Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shape from texture and contour by weak isotropy

The authors present a unified framework for shape from texture and contour. The framework is based on a concept called weak isotropy and contains as a special case A.P. Witkin's (1987) maximum-likelihood algorithm for shape from texture. The method is based on analysis of the directional statistics of the input data. It can be applied to both smooth curves and polygons, open or closed curves, symmetric figures, and scattered texture edges; thus, it appears to have wider applicability than previous methods. The weak isotropy heuristic captures many important properties (such as various types of symmetry) of both random and regular planar shape, and it also leads to a computationally efficient estimation algorithm based on observables in the image which are direct correlates of the surface orientation. These correlates make it possible to compute an approximate estimate of surface orientation in a single step. In certain simple cases this first estimate is exactly right, and in experiments with natural images it is typically within 5 degrees of the final estimate. <<ETX>>
Uma análise da coesão textual e da estrutura narrativa em textos escritos por adolescentes surdos

Textual cohesion and narrative structure in written texts produced by deaf adolescents. Deaf individuals use different forms of communication: oral language and sign language. This study investigated whether these forms of communication would have an effect on text production. Forty deaf adolescents were equally divided into two groups: those who used sign language (LIBRAS) and those who used Portuguese in its oral form. Each participant was asked to write a story from a sequence of pictures. The stories were analyzed according to their cohesiveness and to their narrative structure. It was found that both groups had difficulties in establishing textual cohesion in their stories. Although both groups produced stories with an elementary structure, deaf adolescents who used oral language produced stories more elaborated than those who used sign language. Differences between groups and the difficulties the participants had are interpreted as a function of their limited contact with written texts in their everyday life. Educational implications are discussed.
Susceptibility of Arctic Char to Experimental Challenge with Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV) and Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV).

Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus were exposed to the fish pathogens infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) to estimate susceptibility of the species to infection. Fish were immersion challenged at 46, 74, and 95 d posthatch for 5 h in viral concentration of 103 or 105 PFU(plaque-forming units)/mL and were monitored for 21 d postchallenge. Fish that died were assayed individually for virus-associated mortality, and survivors were assayed individually to estimate prevalence of virus carrier status. Arctic char succumbed to IHNV infection with population losses as high as 41%, and prevalence of IHNV carriers in surviving fish was 24% or less with virus titers in carrier fish ranging from 2.5 × 102 PFU/g to greater than 1.3 × 106 PFU/g. Infections with IPNV resulted in losses of 20% or less, and prevalence of IPNV carriers in surviving fish was as high as 82% with virus titers in carrier fish ranging from 2.5 × 102 PFU/g to greater than 5.0 × 106 PFU/g. Logistic regression models were developed for the mortality and infection data for each virus. For IHNV, the odds of dying or becoming infected were significantly greater for the fish from the 74-d age-group than for the fish from the 46-d or 95-d age-groups. Fish exposed to 105 PFU of IHNV/mL had significantly greater odds of dying or becoming infected than fish exposed to 103 PFU/mL. For IPNV, the odds of dying were significantly greater for the 74-d age-group compared with the other two age-groups. The 74-d fish were also significantly more likely to become infected than the 95-d-old fish. Fish exposed to 105 PFU of IPNV/mL had significantly greater odds of dying or becoming infected than fish exposed to 103 PFU of IPNV /mL.
ON A SCATTERED-DISK ORIGIN FOR THE 2003 EL61 COLLISIONAL FAMILY—AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLISIONS ON THE DYNAMICS OF SMALL BODIES

The recent discovery of the 2003 EL61 collisional family in the Kuiper belt by M. Brown and collaborators is surprising because the formation of such a family is a highly improbable event in today's belt. Assuming Brown et al.'s estimate of the size of the progenitors, we find that the probability that a Kuiper belt object was involved in such a collision since primordial times is less than roughly 0.001. In addition, it is not possible for the collision to have occurred in a massive primordial Kuiper belt because the dynamical coherence of the family would not have survived whatever event produced the currently observed orbital excitation. Here, we suggest that the family is the result of a collision between two scattered-disk objects. We show that the probability that a collision occurred between two such objects with sizes similar to those advocated in Brown et al. and that the center of mass of the resulting family is on an orbit typical of the Kuiper belt can be as large as 47%. Given the large uncertainties involved in this estimate, this result is consistent with the existence of one such family. If true, this result has implications far beyond the origin of a single collisional family, because it shows that collisions played an important role in shaping the dynamical structure of the small body populations that we see today.
Implicit Memory, Age, and Time of Day

