Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement Learning Based Automatic Personal Mashup Generation

Synchronized video editing system, or mashup generation from multiple synchronized videos, has gained much attention due to its high efficiency and low cost in processing videos to convey information. However, few of the existing methods focus on generating the personal mashup over a complete timeline from synchronized surveillance videos, which is increasingly demanded for effectively presenting personal activities without violating the privacy of others. To fill this gap, we develop a Reinforcement Learning (RL)-based personal mashup generation system, which assesses the frame quality at a semantic level and formulates the view selection as an RL problem to improve the efficiency in retrieving the mashups with arbitrary beginnings. Furthermore, we propose a framing objective to perform spatial editing, which enables the views to automatically zoom in and out, so as to present the target people more comprehensively. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed frame quality measurements, the RL- based algorithm, and the framing objective.
Effects of Cervical Manual Therapy Versus Conventional Physical Therapy on Clinical Outcomes in People With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundCarpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy. A recent systematic review described limited or no evidence about the conservative interventions. Literature has expressed that more proximal area such as the cervical spine is involved in CTS. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of combination cervical manual therapy and conventional physical therapy on pain, self-reported function, and electrophysiological findings in the management these patients.MethodsThis study will be a double-blind, parallel-group, randomized, controlled trial (RCT) in which carpal tunnel syndrome subjects randomize to either conventional or combined exercise groups. The conventional group take routine physical therapy treatments, while patients in combine exercise group receive cervical manual therapy plus routine physical therapy treatments. All patients receive 10 sessions of supervised intervention. The outcome measures included visual analogue scale (VAS), Boston Carpal Tunnel and DASH questionnaire, motor distal latencies and sensory nerve conduction velocity of median nerve. They obtain pre- and post-intervention. DiscussionThe findings of this study will provide knowledge about the comparison effectiveness of conventional physical therapy with and without cervical manual therapy on symptom severity, functional status, disability, velocity and latency median nerve in patients with CTS.Trial registrationIranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20201201049565N1. Registered on 15 December 2020.
Effects of fluorine on the growth of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) at seedling stage

ABSTRACT To evaluate the impact of F in soil on seed germination, growth performance and biochemical parameters of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), a pot experiment was conducted by amending soil with 0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mg F kg−1 spiked soil. During aging of exogenous F in soil, an increase in the soil pH and concentrations of all F fractions was noted at elevated F concentrations. Fluorine in the soil was mainly found in the residual fraction (88% and 86%). The results of pot experiment revealed that the percentages of seed germination rate, chlorophylls concentration, and the dry biomass of Chinese cabbage and oilseed rape decreased by 31, 23, 16%, and 24, 38, 31%, respectively, as compared with their respective controls. The free proline concentration increased by 40% for Chinese cabbage and by 151% for oilseed rape. It was observed that F mainly accumulated in the roots of both plants, and the bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor remained <1. This study showed more remarkable effects of F on oilseed rape than those on Chinese cabbage.
Electrostatic precipitation

Electrostatic precipitators have been used widely in industry, and play an important role in environmental protection. An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) can be operated with a high collection efficiency and a low pressure drop. Recently, an ESP also has been used for cleaning indoor air. In this review, principles of electrostatic precipitation, such as particle charging, migration velocity of charged particles and collection efficiency, are described. The performance of the ESP deteriorates by abnormal phenomena, including back corona for treating high resistivity dust, abnormal re-entrainment for low resistivity dust, and corona quenching for fine dusts. To cope with these phenomena, new technologies have been developed. Pulsed energization is a technique which copes with high resistivity dusts, and this results in lower power consumption. Using pulsed energization, non-thermal plasma can be generated and chemical reactions can be promoted for treating gaseous pollutants such as NO and volatile organic compounds. Wet ESP can also remove dusts and gaseous pollutants simultaneously. These new advancements will widen the field of application of electrostatic precipitation. Some novel applications of ESP, such as removal of dioxin from incinerators, are also included in this review.
Effect of biochar on potassium fractions and plant-available P, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu concentrations of calcareous soils

