Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proceedings of the 7 th International Workshop on Biosignal Interpretation ( BSI 2012 ) 259 Extending the Universal Quality Index to assess N-image fusion in optical microscopy

The depth of focus is a constraint of all the light microscopes, being not possible to acquire a single, completely in-focus, image of 3D objects characterized by a wide depth dimension. Since the seventies, many methods have been proposed to extend the microscope’s depth of focus. However, it is difficult to define which method yields the best result because there is not a tested metric and a validated approach to compare them using a set of images lacking of a reference ground truth. Typically, the Universal Quality Index (UQI) is used to evaluate output’s quality in image processing, but it requires a reference ground truth. Some UQI extensions were proposed to evaluate the output of fusion methods without a ground truth, but no exhaustive analysis was proposed to prove their equivalence, in terms of evaluation performance, to the standard UQI. In this work, first we prove that the output of the UQI extensions proposed is different from the UQI’s one, then we provide and validate a new approach to evaluate extended depth of focus methods, such as the UQI would do, but without requiring a reference ground truth.
ASSOCIATION FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH

What is the optimal design for health communications? A meta-analysis examines three categories of characteristics that affect response, context (e.g., prevention vs. detection), message factors (e.g., framing), and individual differences (e.g., gender). A sample of 85 empirical papers involving nearly 30,000 participants indicates that one important difference is whether message effectiveness is evaluated using attitudes towards recommendations or intentions to follow the recommendations. Overall, results indicate that the format of health messages is critical in shaping attitudes and intentions and that considerable thought needs to go into ensuring that appropriate communication and evaluation approaches are utilized.
Monetary Rules, Determinacy and Limited Enforcement

We investigate the ability of monetary policy rules to implement a unique equilibrium outcome when the enforcement of rules is limited. We combine the approach of Bassetto (2005) and Atkeson et al. (2010) to study implementation and the one by Chari and Kehoe (1990) to allow policy deviations. Our main result is that, under limited enforcement, there does not exist a policy rule that implements a unique outcome: the private sector can always deter the central bank to stick to the rule. We then provide further results on implementation when private agents expect a given policy and when they hesitate between multiple policies.
Enhancement of the mechanical properties of lightweight oil palm shell concrete using rice husk ash and manufactured sand

This study explores the use of rice husk ash (RHA) and manufactured sand (M-sand) as replacements for cement and fine aggregate, respectively, in lightweight oil palm shell concrete (OPSC). In the first stage of this study, the effect of various cement replacement levels, with RHA (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) and 100% sand replacement with M-sand and quarry dust (QD), on the compressive strength of OPSC was investigated. The results showed that the highest compressive strength of OPSC of about 51.49 MPa was achieved with the use of 15% RHA and M-sand. In the second stage of the work, the variables of RHA (0 and 15%) and M-sand (0, 50%, and 100%) were used to investigate their combined effects on the mechanical properties of OPSC. It was found that the combination of 15% RHA and 100% M-sand gave the best performance of OPSC in terms of mechanical properties, such as compressive, splitting tensile, flexural strength, and Young’s modulus. 抽象的目的探索稻壳灰和人工砂在轻质油棕壳混凝土中部 分替换水泥和细骨料对混凝土力学性能的影 响, 期望得到力学性能较高的轻质混凝土。 方法1. 将不同比例的稻壳灰 (5%, 10%, 15% 和 20%) 替换水泥和 100% 的人工砂或石粉替换沙 子, 研究它们对混凝土抗压强度的影响; 2. 研 究不同替换比例的稻壳灰 (0 和 15%) 和人工砂 (0–50% 和 100%) 对混凝土力学性能的综合 影响。 结论1. 在 15% 的稻壳灰替换水泥和 100% 人工砂替换 沙子的情况下, 最大抗压强度为 51.49 MPa; 2. 替换比例为 15% 稻壳灰和 100% 人工砂的组合 表现出最好的力学性能, 包括抗压强度、抗拉 强度、 抗弯强度和杨氏模量。
A critical review of Pacific salmon marine research relating to climate