Memory retrieval can occur by at least two routes: a deliberate one, as when one attempts to retrieve an event or fact, and an unintentional one, as when one's behavior is triggered by the past without one's knowledge or awareness. We assessed the efficacy of these retrieval systems as a function of circadian arousal and time of day. Evening-type younger adults and morning-type older adults were tested at either peak (morning for old; evening for young) or off-peak times on implicit and explicit stem completion (Experiment 1) or on implicit category generation (Experiment 2). Results for explicit stem-cued recall replicated better performance for each age group at its peak time. In stark contrast, implicit performance was better at off-peak than at peak times of day, raising the possibility that the processes that serve explicit and implicit retrieval are on different circadian schedules, and highlighting the need to consider individual differences in circadian arousal when assessing either memory system.
The Chimera of Incarceration: Penal Institutionalization and its Alternatives in a Progressive Nigeria

The central thesis of this paper is that Nigerian correctional thinking is dominated by an ideology of incarcera tion ; that in concept and practice the institutionalization of offenders in the country has failed and become counter-produc tive. Institutionalization in Nigeria has not reduced the number of people brought into the formal system of social control but rather has produced a "widening of the net". Community-based corrections, pretrial diversion, increased use of open prisons, therapy, bail, probation, parole, compensation, discharge, binding over, suspended sentencing. furloughs, ombudsmen and personal recognizance, plus various forms of work and study release programs are advocated as alternatives or solutions to many of the problems of contemporary Nigerian corrections. Their small-scale, treatment-oriented approach, emphasis on employment and adjustment programs, and stress on greater accessibility are cited increasingly as reforms needed by a system now dominated by overcrowded, dehumanizing, degrading, criminogenic, repres sive and highly expensive system of control. To achieve the needed depth of change, decarceration must become the primary focus of Nigerian corrections policy. The emphasis on decar ceration does not mean that confinement will disappear, rather that its use will be bound by the criterion of last resort.
On the making and taking of professionalism in the further education workplace

This paper examines the changing nature of professional practice in English further education. At a time when neo‐liberal reform has significantly impacted on this under‐researched and over‐market‐tested sector, little is known about who its practitioners are and how they construct meaning in their work. Sociological interest in the field has tended to focus on further education practitioners as either the subjects of market and managerial reform or as creative agents operating within the contradictions of audit and inspection cultures. In challenging such dualism, which is reflective of wider sociological thinking, the paper examines the ways in which agency and structure combine to produce a more transformative conception of the further education professional. The approach contrasts with a prevailing policy discourse that seeks to re‐professionalise and modernise further education practice without interrogating either the terms of its professionalism or the neo‐liberal practices in which it resides.
Application of compressive sensing in sparse spatial channel recovery for beamforming in mmWave outdoor systems

In this paper the use of compressive sensing (CS) to accurately estimate the sparse Power Angle Profile (PAP) of a mmWave propagation channel has been investigated. This scheme is especially attractive for outdoor mmWave applications where large antenna arrays are more likely to be deployed to compensate for high pathloss. Current analogue beamforming techniques such as the codebook based 802.11ad beamforming manifest large beamforming overhead for large antenna arrays of typically 16×16 elements. Measurements in an anechoic chamber were performed to demonstrate the applicability of CS to mmWave PAP estimation. The impact of noise on the estimation of Directions-of-Departure (DoD) using CS theory is analysed and finally the benefit of exploiting the reconstructed PAP in beamforming is assessed and compared to the beam searching algorithm adopted in the IEEE 802.11ad standard.
Multipolar current focusing increases spectral resolution in cochlear implants

Cochlear implants are highly successful neural prostheses that restore hearing in the deaf, often resulting in high levels of speech understanding in quiet listening conditions. In more challenging conditions, however, cochlear implant subjects often score much lower than their normal-hearing peers, possibly reflecting limits of the electrode-neural interface. In this study, we compare monopolar stimulation versus focused stimulation, using multipolar channels, to test if current focusing can increase spectral resolution. Psychophysical results show that current focusing significantly improves subjects' ability to discriminate spectral features and detect dynamic modulations in sound stimuli. These results suggest that focused stimulation can successfully increase the number of effective channels with a cochlear implant and may lead to improved hearing in noisy conditions.
Lung Inhomogeneities and Time Course of Ventilator-induced Mechanical Injuries

