Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integral Knowledge Distillation for Multi-Person Pose Estimation

Both accuracy and efficiency are of equal importance to the human pose estimation. Most of the existing methods simply pursue excellent performance, sacrificing massive computing resources and memory. Out of this consideration, we present a novel compact and lightweight framework to train more efficient estimators using knowledge distillation. Three distillation mechanisms are proposed in our method from different perspectives, including logit distillation, feature distillation and structure distillation. Concretely, the logit distillation regards the output of teacher model as soft target to stimulate the student model. The feature distillation distills the high-level features of the teacher model to assist the student. Unlike the above strategies, the structure distillation considers the problem in a global view, aiming at ensuring the student prediction contains quite abundant structure knowledge like the teacher. We empirically demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our methods on two multi-person pose estimation datasets (COCO and MPII). Specifically, our model can achieve competitive performance with the most state-of-the-art methods and consume only $\text{35}\%$ model parameters and GFLOPs of our baseline (SimpleBaseline-ResNet-50) on the COCO dataset.
Transit Signal Priority Controlling Method Considering Non-Transit Traffic Benefits and Coordinated Phase States for Multi-Rings Timing Plan at Isolated Intersections

Transit signal priority (TSP) is a typical strategy used to reduce the delay in public transit and it has been used extensively to improve the transit operations in urban traffic systems. This paper proposes a transit signal priority controlling method considering both the non-transit traffic benefits and the coordinated phase states for multi-ring time plan. The integer linear programming method is used to build the green time extension and red time truncation models. In the proposed model, the optimization object includes two levels: the maximum priority effect for the first level and minimum time deviations for non-transit phases for the second level. Based on this, the semi-ring structure and the backward/forward migration time parameters of coordinated phases are further presented for establishing the constraints. The overall scheme is thoroughly tested and demonstrated in a realistic experimental scenario. Compared with the TSP scheme which takes the coordinated phase as the deadline for adjusting phases, the proposed method can maximize the priority effect by taking full advantage of the migration state of coordinated phases. Moreover, it also reduces the effects to non-transit phases by compensation and traffic-state-based compression mechanisms.
On the relation between turnpike properties and dissipativity for continuous time linear quadratic optimal control problems

The paper is devoted to analyze the connection between turnpike phenomena and strict dissipativity properties for continuous-time finite dimensional linear quadratic optimal control problems. We characterize strict dissipativity properties of the dynamics in terms of the system matrices related to the linear quadratic problem. These characterizations then lead to new necessary conditions for the turnpike properties under consideration, and thus eventually to necessary and sufficient conditions in terms of spectral criteria and matrix inequalities. One of the key novelty of these results is the possibility to encompass the presence of state and input constraints.
PBEE ASSESSMENT OF RC FRAMES WITH TRADITIONAL AND SLIDING-JOINT INFILLS

In reinforced concrete (RC) multi-storey buildings, the important role of the seismic interaction of structural frames with masonry infills has been revealed by several earthquakes and investigated by many authors. Recently, several innovative infill solutions have been proposed to mitigate such interaction, which could result in widespread damage in both the masonry and the RC structure and sometimes jeopardize the building stability and the occupants’ safety. One solution consists in the partitioning of the masonry infill into several sub-panels, relatively sliding along specific joints. This paper investigates the seismic performance assessment of this technological solution in the framework of performance base earthquake engineering. A two-dimensional five-storey RC seismic-resistant frame is selected as case study and the performance is assessed by comparing the responses of the same structure infilled with different solutions, made of sliding joints or traditional masonry, or in the bare configuration. Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDA) is used for the probabilistic determination of fragility curves of the structures. Results show the seismic fragility and reliability of the different investigated structures, especially addressing the probabilities of occurrence of damage at different limit states and quantifying the associated expected annual loss.
Implication of public speaking anxiety on the employability of Omani graduates

The paper examines the implication of public speaking anxiety on the employability of Omani graduates. The study adopted a sequential, mixed research strategy, starting with in-depth interviews of teachers and managers in industry, followed by a structured questionnaire involving 200 students selected randomly from two colleges in Muscat. The statistical approach included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and parametric tests. The study found that public speaking anxiety is widespread among students in higher education institutions in Oman, with a prevalence rate amounting to 55%, much higher compared to the rates reported globally. The main factors involving public speaking anxiety in these education institutes in Oman were attributed to a lack of self-confidence, foreign language anxiety, being unprepared in, or fear of, talking in a foreign language, lack of experience, or forgetfulness/loss of memory. The implication of public speaking anxiety on employability of graduates in Oman is identified and some suggestions made based on the findings.
Plasticity and damage mechanisms in specific multiphased steels with bainitic matrix under various mechanical loading paths : influence of temperature

