Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Camera Model for Internet Color Vision

Images harvested from the Web are proving to be useful for many visual tasks, including recognition, geo-location, and three-dimensional reconstruction. These images are captured under a variety of lighting conditions by consumer-level digital cameras, and these cameras have color processing pipelines that are diverse, complex, and scenedependent. As a result, the color information contained in these images is difficult to exploit. In this paper, we analyze the factors that contribute to the color output of a typical camera, and we explore the use of parametric models for relating these output colors to meaningful scenes properties. We evaluate these models using a database of registered images captured with varying camera models, camera settings, and lighting conditions. The database is available online at http://vision.middlebury. edu/color/.
Pigment epithelium‐derived factor as a new marker of metabolic syndrome in Caucasian population

Authors present that serum pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) is an independent marker of metabolic syndrome in Caucasianpopulation. PEDF was measured with new ELISA sandwich test. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 24:17–19, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The use of monoclonal antibodies to study the proteins specified by the transforming region of human adenoviruses.

Monoclonal antibodies against two of the proteins specified by one of the transforming genes (early region 1B) of human adenovirus type 2 have been produced and characterized. Two clones (RA1 and PA6), generated by fusion of mouse myeloma NSO cells with splenocytes from rats immunized with whole-cell lysates of an adenovirus-transformed rat cell line (F19), secreted antibodies against a 58 kDa protein. Another clone (DC1) produced antibodies against the same protein, and resulted from fusion of immune rat splenocytes with the rat myeloma Y3.Ag. 1.2. 3. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that all three antibodies recognized [35S]-methionine-labelled 58 kDa protein, and phosphorylated derivatives of the 58 kDa protein labelled with [32P]orthophosphate present in infected human cells. One clone (EC3) produced antibody against a 19 kDa protein also encoded by early region 1B, but not sharing sequence homology with 58 kDa. The identity of the 19 kDa protein recognized by the EC3 antibody was established by immunoprecipitation from lysates of labelled-infected cells and from products of cell-free translation directed by mRNA isolated from adenovirus 2-infected cells. Indirect immunofluorescent-antibody staining of infected human cells using the RA1 and EC3 antibodies revealed a nuclear location of the 58 kDa protein and a mainly cytoplasmic location of the 19 kDa protein.
Analysis of time series of glacier speed: Columbia Glacier, Alaska

During the summers of 1984 and 1985, laser measurements were made of the distance from a reference location to markers on the surface of the lower reach of Columbia Glacier, Alaska. The data have numerous gaps, mostly because of inclement weather. The laser measurements were corrected for variations in atmospheric temperature and pressure and for the trajectory of the marker. The marker speed was calculated by using a combination of cubic splines and digital filters to arrive at a data set with 1-hour time intervals. The speed varies from 7 to 15 m/d and has three noteworthy components: (1) a low-frequency perturbation in speed with a time scale of days related to increased precipitation, (2) semidiurnal and diurnal variations related to sea tides, and (3) diurnal variations related to glacier surface melt. The low frequency and tidal period variations are separated by low-pass filtering and subtracting the filtered data from the original data. The variations from melt runoff and tides have the same frequency range and are examined using harmonic analysis and multiple regression with the various forcing functions. The high-frequency portion of the ice speed signal is dominated by tidal influences and to a lesser extent by meltwater influences. The low-frequency portion of the signal is dominated by the effects of precipitation.
Emotional Strategies as Catalysts for Cooperation in Signed Networks

The evolution of unconditional cooperation is one of the fundamental problems in science. A new solution is proposed to solve this puzzle. We treat this issue with an evolutionary model in which agents play the Prisoner's Dilemma on signed networks. The topology is allowed to co-evolve with relational signs as well as with agent strategies. We introduce a strategy that is conditional on the emotional content embedded in network signs. We show that this strategy acts as a catalyst and creates favorable conditions for the spread of unconditional cooperation. In line with the literature, we found evidence that the evolution of cooperation most likely occurs in networks with relatively high chances of rewiring and with low likelihood of strategy adoption. While a low likelihood of rewiring enhances cooperation, a very high likelihood seems to limit its diffusion. Furthermore, unlike in nonsigned networks, cooperation becomes more prevalent in denser topologies.
Monitoring Temporal Development of Spatial Soil Water Content Variation: Comparison of Ground Penetrating Radar and Time Domain Reflectometry

