Search

Micro-expression is an expression that reveals one's true feelings and can be potentially applied in various domains such as healthcare, safety interrogation, and business negotiation. The micro-expression recognition is thus far being judged manually by psychologists and trained experts, which consumes a lot of human effort and time. Recently, the development of the deep learning network has proven promising performance in many computer vision-related tasks. Amongst, micro-expression recognition adopts the deep learning methodology to improve the feature learning capability and model generalization. This paper introduces a lightweight apex-based enhanced network that improves by extending one of the state-of-the-art, shallow triple stream three-dimensional CNN. Concretely, the network is first pre-trained with a macro-expression dataset to encounter the small data problem. The features were extracted from CASME II, SMIC, and SAMM datasets. Moreover, thorough recognition results comparison of the datasets are the optical flow-guided features. Besides, an eye masking technique is introduced to reduce noise interference such as eye blinking and glasses reflection issues. The results obtained have an accuracy of 79.19 % and an F1-score of 75.9 % . Comprehensive experimentation had been conducted on the composite dataset that consists of is provided by comparing it with recent methods. Detailed qualitative and quantitative results are reported and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to reveal more of the hidden secrets of the Cheops Pyramid in terms of the descending rays of the sun during the equinox falling upon the azimuth of the diagonal secant position at the solar successions. The methodology used to complete this investigation project is based on the collection and analysis of data related to the erection principles practiced when the pyramid was constructed during the era of the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. These principles are the key for the geometrical representations of the balanced states across the residual depictions of the sun's position relative to the Cheops Pyramid during the equinox. This research has found that the apex is an inevitable predetermined inclusion within the theorem of universal expansion. Moreover, the inclinations of the pyramid were set to predetermine the location of its plumb line, thereby serving as a guiding factor in erecting the blocks of the Cheops Pyramid. The main conclusion is that there is a strong relationship between the Cheops Pyramid geometry, the erection of its steps, and the solar equinox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The world we live in everyday, accompany with enormous numbers of minute variations which affect us and our surroundings in several aspects. These variations, so called micro-changes, are low in intensity and brief in duration which makes them almost invisible to naked eyes. Nonetheless, revealing them could open up a new wide range of applications from security, business, engineering, medical, and seismology to psychology. Methods: In this paper, we adopted a novel autonomous approach comprising Partial Differential Equations (PDE) and Cubic Uniform Local Binary Pattern (Cubic-ULBP) to spot micro-changes. Cubic-ULBP extracts 15 planes containing robust features against noise and illumination variations. Afterwards, PDE pick out single plane out of 15 to reduce time consumption. Results: The proposed method is not only optimized to get the job done perfectly but also provides promising results comparing with most state-of-the-art methods. So that the accuracy is increased about 36% and 40% on the CASME and the CASME II databases, respectively. Conclusion: The combination of the PDE and the Cubic-ULBP creates a strong and optimal method for detecting the apex frame and micro-movement. This method's performance is found to be promising when the training samples are scarce, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The orbital apex is the narrowest part of the orbit, housing the link between the intracranial cavity and orbit. Knowledge of orbital apex anatomy is crucial to selecting a surgical approach and reducing the risk of complications. Our purpose is to summarize current knowledge on surgical anatomy and attempt to reach a consensus on definition of the orbital apex. Methods: The online databases of Embase, the Cochrane library, Web of Science and PubMed (MEDLINE) were queried in a comprehensive bibliographic search on the (surgical) anatomy of the orbital apex and consisted of a combination of two subjects, using indexed terms and free text: "Orbital Apex" and "Orbital Anatomy." Results: A total of 114 relevant papers were included in this review. Numerous anatomical variations are described in the literature. Variations of the optic canal include duplication (0.64%) and keyhole anomaly (2.65%). Variations in pneumatization of the anterior clinoid process were unilateral in almost 10%, bilateral in 9%, and normal in 72%. A rare variant of the superior orbital fissure (SOF) is Warwick's foramen, which appears as if the lowest portion of the SOF was separated from the main fissure by a transverse bony bridge. Conclusion: The definition of the orbital apex varies in the literature, and further research would most likely identify additional variations. A universal definition reporting these variations and pathology and imaging findings is essential for determining the optimal surgical approach to the orbital apex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the development and advancement of artificial intelligence, numerous works have been established in the human facial expression recognition system. Meanwhile, the detection and classification of micro-expressions have been attracting attention from various research communities in the recent few years. In this paper, we first review the processes of a conventional optical-flow-based recognition system. Concisely, it comprises four basic steps: facial landmarks annotations (to detect the face and locate the landmark coordinates), optical flow guided images computation (to describe the dynamic changes on the face), feature extraction (to summarize the features encoded) and emotion class categorization (to build a classification model based on the given training data). Secondly, a few approaches have been implemented to improve the feature extraction part, such as exploiting GAN to generate more image samples. Particularly, several variations of optical flow are computed in order to generate optimal images, which lead to high recognition accuracies. Next, GAN, a combination of Generator and Discriminator, is utilized to generate new "fake" images to increase the sample size. Thirdly, a modified state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks is proposed. In brief, multiple optical flow derived components are adopted in the OFF-ApexNet structure to better represent the facial subtle motion changes. From the experiment results obtained, the additional optical flow information computed does not complement the feature extraction stage, and thus leading to poorer recognition performance. On the other hand, the implementation of GAN to the input data improves the performance in SMIC dataset, by achieving the accuracy of 61.80%, 62.20% and 60.98% for AC-GAN, SAGAN and without GAN images, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a general framework for constructing a predictive distribution of the exposure to an environmental hazard sustained by a randomly selected member of a designated population. The individual’s exposure is