Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Content enhancement for e-learning lecture video using foreground/background separation

With the popular adaptation of e-learning in many universities, lectures are sometimes distributed online in the form of real-time streaming videos. In these videos, contents on the chalkboard develop into the main sources of study materials for the students. However, they are usually compressed to minimize the bitrate for on-line streaming, and the process blurs the contents on the chalkboard, making them barely readable. Thus, the usefulness of the video channel is being questioned. To improve the quality of video, we enhance the chalkboard contents of the lecture videos by using foreground/background separation and combination technique. The separation allows foreground content to be normalized and de-noised, thus enhancing the readability of the chalkboard texts. The overall technique emphasizes the chalkboard contents while preserving the integrity of the natural video frame. It thus renders the video channel as an important source of information in providing the students with a beneficial e-learning material.
Workers' experiences of skill, training and participation in lean and high performance workplaces in Britain and Italy

Purpose – The article aims to report on research into managerial practices at the workplace level in Britain and Italy in the automobile and aerospace industries. These are examined with regard to their impact on employees' perceptions of skill, training and their relationship to participation. Are advocates of high performance work (HPW) accurate in arguing that it can satisfy aspirations for greater employee influence in contrast to lean working? Design/methodology/approach – The methodology included questionnaires and interviews with employees and union officials in four companies – two in aerospace (one in Britain and one in Italy) and two in automotive final assembly (one in Britain and one in Italy). Findings – One of the recurrent themes to emerge from the worker interviews was that the experience of increased effort was not an inevitable outcome of the shifts in the composition of skills and tasks, but rather, a function of the workers' loss of any semblance of control over their work routines and r.
Contemporary management of rhinosinusitis and cystic fibrosis

Historically, cystic fibrosis has been a devastating disease, with patients rarely living beyond childhood. Recent advances during the last two decades, however, have led to an improved understanding of the disease on a molecular level. Such understanding has in turn led to new treatments, longer life expectancy, as well as new challenges in the management of both pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations of cystic fibrosis. The otolaryngologist caring for patients with cystic fibrosis is thus challenged with the medical and surgical management of chronic sinusitis and sinonasal polyposis in these challenging circumstances.
Interplanetary Magnetic Fields

Preliminary analysis of Mariner II magnetometer data indicates a persistent interplanetary field varying between a least 2 and 10 gamma (1γ = 10-5 gauss). The interplanetary field appears to lie mainly in the ecliptic plane, although there is a substantial, fluctuating, transverse component. The Mariner II data agree reasonably well with the prior Pioneer V observations. Typically, variations as large as 5 to 10 gamma in the field component radial from the sun are measured. Correlations with the Mariner II plasma measurements have been observed.
Failure Analysis and Prediction for Big-Data Systems

Motivated by the high complexity of today’s datacenters, a large body of studies tries to understand workloads and resource utilization in datacenters. However, there is little work on exploring unsuccessful job and task executions. In this article, we study and predict three types of unsuccessful executions in traces of a Google datacenter, namely <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf {fail}$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="rosa-ieq1-2543718.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf {kill}$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="rosa-ieq2-2543718.gif"/> </alternatives></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf {eviction}$</tex-math> <alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="rosa-ieq3-2543718.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula>. We first quantitatively show their strongly negative impact on machine time and the resulting task slowdown. We analyze patterns of unsuccessful jobs and tasks, particularly focusing on their interdependencies, and we uncover their root causes by inspecting key workload and system attributes. Furthermore, we develop three on-line prediction models that can classify jobs and events into four classes upon arrival time, using independent or nested Neural Networks. We explore different combinations of feature sets and techniques to reduce the computational overhead. Our evaluation results show that the proposed models can accurately classify 94.4 percent of jobs and 76.8 percent of events into four classes.
Development of a high-density pericentromeric region BAC clone set for the detection and characterization of small supernumerary marker chromosomes by array CGH

