Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applications of Text Detection and its Challenges: A Review

The rising need for automation of systems has effected the development of text detection and recognition from images to a large extent. Text recognition has a wide range of applications, each with scenario dependent challenges and complications. How can these challenges be mitigated? What image processing techniques can be applied to make the text in the image machine readable? How can text be localized and separated from non textual information? How can the text image be converted to digital text format? This paper attempts to answer these questions in chosen scenarios. The types of document images that we have surveyed include general documents such as newspapers, books and magazines, forms, scientific documents, unconstrained documents such as maps, architectural and engineering drawings, and scene images with textual information.
Implementation of exercise training programs in a hemodialysis unit: effects on physical performance.

INTRODUCTION Exercise training is beneficial for hemodialysis patients, but it should be tailored to individual abilities and willingness to participate. This study evaluated the effects of different 6-month programs of physical activity in 18 patients of a single hemodialysis unit. METHODS Before and after a 12-month control period (T0), and following 3 (T3) and 6 (T6) months of training, the patients underwent the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and constant treadmill test at 3 km/hour speed and 10% grade; spontaneous physical activity was assessed by pedometers. All patients trained for coordination, flexibility and muscular strengthening for 30 minutes within the first 2 hours of hemodialysis sessions: 9 patients underwent home exercise walking training (advised walking group [AWG]); the other 9 patients underwent the advised home training program plus an additional supervised gym training session, twice weekly (supervised walking group [SWG]). RESULTS In both AWG and SWG, no changes occurred during the control period (232 ± 204 m and 248 ± 187 m at T0). In contrast, endurance performance at treadmill increased at T3 and T6 in the AWG (377 ± 272 m and 615 ± 413 m; p<0.01) and in the SWG (424 ± 272 m and 890 ± 364 m; p<0.001). No unwanted side effects occurred. CONCLUSION This study shows that physical exercise programs can safely increase physical performance in hemodialysis patients. The training program should be continued for at least 6 months to increase muscle strength and endurance. Intradialytic exercise and home-based, pedometer-based regimens may be a useful and easy approach, whereas supervised programs can give additional benefits in motivated, selected patients.
The Newton stratification on deformations of local G-shtukas

Abstract Bounded local G-shtukas are function field analogs for p-divisible groups with extra structure. We describe their deformations and moduli spaces. The latter are analogous to Rapoport–Zink spaces for p-divisible groups. The underlying schemes of these moduli spaces are affine Deligne–Lusztig varieties. For basic Newton polygons the closed Newton stratum in the universal deformation of a local G-shtuka is isomorphic to the completion of a corresponding affine Deligne–Lusztig variety in that point. This yields bounds on the dimension and proves equidimensionality of the basic affine Deligne–Lusztig varieties.
Improving Diagnosis of Trichomonas Vaginalis Infection in Resource Limited Health Care Settings in Sri Lanka

Objective: This study was designed to compare diagnosis of trichomoniasis by culture, wet smear examination, and Giemsa stain. A modified technique was used to transport and prepare the specimen to ensure parasite viability prior to Giemsa staining. Materials and Methods: A clinic-based prospective study was carried out in association with the National STD/AIDS Control Programme over a period of 18 months. Three swabs were collected from the posterior fornix of 346 newly registered female patients for diagnosis of trichomoniasis. A wet smear was prepared using the first swab. The second swab was placed in 5 mL of 0.9% saline with three drops of 5% glucose at room temperature and centrifuged twice at a low speed prior to preparation of a Giemsa stained smear. The third swab was for culture. The three tests were performed independently. The specificity and sensitivity of the wet smear and Giemsa stain were compared to culture. Results: With culture, the prevalence of trichomoniasis was 6.9% (95% CI: 4.1–9.3%). The Giemsa-stained smear was found to be highly sensitive (100%, 95% CI: 86.2–100%) and specific (99.69%, 95% CI: 98.26–99.95%) compared to culture. The wet smear was less sensitive (95.83%, 95% CI: 79.76–99.26%) but equally specific (100%, 95% CI: 98.82–100%). Conclusion: In developing countries, facilities for using culture are limited and wet smear examination in the field is also difficult due to the immediate need for laboratory facilities. Our study demonstrated that, in this setting, using a transport medium prior to Giemsa staining is a feasible alternative, with a high-diagnostic yield.
An Opportunity Cost Approach for Job Assignment in a Scalable Computing Cluster