Background:During mechanical ventilation, stress and strain may be locally multiplied in an inhomogeneous lung. The authors investigated whether, in healthy lungs, during high pressure/volume ventilation, injury begins at the interface of naturally inhomogeneous structures as visceral pleura, bronchi, vessels, and alveoli. The authors wished also to characterize the nature of the lesions (collapse vs. consolidation). Methods:Twelve piglets were ventilated with strain greater than 2.5 (tidal volume/end-expiratory lung volume) until whole lung edema developed. At least every 3 h, the authors acquired end-expiratory/end-inspiratory computed tomography scans to identify the site and the number of new lesions. Lung inhomogeneities and recruitability were quantified. Results:The first new densities developed after 8.4 ± 6.3 h (mean ± SD), and their number increased exponentially up to 15 ± 12 h. Afterward, they merged into full lung edema. A median of 61% (interquartile range, 57 to 76) of the lesions appeared in subpleural regions, 19% (interquartile range, 11 to 23) were peribronchial, and 19% (interquartile range, 6 to 25) were parenchymal (P < 0.0001). All the new densities were fully recruitable. Lung elastance and gas exchange deteriorated significantly after 18 ± 11 h, whereas lung edema developed after 20 ± 11 h. Conclusions:Most of the computed tomography scan new densities developed in nonhomogeneous lung regions. The damage in this model was primarily located in the interstitial space, causing alveolar collapse and consequent high recruitability.
Integration of proteomic-based tools for improved biomarkers of myocardial injury.

BACKGROUND Given the mounting evidence in favor of early pharmacologic and catheter-based interventions for patients across the spectrum of acute coronary syndromes, discovering novel diagnostically sensitive and specific biomarkers that provide biochemical proof of early or reversible myocardial injury could have a substantial positive impact on patient care. CONTENT To address unmet needs in disease biomarkers, investigators have turned to proteomics approaches. We describe advances in proteomics discovery technologies based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry that facilitate the unbiased analysis of low-abundance blood proteins. We detail the development of emerging techniques to enhance the biomarker verification process, such as accurate inclusion mass screening, stable isotope dilution-multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry (SID-MRM-MS), and stable isotope standards with capture by antipeptide antibodies, which combines the advantages of specific immunoaffinity enrichment of a target peptide with the structural specificity and quantitative capabilities of SID-MRM-MS. We highlight new assays incorporating these techniques for troponin I, a representative low-abundance cardiac biomarker, and interleukin-33, an emerging novel marker of myocardial stress for which no existing ELISA exists. We demonstrate that troponin I and interleukin-33 peptides have a linear, dynamic range spanning 4 orders of magnitude and limits of detection of approximately 0.5 microg/L back-calculated to the protein concentration. CONCLUSIONS There remain important unmet diagnostic and prognostic needs in cardiology. Advances in technology may allow proteomics to play a vital role in the discovery and validation of novel biomarkers to help fill those needs.
Cotranslational protein folding - fact or fiction?

MOTIVATION Experimentalists have amassed extensive evidence over the past four decades that proteins appear to fold during production by the ribosome. Protein structure prediction methods, however, do not incorporate this property of folding. A thorough study to find the fingerprint of such sequential folding is the first step towards using it in folding algorithms, so assisting structure prediction. RESULTS We explore computationally the existence of evidence for cotranslational folding, based on large sets of experimentally determined structures in the PDB. Our perspective is that cotranslational folding is the norm, but that the effect is masked in most classes. We show that it is most evident in alpha/beta proteins, confirming recent findings. We also find mild evidence that older proteins may fold cotranslationally. A tool is provided for determining, within a protein, where cotranslation is most evident.
Multilevel Meta-Analysis: A Comparison with Traditional Meta-Analytical Procedures

In this article, the authors compare the multilevel meta-analysis approach with the more traditional meta-analytical approaches. After a description and comparison of the under-lying models and some of the major techniques, the results of the multilevel approach are compared with those of the traditional approaches, using a simulation study. The results of the simulation study suggest that the maximum likelihood multilevel approach is in general superior to the fixed-effects approaches, unless only a small number of studies is available. For models without moderators, the results of the multilevel approach, however, are not substantially different from the results of the traditional random-effects approaches.
Labeling of Nanotechnology Consumer Products Can Influence Risk and Benefit Perceptions

Currently, there is no mandatory labeling for products containing synthetic nanoparticles. The public as well as other stakeholders have positive views about mandatory labeling. However, little is known how such a label influences the risk and benefit perception of a product. Consumers may infer that a label is a signal that there are risks associated with this technology. Data were collected in a survey experiment (N= 1,382). Participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions. The control group received a picture of a sunscreen container without a label. One experimental group received a picture of a sunscreen container with a label. The other groups received, in addition to the sunscreen container with a label, some risk or benefit information. Results suggest that labeling of products may reduce consumers’ benefit perception and increase risk perception. Labeling nanotechnology consumer products may change the public perception of the products. Respondents may have relied on the affect heuristic for assessing the risks and benefits of the sunscreen.
Flexible design : an innovative approach for planning water infrastructure systems under uncertainty