Purpose: Small supernumerary marker chromosomes are centric chromosomal segments that, by definition, cannot be characterized unambiguously by conventional chromosome banding. Marker chromosomes are of particular interest in clinical cytogenetics because they are nearly 10 times more frequent in individuals with mental retardation (0.426%) than in the normal population (0.043%). However, they are often found in only a small percentage of cells, making them difficult to detect and characterize in a diagnostic setting. We designed, constructed, and employed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based microarray to demonstrate the utility of array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) for detecting and characterizing marker chromosomes in clinical diagnostic specimens.Methods: We constructed a high-density microarray using 974 BAC clones that were mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization and cover approximately 5 Mb of the most proximal unique sequence adjacent to the centromere on all 43 unique pericentromeric regions of the human genome (excluding the acrocentric short arms). This array was used to further characterize 20 previously identified marker chromosomes that were originally found with either conventional chromosome analysis or a targeted microarray.Results: The enhanced coverage of this pericentromeric array not only identified the chromosomal origin of each marker in 15 cases, it also distinguished between the involvement of the short arm and/or the long arm of each chromosome, defined the sizes of many of the markers, and revealed complex rearrangements or multiple markers in single individuals. However, in five cases, the markers could not be identified by this assay, most likely because of very low levels of mosaicism and/or their small size and lack of detectable euchromatin. The expanded coverage of the pericentromeric regions represented on the array was adequate to refine the breakpoints in two-thirds of all cases in which a marker chromosome was identified by this assay.Conclusions: This study demonstrates the utility of array CGH in the detection and characterization of mosaic marker chromosomes. Because approximately one-third of the markers characterized in this study involved more unique sequence than that represented on this array, additional pericentromeric coverage may be even more valuable. We anticipate that this will allow detailed characterization of small supernumerary marker chromosomes that will greatly facilitate phenotype/genotype correlations and play a valuable role in the diagnosis and medical management of both pre- and postnatal cases in which marker chromosomes have been identified.
A Cost Comparison between Fuel Cell , Hybrid and Conventional Vehicles

The objective of this paper is to present an assessment of cost for a fuel cell hydrogen vehicle (FCV) driven by a brushless DC motor (BLDC). A two leg directly coupled interleaved boost converter is used to power the motor from the fuel cell through a three-phase inverter. The power rating of vehicle motor is calculated and subsequently the rating of the fuel cell is determined. The cost of vehicle components including fuel cell stack, boost converter, brushless DC motor and hydrogen tank is estimated. The cost of FCV, the refueling cost, the market price and the efficiency of FCV are compared with those for internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). CO2 emission from the conventional ICE and HEV vehicles as well as the CO2 tax are compared with the proposed zero-emission FCV. Index Terms – Fuel cell, BLDC motor, Internal combustion engine (ICE), Honda Civic Sedan(DX) and Hybrid vehicles.
Data Sets on International Migration

International migration figures prominently on the agenda of the United Nations. Solid migration data are crucial for supporting this global debate. This article describes the international migration data sets produced by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. The Population Division's Migration Section produces migrant stock estimates for the world's countries by sex and, more recently, by age. The Section also produces a database containing annual data on inflows, outflows, and net flows of international migrants by country of origin for major destination countries. The Section maintains the Global Migration Database, containing the world's most complete set of empirical statistics on the international migrant stock by country of birth, citizenship, sex, and age for more than 200 countries and territories for recent decades. The data and associated publications are available from the Migration Section's Web site at http://www.unmigration. org.
Characterization of age-related variation in corneal biomechanical properties

An experimental study has been conducted to determine the stress–strain behaviour of human corneal tissue and how the behaviour varies with age. Fifty-seven well-preserved ex vivo donor corneas aged between 30 and 99 years were subjected to cycles of posterior pressure up to 60 mm Hg while monitoring their behaviour. The corneas were mechanically clamped along their ring of scleral tissue and kept in physiological conditions of temperature and hydration. The tissue demonstrated hyper-elastic pressure-deformation and stress–strain behaviour that closely matched an exponential trend. Clear stiffening (increased resistance to deformation) with age was observed in all loading cycles, and the rate of stiffness growth was nonlinear with bias towards older specimens. With a strong statistical association between stiffness and age (p < 0.05), it was possible to develop generic stress–strain equations that were suitable for all ages between 30 and 99 years. These equations, which closely matched the experimental results, depicted corneal stiffening with age in a form suitable for implementation in numerical simulations of ocular biomechanical behaviour.
Optimal dispatch of air conditioning load in micro-grid considering the consumers' comfort

