillatory potentials. Prolonged off-responses and off-oscillatory potentials were preserved. Transient full-field photopic ERGs revealed a broad a-wave and narrow b-wave, and the photopic 30-Hz flicker ERG had a sawtooth waveform. The scotopic b-waves of both cases were attenuated to the fifth percentile, whereas scotopic a-wave amplitudes were at the 50th to 75th percentile, giving a reduced a:b ratio. The scotopic a-wave waveform was well defined to bright flash luminance. The number of scotopic oscillatory potentials was preserved, although amplitudes were smaller than average. Scotopic 15-Hz flicker ERGs were evident to a range of flash luminances and showed an expected phase cancellation between -1.5 and -1.0 log scotopic td (troland) • s, but phase increased only for the fast rod pathway. CONCLUSIONS We find, for the first time to our knowledge, an association of PMM2-CDG with a selective on-pathway dysfunction in the retina. This ERG phenotype localizes the site of retinal dysfunction to the on-bipolar synapse with photoreceptors. Modeling the unusual combination of ERG findings helps our understanding of the role of N -glycosylation at this synapse and provides a focus for future studies of potential intervention.
What can public health do to address inequities in infectious disease?

Background The recognition of the importance of social conditions informed early public health responses to infectious disease epidemics. By influencing exposure, vulnerability, and access to health services, social determinants of health (SDOH) continue to cause inequalities in infectious disease distribution. Such preventable and unjust inequalities are considered to be inequities. Analysis A number of challenges and barriers exist to more widespread public health action that addresses SDOH and inequities, including a lack of clarity on what public health should or could do. The National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (NCCDH) has identified four primary roles for public health action on SDOH and inequities. This paper describes these roles and includes examples of their application to infectious diseases. The critical contribution that organizations make in providing the leadership and support for programs and staff to pursue action on SDOH and inequities is also highlighted. Conclusion While the challenge is large and complex, approaches such as the NCCDH roles for public health action provide a menu of options to facilitate the analysis and action to address SDOH and inequities in infectious diseases.
Biogenic UO2 - Characterization and Surface Reactivity

Nano‐scale biogenic UO2 is easier to oxidize and more reactive to aqueous metal ions than bulk UO2. In an attempt to understand these differences in properties, we have used a suite of bulk and surface characterization techniques to examine differences in the reactivity of biogenic UO2 versus bulk UO2 with respect to aqueous Zn(II). Precipitation of biogenic UO2 was mediated by Shewanella putrefaciens CN32, and the precipitates were washed using two protocols: (1) 5% NaOH, followed by 4 mM KHCO3/KCl (NA‐wash; “NAUO2”, to remove surface organic matter), and (2) 4 mM KHCO3‐KCl (BI‐wash; “BIUO2”, to remove soluble uranyl species). BET surface areas of biogenic‐UO2 prepared using the two protocols are 128.63 m2g−1 and 92.56 m2g−1, respectively; particle sizes range from 2–10 nm as determined by FEG‐SEM. Surface composition was probed using XPS, which showed a strong carbon 1s signal for the BI‐washed samples; surface uranium is > 90% U(IV) for both washing protocols. U LIII‐edge XANES spectra also indicate th.
Cross-Commodity News Transmission and Volatility Spillovers in the German Energy Markets

This study investigates volatility spillovers to electric power from large exogenous shocks in the prices of gas, coal, and carbon emission allowances in the German energy market. Our sample ranges from 2008 to 2016 and covers periods of different market conditions. We use a general VAR-BEKK model and the volatility impulse response function methodology to analyze and evaluate the spillover effects. Special attention is paid to selecting an appropriate econometric volatility model. Our results show that the spillover effects often are of a significant magnitude and display considerable variation over time and across commodities. Coal and gas generate non-negligible spillovers during almost the entire sample period. Carbon has very little impact during the early and late parts of the sample, but generates significant, and highly variable, spillovers during the period from 2011 to the end of 2014.
The first nine years of 'accounting history' : 1996 to 2004

This paper adds to the prior literature examining publishing patterns in the accounting history discipline by undertaking a content analysis of publications in the first nine years of the new series of the journal Accounting History. The paper commences by providing an historical background to the introduction of the new series of the journal and the journal's editorial team. This is followed by an authorship analysis of the journal's research publications. This analysis examines patterns of authorship (single and multi-authored papers), the journal's most published authors, institutional and geographical affiliations of authors (including international collaboration and changes over the nine year period) and author gender.
Low Cost Disposable Mobile Relays to Reduce the Total Energy Consumption of Data-Intensive WSN

: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are increasingly used in data-intensive applications such as microclimate monitoring, precision agriculture, and audio/video surveillance. A key challenge faced by data-intensive WSNs is to transmit all the data generated within an application’s lifetime to the base station despite the fact that sensor nodes have limited power supplies. We propose using low-cost disposable mobile relays to reduce the energy consumption of data-intensive WSNs. Our approach differs from previous work in two main aspects. First, it does not require complex motion planning of mobile nodes, so it can be implemented on a number of low-cost mobile sensor platforms. Second, we integrate the energy consumption due to both mobility and wireless transmissions into a holistic optimization framework. Our framework consists of three main algorithms. The first algorithm computes an optimal routing tree assuming no nodes can move. The second algorithm improves the topology of the routing tree by greedily adding new nodes exploiting mobility of the newly added nodes. The third algorithm improves the routing tree by relocating its nodes without changing its topology. This iterative algorithm converges on the optimal position for each node given the constraint that the routing tree topology does not change. We present efficient distributed implementations for each algorithm that require only limited, localized synchronization. Because we do not necessarily compute an optimal topology, our final routing tree is not necessarily optimal. However, our simulation results show that our algorithms significantly outperform the best existing solutions
Government Financial Support for Children across the United Kingdom: how does Northern Ireland compare?

This report has been commissioned by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) to analyse the amount of government financial support for children received by families in Northern Ireland, how that compares to those in the rest of the United Kingdom, and how it has changed since 1997. The analysis uses survey data from the Family Resources Survey and a tax and benefit simulation model.