Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic detection and tracking of oil spills in SAR imagery with level set segmentation

Automatic detection and monitoring of oil spills and illegal oil discharges is of fundamental importance in ensuring compliance with marine legislation and protection of the coastal environments, which are under considerable threat from intentional or accidental oil spills, uncontrolled sewage and wastewater discharged. In this paper, the level set based image segmentation was evaluated for the real‐time detection and tracking of oil spills from SAR imagery. The processing scheme developed consists of a pre‐processing step, in which an advanced image simplification takes place, followed by a geometric level set segmentation for the detection of possible oil spills. Finally, a classification was performed for the separation of look‐alikes, leading to oil spill extraction. Experimental results demonstrate that the level set segmentation is a robust tool for the detection of possible oil spills, copes well with abrupt shape deformations and splits and outperforms earlier efforts that were based on different types of thresholds or edge detection techniques. The developed algorithm's efficiency for real‐time oil spill detection and monitoring was also tested.
Coparison of extended jones matrices for twisted nematic liquid crystal displays at oblique angles of incidence

Detailed formulas were derived by using Yeh’s formulation of the extended 2×2 Jones matrix and applied to twisted nematic liquid-crystal displays at oblique angles of incidence. Numerical comparisons of this extended Jones matrix method with the exact 4×4 Berreman matrix and with the extended Jones matrix of Lien are presented. The various extended Jones matrix formulations differ in their approach to boundary-condition matching between the model birefringent layers. We show that Yeh’s version is a more accurate approximation to the full 4×4 matrix. This extended Jones matrix method is fast, direct, and simple. It is also physically more intuitive.
Novelty and collective attention

The subject of collective attention is central to an information age where millions of people are inundated with daily messages. It is thus of interest to understand how attention to novel items propagates and eventually fades among large populations. We have analyzed the dynamics of collective attention among 1 million users of an interactive web site, digg.com, devoted to thousands of novel news stories. The observations can be described by a dynamical model characterized by a single novelty factor. Our measurements indicate that novelty within groups decays with a stretched-exponential law, suggesting the existence of a natural time scale over which attention fades.
EFFECT OF WALL ASPECT RATIO ON SEISMIC RESPONSE OF NARROW MECHANICALLY STABILIZED EARTH WALLS

Increasing population and expanding urban development in limited spaces involves construction of Narrow Mechanically Stabilized Earth (NMSE) walls having an aspect ratio (ratio of reinforcement length, L, to wall height, H) below 0.70. When constructed in seismically active zones, these walls are subject to seismic ground motions. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of small scale shaking table tests on NMSE walls with rigid facing. A series of reduced scale (1/8 of the prototype model) shaking table tests are performed on a 1-dimensional shaking table. The modeled walls have aspect ratio (L/H) of 0.20, 0.30 and 0.40. The model is shacked using ramped sinusoidal base accelerations with incrementally increasing displacement amplitude (i.e. actuator stroke) and constant frequencies to generate an equivalent base acceleration ranging from 0.05 g to 0.70 g or until failure occurs. Ground motion frequency of 2.5 Hz is used. The results show that at input accelerations ranging from 0.25g to 0.45g yielding occurs and the NMSE walls behaves as a rigid body. Subsequently, excessive deformations occur due to the pull out of the top reinforcement layers. An amplification factor of 2.50 times the input ground motion is measured at the surface of the NMSE models. Furthermore, the average design acceleration for the model walls ranges from 1.02 to 1.35 of the input base acceleration.
Single-Crystal Y2O3 Epitaxially on GaAs(001) and (111) Using Atomic Layer Deposition

