Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised Segmentation of Overlapped Nuclei Using Bayesian Classification

In a fully automatic cell extraction process, one of the main issues to overcome is the problem related to extracting overlapped nuclei since such nuclei will often affect the quantitative analysis of cell images. In this paper, we present an unsupervised Bayesian classification scheme for separating overlapped nuclei. The proposed approach first involves applying the distance transform to overlapped nuclei. The topographic surface generated by distance transform is viewed as a mixture of Gaussians in the proposed algorithm. In order to learn the distribution of the topographic surface, the parametric expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is employed. Cluster validation is performed to determine how many nuclei are overlapped. Our segmentation approach incorporates a priori knowledge about the regular shape of clumped nuclei to yield more accurate segmentation results. Experimental results show that the proposed method yields superior segmentation performance, compared to those produced by conventional schemes.
An Interface ASIC for MEMS Vibratory Gyroscopes With a Power of 1.6 mW, 92 dB DR and 0.007°/s/ $\sqrt {\rm {Hz}} $  Noise Floor Over a 40 Hz Band

This paper reports on the implementation of an interface ASIC for MEMS vibratory gyroscopes exhibiting a wide tuning range from 7 to 31 kHz with a power consumption of 1.6 mW and a dynamic range of 92 dB over a signal band of 40 Hz. The drive loop of the system employs a high voltage stage based on flying capacitors for the excitation of the drive mass allowing a startup time of 44 ms. For the detection of the Coriolis signal, a fourth-order closed-loop electromechanical sense loop deploying continuous-time (CT) circuit techniques and ΔΣ-modulation is implemented. The sense loop deploys a high-Q electronic resonator based on gm-C circuits and a collocated charge-integrator for signal readout and for generating feedback forces. The readout interface with an active circuit area of 2.42 mm2 is fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS technology with a HV-module. The ASIC achieves a noise floor of 0.007°/s/√Hz over 40 Hz while the full-scale range is higher than ±1400°/s and the bias stability measures 2.6°/h. The wide tuning capability of the ASIC is demonstrated on the basis of two tested MEMS gyroscopes for different applications with an equal ASIC performance.
Additivity of uncertainty measures on credal sets

A general way of representing incomplete information is to use closed and convex sets of probability distributions, which are also called credal sets. Each credal set is associated with uncertainty, whose amount is quantified by an appropriate uncertainty measure. One of the requisite properties of uncertainty measures is the property of additivity, which is associated with the concept of independence. For credal sets, the concept of independence is not unique. This means that different definitions of independence lead to different definitions of additivity for uncertainty measures. In this paper, we compare the various definitions of independence, but our principal aim is to analyze those definitions that are employed in the most significant uncertainty measures established in the literature for credal sets.
Optimization of alginate and gellan-based edible coating formulations for fresh-cut pineapples

The effects of alginate-based (sodium alginate, 0-2% (w/v), glycerol, 0-2% (w/v) and sunflower oil 0.025% (w/v)) and gellan-based (gellan, 0-1% (w/v), glycerol, 0-1% (w/v) and sunflower oil 0.025% (w/v)) edible coatings on fresh-cut pineapple were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). Weight loss, firmness and respiration rate were considered as response variables. The results showed that for all response variables the RSM models were significantly (p 0.05) difference between predicted and experimental values. The overall optimum region predicted by RSM indicated that alginate and gellan-based coatings containing 1.29% (w/v) sodium alginate, 1.16% (w/v) glycerol and 0.56% (w/v) gellan gum, 0.89% (w/v) glycerol were optimized formulations respectively.
Investigating the electrophysiological basis of resting state networks using magnetoencephalography

In recent years the study of resting state brain networks (RSNs) has become an important area of neuroimaging. The majority of studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure temporal correlation between blood-oxygenation-level–dependent (BOLD) signals from different brain areas. However, BOLD is an indirect measure related to hemodynamics, and the electrophysiological basis of connectivity between spatially separate network nodes cannot be comprehensively assessed using this technique. In this paper we describe a means to characterize resting state brain networks independently using magnetoencephalography (MEG), a neuroimaging modality that bypasses the hemodynamic response and measures the magnetic fields associated with electrophysiological brain activity. The MEG data are analyzed using a unique combination of beamformer spatial filtering and independent component analysis (ICA) and require no prior assumptions about the spatial locations or patterns of the networks. This method results in RSNs with significant similarity in their spatial structure compared with RSNs derived independently using fMRI. This outcome confirms the neural basis of hemodynamic networks and demonstrates the potential of MEG as a tool for understanding the mechanisms that underlie RSNs and the nature of connectivity that binds network nodes.
Extensive linkage disequilibrium and parallel adaptive divergence across threespine stickleback genomes