Chittenden, C. M. , Beamish, R. J., and McKinley, R. S. 2009. A critical review of Pacific salmon marine research relating to climate. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 2195-2204.Several studies in the North Pacific Ocean have documented the consequences of rising sea surface temperatures and the advancement of the spring freshet on ocean productivity. The altering of ocean productivity has also been correlated with changes in the marine survival and geographic occurrence of some Pacific salmon populations. Knowledge of the marine survival and position of salmon in the Pacific Ocean are derived typically from mark-recapture studies. As a result, the migratory behaviour and associated survival estimates of salmon in real time are not known. Major information gaps also exist in terms of stock-specific marine behaviour and survival—especially as they relate to recent changes in climate. Acoustic telemetry and other modern tools enable researchers to answer specific questions about environmental, physiological, and genetic effects on individual salmon survival and behaviour, which had not been possible previously. As climate trends increasingly exceed those found in historical records, there is an urgent need for information that will improve fishery management and conservation decisions. International, multidisciplinary research teams using modern technologies could accomplish this.
Syddansk Universitet Dementia and Traffic Accidents A Danish Register-Based Cohort Study

Background: As a consequence of a rapid growth of an ageing population, more people with dementia are expected on the roads. Little is known about whether these people are at increased risk of road traffic-related accidents. Objective: Our study aims to investigate the risk of road traffic-related accidents for people aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of dementia in Denmark. Methods: We will conduct a nationwide population-based cohort study consisting of Danish people aged 65 or older living in Denmark as of January 1, 2008. The cohort is followed for 7 years (2008-2014). Individual’s personal data are available in Danish registers and can be linked using a unique personal identification number. A person is identified with dementia if the person meets at least one of the following criteria: (1) a diagnosis of the disease in the Danish National Patient Register or in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register, and/or (2) at least one dementia diagnosis-related drug prescription registration in the Danish National Prescription Registry. Police-, hospital-, and emergency room-reported road traffic-related accidents occurred within the study follow-up are defined as the study outcome. Cox proportional hazard regression models are used for the main analysis. Results: Our study protocol has 3 phases including data collection, data analysis, and reporting. The first phase of register-based data collection of 853,228 individual’s personal information was completed in August, 2016. The next phase is data analysis, which is expected to be finished before December 2016, and thereafter writing publications based on the findings. The study started in January 2016 and will end in December 2018. Discussion: This study covers the entire elderly population of Denmark, and thereby will avoid selection bias due to nonparticipation and loss to follow-up. Furthermore, this ensures that the study results are reliable and generalizable. However, underreporting of traffic-related accidents may occur, which will limit estimation of absolute risks. (JMIR Res Protoc 2016;5(3):e191) doi:10.2196/resprot.6466
o\m COGNITIVE BIASES IN DEPRESSION AFFECT SEMANTIC PROCESSING BY JENNIFER KELLER THESIS

Prior research has shown that depressed people have a cognitive bias for emotionally negative information* The present study investigates this phenomenon by comparing depressives to control subjects in a semantic processing paradigm involving emotional stimuli. The N400 component of the event-related brain potential was employed as a measure of semantic processing. As hypothesized, depressives1 N400 differentiated positive and negative sentence endings. This effect was much smaller in controls. This physiological evidence that depressed patients process emotional sentences differently depending on the emotional valence supports the claim based on behavioral performance that depressives have a bias towards negative information.
Performance Effects of Strategic Marketing Management in the Nigerian Telecoms Industry: Empirical Insight from Globacoms Ltd.