Single-crystal atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) Y2O3 films 2 nm thick were epitaxially grown on molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) GaAs(001)-4 × 6 and GaAs(111)A-2 × 2 reconstructed surfaces. The in-plane epitaxy between the ALD-oxide films and GaAs was observed using in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction in our uniquely designed MBE/ALD multi-chamber system. More detailed studies on the crystallography of the hetero-structures were carried out using high-resolution synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction. When deposited on GaAs(001), the Y2O3 films are of a cubic phase and have (110) as the film normal, with the orientation relationship being determined: Y2O3(110)[001][1¯10]//GaAs(001)[110][11¯0]. On GaAs(111)A, the Y2O3 films are also of a cubic phase with (111) as the film normal, having the orientation relationship of Y2O3(111)[21¯1¯][011¯]//GaAs(111)[2¯11][01¯1]. The relevant orientation for the present/future integrated circuit platform is (001). The ALD-Y2O3/GaAs(001)-4 × 6 has shown excellent electrical properties. These include small frequency dispersion in the capacitance-voltage (CV) curves at accumulation of ~7% and ~14% for the respective p- and n-type samples with the measured frequencies of 1 MHz to 100 Hz. The interfacial trap density (Dit) is low of ~1012 cm−2eV−1 as extracted from measured quasi-static CVs. The frequency dispersion at accumulation and the Dit are the lowest ever achieved among all the ALD-oxides on GaAs(001).
Combination of a Normal D-Dimer Concentration and a Non-High Pretest Clinical Probability Score Is a Safe Strategy to Exclude Deep Venous Thrombosis

Background—Serial ultrasonography is reliable for the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis in symptomatic patients, but the low prevalence of thrombosis in this group renders the approach costly and inconvenient to patients. We studied the clinical validity of the combination of a pretest clinical probability score and a D-dimer test in the initial evaluation of patients suspected of deep venous thrombosis. Methods and Results—Patients with a normal D-dimer concentration (<500 fibrin equivalent units [FEU] &mgr;g/L) and a non-high probability score (<3) had no further testing. Patients with a normal D-dimer concentration and a high probability score (≥3) underwent one ultrasonogram. Serial ultrasonography was performed in patients with an abnormal D-dimer concentration. Patients were followed for 3 months. A total of 812 patients were evaluable for efficacy. Only 1 of 176 patients (0.6%; 95% CI, 0.02% to 3.1%) with a normal D-dimer concentration and a non-high probability score developed thrombosis during follow-up. A normal D-dimer concentration and a high probability score were found in 39 patients; 3 of them (7.7%; 95% CI, 1.6% to 20.9%) had thrombosis at presentation, and one (2.8%; 95% CI, 0.07% to 14. 5%) developed pulmonary embolism during follow-up. In 306 of 597 patients (51.3%) with an abnormal D-dimer concentration, thrombosis was detected by serial ultrasonography. Six patients (2.1%; 95% CI, 0.8% to 4. 4%) developed thrombosis during follow-up. No deaths due to thromboembolism occurred during follow-up. The total need for ultrasonography was reduced by 29%. Conclusion—The combination of a non-high pretest clinical probability score and a normal D-dimer concentration is a safe strategy to rule out deep venous thrombosis and to withhold anticoagulation.
Soluble interleukin‐2 receptors and other markers in primary lung cancer

Serum levels of soluble interleukin‐2 receptors (sIL‐2R), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP), β‐chorionic gonadotropin (β‐HCG), pregnancy‐specific glycoprotein (SP1), and β2‐microglobulin (β2M) were taken in 92 patients with primary lung cancer and 43 controls. The mean value of sIL‐2R in the cancer group was twice as high as that of the controls (P less than 0.001) and the highest values were observed in those with small cell carcinoma (SCC) (P less than 0.0001). Of the cancer patients, 51.1% had CEA values higher than the cutoff level of 5 ng/ml. Extended‐disease patients had a higher percentage of increased CEA values than those with limited disease. Adenocarcinoma (ADCC) and SCC groups had the highest percentages of increased CEA levels. There was no significant difference between the groups for β‐HCG, AFP, SP1, and β2M, and intermarker correlation was not seen. The results suggest that sIL‐2R and CEA may be useful in monitoring the extent of disease and possibly indicate the histologic subtype, thus having a bearing on treatment and prognosis.
Investigation of Drug-Packaging Interactions with Mass Spectroscopy Detectors: A Meta-Synthesis of the Literature

