Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human Tracking and Pose Estimation in Open Spaces

Keywords: multi-person tracking ; human pose estimation ; surveillance ; conditional random field ; adaptation ; optimization ; temporal filtering ; manifold alignment These Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne EPFL, n° 6276 (2014)Programme doctoral Genie electriqueFaculte des sciences et techniques de l'ingenieurInstitut de genie electrique et electroniqueLaboratoire de l'IDIAPJury: Prof. C.N. Jones (president) ; Dr J.-M. Odobez (directeur) ; Dr F. Fleuret, Dr P. Perez, Prof. T. Xiang (rapporteurs) Public defense: 2014-8-11 Reference doi:10.5075/epfl-thesis-6276Print copy in library catalog Record created on 2014-08-06, modified on 2017-05-10
Vertical Distribution of Heavy Metals and Enrichment in the South China Sea Sediment Cores

Forty seven sediment cores recovered from the South China Sea coasts along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia were analysed for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The results indicate a homogeneous distribution except for As and Pb in all stations. Assessment of heavy metal pollution in marine sediments requires knowledge of pre-anthropogenic metal concentrations to act as a reference against which measured values can be compared. Primitive values for the cored sediments were determined from shale average metal. Various methods for calculating metal enrichment and contamination factors are reviewed in detail and a modified and more robust version of the procedure for calculating the degree of contamination is proposed. The revised procedure allows the incorporation of a flexible range of pollutants, including various organic species, and the degree of contamination is expressed as an average ratio rather than an absolute summation number. Comparative data for normalized enrichment factors and the modified degree of contamination show that the South China Sea sediments are in uncontaminated to moderately contaminated level of heavy metal contamination. Compared to obtained values the Kelantan and Pahang big rivers mouth show higher enrichment averaged across other sites.
Photoacoustic Chemical Imaging Sodium Nano-Sensor Utilizing a Solvatochromic Dye Transducer for In Vivo Application

Sodium has many vital and diverse roles in the human body, including maintaining the cellular pH, generating action potential, and regulating osmotic pressure. In cancer, sodium dysregulation has been correlated with tumor growth, metastasis, and immune cell inhibition. However, most in vivo sodium measurements are performed via Na23 NMR, which is handicapped by slow acquisition times, a low spatial resolution (in mm), and low signal-to-noise ratios. We present here a plasticizer-free, ionophore-based sodium-sensing nanoparticle that utilizes a solvatochromic dye transducer to circumvent the pH cross-sensitivity of most previously reported sodium nano-sensors. We demonstrate that this nano-sensor is non-toxic, boasts a 200 μM detection limit, and is over 1000 times more selective for sodium than potassium. Further, the in vitro photoacoustic calibration curve presented demonstrates the potential of this nano-sensor for performing the in vivo chemical imaging of sodium over the entire physiologically relevant concentration range.
Growth and Yield of Indoor-Cultivated Mustard Microgreens against the Duration of LED Irradiation and Variations in Planting Media

The limitations of agricultural land currently encourage cultivation activities to be carried out with the use of limited space such as indoor cultivation by utilizing irradiation techniques and the use of varied planting media. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and yield of indoor-cultivated mustard microgreens to the irradiation duration and the composition of varied planting media. This study used a split plot design with the treatment of LED irradiation duration of 0, 10, and 20 hours/day, and the variations of planting media, 100% soil, 100% compost, addition of 50% compost and cocopeat, and a combination of compost and cocopeat planting. The study results showed that the irradiation only affected the plant height in the both planting periods. The treatment of the composition of the planting media had significant effect on all variables observed in the two planting periods, while the interaction had a very significant effect on the plant height on 1st planting period and root length on 2nd planting period. The treatment of 50% soil + 50% compost on LED 10 hours/day had the highest yield of fresh weight in two planting periods. The use of 100% soil media inhibited the growth of mustard microgreens, while the irradiation of 0 hours/day in all planting media treatments showed the symptoms of etioliation. So, the treatment of 10 hours/day irradiation with the addition of 50% compost is able to provide the best results in quality and quantity against the pH value and the growth and yield of mustard microgreens.
Water supply and sanitation in Zambia: reform and regulation

Zambia has undertaken water sector reforms over the past decade. The introduction of an autonomous water supply and sanitation regulator, National Water Supply and Sanitation Council, has provided a new institution with tools for improving sector performance. As with any reform, citizen confidence with new arrangements will depend on their perceptions of sector improvements, including water quality and network expansion. This study shows that performance monitoring (and associated rewards) has begun to have a positive impact, although much remains to be done.
Human-Centric AI to Mitigate AI Biases: The Advent of Augmented Intelligence