assumed to arise from random movement through the environment, resulting in a distribution of exposure that can be used for environmental risk analysis. A specialization of the general framework is that of predicting human exposure to air pollution that can be used to develop models for such things as exposure to particulate matter; practical aspects of their construction are considered. These models can help answer questions such as what fraction of the population sustained ‘high’ levels of exposure for say 5 days in a row. The immediate implementation of the above framework takes the form of a computing platform referred to as pCNEM. This provides a facility for simulating exposures to airborne pollutants and is described in detail elsewhere. This paper considers some theoretical aspects underpinning probabilistic exposure models of this type, with the ideas illustrated in developing a model for predicting human exposure to PM 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral imagery originating from airborne sensors is nowadays widely used for the detailed characterization of land surface. The correct mapping of the pixel positions to ground locations largely contributes to the success of the applications. Accurate geometric correction, also referred to as 'orthorectification', is thus an important prerequisite which must be performed prior to using airborne imagery for evaluations like change detection, or mapping or overlaying the imagery with existing data sets or maps. A so-called 'ortho-image' provides an accurate representation of the earth's surface, having been adjusted for lens distortions, camera tilt and topographic relief. In this paper, we describe the different steps in the geometric correction process of APEX hyperspectral data, as applied in the Central Data Processing Center (CDPC) at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO, Mol, Belgium). APEX ortho-images are generated through direct georeferencing of the raw images, thereby making use of sensor interior and exterior orientation data, boresight calibration data and elevation data. They can be referenced to any userspecified output projection system and can be resampled to any output pixel size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oracle Cloud Machine Learning toolkit was used in the work to study time series forecasting methods. The choice of tools was dictated by conducting research at the State Tax University (Irpin) for further use of the results in the work of regional and central divisions of the state tax service, whose information systems are developed on the Oracle platform. Holt-Winters exponential smoothing algorithms, currently represented by the functions of the application programming interface for machine learning models of the PL/SQL package DBMS_DATA_MINING, were investigated. The research used personal income tax data for 2015-2023, obtained from the tax office in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Higher accuracy (MAE=3.57%) was shown by the algorithm of the Holt-Winters multiplicative exponential smoothing model with a fading multiplicative trend and multiplicative seasonality. Oracle Machine Learning for SQL implements exponential smoothing using a state of the art state space method that incorporates a single source of error (SSOE) assumption which provides theoretical and performance advantages. Access to research results is organized using the APEX web application creation tool. The considered toolkit will help in making decisions when assessing the base of the tax potential of the region and planning tax revenues. The results of the Holt-Winters exponential smoothing model algorithms research are presented and the losses of personal income tax in Ivano-Frankivsk region in 2022 are estimated

Computer devices using touch-enabled technology are becoming more prevalent today. The application of a touch screen high definition surgical monitor could allow not only high definition video from an endoscopic camera to be displayed, but also the display and interaction with relevant patient and health related data. However, this technology has not been quickly embraced by all health care organizations. Although traditional keyboard or mouse-based software programs may function flawlessly on a touch-based device, many are not practical due to the usage of small buttons, fonts and very complex menu systems. This paper describes an approach taken to overcome these problems. A real case study was used to demonstrate the novelty and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing has been successfully utilized to distinguish and quantify sediment properties in the intertidal environment. Classification approaches of imagery are popular and powerful yet can lead to site- and case-specific results. Such specificity creates challenges for temporal studies. Thus, this paper investigates the use of regression models to quantify sediment properties instead of classifying them. Two regression approaches, namely multiple regression (MR) and support vector regression (SVR), are used in this study for the retrieval of bio-physical variables of intertidal surface sediment of the IJzermonding, a Belgian nature reserve. In the regression analysis, mud content, chlorophyll a concentration, organic matter content, and soil moisture are estimated using radiometric variables of two airborne sensors, namely airborne hyperspectral sensor (AHS) and airborne prism experiment (APEX) and and using field hyperspectral acquisitions by analytical spectral device (ASD). The performance of the two regression approaches is best for the estimation of moisture content. SVR attains the highest accuracy without feature reduction while MR achieves good results when feature reduction is carried out. Sediment property maps are successfully obtained using the models and hyperspectral imagery where SVR used with all bands achieves the best performance. The study also involves the extraction of weights identifying the contribution of each band of the images in the quantification of each sediment property when MR and principal component analysis are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat offers winter forage for cattle grazing and is one of the most valuable cash crops in Texas. In this study, we evaluate the impacts of climate change projections on winter wheat grain yields in five major wheat producing counties in Texas (Deaf Smith, Ochiltree, Hansford, Moore, and Parmer). For this purpose, extant soil and climate data were utilized in conjunction with Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project—Phase 5 (CMIP 5) climate projections to determine the most reasonable future trajectory of Texas winter wheat yields. The results indicate that Deaf Smith and Parmer counties are projected to experience the greatest yield decrease, 33.33%, about 696 kg/ha under the CMIP5 RCP4.5 (Texas projected temperature increase between 2.2 and 3.3 °C) 2046–2070 scenario compared to a 1981–2017 baseline. The maximum percentage yield increase was noticed in Ochiltree County under the CMIP5 RCP8.5 2071–2095 scenario, with an 84.2% (about 1857 kg/ha) yield increase compared to the 1981–2017 baseline. Parmer County is projected to experience the greatest yield decrease of 20%, about 348 kg/ha, under the RCP4.5 2046–2070 scenario when compared to the 1981–2005 baseline. The maximum percentage yield increase is projected for Ochiltree County—a 105.9% increase, about 2089 kg/ha—under the RCP8.5 2071–2095 scenario when compared to the 1981–2005 baseline. In general, with few exceptions, winter wheat yields are projected to rise under the