Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Data Augmentation-Assisted Makeup-Invariant Face Recognition

Recently, face datasets containing celebrities photos with facial makeup are growing at exponential rates, making their recognition very challenging. Existing face recognition methods rely on feature extraction and reference reranking to improve the performance. However face images with facial makeup carry inherent ambiguity due to artificial colors, shading, contouring, and varying skin tones, making recognition task more difficult. The problem becomes more confound as the makeup alters the bilateral size and symmetry of the certain face components such as eyes and lips affecting the distinctiveness of faces. The ambiguity becomes even worse when different days bring different facial makeup for celebrities owing to the context of interpersonal situations and current societal makeup trends. To cope with these artificial effects, we propose to use a deep convolutional neural network (dCNN) using augmented face dataset to extract discriminative features from face images containing synthetic makeup variations. The augmented dataset containing original face images and those with synthetic make up variations allows dCNN to learn face features in a variety of facial makeup. We also evaluate the role of partial and full makeup in face images to improve the recognition performance. The experimental results on two challenging face datasets show that the proposed approach can compete with the state of the art.
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the zebras are teal tonight: investigating the organizational forms of Generation Z-driven Italian start-ups

PurposeIn light of the new way of interpreting work spearheaded by Generation Z, the objectives of this study are to investigate (1) whether young entrepreneurs identify their start-ups with “zebras” – that is, as a concrete response to the evanescence and fantasy of “unicorns” based on the simultaneous pursuit of profit and social value, mutualism and resilience – and (2) whether they adopt a “teal” organizational configuration – that is, one characterized by evolutionary purpose, self-management and wholeness.Design/methodology/approachThrough a qualitative approach with 41 interviews, this study focuses on start-uppers and companies that are particularly innovative and promising in the Italian context, as selected by Forbes magazine in its ranking of the brightest entrepreneurs, leaders and stars under 30.FindingsThe results suggest that young entrepreneurs recognize the importance of the common themes of the zebra movement and therefore identify their startups with zebras. More specifically, Generation Z entrepreneurs: (1) pursue a dual (economic and social) purpose, (2) are mutualistic and (3) build their organizations with resilience and capital efficiency. In addition, the interviews show that the organizational approach taken follows the paradigm of teal organizations, particularly in terms of evolutionary purpose, distributed leadership and decision-making power, and employee wholeness and empowerment.Originality/valueThis is the first study to analyze the evolutionary trends of animal entrepreneurial “species” led by Generation Z entrepreneurs and organized on the basis of the teal paradigm.
Characterization of LYSO scintillator screen for future diagnostic of PWFA beams

Plasma Wakefield Acceleration is capable of producing high charge bunches with femtosecond pulse duration. Novel diagnostic techniques for the charge spatial distribution of beam bunches are being investigated for the FLASHForward project at DESY. The foreseen diagnostic setup with high spatial resolution is based on coated scintillator screens since they can reflect the laser and be used for the electron beam diagnostics. For this purpose, tests for preliminary characterization and for the evaluation of damage threshold of LYSO-type scintillator screens were performed.
Model Analysis (SWOT) Of Curriculum Development From Civic Education At 21 Century, 4.0 Era In Indonesian

Purpose: Civic Education curriculum from year 1975-2013 are ultimately aims to make citizens say, act, and behave, based on Pancasila or spirit in everyday life that are run from the time school education to become a high school mature and become the pride of the nation bless yourself, family, school, state and nation with the moral soul/good and intelligent character who can advance and competitive in national and international era. Design/methodology/approach: Civic Education solution 21 century 4.0 Indonesian is through a process at body of knowledge of learning and practice of students in the school are monitored and assessed as a form of moral evaluation and student behavior. Opportunities Civic Education still need a lot of development in the scientific body of knowledge. Findings: Civic Education strength is on the Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, values, morals, local knowledge and diversity in cultured. There are weaknesses in the teaching of Civic Education monotonous and more innovative not only focuses on the cognitive, affective and psychomotor while dispensed and not included on the national exam. Research limitations/implications: Threats Civic Education and free sex number of students who make the nation weak morals and act not see the value of Pancasila (say and behave without values). Practical implications: State your implication here Originality/value: This paper is original Paper type: Research paper.
Least-energy path planning and oscillation analysis of robotic manipulator using direct collocation with nonlinear programming

