'Don’t have time to drain the swamp; too busy dealing with alligators’: defining the governance skills sets that enhance volunteer retention and recruitment in small arts and cultural organisations

Small arts and cultural organisations are facing a number of significant challenges through the ongoing austerity programmes impacting on their funding and practices. These challenges are made more complex and problematic through the isolation and time poverty they experience as a result of small budgets, less paid staff and through primarily volunteer run governance. There is a contradiction in inherent in the importance of recruiting and retaining volunteers and the on-going capacity of volunteer governance. This paper seeks to identify and explore these tensions and contradictions by identifying governance skills sets that can support the volunteer function, and inform a training process that is practice-based and overcomes the limitations of isolation, funding and time

Hyperhomocisteinemia, hypercysteinemia, glutamate excitotoxicity, taurine deficiency at hepatitis C

Aim of investigation. An estimation of metabolic disorders related to chronic course of hepatitis C.Material and methods. Total homocysteine (tHCy), total cysteine (tCys), total glutathione (tGSH) and free aminoacids (Asp, Asn, Glu, Gln, Tau, Ser) levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in plasma of 55 hepatitis C patients and 14 healthy volunteers.Results. Total statistical data processing at hepatitis C revealed: hyperhomocisteinemia (2,5 times increase in tHCy level), hypercysteinemia (1,5 times increase in tCys level), glutamate excitotoxicity (2,75 times increase in Glu level on a background of relative decrease of levels of tGSH and Gln), deficiency of taurine (level was decreased 1,4 times), increase of Gln, Asp, Asn, Ser levels 1,56, 1,75, 1,32, 1,4 times respectively. Data processing by nonnormal histogram plotting of substances plasma levels in hepatitis C patients revealed heterogeneity of pathochemistry of hepatitis C for tGSH, tCys and Gln. However in sets both with relatively low and high levels of these substances content of tHCy, Glu and Asp remains increased and reflects hyperhomocisteinemia and glutamate excitotoxicity phenomena. In patients with high content of tGSH and Gln in blood glutamate excitotoxicity was less expressed — levels of tHCy, Glu and Asp were increased to lesser degree, strong positive correlation between tGSH, Gln, tCys and Ser was marked.Conclusion. Metabolic therapy can essentially decrease negative effect of metabolic disorders and increase efficacy of PEG-IFN-α in combination to ribavirin at hepatitis C treatment

To Stay or Not to Stay in the Pre-train Basin: Insights on Ensembling in Transfer Learning

Transfer learning and ensembling are two popular techniques for improving the performance and robustness of neural networks. Due to the high cost of pre-training, ensembles of models fine-tuned from a single pre-trained checkpoint are often used in practice. Such models end up in the same basin of the loss landscape, which we call the pre-train basin, and thus have limited diversity. In this work, we show that ensembles trained from a single pre-trained checkpoint may be improved by better exploring the pre-train basin, however, leaving the basin results in losing the benefits of transfer learning and in degradation of the ensemble quality. Based on the analysis of existing exploration methods, we propose a more effective modification of the Snapshot Ensembles (SSE) for transfer learning setup, StarSSE, which results in stronger ensembles and uniform model soups.Comment: Published in NeurIPS 2023. First two authors contributed equall

Mari of Udmurtia: Factors of Preserving Traditional Culture in Modern Conditions

The factors of preservation and intergenerational transmission of the traditional culture of the local group of Mari living in the territory of Udmurtia in a different ethnic environment is examined in the article. The source basis of the article was the field ethnographic materials collected in 2007 among the Mari of the Karakulinsky region of the Udmurt Republic and introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The socio-economic situation of the respondents, the established mechanisms of adaptation to market relations, the preservation of traditional rituals and holidays, material and spiritual culture, the use of the native language, ethno-demographic processes, the activities of the Mari community to support ethnic culture are showed in the work. The author notes that the historically formed mechanism for ensuring the viability of the Mari society includes practices of demographic behavior, ethnic socialization of youth, reproduction of elements of spiritual and religious culture (prayers, family and calendar rituals, songs) and the material world (national costume, elements of architecture, musical instruments, national cuisine), the use of the Mari language. It has been proven that the ritual sphere of the Mari is undergoing transformations, but at the same time it continues to remain an inseparable part of the life of the people. In the course of the work, it was also revealed that the local group of Mari in modern conditions for self-preservation needs to constantly generate ethnic markers based on traditional culture. The key role in this is assigned to the village community, educational institutions and public organizations