projected climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric correction plays a crucial role among the processing steps applied to remotely sensed hyperspectral data. Atmospheric correction comprises a group of procedures needed to remove atmospheric effects from observed spectra, i.e. the transformation from at-sensor radiances to at-surface radiances or reflectances. In this paper we present the different steps in the atmospheric correction process for APEX hyperspectral data as applied by the Central Data Processing Center (CDPC) at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO, Mol, Belgium). The MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission program (MODTRAN) is used to determine the source of radiation and for applying the actual atmospheric correction. As part of the overall correction process, supporting algorithms are provided in order to derive MODTRAN configuration parameters and to account for specific effects, e.g. correction for adjacency effects, haze and shadow correction, and topographic BRDF correction. The methods and theory underlying these corrections and an example of an application are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

APEX (Airborne Prism EXperiment) is a high spectral and spatial resolution hyperspectral sensor developed by a Swiss-Belgian consortium on behalf of the European Space Agency. Since the acceptance of the instrument in 2010, it has been operated jointly by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO, Mol, Belgium) and the Remote Sensing Laboratories (RSL, Zurich, Switzerland). During this period, several flight campaigns have been performed across Europe, gathering over 4 Terabytes of raw data. Following radiometric, geometric and atmospheric processing, this data has been provided to a multitude of Belgian and European researchers, institutes and agencies, including the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Facility for Airborne Research (EUFAR) and the Belgian Science Policy Office (BelSPO). The applications of APEX data span a wide range of research topics, e.g. landcover mapping (mountainous, coastal, countryside and urban regions), the assessment of important structural and (bio)physical characteristics of vegetative and non-vegetative species, the tracing of atmospheric gases, and water content analysis (chlorophyll, suspended matter). Recurrent instrument calibration, accurate flight planning and preparation, and experienced pilots and instrument operators are crucial to successful data acquisition campaigns. In this paper, we highlight in detail these practical aspects of a typical APEX data acquisition campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A return mapping algorithm in principal stress space for unified strength theory (UST) model is presented in this paper. In contrast to Mohr-Coulomb and Tresca models, UST model contains two planes and three corners in the sextant of principal stress space, and the apex is formed by the intersection of 12 corners rather than the six corners of Mohr-Coulomb in the whole principal stress space. In order to utilize UST model, the existing return mapping algorithm in principal stress space is modified. The return mapping schemes for one plane, middle corner, and apex of UST model are derived, and corresponding consistent constitutive matrices in principal stress space are constructed. Because of the flexibility of UST, the present model is not only suitable for analysis based on the traditional yield functions, such as Mohr-Coulomb, Tresca, and Mises, but might also be used for analysis based on a series of new failure criteria. The accuracy of the present model is assessed by the iso-error maps. Three numerical examples are also given to demonstrate the capability of the present algorithm. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free convection flow over an isothermal vertical cone immersed in a fluid with variable viscosity and MHD is studied in this paper. Using appropriate variables, the basic equations are transformed into the non-dimensional boundary-layer equations. These equations are then solved numerically using a very efficient implicit finite-difference method known as Crankl-Nicolson scheme. Detailed results for the velocity, temperature, skin friction, and heat transfer rates for a selection of parameter sets consisting of the viscosity parameter, magnetic field parameter, and Prandtl number are discussed. In order to validate our numerical results, the present results are compared with the available work in the literature and are found to be in an excellent agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract When a person attempts to conceal an emotion, the genuine emotion is manifest as a micro-expression. Exploration of automatic facial micro-expression recognition systems is relatively new in the computer vision domain. This is due to the difficulty in implementing optimal feature extraction methods to cope with the subtlety and brief motion characteristics of the expression. Most of the existing approaches extract the subtle facial movements based on hand-crafted features. In this paper, we address the micro-expression recognition task with a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture, which well integrates the features extracted from each video. We introduce the Optical Flow Features from Apex frame Network (OFF-ApexNet). This is a new feature descriptor that combines the optical flow guided context with the CNN. Firstly, we obtain the location of the apex frame from each video sequence as it portrays the highest intensity of facial motion among all frames. Then, the optical flow information are attained from the apex frame and a reference frame (i.e., onset frame). Finally, the optical flow features are fed into a pre-designed CNN model for further feature enhancement as well as to carry out the expression classification. To evaluate the effectiveness of OFF-ApexNet method, comprehensive evaluations are conducted on three public spontaneous micro-expression datasets (i.e., SMIC, CASME II and SAMM). The promising recognition result suggests that the proposed method can optimally describe the significant micro-expression details. In particular, we report that, in a multi-database with leave-one-subject-out cross-validation (LOSOCV) experimental protocol, the recognition performance reaches 74.60% of recognition accuracy and F-measure of 71.04%. We also note that this is the first work that performs cross-dataset validation on three databases in this domain. Highlights • Only two frames from each video were utilized to represent significant motion features. • A feature extractor that incorporates both the handcrafted and data-drive features were proposed. • Promising performances were obtained in three micro-expression databases. • A comparison of the proposed method with the state-of-the-arts was reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract One of the tenets of mammalian auditory physiology is that the frequency selectivity at the cochlear base decreases as a function of stimulus level. Changes in frequency selectivity have been shown to be accompanied by changes in response phases as a function of stimulus level. The existence of such nonlinear properties has been revealed by the analysis of either direct or indirect recordings of mechanical vibrations of the cochlea. Direct measurements of cochlear mechanical vibrations, however, have been carried out with success primarily in cochlear regions that are tuned to frequencies >7 kHz, but not in regions sensitive to lower frequencies. In this paper we continue