We compare the capability of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and time domain reflectometry (TDR) to assess the temporal development of spatial variation of surface volumetric water content. In the case of GPR, we measured surface water content with the ground wave, which is a direct wave between the sender and receiver through the upper centimeters of the soil. Spatial water content variation was measured on 18 d with GPR and TDR during a 30‐d monitoring period. To ensure large fluctuations in the spatial water content variation, we created a heterogeneous pattern of water content by irrigation on 2 d. The temporal development of the spatial variation was studied by means of the variogram and interpolated water content maps. To compare GPR and TDR variograms, we estimated confidence intervals of the experimental variograms and the variogram model parameters with a jackknife approach and a first‐order approximation of model parameter uncertainty. The results showed that the 95% confidence intervals of the GPR experimental variogram were one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the 95% confidence intervals of the TDR experimental variogram because of the larger number of GPR measurements. Consequently, the uncertainty in the variogram model parameters was also much lower for GPR, which meant that the temporal development of the fitted GPR variogram model parameters was easier to interpret. Furthermore, the larger GPR measurement volume resulted in a low spatial nugget variance of 1 × 10−6 to 1 × 10−9 (m3 m−3)2 because short distance variation was averaged. This meant that GPR accurately measured spatial correlation lengths, even in the case of low water content variation. Interpolated maps showing the increase of water content due to irrigation and the subsequent gradual drying of the soil were more accurate and reproducible for GPR. It was concluded that the noninvasive GPR measurements provide the means to accurately and consistently monitor the development of spatial water content variation in time.
Susceptibility of Culicidae Mosquitoes to Some Insecticides Recommended by WHO in a Malaria Endemic Area of Southeastern Iran

Background: According to the national strategy plan on monitoring of insecticides resistance, this study was carried out to determine the base line susceptibility of the Culicidae mosquitoes to the WHO-recommended insecticides in an endemic focus of malaria in southeastern Iran. Methods: Larval collection was carried out by dipping method and adult collection occurred by suction tube from January to December 2010. The susceptibility test was assessed to DDT 4 %, malathion 5 %, propoxur 0.1 %, deltamethrin 0.05 %, lambda-cyhalothrin 0.05 %, and cyfluthrin 0.15 % at different interval times (discriminative dose) followed by 24 h recovery period. The LT50 and LT90 values were calculated for plotting the regression line using Microsoft office Excel software ver. 2007. Results: Anopheles stephensi was quite resistant to DDT and showed susceptible or tolerant to other insecticides. The LT50 and LT90 values to DDT in this species were 29.07, and 98.26 minutes, respectively. Anopheles culicifacies and Anopheles dthali were found susceptible or tolerant to insecticides. Culex pipiens was found resistance to DDT, propoxur, lambda-cyhalothrin and cyfluthrin whereas observed susceptible to malathion and tolerant to deltamethrin. Ochlerotatus caspius sl. was resistant to DDT, whereas found susceptible to other insecticides. Culisita longiareolata was susceptible to deltamethrin, whereas tolerant to other insecticides. The LT50 and LT90 values of Cs. longiareolata to DDT were 17.82, and 51.26 minutes. Conclusion: We suggested the same study in different parts of the country for monitoring and evaluation of control measures.
NOy-N2O correlation observed inside the Arctic vortex in February 1997 : Dynamical and chemical effects