This PhD work investigates plasticity and damage mechanisms of complex phase steels. The bainitic microstructures of such steels, which feature retained austenite islands, result in these steels exhibiting good formability properties, which are of interest to automotive companies. However, the complexity of these microstructures, which are characterised by a high amount of grain boundaries and a high density of dislocations, influences plasticity and damage mechanisms. In order to estimate the impact of a steel's microstructure on these properties, the investigation of metallurgical features of complex phase steels provided by the company Faurecia is performed. Plasticity mechanisms are then investigated by tension-compression tests to determine the influence of long- and short-range interactions on the motion dislocation. Thereafter, the evolution of damage within microstructures is analysed at different stress triaxialities in order to obtain the volume area fraction and the number and average diameter of voids as functions of plastic strain. Finally, to examine the thermal stability of these parameters (microstructure, plasticity, and damage), experiments are performed at a range of temperatures between 20°C and 600°C.
Absorbed Dose Estimation of 68Ga-EDTMP in Human Organs

1 Abstract — Bone metastases are observed in a wide range of cancers leading to intolerable pain. While early detection can help the physicians in the decision of the type of treatment, various radiopharmaceuticals using phosphonates like 68 Ga-EDTMP have been developed. In this work, due to the importance of absorbed dose, human absorbed dose of this new agent was calculated for the first time based on biodistribution data in Wild-type rats. 68 Ga was obtained from 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generator with radionuclidic purity and radiochemical purity of higher than 99%. The radiolabeled complex was prepared in the optimized conditions. Radiochemical purity of the radiolabeled complex was checked by instant thin layer chromatography (ITLC) method using Whatman No. 2 paper and saline. The results indicated the radiochemical purity of higher than 99%. The radiolabelled complex was injected into the Wild-type rats and its biodistribution was studied up to 120 min. As expected, major accumulation was observed in the bone. Absorbed dose of each human organ was calculated based on biodistribution in the rats using RADAR method. Bone surface and bone marrow with 0.112 and 0.053 mSv/MBq, respectively, received the highest absorbed dose. According to these results, the radiolabeled complex is a suitable and safe option for PET bone imaging.
Synthesis and Surface Modification of TiO2-Based Photocatalysts for the Conversion of CO2

Among all greenhouse gases, CO2 is considered the most potent and the largest contributor to global warming. In this review, photocatalysis is presented as a promising technology to address the current global concern of industrial CO2 emissions. Photocatalysis utilizes a semiconductor material under renewable solar energy to reduce CO2 into an array of high-value fuels including methane, methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid. Herein, the kinetic and thermodynamic principles of CO2 photoreduction are thoroughly discussed and the CO2 reduction mechanism and pathways are described. Methods to enhance the adsorption of CO2 on the surface of semiconductors are also presented. Due to its efficient photoactivity, high stability, low cost, and safety, the semiconductor TiO2 is currently being widely investigated for its photocatalytic ability in reducing CO2 when suitably modified. The recent TiO2 synthesis and modification strategies that may be employed to enhance the efficiency of the CO2 photoreduction process are described. These modification techniques, including metal deposition, metal/non-metal doping, carbon-based material loading, semiconductor heterostructures, and dispersion on high surface area supports, aim to improve the light absorption, charge separation, and active surface of TiO2 in addition to increasing product yield and selectivity.
High resolution temporal bone computerized tomography in paediatric sensorineural hearing loss prior to cochlear implantation

Background: Congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is one of the most common birth defects with incidence of approximately 1:1000 live births. Imaging plays an important role in the work up of cochlear implant candidates not only to identify inner ear congenital and acquired abnormalities or cochlear nerve anomalies but also to detect temporal bone abnormalities or variations that may alter surgical approach. Preoperative evaluation of cochleovestibular anatomy is an important component of the cochlear implant evaluation. The objective of the study was high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) assessment of congenital ear anomalies before cochlear implantation. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the Department of Radio diagnosis and Imaging, GMC, Srinagar. 24 children in the age group of 1 to 12 years with unidentiﬁed causes of bilateral SNHL were subjected to HRCT over a period of 7 months from January to July 2019. Results: Eighteen patients had normal radiological scans and 6 had congenital anomalies. We had one each case of common cavity, bilateral labrynthine aplasia, incomplete partition type 1, Mondini’s deformity with dilated vestibular duct, Internal auditory canal stenosis and bilateral large vestibular aqueduct. Out of 18 patients without congenital anomaly, two had Korner’s septum and giant jugular bulb which were important for operating surgeon. Conclusions: HRCT temporal bone is superior at identifying the bony labyrinth, including enlarged vestibular aqueduct and caliber of internal auditory canal. HRCT temporal bone should be supplemented by magnetic resonance imaging especially for cochlear nerve assessment. It is the initial imaging modality of choice for assessment of congenital SNHL.
Examining the Visual Attention of Pairs of Operators during a Low to High Workload Change

