Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Information Fusion for Action Recognition with Deeply Optimised Hough Transform Paradigm

Automatic human action recognition is a challenging and largely explored domain. In this work, we focus on action segmentation with Hough Transform paradigm and more precisely with Deeply Optimised Hough Transform (DOHT). First, we apply DOHT on video sequences using the well-known dense trajectories features and then, we propose to extend the method to efficiently merge information coming from various sensors. We have introduced three different ways to perform fusion, depending on the level at which information is merged. Advantages and disadvantages of these solutions are presented from the performance point of view and also according to the ease of use. Thus, one of the fusion level has the advantage to stay suitabe even if one or more sensors is out of order or disturbed.
Final Report of Results From Item Nonresponse Analysis for the Spanish Language Forms Availability Test

* The authors would like to thank Elizabeth Martin and Nancy Bates, of the Center for Survey Methods Research for their valuable advice concerning the item nonresponse analysis. ___________________________ NOTE: This paper reports the general results of research undertaken by Census Bureau staff. The views expressed are attributable to the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Census Bureau. See Table 1 for completion rates by stratum and panel.
Effects of a green tea extract, Polyphenon E, on systemic biomarkers of growth factor signalling in women with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Observational and experimental data support a potential breast cancer chemopreventive effect of green tea. METHODS We conducted an ancillary study using archived blood/urine from a phase IB randomised, placebo-controlled dose escalation trial of an oral green tea extract, Polyphenon E (Poly E), in breast cancer patients. Using an adaptive trial design, women with stage I-III breast cancer who completed adjuvant treatment were randomised to Poly E 400 mg (n = 16), 600 mg (n = 11) and 800 mg (n = 3) twice daily or matching placebo (n = 10) for 6 months. Blood and urine collection occurred at baseline, and at 2, 4 and 6 months. Biological endpoints included growth factor [serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)], lipid (serum cholesterol, triglycerides), oxidative damage and inflammatory biomarkers. RESULTS From July 2007-August 2009, 40 women were enrolled and 34 (26 Poly E, eight placebo) were evaluable for biomarker endpoints. At 2 months, the Poly E group (all dose levels combined) compared to placebo had a significant decrease in mean serum HGF levels (-12.7% versus +6.3%, P = 0.04). This trend persisted at 4 and 6 months but was no longer statistically significant. For the Poly E group, serum VEGF decreased by 11.5% at 2 months (P = 0.02) and 13.9% at 4 months (P = 0.05) but did not differ compared to placebo. At 2 months, there was a trend toward a decrease in serum cholesterol with Poly E (P = 0.08). No significant differences were observed for other biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest potential mechanistic actions of tea polyphenols in growth factor signalling, angiogenesis and lipid metabolism.
Risk factors in women 40 years of age and younger with endometrial carcinoma

Objective. To identify and compare risk factors among endometrial cancer patients ≤40 years of age, postmenopausal women with the same malignancy and women ≤40 years without malignancy. Design. Retrospective case–control study. Setting. Athens University, department of obstetrics and gynecology of a tertiary hospital serving a mainly urban population. Population. Endometrial cancer patients ≤40 years (study group, n = 40), postmenopausal women with the same malignancy (positive controls, n = 40) and women ≤40 (negative controls, n = 40) without endometrial cancer. Methods. Clinical history, treatment and follow‐up of patients were evaluated. Factors studied included age, histology, stage, grade, lymphovascular space involvement, body mass index (BMI), cytology, lymph node status, parity, smoking, family history, hypertension recurrence and survival. Main outcome measures. Differences in risk factors and characteristics. Results. Nulliparity, smoking and hypertension were significantly related with endometrial cancer in the study group compared to positive controls (p = 0.001, p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). BMI >30 significantly characterized patients in the study group compared to negative controls (p = 0.006). Finally, irregular menstruation and family history of cancer were observed more often in the study group compared to both control groups. Stage, grade, myometrial invasion, lymphovascular space involvement and lymph node status were comparable between the study and positive control groups. Conclusion. Nulliparity, obesity, unstable menstruation, smoking and cancer in the family are strongly correlated with endometrial cancer risk in women ≤40 years.
Rapid evolution of elaborate male coloration is driven by visual system in Australian fairy‐wrens (Maluridae)