The global health crisis represents an unprecedented opportunity for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. This article aims to tackle part of the biases in artificial intelligence by implementing a human-centric AI to help decision-makers in organizations. It relies on the results of two design science research (DSR) projects: SCHOPPER and VRAILEXIA. These two design projects operationalize the human-centric AI approach with two complementary stages: 1) the first installs a human-in-loop informed design process, and 2) the second implements a usage architecture that aggregates AI and humans. The proposed framework offers many advantages such as permitting to integrate of human knowledge into the design and training of the AI, providing humans with an understandable explanation of their predictions, and driving the advent of augmented intelligence that can turn algorithms into a powerful counterweight to human decision-making errors and humans as a counterweight to AI biases.
Neo-Tectonic Framework of Southeast Louisiana and Applications to Coastal Restoration

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that most of the massive land loss in coastal Louisiana during the twentieth century resulted from fault induced subsidence. A regional structural framework was developed from published maps and papers to evaluate evidence of neo-tectonic events. Surface geomorphic signatures of faults were identified for well documented modern fault events and used to locate one hundred surface traces and/or scarps of suspected faults. The first appearance and temporal changes of suspected faults were identified from maps, aerial images, published descriptions and personal interviews and these geomorphic signatures were correlated with known subsurface faults from the regional framework map and from published north-south megaregional sections. These empirically derived megaregional sections are tied into linked tectonic systems of the Gulf Coast Salt Basin, thereby, correlating the surface features and changes to ongoing tectonic processes of the basin. These linked Gulf Basin tectonic processes are driven by crustal down-warping, rifting, sediment loading, compaction, salt movement and gravity slumping. Magnitude, rate of movement and frequency of fault events were evaluated using maps, aerial imagery, geoarchaeological data, tide gauge records and measurements from re-leveled bench marks. Tests for vertical displacement of near-surface beds were made at six locales using vibracores and McCauley auger samples. The Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964, with a magnitude of 8.3, sent shock waves throughout Southeastern Louisiana. It has been tentatively identified as one of the triggering mechanisms for modern regional fault movement and resulting accelerated rates of coastal land loss. The structural model developed in this study provides a framework for systematic evaluation and understanding of fault processes, for conducting risk analysis of faults, and for planning and design of coastal restoration projects. End_Page 262------------------------
Classification of EEG Signal using Independent Component Analysis and Discrete Wavelet Transform based on Linear Discriminant Analysis

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment syndrome decreasing sufferers' social interaction, communication skills, and emotional expression. Autism syndrome can be detected using an electroencephalogram (EEG). This study utilized the EEG of autistic people to support the classification study of machine learning schemes to produce the best accuracy. One of the best approaches to classify the EEG signal is The Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), a machine learning technique to classify autism and normal EEG signals. LDA was chosen because it can maximize the distance between classes and minimize the number of scatters by utilizing between and within-class functions. This method was combined with other methods: Independent Components Analysis (ICA) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), to improve the accuracy system. ICA removes artifacts or signals other than brain signals that can cause noise in the EEG signal, so the analyzed signal was a complete EEG signal without other factors. DWT can help increase noise suppression in the EEG signal and provide signal information through frequency and time representation. The EEG dataset was collated from 16 children (eight autistic and eight normal). The signals from the dataset were filtered by artifacts using ICA, decomposed by three levels through DWT, and classified using the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) technique. Using the Confusion Matrix, the results reveal the best accuracy of 99%.
Responses of primary production and total carbon storage to changes in climate and atmospheric CO₂ concentration

We used the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM, version 4.0) to estimate global responses of annual net primary production (NPP) and total carbon storage to changes in climate and CO2 level, driven by the climate outputs from the 2-dimensional MIT L-O climate model and the 3-dimensional GISS and GFDL-q atmospheric general circulation models. For contemporary climate with 315 ppmv CO2, TEM estimated that global NPP is 47.9 PgC/yr and global total carbon storage is 1659 PgC, including 909 PgC of vegetation carbon and 750 PgC of reactive soil organic carbon. For climate change with 522 ppmv CO2 (corresponding to a climate change due to an effective CO2 doubling), the responses of global NPP are +17.8% (8.6 PgC/yr) for the MIT L-O climate, +18.5% (8.9 PgC/yr) for the GFDL-q climate and +20.6% (9.9 PgC/yr) for the GISS climate. The responses of global total carbon storage are +17.3% (157 PgC) for the MIT L-O climate, +18.3% (166 PgC) for GFDL-q climate and +19.5% (178 PgC) for the GISS climate. Among the three climate change predictions, distributions of cumulative NPP and total carbon storage along the 0.5 ̊ resolution latitudinal bands vary slightly, and there are only minor differences in cumulative NPP and total carbon storage for each of 18 biomes. Relatively large differences in NPP and total carbon storage among the three climate change predictions occur in individual grid cells at high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The results demonstrate that the 2-D climate model is appropriate and useful for impact assessment and uncertainty analysis within an integrated assessment framework at global and biome scales, given the compromise between computational efficiency in the 2-D climate model and more detailed spatial representation of climate fields in the 3-D GCMs.
Algicidal Activity and Microcystin-LR Destruction by a Novel Strain Penicillium sp. GF3 Isolated from the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea)

