Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Deep Learning Approach to Assist Sustainability of Demersal Trawling Operations

Bycatch in demersal trawl fisheries challenges their sustainability despite the implementation of the various gear technical regulations. A step towards extended control over the catch process can be established through a real-time catch monitoring tool that will allow fishers to react to unwanted catch compositions. In this study, for the first time in the commercial demersal trawl fishery sector, we introduce an automated catch description that leverages state-of-the-art region based convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) architecture and builds upon an in-trawl novel image acquisition system. The system is optimized for applications in Nephrops fishery and enables the classification and count of catch items during fishing operation. The detector robustness was improved with augmentation techniques applied during training on a custom high-resolution dataset obtained during extensive demersal trawling. The resulting algorithms were tested on video footage representing both the normal towing process and haul-back conditions. The algorithm obtained an F-score of 0.79. The resulting automated catch description was compared with the manual catch count showing low absolute error during towing. Current practices in demersal trawl fisheries are carried out without any indications of catch composition nor whether the catch enters the fishing gear. Hence, the proposed solution provides a substantial technical contribution to making this type of fishery more targeted, paving the way to further optimization of fishing activities aiming at increasing target catch while reducing unwanted bycatch.
Transmitter Optimization in Multiuser Wireless Systems with Quality of Service Constraints

TRANSMITTER OPTIMIZATION IN MULTIUSER WIRELESS SYSTEMS WITH QUALITY OF SERVICE CONSTRAINTS Danda B. Rawat Old Dominion University, 2010 Director: Dr. Dimitrie C. Popescu In this dissertation, transmitter adaptation for optimal resource allocation in wireless communication systems are investigated. First, a multiple access channel model is considered where many transmitters communicate with a single receiver. This scenario is a basic component of a wireless network in which multiple users simultaneously access the resources of a wireless service provider. Adaptive algorithms for transmitter optimization to meet Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements in a distributed manner are studied. Second, an interference channel model is considered where multiple interfering transmitter-receiver pairs co-exist such that a given transmitter communicates with its intended receiver in the presence of interference from other transmitters. This scenario models a wireless network in which several wireless service providers share the spectrum to offer their services by using dynamic spectrum access and cognitive radio (CR) technologies. The primary objective of dynamic spectrum access in the CR approach is to enable use of the frequency band dynamically and opportunistically without creating harmful interference to licensed incumbent users. Specifically, CR users are envisioned to be able to provide high bandwidth and efficient utilization of the spectrum via dynamic spectrum access in heterogeneous networks. In this scenario, a distributed method is investigated for combined precoder and power adaptation of CR transmitters for dynamic spectrum sharing in cognitive radio systems. Finally, the effect of limited feedback for transmitter optimization is analyzed where precoder adaptation uses the quantized version of interference information or the predictive vector quantization for incremental updates. The performance of the transmitter adaptation algorithms is also studied in the context of fading channels.
Topology Optimization of Vehicle B-Pillar

Abstract: Weight reduction techniques have been practiced by automobile manufacturers for the purpose of long range, less fuel consumption and achieving higher speeds. Due to the numerous set objectives that must be met, especially with respect to of car safety, automotive chassis design for vehicle weight reduction is a difficult task. In passenger classed vehicles using a monocoque chassis for vehicle construction has been a great solution for reducing overall wight of the vehicle body yet the structure is more stiffened and sturdier. However, some parts such as A-pillar, B-pillar, roof structure, floor pan can be further optimized to reduce more weight without affecting the strength needed for respective purposes. In this paper, the main focus is on reducing weight of the B-pillar. The B-pillar of a passenger car has been optimized using topology optimization and optimum weight reduction has been done. The modelling and simulation are done using SOLIDWORKS 3D software. The B-pillar in this study has been subjected to a static load of 140 KN. Further by providing goals and constraints the optimization was caried out. The results of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the original model are explained. The Topology Optimization resulted in reducing 53% of the original weight of the B-pillar. Keywords: Structural optimization techniques, weight reduction techniques, weight reduction technologies, need for weight reduction, Topology optimization, B-pillar design, structural optimization of B-pillar, Topology optimization of B-pillar.
Phenolic contents, antioxidant activity and colour density of Slovak Pinot Noir wines

