Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multimodal Stereo Vision System: 3D Data Extraction and Algorithm Evaluation

This paper proposes an imaging system for computing sparse depth maps from multispectral images. A special stereo head consisting of an infrared and a color camera defines the proposed multimodal acquisition system. The cameras are rigidly attached so that their image planes are parallel. Details about the calibration and image rectification procedure are provided. Sparse disparity maps are obtained by the combined use of mutual information enriched with gradient information. The proposed approach is evaluated using a Receiver Operating Characteristics curve. Furthermore, a multispectral dataset, color and infrared images, together with their corresponding ground truth disparity maps, is generated and used as a test bed. Experimental results in real outdoor scenarios are provided showing its viability and that the proposed approach is not restricted to a specific domain.
Left atrial remodelling assessed by 2D and 3D echocardiography identifies paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Aims Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is common, often silent, and can be difficult to detect. Echocardiographic parameters assessing left atrial (LA) remodelling correlated with atrial fibrosis in permanent AF, but less is known about earlier stages such as PAF. We aimed to evaluate whether 2D and 3D echocardiographic (2DE and 3DE) assessment of LA anatomy and function is able to identify patients with PAF. Methods and results This case–control study included 102 patients without overt heart disease, 44 patients with PAF. Anatomical remodelling was assessed using indexed maximal, minimal, and pre-atrial contraction volumes. Reservoir, conduit, and pump functions were assessed by volume and strain methods. All parameters were assessed by 2DE and 3DE and were compared between the two groups. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were constructed for each parameter for PAF prediction. PAF patients had bigger LA volumes than non-PAF group. Using 3DE, all atrial functions were impaired in the PAF group, regardless of the parameters used (all P < 0.05), whereas using 2DE, conduit function did not reach significant difference. Areas under the curve (AUCs) for 3D parameters were higher than those for equivalent 2DE parameters. PAF was best predicted by LA minimal indexed volume assessed by 2DE or 3DE (AUC 0.82 and 0.86, respectively) and 3D-LA ejection fraction and area strain (AUC = 0.82 and 0.81, respectively). Conclusion Anatomical and functional LA remodelling assessed by 2DE and 3DE is independently and strongly associated with PAF, suggesting that these parameters can help identify PAF.
Pulmonary Extraction of 5‐Hydroxytryptamine and Norepinephrine before and after Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Man

Pulmonary extraction of 14C-5-hydroxytryptamine and 3H-norepinephrine was estimated in patients undergoing aortocoronary saphenous vein grafting. Identical mixtures of both amines were administered intravenously before Cardiopulmonary bypass and again just after bypass. Immediately after each injection, 6 ml of blood was withdrawn into tubing, at a constant rate, simultaneously from both the pulmonary artery and the left atrium. Each set of tubing was then divided into six segments, and the 3H and 14C content of each segment was measured. In this manner, total isotope collected and blood isotope concentration as a function of time at the two sampling sites were compared directly. Before bypass in every patient studied, less 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine were withdrawn on the left than on the right of the lungs, implying pulmonary extraction of both amines. In nine patients, the mean percent extraction was 65 ± 4% for 5-hydroxytryptamine and 23 ± 5% for norepinephrine (P < 0.005). After bypass, the percent extraction of both norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine was increased in all but one patient; values for norepinephrine were increased to a realtively greater extent. These data represent a direct demonstration of 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine extraction by human lungs and also suggest that total Cardiopulmonary bypass may alter the process.
3D Tree Dimensionality Assessment Using Photogrammetry and Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Detailed, precise, three-dimensional (3D) representations of individual trees are a prerequisite for an accurate assessment of tree competition, growth, and morphological plasticity. Until recently, our ability to measure the dimensionality, spatial arrangement, shape of trees, and shape of tree components with precision has been constrained by technological and logistical limitations and cost. Traditional methods of forest biometrics provide only partial measurements and are labor intensive. Active remote technologies such as LiDAR operated from airborne platforms provide only partial crown reconstructions. The use of terrestrial LiDAR is laborious, has portability limitations and high cost. In this work we capitalized on recent improvements in the capabilities and availability of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), light and inexpensive cameras, and developed an affordable method for obtaining precise and comprehensive 3D models of trees and small groups of trees. The method employs slow-moving UAVs that acquire images along predefined trajectories near and around targeted trees, and computer vision-based approaches that process the images to obtain detailed tree reconstructions. After we confirmed the potential of the methodology via simulation we evaluated several UAV platforms, strategies for image acquisition, and image processing algorithms. We present an original, step-by-step workflow which utilizes open source programs and original software. We anticipate that future development and applications of our method will improve our understanding of forest self-organization emerging from the competition among trees, and will lead to a refined generation of individual-tree-based forest models.
A comparable study of clinical and optical outcomes after 1.8, 2.0 mm microcoaxial and 3.0 mm coaxial cataract surgery.

