Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fish Classification Based on Robust Features Extraction From Color Signature Using Back-Propagation Classifier

Problem statement: Image recognition was a challenging problem researchers had been research into this area for so long especially in the recent years, due to distortion, noise, segmentation errors, overlap and occlusion of objects in digital images. In our study, there are many fields concern with pattern recognition, for example, fingerprint verification, face recognition, iris discrimination, chromosome shape discrimination, optical character recognition, texture discrimination and speech recognition, the subject of pattern recognition appears. A system for recognizing isolated pattern of interest may be as an approach for dealing with such application. Scientists and engineers with interests in image processing and pattern recognition have developed various approaches to deal with digital image recognition problems such as, neural network, contour matching and statistics. Approach: In this study, our aim was to recognize an isolated pattern of interest (fish) in the image based robust features extraction. Where depend on color signatures that are extracted by RGB color space, color histogram and gray level co-occurrence matrix. Results: We presented a system prototype for dealing with such problem. The system started by acquiring an image containing pattern of fish, then the image segmentation was performed relying on color signature. Our system has been applied on 20 different fish families, each family has a different number of fish types and our sample consists of distinct 610 of fish images. These images are divided into two datasets: 400 training images and 210 testing images. An overall accuracy was obtained using back-propagation classifier was 84% on the test dataset used. Conclusion: We developed a classifier for fish images recognition. We efficiently have chosen an image segmentation method to fit our demands. Our classifier successfully design and implement a decision which performed efficiently without any problems. Eventually, the classifier was able to categorize the given fish into its cluster and categorize the clustered fish into its poison or nonpoison fish and categorizes the poison and non-poison fish into its family.
Fingerprint feature extraction using Gabor filters

A Gabor filter-based method for directly extracting fingerprint features from grey-level images without pre-processing is introduced. The proposed method is more efficient and suitable than conventional methods for a small-scale fingerprint recognition system. Experimental results show that the recognition rate of the k-nearest neighbour classifier using the proposed Gabor filter-based features is 97.2%.
Characterization of a Bivalent Vaccine Capable of Inducing Protection Against Both Ebola and Cross-clade H5N1 Influenza in Mice

Abstract Background. Ebola virus (EBOV) is a lethal pathogen that causes up to 90% mortality in humans, whereas H5N1 avian influenza has a 60% fatality rate. Both viruses are considered pandemic threats. The objective was to evaluate the protective efficacy of a bivalent, recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vaccine expressing both the A/Hanoi/30408/2005 H5N1 hemagglutinin and the EBOV glycoprotein (VSVΔG-HA-ZGP) in a lethal mouse model of infection. Methods. Mice were vaccinated 28 days before or 30 minutes after a lethal challenge with mouse-adapted EBOV or selected H5N1 influenza viruses from clades 0, 1, and 2. Animals were monitored for weight loss and survival, in addition to humoral and cell-mediated responses after immunization. Results. A single VSVΔG-HA-ZGP injection was efficacious when administered 28 days before a homologous H5N1 and/or mouse-adapted EBOV challenge, as well as a heterologous H5N1 challenge. Postexposure protection was only observed in vaccinated animals challenged with homologous H5N1 and/or mouse-adapted EBOV. Analysis of the adaptive immune response postvaccination revealed robust specific T- and B-cell responses, including a potent hemagglutinin inhibition antibody response against all H5N1 strains tested. Conclusions. The results highlight the ability of vesicular stomatitis virus–vectored vaccines to rapidly confer protection against 2 unrelated pathogens and stimulate cross-protection against H5N1 influenza viruses.
Effect of Plectranthus glandulosus and Ocimum gratissimum Essential Oils on Growth of Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxin B 1 Production