<p class="042abstractstekst"><span lang="EN-US">Recent studies show that wine contains more than thousand different compounds that could come from grapes, or could be formed in the process of winemaking and maturing. The most abundant compounds in wines are polyphenols, which affect sensory properties such as colour, taste and aroma, but also has antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to determine total polyphenol and total anthocyanin contents, and to evaluate antioxidant effects and wine colour density of red wines ‘Pinot Noir’ produced in Slovakia. Thirteen analysed, bottled, quality dry ‘Pinot Noir’ wines with origin in various Slovak wine regions were purchased in retail network, to provide that analysed samples of wine would have the same properties as wines that are consumed by common consumers. The content of total polyphenols in analysed ‘Pinot Noir’ wines ranged from 1458 to 3324 mg GAE l<sup>-1</sup>, while contents of total anthocyanins ranged from 43.6 to 279.6 mg l<sup>-1</sup>. Antioxidant activities ranged from 80.2 % to 85.3 % inhibition of DPPH and wine colour density ranged from 0.679 to 1.495. The highest total polyphenol content, total anthocyanin content, and wine colour density was determined in wines from the south Slovakia winegrowing region, while the highest antioxidant activity in wines from Nitra winegrowing region. Results did not show significant differences among studied parameters in wines from different winegrowing regions. Results showed that Slovakian ‘Pinot Noir’ wines have characteristics comparable with ‘Pinot Noir’ wines from other countries. </span></p><div id="OKAYFREEDOM_INJECTED" style="display: none;"> </div><script type="text/javascript" src="chrome-extension://hfnbbbkabnehoejfhcbbhdicagcoobji/web/libs/ciuvo-addon-sdk.min.js"></script>
Electrostatic discharge sensitive (ESDS) equipment susceptibility to welding generated electromagnetic fields

Concerns regarding damage to electrostatic discharge sensitive (ESDS) equipment, as a result of electromagnetic fields generated by welding processes have been raised. The concern that electromagnetic fields generated during the welding process could damage ESDS equipment is quite real. Guidance for welding in the vicinity of ESDS equipment was required by shipbuilders in order to avoid expensive and time-consuming removal of ESDS equipment prior to welding. In this article, the damage to ESDS equipment from welding generated electromagnetic fields is evaluated. Analysis showed that welding in the vicinity of ESDS equipment is not anticipated to cause damage to internal electronics. Guidelines were developed for welding in the vicinity of ESDS equipment.
UMA FERRAMENTA PARA A REPRESENTAÇÃO VISUAL DO ALINHAMENTO ESTRATÉGICO EM OPERAÇÕES HOTELEIRAS A TOOL FOR THE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT IN HOTEL OPERATIONS

Although the strategic alignment is a key goal for the competitive performance of any organization, this topic has been poorly explored in service operations. Focusing on a specific service sector, this study aims to develop and adapt a visual tool to analyze the strategic alignment of hotel service operations. The tool aims to assist managers in discover potential misalignments, driving the operations strategy and the process improvement in hotels. The proposed tool was applied and refined through a case study on a hotel in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba. The main data collection instruments were the semi-structured interview, that was applied with hotel managers, and on-site observations made during the field research. Through empirical research, the tool could be refined and adapted to the hotel operations. The results proved the tool is worthy to analyze the strategic alignment, which is userfriendly and suitable to the characteristics of the hotels.
ENHANCING THE CUCKOO SEARCH WITH LEVY FLIGHT THROUGH POPULATION ESTIMATION

This paper proposed the use of population estimation in a new meta-heuristic called Cuckoo search (CS) algorithm to minimize the training error, achieve fast convergence rate and to avoid local minimum problem. The CS algorithm which imitates the cuckoo bird’s search behavior for finding the best nest has been applied independently to solve several engineering design optimization problems based on cuckoo bird’s behavior. The algorithm is tested on five benchmark functions such as Ackley function, Griewank function, Rastrigin function, Rosenbrock function and Schwefel function. The performance of the proposed algorithm was compared with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Wolf Search Algorithm (WSA) and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). The simulation results show that the CS with Levy flight out performs PSO, WSA and ABC, when the cuckoo population is varied.
Approccio fluorangiografico della ROP acuta: valutazione expert-non expert a confronto

Il confronto, sottoposto ad elaborazione statistica, di immagini ROP fluoroangiografiche e RETCAM tra un gruppo di oculisti esperti in Retinopatia della prematurita (ROP) e uno di oculisti in via di formazione, ha evidenziato come i dati ottenuti con l’ausilio della fluoroangiografia siano molto piu univoci e riconoscibili anche all’occhio non esperto, rispetto a quelli ottenuti da immagini funduscopiche RETCAM. Questo puo estendere la possibilita diagnostica anche a oftalmologi non esperti nella gestione della retinopatia ed allargare il numero di oculisti in grado di porre una corretta diagnosi e di impostare il trattamento secondo la tempistica migliore.
Mixed Tempered Stable Distribution (Preprint Version)