ABSTRACT Direct collocation is a method that converts a two-point boundary-value problem into a nonlinear programming problem by approximating the state variables and controls into parameters. It has been broadly used in studies of space and orbital mechanics yet has been rarely applied in the fields of robotics. This study builds up a mathematical model of a five-linked manipulator arm. Gradually reducing the upper and lower bounds of the five joint actuator outputs, this paper explores the variations in the least-energy cost function and the final time. Special attention has been focused on whether restrictions would ever arouse any un-anticipated oscillation in the joints. The numerical results show some irony. Excessively restricting the upper and lower output bounds of actuators does not actually gain traction in minimizing the cost index. On the contrary, the value of the cost index is increased by 41.77% from 924.87 to 1310.44 for a tunnel case whose radius is 1.5 m. The simulation cautions that unwanted frequency of oscillation begins to surface due to this wishful restricting. This paper demonstrates how Direct Collocation with Nonlinear Programming can be successfully applied to solve robotic path planning problems. It also cautions the users and designers of the manipulator about the unwanted frequency drift so that the users and designers can amend it before the oscillation builds up.
Challenges of Utilization of Emergency Obstetric care as Experienced by Midwives in Selected Secondary Health Facilities in Oyo State, Nigeria: A Qualitative Approach

Background: The use of Emergency obstetric care is essential in reducing maternal mortality, especially in developing countries where maternal mortality is low. There are high unmet needs for Emergency obstetric care. One of the reasons may be due to challenges faced by healthcare workers. Objectives: The objective of the study was to explores the challenges of the utilization of emergency obstetric care as experienced by midwives in selected secondary health facilities in Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: The study utilized a qualitative research design using a self-developed interview guide to elicit responses from twenty-two participants from eleven secondary health facilities. Results: Two themes emerged from the findings of the study which are organizational and Patients factors. Five subthemes were generated from the organizational factors which include non-availability of training on emergency obstetric care, inadequate equipment, staff shortage, non-availability of drugs, and inadequate basic amenities. Three themes emerged from the patients’ factors which include financial constraints, religious belief, and uncooperative attitude. Conclusion: It is therefore recommended that there should be periodic training should be organized on Emergency Obstetric Care, there should be the provision of equipment, and drugs needed for managing obstetrics emergencies on the ward and there should be the recruitment of staff. Modalities should be put in place to educate pregnant women on the need to comply with the use of emergency obstetric care and religious leaders should be educated on Emergency obstetric care and encourage pregnant women to utilize emergency obstetric care when there is a need for it.
Technical-economic evaluation of a portable solar machine of potential use in pumping systems and water purification, through the use of photovoltaic solar technology for non-interconnected areas in Colombia

The purpose of this article is to present the dimensioning of a portable, autonomous solar machine, of potential utility in pumping systems and water purification, through the use of photovoltaic solar technology and innovation to an unsatisfied basic need, such as service drinking water, in areas of the country, where there are inconveniences for access to drinking water and electricity service. The solar machine is innovative, modular, portable, easy to transport and install, sustainable and environmentally friendly, with zero greenhouse gas emissions as it is powered by photovoltaic technology. The solar machine is innovative, modular, portable, easy to transport and install, sustainable and environmentally friendly, with zero greenhouse gas emissions as it is powered by photovoltaic technology and does not use batteries. This portable solar machine substantially reduces the cost of investment, operation and maintenance, by using photovoltaic solar panels and working with direct current, eliminating the use of the conventional electrical power network, inverters, for its operation and can be dimensioned for water. surface water from rivers or reservoirs to the reservoir or pond, the same as for groundwater from wells, for the supply of drinking water, through the improvement, disinfection and sterilization of drinking water, to improve the quality of life of rural communities and secondly measure for use in the agricultural sector, for irrigation, domestic use, livestock (livestock pasture) and other services, for the rural development of the regions in Colombia.
Comparing Inception V3, VGG 16, VGG 19, CNN, and ResNet 50: A Case Study on Early Detection of a Rice Disease

Rice production has faced numerous challenges in recent years, and traditional methods are still being used to detect rice diseases. This research project developed an automated rice blast disease diagnosis technique based on deep learning, image processing, and transfer learning with pre-trained models such as Inception V3, VGG16, VGG19, and ResNet50. The public dataset consists of 2000 images; about 1200 images belong to the leaf blast class, and 800 to the healthy leaf class. The modified connection-skipping ResNet 50 had the highest accuracy of 99.75% with a loss rate of 0.33, while the other models achieved 98.16%, 98.47%, and 98.56%, respectively. Furthermore, ResNet 50 achieved a validation accuracy of 99.69%, precision of 99.50%, F1-score of 99.70, and AUC of 99.83%. In conclusion, the study demonstrated a superior performance and disease prediction using the Gradio web application.
Aerobic Exercise-Mimetic Effects of Resveratrol on the Prevention of Vascular Endothelial Senescence

