Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality-Driven Face Occlusion Detection and Recovery

This paper presents a framework to automatically detect and recover the occluded facial region. We first derive a Bayesian formulation unifying the occlusion detection and recovery stages. Then a quality assessment model is developed to drive both the detection and recovery processes, which captures the face priors in both global correlation and local patterns. Based on this formulation, we further propose GraphCut-based detection and confidence-oriented sampling to attain optimal detection and recovery respectively. Compared to traditional works in image repairing, our approach is distinct in three aspects: (1) it frees the user from marking the occlusion area by incorporating an automatic occlusion detector; (2) it learns a face quality model as a criterion to guide the whole procedure; (3) it couples the detection and occlusion stages to simultaneously achieve two goals: accurate occlusion detection and high quality recovery. The comparative experiments show that our method can recover the occluded faces with both the global coherence and local details well preserved.
Impact of monetary incentives on cognitive performance and error monitoring following sleep deprivation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To examine whether monetary incentives attenuate the negative effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance in a flanker task that requires higher-level cognitive-control processes, including error monitoring. DESIGN Twenty-four healthy adults aged 18 to 23 years were randomly divided into 2 subject groups: one received and the other did not receive monetary incentives for performance accuracy. Both subject groups performed a flanker task and underwent electroencephalographic recordings for event-related brain potentials after normal sleep and after 1 night of total sleep deprivation in a within-subject, counterbalanced, repeated-measures study design. RESULTS Monetary incentives significantly enhanced the response accuracy and reaction time variability under both normal sleep and sleep-deprived conditions, and they reduced the effects of sleep deprivation on the subjective effort level, the amplitude of the error-related negativity (an error-related event-related potential component), and the latency of the P300 (an event-related potential variable related to attention processes). However, monetary incentives could not attenuate the effects of sleep deprivation on any measures of behavior performance, such as the response accuracy, reaction time variability, or posterror accuracy adjustments; nor could they reduce the effects of sleep deprivation on the amplitude of the Pe, another error-related event-related potential component. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that motivation incentives selectively reduce the effects of total sleep deprivation on some brain activities, but they cannot attenuate the effects of sleep deprivation on performance decrements in tasks that require high-level cognitive-control processes. Thus, monetary incentives and sleep deprivation may act through both common and different mechanisms to affect cognitive performance.
Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats of human tenascin-C as ligands for EGF receptor

Signaling through growth factor receptors controls such diverse cell functions as proliferation, migration, and differentiation. A critical question has been how the activation of these receptors is regulated. Most, if not all, of the known ligands for these receptors are soluble factors. However, as matrix components are highly tissue-specific and change during development and pathology, it has been suggested that select growth factor receptors might be stimulated by binding to matrix components. Herein, we describe a new class of ligand for the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) found within the EGF-like repeats of tenascin-C, an antiadhesive matrix component present during organogenesis, development, and wound repair. Select EGF-like repeats of tenascin-C elicited mitogenesis and EGFR autophosphorylation in an EGFR-dependent manner. Micromolar concentrations of EGF-like repeats induced EGFR autophosphorylation and activated extracellular signal–regulated, mitogen-activated protein kinase to levels comparable to those induced by subsaturating levels of known EGFR ligands. EGFR-dependent adhesion was noted when the ligands were tethered to inert beads, simulating the physiologically relevant presentation of tenascin-C as hexabrachion, and suggesting an increase in avidity similar to that seen for integrin ligands upon surface binding. Specific binding to EGFR was further established by immunofluorescence detection of EGF-like repeats bound to cells and cross-linking of EGFR with the repeats. Both of these interactions were abolished upon competition by EGF and enhanced by dimerization of the EGF-like repeat. Such low affinity behavior would be expected for a matrix-“tethered” ligand; i.e., a ligand which acts from the matrix, presented continuously to cell surface EGF receptors, because it can neither diffuse away nor be internalized and degraded. These data identify a new class of “insoluble” growth factor ligands and a novel mode of activation for growth factor receptors.
Is standardized cardiac assessment of asymptomatic high-risk renal transplant candidates beneficial?