In this paper we introduce a new parametric distribution, the Mixed Tempered Stable. We show that, by choosing appropriately the value of the distribution parameters, it is possible to obtain some well-known distributions as special cases. The better fit to market returns and to statistical factors, obtained performing the Independent Component Analysis, is due to its flexibility. The results are useful in risk management since factor modeling can be used for portfolio allocation and risk attribution.
Usability of Wireless Application Protocol Interface in the Philippines

The existence of Internet revolutionized the computer and communications world. With the rising demand for accessing the Internet, the mobile technology has incorporated the use of Internet in mobile phones. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has combined two of the widest utilized technology today: mobile phones and Internet. This study aims to assess the existing WAP pages offered by the top service providers in the Philippines through usability testing experiments. The paper also aims to identify existing problems in WAP interface by focusing on the errors committed by the users. From the usability study, it was found out that common usability problems are wrong selection of links, unclear grouping of categories, wrong feedback, and redundant links. The type of service provider used is significant in determining the performance of users while experience in accessing WAP is insignificant.
Paperless assembly using touchscreen based graphics

An automated system has been implemented to develop and electronically distribute manufacturing process information. One component of this system focuses on replacing paper instructions and drawings in the hand assembly and manual inspection areas with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface (GUI). All information available in the system is automatically generated by process planners and maintained with minimum effort. On the production floor, the GUI uses a plantwide barcode system to provide automatic selection and display of assembly and inspection instructions. The GUI uses VGA graphics to display a board outline, color-coded text descriptions, and component outlines that distinguish between parts placed at the current workstation and all other parts on the assembly. The objective of the system is to provide accurate assembly information to the appropriate location in a timely manner. The overall, integrated system is expected to reduce process development time by 80%, improve hand assembly and manual inspection efficiency, and eliminate 90% of all assembly placement errors due to information problems. <<ETX>>
Impact of G-Quadruplexes and Chronic Inflammation on Genome Instability: Additive Effects during Carcinogenesis

Genome instability is an enabling characteristic of cancer, essential for cancer cell evolution. Hotspots of genome instability, from small-scale point mutations to large-scale structural variants, are associated with sequences that potentially form non-B DNA structures. G-quadruplex (G4) forming motifs are enriched at structural variant endpoints in cancer genomes. Chronic inflammation is a physiological state underlying cancer development, and oxidative DNA damage is commonly invoked to explain how inflammation promotes genome instability. We summarize where G4s and oxidative stress overlap, with a focus on DNA replication. Guanine has low ionization potential, making G4s vulnerable to oxidative damage. Impacts to G4 structure are dependent upon lesion type, location, and G4 conformation. Occasionally, G4s pose a challenge to replicative DNA polymerases, requiring specialized DNA polymerases to maintain genome stability. Therefore, chronic inflammation creates a dual challenge for DNA polymerases to maintain genome stability: faithful G4 synthesis and bypassing unrepaired oxidative lesions. Inflammation is also accompanied by global transcriptome changes that may impact mutagenesis. Several studies suggest a regulatory role for G4s within cancer- and inflammatory-related gene promoters. We discuss the extent to which inflammation could influence gene regulation by G4s, thereby impacting genome instability, and highlight key areas for new investigation.
PCMM: Human Development Technology and People Process for the Future

The People Capability Maturity Model (People CMM) is a framework that helps organizations successfully address their critical people issues. Based on the best current practices in fields such as human resources, knowledge management, and organizational development, the People CMM guides organizations in improving their processes for managing and developing their workforces. The People CMM helps organizations characterize the maturity of their workforce practices, establish a program of continuous workforce development, set priorities for improvement actions, integrate workforce development with process improvement, and establish a culture of excellence. This article explores PCMM as an active HR and Human Capital Development Framework.
Asymptotic Properties of Stationary Solutions of Coupled Nonconvex Nonsmooth Empirical Risk Minimization

