Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

Rapid detection of 3D objects in indoor environments is essential for indoor mapping and modeling, robotic perception and localization, and building reconstruction. 3D point clouds acquired by a low-cost RGB-D camera have become one of the most commonly used data sources for 3D indoor mapping. However, due to the sparse surface, empty object center, and various scales of point cloud objects, 3D bounding boxes are challenging to be estimated and located accurately. To address this, geometric shape, topological structure, and object relation are commonly employed to extract box reasoning information. In this paper, we describe the geometric feature among object points as an intra-object feature and the relation feature between different objects as an inter-object feature. Based on these two features, we propose an end-to-end point cloud geometric relation network focusing on 3D object detection, which is termed as geometric relation network (GRNet). GRNet first extracts intra-object and inter-object features for each representative point using our proposed backbone network. Then, a centralization module with a scalable loss function is proposed to centralize each representative object point to its center. Next, proposal points are sampled from these shifted points, following a proposal feature pooling operation. Finally, an object-relation learning module is applied to predict bounding box parameters. Such parameters are the additive sum of prediction results from the relation-based inter-object feature and the aggregated intra-object feature. Our model achieves state-of-the-art 3D detection results with 59.1% mAP@0.25 and 39.1% mAP@0.5 on ScanNetV2 dataset, 58.4% mAP@0.25 and 34.9% mAP@0.5 on SUN RGB-D dataset.
Tivozanib for hepatocellular carcinoma: not likely a new option

Medical Oncology, Centre Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France Correspondence to: Florian Estrade. Medical Oncology, Centre Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France. Email: f.estrade@rennes.unicancer. fr. Provenance and Peer Review: This article was commissioned by the editorial office, Annals of Translational Medicine. The article did not undergo external peer review. Comment on: Fountzilas C, Gupta M, Lee S, et al. A multicentre phase 1b/2 study of tivozanib in patients with advanced inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma. Br J Cancer 2020;122:963-70.
Size-segregated Characteristics and Formation Mechanisms of Water-soluble Inorganic Ions during Different Seasons in Heshan of Guangdong, China

ABSTRACT To identify the characteristics, sources, and formation mechanisms of aerosol particles during pollution episodes in the Pearl River Delta, 24 sets of size-segregated samples were collected in Heshan during July 2014 and January 2015 using a 10-stage Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI), and nine ions, viz., Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl–, NO2–, NO3–, and SO42–, were investigated. The Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ were mainly distributed in the coarse particles, and were mainly from soil, dust, and sea salt. The fine-mode K+ during winter was mostly generated by biomass burning. The coarse-mode Cl– originated from sea salt, whereas the fine-mode Cl– resulted from the conversion of NH4Cl to the particle phase. Both the SO42– and the NO3– exhibited unimodal distributions during winter but bimodal ones during summer. The coarse-mode SO42– and NO3– arose from sea salt and heterogeneous reactions, respectively. An increase in the nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) and a decrease in the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) were observed on polluted days, with the highest values occurring in the 0.56–1 µm particle size fraction. The formation of NO3– was chiefly related toµ homogeneous gas-phase reactions during winter and nocturnal heterogeneous reactions involving N2O5 during summer, whereas the formation of SO42– was driven by gas-phase oxidation in the 0.056–0.32 µm size range and aqueous oxidation in the 0.56–3.2 µm range. Additionally, the SOR and the NO2 concentration displayed a positive correlation in the 0.056–1.8 µm particle size fraction, indicating that the potential formation of SO42– via aqueous reactions was accelerated by NO2.
Ensemble Clustering based Semi-supervised Learning for Revenue Accounting Workflow Management

We present a semi-supervised ensemble clustering framework for identifying relevant multi-level clusters, regarding application objectives, in large datasets and mapping them to application classes for predicting the class of new instances. This framework extends the MultiCons closed sets based multiple consensus clustering approach but can easily be adapted to other ensemble clustering approaches. It was developed to optimize the Amadeus S.A. S revenue accounting workflow management. Revenue accounting in travel industry is a complex task when travels include several transportations, with associated services, performed by distinct operators and on geographical areas with different taxes and currencies for example. Preliminary results show the relevance of the proposed approach for the automation of workflow anomaly corrections.
Intracellular NH4 and NO5 pools associated with deposited phytoplankton in a marine sediment (Aarhus Bight, Denmark)