Population genomic studies are beginning to provide a more comprehensive view of dynamic genome-scale processes in evolution. Patterns of genomic architecture, such as genomic islands of increased divergence, may be important for adaptive population differentiation and speciation. We used next-generation sequencing data to examine the patterns of local and long-distance linkage disequilibrium (LD) across oceanic and freshwater populations of threespine stickleback, a useful model for studies of evolution and speciation. We looked for associations between LD and signatures of divergent selection, and assessed the role of recombination rate variation in generating LD patterns. As predicted under the traditional biogeographic model of unidirectional gene flow from ancestral oceanic to derived freshwater stickleback populations, we found extensive local and long-distance LD in fresh water. Surprisingly, oceanic populations showed similar patterns of elevated LD, notably between large genomic regions previously implicated in adaptation to fresh water. These results support an alternative biogeographic model for the stickleback radiation, one of a metapopulation with appreciable bi-directional gene flow combined with strong divergent selection between oceanic and freshwater populations. As predicted by theory, these processes can maintain LD within and among genomic islands of divergence. These findings suggest that the genomic architecture in oceanic stickleback populations may provide a mechanism for the rapid re-assembly and evolution of multi-locus genotypes in newly colonized freshwater habitats, and may help explain genetic mapping of parallel phenotypic variation to similar loci across independent freshwater populations.
Identification and Expression Analysis of Candidate Genes Involved in Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Chickpea Seeds

Plant carotenoids have a key role in preventing various diseases in human because of their antioxidant and provitamin A properties. Chickpea is a good source of carotenoid among legumes and its diverse germplasm and genome accessibility makes it a good model for carotenogenesis studies. The structure, location, and copy numbers of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis were retrieved from the chickpea genome. The majority of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) within these genes across five diverse chickpea cultivars was synonymous mutation. We examined the expression of the carotenogenesis genes and their association with carotenoid concentration at different seed development stages of five chickpea cultivars. Total carotenoid concentration ranged from 22 μg g−1 in yellow cotyledon kabuli to 44 μg g−1 in green cotyledon desi at 32 days post anthesis (DPA). The majority of carotenoids in chickpea seeds consists of lutein and zeaxanthin. The expression of the selected 19 genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis pathway showed common pattern across five cultivars with higher expression at 8 and/or 16 DPA then dropped considerably at 24 and 32 DPA. Almost all genes were up-regulated in CDC Jade cultivar. Correlation analysis between gene expression and carotenoid concentration showed that the genes involved in the primary step of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway including carotenoid desaturase and isomerase positively correlated with various carotenoid components in chickpea seeds. A negative correlation was found between hydroxylation activity and provitamin A concentration in the seeds. The highest provitamin A concentration including β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin were found in green cotyledon chickpea cultivars.
The mind's eye: functional MR imaging evaluation of golf motor imagery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Mental imagery involves rehearsing or practicing a task in the mind with no physical movement. The technique is commonly used, but the actual physical foundation of imagery has not been evaluated for the fast, complex, automatic motor movement of the golf swing. This study evaluated motor imagery of the golf swing, of golfers of various handicaps, by using functional MR imaging to assess whether areas of brain activation could be defined by this technique and to define any association between activated brain areas and golf skill. METHODS Six golfers of various handicap levels were evaluated with functional MR imaging during a control condition and during mental imagery of their golf swing. Two control conditions were evaluated--"rest" and "wall"--and were then subtracted from the experimental condition to give the functional activation map. These control conditions were then tested against the golf imagery; the participants were told to mentally rehearse their golf swings from a first person perspective. The percentages of activated pixels in 137 defined regions of interest were calculated. RESULTS The "rest-versus-golf" paradigm showed activation in motor cortex, parietal cortex, frontal lobe, cerebellum, vermis, and action planning areas (frontal and parietal cortices, supplementary motor area, cerebellum) and areas involved with error detection (cerebellum). Vermis, supplementary motor area, cerebellum, and motor regions generally showed the greatest activation. Little activation was seen in the cingulate gyrus, right temporal lobe, deep gray matter, and brain stem. A correlation existed between increased number of areas of activation and increased handicap. CONCLUSION This study showed the feasibility of defining areas of brain activation during imagery of a complex, coordinated motor task. Decreased brain activation occurred with increased golf skill level for the supplementary motor area and cerebellum with little activation of basal ganglia.
Seasonal Activity Budget of Adult Baltic Ringed Seals