Dynamic and data-rich domains, like those found in the military, primarily rely on multiple operators’ visual attention. Of interest is to understand how shared visual attention impacts performance when workload changes and whether this informs the adaptation process between collaborators. Ten pairs of participants completed a simulated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle control task under two different workload conditions - first under low workload and then under high workload. The best and worst performing pairs were identified and further analyzed by assessing pairs’ percent gaze overlap and strategy when workload changed. The findings showed the best performing pairs not only had higher levels of percent gaze overlap on average, but also increased their percent gaze overlap as workload increased. Additionally, the best performing pairs engaged in the adaptation process with not only their actions, but their overall visual attention allocation strategy. These findings suggest systems and technology in these domains should allow operators to have access to their collaborator’s visual data, in order to provide the opportunity to adapt and dynamically collaborate under different workload conditions.
Investigation on the hydrodynamic damping using prescribed blade motion techniques

Increasing requirements for a high efficiency in a wide operating range of hydraulic turbines lead to turbine designs being more susceptible for periodic and stochastic excitation forces. For periodic excitations like rotor-stator interaction, a large distance to runner natural frequencies is not always possible. And stochastic excitation may cause the runner to respond directly with one of its natural frequencies. Therefore, in both cases, the quantification of damping for runner mode shapes is necessary to predict dynamic stresses and to ensure the required lifetime. The main goal of this paper is to present numerical investigations of the hydrodynamic damping using unsteady CFD analyses with prescribed structural motion. The investigation is carried out on a simple hydrofoil, which is placed in a the cavitation tunnel test section. The natural vibration shape of the hydrofoil is prescribed as a periodic motion with the corresponding frequency. As a prerequisite, natural frequency and mode shape have to include the effects of water environment. Two different approaches (in time and frequency domain) have been applied and compared to 2-way fluid-structure-interaction analysis with respect to accuracy and calculation time. In addition numerical results are validated by comparison with experiments. A good agreement is observed for the applied calculation techniques.
STUDY OF GENDER DIFFERENCE IN CREATIVITY IN RELATION TO
MATHEMATICALLY GIFTED STUDENTS OF HIGHER SECONDARY
SCHOOL

Education holds a prominent place in conditioning and shaping the personality of an individual. The purpose of education is to development of individual for solving various problem of day to day life. Descriptive survey method was used to study the creativity of the mathematically gifted students of higher secondary school. The nal samples after screening on the basis of total CGPA and grade consisted of 54 mathematically gifted students and 68 mathematically non-gifted students with the help of stratied random sampling. Verbal Test of Creative Thinking by Baquer Mehdi and mathematical gifted and non-gifted criterion used to collect data. Results of the study revealed that there is no statistically signicant gender difference exist between Boys and Girls in relation to giftedness in mathematics and in all the variables of verbal creativity.
Application of Bayesian ordinal logistic model for identification of factors to traffic barrier crashes: considering roadway classification

ABSTRACT One of the main objectives of policymakers is to reduce crash severity due to high social impacts and economic loss associated with severe crashes. One of the most efficient ways to achieve this objective is through identification of the contributory factors to severe crashes. Highway traffic barriers have been installed with the objective of protecting motorists who have drifted off the roadway. Although these traffic barriers save many lives, the crash severity for these crashes are disproportionally high. Only traffic barriers crashes were considered in this study to identify the factors for these types of crashes. Moreover, due to the importance of low volume crashes, especially in rural areas like Wyoming, this study investigated the effects of road classification on crash severity as well as how these effects impact the role of the contributory factors. Low volume roads often receive less attention in terms of road safety due to their low crash frequencies. A Bayesian approach was used to fit the models since this approach does not require large sample assumptions, it does not rely on approximations for estimating nonlinear functions of the parameters, and also it provides simpler interpretations for model unknowns. The factors identified by this study included the main effects of day of the week, seasonality, improper restraints as well as the interaction effects of low volume roads with shoulder width, road surface conditions, and lighting conditions. These interaction terms indicated that the effects of these contributory factors change with the traffic volume. Possible causes of the significant main and interaction terms are discussed in the manuscript.
Increased fasting and stimulated c- peptide levels after the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes: a case report