Summary Essential oils of Ocimum gratissimum and Plectranthus glandulosus leaves were extracted by steam distillation and analysed by GC-MS, and their effects on growth and aflatoxin B 1 production by Aspergillus flavus were tested at five levels (i.e 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mg/l) using SMKY agar medium. The main components of O. gratissimum were thymol (47.7%) and β-terpinene (14.3%) whereas those of P. glandulosus were represented by β-terpinene (30.8%) and terpinolene (25.2%). After 8 days of incubation on essential oil-supplemented medium, growth of A. flavus was totally inhibited by 800 mg/l of O. gratissimum essential oil and by 1000 mg/l of P. glandulosus essential oil. The effect of essential oils on aflatoxin B 1 synthesis was evaluated in SMKY broth. The medium supplemented with different essential oil concentrations, was inoculated with A. flavus mycelium and incubated at 25 °C. At 2, 4, 6 and 8 days, aflatoxin B 1 concentrations in the supernatant were estimated using Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA). Results showed that aflatoxin B 1 synthesis was inhibited by 1000 mg/l of both essential oils of O. gratissimum and P. glandulosus after 8 days of incubation. Results obtained in the present study indicate the possibility of exploiting O. gratissimum and P. glandulosus essential oils in the fight against strains of A. flavus responsible for biodeterioration of stored food products.
ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF MASTICATION AND SWALLOWING IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS WITH MANDIBULAR FIXED IMPLANTSUPPORTED PROSTHESES

This study evaluated the effect of implant-supported oral rehabilitation in the mandible on the electromyographic activity during mastication and swallowing in edentulous elderly individuals. Fifteen patients aged more than 60 years were evaluated, being 10 females and 5 males. All patients were edentulous, wore removable complete dentures on both dental arches, and had the mandibular dentures replaced by implant-supported prostheses. All patients were submitted to electromyographic evaluation of the masseter, superior orbicularis oris muscles, and the submental muscles, before surgery and 3, 6 and 18 months postoperatively, using foods of different textures. The results obtained at the different periods were analyzed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. Statistical analysis showed that only the masseter muscle had a significant loss in electromyographic activity (p<0.001), with a tendency of similar response for the submental muscles. Moreover, there was an increase in the activity of the orbicularis oris muscle during rubber chewing after treatment, yet without statistically significant difference. Mandibular fixed implant-supported prostheses in elderly individuals revealed a decrease in electromyographic amplitude for the masseter muscles during swallowing, which may indicate adaptation to new conditions of stability provided by fixation of the complete denture in the mandibular arch.
How Income Transfer Programs Affect Work, Savings, and the Income Distribution: A Critical Review

For helpful comments on earlier drafts, we thank, without implicating, Moses Abramovitz, Yves Balcer, John Bishop, Alan Blinder, Richard Burkhauser, Michael Darby, Irwin Garfinkel, Alan Gustman, Daniel Hamermesh, Martin Holmer, George Jakubson, Robert Lampman, Paul Menchik, Robert Moffitt, Michael Murray, Joseph Quinn, Timothy Smeeding, Eugene Smolensky, Barbara Wolfe and two anonymous referees.
Emergent Behaviors over Signed Random Networks in Dynamical Environments

We study asymptotic dynamical patterns that emerge among a set of nodes that interact in a dynamically evolving signed random network. Node interactions take place at random on a sequence of deterministic signed graphs. Each node receives positive or negative recommendations from its neighbors depending on the sign of the interaction arcs, and updates its state accordingly. Positive recommendations follow the standard consensus update while two types of negative recommendations, each modeling a different type of antagonistic or malicious interaction, are considered. Nodes may weigh positive and negative recommendations differently, and random processes are introduced to model the time-varying attention that nodes pay to the positive and negative recommendations. Various conditions for almost sure convergence, divergence, and clustering of the node states are established. Some fundamental similarities and differences are established for the two notions of negative recommendations.
Freight transport and economic growth: an empirical explanation of the coupling in the EU using panel data

The link between transport and economic growth is nowadays understood behind the so-called issue of coupling. Transport intensity or transport elasticity to economic production are generally used to assess the link. In this paper, road freight intensity is decomposed into four factors. A European panel data estimation of these four factors isolates levels of coupling and levels of decoupling. We observe two factors of coupling (i. e. the rise of the average distance of transport and the increasing market share of road transport) and two factors of decoupling (the decreasing share of the industry in the economic production and the decreasing weight of industrial production). (Author's abstract)
Externalities and Growth Accounting

