Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interferometric SAR observations of water level changes: Potential targets for future repeat-pass AIRSAR missions

Wetlands cover up to 6% of the earth’s land surface and include hydrologic, biogeochemical flux and sediment transport processes that are key for understanding ecological and climatic changes. Measurements of water levels and changes are among the most fundamental observations that can be made throughout a wetland. Yet, surprisingly, almost no stage recording devices are located on any of the world’s large, lowland floodplains. Instead, discharge is measured only in the main channels where flow is confined, unlike floodplains, where flow is not confined. The vast, inaccessible location of large wetlands such as the Amazon and Congo floodplains, require non-contact, remote methods of measuring floodplain water storage and related changes. My colleagues and I have recently discovered that interferometric processing of SAR data collected over inundated vegetation provides cm-scale changes in water levels across the Amazon floodplain. These results have been spatially integrated with a flow network, extracted from SAR imagery, to show that flow path distance is a controlling factor on water level changes, hence on storage. Although interferometric SAR methods of measuring topographic changes related to earthquakes, volcanic activity, and glacial flows are well established, measuring water level changes is still under development. A number questions remain regarding the SAR and geomorphic parameters necessary for acquisitions of water level changes over flooded vegetation. Perhaps the most important question is “what are the relationships between radar frequency, interferometric coherence, and vegetation type that yield the most useful measurement of water level change? ” Given that airborne platforms offer a greater scheduling flexibility than spaceborne platforms, AirSAR and others like it, present a great opportunity to explore the utility of expanding interferometric methods of measuring water level changes in flooded vegetation. Results would be extremely important for hydrologic and ecological investigations of wetland environments.
Rainfall Variability across the Agro-Climatic Zones of a Tropical Highland: The Case of the Jema Watershed, Northwestern Ethiopia

The objective of the study was to analyze the variability of various climate indicators across the agro-climatic zones (ACZs) of the Jema watershed. The variability was analyzed considering mean annual rainfall (MARF, mm), mean daily minimum temperature (MDMinT, °C), and mean daily maximum temperature (MDMaxT, °C). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to test whether group mean differences exist in the values of the indicated climatic indicators among the ACZs of the watershed. The coefficient of variation was computed to analyze the degree of climate variability among the ACZs. Rainfall and temperature data sets from 1983 to 2017 were obtained from nearby meteorological stations. The effect of climate variability in the farming system was assessed with reference to local farmers’ experience. Ultimately, the values of the stated indicators of exposure to climate variability were indexed (standardized) in order to run arithmetic functions. The MARF decreases towards sub-alpine ACZs. Based on the result of the ANOVA, the two-tailed p-value (≤ 0.04) was less than 0.05; that is, there was a significant variation in MARF, MDMaxT (°C), and MDMinT (°C) among the ACZs. The coefficient of variation showed the presence of variations of 0.18–0.88 for MARF, 0.18 to 0.85 for MDMaxT, and 0.02–0.95 for MDMinT across the ACZs. In all of the indicators of exposure to climate variability, the lowest and highest indexed values of coefficient of variation were observed in the moist–cool and sub-alpine ACZs, respectively. Overall, the aggregate indexed values of exposure to various climate indicators ranged from 0.13–0.89 across the ACZs. The level of exposure to climate variability increased when moving from moist–cool to sub-alpine ACZs. The overall crop diversity declined across the ACZs of the watershed. Nevertheless, mainly because of the rise in temperature, the climate became suitable for cultivating maize and tef even at higher elevations. In order to adapt to the inter-annual variability of the rainy season, the process of adapting early-maturing crops and the use of improved seeds needs to be enhanced in the watershed, especially in the higher-elevation zones. It is also essential to revise traditional crop calendars and crop zones across the ACSz.
Technology for Indoor Drone Positioning Based on CNN Detector