Abstract Biochar as an eco-friendly substance, depending on its origin and production conditions, may have significant effects on soil properties, nutrient availability and K dynamics of arid and semi-arid soils. Biochars produced from wheat and corn residues, pyrolyzed at 250, 450 and 650 °C during 2, 4 and 8 h, were applied to four representative calcareous soils. First, 2 g of each biochar was added to 100 g of each soil and incubated under field capacity for 90 days. Then the soil samples were analyzed for soil properties, nutrient availability and K fractions. All biochars increased soil CEC, ECe and available K, P, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu. The biochars produced at higher temperature had larger effect on soil properties, P and K availability, and smaller effect on Fe, Mn and Zn availability. The used biochars increased the amounts of soluble, exchangeable, non-exchangeable and HNO3-extractable K to 143–348, 316–605, 597–1,064 and 1,056–2,012 mg kg−1, respectively. The wheat biochar had larger effect on soil K than the corn biochar. Potassium saturation percentage increased with biochar application due to the larger effect of biochar on exchangeable K than CEC. The biochars increased the percentage of soluble K due to the limited capacity of exchange sites and clay interlayers for K adsorption. Biochar had different effect on the experimental soils; and the content of soluble K in the coarse-textured soils after biochar application increased more, than other K fractions. It was concluded that biochars, particularly the wheat biochar produced at higher temperature, have potential for improving K management of K depleted soils.
Spirulina platensis Protein as Sustainable Ingredient for Nutritional Food Products Development

Spirulina platensis, microalgae, is emerging as a sustainable source for highly nutritional food ingredient production to cover the food demands of the global population. This study aimed to characterize food prototypes supplemented with microalgae protein isolate to develop health-promoting food products. The nutritional composition (proximate composition, fatty acids, and mineral content) of the spirulina biomass, the structural characterization of spirulina platensis protein (SPP) isolates, and the physicochemical properties of SPP- developed food products were evaluated. High protein (47%), ϒ-Linolenic acid (24.45 g/100 g of fat), iron (16.27 mg/100 g), calcium (207 mg/100 g), and potassium (1675 mg/100 g) content in the spirulina biomass was found. SPP (76% of purity) with sodium alginate produced stable emulsions (>90%) during storage (14 days). Amaranth + SPP pasta resulted in good appearance, texture, color, and high nutritional value in protein (above 30%) and minerals, mainly iron (9–10 mg/100 g) and magnesium (300 mg/100 g), meeting the daily intake recommendations. In addition, the amino acid profile of the pasta was in line with the amino acid pattern requirements for adults. SPP can be considered as potential additive for emulsions stability and provided nutritional and physicochemical desired in the elaborated pasta.
User Monitoring in Autonomous Driving System Using Gamified Task: A Case for VR/AR In-Car Gaming

As Automated Driving Systems (ADS) technology gets assimilated into the market, the driver’s obligation will be changed to a supervisory role. A key point to consider is the driver’s engagement in the secondary task to maintain the driver/user in the control loop. The paper’s objective is to monitor driver engagement with a game and identify any impacts the task has on hazard recognition. We designed a driving simulation using Unity3D and incorporated three tasks: No-task, AR-Video, and AR-Game tasks. The driver engaged in an AR object interception game while monitoring the road for threatening road scenarios. From the results, there was less than 1 second difference between the means of gaming task (mean = 2.55s, std = 0.1002s) to no-task (mean = 2.55s, std = 0.1002s). Game scoring followed three profiles/phases: learning, saturation, and decline profile. From the profiles, it is possible to quantify/infer drivers’ engagement with the game task. The paper proposes alternative monitoring that has utility, i.e., entertaining the user. Further experiments AR-Game focusing on real-world car environment will be performed to confirm the performance following the recommendations derived from the current test.
Modified Vector Field Path-Following Control System for an Underactuated Autonomous Surface Ship Modelin the Presence of Static Obstacles

A modified path-following control system using the vector field method for an underactuated autonomous surface ship model is proposed in the presence of static obstacles. With this integrated system, autonomous ships are capable of following the predefined path, while avoiding the obstacles automatically. It is different from the methods in most published papers, which usually study path-following and obstacle collision avoidance, separately. This paper considers the coupled path following and collision avoidance task as a whole. Meanwhile, the paper also shows the heading control design method in the presence of static obstacles. To obtain a strong stability property, a nonlinear autopilot is designed based on the manoeuvring tests of the free-running ship model. The equilibrium point of the controller is globally exponentially stable. For the guidance system, a novel vector field method was proposed, and the proof shows the coupled guidance and control system is uniform semi-global exponentially stable (USGES). To prevent the obstacles near the predefined path, the proposed guidance law is augmented by integrating the repelling field of obstacles so that it can control the ship travel toward the predefined path through the obstacles safely. The repelling field function is given considering the obstacle shape and collision risk using the velocity obstacle (VO) algorithm. The simulations and ship model test were performed to validate the integrated system of autonomous ships.
Does Climate Change Asymmetrically Affect Rice Productivity In India? New Insight From NARDL Cointegration Approach