PURPOSE: Regular exercise has been shown to have anti-aging effects on the vascular system by improving endothelial function and diminishing oxidative stress. However, adherence to an exercise regimen can be difficult for some individuals, particularly those with limited mobility. This study investigated the effects of resveratrol as an exercise mimetic for preventing and improving oxidative stressinduced senescence in vascular endothelial cells.METHODS: Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were used to investigate the reversal effects of laminar shear stress and the protective effects of resveratrol on oxidative stress-induced premature senescence. Senescence was estimated using SA-β-gal staining and western blot analysis, whereas oxidative stress levels were evaluated using MitoSOX staining. Matrigel tube formation and scratch assays were also performed to assess endothelial angiogenic and migration functions.RESULTS: The study showed that laminar shear stress could partly normalize premature endothelial senescence. Resveratrol pretreatment attenuated reactive oxygen species production and prevented senescence in H2O2-induced premature aging. Additionally, resveratrol contributed to maintaining endothelial cells’ angiogenic and migratory functions.CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that laminar shear stress can mitigate the effects of oxidative stress-induced premature senescence. Resveratrol may be a potential substitute for exercise to prevent age-related damage to the endothelium by increasing resistance to oxidative stress and improving endothelial function.
A Contextual Analysis of the “Move Ahead” Curriculum Impact on ESL Student's Learning and Acquisition

: Education is the only component that plays a tangible role in the occurrence of countries and nations renaissance and development. The curriculum represents the main core of educational courses at schools and universities. The design of the curriculum can be nurtured through students’ points of view because they will study it. The objective of the current paper is to provide a contextual analysis of one of the Macmillan Education Curriculums “Move Ahead” which is taught to grade 7 British Department students in one of the United Arab Emirates Schools. The researcher utilized a designed google-form questionnaire to collect data. The study was conducted in Abu Dhabi on ESL school students following Cambridge University Curriculum. The findings showed that most students are interested in the topics offered by the curriculum; however, students depend on their teachers and other resources to compensate for the weaknesses in some skills which require modification and update in the curriculum. Students’ perspectives and notions about the material they are using in their learning can be suggested in designing curriculums for further academic enhancement. The results reflected how students’ participation in criticizing can lead editors to take into consideration that learners’ ages, attitudes, cultures, and perspectives are influential and create comfort during self-created curriculums.
Adaptive Fuzzy Control for Uncertain Strict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems With Full-State Constraints Using Disturbance Observer

Adaptive fuzzy control via disturbance observer (DOB) is proposed for uncertain strict-feedback nonlinear systems with unknown disturbances and full-state constraints. By constructing an integral barrier Lyapunov function, it is ensured that all states in the strict-feedback system will not exceed their preset constraints. Moreover, the fuzzy-logic system is adopted to approximate the uncertainty of nonlinear functions in this system. To efficiently estimate the approximation error and unknown disturbances, this work designs a new DOB and ensures that the estimation error of lumped disturbances converge to a smaller and bounded set. The proposed control based on the Lyapunov criterion ensures that all signals in the nonlinear system are semi-global uniformly and ultimately bounded. Two simulation examples illustrate the efficiency of the proposed control.
Measuring Multinational Production with Foreign Direct Investment Statistics: Recent

In a complex global production landscape, the quest for measures of economic activity by multinational enterprises (MNEs) has become more pressing. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) statistics, which capture financing aspects of MNEs, have often been used as a proxy for multinational production given their wide availability and cross-country comparability, but concerns that multinational production occurs in different countries than where financial positions are recorded call this practice into question. This paper revisits the main objections to the use of FDI as a proxy for multinational production, explores counterarguments
Effects of Finite Surface on Polarization State of Thermal Emission

A comprehensive model for explaining the polarization properties of thermal emission is presented for the case of objects with certain sizes. Using Stokes theory and the superposition principle of a light wave, we analyze the dependence of degree of linear polarization on the spatial geometrical relations including the sizes of objects, the detection distance, and the locations of objects for both metallic and nonmetallic objects, each taken separately.
Water Supersaturation for Early Mars