Concentration profiles of NH. , and NO? in pore water and particulate matter were determined at high spatial resolution (mm bcale) in surface sediment from a coastal bay area (Aarhus Bight, Denmark) at 15 m depth during an annual cycle. Pore water pools of NH: and NO; were always considerably lower than particulate pools in the surface sediment. Particulate NH: and NO; were apparently intracellular pools in deposited microalgae and were extracted after freezing sedlment samples in liquid NZ (-196 "C). Pore water NH: and most of the adsorbed (KCI-extractable) NH: were also extracted by the freezing technique, and an estimate of the intracellular NH: pool was obtained by difference. In the absence of an adsorbed NOS pool, intracellular NO? was determined by subtraction of the pore water pool from the liquid NZ-extractable pool. Highest concentrations of intracellular NH: and NO; were always observed in the upper 2 mm of sediment, declining sharply with depth. A distinct seasonal maximum for both pools, ca 200 nmol cm-3 at 0 to 2 mm depth, appeared after sedimentation of a phytoplankton bloom in early spring, and should be compared to a minimum of only 25 nmol or less in fall and winter. The freeze-extraction technique is proposed for a reliable estimate of intracellular NH: and NO; pools in surface sediments r ~ c h In microalgae, and may thus be used as an indicator of sedimentation of phytoplankton blooms. The signiflcance of intracellular pools for sediment nitrogen cycling is discussed.
The Origin and Diversification of Language

In this volume scientists from disciplines as diverse as primatology, archaeology, neurobiology and linguistics present evidence on the origin, spread and diversification of language. The ability of human beings to communicate practical and symbolic information of complexity to one another is a hallmark of our species. However, the beginnings of language did not leave direct traces in the fossil record and has therefore necessitated the use of indirect evidence.
A New Method to Construct a Horizontal Resolution‐Dependent Wind Speed Adjustment Factor for Tropical Cyclones in Global Climate Model Simulations

A new method to construct a horizontal resolution‐dependent wind speed adjustment factor for evaluating tropical cyclones (TCs) in global climate models (GCMs) is presented. In contrast to the previous studies that used idealized axisymmetric wind fields, this study analyzes 48 hr of 10‐s surface wind fields from 1‐km TC simulations. The adjustment factor is derived from filtering the simulated TC wind fields onto various horizontal grid spacings typical of those used in GCMs. The new adjustment factor leads to TCs with greater intensity than the existing adjustment factors for horizontal grid spacings smaller than 30 km. This difference is attributed to more realistic wind fields in the TC simulations that contain highly asymmetric, localized patches of higher wind speeds instead of axisymmetric wind fields. Applying the new adjustment factor to select GCM simulations suggests the common interpretation of low‐intensity bias in GCM‐simulated TCs might be slightly exaggerated.
Text based Sentiment Analysis using LSTM

— Analyzing the big textual information manually is tougher and time-consuming. Sentiment analysis is a automated process that uses computing (AI) to spot positive and negative opinions from the text. Sentiment analysis is widely used for getting insights from social media comments, survey responses, and merchandise reviews to create data-driven decisions. Sentiment analysis systems are accustomed to add up to the unstructured text by automating business processes and saving hours of manual processing. In recent years, Deep Learning (DL) has garnered increasing attention within the industry and academic world for its high performance in various domains. Today, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) are the foremost popular types of DL architectures used. We do sentiment analysis on text reviews by using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). Recently, thanks to their ability to handle large amounts of knowledge, neural networks have achieved a good success on sentiment classification. Especially long STM networks.
Host preference and host limitation of vascular epiphytes in a tropical dry forest of central Mexico

Abstract: It has been suggested that vascular epiphyte composition and abundance may be influenced by forest host composition. We studied the epiphyte species distribution among host species of a tropical dry forest in Mexico. All the epiphyte stands supported by woody plants (dbh > 3 cm) of ten forest plots (0.1 ha each) were counted. We measured the dbh of all the hosts, noted their bark characteristics (texture and peeling behaviour), and measured the bark thickness of the most abundant host species. Epiphyte distribution was biased toward a high concentration of epiphytes in three host species and a lower abundance of epiphytes on five host species. This was consistent among epiphyte taxa and host species, allowing us to classify hosts as preferred (with more epiphyte stands than expected by chance) and limiting species (with fewer epiphyte stands than expected by chance), at a community level. Host quality did not relate to mean phorophyte size (measured as basal area) or to bark characteristics (peeling behaviour, thickness and texture) between species. For some epiphyte taxa, the observed distribution indicated that the forest contained preferred and limiting host species mainly. Our data suggest that the epiphyte species in the forest studied could be host limited. We concluded that neither host size nor obvious bark characteristics can be used to predict epiphyte distribution and that further research is necessary.
Effects of scale on interpreting life‐history characteristics of ungulates and carnivores