BACKGROUND Perioperative cardiovascular events in renal transplantation are common and non-invasive cardiac stress tests are recommended in high-risk renal transplant candidates. In 2004, we introduced a standardized preoperative cardiac risk assessment programme with the aim of reducing perioperative cardiac events. METHODS Since 2004, all asymptomatic high-risk renal transplant candidates had to undergo non-invasive cardiac stress testing. Patients with a positive stress test went for a coronary angiography and if indicated for revascularization. The incidence of perioperative cardiac events (≤30 days of transplantation) was analysed in all high-risk patients who received a transplantation (screening group) and compared with high-risk renal transplant recipients evaluated in the 4 years before the introduction of the cardiac assessment programme (historical control group). RESULTS Since 2004, 227 of 349 asymptomatic high-risk renal transplant candidates underwent non-invasive cardiac stress testing. In 15 patients (6.6%), significant ischaemia was found. Ten of these 15 patients underwent coronary angiography (eight patients had significant coronary artery disease and in five patients, percutaneous coronary intervention was performed). One hundred and sixty of 349 renal transplant candidates have received renal transplantation so far (screening group). In the screening group, 6 perioperative cardiac events (3.8%) occurred compared to 13 perioperative events (7.6%) in the historical control group (n = 172) (P = 0.136). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of significant cardiac ischaemia in high-risk renal transplant patients was low and was followed by revascularization in a small percentage of patients. No significant decrease in perioperative cardiac events was observed after the introduction of the standardized cardiac assessment programme.
Urinary Excretion Rate of Tamm-Horsfall Protein Is Related to Salt Intake in Humans

Background/Aims: Increased salt intake and enhanced salt sensitivity are implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the urinary excretion rate of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is dependent on salt intake in healthy, genetically hypertension-prone individuals. Methods: Thirty unrelated subjects (13 men and 17 women, mean age 48.1 ± 6.7 years) with at least one first-degree relative with primary hypertension were studied. After a baseline investigation, the study subjects were put on a low-salt diet (10 mmol of sodium and 70 mmol of potassium per day) for 1 week. During the second week, sodium chloride capsules (230 mmol/day) were added to the diet to achieve a high-salt intake of 240 mmol/day. Urine samples (24-hour and overnight collections) were collected before the baseline investigation and at the end of the high- and low-salt diet weeks. The salt sensitivity was calculated as the difference between the blood pressure during high salt intake and the blood pressure during low salt intake. Results: A low salt intake induced a decrease in the urinary excretion rate of THP during the night (11.7 µg/min) compared with baseline (19.5 µg/min; p < 0.05) and high salt intake (23.1 µg/min; p < 0.01). Furthermore, a greater response in blood pressure to a high salt intake, i.e. high salt sensitivity, was associated with increased excretion of THP in urine during the change to high salt intake (r = 0.38, p < 0.05). Conclusion: We were able to confirm that urinary excretion of THP is dependent on sodium intake. Patients with a high salt sensitivity, i.e. an exaggerated blood pressure response to high salt intake, responded to the high salt intake with an even greater increase in the urinary excretion rate of THP. The mechanism underlying this response is still unknown, but it might indicate that distal nephron function in healthy, genetically hypertension-prone individuals is altered.
Polymer-on-Metal or Metal-on-Polymer Total Disc Arthroplasty: Does It Make a Difference?

Study Design. Mechanical testing of total disc arthroplasty (TDA). Objective. To compare the friction between a polymer socket-on-metal ball and metal socket-on-polymer ball TDA. Summary of Background Data. A degenerate intervertebral disc can be replaced by TDA. The most common designs have a ball and socket articulation; the contact between the surfaces leads to friction. Friction needs to be minimized to prevent loosening and wear. One of the common material combinations in disc arthroplasty devices is the articulation of a metal socket on polymer ball. However, the combination of a polymer socket on metal ball (which is used in hip arthroplasty) has not been investigated for TDA. Methods. TDA models with either a polymer socket/metal ball or a metal socket/polymer ball were manufactured with ball radii of 10 and 14 mm, each with a radial clearance of 0.35 mm. Samples were tested using a spine simulator with a lubricant of diluted newborn calf serum. Each sample was subjected to an axial load of 1200 N; motions of flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation were then applied at frequencies of 0.25 to 2 Hz. Frictional torque was measured to compare the performance of the TDAs. Results. The frictional torque was found to be significantly higher for a disc with a metal socket/polymer ball than for a disc with a polymer socket/metal ball for both 10 and 14 mm radii in axial rotation, lateral bend, and extension. The frictional torque in flexion (0°–6°) was not found to be significantly different between the 2 different material combinations. However, when the flexion motion was reduced to 0° to 2°, frictional torque in the metal socket/polymer ball was found to be significantly higher than the polymer socket/metal ball. Conclusion. TDA with a combination of a polymer socket/metal ball has lower friction than the conventional TDA with metal socket/polymer ball. This conclusion has implications in the design of TDA.
An Exploratory Study of the W3C Mailing List Test Collection for Retrieval of Emails with Pro/Con Argument