to analyze recently published data from measurements of sound-induced vibrations at four locations near the apex of the intact guinea pig cochlea, in a region encompassing approximately 25% of its total length. Analysis of the responses at all locations reveal level-dependent phase properties that are rather different from those usually reported at the base of the cochlea of laboratory animals such as the chinchilla. Cochlear group delays, for example, increase or remain constant with increasing stimulus. Similarly, frequency selectivity at all the regions increases as a function of stimulus level. Highlights • The base and the apex of the cochlea process sounds in a different fashion. • Nonlinear amplification of vibrations at the apex is smaller than at the base. • Nonlinear phase changes at the apex and at the base are different. • Group delays increase or remain constant with stimulus level at the apex. • Frequency selectivity increases with stimulus level at the apex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new solution to geo-register the nearly feature-less maritime video feeds. We detect the horizon using sizable or uniformly moving vessels, and estimate the vertical apex using water reflections of the street lamps. The computed horizon and apex provide a metric rectification that removes the affine distortions and reduces the searching space for geo-registration. Geo-registration is obtained by searching the best orientation where the estimated water masks on satellite images and camera views are matched. The proposed solution has the following contributions: first, water and coastlines are used as features for registration between horizontally looking maritime views and satellite images. Second, water reflections are proposed to estimate the vertical vanishing point. Third, we give algorithms for the detection of water areas in both satellite images and camera views. Experimental results and applications on cross camera tracking are demonstrated. We also discuss several observations, as well as limitations of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the thermal buckling of composite shells with selected boundary conditions under uniform and linearly distributed thermal load is investigated. The theoretical modeling procedure is based on semi-analytical finite element method. The effects of important structural parameters such as amount of cut-out at apex, fiber angles as well as temperature distributions are taken into consideration. The obtained results from the present analysis are compared with some available published results to show the accuracy and robustness of the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Background and Aims Root axes elongate slowly and swell radially under mechanical impedance. However, temporal and spatial changes to impeded root apices have only been described qualitatively. This paper aims (a) to quantify morphological changes to root apices and (b) assess whether these changes pre-dispose young root tissues to hypoxia.• Methods Lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) seedlings were grown into coarse sand that was pressurized through a diaphragm to generate mechanical impedance on growing root axes. In situ observations yielded growth rates and root response to hypoxia. Roots were then removed to assess morphology, cell lengths and local growth velocities. Oxygen uptake into excised segments was measured.• Key Results An applied pressure of 15 kPa slowed root extension by 75 % after 10–20 h while the same axes thickened by about 50 %. The most terminal 2–3 mm of axes did not respond morphologically to impedance, in spite of the slower flux of cells out of this region. The basal boundary of root extension encroached to within 4 mm of the apex (cf. 10 mm in unimpeded roots), while radial swelling extended 10 mm behind the apex in impeded roots. Oxygen demand by segments of these short, thick, impeded roots was significantly different from segments of unimpeded roots when the zones of elongation in each treatment were compared. Specifically, impeded roots consumed O2 faster and O2 consumption was more likely to be O2-limited over a substantial proportion of the elongation zone, making these roots more susceptible to O2 deficit. Impeded roots used more O2 per unit growth (measured as either unit of elongation or unit of volumetric expansion) than unimpeded roots. Extension of impeded roots in situ was O2-limited at sub-atmospheric O2 levels (21 % O2), while unimpeded roots were only limited below 11 % O2.• Conclusions The shift in the zone of extension towards the apex in impeded roots coincided with greater vulnerability to hypoxia even after soil was removed. Roots still encased in impeded soil are likely to suffer from marked O2 deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field-experiment campaigns of the Asian Atmospheric Particulate Environment Change Studies (APEX-E1 in December 2000, -E2 in spring 2001, and -E3 in spring 2003) aimed at understanding Asian aerosols. Our sun/sky photometric measurements of atmospheric light have joined these campaigns by using multispectral photometers (CE-318-1 and -2, Cimel Electronique; and POM-100P, Prede) at Noto, Shirahama, and Fukue-jima, Japan. This paper focuses on aerosol retrieval during the APEX-E3 campaign. Aerosol optical thickness, Ångström exponent, single-scattering albedo and the refractive index derived from these ground-based measurements can be classified into three categories of aerosols: (1) an oceanic type of typical background aerosols over Japan, (2) an anthropogenic type, and (3) a soil-dust type. The data from APEX experiments demonstrate that aerosols over Japan exhibit complicated spatial and temporal features involving mixtures of compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Within the magnetic fusion energy program in the US, a program called APEX is investigating the use of free flowing liquid surfaces to form the inner surface of the chamber around the plasma. As part of this work, the APEX Team has investigated several possible design implementations and developed a specific engineering concept for a fusion reactor with liquid walls. Our approach has been to utilize an already established design for a future fusion reactor, the ARIES-RS, for the basic chamber geometry and magnetic configuration, and to replace the chamber technology in this design with liquid wall technology for a first wall and divertor and a blanket with adequate tritium breeding. This paper gives an overview of one design with a molten salt (a mixture of lithium, beryllium and sodium fluorides) forming the liquid surfaces and a ferritic steel for the structural material of the blanket. The design point is a reactor with 3840MW of fusion power of which 767MW is in the form of energetic particles (alpha power) and 3073MW is in the form of neutrons. The alpha plus auxiliary power total 909MW of which 430MW is radiated from the core mostly onto the first wall and the balance flows into the edge plasma and is distributed between the first wall and the divertor. In pursuing the application of liquid surfaces in APEX, the team has developed analytical tools that are significant achievements themselves and also pursued experiments on flowing liquids. This work is covered elsewhere, but the paper will also note several such areas to indicate the supporting science behind the design presented. Significant new work in modeling the plasma edge to understand the interaction of the plasma with the liquid walls is one example. Another is the incorporation of magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) effects