AIM To evaluate the clinical and optical outcomes after clear corneal incision cataract surgery (CICS) with three different incision sizes (1.8, 2.0 and 3.0 mm). METHODS Eyes of 150 patients with age-related cataract scheduled for coaxial cataract surgery were randomized to three groups: 1.8, 2.0, or 3.0 mm CICS. Intraoperative data and postoperative outcomes including surgically induced astigmatism (SIA), the corneal incision thickness, wavefront aberrations and modulation transfer function (MTF) of cornea were obtained. RESULTS There were no significant differences among the three groups in demographic characteristics and intraoperative outcome. The 1.8 and 2.0 mm microincisions showed more satisfactory clinical outcomes than the 3.0 mm incision. The 1.8 mm incision showed significantly less SIA than the 2.0 mm incision until postoperative 1mo (P<0.05), but the difference was only 0.14-0.18 D. Combined with less increased incision thickness only at postoperative 1d (P=0.013), the 1.8 mm incision presented better uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA) than the 2.0 mm incision only at 1d postoperatively (P=0.008). For higher-order aberrations and other Zernike coefficients, there were no significant differences between the 1.8 mm group and 2.0 mm group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Converting from 3.0 mm CICS to 1.8 or 2.0 mm CICS result in better clinical and optical outcomes. However, when incision is 1.8 mm, the benefits from further reduction in size compared with 2.0 mm are limited. The necessity to reduce the incision size is to be deliberated.
Commentary: mortality increases during economic upturns.

evidence from the 1998 Russian crisis. Economic Discussion Paper No 541. Colchester: University of Essex, Department of Economics, 2002. 15 Andreev EM, Nolte E, Shkolnikov VM, Varavikova E, McKee M. The evolving pattern of avoidable mortality in Russia. Int J Epidemiol 2003;32:437–46. 16 Field MG, Twigg JL. Russia’s Torn Safety Nets: Health and Social Welfare During the Transition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000. 17 Wallace R, Wallace D. Origins of public health collapse in New York City: the dynamics of planned shrinkage, contagious urban decay and social disintegration. Bull N Y Acad Med 1990;66:391–434. 18 Gerdtham U-G, Ruhm CJ. Deaths rise in good economic times. Evidence from the OECD. National Bureau of Economic Research. Working Paper No. 9357. Cambridge, MA: NBER, 2003. 19 Jantti M, Martikainen P, Valkonen T. When the welfare state works: unemployment and mortality in Finland. In: Cornia GA, Paniccia (eds). The Mortality Crisis in Transitional Economies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. pp. 351–91. 20 Lindert PH. Social Spending and Economic Growth Since the Eighteenth Century. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 1206 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
Impact of incomplete revascularization in patients undergoing PCI for unprotected left main stem stenosis

Percutaneous revascularization of patients with multivessel and left main stem (LMS) disease may be incomplete and the impact of this is not well reported and may influence outcome. In this study we assessed the role of completeness of revascularization upon outcome after PCI for unprotected left main stem (uLMS) PCI in the “real world. ”
Earnings Instability and Tenure