The present article focuses on a strain of ascomycete GF3 isolated from a water sample taken in the Gulf of Finland. Based on phylogenetic analysis data, the isolate was identified as Penicillium sp. GF3. The fungus GF3 demonstrates algicidal activity towards cyanobacteria (98–100%). The algicidal effect on green algae did not exceed 50%. The isolate GF3 exhibits an indirect attack mode by releasing metabolites with algicidal and/or lytic activity into the environment. Moreover, the strain Penicillium sp. GF3 is able to degrade MC-LR. After 72 h of GF3 cultivation, the MC-LR content was reduced by 34.1% and 26.7% at initial 0.1 μg/mL and 0.45 μg/mL concentrations, respectively. The high stress resistance of the GF3 to toxic MC-LR is provided by a 1.5-fold activation of catalase activity and a change in the reduced glutathione content. Additionally, during the MC-LR biotransformation, a MC-LR-GSH conjugate and linearized MC-LR were identified. The linearized MC-LR in the presence of fungi capable of degrading MCs was revealed for the first time. Using Daphnia magna as a bioindicator, it was shown that the MC-LR biotransformation led to the formation of less toxic intermediates. The toxicity of the fungal filtrate is reduced by five times compared to the abiotic control. Our findings enhance the understanding of the role that ascomycete fungi have as potential bioagents for cyanoHABs to control and detoxify water bodies.
Climate Change and Ethics of Geoengineering -- Implications Of Climate Emergency Ethics

Global climate change and intentional climate modification, i.e. geoengineering include various ethical problems which are entangled as a complex ensemble of questions regarding the future of the biosphere. The possibilities of catastrophic effects of climate change which are also called “climate emergency” have led to the emergence of the idea of modifying the atmospheric conditions in the form of geoengineering. The novel issue of weather ethics is a subdivision of climate ethics, and it is interested in ethical and political questions surrounding weather and climate control and modification in a restricted spatio-temporal scale. The objective of geoengineering is to counterbalance the adverse effects of climate change and its diverse corollaries in various ways on a large scale. The claim of this dissertation is that there are ethical justifications to claim that currently large-scale interventions to the climate system are ethically questionable. The justification to pursue geoengineering on the basis of considering its pros and cons, is inadequate. Moral judgement can still be elaborated in cases where decisions have to be made urgently and the selection of desirable choices is severely limited. The changes needed to avoid severe negative impacts of climate change requires commitment to mitigation as well as social changes because technical solutions cannot address the issue of climate change altogether. The quantitative emphasis of consumerism should shift to qualitative focus on the aspiration for simplicity in order to a move towards the objective of the continuation of the existence of humankind and a flourishing, vital biosphere.
Socioecology, acoustic communication and demography of Asian elephants in Sri Lanka

SOCIOECOLOGY, ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION AND DEMOGRAPHY OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS IN SRI LANKA Shermin de Silva (Author) Dorothy L. Cheney (Supervisor) Comparison of behavior across species brings to light the underlying social and ecological factors that have shaped social organization and communication. Elephantids, the only living members of the Proboscidean clade are cognitively sophisticated, long-lived, putatively social mammals. I examine how vocal communication and social organization in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) compare to African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana), as well as basic demographic and conservation issues concerning Asian elephants. The first chapter defines fourteen distinct acoustic signals based on their acoustic features, and describes the contexts in which they occur. Most vocalizations are employed in contexts of movement, and some vocalizations are used primarily during movement or non-aggressive social interactions. This suggests that elephants actively seek out association with particular individuals. The second chapter tests the hypothesis that associations among adult female Asian elephants are governed by resourced availability, and describes the temporal structure and strength of bonds. This study population demonstrates fission-fusion social dynamics in which individuals change companions over short time scales, influenced by rainfall, but maintain stable relationships over long time scales. In the third chapter I test the hypothesis that associations are purely the consequence of the spatial distribution of resources, rather than social preference, using a modeling approach based on the spatiotemporal coordinates of individuals. In all seasons, individuals appear to move in a coordinated manner, supporting the interpretation that observed associations reflect true social preference. At the same time, resource distributions do influence the size of social units, and their movements. In the fourth chapter I review the most recent demographic studies of elephant populations in Asia as well as Africa, and highlight the lack of data for much of Asia. I outline methods based on individual identification that may be used to address this challenge to conservation and management. I apply these methods to offer demographic estimates for the study site, and examine what constitutes good practice, in the fifth chapter. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/213 Graduate Group Biology First Advisor Dorothy L. Cheney Second Advisor Robert M. Seyfarth
Erythemal UV observations at Belsk, Poland, in the period 1976–2008: Data homogenization, climatology, and trends