The rate of competition in the Nigerian telecommunication industry is moving at a leapfrog basis. Competitors are reacting like tigers, some are reacting stochastically and different classes of competitors are coming out with their different attacks whether offensive or defensive. This rate of competition has made strategic marketing managers to put all hands on deck in implanting and crafting sustainable marketing strategies that would give their organization competitive edge in the ever turbulent business eco system. The paper therefore examined the effects of strategic marketing management on the performance of Globacom Limited with the view of evaluating the extent to which the organization strategically market its product and the methods it employs. The research design adopted for the study was a descriptive survey method in which a simple random technique was used for selecting respondents using administered questionnaires on strategic marketing. However, both primary and secondary methods were adopted and the hypotheses were tested using the SPSS (regression) method. The findings of the study revealed that strategic marketing management has positive impact on the performance of Globacom Limited. The findings also revealed that market orientation does influence the sales performance & profitability of telecoms industry and that market segmentation is a useful tool to enhance customer’s satisfaction. It was therefore recommended that organizations should continue to apply Strategic marketing management to improve their performance level. They should maintain an ethical atmosphere since it is good for efficiency. The organization should also put more effort in managing marketing complexity, customer and stakeholder expectations and to reconcile the influences of a changing environment in the context of a set of resource capabilities. Keywords: Performance, Strategic Marketing, Management, Nigerian Telecoms Industry & Customers’ satisfaction
The discrepancy between dynamical and stellar masses in massive compact galaxies traces non-homology

For many massive compact galaxies, their dynamical masses ($M_\mathrm{dyn} \propto \sigma^2 r_\mathrm{e}$) are lower than their stellar masses ($M_\star$). We analyse the unphysical mass discrepancy $M_\star / M_\mathrm{dyn} > 1$ on a stellar-mass-selected sample of early-type galaxies ($M_\star \gtrsim 10^{11} \ \mathrm{M_\odot}$) at redshifts $z \sim 0.2$ to $z \sim 1.1$. We build stacked spectra for bins of redshift, size and stellar mass, obtain velocity dispersions, and infer dynamical masses using the virial relation $M_\mathrm{dyn} \equiv K \ \sigma_\mathrm{e}^2 r_\mathrm{e} / G$ with $K = 5.0$; this assumes homology between our galaxies and nearby massive ellipticals. Our sample is completed using literature data, including individual objects up to $z \sim 2.5$ and a large local reference sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We find that, at all redshifts, the discrepancy between $M_\star$ and $M_\mathrm{dyn}$ grows as galaxies depart from the present-day relation between stellar mass and size: the more compact a galaxy, the larger its $M_\star / M_\mathrm{dyn}$. Current uncertainties in stellar masses cannot account for values of $M_\star / M_\mathrm{dyn}$ above 1. Our results suggest that the homology hypothesis contained in the $M_\mathrm{dyn}$ formula above breaks down for compact galaxies. We provide an approximation to the virial coefficient $K \sim 6.0 \left[ r_\mathrm{e} / (3.185 \ \mathrm{kpc}) \right]^{-0.81} \left[ M_\star / (10^{11} \ \mathrm{M_\odot}) \right]^{0.45}$, which solves the mass discrepancy problem. A rough approximation to the dynamical mass is given by $M_\mathrm{dyn} \sim \left[ \sigma_\mathrm{e} / (200 \ \mathrm{km \ s^{-1}}) \right]^{3.6} \left[ r_\mathrm{e} / (3 \ \mathrm{kpc}) \right]^{0.35} 2.1 \times 10^{11} \ \mathrm{M_\odot}$.
Establishment of Broad‐leaved Thickets in Serengeti, Tanzania: The Influence of Fire, Browsers, Grass Competition, and Elephants 1