Although ringed seals are important components in oceanic and fresh water ecosystems at high latitudes, little is known about how they exploit these harsh environments. Seasonal activity and diving behaviour of 19 adult Baltic ringed seals were studied by satellite telemetry. We elaborated an activity budget for ten months of the year, extending over the period from moult to the breeding season. Seals from three main regions showed explicit site fidelity and the distributions of animals tagged from different areas did not overlap, suggesting separate stocks. Both the mean duration and the mean depth of dives peaked in June and July. Seals spent 70% (females) to 85% (males) of their time diving in June and July which decreased to 50% in late autumn. Less than one percent of dives exceeded 10 min in females, while 10% of male dives lasted longer than 10 min in June to September. Less than one percent of dives lasted for more than 25 min. Both females and males were most active during day time and hauled out predominantly during the night. Activity patterns during the summer are suggested to be correlated to energy accumulation and prey availability. The information on seasonal activity budget is crucial for developing population energetic models where interactions between ringed seals and other trophic levels can be evaluated.
Ecological modelling, size distributions and taphonomic size bias in dinosaur faunas: a comment on Codron et al. (2012)

Codron et al. [[1][1]] invoke an ecological model of size-specific competition in dinosaurs to explain an apparent bimodal distribution within Dinosauria, and find ‘intermediate-sized taxa’ (1–1000 kg) are prone to extinction. Although the authors take an interesting approach, we argue that
Comparison of the Effects of Halothane on Newborn and Adult Rabbit Myocardium

The effect of halothane on myocardial contractility was studied in isolated right ventricular muscle preparations from newborn and adult rabbits. Right ventricle strips were mounted in oxygenated Krebs' solution and stimulated with supramaximal voltages at 1.0 Hz, while isometric force of contraction was continuously recorded. Halothane (0.4, 0.7, and 1.1%) caused a significant dose-dependent depression of both peak developed tension (42, 61, and 70%, respectively) and maximum rate of rise of isometric tension (40, 56, and 64%, respectively) of newborn myocardium. Newborn myocardial preparations exhibited approximately 20% greater depression of contractility than adult myocardium at each concentration studied (P < 0.05), thus a parallel shift of the dose-response curves was observed. It was concluded that halothane exerts a potent depressant effect on newborn myocardium that is greater than that on adult myocardium. The depressant effect of halothane on the newborn myocardium may contribute to its hypotensive effect in newborn infants.
Study on Wind Speed Distribution of Surface Layer

Through the analysis of atmospheric turbulence gradient observation data by the National Climate Center in Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Jiangxi Poyang Lake, to investigate the vertical distribution characteristics of wind speed near surface under different atmospheric stability conditions, the main conclusions are as follows: (1) in simple inland terrain, overall wind shear index >0.2 occurs in very unstable, stable and very stable stratification, is relatively small; in coastal flat terrain, the overall wind shear index high value appeared more in stable stratification; although Hukou and Xingzi both inland lake terrain along the mountain, but the terrain of Xingzi is more complex, air currents accelerate during mountain climbing, the overall wind shear index >0.2 has a high frequency . While the lake-land circulation has greater impact on Hukou, so the frequency of overall wind shear index >0.2 is closer to that of Huanghua. (2) In wind turbine design and selection, only consider the overall wind shear index in impeller diameter is not enough, the vertical variation of wind speed under the condition of complex terrain is unable to use a monotone function to describe.
Tonsil enlargement after liver transplantation in adults—reason enough for tonsillectomy? Two cases of tonsillar posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disease

Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a well‐known complication of solid organ and bone marrow transplantation. It is agreed that the main causes of PTLD are chronic infection with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV); the intensity, rather then the type, of immunosuppression used; and underlying recipient disease. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and cytomegalovirus, as cofactors of EBV infection, have been suggested to increase the risk of PTLD. Use of calcineurin inhibitors, anti‐CD3 monoclonal antibody (OKT3), and antithymocyte globulin may increase the risk of PTLD. On the other hand, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, and the anti–interleukin‐2 receptor monoclonal antibodies Daclizumab and basiliximab have not been demonstrated to increase the risk of PTLD. The incidence of PTLD after liver transplantation (LT) is estimated to be 1.5‐3%, but a tonsillar location is extremely rare in adults. Thus, little is known about the best diagnostic tools for and treatment by LT recipients with tonsillar PTLD. Here, we report 2 cases of adult LT recipients with tonsillar PTLD. Tonsillectomy was used as a diagnostic tool and treatment option and resulted in complete remission for >2 years. Considering the high mortality and diagnostic difficulties of PTLD, together with the relatively low risks of tonsillectomy, we recommend tonsillectomy for treating tonsil enlargement of unknown cause and suspected PTLD in LT recipients. A larger series of patients and prospective studies comparing different treatment options will be needed to substantiate our recommendation. Liver Transpl 13:918–923, 2007. © 2007 AASLD.
Interactive evolutionary computation with adaptive mutation for increasing the effectiveness of advertisement texts