This thesis develops a framework for a flexible design approach to support decision-making in water supply infrastructure planning. It contrasts with a conventional, deterministic planning approach that uses past data or forecasts to anticipate future needs. This thesis surveys current approaches that attempt to consider uncertainty, including scenario planning, decision analysis, sensitivity analysis, real options, dynamic strategic planning, and adaptive management. A flexible design approach builds on current approaches and explores flexibility through infrastructure size and function. The approach intends to be applicable across various water infrastructure systems. This thesis describes real world and theoretical applications of flexible design, including climate change adaptation planning for water utilities, flexible planning for water infrastructure investments, and flexibility in urban drainage systems. The proposed flexible design approach employs probabilistic and simulation methods to anticipate a range of future circumstances and identify top-performing strategies. The engine of the framework is a time-series stochastic analysis that uses simulation in a discounted cash flow Excel model. First, it identifies key inputs and performance metrics, characterizes uncertainty distributions, and defines strategies of varying flexibility. Next, it employs Monte Carlo simulation and compares strategy performance through target curves and multiple criteria analyses. Singapore’s water resources system inspires the characteristics of the model. The bestperforming flexible approach introduces a cost savings of 15% over a 50-year timespan. To successfully implement a flexible design approach, leaders in the profession must guide the shift to planning methods that explicitly recognize the role of uncertainty in the planning process. While some implementation barriers present difficulties, the proposed flexible design approach enables substantial cost savings and fosters a deeper understanding of a water resources system in the face of future uncertainty. Thesis Supervisor: Richard de Neufville Title: Professor of Engineering Systems and of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Inhibition of Lon protease by triterpenoids alters mitochondria and is associated to cell death in human cancer cells

Mitochondrial Lon protease (Lon) regulates several mitochondrial functions, and is inhibited by the anticancer molecule triterpenoid 2-cyano-3, 12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO), or by its C-28 methyl ester derivative (CDDO-Me). To analyze the mechanism of action of triterpenoids, we investigated intramitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial dynamics and morphology, and Lon proteolytic activity in RKO human colon cancer cells, in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells and in MCF7 breast carcinoma cells. We found that CDDO and CDDO-Me are potent stressors for mitochondria in cancer cells, rather than normal non-transformed cells. In particular, they: i) cause depolarization; ii) increase mitochondrial ROS, iii) alter mitochondrial morphology and proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics; iv) affect the levels of Lon and those of aconitase and human transcription factor A, which are targets of Lon activity; v) increase level of protein carbonyls in mitochondria; vi) lead to intrinsic apoptosis. The overexpression of Lon can rescue cells from cell death, providing an additional evidence on the role of Lon in conditions of excessive stress load.
Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Style, and Perceived Leadership Effectiveness

Effective leadership is critical for today’s rapidly changing organizations. Emotional intelligence has been identified by some as that crucial element needed for this effective leadership. Although the research is growing, there still remains a gap on the relationships that exist between emotional intelligence and leadership. The study outlined in this article explored the relationships between emotional intelligence, leadership style, and leadership effectiveness. One hundred fifty-one managers completed the MSCEIT, an ability-measuring instrument of emotional intelligence. Those managers’ direct reports were asked to complete the MLQ5x, on their perceptions of their managers’ leadership style and leadership effectiveness. The results showed that there are no relationships between a manager’s emotional intelligence and leadership style or the leader’s perceived effectiveness. Implications for human resource development theory and practice are discussed.
The Dire Straits of Homelessness: Dramatic Echoes and Creative Propositions From the Field

This ethnographic study draws on the realities, survival strategies, and needs of a group of homeless people living in South Florida. Fifty-six individuals (mean age = 51 years; age range = 21–76 years) of various racial backgrounds responded to a semistructured narrative interview. Two thirds of respondents encountered substance abuse challenges and experienced chronic homelessness, one third worked, and three fifths were arrested at least once. Thematic narrative analyses revealed that substance abuse, unemployment, a low-paying job, and a relationship breakup were the most prevalent causes of homelessness. The greatest difficulties reported concerned sleeping patterns, police harassment and brutality, dehumanization, and hunger. Survival strategies incorporated hiding from police, attending local food drives, soliciting food from local fast food places, and begging. Support came predominantly from the church, family members, and friends. Relief desired embodied broader employment opportunities, close-by food drives and shelters, a designated area to sleep precluding police harassment, better wages, and less discrimination by society. Implications of the findings and future research needs are inspected.