The W3C mailing list test collection, an information retrieval test collection for email, was developed for the TREC Enterprise Search track in 2005. One task in that track was to retrieve emails that contribute at least one pro/con related to a specific topic. This paper describes the test collection and presents a preliminary evaluation of its suitability for evaluating such systems, including an analysis of topic types found in the collection, characterization of interassessor agreement on pro/con judgments, and an example of the evaluation results that can be obtained using the collection. There is clear evidence that the collection is useful in its present form, but several areas for improvement can be identified. In particular, some topic types found in the collection do not seem well suited to pro/con judgment. The paper concludes with suggestions for future work on the design of test collections and information retrieval systems for this task.
Future‐wishing, magical fantasies, yet being ‘real’: Snapshots of student teachers' perceptions during their initial training

This article explores student teachers' perceptions and experiences over the course of the training year. It discusses five important themes to emerge from responses at intervals during the year; themes which, although in some respects contradictory, combine to create a picture of the conflicting feelings experienced by student teachers. This tracking of student teachers' perceptions represents a synthesis of experiences to illustrate feelings and responses, demonstrated by student teachers at various points, in order to give a flavour of their experience. Over 140 students of modern foreign languages (MFL) from two separate higher education institutions in England participated in this longitudinal cohort study, which combined both quantitative and qualitative techniques (the qualitative data serve as the basis for this paper). Although the students were all specialising in modern foreign languages, this paper does not focus primarily on subject specific issues. Whilst some aspects, such as the pressures of course and teaching workloads, are to be predicted in such a study, other issues are more surprising, such as future‐wishing and fantasising, which contrast sharply with the student teachers strong desire to be ‘real’ teachers. It is, however, this desire to be ‘real’ which appears to fuel the future‐wishing and fantasies.
Public perception for monitoring and management of environmental risk: the case of the tires’ fire in Drama region, Greece

This paper analyzes residents’ perceptions concerning an industrial accident with environmental impacts. The data used were obtained by 505 face-to-face interviews. Binary and logit models were developed to elicit parameters that affect the risk perception of residents in nearby potentially affected agglomerations. Additionally, using geographical information systems, the spatial properties of risk perception of the accident are presented interpolating the point data so as to produce various grids of risk perception. Finally, we estimated the willingness to pay (and parameters affecting it) for remediation to environmental monitoring with the aid of a proposed trusted lab.
Hepatitis C virus NS5A anchor peptide disrupts human immunodeficiency virus

In the absence of an effective vaccine, there is an urgent need for safe and effective antiviral agents to prevent transmission of HIV. Here, we report that an amphipathic α-helical peptide derived from the hepatitis C virus NS5A anchor domain (designated C5A in this article) that has been shown to be virocidal for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) also has potent antiviral activity against HIV. C5A exhibits a broad range of antiviral activity against HIV isolates, and it prevents infection of the three in vivo targets of HIV: CD4+ T lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells by disrupting the integrity of the viral membrane and capsid core while preserving the integrity of host membranes. C5A can interrupt an ongoing T cell infection, and it can prevent transmigration of HIV through primary genital epithelial cells, infection of mucosal target cells and transfer from dendritic cells to T cells ex vivo, justifying future experiments to determine whether C5A can prevent HIV transmission in vivo.
Gesture and word production in children with down syndrome

In this descriptive, longitudinal study, the role of gestures in the emergent language of three children with Down syndrome who were at the protoimperative and protodeclarative stages of language development was investigated. Specifically, the gestures produced by these children before and during the emergence of word production and the functions they served were explored. The children's gestures were sampled during structured activities and mother-child interactions over a period of 5 months. The results indicated that different types of gestures serving various communicative functions were produced during structured and mother-child interactions. The most frequent gesture types were conventional, deictic, and enactive naming. The most frequent functions were comments, acknowledgments, and requests. The findings of the present study were congruent with previous research with both nondisabled populations and children with Down syndrome in demonstrating how gestural production may signal the emergence of language in both groups.
Long-term risk of re-treatment of patients using alpha-blockers for lower urinary tract symptoms.

PURPOSE The efficacy of alpha-adrenoceptor blockers for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms has been proven in numerous studies. However, little is known about the efficacy of the longer term. We investigated the long-term risk of re-treatment in patients using alpha-adrenoceptor blockers for lower urinary tract symptoms and the parameters that influence this risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the files of 316 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms treated at our department with the alpha-blockers terazosin, alfuzosin or tamsulosin. Using followup data up to 3 years, we calculated re-treatment percentages in each treatment group. Using extended followup of 5 years, we calculated the predictive value of various baseline characteristics for re-treatment. RESULTS The re-treatment rates were 27% for tamsulosin, 37% for alfuzosin and 49% for terazosin. The re-treatment rates of patients with mild, moderate and severe lower urinary tract symptoms were 27%, 33% and 70%, respectively. Patients with a maximum urine flow of less or more than 10 ml. per second had a re-treatment rate of 58% and 47%, respectively. Patients with a prostate volume of less or more than 40 ml. had a re-treatment rate of 48% and 72%, respectively. Patients who were urodynamically unobstructed versus obstructed patients had a re-treatment rate of 44% and 59%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Patients given alpha-blockers for lower urinary tract symptoms have a high risk of re-treatment. Tamsulosin has a markedly lower re-treatment percentage than alfuzosin and terazosin. Severe symptoms, poor urine flow, an enlarged prostate and urodynamically proven bladder outlet obstruction increase the risk of treatment failure. Preselection of the most suitable candidates for alpha-blockade may reduce this risk.
Contributions to the Cognitive Study of Facial Recognition on Down Syndrome: A New Approximation to Exploring Facial Emotion Processing Style