This article attempt to answer the question "whether the dynamic relationship between climate change and rice productivity is symmetrical or asymmetrical" using data from 1990-2017 in India. First, we test the symmetrical and long-run dynamic relationship using the Autoregressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) model and test the asymmetrical and cointegration relationship based on Nonlinear Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) technique. The results of the ARDL model indicates that no symmetrical relationship between the variables in long-run. Whereas outcomes of the NARDL bound test reveal that there is long-run asymmetrical impact of climate change on rice productivity. The positive and negative shock of climate change has affected the rice productivity by different magnitude in India. The Wald statistics confirm asymmetric relationship between rice productivity and climate change in the long-run while only short-run asymmetrical relationships exist between rainfall and rice productivity in India.Furthermore, dynamic multipliers indicate that negative component of rainfall and temperature has a dominant effect over the positive component on rice productivity. To the best of the author's knowledge, no studies have been done to assess both symmetrical and asymmetrical dynamic relationships between climate change and rice productivity using ARDL and NARDL cointegration approaches in India's context. This study will help frame the environmental policies and strategy to cope with climate change in India's agriculture productivity.
Quantitative Assessment of Microbial Contamination and Patterns of Public Behaviour with Used Toothbrushes: Implications of Storage and Replacement

Introduction: Toothbrushes can readily become contaminated with microbes during use and storage. They present a potential hazard of cross-contamination and subsequent infection. Aims: To investigate the nature and level of microbial contamination of used toothbrushes and influence of participant lifestyle. Methods and Results: 103 used toothbrushes were donated, and microbial contents were determined by microbial culture and identification. 97% of toothbrushes revealed contamination. The microbial loads ranged from 0-1010 cfu/brush with median values of around 107, with Candida isolated in the highest levels. 90% of toothbrushes were stored in bathrooms presumably exposed to environmental contamination and 72% revealed the presence of enteric bacteria including Klebsiella, Serratia and Enterobacter. 50% of participants kept toothbrushes for >3 months and 40% retained toothbrushes for 4-6 months; microbial loads were fully established during the first three months of use and did not increase further with prolonged use. Only 57% of participants brushed their teeth twice a day and 41% brushed once a day. Conclusion: Used toothbrushes are heavily contaminated and the presence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms constitutes a potential health risk. Significance and Impact of Study: There is an under-recognised risk of cross-contamination/infection, especially when multiple users store toothbrushes in close contact. Guidance on toothbrush age, brushing frequency and storage is not being followed. Further education is required to improve public awareness.
Multifaceted features of immunoglobulin G anti‐GM1 antibodies in Guillain–Barré syndrome

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti‐GM1 antibodies, the most common autoantibodies in Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), have diverse characteristics regarding IgG subclass, complement activation, affinity and fine specificity. In this review, an update on multifaceted aspects of IgG anti‐GM1 antibodies is provided, emphasizing their roles in creating a varying clinical picture of GBS and in developing pure motor neuropathy after antecedent infection. Diversity in IgG subclass and cross‐reactivity, both of which are closely related to the type of antecedent infection, appears to cause the variation in clinical features and severity of the disease. The environment around GM1 expression in neural tissue is thought to interfere with the binding of anti‐GM1 antibodies by modulating the immunoreactive epitope, allowing only anti‐GM1 antibodies with specific fine specificity to bind to the GM1 ganglioside. This might create the characteristic clinical picture of pure motor neuropathy in anti‐GM1‐positive GBS, although GM1 is present equally in motor and sensory nerves. The environment around the GM1 epitope on Campylobacter jejuni, the most frequently identified agent in antecedent infections of GBS, might also be important in creating diversity in the fine specificity of anti‐GM1 antibodies, possibly preventing the development of GBS in most patients with enteritis by the GM1 epitope‐bearing C. jejuni. Because there remains no direct evidence indicative that diversity of anti‐GM1 antibodies is involved in the development of GBS, further study is required.
Recommendations on the viewing distance of light field displays

