Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving Dark Channel Prior for Single Image Dehazing

This paper proposes an improved dark channel prior for removing haze from images. Dark channel prior is an effective method for removing haze. Dark channel is an image in the same size as the hazy image which is obtained by dividing the RGB images into windows and for each window, the minimum of each R, G and B channels are calculated. Then again the minimum of these three values is calculated and is replaced on all pixels in that window. For removing haze from images by dark channel prior, it is necessary to find transmission coefficient of haze and for this, airlight must be estimated. By having these factors, haze-free images can be restored. The dark channel prior method does not yield favorable results for some images, especially for those containing smooth regions. To overcome on this deficiency of the dark channel prior approach, the hazy image is initially segmented into smooth and non-smooth regions in this paper. Then for removing haze from smooth regions, the Gamma correction approach is used for contrast enhancement. Finally, for non-smooth regions, depending to the severity of haze, dark channel prior might be applied several times. The subjective and objective image quality assessments attest superiority of the proposed method compared to dark channel prior in haze removing.
Ten‐year water table recovery after clearcutting and draining boreal forested wetlands of eastern Canada

In boreal forested wetlands, the observed increase in the water table level after clearcutting (watering‐up) is often a threat to sustained ecosystem productivity. Hydrologic recovery refers to the processes by which a water table progressively drops back to its initial level after the cut. In eastern Canada, drainage is used operationally after clearcutting wet sites in order to lower the water table level and accelerate hydrologic recovery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the duration of the watering‐up caused by timber harvesting and the extent to which drainage affected the water table recovery on five peatlands and three hydromorphic mineral sites located in the St. Lawrence Lowlands of Québec (Canada). The mixed wood stands studied are dominated by balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. ), eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.), and red maple (Acer rubrum L). Results indicate that, 10 years after clearcutting, water table levels in undrained plots are still 5 to 7 cm higher than the pre‐cut levels. The slight recovery in water table level plateaued after the third year. Rainfall interception by vegetation was also monitored, and after 10 years had reached nearly 50% of the pre‐cut rate. The immediate water table drawdown following drainage mitigated watering‐up within 40 m of a ditch. The persistent watering‐up observed in this study should encourage using sylvicultural systems adapted to boreal forested wetlands in order to prevent productivity loss and stand conversion. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reflection imaging of deep structure beneath Montserrat using microearthquake sources

The SEA‐CALIPSO experiment was designed to image structure related to active volcanism beneath the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean. As part of that experiment, over 200 Texan recorders with 5 Hz geophones were deployed in 3 linear arrays at a nominal spacing of 100m, primarily to record an airgun source towed offshore around the island. Because the recorders were operating in continuous mode for three days, a number of shallow microearthquakes under the active summit of Soufriere Hills Volcano (SHV) were also recorded. 20 events were sufficiently well recorded and located that they could be used to identify and map reflections from deep subsurface structure. Here we report on the processing of those recordings as multichannel CMP reflection sources, with emphasis on careful statics correction and coherency enhancement. The resulting reflection images indicate subhorizontal layering at depths between 6 and 19km which we interpret as sills.
Proprioceptive-Based Whole-Body Disturbance Rejection Control for Dynamic Motions in Legged Robots

This letter presents a control framework for legged robots that enables self-perception and resistance to external disturbances. First, a novel proprioceptive-based disturbance estimator is proposed. Compared with other disturbance estimators, this estimator possesses notable advantages in terms of filtering foot-ground interaction noise and suppressing the accumulation of estimation errors. Additionally, our estimator is a fully proprioceptive-based estimator, eliminating the need for any exteroceptive devices or observers. Second, we present a hierarchical optimized whole-body controller (WBC), which takes into account the full body dynamics, the actuation limits, the external disturbances, and the interactive constraints. Finally, extensive experimental trials conducted on the point-foot biped robot BRAVER validate the capabilities of the proposed estimator and controller under various disturbance conditions.
Salento Atmosphere and the Role of Movies

In this paper we show how cinema, due to the inherent strength of the images it produces, interacts or even interferes with the processes of place image building. The topic under discussion is then absolutely crucial to geography, being it the science of place. The author, starting by explaining the reciprocity (cycling) relation existing between cinema and place, analyzes by means of a qualitative approach the case of Salento and the creation of its “atmosphere” through cinematic images, taking into account those movies that most have contributed to it. Concerning film-induced tourism the author found that, from the supply side, the local tourism system did not still fully adapted itself to the new needs of this segment. However, there is a great potential for its development, since a latent demand seems to exist and the activities of Apulia Film Commission are greatly contributing to it.
Interactions between the Somali Current eddies during the summer monsoon: insights from a numerical study