Simultaneous balloon-borne in situ measurements of total reactive nitrogen (NO ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) were made up to 29 km over Kiruna, Sweden (68°N, 21°E) on February 10 and 25, 1997. Kiruna was located at the edge or inside of the Arctic vortex at potential temperatures between 475 (∼19 km) and 675 K (∼26 km). Below 500 K (∼21 km) the N 2 O values were >120 ppbv on both days, and the observed NO mixing ratios agreed well with those calculated using the NO y -N 2 O correlation previously obtained at northern midlatitudes. An exception was a sharp dip in NO at 445 K (18.4 km) observed on February 25. Back trajectory analyses indicate that this layer had experienced cold temperatures close to ice saturation, i.e., favorable conditions for denitrification. Between 500 and 600 K (∼24 km) the N 2 O values were <120 ppbv, and the observed NO y values were some 4-6 ppbv lower than those calculated using the midlatitude NO y -N 2 O correlation, which includes the NO reduction due to the N + NO reaction. The temperatures in the Arctic winter above 55 K were too high to cause extensive denitrification. The combined processes of (1) diabatic descent and (2) quasi-horizontal mixing of vortex air are likely causes of the anomalous NO y -N 2 O correlation. The CH 4 -N 2 O correlation obtained inside the Arctic vortex in February 1997 also supports this hypothesis. A similar anomalous NO y -N 2 O correlation was observed from the ER-2 measurements and from the atmospheric trace molecule spectroscopy ATLAS 2 measurements made inside the vortex in the winters of 1991-1992 and 1992-1993.
Metabolic pathways in tropical dicotyledonous albuminous seeds: Coffea arabica as a case study

The genomic era facilitates the understanding of how transcriptional networks are interconnected to program seed development and filling. However, to date, little information is available regarding dicot seeds with a transient perisperm and a persistent, copious endosperm. Coffea arabica is the subject of increasing genomic research and is a model for nonorthodox albuminous dicot seeds of tropical origin. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the metabolic pathways involved in the biosynthesis of the main coffee seed storage compounds, namely cell wall polysaccharides, triacylglycerols, sucrose, and chlorogenic acids. For this purpose, we integrated transcriptomic and metabolite analyses, combining real-time RT-PCR performed on 137 selected genes (of which 79 were uncharacterized in Coffea) and metabolite profiling. Our map-drawing approach derived from model plants enabled us to propose a rationale for the peculiar traits of the coffee endosperm, such as its unusual fatty acid composition, remarkable accumulation of chlorogenic acid and cell wall polysaccharides. Comparison with the developmental features of exalbuminous seeds described in the literature revealed that the two seed types share important regulatory mechanisms for reserve biosynthesis, independent of the origin and ploidy level of the storage tissue.
The Role of VEGF and EGFR Inhibition: Implications for Combining Anti–VEGF and Anti–EGFR Agents

Multiple cellular pathways influence the growth and metastatic potential of tumors. This creates heterogeneity, redundancy, and the potential for tumors to bypass signaling pathway blockade, resulting in primary or acquired resistance. Combining therapies that inhibit different signaling pathways has the potential to be more effective than inhibition of a single pathway and to overcome tumor resistance. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have become key therapies in several tumor types. Close relationships between these factors exist: VEGF signaling is up-regulated by EGFR expression and, conversely, VEGF up-regulation independent of EGFR signaling seems to contribute to resistance to EGFR inhibition. Therefore, inhibition of both pathways could improve antitumor efficacy and overcome resistance to EGFR inhibition. Preclinical studies have shown that VEGF and EGFR inhibitors can have additive effects and that combined inhibition is effective in EGFR inhibitor–resistant cell lines. Clinical trials have also produced promising data: combining the anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab with the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab or the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib increases benefit compared with either of these anti-EGFR agents alone or combined with chemotherapy. The potential of this novel approach to anticancer therapy will be elucidated by large, ongoing clinical trials. (Mol Cancer Res 2007;5(3):203–20)
Supporting Virtual Team Formation through Community-Wide Deliberation