Many life‐history characteristics of large mammals are scale sensitive. We provide examples where varying temporal and spatial scales can affect interpretation of data concerning life‐history characteristics in large herbivores and carnivores and offer recommendations for selecting the most appropriate sampling scale or scales. We also document that some animals make decisions concerning their spatial distribution at scales well beyond the size of the home range. Conversely, other decisions involving sexual segregation of sexes, or where to give birth, may be made at scales below the level of the habitat patch. Such differences in behaviour affect our understanding of habitat selection in large herbivores, and interpreting tradeoffs between acquiring essential resources and avoiding predators. Moreover, some landscape attributes may be selected at one scale, whereas other characteristics of the environment may be selected at another. We argue that even sophisticated models for explaining the ecology and behaviour of mammals benefit from framing specific hypotheses that are related to the to the life‐history characteristics of those animals. We also believe that the failure to consider and select the most appropriate scale, or suite of scales, may lead to the mismanagement of critical natural resources. We forge relationships among scale, life‐history characteristics of mammals, and biodiversity. Finally, we synthesize the literature on scale for large mammals and make recommendations for future research.
Skeletal biology and individual life history of Gombe chimpanzees

Skeletons of Gombe chimpanzees representing both sexes and ages from infancy to old age are examined in detail by a variety of techniques. The combination of biological and lifetime behavioural data presents an integrated view of individuals which make up a local population. These skeletons reflect species-patterned growth, development and ageing. Furthermore, individual variation is related to lifetime experiences: for example, the impact of nutrition, injury and disease on survival and reproduction in the physical and psychosocial environments. Size, shape and internal structure of bones and teeth record life-history features associated with both primary and secondary life-history characters. These case studies emphasize the role of the individual in the evolutionary process.
Resource selection by grazing herbivores on post-fire regrowth in a West African woodland savanna

The preference of grazing herbivores to feed on grass regrowth following savanna fires rather than on unburnt grass swards is widely recognised. However, there is little information on which factors govern patterns of resource selection within burnt areas. In this study, we attempted to disentangle the effects of different habitat and grass sward characteristics on the utilisation of post-fire regrowth by nine species of ungulates in a fire-dominated woodland savanna in north Cameroon. We used resource-selection functions based on logistic regression. Overall, the resource-selection functions identified the time elapsed since burning as the most influential parameter in determining probability of use by ungulates, as most species strongly selected swards that were recently burned. This pattern might be related to nutrient levels in the grass sward. In addition, most species selected areas with high grass cover and avoided grass swards with high amounts of dead stem material. This is likely to increase bite mass and, hence, intake rates. The avoidance of high tree cover by some species may suggest selection for open areas with good visibility and, hence, reduced risk of predation. Body mass seemed to have no effect on differential selection of post-fire regrowth, irrespective of feeding style.
Estimating the Rate of Phenotypic Evolution from Comparative Data

This study presents a method to estimate rates of evolutionary change in continuous characters from comparative data. The technique is similar to those introduced previously in which between-species divergence is estimated as a function of time since divergence but also takes into account the possible statistical nonindependence of trait values measured from phylogenetically related species in an approach similar to the independent contrasts methods used in interspecific data analysis. The use of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes is also proposed to extend the standard Brownian motion model of evolutionary change and to allow for tests of neutral evolution versus evolution under stabilizing selection. Applications of the method to test specific hypotheses of phenotypic evolution (including the adequacy of Brownian motion to describe real data), to compare rates of change of different types of characters or different groups of organisms, and to estimate branch lengths in units of expected variance of change as required by most comparative-method data analysis techniques are discussed.
FedLoc: Federated Learning Framework for Data-Driven Cooperative Localization and Location Data Processing

In this overview paper, data-driven learning model-based cooperative localization and location data processing are considered, in line with the emerging machine learning and big data methods. We first review (1) state-of-the-art algorithms in the context of federated learning, (2) two widely used learning models, namely the deep neural network model and the Gaussian process model, and (3) various distributed model hyper-parameter optimization schemes. Then, we demonstrate various practical use cases that are summarized from a mixture of standard, newly published, and unpublished works, which cover a broad range of location services, including collaborative static localization/fingerprinting, indoor target tracking, outdoor navigation using low-sampling GPS, and spatio-temporal wireless traffic data modeling and prediction. Experimental results show that near centralized data fitting- and prediction performance can be achieved by a set of collaborative mobile users running distributed algorithms. All the surveyed use cases fall under our newly proposed Federated Localization (FedLoc) framework, which targets on collaboratively building accurate location services without sacrificing user privacy, in particular, sensitive information related to their geographical trajectories. Future research directions are also discussed at the end of this paper.
Study on Graphene Oxide-Modified Polyacrylonitrile Hollow Fiber Membrane