We study the effect of tenure on earnings instability in Italy using two alternative estimation strategies. First we use a descriptive measure of earnings instability and fixed effects regressions. Second, we develop a formal model of earnings dynamics distinguishing permanent from transitory earnings, and exploit variation of tenure and instability over time and across birth cohorts in estimation. We use the two approaches also to evaluate earnings instability associated with temporary contracts (short-tenure contracts). Our results indicate that each year of tenure on the job reduces earnings instability on average by 11%. Workers on a temporary contract have an earnings instability up to 50% higher than workers on a permanent contract.
Influence of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency on demyelinating diseases

We analyzed all the arguments against chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) as a medical entity, and its association with a disabling demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis (MS). We revised all the findings suggesting a possible connection between these two entities. By comparing the results obtained by different study groups, we noted a great variability in prevalence of CCSVI in MS patients, ranging from 0 to 100%. Overall the reported prevalence is respectively 70% in MS vs. 10% in controls, and a recent meta-analysis assessed an over 13 times increased prevalence in MS. Postmortem studies show a higher prevalence of intraluminal defects in the main cerebral extracranial vein in MS patients respect to controls. Several pathophysiological studies demonstrate correlation between CCSVI and neglected vascular aspects of MS. Particularly, global hypo-perfusion of the brain, as well as reduced cerebral spinal fluid dynamics in MS was shown to be related to CCSVI. After careful review of all obtained data we can conclude that great variability in prevalence of CCSVI in MS patients can be a result of different methodologies used in vein assessment, training, application of unapproved diagnostic criteria, or different approach to the problem itself. By many studies it has been shown that CCSVI can be inserted in the list of multiple factors involved in pathogenesis of MS, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. C cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) can be considered one of the multiple factors involved in the pathogenesis of demyelinating diseases, primarily multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a syndrome characterized by stenoses or obstructions of the internal jugular (IJ) and/or azygos (AZ) veins with disturbed flow and formation of collateral venous channels (1, 2). Venous narrowing are primary obstructions, mainly related to segmental hypoplasia or, more frequently, to intraluminal defects like webs, fixed valve leaflets, membrane, inverted valve orientation, etc. (3, 4, 5). The basis and foundation of venous anomalies are not entirely clear yet. Venous lesions are described as truncular venous malformations, presenting as intraluminal defects or segmental hypoplasia (6, 7, 8). Developmental arrest in advanced stages of vascular trunk formation during fetal life can result in such truncular venous malformations. Such lesions are: aplasia, hypoplasia or hyperplasia of the vessel, a defective vessel with obstruction from intraluminal lesions (e.g., vein web, spur, annulus, or septum) or dilatation (e.g., jugular vein ectasia/aneurysm). PAOLO ZAMBONI SANDRA MOROVI] 1 Vascular Diseases Center University of Ferrara, Italy 2 Department of Neurology Polyclinic Centre Aviva Nemetova 2, Zagreb, Croatia Correspondence: Professor Paolo Zamboni, MD Vascular Diseases Center University of Ferrara, Sant’Anna Hospital Co. Giovecca 203, 44100 Ferrara, Italy E-mail address: zmp@unife.it
Random discrete distributions invariant under size-biased permutation

Invariance of a random discrete distribution under size-biased permutation is equivalent to a conjunction of symmetry conditions on its finite-dimensional distributions. This is applied to characterize residual allocation models with independent factors that are invariant under size-biased permutation. Apart from some exceptional cases and minor modifications, such models form a two-parameter family of generalized Dirichlet distributions.
A Cohesive Set which is not High

We study the degrees of unsolvability of sets which are cohesive (or have weaker recursion-theoretic “smallness” properties). We answer a question raised by the first author in 1972 by showing that there is a cohesive set A whose degree a satisfies a' = 0″ and hence is not high. We characterize the jumps of the degrees of r-cohesive sets, and we show that the degrees of r-cohesive sets coincide with those of the cohesive sets. We obtain analogous results for strongly hyperimmune and strongly hyperhyperimmune sets in place of r-cohesive and cohesive sets, respectively. We show that every strongly hyperimmune set whose degree contains either a Boolean combination of ∑2 sets or a 1-generic set is of high degree. We also study primitive recursive analogues of these notions and in this case we characterize the corresponding degrees exactly. MSC: 03D30, 03D55.
Influence of unilateral ovariectomy on follicular development in cycling rats.