The interplay between colour vision and animal signalling is of keen interest to behavioural ecologists and evolutionary biologists alike, but is difficult to address in terrestrial animals. Unlike most avian lineages, in which colour vision is relatively invariant among species, the fairy‐wrens and allies (Maluridae) show a recent gain of ultraviolet sensitivity (UVS). Here, we compare the rates of colour evolution on 11 patches for males and females across Maluridae in the context of their visual system. We measured reflectance spectra for 24 species, estimating five vision‐independent colour metrics as well as metrics of colour contrast among patches and sexual dichromatism in a receiver‐neutral colour space. We fit Brownian motion (BM) and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) models to estimate evolutionary rates for these metrics and to test whether male coloration, female coloration or dichromatism was driven by selective regimes defined by visual system or geography. We found that in general male coloration evolved rapidly in comparison with females. Male colour contrast was strongly correlated with visual system and expanded greatly in UVS lineages, whereas female coloration was weakly associated with geography (Australia vs. Papua New Guinea). These results suggest that dichromatism has evolved in Maluridae as males and females evolve at different rates, and are driven by different selection pressures.
Assessment of Alveolar Bone Status in Middle Aged Chinese (40-59 Years) with Chronic Periodontitis — Using CBCT

Objective This study used con-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to investigate the prevalence and severity of alveolar bone loss in middle-aged (40–59 years) Chinese with chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods The study group comprised 145 dentate individuals aged 40 to 59 years residing in China who suffered from chronic periodontitis. CBCT and the application of NNT software were used to examine the level and location of alveolar bone loss. Results The study revealed that 40–59 year old patients with chronic periodontitis had severe bone loss. At 5,286 sites (34.7%), alveolar bone loss was mild; severe alveolar bone loss was found at 5,978 sites (39.2%). A comparison of bone loss in different jaws revealed that the area with the highest degree of bone loss was on the lingual side of the maxillary molar (56.3 ± 7.2%), and that the area with the lowest degree was primarily on the lingual side of the mandibular canine (27.5 ± 6.3%). There was a lower degree of alveolar bone loss in males than females. Differences were observed when comparing the incidence of bone loss between males and females (P < 0.05). Menopause in females and smoking in both genders may affect the level of bone loss. Male smokers experienced a greater degree of bone loss (41.67 ± 5.76%) than male non-smokers (32.95 ± 4.31%). A 42.23 ± 6.34% bone loss was found in menopausal females versus 31.35 ± 3.62% in non-menopausal females. Conclusions The study revealed that different sites and teeth exhibited a diverse degree of bone loss. In middle-aged patients with chronic periodontitis, the highest degrees of bone loss in the incisors, premolars, and molars were on the lingual side, mesial side and lingual side, respectively. Menopause in females and smoking may affect the level of bone loss.
A Study on Factors Affecting Investment on Mutual Funds and Its Preference of Retail Investors

Mutual Funds provide a platform for a common investor to participate in the Indian capital market with professional fund management irrespective of the amount invested. The Indian mutual fund industry is growing rapidly and this is reflected in the increase in Assets under management of various fund houses. Mutual fund investment is less risky than directly investing in stocks and is therefore a safer option for risk averse investors. This project aims at finding out the factors affecting investment decision on mutual funds and its preference over retail investors. This project also aims at finding about the factors that prevent the people to invest in mutual funds. The findings will help mutual fund companies to identify the areas required for improvement and can also improve their marketing strategies. It will help the MF companies to create new and innovative product according to the orientation of investors.
Trade, Growth, and Poverty

The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank. The Asian Development Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data presented. Recognizing the enormous benefits of open international markets, we, the undersigned economists, strongly support China's entry into the World Trade Organization. China's entry will raise living standards in both China and its trading partners. By acceding to the WTO, China will open its borders to international competition, lock in and deepen its commitment to economic reform, and promote economic development and freedom. -Open letter in the New York Times, spring 2000, signed by a long list of prominent economists
The presence of CXCR4+ CD1a+ cells at onset of Langerhans cell histiocytosis is associated with a less favorable outcome

abstract Purpose: Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) is a neoplastic disorder characterized by tissue accumulating CD1a+ histiocytes which frequently carry somatic mutations. Irrespective of mutation status, these LCH-cells display constitutively active kinases belonging to the MAPK pathway. We evaluated, in retrospect, the contribution of individual components of the MAPK-activating and chemotaxis-promoting TNF-CXCR4-CXCL12 axis to LCH manifestation and outcome. Experimental design: CXCR4, CXCL12 and TNF protein expression was immunohistochemically analyzed in 70 LCH-affected biopsies. The presence of CXCR4+CD1a+ cells in peripheral blood (PB) and/or bone marrow (BM) samples was evaluated by flowcytometry in 13 therapy-naive LCH-patients. Results: CXCL12 was detected in 68/70 (97%) biopsies. CXCR4+LCH-cells were present in 50/70 (71%) biopsies; their presence was associated with higher levels of intralesional TNF. Circulating CD1a+CXCR4+ cells were detected in 4/13 (31%) therapy-naïve LCH-patients which displayed BRAFV600E (2/4), MAP2K1 (1/4) or no (1/4) mutations in their tissues. These CD11c co-expressing CD1a+CXCR4+cells migrated to CXCL12 in chemotaxis assays. Lesional CXCR4+LCH-cells were detected in 18/20 cases who presented with LCH manifestation at multiple sites and in 5/23 (22%) patients who developed additional lesions after initially presenting with a single lesion. The CXCR4 status at onset proved to be an independent risk factor for LCH reactivation in multivariate analysis (odds ratio 10.4, p = 0.034). Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that CXCR4 is involved in the homing and retention of LCH-cells in CXCL12-expressing tissues and qualifies CXCR4 as a candidate prognostic marker for less favorable disease outcome.
Time-Dependent Statistical and Correlation Properties of Neural Signals during Handwriting