Abstract Background The production of hospital-compounded medicines with a longer shelf life raises questions about drug-packaging interactions, especially desorption events involving extractables and leachables (E/L). A meta-synthesis of the literature was performed to describe which mass spectrometer is suitable for identifying and quantifying E/L. Methods A meta-synthesis of studies focused on the identification or quantification of E/L published between January 1997 and December 2017 was performed. Inclusion criteria were E/L studies dealing with pharmaceutical products, in which mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) or gas chromatography (GC) was used. The full-text articles had to be available and written in English. Articles about food packaging, environmental contamination, counterfeit compounds, pharmacokinetics, or process-related impurity studies were excluded. Two researchers independently assessed the papers according to a score based on a seven-item questionnaire. Results In total, 32 papers matched our criteria and were included in the meta-synthesis. For qualitative analysis with LC, quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF; n=4) and ion trap (n=4) mass detectors were used the most; and with GC, single quadrupole (n=8). For quantification studies with LC, QTOF (n=3) and triple quadrupole (n=2) were used the most; and with GC, single quadrupole (n=7). Conclusions For simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of E/L with LC, QTOF or Orbitrap is a suitable detector. For quantitative analysis with LC only, triple quadrupole is suitable. For qualitative and quantitative analysis with GC, single quadrupole can be used.
A Flux Tube Solar Dynamo Model Based on the Competing Role of Buoyancy and Downflows

A magnetic flux tube can be considered both as a separate body and as a confined field. As a field, it is affected by both differential rotation (Ω-effect) and cyclonic convection (α-effect). As a body, the tube experiences not only a buoyant force, but also a dynamic pressure due to downflows above the tube. These two competing dynamic effects are incorporated into the α-Ω dynamo equations through the total magnetic turbulent diffusivity, leading to a flux tube dynamo operating in the convection zone. We analyze and solve the extended dynamo equations in the linear approximation by adopting the observed solar internal rotation and assuming a downflow effect derived from numerical simulations of a solar convection zone. The model reproduces the 22 yr cycle period; the extended butterfly diagram with the confinement of strong activity to low heliographic latitudes |Φ| ≤ 35°; the evidence that at low latitudes the radial field is in an approximately π phase lag compared to the toroidal field at the same latitude; the evidence that the poleward branch is in a π/2 phase lag with respect to the equatorward branch; and the evidence that most of the magnetic flux is present in an intermittent form, concentrated into strong flux tubes.
Geographic distribution of pediatricians in the United States: an analysis of the fifty states and Washington, DC.

OBJECTIVES To determine current geographic distribution of pediatricians in the United States, to assess the changes in the geographic distribution of pediatricians between 1982 and 1992, and to identify factors associated with the distribution of pediatricians among the 50 states. METHODS A data set was constructed using several published data sources including the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile as the principal source for physician information. The pediatrician-to-child population ratio (PCPR, the number of pediatricians per 100 000 people under 18 years of age) was calculated to compare the distribution of pediatricians among states and the distributional changes between 1982 and 1992. Lorenz curves and Gini indices were used to describe distributions and to compare distributions across time periods. Linear regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between PCPR (dependent variable) with 9 predictor variables. RESULTS Between 1982 and 1992, there was a 5.4% increase in the United States (US) child population and a 46.1% increase in the number of pediatricians in patient care. During that time period, the PCPR increased by 38.6% from 35.1 per 100 000 to 48.6 per 100 000. There was a more than 4-fold difference in the PCPRs of the highest state (Maryland, 84.3) and the lowest state (Idaho, 18.5) in 1992. The PCPR increased in all 50 states, but varied from a 4.1% increase in Wyoming to a 63.4% increase in Massachusetts. The Lorenz curve showed that pediatricians were less evenly distributed than all physicians, but more evenly distributed than pediatric cardiologists. Between 1982 to 1992 the Gini index decreased 9.8% for all physicians and 10.2% for pediatric cardiologists, but only 1. 9% for pediatricians. Since a decrease in the Gini index signifies better overall distribution, these changes are relatively modest for pediatricians as a whole, especially when compared to other physicians. Regression analysis showed that a higher PCPR was associated with a greater number of residency positions per 100 000 children and with the per capita income of the state (R = .93). CONCLUSIONS The distribution of pediatricians does not parallel the distribution of the child population in the US, nor has this distribution changed substantially in spite of a 38.6% increase in the PCPR. Pediatricians tend to concentrate in states with high per capita income and in states with a larger number of residency training positions. The failure of market forces to improve the geographic distribution may require manpower policy changes designed to improve distribution in underrepresented states. The uncertain impact of market changes due to increased use of managed care could affect distributional requirements of pediatricians in the future.
Efficient neighbourhood-based information gain approach for exploration of complex 3D environments

