Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated Color Coding and Monochrome Multi-Spectral Fusion

Abstract : This paper describes a new integrated color coding and a contrast-based monochromatic fusion process. The fusion process is aimed for on board real time application and it is based on practical and computationally efficient image processing components. We developed two methods for color coding that utilize the monochrome fused image. Each of the color coding methods provides consistency of color presentation as a function of daytime, background variability and illumination conditions. The new monochrome fusion process maximizes the information content in the combined image, while retaining visual clues that are essential for navigation/piloting tasks. The method is a multi scale fusion process that provides a combination of pixel selection from a single image and a weighting of the two-multiple images. The spectral region is divided into spatial sub bands of different scales, and within each scale a combination rule for the corresponding pixels taken from the two components is applied. Even when the combination rule is a binary selection the combined fused image may have a combination of pixel values taken from the two components at various scales since it is taken at each scale. We also applied a combination rule that takes a weighted sum of the two pixel values.
Propositions as Types

Image factorizations in regular categories are stable under pullbacks, so they model a natural modal operator in dependent type theory. This unary type constructor [A] has turned up previously in a syntactic form as a way of erasing computational content, and formalizing a notion of proof irrelevance. Indeed, semantically, the notion of a support is sometimes used as surrogate proposition asserting inhabitation of an indexed family. We give rules for bracket types in dependent type theory and provide complete semantics using regular categories. We show that dependent type theory with the unit type, strong extensional equality types, strong dependent sums, and bracket types is the internal type theory of regular categories, in the same way that the usual dependent type theory with dependent sums and products is the internal type theory of locallyCartesian closed categories. We also show how to interpret first-order logic in type theory with brackets, and we make use of the translation to compare type theory with logic. Specifically, we show that the propositions-as-types interpretation is complete with respect to a certain fragment of intuitionistic first-order logic, in the sense that a formula from the fragment is derivable in intuitionistic first-order logic if, and only if, its interpretation in dependent type theory is inhabited. As a consequence, a modified double-negation translation into type theory (without bracket types) is complete, in the same sense, for all of classical first-order logic.
The problematization of urban sprawl in the United States

This paper examines the controversy over urban sprawl in the United States. Because there is abundant descriptive literature about urban sprawl as well as numerous prescriptive “strategies” and “toolkits” to “tame” and “fight” sprawl, this paper instead examines urban sprawl as a social construction and specifically focuses on its non-problematization, the phenomenon of social groups which do not or refuse to acknowledge sprawl as a legitimate problem.
Long-term potentiation.

History and Definition In 1973, two reports appeared in the Journal of Physiology that described a long-term potentiation (L TP) of synaptic transmission at a monosynaptic junction in the mammalian eNS. These two papers, one dealing with the anesthetized rabbit preparation (Bliss & L0mo 1973) and the other dealing with the unanesthetized rabbit (Bliss & Gardner-Medwin 1973), were of considerable interest because they marked the first demonstration of a neurophysiological alteration in the mammalian brain possessing a con­ siderable time-course. Prior to these observations, neurophysiological phenomena were known to be of relatively modest temporal extent. The experiments of Bliss and colleagues showed that in the perforant path to dentate gyrus synapse, substantial increases in synaptic efficacy were observed following tetanic stimulation of afferent fibers. Synaptic efficacy refers to the postsynapti c response to a constant afferent volley. The changes (on the order of a 50% increase in the amplitude of the response) lasted for at least ten hours in the anesthetized preparation and up to 16 weeks in the unanesthetized preparation following a series of tetanic stimuli . These results attracted great interest because of the possi­ bility that the phenomenon might underlie some aspects of memory storage. A critical question-not yet completely answered-was stated by Bliss & Lemo : "Whether or not the intact animal makes use in real life of a property which has been revealed by synchronous, repetitive volleys to a population of fibers the normal and pattern of activity along which are unknown, is another matter" (Bliss & L0mo 1973, p. 355). As we shall see, the available evidence suggests that L TP does occur in conjunction with behavioral learning-although whether it is necessary and sufficient is far from certain.
Homodyne coherent optical communication system based on reflex electro-optic modulator