Measurements of erythemal irradiance have been carried out continuously at Belsk since May 1975. We present a homogenization procedure of the UV time series for the period of 1976–2008. Long-term oscillations discovered in the homogenized data set agree with those extracted from the reconstructed UV data for all-sky and clear-sky conditions. The UV climatology was established and the UV variability was determined. Positive UV trends were found for the period of 1976-2008 in the annual mean (5.6±0.9% per decade), in the seasonal mean for the warm subperiod of the year (April–October, 5.5±1.0% per decade), and in monthly means (∼2–9% per decade). A satisfactory agreement between the trend extracted from the homogenized ground-based data and that found in satellite UV data for Belsk (1979–2008) supports the reliability of satellite trend analyses over wider areas during snowless periods.
Estimating the crust permeability from fluid-injection-induced seismic emission at the KTB site

SUMMARY During the hydraulic-fracturing experiment in the German Continental Deep Drilling Borehole (KTB) in December 1994, microseismic activity was induced. Here we develop a technique for estimating permeability using the spatio-temporal distribution of the fluid-injection-induced seismic emission. The values we have obtained for the KTB experiment (0.25times10-16 to 1.0times10-16 1.0times10-16 m2) are in a very good agreement with the previous hydraulic-type permeability estimates from KTB deep-observatory studies. In addition, our estimates of the hydraulic diffusivity support the previously calculated value for the upper crust, which is of the order of 1 m2 s-1. However, this estimate now relates to the depth range 7.5-9 km.
Effects of westerly wind bursts upon the western equatorial Pacific Ocean, February–April 1991

In February-April 1991, episodes of 2 to 8 m s−1 westerly winds of 3 to 11 days' duration occurred in the western Pacific warm pool. Resulting modifications of the upper ocean in current and hydrology are quantified using data from an equatorial mooring at 165°E and from three cruises within 30 days of one another along 165°E. During westerly wind bursts (WWB) stronger than 4 m s−1, the upper 50 m becomes isothermal to within 0.1°C and sea surface temperature (SST) drops by 0.3–0.4°C between 5°S and 2.5°N. Conversely, SST starts warming and the upper 50 m restratifies in 4–5 days after the end of WWB. In contrast to previous observations, salinity between 0 and 50 m appears almost unaffected by WWB; it freshens by 0.4 practical salinity unit in March within an area of 1°–2° of latitude around the equator but not necessarily in direct response to WWB. As for zonal circulation, surface equatorial flow accelerates eastward 2–3 days after the beginning of westerlies. Then, after less than 2 weeks, eastward and westward jets both develop from 2°N to 2°S in the upper and lower halves of the temperature mixed layer, respectively. Changes in zonal mass transport in this layer were as much as 30 Sv between 2.5°S and 2.5°N from one cruise to the next.
WAQF and Tourism Industry Sustainability: Post-Pandemic COVID-19

This study attempts to address whether waqf fund, social-cultural, or transversal pillars can contribute to tourism industry sustainability after the COVID-19 pandemic for both Malaysia and Indonesia. Questionnaires were distributed online to the employees who work in the tourism industry. The result indicates that the social-cultural pillar should be the focus of Malaysia and Indonesia for the tourism industry's sustainability after the COVID-19 pandemic. The responses obtained reveal that the respondents believed that better local facilities and infrastructure could improve the social-cultural pillar; therefore, it can pull tourists to travel again. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by conforming that the social-cultural pillar is essential for the tourism sector's Sustainability in both countries. This idea benefits the policymakers, the tourism industry itself, and other stakeholders because it provides an improved understanding of the importance of the social-cultural pillar for the Sustainability of the tourism industry. This study offers useful insight into waqf and tourism industry sustainability in the post-pandemic COVID-19 in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Ceramics Before Farming : The Dispersal of Pottery Among Prehistoric Eurasian Hunter-Gatherers

A long-overdue advancement in ceramic studies, this volume sheds new light on the adoption and dispersal of pottery by non-agricultural societies of prehistoric Eurasia. Major contributions from Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia make this a truly international work that brings together different theories and material for the first time. Researchers and scholars studying the origins and dispersal of pottery, the prehistoric peoples or Eurasia, and flow of ancient technologies will all benefit from this book.