in fluid modeling and heat transfer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper summarizes results of experimental and theoretical studies related to the flow of liquids with a free surface and poor electrical and thermal conductivity, such as molten salts, under conditions relevant to fusion energy systems. These results have been obtained over last several years when developing the liquid wall concept as a part of the APEX project [M.A. Abdou, The APEX TEAM, On the exploration of innovative concepts for fusion chamber technology, Fusion Eng. Des. 54 (2001) 181–247]. As a theoretical tool a modified K–ε model of turbulence coupled with the Navier–Stokes equations written in the thin-shear-layer approximation is used for studying wavy, turbulent flows in a spanwise magnetic field. The experimental part covers current results for supercritical flows in regimes transitional from “weak” to “strong” turbulence, which are expected to occur in the reference liquid wall flows. The paper also describes on-going work on novel schemes of heat transfer promotion and current directions for direct numerical simulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of combinations of management practices on the sustainability of rangelands in different ecoregions across the Great Plains. Six study sites were selected in Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota, encompassing the Flint Hills, High Plains, and Sandhills ecoregions. Twelve rangeland management scenarios were developed from combinations of stocking density (light, moderate, heavy), grazing management (continuous, rotational), and fire regime (no burn, spring burn) along with a no-management scenario. Each scenario was simulated at each site using established computer models: Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender model, Integrated Farm System Model, and Impact Analysis for Planning. Additionally, human-edible nutrient conversion was computed. A sustainability index was developed to encompass the three sustainability pillars (i.e., environmental, economic, and social) into a single value. Unmanaged rangelands generally had less soil (20%), nitrogen (30%), and phosphorus (50%) losses, although this was not consistent across ecoregions, and similar or greater soil carbon deposition than grazed rangelands. There was an interaction among stocking density, grazing management, fire regime, and ecoregion for many indicators of soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, economic activity, and human-edible nutrient conversion. The scenarios with the greatest overall sustainability index value had moderate to high index values for each of the three pillars (people, planet, profit). In conclusion, the ranking of rangeland management practices based on sustainability indicators was inconsistent across ecoregions, indicating that the optimal management system to improve sustainability of rangelands is not the same for all ecoregions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent interest and advances in facial micro-expression research, there is still plenty of room for improvement in terms of micro-expression recognition. Conventional feature extraction approaches for micro-expression video consider either the whole video sequence or a part of it, for representation. However, with the high-speed video capture of micro-expressions (100–200 fps), are all frames necessary to provide a sufficiently meaningful representation? Is the luxury of data a bane to accurate recognition? A novel proposition is presented in this paper, whereby we utilize only two images per video, namely, the apex frame and the onset frame. The apex frame of a video contains the highest intensity of expression changes among all frames, while the onset is the perfect choice of a reference frame with neutral expression. A new feature extractor, Bi-Weighted Oriented Optical Flow (Bi-WOOF) is proposed to encode essential expressiveness of the apex frame. We evaluated the proposed method on five micro-expression databases—CAS(ME) 2 , CASME II, SMIC-HS, SMIC-NIR and SMIC-VIS. Our experiments lend credence to our hypothesis, with our proposed technique achieving a state-of-the-art F1-score recognition performance of 0.61 and 0.62 in the high frame rate CASME II and SMIC-HS databases respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro multiplication of okra is known to be delicate due to its recalcitrant nature. The current study was conducted to investigate the potential applications of thidiazuron (TDZ) on okra's in vitro regeneration. Cotyledonary leaves, hypocotyls and apices were taken from 15-day old in vitro grown seedlings, they were then inoculated on Gamborg (B5) medium containing different plant growth regulators. Maximum callus formation (100%) was obtained from cotyledonary leaves and hypocotyls on B5 without hormones also by adding 0.5 mgL-1 TDZ and 1 mgL-1 BAP for cotyledonary leaves followed by B5 containing 1 mgL-1 TDZ and 1 mgL-1 BAP with 95.83% of calli formed from hypocotyls. B5 supplemented with 1 mgL-1 of TDZ gave the highest rate (100%) of direct regeneration from apices followed by Gamborg medium without PGRs and B5 containing an equimolar concentration of TDZ and BAP with 66.66% of shoot formation. This regeneration system can be used to produce healthy plantlets with a low risk of genetic instability and somaclonal variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the ecological benefits of no-till are largely indisputable, the economic impacts are less certain, and the latter may be partly to blame for lower-than-expected adoption of no-till. In this study, we contribute to a better understanding of the ecosystem and farm-level economic impacts of no-till, with Buchanan County in the northeastern region of the U.S. State of Iowa as the backdrop due to previously established data and model validation efforts in that region. Using the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) and Farm Economic Model (FEM), we simulated two tillage scenarios—a conservation tillage baseline and no-till—for continuous corn and corn–soybean rotations in Buchanan County using gridded historical climate data. We find that no-till provides clear ecosystem benefits, except that soluble nutrient losses might actually rise. We also find that under current commodity prices for corn and soybeans, no-till is not as profitable as the conservation tillage baseline. For no-till to be at least as profitable as the baseline under current commodity prices, the yield penalty associated with no-till cannot be higher than 1.5% for corn and 0.8% for soybeans, or similar combinations that entail a revenue penalty of about $24,000 for an 809-hectare continuous corn or corn–soybean operation. Given the simulated yield penalties associated with no-till, corn and soybean prices would have to be substantially lower in order for no-till to break even. Consequently, incentives for conservation practice implementation may need to be tied to commodity prices and yield penalties in order to elicit greater adoption rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality simulation models such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Agricultural Policy EXtender (APEX) are widely used in the US. These models require large amounts of spatial and tabular data to simulate the natural world. Accurate and seamless daily climatic data are critical for accurate depiction of the hydrologic cycle, yet these data are among the most difficult to obtain and process. In this paper we describe the development of a national (US) database of preprocessed climate