Abstract. A type of homodyne coherent optical communication system is proposed on the basis of a reflex electro-optic modulator. To measure the performance of this system, the effect of a 100-Gb/s dual polarization-quadrature phase-shift keying system is simulated using OptiSystem software and MATLAB code. The compensation for chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, and nonlinear impairment is carried out by means of digital signal processing. The results show that the performance of the reflective homodyne coherent optical communication system is feasible. It solves the phase-shift problem caused by the frequency offset between the transmitter and local oscillator as well as the laser linewidth. The technique may be useful in practical engineering systems.
Large mammals at forest clearings in the Odzala National Park, Congo

After having been located on maps, 36 forest clearings were explored and the presence of large mammals was recorded in the Northern area of the Pare National d'Odzala, Congo. 13 species of large mammals were observed. Elephants, buffaloes, gorillas, sitatungas, bongos, forest hogs, and giant forest hogs were the most common visitors. At the Maya Nord clearing, the rates of presence of buffaloes, elephants and gorillas were particularly high (71%, 37% and 34% of the observation time respectively) while a group of sitatungas was resident. Differences in the rates of clearing frequentation was found to result from several factors including the past hunting pressure on elephants. Forest clearings constitute an important food source for large mammals which enter clearings for mineral salts contained in soil, water and herbaceous vegetation. They are of great value to maintain the population densities of mammals as well as to develop ecotourism. However, they are also ideal sites for ivory poaching. The richest clearings we explored are not included within the limits of the park: extending these boundaries is a priority.
On static black holes solutions in Einstein and Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with topology ${\bf SO(n) \times SO(n)}$

We study static black hole solutions in Einstein and Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with product two-spheres topology, ${\bf SO(n) \times SO(n)}$, in higher dimensions. There is an unusual new feature of Gauss-Bonnet black hole that the avoidance of non-central naked singularity prescribes a mass range for black hole in terms of $\Lambda>0$. For Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black hole a limited window of negative values for $\Lambda$ is also permitted. This topology encompasses black string and brane as well as a generalized Nariai metric. We also give new solutions with product two-spheres of constant curvatures.
Center for Embedded Computer Systems University of California , Irvine Cross-Layer Interactions of Error Control Schemes in Mobile Multimedia Systems

Soft errors are threatening the system reliability in mobil e devices but traditional hardware protection techniques incur significant overheads in terms of power and performance. Thus, incorporating reliability in resource-limited mobile dev ices poses significant challenges. This paper discusses a cooperative method that exploits existin g error control schemes at an application layer to mitigate the impact of hardware defects such as soft errors for mobile multimedia systems. So we study heterogeneous specifics about two diffe rent errors at two different abstraction layers, and present a cooperative cross-layer approac h to obtain low-cost reliability at the minimal degradation of QoS. In particular, we propose a coop erative approach to combat soft errors at data caches by using dual schemes – a Drop and Forwar d Recovery and an errorresilient video encoding – driven by intelligent middlewar e schemes. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that our cooperative error-aware method for a video encoding with different video streams improves performance by 60% and the energy consumpt ion by 58% with even better reliability at the cost of 3% quality degradation on average , as compared to an ECC-based hardware protection technique. Combining intelligent sch emes to select a recovery mechanism can guide system designers for trading off multiple constra in s such as performance, power, reliability, and QoS.
SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP) 8. Assessing the applicability of systematic reviews