Background : This paper aimed to explore the ability of people with Down syndrome (PWDS) in recognizing facial emotion by considering automatic cognitive processing levels of face recognition. Method : A sample of PWDS and participants with typical development (PWTD) participated in a set of two affective priming studies. In each study, participants had to categorize an emotional or neutral target face that was preceded by another emotional face. Stimuli presentation for each facial set (one face after another) was conducted by using an stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) of 300 ms with the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) set at 50 ms. The first affective priming study manipulated emotion congruency between prime and target emotional faces to explore emotion classification abilities and to identify the cognitive mechanisms underlying automatic recognition of some emotional faces. The second study explored the effect that gender of a face has over categorization of facial emotion and difficulty in recognizing negative facial expressions. Results : The results strongly suggest that not all of the PWDS present difficulties in recognizing negative facial emotions. PWDS’ performance pattern in categorizing emotion was similar to that of PWTDs if they had to use broad classification categories (e.g., emotion vs. no emotion). However, differences between both samples occurred if PWDS had to use a specific category task (e.g., classification of happiness, sadness, etc.). Conclusions : At least two emotion information processing styles can be identified in PWDS. Methodological and theoretical implications for exploring the emotional capabilities of people with DS are discussed.
Comprehending Body Language and Mimics: An ERP and Neuroimaging Study on Italian Actors and Viewers

In this study, the neural mechanism subserving the ability to understand people’s emotional and mental states by observing their body language (facial expression, body posture and mimics) was investigated in healthy volunteers. ERPs were recorded in 30 Italian University students while they evaluated 280 pictures of highly ecological displays of emotional body language that were acted out by 8 male and female Italian actors. Pictures were briefly flashed and preceded by short verbal descriptions (e.g., “What a bore! ”) that were incongruent half of the time (e.g., a picture of a very attentive and concentrated person shown after the previous example verbal description). ERP data and source reconstruction indicated that the first recognition of incongruent body language occurred 300 ms post-stimulus. swLORETA performed on the N400 identified the strongest generators of this effect in the right rectal gyrus (BA11) of the ventromedial orbitofrontal cortex, the bilateral uncus (limbic system) and the cingulate cortex, the cortical areas devoted to face and body processing (STS, FFA EBA) and the premotor cortex (BA6), which is involved in action understanding. These results indicate that face and body mimics undergo a prioritized processing that is mostly represented in the affective brain and is rapidly compared with verbal information. This process is likely able to regulate social interactions by providing on-line information about the sincerity and trustfulness of others.
Occurrence and molecular characteristics of antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli from broilers, pigs and meat products in Thailand and Cambodia provinces

Nine hundred and forty‐one samples were collected in Sa Keao, Thailand (n = 554) and Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia (n = 387) from July 2014 to January 2015. A total of 667 Escherichia coli isolates (381 isolates from Sa Keao and 286 isolates from Banteay Meanchey) were obtained and examined for antimicrobial susceptibility, class 1 integrons, ESBL genes and horizontal transfer of resistance determinants. Prevalence of E. coli in pig and broiler carcass samples from slaughterhouses and fresh markets was 36–85% in Sa Keao and 11–69% in Banteay Meanchey. The majority of these isolates were multidrug resistant (75.3%). Class 1 integrons were common in both Thai (47%) and Cambodian (62%) isolates, of which four resistance gene cassette arrays including aadA1, dfrA1‐aadA1, dfrA12‐aadA2 and aadA2‐linF were identified. Class 1 integrons in two broiler isolates from Sa Keao (dfrA12‐aadA2) and one broiler isolate from Banteay Meanchey (dfrA1‐aadA1) were horizontally transferable. Sixteen isolates were confirmed to be ESBL‐producing strains with ESBL gene blaCTX‐M‐15, broad spectrum β‐lactamase gene blaTEM‐1 and the AmpC gene blaCMY‐2 being detected. The blaTEM‐1 gene was most prevalent and located on a conjugative plasmid.