data derived from monitoring stations applicable to USGS 12-digit watersheds. Various sources and processing methods are explored and discussed. A relatively simple method was employed to choose representative stations for each of the 83,000 12-digit watersheds in the continental US. Fully processed climate data resulting from this research were published online to facilitate other SWAT and APEX modeling efforts in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonpoint source pollution from cultivated croplands has often been associated with downstream water quality impairment in various watersheds. Given projected changes in global climate patterns, this study contributes to the existing literature by elucidating the impacts of climate projections on edge-of-field surface runoff and sediment and nutrient losses. We apply a well-tested ecohydrological model, Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX), to continuous corn and corn–soybean fields in Buchanan County, Iowa, using climate scenarios developed from three well-known representative concentration pathway (RCP) climate projections: RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5. Our results indicate that there will be a moderate to substantial increase in surface runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses depending upon the reference point of comparison (baseline scenario) and upon which climate scenario actually materializes. However, regardless of which climate scenario materializes and regardless of the baseline for comparison, soluble nitrogen losses are bound to increase, the magnitude depending upon the climate scenario. We find also that nutrient losses will be higher from continuous corn fields than from corn–soybean fields, given the tillage practices implemented on corn versus soybeans in the study area. Similarly, we find that nutrient losses may be higher from fields that receive manure than fields that receive only inorganic fertilizer, though this latter finding may be predicated upon the specific nutrient application rates utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projections of climate patterns through the end of the 21st century indicate varying impacts across the U.S. However, a common thread of these projections calls for increasing atmospheric temperatures in every region, some more pronounced than others. The significance of these projections for corn and soybean production cannot be overestimated. This study contributes to our understanding of climate change impacts on production and farm revenues by projecting their impacts on corn and soybean yields in Buchanan County, Iowa, a county in the center of the Corn Belt. Projections indicate that as atmospheric temperatures rise and precipitation levels vary markedly, the result is a significant decline in corn and soybean yields, the latter to a lesser extent, as compared to long-term yield trends. Depending upon the climate change scenario that will materialize, corn yields are projected to decline by up to 29%, while soybean yields are projected to decline by up to 24% from their normal upward trends by the year 2100. Due to the long-term upward trends in yields, corn and soybean yields will increase in absolute terms by the end of the century. Depending upon the climate change scenario, actual corn and soybean yields will increase by 30 to 57% and 30 to 66%, respectively, by the end of the 21st century, significantly less than they would have in the absence of these climate projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tires are one of the most basic and important components of vehicles, including bicycles, cars, trucks, and aircraft. They consist of several layers that provide complex and dynamically changing functions. This work aims to optimize the mounting process of the tire apex to the bead. The bead locks the tire to the rim and helps minimize the risk of rim slip, and the apex provides dynamic stiffness, stress distribution, and driving stability. In mounting the apex onto the bead, air can be trapped between the apex and bead, which is an undesirable and significant problem in tire manufacturing. An FE model was created to simulate and optimize this process. After modifying the apex dimensions, the air was displaced from the space between the apex and the bead. Based on the simulation results, a set of recommendations for producing suitable apex shapes is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every university needs some kind of information system that will allow the university to record students, teachers, student results and other elements related to the student's studies. Such software is called an academic information system. This paper describes the analysis, design, implementation and testing of similar system. However, unlike a typical academic information system, this system, which was created as part of a bachelor's thesis on the topic Analytical Tool for the University Data Management, also contains advanced analytical tools that will allow both students and teachers to analyse the course of study of individual students and find the weak points of teaching and educational process. In order to create the analytical tool, it was first necessary to analyse the transition of students through their studies. The Faculty of Management and Informatics of the University of Žilina was used as a source of this analysis. Based on this analysis, we designed a database that uses Oracle SQL language running on the Oracle Cloud technology, and then created a tool in the Oracle Application Express environment. The tool allows registering of students, their exams, teachers, and subjects. At the same time, it also contains functions for searching, sorting, and filtering according to various criteria. Another functionality is the ability of user to display summary and individual statistics for teachers, students, and study groups. Each student and teacher have their own account to access global statistics. The tool offers possibilities for future expansion, such as comparing students and advanced analysis using the functionalities of the Oracle Machine Learning service.

This research paper aims to investigate the current state of process efficiency in Iraqi universities and propose a management information system (MIS) to improve it. A literature review was conducted to identify the challenges faced by universities in Iraq, as well as the solutions proposed in the literature. The findings showed that the main challenges in Iraqi universities include a lack of automation, poor data management, and inadequate communication between departments. A comparison was also made between the challenges faced by Iraqi universities and those faced by universities worldwide. To address these challenges, a survey was conducted to gather data from university staff and students. The survey results were analyzed, and the findings were used to design a MIS based on Oracle Application Express (APEX). The proposed system includes a student records management system, a staff management system, and an automated workflow system to improve communication and collaboration between departments. The proposed system was also found to be in line with the regulations and policies of the Ministry of Higher Education in Iraq. The system architecture and database design were also discussed in detail. The results of this research indicate that implementing a MIS using Oracle APEX can significantly improve the process efficiency in Iraqi universities. This can lead to an increase in the quality of education and a reduction in the administrative burden on staff and students.