Micro-grid integrates load, renewable energy power generation and energy storage devices as a whole system, providing an effective way for renewable energy accessing power grid. In the micro-grid system, the cost of energy storage devices is high, which has bad influences on the economic operation. For this reason, this paper proposes the model which takes advantage of micro-grid having an internal AC (air conditioning) load to stabilize power fluctuations and puts forward the AC load optimal dispatch model considering the consumers' comfort in micro-grid system. The objective functions of model are the interaction cost between micro-grid and distribution system, the incentive cost of AC load and the net load variance of micro-grid system. By optimizing the AC load, the operation cost of micro-grid system is minimized, and the fluctuation of micro-grid load is reduced. The results show that the optimal dispatch can reduce the operating cost of micro-grid system and the net load variance of micro-grid system under the premise of satisfying the AC load and the consumer' comfort.
Relating Input Concepts to Convolutional Neural Network Decisions

Many current methods to interpret convolutional neural networks (CNNs) use visualization techniques and words to highlight concepts of the input seemingly relevant to a CNN's decision. The methods hypothesize that the recognition of these concepts are instrumental in the decision a CNN reaches, but the nature of this relationship has not been well explored. To address this gap, this paper examines the quality of a concept's recognition by a CNN and the degree to which the recognitions are associated with CNN decisions. The study considers a CNN trained for scene recognition over the ADE20k dataset. It uses a novel approach to find and score the strength of minimally distributed representations of input concepts (defined by objects in scene images) across late stage feature maps. Subsequent analysis finds evidence that concept recognition impacts decision making. Strong recognition of concepts frequently-occurring in few scenes are indicative of correct decisions, but recognizing concepts common to many scenes may mislead the network.
Intracellular elasticity and viscosity in the body , leading , and trailing regions of locomoting neutrophils

MASARU YANAI,1 JAMES P. BUTLER,1,2 TOMOKO SUZUKI,1,3 AKIO KANDA,1 MASASHI KURACHI,3 HIDEO TASHIRO,3 AND HIDETADA SASAKI1 1Department of Geriatric and Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574; 3Laboratory for Photo-biology, Photodynamics Research Center, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Sendai 980-0868, Japan; and 2Physiology Program, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Coups and post-coup politics in South-East Asia and the Pacific: conceptual and comparative perspectives

The 2006 coups in Fiji and Thailand—as well as the 2012 incident in Papua New Guinea—have sent timely reminders that military coups remain a threat to vulnerable democracies in South-East Asia and the Pacific. This article explores the interplay between structural factors that can create coup risks, the ‘coup-proofing’ strategies of political leaders and the occurrence of military coups. While the article examines the region as a whole, it pays particular attention to Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Indonesia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Borrowing from the work of Belkin and Schofer, it argues that the level of coup risk in each country can be assessed by analysing the extent of regime legitimacy, the strength of civil society and the frequency of military coups in the past. By combining this analysis with an evaluation of coup-proofing strategies, the study discusses likely scenarios for the five focus countries as far as the likelihood of coups or, alternatively, the establishment of stable civilian control is concerned.
A Fully-Integrated, Short-Range, Low Data Rate FM-UWB Transmitter in 90 nm CMOS

This paper presents a fully-integrated 3-5 GHz-band FM-UWB transmitter implemented in 90 nm bulk CMOS. The front-end consists of an RF current-controlled oscillator (RF-ICO) and class-AB power amplifier. Transmit data modulates a sub-carrier oscillator. The 2-FSK modulated output is amplified by a transconductor, and directly modulates the RF-ICO tune input. A successive approximation register (SAR) algorithm and on-chip all-digital frequency-locked loop (FLL) calibrate the carrier and sub-carrier frequencies. All voltage and current references required by the transmitter are included on-chip. The 0.2 × 0.5 mm2 active area transmitter consumes 900 μW from a 1 V supply. Energy efficiency of the transmitter is 9 nJ/bit running continuously at 100 kbits/s.
Age Dependence of Viral Expression: Comparative Pathogenesis of Two Rodent-Adapted Strains of Measles Virus in Mice