This paper presents an approach for exploring a complex 3D environment with a sensor mounted on the end effector of a robot manipulator. In contrast to many current approaches which plan as far ahead as possible using as much environment information as is available, our approach considers only a small set of poses (vector of joint angles) neighbouring the robot's current pose in configuration space. Our approach is compared to an existing exploration strategy for a similar robot. Our results demonstrate a significant decrease in the number of information gain estimation calculations that need to be performed, while still gathering an equivalent or increased amount of information about the environment.
Principles of constraint programming

Scheduling, vehicle routing and timetabling are all examples of constraint problems, and methods to solve them rely on the idea of constraint propagation and search. This book meets the need for a modern, multidisciplinary introduction to the field that covers foundations and applications. Written by Krzysztof Apt, an authority on the subject, it will be welcomed by graduate students and professionals. With the insertion of constraint techniques into programming environments, new developments have accelerated the solution process. Constraint programming combines ideas from artificial intelligence, programming languages, databases, and operational research.
Non-cell-autonomous action of STAT3 in maintenance of neural precursor cells in the mouse neocortex

The transcription factor STAT3 promotes astrocytic differentiation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) during postnatal development of the mouse neocortex, but little has been known of the possible role of STAT3 in the embryonic neocortex. We now show that STAT3 is expressed in NPCs of the mouse embryonic neocortex and that the JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway plays an essential role in the maintenance of NPCs by fibroblast growth factor 2. Conditional deletion of the STAT3 gene in NPCs reduced their capacity to form neurospheres in vitro, as well as promoted neuronal differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, STAT3 was found to maintain NPCs in the undifferentiated state in a non-cell-autonomous manner. STAT3-dependent expression of the Notch ligand Delta-like1 (DLL1) appears to account for the non-cell-autonomous effect of STAT3 on NPC maintenance, as knockdown of DLL1 by RNA interference or inhibition of Notch activation with a γ-secretase inhibitor abrogated the enhancement of neurosphere formation by STAT3. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism of interaction between the JAK-STAT3 and DLL1-Notch signaling pathways, as well as a pivotal role for this interaction in maintenance of NPCs during early neocortical development.
Effects of direct-fed microbial supplementation on broiler performance, intestinal nutrient transport and integrity under experimental conditions with increased microbial challenge

Abstract 1. The effects of Aspergillus oryzae- and Bacillus subtilis-based direct-fed microbials (DFM) were investigated on the performance, ileal nutrient transport and intestinal integrity of broiler chickens, raised under experimental conditions, with increased intestinal microbial challenge. 2. The first study was a 3 × 2 factorial experiment, with 3 dietary treatments (control (CON), CON + DFM and CON + antibiotic growth promoter) with and without challenge. Chicks were fed experimental diets from 1 to 28 d, while the challenge was provided by vaccinating with 10 times the normal dose of commercial coccidial vaccine on d 9. In a second experiment, two groups of 1 d-old broilers, housed on built-up litter (uncleaned from two previous flocks), were fed the same CON and CON + DFM diets from 1 to 21 d. 3. The challenge in the first experiment reduced performance, but no differences were observed among dietary treatments from 8 to 28 d. The challenge reduced the ileal epithelial flux for D-glucose, L-lysine, DL-methionine and phosphorus on d 21. Epithelial flux for D-glucose, L-lysine and DL-methionine were increased by DFM. Ileal trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TER) was increased in challenged broilers fed DFM, although this was not observed in unchallenged birds as indicated by a significant interaction. 4. Ileal mucin mRNA expression and colon TER were increased, and colon endotoxin permeability was reduced by DFM on d 21 in the second experiment. 5. It was concluded that the addition of DFM in the diet improved the intestinal integrity of broiler chickens raised under experimental conditions designed to provide increased intestinal microbial challenge.
Improving Pronoun Translation for Statistical Machine Translation

