Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reading Scene Text in Deep Convolutional Sequences

We develop a Deep-Text Recurrent Network (DTRN)that regards scene text reading as a sequence labelling problem. We leverage recent advances of deep convolutional neural networks to generate an ordered highlevel sequence from a whole word image, avoiding the difficult character segmentation problem. Then a deep recurrent model, building on long short-term memory (LSTM), is developed to robustly recognize the generated CNN sequences, departing from most existing approaches recognising each character independently. Our model has a number of appealing properties in comparison to existing scene text recognition methods: (i) It can recognise highly ambiguous words by leveraging meaningful context information, allowing it to work reliably without either pre- or post-processing; (ii) the deep CNN feature is robust to various image distortions; (iii) it retains the explicit order information in word image, which is essential to discriminate word strings; (iv) the model does not depend on pre-defined dictionary, and it can process unknown words and arbitrary strings. It achieves impressive results on several benchmarks, advancing the-state-of-the-art substantially.
Complex adaptive notch filters for frequency estimation of three-phase power systems

This paper presents a new technique for adaptive estimation of the frequency of unbalanced three-phase power systems using complex coefficient first-order notch filters. The input complex sinusoid is given by a sum of sequences with positive and negative frequencies. The analytical expression of a estimation error oscillation introduced by the sequence with negative frequency has been derived. Closed form expression for frequency tracking error has been also derived for a complex linear chirp signal. Computer simulation results are presented to validate the analysis.
Investigation of the Association between Metabolic Syndrome and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of autoimmune arthritis. Increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in RA may occur secondary to specific drug treatment and reduced physical activity associated with this condition. However, some recent studies suggest contradictory theories about the association of RA with MetS. This study was designed to evaluate the frequency of MetS in RA patients and the relationship between MetS with RA disease activity and body mass index (BMI). The study was conducted on 120 RA patients and 431 age- and sex-matched apparently healthy controls. A considerable proportion of patients were being treated with prednisolone and/or methotrexate and/or hydroxychloroquine. Disease activity was measured by the 28 joint count of disease activity score-Cerythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28ESR). MetS was evaluated according to International Diabetic Federation (IDF) and Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria. The prevalence of MetS was significantly higher in the control group (p = 0.005). We did not find any difference in the prevalence of MetS between the patients with DAS < 3.2 and DAS ≥ 3.2. There was no association between the DAS28 score and the presence of MetS components by either definition. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of a DAS > 3.2 in patients with BMI between 25 and 30 kg/m2 (OR = 0.1, p = 0.01) and BMI > 30 kg/m2 (OR = 0.3, p = 0.1), in comparison to BMI < 25 kg/m2, was 1/5 and 1/3, respectively. RA was not found to increase the risk of MetS. In addition, disease activity in RA patients was not influenced by the presence of MetS.
Comparison between the Latex Nucleoprotein Test and the Fluorescent Method for the Demonstration of Antinuclear Factor

The evidence that systemic lupus erythematosus (S.L.E.) is a complex disease developing as a result of an auto-immune process is based on the finding in the serum of abnormal antibody-like globulins which can be shown to react with the patient's own blood cells and certain plasma constituents, and presumably result from the activity of immuno-logically-competent cells. Factors with affinity for nuclear antigens are prominent among the many abnormal proteins so far identified. Following the description of the L.E. cell by Hargraves, Richmond, and Morton (1948), the affinity of the patient's serum for nuclear components has been demonstrated by many workers, including Miescher (1957), who used the antiglobulin consumption method, Friou, Finch, and Detre
Apoptotic surge of potassium currents is mediated by p38 phosphorylation of Kv2.1