Droughts reduce crop yields, which translates to reduced nutrient uptake or removal from the soil. Under such conditions, residual plant nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) can be carried over for subsequent crops. We applied the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model to simulate continuous corn (Zea mays L.)/soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) rotations on 3703 farm fields within the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) over a 47-year timescale: 1960 to 2006. We used the Standardized Precipitation Index (PSI) to identify the drought years between 1960 to 2006, following which we evaluated potential drought-induced carryover N and P nutrients in corn/soybean rotations relative to near normal and very to extremely wet years. Overall, drought reduced N uptake, total N losses, N mineralization and N fixation, the main driver of the soybean carryover N. Given the high cost of fertilizers and concerns over nutrient loss impacts on offsite water quality, farmers are compelled to account for every plant nutrient that is already in the soil. Information from this study could be applied to develop optimal N and P recommendations after droughts, while identification of region-wide potential reductions in N and P applications has implications for conservation efforts aimed at minimizing environmental loading and associated water quality concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National sport governing bodies (NSGBs) are distinct from other nonprofits in the way that they are mechanisms instituted to govern other sport organizations that deliver the services in their respective sports. This formal status places a NSGB at the summit or apex of a network of organizations dealing with the same sport. This conceptual paper describes the nature of the apex of a network of sport organizations and describes the unique functions associated with that role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model has been used for farm/small watershed management, and the ArcAPEX interface was developed using the ArcGIS extension. However, the interface requires a paid license and limits dynamic applications that reflect various agricultural farming practices. In this study, a novel APEX model interface using Quantum GIS, the QAPEX analysis system, was developed by incorporating open-source-based GIS software for the simulation of water quality impacts of various best management practices reflecting local farming activities. The watershed delineation process running on the QAPEX interface is more flexible than that on the ArcAPEX interface, which renders simulations on hydrology and water quality with considerable precision. The newly developed system can be used to visually interpret simulation results (e.g., flow and load duration curve functions). Therefore, the open-source-based model can be used to derive data for sustainable agricultural policies, with a focus on the field-level application of management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extracellular vesicle exosome mediates intercellular communication by transporting macromolecules such as proteins and ribonucleic acids (RNAs). Determining cargo contents with high accuracy will help decipher the biological processes that exosomes mediate in various contexts. Existing methods for probing exosome cargo molecules rely on a prior exosome isolation procedure. Here we report an in situ labelling approach for exosome cargo identification, which bypasses the exosome isolation steps. In this methodology, a variant of the engineered ascorbate peroxidase APEX, fused to an exosome cargo protein such as CD63, is expressed specifically in exosome‐generating vesicles in live cells or in secreted exosomes in the conditioned medium, to induce biotinylation of the proteins in the vicinity of the APEX variant for a short period of time. Mass spectrometry analysis of the proteins biotinylated by this approach in exosomes secreted by kidney proximal tubule‐derived cells reveals that oxidative stress can cause ribosomal proteins to accumulate in an exosome subpopulation that contains the CD63‐fused APEX variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and APEX (Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender) are respectively large and small watershed simulation models derived from EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate), a field-scale agroecology simulation model. All three models are coded in Fortran and have evolved over several decades. They are widely used to analyze anthropogenic influences on soil and water quality and quantity. Much of the original Fortran code has been retained even though Fortran has been through several cycles of development. Fortran now provides functionality originally restricted to languages like C, designed to communicate directly with the operating system and hardware. One can now use an object-oriented style of programming in Fortran, including inheritance, run-time polymorphism and overloading. In order to enhance their utility in research and policy-making, the models are undergoing a major revision to use some of the new Fortran features. With these new programming paradigms the developers of SWAT, APEX, and EPIC are working to make communication between the two models seamless. This paper describes the ongoing revision of these models that will make them easier to use, maintain, modify and document. It is intended that they will converge as they continue to evolution, while maintaining their distinctive features, capabilities and identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied the impacts of small-scale irrigation (SSI) interventions on environmental sustainability, agricultural production, and socio-economics using an Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS). The IDSS is comprised of a suite of models, namely the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX), and Farm Income and Nutrition Simulator (FARMSIM). The IDSS was applied in Dimbasinia watershed in northern Ghana using irrigation water from shallow groundwater. The watershed has a modest amount of shallow groundwater resources. However, the average annual irrigation water requirement exceeded the average annual shallow groundwater recharge. It was found that the current crop yield in Dimbasinia watershed was only ~40% of the potential crop production. This is mainly related to climate variability, low soil fertility, and land-management practices. For example, application of 50 kg/ha urea and 50 kg/ha DAP doubled maize and sorghum yield from the current farmers’ practices. Better income was obtained when irrigated vegetables/fodder were cultivated in rotation with sorghum as compared to in rotation with maize. Investment in solar pumps paid better dividends and also supplied clean energy. The socio-economic analysis indicated that having irrigated dry season vegetables will improve household nutrition. Since shallow groundwater recharge alone may not provide sufficient water for irrigation in a sustainable manner, surface water may be stored using water-harvesting structures to supplement the groundwater for irrigation. Integrated use of the water resources will also reduce depletion of the shallow groundwater aquifer. We conclude that IDSS is a promising tool to study gaps and constraints as well as upscaling of SSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we proved the following result: Let be a -connected, non--apex graph where . If contains three -cliques, say , , , such that , then contains a as a minor. Note that a graph is -apex if is planar for some subset of order at most . This theorem generalizes some earlier results by Robertson, Seymour and Thomas [N. Robertson, P.D. Seymour, R. Thomas, Hadwiger conjecture for -free graphs, Combinatorica 13 (1993) 279–361.], Kawarabayashi and Toft [K. Kawarabayashi, B. Toft, Any 7-chromatic graph has or as a minor, Combinatorica 25 (2005) 327–353] and Kawarabayashi, Luo, Niu and Zhang [K. Kawarabayashi, R. Luo, J. Niu, C.-Q. Zhang, On structure of -connected graphs without -minor, Europ. J. Combinatorics 26 (2005) 293–308]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The traditional techniques of chemo-mechanical instrumentation and disinfection of the root canal system used in mature teeth are limited by the immature tooth's anatomy. The open apex is difficult or impossible to seal with conventional root filling methods because of the absence of an apical stop. Furthermore, the arrested development of the dentinal walls at the time of pulp necrosis leaves a weak tooth with thin dentinal walls that are susceptible to fracture. The purpose of the paper is to present the case of a patient wherein revascularization of the necrotic infected pulp space of an immature permanent mandibular molar was induced by stimulation of a blood clot from the periapical tissues into the canal space. The treatment approach can help rescue infected immature teeth by physiologically strengthening the root walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