This paper has two main goals: (a) establish several statistical properties—consistency, asymptotic distributions, and convergence rates—of stationary solutions and values of a class of coupled nonconvex and nonsmooth empirical risk-minimization problems and (b) validate these properties by a noisy amplitude-based phase-retrieval problem, the latter being of much topical interest. Derived from available data via sampling, these empirical risk-minimization problems are the computational workhorse of a population risk model that involves the minimization of an expected value of a random functional. When these minimization problems are nonconvex, the computation of their globally optimal solutions is elusive. Together with the fact that the expectation operator cannot be evaluated for general probability distributions, it becomes necessary to justify whether the stationary solutions of the empirical problems are practical approximations of the stationary solution of the population problem. When these two features, general distribution and nonconvexity, are coupled with nondifferentiability that often renders the problems “non-Clarke regular,” the task of the justification becomes challenging. Our work aims to address such a challenge within an algorithm-free setting. The resulting analysis is, therefore, different from much of the analysis in the recent literature that is based on local search algorithms. Furthermore, supplementing the classical global minimizer-centric analysis, our results offer a promising step to close the gap between computational optimization and asymptotic analysis of coupled, nonconvex, nonsmooth statistical estimation problems, expanding the former with statistical properties of the practically obtained solution and providing the latter with a more practical focus pertaining to computational tractability.
Experimental investigation on dynamic and quasi‐static behavior of low‐rise reinforced concrete walls

Experimental evidence supporting the fact that results from quasi‐static (QS) test of low‐rise reinforced concrete walls may be safely assumed as a lower limit of strength and displacement, and energy dissipation capacities are still scarce. The aim of this paper is to compare the seismic performance of 12 reinforced concrete walls for low‐rise housing: six prototype walls tested under QS‐cyclic loading and six models tested under shaking table excitations. Variables studied were wall geometry, type of concrete, web steel ratio, type of web reinforcement and testing method. Comparison of results from dynamic and QS‐cyclic tests indicated that stiffness and strength properties were dependent on the loading rate, the strength mechanisms associated with the failure mode, the low‐cycle fatigue, and the cumulative parameters, such as displacement demand and energy dissipated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Empowering science PhD students for engagement-oriented science communication

22. Empowering science PhD students for engagement-oriented science communication E. P. H. M. de Bakker and A. J. Waarlo , Freudenthal Institute for science and mathematics education, Utrecht University Summary In science communication there’s a call for more engagement-oriented approaches but at the same time it seems science communicators are not ready (yet) to put them into practice. This empirical qualitative evaluation of an engagement-oriented science communication course shows that science PhD students who voluntarily followed the course have a positive attitude towards engagement with the public but don’t act accordingly in their communication behaviour. They see it as something more relevant for later in their careers. Based on the study’s findings, advice is given for improved teaching on engagement-oriented science communication.
A Scoping Review of Empirical Evidence on (Digital) Public Services Co-Creation

The public sector is facing significant challenges regarding public services provision, including declination of users’ trust and limited resources. An alternative approach to traditional public service provision with the potential to address these challenges is the co-creation of public services. Co-creation promises to foster innovative solutions to provide high-quality services that respond to users’ needs. Considering this background, we aim at critically exploring public service co-creation via a scoping review, employing the PRISMA-ScR method. Our review focuses on 25 empirical studies out of 75 analyzed articles that examine the implementation of co-creation of (digital) public services and investigates how the empirical literature portrays the concept of public service co-creation. Our findings primarily suggest that co-creation can be implemented in a wide range of sectors and settings, to improve public services and to foster innovation, throughout the whole public service cycle, using a variety of digital, analog and hybrid co-creation tools and strategies. Yet, our review has also shown that there is still an implementation gap that needs to be bridged between knowing and doing in the context of public services co-creation in a digital setting.
The produce contamination problem : causes and solutions

Understanding the causes and contributing factors leading to outbreaks of food-borne illness associated with contamination of fresh produce is a worldwide challenge for everyone from the growers of fresh-cut produce through the entire production and delivery process. The premise of this book is that when human pathogen contamination of fresh produce occurs, it is extremely difficult to reduce pathogen levels sufficiently to assure microbiological safety with the currently available technologies. A wiser strategy would be to avoid crop production conditions that result in microbial contamination to start. These critical, problem-oriented chapters have been written by researchers active in the areas of food safety and microbial contamination during production, harvesting, packing and fresh-cut processing of horticultural crops, and were designed to provide methods of contamination avoidance. Coverage includes policy and practices in the US, Mexico and Central America, Europe, and Japan. *Addresses foodborne contaminations from a prevention view, providing pro-active solutions to the problems *Covers core sources of contamination and methodologies for identifying those sources *Includes best practice and regulatory information