A new method is presented for job assignment to and reassignment between machines in a computing cluster. Our method is based on a theoretical framework that has been experimentally tested and shown to be useful in practice. This "opportunity cost" method converts the usage of several heterogeneous resources in a machine to a single homogeneous "cost. " Assignment and reassignment are then performed based on that cost. This is in contrast to traditional, ad hoc methods for job assignment and reassignment. These treated each resource as an independent entity with its own constraints, as there was no clean way to balance one resource against another. Our method has been tested by simulations, as well as real executions, and was found to perform well.
Structural and inflammatory sonographic findings in erosive and non-erosive osteoarthritis of the interphalangeal finger joints

Objective The objectives were: (1) to determine if ultrasound (US) can detect more erosions in erosive osteoarthritis (EOA) of the interphalangeal (IP) joints than conventional radiography (CR); and (2) to explore the frequency of structural and inflammatory findings in EOA and non-EOA. Methods Structural changes and the anatomical phase were scored on CR in IP joints of 31 patients with EOA and 7 patients with non-EOA. Structural and inflammatory changes were scored by US. The frequency of sonographic findings was compared between the anatomical phases and between EOA and non-EOA by generalised estimation equation (GEE) modelling. Results US detected 68 of 72 (94.4%) erosions seen on CR. US detected 45 additional erosive joints in EOA. The frequency of joint effusion and power Doppler signal was similar in EOA compared to non-EOA (p=0.91 and p=0.68, respectively). Statistically significantly more synovitis was present in full erosive phase compared to non-erosive phases in EOA (p=0.04). No differences in inflammatory findings were found between non-erosive phases in EOA and non-EOA. Conclusion US is capable of detecting erosions in radiographic non-erosive phases. The highest frequency of synovitis is present in erosive joints but inflammatory findings are common in all anatomical phases of EOA and non-EOA.
The Instructional Dependency of SNARC Effects Reveals Flexibility of the Space-Magnitude Association of Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Magnitudes

The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect refers to the phenomenon that small versus large numbers are responded to faster in the left versus right side of space, respectively. Using a pairwise comparison task, Shaki et al. found that task instruction influences the pattern of SNARC effects of certain types of magnitudes which are less rigid in their space-magnitude association . The present study examined the generalizability of this instruction effect using pairwise comparison of nonsymbolic and symbolic stimuli within a wide range of magnitudes. We contrasted performance between trials in which subjects were instructed to select the stimulus representing the smaller versus larger magnitude within each pair. We found an instruction-dependent pattern of SNARC effects for both nonsymbolic and symbolic magnitudes. Specifically, we observed a SNARC effect for the “Select Smaller” instruction, but a reverse SNARC effect for the “Select Larger” instruction. Considered together with previous studies, our findings suggest that nonsymbolic magnitudes and relatively large symbolic magnitudes have greater flexibility in their space-magnitude association.
Frequent switching of Polycomb repressive marks and DNA hypermethylation in the PC3 prostate cancer cell line