Interactive evolutionary computation systems can be used to evolve advertisement texts. Google AdWords was used as the interface that users can use to see the advertisement texts, and have a chance of being persuaded by the text into clicking them. Interactive evolutionary computation systems use humans to perform fitness evaluation in the evolutionary process, which can be applied on a genetic algorithm. This work presents a comparison between two variations of the genetic algorithm: one that uses a fuzzy inference system to dynamically adapt the mutation rate, and another that uses a fixed mutation rate. The results show that the dynamically adapted genetic algorithm in the interactive evolutionary computation system has the potential to have a better performance and lead to smaller costs in advertising campaigns.
A prospective study of gray matter abnormalities in mild traumatic brain injury

Objective: To examine the underlying pathophysiology of mild traumatic brain injury through changes in gray matter diffusion and atrophy during the semiacute stage. Methods: Fifty patients and 50 sex-, age-, and education-matched controls were evaluated with a clinical and neuroimaging battery approximately 14 days postinjury, with 26 patients returning for follow-up 4 months postinjury. Clinical measures included tests of attention, processing speed, executive function, working memory, memory, and self-reported postconcussive symptoms. Measures of diffusion (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity) and atrophy were obtained for cortical and subcortical structures to characterize effects of injury as a function of time. Results: Patients reported more cognitive, somatic, and emotional complaints during the semiacute injury phase, which were significantly reduced 4 months postinjury. Patients showed evidence of increased FA in the bilateral superior frontal cortex during the semiacute phase, with the left superior frontal cortex remaining elevated 4 months postinjury. There were no significant differences between patients and matched controls on neuropsychological testing or measures of gray matter atrophy/mean diffusivity at either time point. Conclusions: Increased cortical FA is largely consistent with an emerging animal literature of gray matter abnormalities after neuronal injury. Potential mechanistic explanations for increased FA include cytotoxic edema or reactive gliosis. In contrast, there was no evidence of cortical or subcortical atrophy in the current study, suggesting that frank neuronal or neuropil loss does not occur early in the chronic disease course for patients with typical mild traumatic brain injury.
Risk stratification of patients with normal myocardial perfusion imaging: help comes from the periphery.

This editorial refers to ‘Value of reserve pulse pressure in improving the risk stratification of patients with normal myocardial perfusion imaging’, by D. Thomas et al. , doi:10.1093/eurheartj/eht102 Nuclear imaging has an established clinical role in the non-invasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), allowing accurate patient stratification and allocation to the best form of treatment. Semi-quantitative assessment of regional myocardial perfusion with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a non-invasive, robust, and widely available method of assessing myocardial ischaemia and has a well established role in the clinical setting. One of the recognized strengths of SPECT perfusion imaging is its very high negative prognostic value. The annual rate of death and non-fatal myocardial infarction in patients with normal stress SPECT perfusion imaging is <1% per annum, i.e. similar to that in the general population.1 A recent retrospective study by Rozanski et al . 2 reports a decline in the frequency of abnormal perfusion detected by stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with SPECT in North America over the last two decades. The frequency of an abnormal myocardial perfusion image is now very low in patients able to exercise without typical angina. These findings highlight the need for developing cost-effective diagnostic algorithms for symptomatic patients who are at low risk and do not show inducible myocardial ischaemia during MPI. On the other hand, a normal myocardial perfusion image is not the equivalent of a normal coronary circulation: diffuse atherosclerosis, balanced ischaemia, and microvascular dysfunction hamper the increase of myocardial blood flow during exercise without showing localized perfusion defects. Histopathology studies have shown that atherosclerosis is diffuse in nature, and in symptomatic patients chest pain is often considered non-coronary because no single focal stenosis is found …
Parenting Practices and Child Disruptive Behavior Problems in Early Elementary School

Examined the hypothesis that distinct parenting practices may be associated with type and profile of a child's disruptive behavior problems (e.g., oppositional, aggressive, hyperactive). Parents of 631 behaviorally disruptive children described the extent to which they experienced warm and involved interactions with their children and the extent to which their discipline strategies were inconsistent and punitive and involved spanking and physical aggression. As expected from a developmental perspective, parenting practices that included punitive interactions were associated with elevated rates of all child disruptive behavior problems. Low levels of warm involvement were particularly characteristic of parents of children who showed elevated levels of oppositional behaviors. Physically aggressive parenting was linked more specifically with child aggression. In general, parenting practices contributed more to the prediction of oppositional and aggressive behavior problems than to hyperactive behavior problems, and parenting influences were fairly consistent across ethnic groups and sex.