Three hindcast simulations of the global ocean circulation differing by resolution (1/4 or 1/12°) or parametrization or atmospheric forcing are used to describe the interactions between the large anticyclonic eddies generated by the Somali Current system during the Southwest Monsoon. The present investigation of the Somalian coherent eddy structures allows us to identify the origin and the subsequent development of the cyclones flanked upon the Great Whirl (GW) previously identified by Beal and Dono-hue (2013) in satellite observations and to establish that similar cyclones are also flanked upon the Southern Gyre (SG). These cyclones are identified as potential actors in mixing water masses within the large eddies and offshore the coast of Somalia. All three simulations bring to light that during the period when the Southwest Monsoon is well established, the SG moves northward along the Somali coast and encounters the GW. The interaction between the SG and the GW is a collision without merging, in a way that has not been described in observations up to now. During the collision the GW is pushed to the east of Socotra Island, sheds several smaller patches of anticyclonic vorticity, and often reforms into the Socotra Eddy, thus proposing a formation mechanism for that eddy. During this process the GW gives up its place to the SG. This process is robust throughout the three simulations.
Values and beliefs : Chinese seafarers in an age of transition

China has been in a period of dramatic economic and political change for thirty years. Because human values reflect society people grew up and live, the change should have impacted on the values of the Chinese. Exploring Chinese seafarers' values and particularly focusing on a specific value, religion perceived and practiced by them, this investigation helps us shed some light on the changes China has been through as well as the trajectory of Chinese society and culture. In particular the study provides information on the relationship between economic growth and wellbeing. A qualitative research approach was applied and Chinese seafarers were asked to attend semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal significant differences between the implication of western writers and the values Chinese seafarers showed. Unlike the prediction for western societies, the factors of affluence at both individual and societal levels in China were not enough for Chinese seafarers to show the straightforward correspondence. The religious values Chinese seafarers revealed were far more complex than the way Christianity is perceived and practiced. The cause of such differences was the path China has taken to reach its affluence. This route made these Chinese seafarers studied feel insecure despite an affluent society and has arguably delayed the prediction.
Annals of Plant Sciences

Rice is one of the major cereal grain consumed more than half of the world’s population. Aromatic rice is one of the most widely accepted rice due its pleasant aroma. Traditionally, many varieties of aromatic rice are grown by the farmers of Assam maintaining a diverse gene pool. In the present study, morphological variation was studied in 22 aromatic rice landraces using qualitative and quantitative traits. Keteki Joha is very popular indigenous aromatic rice grown in a small pocket of Assam for its high yield. Though Kola Kunkuni Joha is relatively smaller grain size and low yield but have high demand due to its high aroma as compared to other landraces. Significant positive correlations was occurred at 0.05 level between kernel length and seed weight with seed width (r = 0.6734*) and (0.5881*) as well as seed weight with kernel width (r = 0.5433*). The correlation between seed width and kernel width (0.9663**) showed significantly positive relationship which shown at 0.01 level. Characterization of aromatic rice landraces of Assam would be a boon for the breeders for designing further rice improvement programme.
A Subharmonic Super-Regenerative FMCW Radar With Improved Intermodulation Efficiency for Applications Beyond Cut-Off Frequency

This article presents a novel subharmonic super-regenerative receiver (SHSRR) radar for high-sensitivity and low-noise operation in beyond- $f_{\text {max}}$ frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) applications. In contrast to conventional super-regenerative designs, the proposed concept is extended by an inherently implemented, subharmonic downconversion. This downconversion allows a tripling of both operation frequency and bandwidth and thereby enables the system’s operation beyond its gain limit. Operated with the novel SHSRR, the maximum operating frequency and bandwidth of FMCW transceivers is proven to be significantly increased. With local oscillator (LO) power requirements considerably reduced compared with passive mixer approaches, the concept is also suited for massive multichannel scaling. Optimized modulation signals are applied to the SHSRR concept, which intentionally boost the receiver’s nonlinearity and thus substantially improve previously achieved intermodulation efficiencies for the first time. The concept is verified experimentally with a 24-GHz FMCW radar transceiver implemented in planar microstrip technology. Due to the introduced optimization approach, extremely high sensitivity levels of well below −114 dBm have been accomplished, whereby the previously achieved noise figure is improved from almost 30 dB down to 11 dB. Power consumption was limited to 9 mW. This simple, novel concept is thus suitable for scaling to integrated circuits with a high number of receive channels at several 100-GHz carrier frequencies.
Designing iterations of the Venus Emissivity Mapper Emulator: making a space instrument suitable for field campaigns