To elucidate the cortical control of handwriting, we examined time-dependent statistical and correlational properties of simultaneously recorded 64-channel electroencephalograms (EEGs) and electromyograms (EMGs) of intrinsic hand muscles. We introduced a statistical method, which offered advantages compared to conventional coherence methods. In contrast to coherence methods, which operate in the frequency domain, our method enabled us to study the functional association between different neural regions in the time domain. In our experiments, subjects performed about 400 stereotypical trials during which they wrote a single character. These trials provided time-dependent EMG and EEG data capturing different handwriting epochs. The set of trials was treated as a statistical ensemble, and time-dependent correlation functions between neural signals were computed by averaging over that ensemble. We found that trial-to-trial variability of both the EMGs and EEGs was well described by a log-normal distribution with time-dependent parameters, which was clearly distinguished from the normal (Gaussian) distribution. We found strong and long-lasting EMG/EMG correlations, whereas EEG/EEG correlations, which were also quite strong, were short-lived with a characteristic correlation durations on the order of 100 ms or less. Our computations of correlation functions were restricted to the spectral range (13–30 Hz) of EEG signals where we found the strongest effects related to handwriting. Although, all subjects involved in our experiments were right-hand writers, we observed a clear symmetry between left and right motor areas: inter-channel correlations were strong if both channels were located over the left or right hemispheres, and 2–3 times weaker if the EEG channels were located over different hemispheres. Although we observed synchronized changes in the mean energies of EEG and EMG signals, we found that EEG/EMG correlations were much weaker than EEG/EEG and EMG/EMG correlations. The absence of strong correlations between EMG and EEG signals indicates that (i) a large fraction of the EEG signal includes electrical activity unrelated to low-level motor variability; (ii) neural processing of cortically-derived signals by spinal circuitry may reduce the correlation between EEG and EMG signals.
Short- and long-term memory contributions to immediate serial recognition: Evidence from serial position effects

A long-standing body of research supports the existence of separable short- and long-term memory systems, relying on phonological and semantic codes, respectively. The aim of the current study was to measure the contribution of long-term knowledge to short-term memory performance by looking for evidence of phonologically and semantically coded storage within a short-term recognition task, among developmental samples. Each experimental trial presented 4-item lists. In Experiment 1 typically developing children aged 5 to 6 years old showed evidence of phonologically coded storage across all 4 serial positions, but evidence of semantically coded storage at Serial Positions 1 and 2. In a further experiment, a group of individuals with Down syndrome was investigated as a test case that might be expected to use semantic coding to support short-term storage, but these participants showed no evidence of semantically coded storage and evidenced phonologically coded storage only at Serial Position 4, suggesting that individuals with Down syndrome have a verbal short-term memory capacity of 1 item. Our results suggest that previous evidence of semantic effects on “short-term memory performance” does not reflect semantic coding in short-term memory itself, and provide an experimental method for researchers wishing to take a relatively pure measure of verbal short-term memory capacity, in cases where rehearsal is unlikely.
ECG data compression techniques-a unified approach

Electrocardiogram (ECG) compression techniques are compared, and a unified view of these techniques is established. ECG data compression schemes are presented in two major groups: direct data compression and transformation methods. The direct data compression techniques are ECG differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) and entropy coding, AZTEC, Turning-point, CORTES, Fan and SAPA algorithms, peak-picking, and cycle-to-cycle compression methods. The transformation methods include Fourier, Walsh, and Karhunen-Loeve transforms. The theoretical bases behind the direct ECG data compression schemes are presented and classified into three categories: tolerance-comparison compression, DPCM, and entropy coding methods. A framework for evaluation and comparison of ECG compression schemes is presented. <<ETX>>
Differential effects of increased loudness on tongue kinematics in individuals with PD? Analyses of two cases