Machine Translation is a well--established field, yet the majority of current systems translate sentences in isolation, losing valuable contextual information from previously translated sentences in the discourse. One important type of contextual information concerns who or what a coreferring pronoun corefers to (i.e., its antecedent). Languages differ significantly in how they achieve coreference, and awareness of antecedents is important in choosing the correct pronoun. Disregarding a pronoun's antecedent in translation can lead to inappropriate coreferring forms in the target text, seriously degrading a reader's ability to understand it. This work assesses the extent to which source-language annotation of coreferring pronouns can improve English--Czech Statistical Machine Translation (SMT). As with previous attempts that use this method, the results show little improvement. This paper attempts to explain why and to provide insight into the factors affecting performance.
Segregation of arterial and venous markers in subpopulations of blood islands before vessel formation

The neuropilin‐1 (np1) and the neuropilin‐2 (np2) receptors bind vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and class‐3 semaphorins. They form complexes with VEGF tyrosine‐kinase receptors or alternatively with type‐A plexins to transduce respective VEGF or semaphorin signals. We have compared the expression patterns of np1, np2, plexin‐A1, and plexin‐A2 in the emerging vasculature of chick embryos. Double in situ hybridization reveals that six‐somite embryos contain intermingled extraembryonic blood island (BI) subpopulations that express np1 or np2 as well as a BI subpopulation that coexpresses both neuropilins. In 13‐somite embryos, which already contain an extraembryonic vascular plexus, the expression of np1 and np2 is segregated between the arterial and venous parts of the plexus, despite the absence of blood flow. However, the arterial marker ephrin‐B2 was not yet expressed in the plexus at this stage. In 26‐somite embryos, which possess a functional vascular system, np1 and np2 are differentially expressed in arteries and veins as previously reported. At this stage, posterior BIs expressing np2 appear to undergo fusion to form the posterior sinus vein and its tributaries, suggesting that the venous identity of these veins may be established before their formation. The neuropilin coreceptor plexin‐A2 was expressed in extraembryonic veins but not in extraembryonic arteries. In contrast, within the embryo, plexin‐A2 expression was observed in the dorsal aorta as well as in the cardinal vein. Semaphorin‐3F (s3f), an np2 ligand, bound to np2‐expressing cells in 26‐somite embryos regardless of the presence or absence of plexin‐A1 or plexin‐A2. Of interest, even though s3f binds to np1 in vitro, np1‐expressing arteries fail to bind s3f in whole‐mount binding experiments. Developmental Dynamics 232:1047–1055, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transcriptional Regulation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE/PPE Genes: A Molecular Switch to Virulence

The PE/PPE family of proteins, which constitute 10% of the coding capacity of the mycobacterial genome, comprises a unique set of genes which have no known homologs and have expanded throughout their evolution. Their association with virulence has been implicated by several researchers in tuberculosis, but the molecular basis of their virulence is yet to be completely explored. PE/PPE genes are mostly associated with the pathogenic strains of mycobacteria as many of them are known to be deleted in non-pathogenic ones. The non-essentiality of these genes for their in vitrogrowth but essentiality during infection highlights their active role in the host-pathogen interaction and consequently virulence. Even within the different strains of pathogenic mycobacteria and clinical isolates, many of the PE/PPE genes show sequence variation, pointing to their importance in providing antigenic variations, and have also been speculated to perform varied roles by differential expression during host-pathogen interaction. The transcriptional regulators of these genes could therefore act as a molecular switch for the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This review focuses on the expression and regulation of PE/PPE genes in the context of infection and pathogenicity and discusses the potential of these proteins as drug targets.