Evidence of past liquid water flowing on the surface of Mars has been identified since the first orbital mission to the planet. However, reconstructing the climate that would allow liquid water at the surface is still an intense area of research. Previous studies showed that an atmosphere composed only of CO2 and H2O could not sustain surface temperatures above the freezing point of water. Different solutions have been studied, ranging from events like impacts on different atmospheric compositions, or even radiative feedback of water clouds that would create a dramatic greenhouse effect. In this context, we propose to study whether the supersaturation of water could warm the planet. Strong supersaturation is observed in the present‐day Martian atmosphere. On early Mars, supersaturation could enhance the greenhouse effect through strong absorption of the IR flux by water vapor or by modifying water clouds. While 1D modeling suggests a significant impact, our 3D model shows that warming the climate of early Mars requires a high supersaturation ratio, especially in the lower layers of the atmosphere. This configuration seems highly unrealistic since the level of supersaturation is higher than what would be expected in a dense atmosphere.
Sensitivity analysis for the average treatment effect in paired observational studies

A method for conducting a sensitivity analysis for the average treatment effect in a paired observational study is presented. It is shown that, in the limit, the power of a sensitivity analysis for the average treatment effect under a constant treatment effect model using a permutational t-test is at least as large as that when allowing for heterogeneous effects. In small samples, this need not be the case: the power of a sensitivity analysis for the average treatment effect can be larger than that of a permutational t-test. This illustrates that while absent in large samples, the apparent paradox from randomization inference described in Ding (2016) can persist in small samples in a sensitivity analysis. In the critical region of a sensitivity analysis where the allowable strength of unmeasured confounding is small (and thus is least likely to be dismissed as inconceivable by field experts), the discrepancies between inferences from the permutational t-test and for the average treatment effect allowing for heterogeneous effects are quite modest both in the limit and in small and moderate samples.
A BVMF-B algorithm for nonconvex nonlinear regularized decomposition of spectral x-ray projection images

Spectral computed tomography (CT) exploits the measurements obtained by a photon counting detector to reconstruct the chemical composition of an object. In particular, spectral CT has shown a very good ability to image K-edge contrast agent. Spectral CT is an inverse problem that can be addressed solving two subproblems, namely the basis material decomposition (BMD) problem and the tomographic reconstruction problem. In this work, we focus on the BMD problem, which is ill-posed and nonlinear. The BDM problem is classically either linearized, which enables reconstruction based on compressed sensing methods, or nonlinearly solved with no explicit regularization scheme. In a previous communication, we proposed a nonlinear regularized Gauss-Newton (GN) algorithm.1 However, this algorithm can only be applied to convex regularization functionals. In particular, the ℓp (p < 1) norm or the `0 quasi-norm, which are known to provider sparse solutions, cannot be considered. In order to better promote the sparsity of contrast agent images, we propose a nonlinear reconstruction framework that can handle nonconvex regularization terms. In particular, the ℓ1/ℓ2 norm ratio is considered.2 The problem is solved iteratively using the block variable metric forward-backward (BVMF-B) algorithm,3 which can also enforce the positivity of the material images. The proposed method is validated on numerical data simulated in a thorax phantom made of soft tissue, bone and gadolinium, which is scanned with a 90-kV x-ray tube and a 3-bin photon counting detector.
Stochastic volatility models with volatility driven by fractional Brownian motions

In this paper the price of a risky asset that has a stochastic volatility being a function of a fractional Brownian motion is considered. Such models can provide a long range dependence for the volatility. The probability density function for the price at a given time is given explicitly under some natural, verifiable conditions. An option pricing model is also considered with some explicit results.
Comparison of Classical Least Squares and Orthogonal Regression in Measurement Error Models

Article History: Received 01.02. 2018 Received in revised form 12.05. 2018 Accepted 02.06. 2018 Available online 11.06. 2018 The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of measurement errors on the estimation of simple linear regression and compare the performance of the classical least squares (CLS) regression method and orthogonal regression according to the standard deviation of the residuals. For this aim, analyses were performed on three data sets of different size. The first set of data was consisting 10 data for hardness and durability of substances. The second set of data was collected from 157 eighth-grade students’ non-routine problem-solving test scores and mathematics scores on Examination for Transition to Basic Secondary Education. The third set of data was collected from 956 eighth-grade students’ PISA Mathematics Literacy Test scores and Level Determination Examination scores. As a result of comparisons on three data sets, ıt was seen that orthogonal regression gave the smaller standard deviation of residuals than CLS regression method. Depending on these findings, it was determined that orthogonal regression has better performance than CLS regression method in the estimating the linear relationship between two variables. The results of this study can be guiding for making important contributions about measurement error modeling to researchers working in social sciences. © 2018 IOJES. All rights reserved