Background: This article is number 8 in a series of 21 articles on tools for evidence-informed health policymaking. Differences between health systems may often result in a policy or programme option not being feasible or acceptable in another setting. Or these may result in a programme or policy not working in the same way in another setting, or even achieving different impacts in another setting. A key challenge that policymakers and those supporting them must face therefore is the need to understand whether research evidence about policies and programmes can be applied to their setting. Systematic reviews make this task easier by summarising the evidence from studies conducted ina variety of different settings. However, many systematic reviews do not provide adequate descriptions of the features of the actual settings in which the original studies were conducted. Objectives: In this article we suggest five questions to guide those assessing the applicability of the findings from systematic reviews to specific settings. Key messages:  The following five questions can be used to guide assessments of the applicability of findings from systematic reviews to specific settings: 1. Were the studies included in a systematic review conducted in the same setting or were the findings consistent across settings or time periods? 2. Are there important differences in on-the-ground realities and constraints that might substantially alter the feasibility and acceptability of a policy or programme option? 3. Are there important differences in health system arrangements that may mean an option could not work in the same way? 4. Are there important differences in the baseline conditions that might yield different absolute effects even if the relative effectiveness were the same? 5. What insights can be drawn about scaling up, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation?  Even if there are reasonable grounds for concluding that the impacts of policy and programme options might differ in a specific setting, insights can almost always be drawn from a systematic review about possible options, approaches to the scaling up and implementation of options, and approaches to monitoring and evaluation STP 08 Assessing the applicability of systematic reviews 2009 06 12 2
The influence of intrafamilial power on maternal health care in Mali: perspectives of women, men and mothers-in-law.

CONTEXT Evidence from diverse settings suggests that women often have limited control over their own reproductive health decisions. To increase uptake of preventive services and behaviors, it is important to understand how intrafamilial power dynamics and the attitudes of women, their husband and their mother-in-law are associated with maternal health practices. METHODS In 317 households in two rural districts of central Mali, women who had given birth in the previous year, their husband and their mother-in-law each completed a survey gauging their attitudes toward constructs of gender, power and health. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations with four maternal health outcomes: antenatal care frequency, antenatal care timing, institutional delivery and postnatal care. RESULTS In multivariable analyses, the preferences and opinions of mothers-in-law were associated with the maternal health behaviors of their daughters-in-law. Women's own perceptions of their self-efficacy, the value of women in society and the quality of services at the local health facility were also independently associated with their preventive and health-seeking practices. Husbands' preferences and opinions were not associated with any outcome. CONCLUSION Interventions focusing on women or couples may be insufficient to advance women's reproductive health in patriarchal societies such as Mali. Future research and programmatic efforts need to address gender norms and consider the influence of other family members, such as mothers-in-law.
MicroRNAs Regulate Brain Morphogenesis in Zebrafish

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally. To block all miRNA formation in zebrafish, we generated maternal-zygotic dicer (MZdicer) mutants that disrupt the Dicer ribonuclease III and double-stranded RNA-binding domains. Mutant embryos do not process precursor miRNAs into mature miRNAs, but injection of preprocessed miRNAs restores gene silencing, indicating that the disrupted domains are dispensable for later steps in silencing. MZdicer mutants undergo axis formation and differentiate multiple cell types but display abnormal morphogenesis during gastrulation, brain formation, somitogenesis, and heart development. Injection of miR-430 miRNAs rescues the brain defects in MZdicer mutants, revealing essential roles for miRNAs during morphogenesis.
Pourquoi les Massa préfèrent-ils le sorgho ?. Heurs et malheurs de la riziculture irriguée au Nord-Cameroun

Depuis 1972 la Societe pour l’Expansion et la Modernisation de la Riziculture de Yagoua a pour objectif de developper la production rizicole en pays massa afin d’approvisionner le marche du Cameroun et de reduire les importations. Plusieurs facteurs s’opposent au succes de l’operation : eloignement des centres urbains du sud dans lesquels la demande est localisee, faible prix du riz importe et absence de protection de la production locale, culture intensive du paddy (double recolte annuelle), et non prise en compte du systeme de production massa dans ses diverses composantes (culture du sorgho, elevage, peche, activites artisanales). Alors que le sorgho rouge est une culture sacralisee et constitue la base de l’alimentation, la SEMRY interdit sur les perimetres irrigues toute autre production que le paddy. Apres bientot trente ans l’operation de developpement est passee d’un modele intensif a fort encadrement a une situation de liberalisation de la filiere (fin du monopole d’achat et de la transformation artisanale du paddy). Bien que concue apres de nombreuses experiences similaires (Office du Niger au Mali, SAED au Senegal, etc.) la SEMRY n’a, semble-t-il, tire aucune lecon du passe.
Screening tertiary butylphenols, methylphenols, and long-chain alkylphenols in the Swedish environment