Epigenetic reprogramming is commonly observed in cancer, and is hypothesized to involve multiple mechanisms, including DNA methylation and Polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs). Here we devise a new experimental and analytical strategy using customized high-density tiling arrays to investigate coordinated patterns of gene expression, DNA methylation, and Polycomb marks which differentiate prostate cancer cells from their normal counterparts. Three major changes in the epigenomic landscape distinguish the two cell types. Developmentally significant genes containing CpG islands which are silenced by PRCs in the normal cells acquire DNA methylation silencing and lose their PRC marks (epigenetic switching). Because these genes are normally silent this switch does not cause de novo repression but might significantly reduce epigenetic plasticity. Two other groups of genes are silenced by either de novo DNA methylation without PRC occupancy (5mC reprogramming) or by de novo PRC occupancy without DNA methylation (PRC reprogramming). Our data suggest that the two silencing mechanisms act in parallel to reprogram the cancer epigenome and that DNA hypermethylation may replace Polycomb-based repression near key regulatory genes, possibly reducing their regulatory plasticity.
Serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins in dogs with leishmaniosis during short-term treatment.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate changes in serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins in dogs with leishmaniosis during short-term therapy in accordance with 2 treatment protocols and determine whether concentrations of acute-phase proteins could be used to monitor the initial response of dogs to treatment. ANIMALS 12 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. PROCEDURE Dogs were allocated into 2 groups. Dogs of group 1 were treated by use of meglumine antimonate (100 mg/kg, SC, q 24 h) administered concurrently with allopurinol (15 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h) for 20 days and then with allopurinol alone at the same dosage for the subsequent 30 days. Dogs of group 2 were treated by administration of allopurinol alone (15 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h) for 60 days). Blood samples were obtained before and during treatment for measurement of serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins and determination of CBC counts, serum biochemical analyses, and electropherograms. RESULTS All dogs evaluated in the study had increased concentrations of C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, and ceruloplasmin at the time of diagnosis of leishmaniosis. Mean concentration of serum amyloid A before treatment was also increased, but some of the dogs had concentrations of serum amyloid A that were within the reference range. Concentrations of C-reactive protein and ceruloplasmin decreased significantly in all dogs at the end of the study period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Measurement of concentrations of selected acute-phase proteins, such as C-reactive protein or ceruloplasmin, could be used to evaluate the initial response of dogs with leishmaniosis to treatment.
Perioperative management of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and heart failure: an anesthesiologist's perspective

Anesthesiologists frequently see asymptomatic patients with diastolic dysfunction or heart failure for various surgeries. These patients typically show normal systolic function but abnormal diastolic parameters in their preoperative echocardiographic evaluations. The symptoms that are sometimes seen are similar to those of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patients with diastolic dysfunction, and even with diastolic heart failure, have the potential to develop a hypertensive crisis or pulmonary congestion. Thus, in addition to conventional perioperative risk quantification, it may be important to consider the results of diastolic assessment for predicting the postoperative outcome and making better decisions. If anesthesiologists see female patients older than 70 years of age who have hypertension, diabetes, chronic renal disease, recent weight gain, or exercise intolerance, they should focus on the patient's diastologic echocardiography indicators such as left atrial enlargement or left ventricular hypertrophy. In addition, there is a need for perioperative strategies to mitigate diastolic dysfunction-related morbidity. Specifically, hypertension should be controlled, keeping pulse pressure below diastolic blood pressure, maintaining a sinus rhythm and normovolemia, and avoiding tachycardia and myocardial ischemia. There is no need to classify these diastolic dysfunction, but it is important to manage this condition to avoid worsening outcomes.
Enhanced Graft-take Ratio and Quality of Grafted Tomato Seedlings by Controlling Temperature and Humidity Conditions