Team-based learning is a structured, small-group learning method that has been associated with many positive outcomes in traditional classroom settings. However, relatively little research has focused on how to form and support teams within online learning platforms, such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). A number of challenges arise for team formation in voluntary online classes: students may drop out and leave their team, and even if they do persist with the course, the team may not work together effectively. In this paper, we introduce a team-formation strategy that incorporates a deliberation process, where participants hold discussions in preparation for the collaboration task. First, we present a crowdsourced experiment that compares teams that are formed before or after a community deliberation process. Results demonstrate that teams engaging in a larger community deliberative process prior to team formation exhibit better team performance--as measured by team collaboration product quality--than pre-discussion teams. In a second crowdsourced experiment, we further explore the benefits of community-wide processes by automatically assigning teams based on participants' transactive interaction during deliberation. The results demonstrate advantages in terms of team performance for teams formed based on observed interactions during the community-level deliberation, compared to randomly formed teams. Finally, in a case study, we demonstrate how we successfully adapted the team formation strategy for use in a small MOOC.
CALCITONIN GENE RELATED PEPTIDE: VASODILATOR IN OVINE HEPATIC AND RENAL VASCULATURE

1. Calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) is a product of alternate splicing of the calcitonin gene. It is found in nerves in the vasculature and is known from in vitro studies to be a potent vasodilator. It is found abnormally in the circulation of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and has been proposed to be a cause of symptoms. This study was designed to determine the dose‐response effects of CGRP infusion in the intact conscious sheep on blood flow to liver and kidney, organs known to be richly innervated by CGRP‐containing nerves.
Context-Dependent Beat Tracking of Musical Audio

We present a simple and efficient method for beat tracking of musical audio. With the aim of replicating the human ability of tapping in time to music, we formulate our approach using a two state model. The first state performs tempo induction and tracks tempo changes, while the second maintains contextual continuity within a single tempo hypothesis. Beat times are recovered by passing the output of an onset detection function through adaptively weighted comb filterbank matrices to separately identify the beat period and alignment. We evaluate our beat tracker both in terms of the accuracy of estimated beat locations and computational complexity. In a direct comparison with existing algorithms, we demonstrate equivalent performance at significantly reduced computational cost
Stromatoporoid response to muddy substrates in Silurian limestones

Abstract Stromatoporoids grew on both soft and hard substrates, and recent work revealed primary cavities in Devonian reef systems. We present evidence that stromatoporoids also developed primary cavities in muddy sediments. Stromatoporoids initiated on two categories of material: (1) fine-grained sediment, usually covering large bioclasts; (2) uncovered bioclasts, forming a small area of clean substrate. In both, subsequent growth was previously usually interpreted to be across, and in direct contact with, adjacent fine-grained sediment, itself presumed to be unlithified in most cases. However, stromatoporoid basal surfaces show two types of morphology: (A) smooth, generally curved and flat, and (B) corrugated, with concentric growth rings as minor ridges projecting downwards. Both may be present in different stromatoporoid individuals of the same species. Smooth bases are interpreted in most cases to indicate growth on unlithified sediment, and are common in category 1 above. For corrugated bases, rings are interpreted to result from growth to form minor primary cavities by the stromatoporoid skeleton growing laterally a few mm above the substrate. The base then likely settled into the soft sediment as skeletal mass increased. Primary cavities are interpreted to be similar to those in muddy Devonian facies, but both differ from those in Devonian reefs (e.g. Canning Basin) where cavities may be tens of cm high, and were permanent. In the Silurian samples, a third morphology of concentric basal ring arrangement containing sediment wedges is interpreted as due to episodic sedimentation. Also, stromatoporoids grew on lithified and eroded intraclasts, indicating patchy early lithification of the sea floor in these open shelf settings. Evidence presented from the Silurian examples emphasises the dynamic response of stromatoporoids to their substrate, consistent with sediment-avoiding habits of modern calcified sponges.
SIML: A Fast SIMD Algorithm for Calculating LINGO Chemical Similarities on GPUs and CPUs