En screeningstudie har utforts med avseende pa 30 fenoliska amnen, daribland 14 tertiara butylfenoler och beslaktade substanser, 7 metylfenoler och 9 langkedjiga (C8, C9, C12) alkylfenoler. De huvu .
Implementation of a rapid response team: a success story.

ospitals throughout the United States have been implementing rapid response teams (RRTs), also referred to as medical emergency teams. In 1995, Lee et al published one of the first descriptions of the outcomes of using an RRT. In 1999, Goldhill et al reported that implementation of an RRT was associated with a 26% reduction in cardiac arrests before patients were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). In 2000, Bristow et al compared 1 hospital that had an RRT with 2 other hospitals that had conventional cardiac arrest teams. In that study, the hospital with the RRT had fewer unanticipated ICU Implementation of a Rapid Response Team: A Success Story
blessing in disguise: Designing Robust Turing Test by Employing Algorithm Unrobustness

Turing test was originally proposed to examine whether machine's behavior is indistinguishable from a human. The most popular and practical Turing test is CAPTCHA, which is to discriminate algorithm from human by offering recognition-alike questions. The recent development of deep learning has significantly advanced the capability of algorithm in solving CAPTCHA questions, forcing CAPTCHA designers to increase question complexity. Instead of designing questions difficult for both algorithm and human, this study attempts to employ the limitations of algorithm to design robust CAPTCHA questions easily solvable to human. Specifically, our data analysis observes that human and algorithm demonstrates different vulnerability to visual distortions: adversarial perturbation is significantly annoying to algorithm yet friendly to human. We are motivated to employ adversarially perturbed images for robust CAPTCHA design in the context of character-based questions. Three modules of multi-target attack, ensemble adversarial training, and image preprocessing differentiable approximation are proposed to address the characteristics of character-based CAPTCHA cracking. Qualitative and quantitative experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution. We hope this study can lead to the discussions around adversarial attack/defense in CAPTCHA design and also inspire the future attempts in employing algorithm limitation for practical usage.
Analyzing the Effects of Past Visits, Image,and Satisfaction on the Loyalty of Foreign Tourists:A Model of Destination Loyalty