Ovarian follicular development was analyzed in intact and unilaterally ovariectomized cyclic rats. Holtzman rats, followed for three successive cycles, were classified as 4- or 5-day animals, with estrus designated as day 1. Intact 4- and 5-day animals were killed on each day of the estrous cycle and one ovary from each animal was saved for histology and examined for normal follicles larger than 352 μ. Cycling rats were unilaterally ovariectomized on day 1 and killed on each of the remaining days of the immediate estrous cycle and day 1 of the next cycle. The follicular population (normal follicles larger than 352 μ) was studied in the remaining ovary. During the estrous cycle of intact rats, there was a gradual increase in the number of follicles with a diameter of 518 to 571 μ and greater; however, the total number of follicles ranging in size from 352 to 571 μ and larger remained relatively constant. At day 5, in the 5-day cycling rat, the ovaries were depleted of follicles measuring from 395 to 570 μ. Following unilateral ovariectomy on day 1, there was a temporary decrease in the number of follicles larger than 448 μ. This agreed with the finding that animals semi-spayed on day 1 and injected with 20 I.U. human chorionic gonadotropin on day 2 (PM) did not ovulate, whereas intact animals ovulated an average of seven eggs after the same treatment. The remaining ovary of animals unilaterally ovariectomized on day 1 showed a significant increase by the next estrus in the number of follicles larger than 448 μ. The method of compensatory ovulation in the rat involved doubling the number of large follicles which ultimately matured during the estrous cycle. This resulted from increased proliferation of smaller follicles in the course of the cycle rather than from decreased follicular atresia.
Minimax Filter: Learning to Preserve Privacy from Inference Attacks

Preserving privacy of continuous and/or high-dimensional data such as images, videos and audios, can be challenging with syntactic anonymization methods which are designed for discrete attributes. Differential privacy, which provides a more formal definition of privacy, has shown more success in sanitizing continuous data. However, both syntactic and differential privacy are susceptible to inference attacks, i.e., an adversary can accurately infer sensitive attributes from sanitized data. The paper proposes a novel filter-based mechanism which preserves privacy of continuous and high-dimensional attributes against inference attacks. Finding the optimal utility-privacy tradeoff is formulated as a min-diff-max optimization problem. The paper provides an ERM-like analysis of the generalization error and also a practical algorithm to perform the optimization. In addition, the paper proposes an extension that combines minimax filter and differentially-private noisy mechanism. Advantages of the method over purely noisy mechanisms is explained and demonstrated with examples. Experiments with several real-world tasks including facial expression classification, speech emotion classification, and activity classification from motion, show that the minimax filter can simultaneously achieve similar or better target task accuracy and lower inference accuracy, often significantly lower than previous methods.
Development of Multiplex Real-Time RT-PCR as a Diagnostic Tool for Avian Influenza

Abstract A multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of the H5 and H7 avian influenza hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes was developed with hydrolysis type probes labeled with the FAM (H5 probe) and ROX (H7 probe) reporter dyes. The sensitivity of the H5-H7 subtyping assay was determined, using in vitro transcribed RNA templates, to have a reproducible detection limit for H7 of approximately 104 HA gene copies and approximately 104–105 HA gene copies of H5. A direct comparison of H5-H7 multiplex RRT-PCR with hemagglutination inhibition (HI) was performed with 83 AI RRT-PCR and virus isolation positive tracheal and cloacal swab samples obtained from various avian species and environmental swabs from live-bird markets in New York and New Jersey. Both multiplex RRT-PCR and HI agreed on the subtype determination of 79 (95.2%) of the 83 samples, of which 77 were positive for H7 and two were determined to be non-H5/non-H7 subtypes. No samples were determined to be the H5 subtype by either assay.
Genetic polymorphism of N-acetyltransferase-2, glutathione S-transferase-M1, and cytochromes P450IIE1 and P450IID6 in the susceptibility to head and neck cancer.