One of the main objectives of the NASA's VERITAS and the ESA's EnVision missions is to characterize the composition and origin of the major geologic terrains on Venus. Both missions carry the Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM) – a multispectral imager - which will be able to observe the surface of Venus through five atmospheric windows with six bands, around the 1μm spectral range. This will enable the spectral characterization of the Venusian surface, as well as deduce the type of lava and likely alteration processes, providing new insights into the evolution of Venus. To improve our knowledge of the mineralogical information obtained from the 1μm spectral range, we are developing a series of "VEM emulator" (aka VEMulator). The first one was based on a commercial Raspberry PI HQ 12MP camera, containing the Sony IMX477 sensor, with a 35mm lens. Four filters with wavelengths of 860, 910, 990, 1100 nm could be attached in front of the lens similar to four of the six VEM mineralogy spectral bands. This instrument was deployed in summer 2022 on the Vulcano island in southern Italy as Venus analog site. Vulcano rocks display a diverse compositional variation from basaltic to rhyolitic, which makes this site an attractive analog to Venus. Currently, a new version of the VEMulator is being developed using the SCD Cardinal 1280 InGaAs detector – similar to the detector used in the VEM flight model. This VEMulator 2.0 will be used in Iceland, in 2023, for a VERITAS field campaign.
Data-Driven Non-Intrusive Speech Intelligibility Prediction Using Speech Presence Probability

Time consuming Speech Intelligibility (SI) listening tests with human subjects can be replaced by algorithmic SI predictors. In recent years, data-driven SI predictors have been showing promising results. A major limiting factor in the advancement of data-driven SI prediction is that there is a scarcity of SI listening test data available to train the data-driven methods. In this article we propose a data-driven SI predictor that does not require access to an underlying noise-free reference signal, i.e., non-intrusive, and which does not require listening test data for training. Instead, the proposed method exploits a hypothesized link between SI and Speech Presence Probability (SPP). We show that a neural network can be trained on easily obtainable speech in additive noise data to estimate SPP, and that a simple post-processing stage can be applied in order to map the estimated SPP to SI predictions with high accuracy. The proposed method is evaluated and compared to other state-of-the art non-intrusive SI predictors, and achieves the highest performance even in the presence of processed noisy speech, which the SPP estimator has not been trained on.
Unsupervised white matter lesion identification in multiple sclerosis (MS) using MRI segmentation and pattern classification: a novel approach with CVIPtools

Accurately identifying multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord is a challenging task due to variations in location, size, and shape, as well as anatomical differences among individuals. The number and volume of these lesions play a crucial role in assessing the severity of MS, monitoring disease progression, and evaluating the effectiveness of new drugs in clinical trials. Manual segmentation, while used previously, is not ideal due to its reliance on expert knowledge, time-consuming nature, and susceptibility to variations among different experts. To address these challenges, several automatic methods for segmenting MS lesions have been proposed. This research presents an innovative unsupervised methodology for the accurate identification and categorization of white matter lesions in MRI scans of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The methodology combines state-of-the-art computer vision-based image processing techniques, leveraging the powerful capabilities of CVIPtools. Through integration of preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, and pattern classification stages, our algorithm achieves over 90% accuracy in lesion detection and classification. Employing the K-Nearest Neighbor algorithm for pattern classification, the algorithm achieves a rate of 90.63% success for lesion classification and 93.33% success for non-lesion classification. This approach holds significant promise for enhancing the accuracy and efficacy of white matter lesion analysis, aiding in the early detection and monitoring of MS.
The effect of peat structure on the spatial distribution of biogenic gases within bogs

Northern peatlands are a large source of atmospheric methane (CH4) and both a source and a sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The rate and temporal variability in gas exchanges with peat soils is directly related to the spatial distribution of these free‐phase gases within the peat column. In this paper, we present results from surface and borehole ground‐penetrating radar surveys – constrained with direct soil and gas sampling – that compare the spatial distribution of gas accumulations in two raised bogs: one in Wales (UK), the other in Maine (USA). Although the two peatlands have similar average thickness, physical properties of the peat matrix differ, particularly in terms of peat type and degree of humification. We hypothesize that these variations in physical properties are responsible for the differences in gas distribution between the two peatlands characterized by (1) gas content up to 10.8% associated with woody peat and presence of wood layers in Caribou Bog (Maine) and (2) a more homogenous distribution with gas content up to 5.7% at the surface (i.e. <0.5 m deep) in Cors Fochno (Wales). Our results highlight the variability in biogenic gas accumulation and distribution across peatlands and suggest that the nature of the peat matrix has a key role in defining how biogenic gas accumulates within and is released to the atmosphere from peat soils. © 2015 The Authors. Hydrological Processes published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Colorimetric Sensors Based on Poly(acrylic Acid)/TiO2 Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Monitoring UV Radiation Exposure