This study was conducted to enhance graft-take ratio and quality of grafted tomato seedlings by controlling temperature and humidity during the healing and acclimatization processes. Three temperature levels (20℃, 23℃, and 26℃) were carried out to determine optimum temperature on four rootstocks. In addition, twelve combinations of three relative humidity levels (70%, 80%, and 90%) and four temperature levels (17℃, 20℃, 23℃, and 26℃) were set up to evaluate the effect of relative humidity and temperature on the graft-take ratio of grafted seedlings. In the other hand, five relative humidity periods (H0, H1, H2, H3, and H4: 90% relative humidity for first 0, 1, 2, 3 and 10 days and afterwards relative humidity was reduced to 70%, respectively) were examined effect of relative humidity periods on the graft-take and quality of grafted seedlings. The higher graft-take ratios (84.0~87.4%) were showed at 23℃ compared to 20℃ and 26℃ in all rootstocks. Graft-take ratios decreased and number of diseased plants increased at high temperature. The graft-take ratios increased with increasing relative humidity in all temperature levels on the 3 rd and 7 th day after grafting. However, increasing relative humidity significantly increased percent of diseased plants. The graft-take ratio reduced at (26℃) and (17℃) temperature under all relative humidity conditions. The graft-take ratio increased with increasing period of 90% relative humidity. Maximum graft-take ratios were observed in H2 and H3 treatments. Graft-take ratio decreased with increasing 90% relative humidity for 10 days (H4). Diseased plants had not been found in H0, H1, H2, and H3 treatments. Seedling quality was improved through increasing fresh and dry weight of root, compactness, and root morphology of tomato seedlings in H2 and H3 treatments. Therefore, high relative humidity (90%) for first 2 or 3 days and afterwards reduced low relative humidity (70%) at 23℃ condition during healing and acclimatization promoted the graft-take and quality of grafted tomato seedlings.
Using random sampling to build approximate tries for efficient string sorting

Algorithms for sorting large datasets can be made more efficient with careful use of memory hierarchies and reduction in the number of costly memory accesses. In earlier work, we introduced burstsort, a new string-sorting algorithm that on large sets of strings is almost twice as fast as previous algorithms, primarily because it is more cache efficient. Burstsort dynamically builds a small trie that is used to rapidly allocate each string to a bucket. In this paper, we introduce new variants of our algorithm: SR-burstsort, DR-burstsort, and DRL-burstsort. These algorithms use a random sample of the strings to construct an approximation to the trie prior to sorting. Our experimental results with sets of over 30 million strings show that the new variants reduce, by up to 37%, cache misses further than did the original burstsort, while simultaneously reducing instruction counts by up to 24%. In pathological cases, even further savings can be obtained.
Risk Factors Associated with Peer Victimization and Bystander Behaviors among Adolescent Students

Despite the prevalence of the phenomena of peer victimization and bystander behaviors, little data has generated to describe their relationships and risk factors. In this paper, a self-administered survey using a cross-sectional cluster-random sampling method in a sample of 5450 participants (2734 girls and 2716 boys) between 4th and 11th grades was conducted at six schools (two primary schools and four middle schools) located in Shantou, China. Self-reported peer victimization, bystander behaviors and information regarding parents’ risky behaviors and individual behavioral factors were collected. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate risk factors affecting peer victimization and bystander behaviors. The results indicated that urban participants were more likely to become bullying victims but less likely to become passive bystanders. Contrarily, bullying victimization was related to the increasing of passive bystander behaviors. Father drinking and mother smoking as independent factors were risk factors for peer victimization. Participants who were smoking or drinking had a tendency to be involved in both peer victimization and passive bystander behaviors. This study suggested that bystander behaviors, victims’ and parents’ educations play a more important role in peer victimization than previously thought.
Clinical Significance of the Edema Index in Incident Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Background Proper monitoring for volume overload is important to improve prognosis in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The association between volume status and residual renal function (RRF) remains an unresolved issue. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the edema index and survival or RRF in incident PD patients. Patients and Methods We identified all adults who underwent PD. The edema index was defined as the ratio of extracellular fluid to total body fluid. Participants with available data regarding survivorship or non-survivorship during the first year after PD initiation were included in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The cutoff value of the edema index for 1-year mortality was >0.371 in men and >0.372 in women. Participants were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value of their baseline edema indices: High (>cutoff value) and Low (≤cutoff value). Survivors during the first year after PD initiation were divided into two groups according to the initial and 1-year edema index: Non-improvement (maintenance of criteria in the initial Low group during the year) and Other (all participants except those in the Non-improvement group). Results In total, 631 patients were enrolled in the present study. The cutoff value of the edema index for 1-year mortality was >0.371 in men and >0.372 in women. The respective mean initial RRF values (mL·min-1·1.73 m-2) in the Low and High groups, respectively, were 4.88 ± 4.09 and 4.21 ± 3.28 in men (P = 0.108), and 3.19 ± 2.57 and 2.98 ± 2.70 in women (P = 0.531). There were no significant differences between groups in either sex. The respective mean RRF values at 1 year after PD initiation in the Low and High groups, respectively, were 3.56 ± 4.35 and 2.73 ± 2.53 in men, and 2.80 ± 2.36 and 1.85 ± 1.51 in women. RRF at 1 year after PD initiation was higher in the Low group than in the High group (men: P = 0.027; women: P = 0.001). In men, the cumulative 5-year survival rates were 78.7% and 46.2% in the Low and High groups, respectively, whereas in women, rates were 77.2% and 58.8% in the Low and High groups, respectively. For survivors during the first year after PD initiation, the Non-improvement group was associated with a poor survival rate compared with the Other group for both sexes. Conclusion A high edema index was associated with mortality in incident PD patients at baseline and follow-up. The edema index may be used as a new marker for predicting mortality in PD patients.
Correlation of Prognostic Factors of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma with ADC Value of DWI and SUVMax of FDG-PET