The article presents the drone positioning technology in a multi-camera system by using the detection algorithm. Paper describes positioning system and algorithm for calculating 3d drone coordinates based on its image position, detected on images of stationary video cameras. Positioning enables automatically control the drone when precise data from satellite navigation systems are not available, for example, in closed hangars. The developed technology is used to create a complex of automatic visual control of aircraft. The ways of adaptation of neural network detection algorithm to the problem of drone detection are presented. The main attention is paid to the methods of training data preparation. It is shown that high accuracy can be achieved using synthesized images without any real data or manual labelling.
NEURAL SENSITIVITY TO CHANGES IN NATURALLY PRODUCED SPEECH SOUNDS: A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT STIMULI PRESENTATION PARADIGMS

Previous studies show that neural sensitivity to variability in synthetic speech, measured as change detection with the mismatch negativity (MMN), is similar across stimuli presentation paradigms that vary in duration and in how the speech memory trace is constructed. Since listeners perceive naturallyproduced and computer-synthesized speech differently, likely due to the complex characteristics of natural speech that are not captured synthetically, results may not apply to natural speech. We examined neural sensitivity to naturally produced Dutch vowels varying in speaker, sex, accent, and vowel category, and compared canonical hour-long MMN paradigms with a novel paradigms lasting 15 minutes. Results showed that MMN amplitudes across paradigms were virtually identical, indicating that shorter, more efficient MMN paradigms can be successfully adopted to examine natural speech perception. This result has implications for investigating populations (e.g., children and clinical populations) where task duration is an important factor.
Physical and biological aspects of modern radiation therapy planning

Over the last 20 years radiation oncology has been exposed to exciting biological and technical developments that have a potential to significantly improve the outcomes of cancer treatment. These developments present new opportunities but also create new challenges for the practitioners of radiation oncology. New tools, methods and techniques are required to fully utilize these developments to create, evaluate and optimize the process of radiation treatment. Here a number of tools for planning modern radiation therapy are presented and discussed. In particular, the need for biological considerations in the treatment planning process is emphasized and a concept of Equivalent Uniform Dose (EUD) based on modeling of cell survival and tissue architecture is described. Examples of IMRT dose distributions for a head and neck cancer developed using purely dosimetric (that is, dose and dose-volume) considerations and using EUD-based considerations are shown. Nowoczesna radioterapia - wp∏yw osiagni´c w dziedzinie fizyki i biologii na planowanie leczenia W ciagu ostatnich 20 lat radioterapia onkologiczna uleg∏a znacznemu rozwojowi dziki fascynujacym osiagniciom, tak w dziedzinie biologii, jak i w zakresie rozwiazaƒ technicznych. Zmiany te moga znaczaco przyczynic sido poprawy wynikow leczenia chorob nowotworowych. Niemniej wszelkie zmiany nie tylko stwarzaja nowe mo˝liwoEci, ale stanowia same w sobie wyzwanie. Aby w pe∏ni wykorzystac nowoEci, potrzebny jest udoskonalony sprzt, nowe metody i techniki postpowania - tylko wtedy bdzie mo˝na utworzyc, ocenic i zoptymalizowac nowe formy radioterapii. W pracy przedstawiono i omowiono nowe mo˝liwoEci w zakresie planowania leczenia, a w szczegolnoEci potrzebuwzgldnienia uwarunkowaƒ biologicznych w proce- sie planowania leczenia. Omowiono rownie˝ ideJednolitej Dawki Ekwiwalentnej (Equivalent Uniform Dose - EUD), ktora powsta∏a w oparciu o modelowanie prze˝ycia komorek i struktur tkankowych. Przedstawiono rownie˝ przyk∏ady dystry- bucji dawek przy zastosowaniu metody modulowania dawki (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy - IMRT) w leczeniu no- wotworow g∏owy i szyi, ktora powsta∏a w oparciu o uwarunkowania wy∏acznie dozymetryczne (dawka i dawka/objtoEc), z uwzgldnieniem Jednolitych Dawek Ekwiwalentnych (EUD).
Innate Immunity and Alcohol