Kv2.1, the primary delayed rectifying potassium channel in neurons, is extensively regulated by phosphorylation. Previous reports have described Kv2.1 phosphorylation events affecting channel gating and the impact of this process on cellular excitability. Kv2.1, however, also provides the critical exit route for potassium ions during neuronal apoptosis via p38 MAPK-dependent membrane insertion, resulting in a pronounced enhancement of K+ currents. Here, electrophysiological and viability studies using Kv2.1 channel mutants identify a p38 phosphorylation site at Ser-800 (S800) that is required for Kv2.1 membrane insertion, K+ current surge, and cell death. In addition, a phospho-specific antibody for S800 detects a p38-dependent increase in Kv2.1 phosphorylation in apoptotic neurons and reveals phosphorylation of S800 in immunopurified channels incubated with active p38. Consequently, phosphorylation of Kv2.1 residue S800 by p38 leads to trafficking and membrane insertion during apoptosis, and remarkably, the absence of S800 phosphorylation is sufficient to prevent completion of the cell death program.
Genome-Wide Screening of Genes Regulated by DNA Methylation in Colon Cancer Development

Tumorigenesis is accompanied by changes in the DNA methylation pattern. Our aim was to test a novel approach for identification of transcripts at whole transcript level which are regulated by DNA methylation. Our approach is based on comparison of data obtained from transcriptome profiling of primary human samples and in vitro cell culture models. Epithelial cells were collected by LCM from normal, adenoma, and tumorous colonic samples. Using gene expression analysis, we identified downregulated genes in the tumors compared to normal tissues. In parallel 3000 upregulated genes were determined in HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cell culture model after DNA demethylation treatment. Of the 2533 transcripts showing reduced expression in the tumorous samples, 154 had increased expression as a result of DNA demethylation treatment. Approximately 2/3 of these genes had decreased expression already in the adenoma samples. Expression of five genes (GCG, NMES-1, LRMP, FAM161B and PTGDR), was validated using RT-PCR. PTGDR showed ambiguous results, therefore it was further studied to verify the extent of DNA methylation and its effect on the protein level. Results confirmed that our approach is suitable for genome-wide screening of genes which are regulated or inactivated by DNA methylation. Activity of these genes possibly interferes with tumor progression, therefore genes identified can be key factors in the formation and in the progression of the disease.
Exploring Differences in Employee Turnover Intentions and Its Determinants Among Telecommuters and Non-Telecommuters

As telecommuting programs proliferate, a better understanding of the relationship between telecommuting and career success outcomes is required to provide human resources managers, telecommuters, and information systems managers with information to decide the future of telecommuting arrangements. This paper addresses this need by exploring whether turnover intentions and their determinants differ for telecommuters and non-telecommuters. Four hundred salespeople from one large company in the southeastern United States were asked to participate in the study. The organization entry point was the marketing director. One hundred and four telecommuting employees and one hundred and twenty-one regular employees responded, with a total of 225 usable questionnaires. Telecommuters seemed to face less role conflict and role ambiguity and tended to be happier with their supervisors and more committed to their organizations. They also showed lower satisfaction with peers and with promotion. Based on the results, recommendations are proposed for managing the implementation of telecommuting programs and their impact on the rest of the organization's employee population.
Changes in Biochemical, Strength, Flexibility, and Aerobic Capacity Parameters after a 1700 km Ultraendurance Cycling Race

The purpose of the present research was to study the organic response after ultraendurance cycling race. Selected biochemical, leg strength, flexibility, and aerobic capacity parameters were analyzed in 6 subjects 5 days before and 5 days after completing a 1700 km ultraendurance cycling race. After the race, participants presented a significant decrease in Hb (167.8 ± 9.5 versus 141.6 ± 15.7 mg/dL), strength (29.4 ± 2.7 versus 25.5 ± 3.7 cm in a countermovement jump), and oxygen uptake and heart rate at ventilatory threshold (1957.0 ± 458.4 versus 1755.2 ± 281.5 mL/kg/min and 140.0 ± 9.7 versus 130.8 ± 8.3 bpm, resp.). Testosterone presented a decrease tendency (4.2 ± 2.5 versus 3.9 ± 2.6 ng/L) in opposition to the increase tendency of cortisol and ammonium parameters. Transferrin and iron levels presented high values related to an overstimulation of the liver, a normal renal function, a tendency to decrease flexibility, and an increase in aerobic capacity, finding a tendency to increase the absolute maximal oxygen uptake (37.2 ±2.4 versus 38.7 ± 1.8 mL/min) in contrast to previous studies conducted with subjects with similar age. These results can be used to program training interventions, recovery times between probes, and nutritional and/or ergonomic strategies in ultraendurance events.
Selective Interference with Verbal Short-Term Memory for Serial Order Information: A New Paradigm and Tests of a Timing-Signal Hypothesis