Previous studies have suggested significant variation in the perceptual speech deficit displayed by individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). This heterogeneity is partly attributed to differential changes in the underlying articulatory kinematics across speakers. Loudness-based treatment has been frequently used in individuals with PD. An improved understanding of individual differences and the effects of loudness on tongue movement in individuals with PD may help optimize speech intervention. The present study aimed to (1) examine individual differences in tongue kinematics during habitual and loud sentence production in two dysarthric speakers with PD, and (2) examine the effect of loudness manipulations on tongue kinematics during sentence production within each dysarthric speaker with PD. Electromagnetic articulography was used to record tongue tip movement during habitual and loud sentence productions in two participants with PD. Their performance was first matched with the performance of an age and gender-matched healthy individual. Subsequently, a within-participant comparison between habitual and loud sentence production was carried out to examine the effect of increased loudness. When compared with an age and gender-matched healthy control, both PD individuals showed greater tongue kinematic parameters during habitual and loud sentence productions. Subsequently, a within-participant comparison showed that, from habitual to loud speech, one PD speaker increased distance and maximum velocity of tongue movement while the other reduced maximum acceleration of tongue movement. The observed individual differences in tongue kinematics may be predictive of the efficacy of loudness-based treatments for articulatory and consequent perceptual improvements for individual participants.
PEGylated niosomes-mediated drug delivery systems for Paeonol: preparation, pharmacokinetics studies and synergistic anti-tumor effects with 5-FU

Abstract This work describes the preparation of a PEGylated niosomes-mediated drug delivery systems for Paeonol, thereby improving the bioavailability and chemical stability of Paeonol, prolonging its cellular uptake and enhancing its synergistic anti-cancer effects with 5-Fu. PEGylated niosomes, which are prepared from biocompatible nonionic surfactant of Spans 60 and cholesterol, and modified with PEG-SA. Pae-PEG-NISVs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The cytotoxicity of Pae-PEG-NISVs was investigated against HepG2 cells. Fluorescence microscope was used to detect the apoptotic morphological changes. Growth inhibition assays were carried out to investigate whether Pae-PEG-NISVs could enhance the antiproliferative effects of Pae co-treated with 5-FU on HepG2 cells. The optimized Pae-PEG-NISVs had mean diameters of approximately 166 nm and entrapment efficiency (EE) of 61.8%. Furthermore, the in vitro release study of Paeonol from PEGylated niosomes exhibited a relatively prolonged release profile for 12 h. Pharmacokinetic studies in rats after i.v. injection showed that Pae-PEG-NISVs had increased elimination half-lives (t1/2, 87.5 versus 17.0 min) and increased area under the concentration–time curve (AUC0-t, 38.0 versus 19.48 μg/ml*min) compared to Paeonol solution. Formulated Paeonol had superior cytotoxicity versus the free drug with IC50 values of 22.47 and 85.16 μg/mL at 24 h on HepG2 cells, respectively, and we found that low concentration of Pae-PEG-NISVs and 5-Fu in conjunction had obviously synergistic effect. Our results indicate that the PEG-NISVs system has the potential to serve as an efficient carrier for Paeonol by effectively solubilizing, stabilizing and delivering the drug to the cancer cells.
Characterization of Bartonella henselae‐specific immunity in BALB/c mice

BALB/c mice were inoculated with Bartonella henselae by both systemic and mucosal routes. Culture analysis of tissues from mice infected intraperitoneally with a high dose of B. henselae yielded positive results 24 hr after infection. However, culture analysis of blood taken between 6 hr and 7 days after infection from groups receiving live B. henselae were negative. Following intraperitoneal infection, B. henselae was detected by polymerase chain reaction in liver and mesenteric lymph nodes by 6 hr and up to 7 days after infection in liver, kidney and spleen tissue. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of serum samples collected as early as 13 days after infection indicated humoral immune responses to B. henselae. Specific humoral responses remained through week 6. Analysis of faecal samples revealed induction of B. henselae‐specific immunoglobulin A by day 28 after infection. In addition, B. henselae‐specific cellular responses were indicated by a positive delayed‐type hypersensitivity and a T helper 1 (Th1) (CD4+ T cell)‐type cytokine response following in vitro stimulation of splenocytes. The significance and implications of these data in relation to B. henselae infections are discussed.
Hallucinating Stereoscopy from a Single Image

We introduce a novel method for enabling stereoscopic viewing of a scene from a single pre‐segmented image. Rather than attempting full 3D reconstruction or accurate depth map recovery, we hallucinate a rough approximation of the scene's 3D model using a number of simple depth and occlusion cues and shape priors. We begin by depth‐sorting the segments, each of which is assumed to represent a separate object in the scene, resulting in a collection of depth layers. The shapes and textures of the partially occluded segments are then completed using symmetry and convexity priors. Next, each completed segment is converted to a union of generalized cylinders yielding a rough 3D model for each object. Finally, the object depths are refined using an iterative ground fitting process. The hallucinated 3D model of the scene may then be used to generate a stereoscopic image pair, or to produce images from novel viewpoints within a small neighborhood of the original view. Despite the simplicity of our approach, we show that it compares favorably with state‐of‐the‐art depth ordering methods. A user study was conducted showing that our method produces more convincing stereoscopic images than existing semi‐interactive and automatic single image depth recovery methods.