The role of Euclea divinorum in the establishment of broad‐leaved thickets was investigated in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Thickets are declining due to frequent fires, but have not reestablished when fires have been removed. Seedlings of E. divinorum, a fire‐resistant tree, were found in grassland adjacent to thickets and as thicket canopy trees and may function to facilitate thicket establishment. Seedlings of thicket species were abundant under E. divinorum canopy trees but not in the grassland, indicating that E. divinorum can facilitate forest establishment. We examined E. divinorum establishment in grassland by measuring survival and growth of seedlings with respect to fire, browsers, elephants, and competition with grass. Seedling survival was reduced by fire (50%), browsers (70%), and competition with grass (50%), but not by elephants. Seedling growth rate was negative unless both fire and browsers, or grass was removed. Establishment of thickets via E. divinorum is not occurring under the current conditions in Serengeti of frequent fires, abundant browsers, and dense grass in riparian areas. Conditions that allowed establishment may have occurred in 1890–1920s during a rinderpest epizootic, and measurements of thicket canopy trees suggest they established at that time.
Long-term impact of the promotion of social and emotional skills

Social and emotional skills are protective factors against several negative functioning indicators. A current challenge on social and emotional skills research is to descrive of the long-term impact of social and emotional development programs. The objective of this follow-up study was to evaluate the long-term impact of a program for the development of social and emotional skills - "Crescer a Brincar" (Growing up Playing) - on disruptive behaviors and on students' engagement with school eight years after the beginning and four years after the end of the intervention. Results revealed that the experimental group registered lower disruptive behaviors and higher intrinsic motivation. These results have important implications for the promotion of positive youth development, especially for the promotion of health in school-based interventions.
Alternative Oxidase (AOX) Senses Stress Levels to Coordinate Auxin-Induced Reprogramming From Seed Germination to Somatic Embryogenesis—A Role Relevant for Seed Vigor Prediction and Plant Robustness

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is the most striking and prominent example of plant plasticity upon severe stress. Inducing immature carrot seeds perform SE as substitute to germination by auxin treatment can be seen as switch between stress levels associated to morphophysiological plasticity. This experimental system is highly powerful to explore stress response factors that mediate the metabolic switch between cell and tissue identities. Developmental plasticity per se is an emerging trait for in vitro systems and crop improvement. It is supposed to underlie multi-stress tolerance. High plasticity can protect plants throughout life cycles against variable abiotic and biotic conditions. We provide proof of concepts for the existing hypothesis that alternative oxidase (AOX) can be relevant for developmental plasticity and be associated to yield stability. Our perspective on AOX as relevant coordinator of cell reprogramming is supported by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses and gross metabolism data from calorespirometry complemented by SHAM-inhibitor studies on primed, elevated partial pressure of oxygen (EPPO)–stressed, and endophyte-treated seeds. In silico studies on public experimental data from diverse species strengthen generality of our insights. Finally, we highlight ready-to-use concepts for plant selection and optimizing in vivo and in vitro propagation that do not require further details on molecular physiology and metabolism. This is demonstrated by applying our research & technology concepts to pea genotypes with differential yield performance in multilocation fields and chickpea types known for differential robustness in the field. By using these concepts and tools appropriately, also other marker candidates than AOX and complex genomics data can be efficiently validated for prebreeding and seed vigor prediction.
Modified NRTL Equation in Predicting Liquid – Liquid Equilibria

The present work deals with fitting literature data of liquid – liquid equilibria and to obtain a new correlation for non-randomness parameter suitable to use in NRTL activity coefficient model. New simple correlation is proposed for modifying the original three-parameter NRTL activity coefficient model to make it a true twoparameter model. The performance of the proposed expression is compared with the original three-parameter NRTL activity coefficient model, in correlating LLE data of binary systems, as well as in predicting binary systems from infinitedilution activity coefficients and ternary systems from binary data.
Ips typographus and other bark and wood-boring beetles in girdled spruces