Many recent computational models of verbal short-term memory postulate a separation between processes supporting memory for the identity of items and processes supporting memory for their serial order. Furthermore, some of these models assume that memory for serial order is supported by a timing signal. We report an attempt to find evidence for such a timing signal by comparing an “item probe” task, requiring memory for items, with a “list probe” task, requiring memory for serial order. Four experiments investigated effects of irrelevant speech, articulatory suppression, temporal grouping, and paced finger tapping on these two tasks. In Experiments 1 and 2, irrelevant speech and articulatory suppression had a greater detrimental effect on the list probe task than on the item probe task. Reaction time data indicated that the list probe task, but not the item probe task, induced serial rehearsal of items. Phonological similarity effects confirmed that both probe tasks induced phonological recoding of visual inputs. Experiment 3 showed that temporal grouping of items during list presentation improved performance on the list probe task more than on the item probe task. In Experiment 4, paced tapping had a greater detrimental effect on the list probe task than on the item probe task. However, there was no differential effect of whether tapping was to a simple or a complex rhythm. Overall, the data illustrate the utility of the item probe/list probe paradigm and provide support for models that assume memory for serial order and memory for items involve separate processes. Results are generally consistent with the timing-signal hypothesis but suggest further factors that need to be explored to distinguish it from other accounts.
Co-teaching between native and non-native English teachers : An exploration of co-teaching models and strategies in the Chinese primary school context

This paper argues that co-teaching between native English teachers (NETs) and nonnative English teachers (NNETs) can contribute to the improvement of teaching quality of NETs, many of whom cannot achieve a desirable quality of teaching of English in Chinese primary schools largely due to lack of training in professional teaching. In this paper, four co-teaching models are examined—“One Teaching-One Assisting”, “Alternative Teaching”, “Station Teaching” and “Team Teaching”. In the context of Chinese EFL classrooms in Kunming, China, the paper takes the unique position that these four models should be implemented sequentially. That is, ‘One teaching-One assisting’ should be adopted first, moving on to ‘Alternative Teaching’, then ‘Station Teaching’ and finally ‘Team Teaching”, so that NETs can gradually build up their skills and experience in co-teaching. Strategies on how to create effective coteaching are also discussed to demonstrate how co-teachers with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds can create a dynamic teaching team and improve the quality of their teaching.
GENOTYPE × ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION AND YIELD STABILITY ANALYSIS OF NEW IMPROVED BREAD WHEAT GENOTYPES

Yield stability is an interesting feature of today’s wheat breeding programs, due to the high annual variation in mean yield, particularly in the arid and semi-arid areas. Eighteen bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes sourced from different regions were tested for yield stability and performance in four environments between 2007 and 2009 using various stability statistics. The experiment of each environment was laid out in a randomized complete-block design with four replications. Combined analysis of variance of grain yield revealed highly significant differences among genotypes and environments. Significant genotype × environment interaction indicated differential performance of genotypes across environments. Considering coefficient of several linear regression models, including conventional, adjusted, independent and Tai models as well as deviation variance from these models, genotype G2 was the most stable genotypes. Stability assessment on the basis of parameters like environmental variance, coefficient of variation, stability variance, genotypic stability and Superiority Index, genotypes G2 and G5 were the most stable genotypes. The results of principal component analysis of stability statistics and mean yield indicated that slope of linear regression of both conventional and independent models would be useful for simultaneously selecting for high yield and stability. The plot of the first two principal components also revealed that the stability statistics could be grouped as two distinct classes that corresponded to different static and dynamic concepts of stability. Finally, regarding both mean yield and most of stability characteristics, genotypes G2 and G5 were found to be the most stable genotypes. Such an outcome could be employed in the future to delineate rigorous recommendation strategies as well as to help define stability concepts for other crops.
Downregulation of Bcl‐2 Proteins in Type I Spinal Muscular Atrophy Motor Neurons During Fetal Development