The innate immunity has evolved during millions of years, and thus, equivalent or comparable components are found in most vertebrates, invertebrates, and even plants. It constitutes the first line of defense against molecules, which are either pathogen-derived or a danger signal themselves, and not seldom both. These molecular patterns are comprised of highly conserved structures, a common trait in innate immunity, and constitute very potent triggers for inflammation mediated via extracellular or intracellular pattern recognition receptors. Human culture is often interweaved with the consumption of alcohol, in both drinking habits, its acute or chronical misuse. Apart from behavioral effects as often observed in intoxicated individuals, alcohol consumption also leads to immunological modulation on the humoral and cellular levels. In the last 20 years, major advances in this field of research have been made in clinical studies, as well as in vitro and in vivo research. As every physician will experience intoxicated patients, it is important to be aware of the changes that this cohort undergoes. This review will provide a summary of the current knowledge on the influence of alcohol consumption on certain factors of innate immunity after a hit, followed by the current studies that display the effect of alcohol with a description of the model, the mode of alcohol administration, as well as its dose. This will provide a way for the reader to evaluate the findings presented.
PARKINSONIA ACULEATA SUPPRESSES INFLAMMATION AND CARTILAGE DESTRUCTION IN COLLAGEN-INDUCED ARTHRITIC RAT.

Parkinsonia aculeata (P. aculeata) has multiple applications in Indian traditional medicine because of its antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antimicrobial activities and has long been known to have antiinflammatory effects. However, no study on the anti-arthritic activity of Parkinsonia aculeata has been reported in vivo. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with chronic inflammation characterized by hyperplasia of synovial cells in affected joints, which ultimately leads to the destruction of cartilage and bone. We investigated therapeutic efficacy of Parkinsonia aculeata in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) using collageninduced arthritis (CIA) animal model. Arthritis was induced in wistar rats by immunization with bovine type II collagen. CIA rats were treated daily with oral administration of different doses of Methanolic extract of P. aculeata (MPA) beginning on the day after the onset of arthritis (day 21 st , the therapeutic treatment) until day 45. The results showed that treatment with MPA markedly reduced paw swelling and arthritic index even in the established CIA. Radiologic and histopathologic changes in the arthritic joints were also significantly reduced in the MPA-treated versus vehicle-treated rats. Moreover, Rheumatoid factor was significantly reduced in MPA treated group in compared to disease control group. Hence, our studies demonstrate safety, and effectiveness of P. aculeata as an anti-arthritic agent, which makes P. aculeata a strong candidate for further research on rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Awareness Of HIV / AIDS Among Hospital Workers

Objective: To determine the knowledge of a) HIV /AIDS among workers in a teaching Hospital, b) risk of HIV infection among hospital workers and c) precautionary measures against HIV infection in the hospital setting. Methods: 159 randomly selected workers of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi Nigeria were interviewed using an open –ended questionnaire on aetiology, pathogenesis, prevention, spread and risk of occupational transmission of HIV infection. Data analysis was done with EPI- INFO 2000. The chi – square test was used for statistical analysis and the 0.05 level of significance was adopted Result: There were 68 males and 91 females aged between 20 and 60 years drawn from 10 departments, Administration, Security, Domestic services, Nursing services, Laboratory, Laundry, Tailoring ,Pharmacy Mortuary and Works . Their level of education varied from no formal education to above senior school certificate. Respondents exhibited a fair understanding of HIV/AIDS. Awareness was more in workers below 40 years and those with higher education. There was no significant gender difference in knowledge. Certain misconceptions were noted. There was knowledge deficit in etiopathogenesis of HIV infection and of exposure to and prevention of infection in the health care worker. Nurses, pharmacists and laboratory technologists showed superior knowledge of HIV /AIDS than others. Conclusion: There is a need for health education lectures for all cadres of health care workers so as to reduce occupational transmission of HIV infection KEY WORDS: Awareness, Hospital workers, HIV AIDS Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol.6(2) 2003: 102-106
Assessment of Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Perceived Barriers to Expressed Pressure Ulcer Prevention Practice in Addis Ababa Government Hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2015