Метод повышения контраста медицинских видеоизображений с адаптивной глубиной коррекции для систем поддержки врачебных решений

Introduction. When conducting diagnostic examination of patients, various technological means are used to identify pathological conditions timely and accurately. The rapid development of sensors and imaging devices, as well as the advancement of modern diagnostic methods, facilitate the transition from the visual examination of images performed by a medical specialist towards the widespread use of automated diagnostic systems referred to as clinical decision support systems.Aim. To develop a method for enhancing the contrast of endoscopic images taking into account their features with the purpose of increasing the efficiency of medical diagnostic systems.Materials and methods. Contrast enhancement inevitably leads to an increase in the noise level. Despite the large number of different methods for noise reduction, their use at the preliminary stage of correction leads to the loss of small but important details. The development of a method for enhancing the contrast of endoscopic images was based on a nonlinear transformation of the intensity of pixels, taking into account their local neighborhood. Regression analysis was used to obtain a functional dependence between the depth of contrast correction and the degree of detail of the processed pixel neighborhood.Results. The results of experimental evaluation and comparison with conventional methods show that, under a comparable level of contrast enhancement, the proposed method provides a greater value of the structural similarity index towards to the original image (0.71 versus 0.63), with the noise level reduced by 17 %.Conclusion. In comparison with conventional methods, the developed method provides a simultaneous contrast correction of both light and dark image fragments and limits the growth of the noise level (typical of similar methods) by adapting the correction depth to the neighborhood features of the processed image element.Введение. При проведении диагностического осмотра или лечения врачу требуется быстро и точно выявлять и локализовывать аномалии и заболевания, для чего используются, в том числе, и технические средства. Быстрое развитие технологий в области датчиков, устройств визуализации и методов диагностики обеспечивает планомерный переход от анализа изображений врачом к широкому использованию автоматизированных диагностических систем – систем поддержки принятия врачебных решений.Цель работы. Разработка метода повышения контраста эндоскопических изображений с учетом их особенностей с целью увеличения эффективности медицинских диагностических систем.Материалы и методы. Повышение контраста неизбежно приводит к росту уровня шумов. Применение на предварительном этапе коррекции известных методов шумоподавления влечет за собой, как правило, потерю мелких деталей, которые важно сохранить при обработке. Разработан метод повышения контраста эндоскопических изображений, в основе которого лежит нелинейное преобразование яркости пикселов, учитывающее их локальную окрестность. Функциональная зависимость между глубиной коррекции контраста и оценкой детальности окрестности обрабатываемого пиксела получена с помощью регрессионного анализа.Результаты. Результаты экспериментальной оценки и сравнение с аналогом показывают, что при сопоставимом уровне повышения контраста обеспечено большее значение индекса структурного сходства с исходным изображением (0.71 против 0.63 у аналога) при уменьшении роста уровня шумов на 17 %.Заключение. Метод обеспечивает коррекцию контраста одновременно как светлых, так и темных фрагментов изображения и ограничивает при этом рост шумовой составляющей (характерный для методов этого класса) по сравнению со стандартными методами посредством адаптации глубины коррекции к свойствам окрестности обрабатываемого элемента изображения

Thermodynamic basis of intragroup separation of Pr and Nd in the chloride melts employing liquid gallium-tin electrodes