Abstract In this paper, a multilayer diazo resin-graphene oxide/polyacrylonitrile composite membrane was prepared by layer-by-layer self-assembly and UV-induced modification of commercial polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hollow fiber membranes grafted with diazo resin (DR) and graphene oxide (GO). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy, contact angle, thermogravimetric analysis (TG), water flux and adsorption properties of heavy metals were studied. The results showed that diazo resin (DR) and graphene oxide (GO) were successfully grafted onto PAN membranes by layer-by-layer self-assembly. Carbonyl and carboxyl groups appeared on the surface of the modified PAN membranes; layer-by-layer self-assembly modification did not destroy the original morphology of PAN membranes, resulting in smaller pore size and higher surface roughness; hydrophilicity of the modified PAN-(DR-GO)3 membranes. The contact angle of pure water decreases from 87.8 degrees to 55.5 degrees, and the water flux increases from 733.30 g.m−1.h−1 to 1250.48 g.m−1.h−1. The thermo gravimetric curves of PAN films before and after modification did not change significantly, and the PAN films before and after modification had good thermal stability. The modified PAN membrane can achieve adsorption equilibrium in a relatively short time, and has good adsorption performance for heavy copper ions, with the adsorption rate as high as 92%.
Design of a Real-Time Gas-Exchange Measurement System for Crop Stands in Environmental Scenarios

In contrast to conducting measurements on single plants, canopy gas exchange monitored continuously and for large batches of plants can give high-value data for crop physiological models. To this end, a system including eight airtight greenhouse cabins with a ground area of 28.8 m2 and a volume of 107.8 m3 each was designed for measuring the CO2 and H2O gas exchange of crop stands following the general principle of semi-open chambers. The measuring facility consists of a set of mass flow meters allowing air exchange rates between 0.5 h−1 and 19 h−1 (i.e., m3 gas per m3 greenhouse air per hour) and CO2 supply rates up to 4 L min−1 (i.e., ca. 14.9 g m−2 greenhouse h−1) and sensors for measuring the concentrations of CO2 and H2O. There are four separated belowground troughs per cabin for the root environment that can be operated as individual gas exchange chambers measuring the belowground gas exchange for example root zone respiration. This paper outlines a demonstration of the possibilities and constraints for measuring crop gas exchange in combination with crop model validation for larger crop stands under various conditions and discusses them along with examples.
High prevalence of blood parasites in social birds from a neotropical savanna in Brazil

Abstract Blood parasites play a fundamental role in the ecology and evolution of passerine birds because they are able to affect the fitness and survival of their hosts. The prevalence of avian malarial parasites among host species can vary from 0 to 100% but the ecological and evolutionary reasons for this variation are not clear. In this study we tested if height or type of nest, body mass or social system, which we believe are variables associated with exposure of hosts to vectors, could explain the variation in the prevalence of blood parasites in a bird community from the Cerrado biome of central Brazil. We found a significant positive correlation between nest-height and prevalence of Haemoproteus, which is consistent with the hypothesis linking prevalence of blood parasites with nesting stratum in North American birds. We also found evidence for increased levels of parasitism by Haemoproteus in neotropical birds that live in groups and breed cooperatively and increased levels of parasitism by Plasmodium in species that nest in cavities or closed cups. We suggest that reproductive and behavioural parameters of hosts may be responsible for their differential exposure to vectors and that these parameters may therefore be able to indicate interspecific variation in the prevalence of blood parasites in other bird communities.
Effectiveness and Trade-Offs Associated with Hydraulic Egg Collections from Natural Salmon and Steelhead Redds for Conservation Hatchery Programs

Abstract Maintaining a large genetically effective number of breeders (Nb ) in supplemented salmon populations is considered vital to their long-term sustainability, yet may be difficult to consistently achieve in practice, especially in conservation hatchery programs that require small numbers of eggs for captive rearing. We evaluated efforts to hydraulically collect eggs from naturally produced redds, as implemented by conservation hatchery programs for Endangered Species Act listed populations of Snake River Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and Hood Canal steelhead O. mykiss; we then compared the estimated Nb represented in the hydraulically collected captive populations with the Nb obtained by the more conventional approach (i.e., adult collection and artificial spawning). Egg collection goals in the steelhead and Chinook salmon conservation hatchery programs were met in most cases and were never exceeded. The embryo viability and egg-to-fry survival consistently exceeded 90% and were no less t.
Detecting changes in epiphytic lichen communities at sites affected by atmospheric ammonia from agricultural sources

Lichens were recorded on Quercus petraea trunks and twigs near ammonia recording stations in ‘continental’ Norfolk, and ‘oceanic’ Devon in order to test indicator values developed for epiphytic lichens in areas of high atmospheric ammonia in the Netherlands. Lichens on trunks in Norfolk showed a similar correlation of nitrophyte indices with ammonia concentration and bark pH as those in Holland, whereas in Devon there was no correlation with nitrophyte indices on trunks and a negative correlation with acidophyte indices. Results on twigs in both sites suggest that lichens on twigs respond more rapidly to recent changes in ammonia concentrations while trunks may maintain relict lichen communities due to either a legacy of previous acidification or ecological continuity. The results suggest that loss of acidophytes is taking place prior to the establishment of nitrophytes indicating the importance of establishing levels of ammonia at which sensitive communities are at risk.