The pathogenesis of two rodent-adapted strains of measles virus was studied in 1- to 2-day-old suckling and 4-week-old weanling BALB/c mice. Both the mouse-adapted Edmonston (MAEd) strain and the hamster-neurotropic (HNT) strain caused necrotizing giant-cell encephalitis with a 90 to 100% mortality after intracerebral inoculation into suckling mice. After intracerebral inoculation into weanling mice, MAEd virus caused fatal disease in 20% of the mice; HNT virus caused fatal disease in 30%, but an additional 35% of these mice developed disease and then recovered. Even when mice were moribund there was little histological evidence of disease in weanling mice inoculated intracerebrally with either strain of virus. Fluorescent-antibody staining showed extensive measles virus antigen in the suckling mouse brain and focal areas of measles virus antigen in the weanling mouse brain. Infectious virus was recovered easily from the brains of suckling mice by plaquing on Vero cells, but no infectious virus could be recovered similarly from weanling mice. However, virus could be recovered by intracerebral inoculation of weanling mouse tissue homogenates into suckling animals. The immune response appeared to play no role in the recovery from infection or in these age-related differences in disease. It appears that maturation of the cells of the mouse central nervous system converted the production of measles virus from the infectious form in the suckling mouse to a primarily defective infection in the weanling mouse.
Successful Dissertations and Theses: A Guide to Graduate Student Research from Proposal to Completion.

1. Starting and Completing the Dissertation. 2. Working with the Research Adviser and Advisory Committee. 3. Selecting and Shaping the Research Topic. 4. Preparing the Research Proposal. 5. Employing Basic Research Sources and Techniques. 6. Using the Library and Locating Essential Resources. 7. Organizing, Outlining, and Writing. 8. DefAnding the Thesis. 9. Adapting the Thesis for Publication and Presentation. Resources: Sample Proposals and Manuscript Pages A. Sample Proposal: Historical Approach B. Sample Proposal: Experimental Approach C. Sample Pages.
Happiness as an Aim in Public Policy

Utilitarian philosophy holds that public policy should aim at advancing human happiness. This moral theory meets many objections, on pragmatic grounds it is denounced as unfeasible and on ideological grounds as undesirable. As a result the principle is marginal in policy making. In this chapter I consider these classic philosophical qualms in the light of recent empirical research on life-satisfaction. It appears that these objections do not apply. Happiness is a useful goal criterion, both in public policy and in individual therapy.
The efficiency of Italian secondary schools and the potential role of competition: a data envelopment analysis using OECD-PISA2006 data

In this study, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to compute efficiency scores for a sample of Italian schools by employing OECD-PISA2006 data aggregated at school level. Efficiency has been defined as the ability to transform inputs (resources, student background, etc.) into outputs (student achievement). Different versions of the DEA models were estimated to test result robustness, including a DEA bootstrapping procedure. In a second-stage analysis, the factors affecting school efficiency are investigated through a Tobit regression. Among these factors, alternative indicators of competition were included. The results show that at least one indicator of competition is statistically associated with higher performances of schools, suggesting that there is a potential role for improving school results by increasing the number of schools competing each other. These findings are consistent with a previous analysis conducted on the same dataset by estimating an educational production function. Policy implications are presented in the last part of the study.
Weintraub on the evolution of mathematical economics: a review essay

This essay discusses the implications for the evolution of mathematical economics of the ideas presented in E. Roy Weintraub's How Economics Became a Mathematical Science. A central issue in the discussion is the nature of formalism and axiomatization in mathematical economics, how that has evolved in mathematics, and how that evolution has influenced developments in economics. It is argued that modern mathematical economics has followed mathematics itself in moving beyond hyper-formalistic approaches such as Bourbakism to the use of other approaches, such as computer simulation and more inductive methods. The essay will also argue that mathematics is useful in developing Post Keynesian economics.
Chip-on-board assembly of 800V Si L-IGBTs for high performance ultra-compact LED drivers

This paper presents a novel chip on board assembly design for an integrated power switch, based on high power density 800V silicon lateral insulated gate bipolar transistor (Si LIGBT) technology. LIGBTs offer much higher current densities (5-lOX), significantly lower leakage currents, lower parasitic device capacitances and gate charge compared to conventional vertical MOSFETs commonly used in LED drivers. The higher voltage ratings offered (up to 1kV), the development of high voltage interconnection between parallel IGBTs, self-isolated nature and absence of termination region unlike in a vertical MOSFET makes these devices ideal for ultra-compact, low bill of materials (BOM) count LED drives. Chip on-board LIGBTs also offer significant advantages over MOSFETs due to high temperatures seen on most of the LED lamp enclosures as the LIGBT's on-state losses increase only marginally with temperature. The design is based on a built-in reliability approach which focuses on a compact LED driver as a case-study of a cost-sensitive large volume production item.