Объектом исследования являются жидкометаллические двухфазные (Ж+ИМС) и гомогенные сплавы празеодима и неодима с эвтектическим расплавом Ga-Sn. Цель работы – определение термодинамических характеристик празеодима и неодима в эвтектических сплавах Ga-Sn в температурном диапазоне 573 1073 К. В отчете проведен анализ литературных данных об активности, коэффициентах активности и растворимости празеодима и неодима, в индивидуальных галлии и олове. Отдельная глава посвящена анализу литературных данных о термодинамических характеристиках празеодима и неодима в сплавах с индием и висмутом, так как в изучаемом температурном интервале эти сплавы могут быть использованы в качестве электродов сравнения.Objects of the study are two-phase and homogeneous liquid alloys of praseodymium and neodymium with Ga-Sn eutectic melt. The purpose of investigation is determination of thermodynamic properties of praseodymium and neodymium in the eutectic Ga-Sn alloys at the temperature range 573 1073 K. The report analyzed the published data on the activity, activity coefficient and solubility of praseodymium and neodymium, in gallium and tin. Separate chapter contains analysis of published data on the thermodynamic characteristics of alloys of praseodymium and neodymium with indium and bismuth because such alloys are suitable as reference electrodes at investigated temperatures.Программа развития УрФУ на 2013 год (п.1.2.2.3

Algorithmic modifications in procedural generation systems

The Modified Diamond Square algorithm is presented, as a result of which a 3-dimensional map of the fractal surface is obtained. This method of visualization using voxels allows to generate the relief structures (caves, canyons, quarries) that cannot be generated using a regular elevation map. The result of using the modified algorithm is shown on the landscape construction.Мета статті — представлення модифікованого алгоритму Diamond Square, в результаті роботи якого можна отримати тривимірну карту фрактальної поверхні. Методи. У середовищі Unity була створена демонстрація для побудови ігрових рівнів, яка дозволяє будувати карти на основі модифікованого алгоритму Diamond Square. В результаті своєї роботи отримаємо 3-мірну карту фрактальної поверхні, яка може бути використана у майбутніх проектах. Вихідна програма служить для демонстрації роботи алгоритму і ґрунтується на трьох сценаріях: модифікованому алгоритмі Diamond Square, допоміжних алгоритмах обробки і сценаріїв камери. Результати. В статті представлено модифікований алгоритм Diamond Square, в результаті роботи якого отримуємо тривимірну карту фрактальної поверхні. Результат використання модифікованого алгоритму показано на прикладі побудови ландшафтної конструкції.Цель статьи — представление модифицированного алгоритма Diamond Square, в результате работы которого можно получить трехмерную карту фрактальной поверхности. Методы. В среде Unity была создана демонстрация для построения игровых уровней, которая позволяет строить карты на основе модифицированного алгоритма Diamond Square. В результате работы алгоритма получается 3-мерная карта фрактальной поверхности, которая может быть использована в будущих проектах. Исходная программа служит для демонстрации работы алгоритма и основывается на трех сценариях: модифицированном алгоритме Diamond Square, вспомогательных алгоритмах обработки и сценариев камеры. Результаты. В статье представлен модифицированный алгоритм Diamond Square, в результате работы которого получаем трехмерную карту фрактальной поверхности. Результат использования модифицированного алгоритма показан на примере построения ландшафтной конструкции

Balancing sales and safety: A methodological approach to economic security analysis of enterprises

© Medwell Journals, 2017. Economic security analysis requires an evaluation of potential threats to the economic activity of an enterprise. These threats may be both internal and external. They are determined by various developmental factors such as notably, political conditions, changes in product supply and demand, the state of the capital market and the labor market as well as many others. Under the influence of these factors, the activity of any enterprise undergoes fluctuations, forming a trajectory of development. Such a trajectory provides a highly useful tool for analyzing an enterprise's activity from the perspective of its economic security. The study aims to introduce a methodological approach to economic security analysis of enterprises. The need for such methodological tools has only recently become the subject of academic discussion. The approach proposed in the study is twofold. First, it involves measuring the amplitude of the trajectory of the enterprise's development with respect to a safety corridor determined by acceptable rates of sales growth. Second, it requires analyzing indicators that characterize the environment and the enterprise's activity in order to determine those that go beyond the safety corridor. The study describes two different analytic methods to address the difference in stages of growth and decline in an enterprise's business activity. This dual approach results in data that identifies upper and lower limits of the safety corridor. This information will allow the company's management to focus its attention on eliminating factors that cause indicators to go beyond the limits of the safety corridor, an approach that will result in safer and more stable development