APEX (A gricultural P olicy/ E nvironmental e X tender) is an oft-used agroecosystem model but has limited use in groundwater-driven watersheds due to a simplistic representation of groundwater processes. This paper presents the linkage of APEX and the groundwater flow model MODFLOW into a single modeling code. The mapping of recharge, groundwater head, and groundwater-surface water interactions are handled internally via subroutines. The APEX-MODFLOW model is applied to three watersheds in the United States for testing code accuracy and hydrologic state variables and fluxes: the Animas River Watershed, Colorado and New Mexico (3543 km2); the Price River Watershed, Utah (4886 km2); and the Middle Bosque River Watershed, Texas (470 km2). Whereas the hydrology of the Animas River and Price River watersheds is driven by snowmelt and spring runoff, the hydrology of the Middle Bosque River Watershed is driven by summer thunderstorms. The model can be used for scenario analysis in groundwater-driven watersheds. • New integrated hydrologic model links APEX model to MODFLOW model. • Model passes recharge, water table elevation, and gw-sw flux rates internally. • APEX-MODFLOW applied to three watersheds in Utah, Colorado, and Texas, USA. • Model results show importance of including physically based groundwater flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper follows the study of the influence of DES and DMS over the formation process of red clover neoplants. There were made observations and biometric measurements concerning the biological material amenable to the treatment with mutagen agents in all the phases of developing in vitro, from the sampling of plantules under phenotypic aspect. DES manifest an mutagenic action over both types, according with the administered concentration. DES1 type has a positive influence over this evolution phase of meristems, in the case of both types DES increases the neoformation capacity of neoplants from the meristem, at both types. In this phase DMS didn't stimulated the regeneration capacity of neoplants from the meristems indifferent of the applied dose, the differences being meaningful negative up to the witness, for both types. It was also found that the inhibitor effect of DMS1 and DMS2 over the rate of rootedness of resulted plantules through in vitro culture, effect that is added with the increasing of the agent mutagen concentration of this type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper reviews and discusses various interpretations of the shoot apex of Podostemaceae with special reference to subfamily Podostemoideae. Main questions concern (1) the proposed absence of a shoot apical meristem (SAM) in apical “meristemless” shoot tips of Podostemoideae and, as the consequence, the endogenous inception of leaf-borne leaves and branches and (2) the predicted stem bifurcation below a “terminal” dithecous (double-sheathed) leaf positioned instead of a shoot apex, as it is reported for subfamily Podostemoideae. Does the “meristemless” shoot apex represent a true evolutionary novelty? Does the view of stem bifurcation represent a new ramification pattern with the consequence that the “classical root–shoot model” of angiosperms is not valid for Podostemaceae? Both interpretations do not conform to previous studies that are complemented here by new data on the SAM of Zeylanidium olivaceum and Thelethylax minutiflora (Podostemoideae). Although a SAM is difficult to observe in the vegetative shoots of many Podostemoideae, it becomes well visible when the shoot passes into the flowering stage approaching the conspicuous shoot apex of floriferous shoots. The arguments of the absence of a SAM in vegetative shoots are not convincing and the endogenous origin of “leaf-borne leaves” appears questionable. Consequently, the “meristemless” shoot apex cannot be considered as a structure having evolved de novo. In the less advanced subfamilies Tristichoideae and Weddellinoideae, the leaf primordia develop only from a few apical cells of the outer shoot layer. This allows the conclusion that the surface layer of the apex in these subfamilies corresponds to the horizontally spread single-layered apical meristem of subfamily Podostemoideae. Similarly, the view of shoot bifurcation does not conform to the diachsial–sympodial branching pattern occurring in the cymose inflorescences of many Podostemoideae. This fact contradicts the presence of a terminal leaf. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Existing agro-hydrological models to explore the effects of paddy management practices on hydrology and water quality suffer from multiple shortcomings because they were developed using upland characteristics. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX)-Paddy model was recently developed to improve the agro-hydrological characteristics of paddy ecosystems. This study explores the hydrology, total nitrogen (T-N) content, and rice yield behaviors of the APEX-Paddy model by simultaneously considering multiple parameters associated with different agricultural activities. Model performances with respect to runoff, T-N, and rice yield were assessed as good level of approved statistical criteria over the calibration and validation periods. Results showed that the APEX-Paddy model can simulate the behavior differences of soil nutrients between different agricultural activities, such as treatment with commercial mineral fertilizer or liquid manure application. Changes in mineral-nitrogen levels in root zones caused by fertilizers can affect T-N load and crop uptake. A high degree of correlation was observed between the amount of nutrients remaining after crop uptake and sediment-transported nitrogen. These findings suggest that the crop-growth parameters of the model can significantly affect biomass, evapotranspiration rate, and T-N load on farmland. The results may help decision makers evaluate water-saving and pollutant-reduction options in paddy fields under future climate scenarios and conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FliHy (Flibe Hydrodynamics) facility was constructed at UCLA to study open channel turbulent flow and heat transfer of low-thermal and -electrical conductivity fluids. At present, water is used as a stimulant fluid for molten salt, e.g. Flibe. A similarity analysis matched the dimensionless parameters in the experiment with those in the ARIES-RS First Wall design. Unlike previous studies of open channel flow, the goal of the present one is to study supercritical flow regimes (Fr>1), in which the surface waves are amplified and heat transfer is enhanced due to surface renewal. The paper describes the facility and gives the results of measurements of the flow thickness and their analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]