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common kind of breast cancer. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) are functional modalities for presenting the biological characteristics of breast cancer. The purpose of this article is to study the relationship between DWI or PET/CT and ILC's prognostic factors. The relationship between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, standard uptake value (SUV)max and prognostic factors of ILC were statistically evaluated. The ADC values were lower in mass types of ILC. SUVmax was statistically higher in grade 3 and 4 background parenchymal enhancement and positive lymph node metastasis. ADC values of DWI and SUVmax of PET/CT can be helpful in the prediction of the prognosis of ILC.
Establishment of an ASPL-TFE3 renal cell carcinoma cell line (S-TFE)

Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma is a rare disease diagnosed in children and adolescents in the advanced stage with an aggressive clinical course. Various gene fusions including the transcription factor E3 (TFE3) gene located on chromosome X cause the tumor. We established an Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma cell line from a renal tumor in a 18-y-old Japanese female and named it “S-TFE. ” The cell line and its xenograft demonstrated definite gene fusion including TFE3. They showed strong nuclear staining for TFE3 in immunohistochemistry, TFE3 gene rearrangement in dual-color, break-apart FISH analysis and ASPL-TFE3 type 1 fusion transcripts detected by RT-PCR and direct DNA sequencing. Although many renal cell carcinoma cell lines have been established and investigated, only a few cell lines are recognized as Xp11.2 translocation carcinoma. S-TFE will be useful to examine the characteristics and drug susceptibility of Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma.
GAS41, a Highly Conserved Protein in Eukaryotic Nuclei, Binds to NuMA*

The yeast two-hybrid system was used to identify binding partners of NuMA, a component of the nuclear matrix in interphase cells. By using the C-terminal half of NuMA as bait, a human cDNA sequence coding for a 223-amino acid protein with a non-helical N-terminal domain and a C-terminal α-helical portion was identified and fully sequenced. It was identical to GAS41, a sequence amplified in human gliomas. The sequence of the homologousDrosophila protein was established, and the alignment for GAS41 from nine different species showed that GAS41 is a general eukaryotic protein found in species as diverse as Arabidopsis, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, yeast, and man. Northern blot analysis showed a single transcript in eight human tissues. A polyclonal antibody to GAS41 showed a dotted staining pattern in interphase nuclei and a uniform distribution in mitotic cells. A GFP-GAS41 fusion protein displayed equivalent patterns. In vitro GAS41 bound to the C-terminal part of the rod region of NuMA, as shown by dot overlay and by surface plasmon resonance measurements. The K d of the complex was 2 × 10− 7 m. GAS41 is related to the AF-9 and ENL proteins, which are putative transcription factors found as fusion proteins in some acute leukemias. The NuMA/GAS41 interaction may provide a link between nuclear structure and gene expression.