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the survival motor neuron gene. The degeneration and loss of the anterior horn cells constitute the major neuropathological finding in SMA, although the mechanism and timing of this abnormal motor neuron death remain unknown. It has recently been reported that the fetal SMA spinal cord shows a significant increase in cells with DNA fragmentation, suggesting that the programmed cell death is aberrantly increased in type I SMA during development. We have analyzed 2 antiapoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and Bcl-X, by Western blot and immunohistochemistry screening for differential expression in control and SMA fetal spinal cords. Expression of these proteins was found in various neuronal populations and structures of the developing spinal cord. At 15 weeks, motor neurons of SMA fetuses showed a marked decrease in the levels of Bcl-2 and a delay in the expression of Bcl-X in comparison with controls. The difference in the pattern and degree of expression is consistent with a role for both proteins in the aberrant programmed cell death observed in type I SMA.
DSM-5TM guidebook : the essential companion to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition

About the Authors. Preface. Acknowledgments. Introduction. The march to DSM-5. Use of DSM-5 and major changes from DSM-IV-TR. Neurodevelopmental disorders. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. Mood disorders. Anxiety disorders. Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Dissociative disorders. Somatic symptom and related disorders. Feeding and eating disorders. Elimination disorders. Sleep-wake disorders. Sexual dysfunctions, gender dysphoria, and paraphilic disorders. Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders. Substance-related and addictive disorders. Neurocognitive disorders. Personality disorders. Medication-Induced movement disorders and other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention. Assessment measures. Alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders. Conditions for further study. Index.
The protease‐protected 30 kDa domain of SecA is largely inaccessible to the membrane lipid phase

SecA binds to the inner membrane of Escherichia coli through low affinity lipid interactions or with high affinity at SecYEG, the integral domain of preprotein translocase. Upon addition of preprotein and nucleotide, a 30 kDa domain of SecYEG‐bound SecA is protected from proteolysis via membrane insertion. Such protection could result from some combination of insertion into the lipid phase, into a proteinaceous environment or across the membrane. To assess the exposure of SecYEG‐bound SecA to membrane lipids, a radiolabeled, photoactivatable and lipid‐partitioning crosslinker, 3‐trifluoromethyl‐3‐(m‐[125I]iodophenyl) diazirine benzoic acid ester, was incorporated into inner membrane vesicles. The 30 kDa domain of SecYEG‐bound SecA, inserted into the membrane in response to translocation ligands, is 18‐fold less labeled than SecY, which is labeled effectively. In contrast, incorporation of the purified 30 kDa SecA fragment into crosslinker‐containing detergent micelles or addition of detergent to crosslinker‐containing membranes bearing the protease‐protected SecA domain readily allows for labeling of this domain. We propose that the protease‐inaccessible 30 kDa SecA domain is shielded from the fatty acyl membrane phase by membrane‐spanning SecYEG helices and/or is largely exposed to the periplasm.
Laparoscopic Gastrectomy Performed by an Expert in Open Gastrectomy