The main purpose of this study is to examine the causal relationships among past visits, image, satisfaction, and loyalty of foreign tourists to destinations in Thailand. The paper reviews the literature and identifies the observed variables used to measure the four latent constructs: past visits, image, satisfaction, and loyalty of tourists. The population of this research was 9,815,466 foreign tourists at the departure terminals in Suvarnabhumi International Airport, who were about to leave Thailand. Following Diamantopoulos and Siguaw (2000), the sample size of 360 respondents was derived from 18 variables multiplied by 20 times, and the usable number of questionnaires was 400. The research instruments used were self-administered questionnaires. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling. The results demonstrate that destination image and satisfaction had strong positive effects on destination loyalty. Further, past visits also had a positive influence on image, satisfaction, and loyalty. Destination marketers should therefore focus on designing and implementing marketing strategies and programs that improve tourist image, satisfaction, and loyalty. This paper is an attempt to fill a gap in the tourism research in Thailand by proposing and testing a causal model of destination loyalty using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique งานวจยนมวตถประสงคหลกเพอสำรวจความสมพนธเชงสาเหตระหวางการทองเทยวทผานมา ภาพลกษณ ความพงพอใจ และความจงรกภกดของนกทองเทยวชาวตางประเทศทมาทองเทยวในประเทศไทย โดยไดทบทวนงานวจยทเกยวของเพอคนหาตวแปรสงเกตไดทใชวดตวแปรแฝง 4 ตวแปร คอ การทองเทยวทผานมา ภาพลกษณ ความพงพอใจ และความจงรกภกดของนกทองเทยว ประชากรของการวจยน คอ นกทองเทยวชาวตางชาตจำนวน 9,815,466 คนทกำลงดำเนนทางออกจากประเทศไทยทสนามบนระหวางประเทศสวรรณภม กลมตวอยางจำนวน 360 คน คำนวณจากคำแนะนำของ Diamantopoulos and Siguaw (2000) โดยใชจำนวนตวแปร 18 ตวคณดวย 20 เทา กลมตวอยางทเกบและใชไดจรงจำนวน 400 วธการสมตวอยางทใชคอ การสมอยางงาย ผลการวจยพบวา ภาพลกษณและความพงพอใจมผลเชงบวกระดบสงตอความจงรกภกดของนกทองเทยว นอกจากน ยงพบวา การทองเทยวทผานมามอทธพลตอภาพลกษณ ความพงพอใจและความจงรกภกดของนกทองเทยว ดงนน นกการตลาดทองเทยวจงควรกำหนดกลยทธและโปรแกรมการตลาดทองเทยวทสงเสรมภาพลกษณ ความพงพอใจ และความจงรกภกดของนกทองเทยวเพอทำใหนกทองเทยวตองการกลบมาเทยวประเทศไทยอกในอนาคต งานวจยนเปนความพยายามทจะสงเสรมการวจยดานการทองเทยวโดยนำเสนอและทดสอบโมเดลเชงสาเหตความจงรกภกดตอแหลงทองเทยวดวยเทคนคโมเดลสมการเชงโครงสราง
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring: Effect on Use of Medical Services and Medical Care Costs

The objective of this study was to determine whether a hypertension management program in which patients monitor their own blood pressure (BF) at home can reduce costs without compromising BP control. The prospective, randomized, controlled 1-year clinical trial was conducted at four medical centers of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in the San Francisco Bay Area. Of 467 patients with uncomplicated hypertension who were referred by their physicians, 37 declined to participate in the study; 215 were randomly assigned to a Usual Care (UC) group and 215 to a Home BP group. Twenty-five UC patients and 15 Home BP patients did not return for year-end BP measurements. Patients in the UC group were referred back to their physicians. Patients in the Home BP group were trained to measure their own BP and return the readings by mail. Patients were given a standard procedure to follow in case of unusually high or low BP readings at home. The number and type of outpatient medical services used were obtained from patient medical records for the study year and the prior year. Costs of care for hypertension were calculated by assigning relative value units to each outpatient service. Trained technicians measured each patient's BP at entry into the study and 1 year later. Home BP patients made 1.2 fewer hypertension-related office visits than UC patients during the study year (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8,1.7). Mean adjusted cost for physician visits, telephone calls, and laboratory tests associated with hypertension care was $88.76 per patient per year in the Home BP group, 29% less than in the UC group (95% CI: $16.11, $54.74). The annualized cost of implementing the home BP system was approximately $28 per patient during the study year and would currently be approximately $15. After 1 year, BP control in men in the Home BP group was better than in men in the UC group; BP control was equally good in women in both groups. Management of uncomplicated hypertension based on periodic home BP reports can achieve BP control with fewer physician visits, resulting in substantial cost savings.
The multiannual regime of precipitation in Târgu Jiu Depression (Gorjului Subcarpathians) over the 1961-2010 period.

This paper analyzes the temporal precipitation characteristics of the Târgu Jiu Depression, Getic Subcarpathians (South West Romania) over the 1961-2010 period. The study used monthly precipitation database for Târgu Jiu climatic station. Annual precipitation concentrations have been examined in context of their multi-annual mean values and inter-annual variability. To assess the trends have been used parametric and non-parametric tests. The results obtained indicate an increase in precipitation amount for 1961-2010 period reported at mean of 20 century, especially for the beginning of 21 century. To compare these values, the 30years climate normal has been computed. However, Mann-Kendal rank test application for the period under review indicates that there is no positive or negative trend.