Background. Although pressure ulcer development is now generally considered as an indicator for quality of nursing care, questions and concerns about situations in which they are unavoidable remain. Awareness about the significance of the problem, positive attitude towards prevention, and an adequate level of knowledge are cornerstones to effectively prevent pressure ulcers. Objective. To assess nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers to expressed pressure ulcer prevention practice in Addis Ababa government hospitals. Methods and Materials. This is a cross-sectional study by design. A total of 217 eligible nurses participated in the study and data were collected through pretested self-administered questionnaire. Results. When queried, 61.2% of the respondents had adequate knowledge on pressure ulcer prevention practices, while 68.4% had favorable attitudes towards prevention practices. Moreover, 67.3% of participants had good pressure ulcer prevention practices. Conclusion and Recommendation. More than half of the nurses were found to have adequate knowledge about pressure ulcer prevention and their attitude towards it was overall favorable. Expressed pressure ulcer prevention practice was affected by the participant’s level of knowledge, attitude, and barriers of care. To provide effective prevention of pressure ulcer, nurses’ level of knowledge and attitude should be enhanced besides resolving these barriers.
When the whole is more than the sum of its parts: Motivation gains in the wild

Whereas negative effects of groups on individual motivation have been reported for many years, recent research has begun to show when and why working in a group can produce motivation gains compared to individual work. So far, this evidence has been limited to laboratory settings and rather simple tasks. Using data from swimming competitions at the 2008 Olympics, evidence is presented that motivation gains in groups also occur in field settings with more complex tasks.
Shear lag analysis of a novel short fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite

A novel short fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite (SFFRC) in which the aligned short carbon fiber reinforcements are coated with radially aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is considered in this study. A threephase shear lag model considering radial and axial deformations of the different constituent phases of the SFFRC has been developed to analyze the stress transfer mechanisms of the SFFRC. Traditionally, the shear lag models have been developed with an application of the axial load only on the representative volume element (RVE) of the composite in an attempt for analyzing the stress transfer between the fiber and the matrix. The three-phase shear lag model derived in this study analyzes the stress transfer to the short carbon fiber considering the application of the axial as well as the radial loads on the RVE of the SFFRC. It is found that if the carbon fiber is coated with radially aligned CNTs, then the axial load transferred to the fiber is significantly reduced due to the radial stiffening of the polymer matrix by CNTs. When compared with the results without CNTs, it is found that almost ∼20 and ∼29 % reductions in the maximum axial stress in the carbon fiber and the interfacial shear stress along its length occur, respectively, if the value of the applied radial load is twice of the applied axial load and the value of the CNT volume fraction is 0.0236 in the SFFRC. Effects of the variation of the carbon fiber aspect ratio, the carbon fiber volume fraction, and the application of the radial load on the load transfer characteristics of the SFFRC are also investigated.
Etude clinique du mois. L'etude DREAM: prevention du diabete de type 2 par le ramipiril et/ou la rosiglitazone chez les personnes dysglycemiques sans maladie cardio-vasculaire.

Au vu de l’augmentation de la prévalence du diabète de type 2 et des nombreuses complications associées, la prévention de cette maladie est devenue un objectif prioritaire de santé publique (1). Il est admis que les mesures hygiéno-diététiques doivent être recommandées en priorité chez tous les individus à risque (2). Le recours aux médicaments doit être réservé aux sujets à risque particulièrement élevé ne répondant pas suffisamment aux recommandations de changement de style de vie (1). Outre les effets positifs rapportés avec la metformine (3) et l’acarbose (4), deux grandes classes pharmacologiques, qui suscitent un intérêt majeur pour la protection du diabète de type 2, à savoir les thiazolidinediones (5) et les inhibiteurs du système rénine-angiotensine (6, 7). Cependant, les résultats positifs publiés avec les thiazolidinediones concernent uniquement la troglitazone (8, 9), une glitazone retirée du marché pour hépatotoxicité. Par ailleurs, les données concernant les inhibiteurs de l’enzyme de conversion de l’angiotensine (ACE) ou les antagonistes des récepteurs AT1 de l’angiotensine ont été récoltées dans des essais cliniques conçus pour démontrer une réduction des événements cardiovasculaires et non une diminution de l’incidence du diabète (10). Les participants à ces essais étaient des sujets avec hypertension artérielle, décompensation cardiaque et/ou insuffisance coronarienne, et la prévalence de diminution de tolérance au glucose (voire même de diabète) à l’entrée dans les essais, n’était pas connue. (1) Professeur ordinaire, Université de Liège, Chef de Service, Service de Diabétologie, Nutrit ion et Maladies métabol iques et Service de Médecine interne générale, CHU Sart Tilman, Liège. ETUDE CLINIQUE DU MOIS L’étude DREAM : prévention du diabète de type 2 par le ramipiril et/ou la rosiglitazone chez les personnes dysglycémiques sans maladie cardio-vasculaire
Machine Comprehension Improves Domain-Specific Japanese Predicate-Argument Structure Analysis