In recent years, there has been an open debate on proper sun exposure to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer. The mainly encountered issue is that general guidelines for UV radiation exposure could not be effective for all skin types. The implementation of customized guidelines requires a method by which to measure the UV dose as a result of daily exposure to sunlight, ideally with an inexpensive, easy-to-read sensor. In this work, we present the characterization of nanocomposite hydrogel materials acting as colorimetric sensors upon exposure to UV light. The sensor was prepared using a poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hydrogel matrix in which TiO2 nanoparticles and methylene blue (MB) were integrated. Raman mapping was used to determine the network structure of the hydrogel and its water distribution. The TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed in the PAA matrix maintain their photoactivity and catalyze a reaction by which methylene blue is converted into leuko-methylene. The conversion causes a discoloration effect that is visible to the naked eye and can therefore be used as an indicator of UV radiation exposure. Moreover, it was possible to tune the discoloration rate to the limit exposure of each skin type, simply by changing the ratio of titanium dioxide to dye. We obtained a response time ranging from 30 min to 1.5 h. Future work will be dedicated to the possibility of scaling up this range and to improve the sensor wearability; however, our study paves the way to the realisation of sensors suitable for public use, which could help us find a solution to the challenge of balancing sufficient UV exposure to prevent Vitamin D deficiency with excessive UV exposure that could ultimately cause skin cancer.
The Unloading Effect of Supramalleolar Versus Sliding Calcaneal Osteotomy for Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Medial Talus: A Biomechanical Study

Background: In patients with osteochondral lesion, defects of the medial talus, or failed cartilage surgery, a periarticular osteotomy can unload the medial compartment. Purpose: To compare the effects of supramalleolar osteotomy (SMOT) versus sliding calcaneal osteotomy (SCO) for pressure redistribution and unloading of the medial ankle joint in normal, varus-aligned, and valgus-aligned distal tibiae. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Included were 8 cadaveric lower legs with verified neutral ankle alignment (lateral distal tibial angle [LDTA] = 0°) and hindfoot valgus within normal range (0°-10°). SMOT was performed to modify LDTA between 5° valgus, neutral, and 5° varus. In addition, a 10-mm lateral SCO was performed and tested in each position in random order. Axial loading (700 N) of the tibia was applied with the foot in neutral alignment in a customized testing frame. Pressure distribution in the ankle joint and subtalar joint, center of force, and contact area were recorded using high-resolution Tekscan pressure sensors. Results: At neutral tibial alignment, SCO unloaded the medial joint by a mean of 10% ± 10% or 66 ± 51 N (P = .04) compared with 6% ± 12% or 55 ± 72 N with SMOT to 5° valgus (P = .12). The achieved deload was not significantly different (ns) between techniques. In ankles with 5° varus alignment at baseline, SMOT to correct LDTA to neutral insufficiently addressed pressure redistribution and increased medial load by 6% ± 9% or 34 ± 33 N (ns). LDTA correction to 5° valgus (10° SMOT) unloaded the medial joint by 0.4% ± 14% or 20 ± 75 N (ns) compared with 9% ± 11% or 36 ± 45 N with SCO (ns). SCO was significantly superior to 5° SMOT (P = .017) but not 10° SMOT. The subtalar joint was affected by both SCO and SMOT, where SCO unloaded but SMOT loaded the medial side. Conclusion: SCO reliably unloaded the medial compartment of the ankle joint for a neutral tibial axis. Changes in the LDTA by SMOT did not positively affect load distribution, especially in varus alignment. The subtalar joint was affected by SCO and SMOT in opposite ways, which should be considered in the treatment algorithm. Clinical Relevance: SCO may be considered a reliable option for beneficial load-shifting in ankles with neutral alignment or 5° varus malalignment.
Terahertz Antenna-in-Package Design and Measurement for 6G Communications Systems

This article presents the novel design techniques for terahertz (THz) antenna-in-package (AiP) to overcome issues resulting from multilayer printed circuit board (PCB)-based antenna array integration, fabrication, and measurement. We propose a wideband dual-polarized stub-loaded proximity-coupled stacked patch antenna and vertical power divider as design solutions. Circuit analysis is performed to provide the equivalent circuit model and its design validity. We designed, simulated, and measured a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4 \times 1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> subarray, which ultimately builds THz <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8 \times 8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> AiP for the next generation 6G communications system. The designed proximity-coupled stacked patch antenna employs open and short stubs in via transition of the antenna’s feeding for bandwidth enhancement. The designed power divider is constructed vertically to minimize the size of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4 \times 1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> subarray. This innovative power-splitting architecture significantly decreases the complexity of the feeding network because the divider is designed without conventional T-junctions and quarter wavelength impedance transformers (ITs); thus, the size of the dual-fed dual-polarized <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4 \times 1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> subarray, limited by two four-way power dividers can be shrunken considerably. Based on these proposed techniques, we fabricated and measured an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8 \times 8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> antenna array package on our custom-built probe station. The measured boresight gain of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8 \times 8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> antenna array package exceeds 17.1 dBi within the operating bandwidth of 136–148 GHz.