Context: Recently a few studies showing α-cell ability to differentiate into insulin–producing β-cells after prolonged duration of diabetes and reconstruction of new insulin–producing cells in the absence of autoimmunity in mice with completely ablated β-cells were reported. Here, we present a patient with type 1 diabetes and increased fasting and mixed-meal stimulated C-peptide levels 10 years after the diagnosis. Case description: A female patient with type 1 diabetes for 10 years was referred to our endocrinology clinic for hypoglycemia attacks. Her fasting glucose, HbA1C, fasting and mixed-meal stimulated C-peptide levels were measured three years ago and recently. Fasting and mixed-meal stimulated C-peptide levels were found to be increased compared to the levels of three years ago (<0.01 ng/mL vs. 0.06 ng/mL and <0.01 ng/mL vs 0.28 ng/mL respectively). Conclusion: It is possible that β-cell function may increase in type 1 diabetes, a decade after the diagnosis as observed in our patient. Germany). We performed a mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT) to the patient after an overnight fasting of ≥ 12 hours without administering her usual morning insulin treatment. After fasting blood glucose, C-peptide, and HbA1c levels were measured, a mixed meal containing 33 g of carbohydrate, 15 g of protein, and 6 g of fat (240 kcal total) [2] was eaten in less than 10 minutes, and C-peptide level was measured 90 minutes after the mixed-meal. Parameters were confirmed with repetitive measurements. Total daily insulin dose, fasting glucose and HbA1c level of the patient was decreased and her fasting and mixed-meal stimulated C-peptide levels were increased compared to her levels 3 years ago. Her current laboratory parameters and those in 2012 are shown in Table 1. Discussion It is accepted that T1D is a disease with absolute insulin deficiency. However recent studies have shown endogen insulin secretion is still present in some patients with T1D even in patients with long disease duration [2-4]. In these studies, it was not clear whether β-cell function was ongoing since the disease begun, or if it has increased or decreased. To our knowledge this case may be the first case in literature with fasting and mixed-meal stimulated C-peptide levels increased compared to the levels three years ago. Correspondence to: Gonca Incemehmet Tamer, Istanbul Medeniyet University Goztepe Training and Research Hospital, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fahrettin Kerim Gokay Street, Kadikoy, Turkey, Tel: +90 (216) 5709195; Fax: +90 (216) 5709191; E-mail: hgtamer@yahoo.com
Outpatient specialist clinics for pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in the Nordic countries

Pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension are rare conditions that require complex interventions by multidisciplinary teams. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2015 guidelines included recommendations for pulmonary hypertension (PH) referral centers including minimum number of patients, staff, facilities, and network. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the PH-specialist centers in the Nordic countries are presently organized. A descriptive, questionnaire was sent to all PH-specialist centers in the Nordic countries in 2018. Sixteen of 20 PH-specialist centers completed the questionnaire. Seven centers (43%) followed less than 50 patients and three centers (19%) followed 125 patients or more. All had a physician or nurse attending or available at the clinic and eight had support staff such as physiotherapists, counsellors, dieticians, or psychologists directly connected to the center. Twelve centers were available by telephone five days or more per week. Nine centers offered a nurse-led outpatient clinic and of those, six had nurses delegated to make protocol-led changes in pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific treatment. Half of the centers had cooperation with a patient organization. All centers except one used international guidelines to guide care and treatment. More than half of the Nordic PH-specialist centers adhered to the ESC/ERS 2015 guidelines recommendations for volumes and staff in 2018, but there is potential for improvement. However, when formulating recommendations of patient volumes in guidelines, the situation for the geographical large but sparsely populated Nordic countries needs to be considered.
Reduction in Resting Heart Rate Following Chiropractic Adjustment and Exercise: A Case Study

Introduction: Resting heart rate (RHR) is a simple but powerful predictor of autonomic health which can be used on a visit-by-visit basis for an individual patient to conveniently assess his or her neurological progress. This case report provides an example of this approach. The method incorporates outlier analysis for a total of five measurements over a 6 week period that included chiropractic care and exercise. Methods: An adult female patient with elevated RHR received chiropractic care from the author. She also began an exercise program during this time. Approximately six weeks later she experienced a substantial reduction (improvement) in RHR on a follow-up visit. Inter-quartile outlier analysis was applied to determine if the improvement was statistically unusual. The advantage of doing this analysis is that it would give an indication of whether the change occurred by chance alone. This in turn provides a level of clinical certainty regarding progress of the patient. Results: The first two RHR measurements, four days apart were 81.6 beats per minute (BPM) and 81.9 BPM respectively. Follow-up RHR measurements (in BPM) were 79.5, 77.8, and 66.3. This last reading, 66.3 BPM was detected as an extreme outlier. Conclusion: This case study shows how RHR and outlier analysis can be used to determine neurological progress on a given visit for an individual patient. In this case there was such progress following chiropractic care and exercise. Further study with other patients and longer follow-up periods will be a good next step.