To improve the accuracy of predicate-argument structure (PAS) analysis, large-scale training data and knowledge for PAS analysis are indispensable. We focus on a specific domain, specifically Japanese blogs on driving, and construct two wide-coverage datasets as a form of QA using crowdsourcing: a PAS-QA dataset and a reading comprehension QA (RC-QA) dataset. We train a machine comprehension (MC) model based on these datasets to perform PAS analysis. Our experiments show that a stepwise training method is the most effective, which pre-trains an MC model based on the RC-QA dataset to acquire domain knowledge and then fine-tunes based on the PAS-QA dataset.
Hybrid Analog-Digital Precoding for Interference Exploitation (Invited Paper)

We study the multi-user massive multiple-input-single-output (MISO) and focus on the downlink systems where the base station (BS) employs hybrid analog-digital precoding with low-cost 1-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs). In this paper, we propose a hybrid downlink transmission scheme where the analog precoder is formed based on the SVD decomposition. In the digital domain, instead of designing a linear transmit precoding matrix, we directly design the transmit signals by exploiting the concept of constructive interference. The optimization problem is then formulated based on the geometry of the modulation constellations and is shown to be non-convex. We relax the above optimization and show that the relaxed optimization can be transformed into a linear programming that can be efficiently solved. Numerical results validate the superiority of the proposed scheme for the hybrid massive MIMO downlink systems.
PERSPECTIVES IN CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY

This article has an accompanying continuing medical education activity on page e112. Learning Objectives–At the end of this activity, the successful learner will be able to identify the clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities of choice, and post-treatment outcomes in patients with a Zenker’s diverticulum. Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) is an outpouching of tissue through the Killian triangle that is believed to be caused by dysfunction of the cricopharyngeal muscle. ZD is a relatively uncommon disorder occurring in the elderly. The predominant symptom of ZD is dysphagia, and the most serious consequence is pulmonary aspiration. Videofluoroscopy confirms the diagnosis. Therapy of symptomatic ZD has evolved from an open surgical approach to less invasive transoral endoscopic techniques. Transoral endoscopic therapy using rigid instruments is performed primarily by otorhinolaryngologists, whereas transoral therapy using flexible endoscopes is performed by surgical endoscopists and gastroenterologists. The common goal of all modalities is severing of the septum between the esophageal lumen and the diverticulum containing the cricopharyngeal muscle. Although flexible endoscopic therapy was described nearly 20 years ago, it has experienced a recent resurgence paralleling the advancements of therapeutic endoscopy in other areas, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection. Direct head-to-head comparisons of rigid and flexible endoscopic therapy are lacking, and each approach has variations in techniques as well as advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we review the pathophysiology and management of patients with ZD with an emphasis on flexible endoscopic therapy.
The science of happiness: achieving sustained psychological wellbeing

WHILE a vast body of research has been dedicated to understanding problems and disorders of mental health, until the recent emergence of a new field of science, little was known about the positive aspects of life – the things that make life worth living. Positive psychology endeavours to understand how individuals and societies thrive and flourish, and how this new knowledge can be applied to foster happiness, health and fulfilment. Here, David Bartram and Ilona Boniwell discuss strategies for enhancing individual wellbeing, which it is hoped will temper some of the challenges and pressures facing veterinary professionals in their daily lives.