Purpose Senior surgeons prefer open gastrectomy (OG), while young surgeons prefer laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of LG performed by a senior surgeon who was an expert in OG during his learning period, by comparing them with LGs performed by a young surgeon. Materials and Methods A senior surgeon performed 50 curative gastrectomies with laparoscopy (LG-S group) from March 2015 to August 2016. A young surgeon's initial 50 LGs comprised the LG-Y group. Clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes were compared between the LG-S and LG-Y groups. Results D2 lymphadenectomy was more frequently performed in the LG-S group than in the LG-Y group (P=0.029). The operation time and number of retrieved lymph nodes did not significantly differ between the 2 surgeons (P=0.258 and P=0.410, respectively). Postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complication rate were similar between 2 groups (P=0.234 and P=1.000, respectively). Similarly, significant decreases in operation time with increasing case numbers were observed for both surgeons, whereas the number of retrieved lymph nodes increased significantly in the LG-Y group but not in the LG-S group. Conclusions The LG outcomes when performed by the senior surgeon were comparable to those when performed by the young surgeon, despite performing more extended lymphadenectomies. Senior surgeons who are experts in OG should not refrain from performing LG.
Social Networks and the Decision to Insure

Using data from a randomized experiment in rural China, this paper studies the influence of social networks on weather insurance adoption and the mechanisms through which social networks operate. To quantify network effects, the experiment offers intensive information sessions about the insurance product to a random subset of farmers. For untreated farmers, the effect of having an additional treated friend on take-up is equivalent to granting a 15% reduction in the insurance premium. By varying the information available about peers’ decisions and using randomized default options, the experiment shows that the network effect is driven by the diffusion of insurance knowledge rather than purchase decisions.
Subspace embeddings for the L1-norm with applications

We show there is a distribution over linear mappings R:l<sub>1</sub><sup>n</sup> -> l<sub>1</sub><sup>O(d log d)</sup>, such that with arbitrarily large constant probability, for any fixed d-dimensional subspace L, for all x ∈ L we have |x|<sub>1</sub> ≤ |Rx|<sub>1</sub> = O(d log d)|x|<sub>1</sub>. This provides the first analogue of the ubiquitous subspace Johnson-Lindenstrauss embedding for the l<sub>1</sub>-norm. Importantly, the target dimension and distortion are independent of the ambient dimension n. We give several applications of this result. First, we give a faster algorithm for computing well-conditioned bases. Our algorithm is simple, avoiding the linear programming machinery required of previous algorithms. We also give faster algorithms for least absolute deviation regression and l<sub>1</sub>-norm best fit hyperplane problems, as well as the first single pass streaming algorithms with low space for these problems. These results are motivated by practical problems in image analysis, spam detection, and tatistics, where the l<sub>1</sub>-norm is used in studies where outliers may be safely and effectively ignored. This is because the l<sub>1</sub>-norm is more robust to outliers than the l<sub>2</sub>-norm.
Micro patterns in Java code

Micro patterns are similar to design patterns, except that micro patterns are stand at a lower, closer to the implementation, level of abstraction. Micro patterns are also unique in that they are mechanically recognizable, since each such pattern can be expressed as a formal condition on the structure of a class.This paper presents a catalog of 27 micro-patterns defined on Java classes and interfaces. The catalog captures a wide spectrum of common programming practices, including a particular and (intentionally restricted) use of inheritance, immutability, data management and wrapping, restricted creation, and emulation of procedural-, modular-, and even functional- programming paradigms with object oriented constructs. Together, the patterns present a set of prototypes after which a large portion of all Java classes and interfaces are modeled. We provide empirical indication that this portion is as high as 75%. A statistical analysis of occurrences of micro patterns in a large software corpus, spanning some 70,000 Java classes drawn from a rich set of application domains, shows, with high confidence level that the use of these patterns is not random. These results indicate consciousness and discernible design decisions, which are sustained in the software evolution. With high confidence level, we can also show that the use of these patterns is tied to the specification, or the purpose, that the software realizes.The traceability, abundance and the statistical significance of micro pattern occurrence raise the hope of using the classification of software into these patterns for a more founded appreciation of its design and code quality.