To decrease the number of spruce trees and to create dead wood in some areas several county administration boards have girdled spruces. Girdled spruces have been little studied in terms of the insect fauna. In this study the occurrence of the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) and other beetles are investigated in girdled spruce trees (Picea abies) in two provinces in Sweden, Uppland and Jamtland. Girdled trees have been compared with cut trees. The study contains 213 girdled and cut trees. To find out to which extent woodpeckers use girdled spruces as food resource estimation was also done with consideration of how much bark that was picked off each tree. Girdled trees were more long-lived than expected. Most trees with a "normal" girdle was colonised by insects and dead the second season after the treatment while the "lifeline" trees was living even longer. The species composition was much the same in girdled and cut trees and did not seem to differ between below and above the girdle. However, no breeding spruce bark beetle was found below the girdle. Girdled trees were more utilised by spruce bark beetles than cut trees were. Even trees thicker than 25 centimetres in diameter were more utilised while no increase was visible regarding an increased sun exposure. The amount bark picked away by woodpeckers was equal at girdled and cut trees but in one locality there were a correlation between trees colonised by the spruce bark beetle and utilised by woodpeckers. In one another locality the correlation instead was between the larvae of Tetropium sp. and Rhagium sp. and woodpeckers.
A $1.5 Gesture Recognizer as Input Device for a Multi-Platform Virtual Game Controller

Current high-end computer games mostly are developed simultaneously for several dierent plat- forms like e.g. PC, XBox c or Playstadion c . These sys- tems often have varying individual input devices. The necessity to consider all of them during the development process potentially obfuscates development and might increase cost signicantly. To overcome this problem virtual control devices can be introduced. Our paper has two main contributions. First, the design and im- plementation of a virtual game controller as an inter- face between any application in the context of video games and any kind of hardware input devices on mul- tiple platforms are discussed. Second, a modication of the $1 gesture recognizer introduced by Wobbrock et. al. is presented that speeds up the recognition of two- dimensional gestures signicantly. Finally, we demon- strate the usage of the gesture recognizer as a high-level input device for our multi-platform virtual controller.
A two-phase flow model for concentrated suspensions

A new two-phase model is derived that make use of a constitutive law combining non-Brownian suspension with granular rheology, that was recently proposed by Boyer et al. [PRL, 107(18),188301 (2011)]. It is shown that for the simple channel flow geometry, the stress model naturally exhibits a Bingham type flow property with an unyielded finite-size zone in the center of the channel. As the volume fraction of the solid phase is increased, the various transitions in the flow fields are discussed using phase space methods for a boundary value problem, that is derived from the full model. The predictions of this analysis is then compared to the direct finite-element numerical solutions of the full model.
Prolonged tonic pain in healthy humans disrupts intrinsic brain networks implicated in pain modulation

Neural mechanisms of ongoing nociceptive processing in the human brain remain largely obscured by the dual challenge of accessing neural dynamics and safely applying sustained painful stimuli. Recently, pain-related neural processing has been measured using fMRI resting state functional connectivity (FC) in chronic pain patients. However, ongoing pain-related processing in normally pain-free humans remains incompletely understood. Therefore, differences between chronic pain patients and controls may be due to comorbidities with chronic pain. Decreased FC among regions of the descending pain modulation network (DPMN) are associated with presence and severity of chronic pain disorders. We aimed to determine if the presence of prolonged tonic pain would lead to disruption of the DPMN. High (10%) concentration topical capsaicin was combined with a warm thermode applied to the leg to create a flexible, prolonged tonic pain model to study the FC of brain networks in otherwise healthy, pain-free subjects in two separate cohorts (n=18; n=32). We contrasted seed-based FC during prolonged tonic pain with a pain-free passive task. In seed-based FC analysis prolonged tonic pain led to enhanced FC between the anterior middle cingulate cortex (aMCC) and the somatosensory leg representation. Additionally, FC was enhanced between the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), right mediodorsal thalamus and the posterior parietal cortex bilaterally. Further, in the seed-driven PAG network, positive FC with the left DLPFC became negative FC during prolonged tonic pain. These data suggest that some altered DPMN FC findings in chronic pain could partially be explained by the presence of ongoing pain.