AIMS: To analyse the allele frequencies of DNA polymorphisms at the genes for cytochromes P450IIE1 and P450IID6, N-acetyltransferase-2, and glutathione S-transferase-M1 in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, in an attempt to define genetic factors involved in the susceptibility to this cancer, which is strongly associated with tobacco consumption. METHODS: Determination of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) at cytochromes P450IIE1/P450IID6 and NAT2 genes, and the presence of homozygous deletion of the GSTM1 gene, in 200 controls and 75 head and neck cancer patients. Allelic frequencies between the two groups were compared using a chi 2 test, and odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: There was no evidence of an association between alleles of CYP2D6 and CYP2E1 and head and neck cancer in our population. Similarly, frequencies of individuals lacking the GSTM1 gene did not differ between controls and patients. However, individuals with the NAT2-SA phenotype were at higher risk of developing head and neck cancer. The frequencies of the most common SA genotype (homozygous for the NAT2*5 allele) were higher in patients than in controls (27% v 15%, respectively). Slow acetylators homozygous for the NAT2*6 allele, the second most common SA allele, were also more common in patients than in controls (11% v 5%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Slow NAT2 activity is a risk factor possibly leading to the development of head and neck cancer in response to tobacco carcinogens.
Neurovascular coupling in the mammalian brain

Normal brain function requires proper supply of oxygen and glucose in a timely and local manner. This is achieved through an orchestrated intercellular communication between neurones, astrocytes and microvessels that results in a rapid and restricted increase in cerebral blood flow, a process known as neurovascular coupling. Astrocytic end‐feet make close contacts with neuronal synapses and blood vessels and, given their ability to release vasoactive signals following neuronal activation, have been recognized as key intermediaries in the neurovascular response. Both dilating and constricting signals appear to be released from astrocytes upon increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and both dilatation and constriction of brain vessels have been observed in previous studies. In this article, we discuss the various astrocyte‐derived vasodilating and vasoconstricting signals, their interactions and effects on astrocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, and suggest the importance of the intrinsic properties of the latter cell type on the overall neurovascular response. We present a working model in which the rise in astrocytic Ca2+ following neuronal activation leads not only to the rapid activation of calcium‐activated K+ channels in astrocytic end‐feet, but also to their modulation by metabolites of the arachidonic acid pathway, which in general have been proposed to act on vascular smooth muscle cells rather than on astrocytes. We propose that this latter mechanism may in turn modulate K+ signalling from astrocytes to smooth muscle cells, influencing the overall effects of the vasodilating and vasoconstricting signals released during neuronal activation.
Correlates of Death Anxiety Among Taiwanese Cancer Patients

Background: Patients with cancer experience the approaching of death, which increases their fear of dying and the intensity of suffering. Objective: This study examined relationships among cancer patients' demographic characteristics, sense of purpose in life, and death anxiety. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional correlational design. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, a sense-of-purpose-in-life scale, and a death anxiety scale. The stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors that influenced the degree of death anxiety. Results: Two hundred nineteen cancer patients who met the criteria for participation in the study completed the questionnaires. Results demonstrated that only 33.8% of participants had a sense of purpose in life, whereas 38.4% were uncertain about sense of purpose in life, and 27.8% indicated that they had no sense of purpose in life. Sense of purpose in life, level of fear of disease relapse, and sex were significant predictors, accounting for 32% of all variance in levels of death anxiety among cancer patients. Conclusions: Sense of purpose in life, level of fear of disease relapse, and sex had detrimental effects on levels of death anxiety among cancer patients. Implications for Practice: The research results may provide clinicians with an understanding of death anxiety among cancer patients and facilitate improvements in sense of purpose in life among patients, which may reduce death anxiety among such patients.