LINGOs are a holographic measure of chemical similarity based on text comparison of SMILES strings. We present a new algorithm for calculating LINGO similarities amenable to parallelization on SIMD architectures (such as GPUs and vector units of modern CPUs). We show that it is nearly 3x as fast as existing algorithms on a CPU, and over 80x faster than existing methods when run on a GPU.
Delayed Feedback Versus Seasonal Forcing: Resonance Phenomena in an El Nin͂o Southern Oscillation Model

Climate models can take many different forms, from very detailed highly computational models with hundreds of thousands of variables, to more phenomenological models of only a few variables that are designed to investigate fundamental relationships in the climate system. Important ingredients in these models are the periodic forcing by the seasons, as well as global transport phenomena of quantities such as air or ocean temperature and salinity. We consider a phenomenological model for the El Nino Southern Oscillation system, where the delayed effects of oceanic waves are incorporated explicitly into the model. This gives a description by a delay differential equation, which models underlying fundamental processes of the interaction between internal delay-induced oscillations and the external forcing. The combination of delay and forcing in differential equations has also found application in other fields, such as ecology and gene networks. Specifically, we present exemplary stable solutions of the model.
The Influence of Age and Gender on the Leadership Styles

The aim of this study is to investigate the different leadership styles of the workers and the influence of age and gender on the leadership styles of the workers, in the Chittoor Sugar factory located at Chittoor, a south Indian town. The study concentrated on the three interesting leadership styles that are at the top, bottom and the middle of the leadership authority hierarchy, namely the autocratic, democratic and the laissez-faire leadership styles. The study reveals that the demographic leadership style is the dominant one and age and gender have their own influence on the worker's leadership styles. The study also reveals that with increase in age relatively lesser authority is exhibited by the workers and gender too is found to influence the leadership styles of the workers.
Employing Lead Thiocyanate Additive to Reduce the Hysteresis and Boost the Fill Factor of Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

Lead thiocyanate in the perovskite precursor can increase the grain size of a perovskite thin film and reduce the conductivity of the grain boundaries, leading to perovskite solar cells with reduced hysteresis and enhanced fill factor. A planar perovskite solar cell with grain boundary and interface passivation achieves a steady-state efficiency of 18.42%.
Effects of octreotide and insulin on colon cancer cellular proliferation and correlation with hTERT activity

Peptide hormone somatostatin and its receptors have a wide range of physiological functions and play a role in the treatment of numerous human diseases, including colorectal cancer. Octreotide, a synthetic somatostatin-analog peptide, inhibits growth of colonic cancer cells primarily by binding to G-protein coupled receptors and elicits cellular responses through second-messenger systems. Insulin also initiates mitogenic signals in certain cell types. The objective of the present study was to explore the effects of octreotide with or without insulin treatment, on Caco-2 and HT-29 human colon-cancer cell proliferation and to correlate their effects with the activation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). The involvement of protein tyrosine phosphatases in the regulation of the anti-proliferative effect of octreotide was also evaluated. Sodium orthovanadate was used to reverse the anti- proliferative effect of octreotide. Telomerase activity was determined for each time point under octreotide and/or insulin treatment. Elevated expression of sst1, sst2 and sst5 was confirmed in both cell lines by RT-PCR. Immunocytochemistry detected sst1, sst2A, sst2B, sst3, sst4 and sst5 protein expression in the membranes of both cell lines. Octreotide inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 and HT-29 cells in a time and dose-dependent manner. Insulin exerted proliferative effects in Caco-2 cells and octreotide reversed its effect in both cell lines. Sodium orthovanadate suppressed the anti-proliferative effect of octreotide both in Caco-2 and HT-29 cells. Telomerase activity was significantly reduced when Caco-2 cells were exposed to octreotide, under serum-free cultured medium. On the other hand, telomerase attenuation after octreotide treatment could not counteract the actions of insulin on both cells. Our data indicate that the use of octreotide could provide a possible therapeutic approach to the management of certain patients who suffer from colon cancer.