Light field visualization is an emerging 3D technology that does not rely on viewing devices, such as special glasses. Without the need for such additional devices, multiple users may simultaneously enjoy the glasses-free 3D experience from a virtually infinite number of viewing positions, as the motion parallax is continuous and smooth. Although this immensely valuable property of light field displays does enable a great deal of viewing freedom, the proper perception of the visualized content still depends on the position of the observer. Position in this context determines the distance and the angle of the observer, with respect to the screen of the display. The validity of the latter is relatively straightforward to assess: if the observer is viewing the screen from inside the angle set by the field of view of the display, then the content shall be seen from its perceptually correct angle. However, the fundamental issue with the underinvestigated topic of viewing distance is that light field visualization may lose its 3D nature if viewed from a far-away position. This is due to the fact that in such a case, a single point of the screen may emit identical rays of light towards the two pupils of the observer. Therefore, the deficiency of disparity, the lack of distinct rays may lead to a 2D visual experience, nullifying the core scientific contribution of this technology. Of course, moving sideways in front of a horizontal-only-parallax display may, in fact, induce a 3D experience via the natural sense of parallax, but it should be applicable regardless of movement. Needless to say, in a multitude of professional environments, the users of such displays are not expected to be highly mobile during the work-related utilization of the technology. However, at the time of this paper, merely a few publications of the scientific literature address the topic of viewing distance, and standardization efforts are still in a rather early phase. Summa summarum, light field displays need clear guidelines with regard to viewing distance, which may benefit both the manufacturers and the users. Such guiding principles may make development and production more cost-efficient and user-oriented, and may contribute to the increased efficiency of usage-focused display design. In this paper, we provide a series of recommendations on the viewing distance of light field displays. The displays are separately analyzed within the context of their own use cases, taking into account the key performance indicators of both the apparatus and the visualized content, the various environmental conditions, as well as the relevant use-case-scenario-specific necessities and the professional requirements. The investigated use cases include medical imaging, telepresence, resource exploration, prototype review, training and education, gaming, digital signage, cinematography, cultural heritage exhibition, air traffic control and driver assistance systems.
Trolling as speech act (or, the art of trolling, with a description of all the utensils, instruments, tackling, and materials requisite thereto: With rules and directions how to use them)

The acceptance of trolling as a feature of internet communication and the clustering together of behaviors that range from playfulness to abusive bullying under the term “trolling” has interesting moral implications. For it seems that sometimes such behavior is dismissed as “mere trolling” and consequently the trolls who perform these acts are granted a partial exemption from responsibility for the content or consequences of their speech. A result of this is that some acts which might ordinarily be considered bullying, abuse or threats when uttered outside of the internet can be dismissed as mere trolling when carried out on the internet. One popular response to this is to categorize acts of trolling based on perceived intentions or to argue that, for more virulent acts particularly, “trolling” is not an appropriate label to be applied. Although I agree that, for example, there should be no special exemption granted for racist speech on the basis that it is used in an act of trolling, I argue here that we also should not ignore the structural similarities of the range of speech acts often described as “trolling. ” Application of tools from the philosophy of language and consideration of an act of trolling as a complex speech act can make clear some of these similarities. Once these similarities are made clearer we can then start to understand a little more about what trolling is. I suggest that central to acts of trolling is a notion of seriousness and its interplay between the troll, their target, and any onlookers to the act of trolling. By viewing trolling in this way we can understand better the rhetorical nature of an act of trolling and why we can often end up facing what I call the trolling dilemma— that is, in many acts of trolling the directions of reply are either to respond seriously to an utterance and so be trolled, or to acknowledge it as an unserious act of trolling and so dismiss it as mere trolling.
A Systematic Review on Use of Medicinal Plants for Male Infertility Treatment

Objective: Male infertility is involved in about half of the casess of infertility and the only sole reason for infertility in 20%-30% of the cases. Following the recent interest in the use of medicinal plants, scientists have sought to clarify their effects on male fertility. This review aimed to summarize the results of studies available to determine the effectiveness, safety and mechanism of herbal treatments in the improvement of male fertility. Materials and methods: Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central) databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published during 2000-2020. Studies were only included if they adhered to the CONSORT checklist. The methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: Finally, 20 studies recruiting a total of 1519 individuals were reviewed. These studies compared the effects of eleven different medicinal plants, i.e. ginseng, saffron, Nigella sativa, palm pollen, ADOFON, TOPALAF, sesame, and Mucuna pruriens, on male fertility with those of placebo. All studies (except one) confirmed the beneficial effects of medicinal plants on the improvement of sperm and reproductive parameters and thus male infertility. Conclusion: The existing RCTs indicated the positive effects of medicinal plants on male fertility. Therefore, in order to develop a novel approach to the treatment of male infertility, further clinical trials are warranted to determine the maximum dosage and duration of treatment with herbal medicines and evaluate any potential side effects of such interventions.