We reexamine several bodies of data on the growth of output, labor, and capital, within the context of a model that admits the possibility of an externality to the capital input. The model is an augmented version of Paul Romer's (1987) reformulation of the Solow model. Unlike Romer, however, we find no evidence of an externality to capital. This finding implies nothing about the size of possible spillovers in the creation of knowledge because in our model, causality runs exclusively from knowledge to capital.
How do significant others influence our driving? A descriptive study of ego–alter dyads in a college population

ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to describe the mutual influences between drivers and their significant others in a sample of college students, using a social network perspective. Methods: A web-based survey was made of 65 dyads of drivers and their significant others, in order to examine areas of mutual influence concerning driving. Measures were taken of their frequency of risky driving, including how often they drive, talk on the cell phone, or text with each other while driving. They were also asked whether they have influenced or been influenced by each other to drive safer or in a more risky manner. Results: The dyads were very similar in how frequently they drive as well as talk to each other on the phone while driving. However, they were unlikely to feel that their driving was influenced by each other, with only 17% of the drivers and 19% of the significant others saying that they have been overtly influenced by (or have influenced) each other's driving behavior often or most of the time. Yet, most (67.7% and 72.1%) said they have ever encouraged or been encouraged by each other to drive more safely, mainly by being told to reduce their speed. In both sets of drivers in these dyads, talking to and texting their significant other while driving was related to risky driving. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a similarity exits in the driving patterns of young drivers and their significant others, especially concerning talking to each other on the phone while driving. The largest degree of overt social influence appears to center around avoidance of behaviors perceived to be associated with getting a traffic citation. Implications for safety campaign development and future research are presented.
Positive Effects of Nonnative Invasive Phragmites australis on Larval Bullfrogs

Background Nonnative Phragmites australis (common reed) is one of the most intensively researched and managed invasive plant species in the United States, yet as with many invasive species, our ability to predict, control or understand the consequences of invasions is limited. Rapid spread of dense Phragmites monocultures has prompted efforts to limit its expansion and remove existing stands. Motivation for large-scale Phragmites eradication programs includes purported negative impacts on native wildlife, a view based primarily on observational results. We took an experimental approach to test this assumption, estimating the effects of nonnative Phragmites australis on a native amphibian. Methodology/Principal Findings Concurrent common garden and reciprocal transplant field experiments revealed consistently strong positive influences of Phragmites on Rana catesbeiana (North American bullfrog) larval performance. Decomposing Phragmites litter appears to contribute to the effect. Conclusions/Significance Positive effects of Phragmites merit further research, particularly in regions where both Phragmites and R. catesbeiana are invasive. More broadly, the findings of this study reinforce the importance of experimental evaluations of the effects of biological invasion to make informed conservation and restoration decisions.
Drift‐shell splitting of energetic ions injected at pseudo‐substorm onsets

One feature of a magnetospheric substorm is the injection of energetic particles into closed drift orbits. Injections are routinely observed by geosynchronous satellites and have been used to identify the occurrence of substorms and the local time of particle energization. In this study we examine pitch angle distributions of ion injections in the 50-to 300-keV energy range observed by the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers Charge Composition Explorer (AMPTE/CCE) satellite, hereinafter CCE. In a dipole field, all pitch angles follow the same drift shell, but the day{endash}night asymmetry of the magnetospheric magnetic field introduces a pitch angle dependence in particle drift orbits, so that particles with different pitch angles disperse radially as they drift. The effect is known as drift-shell splitting. For satellite observations near noon at a fixed geocentric distance, the guiding center orbits of ions detected at small pitch angles intersect the midnight meridian at larger geocentric distances than do ions with near-90{degree} pitch angles. The ion pitch angle distributions detected on the dayside therefore provide information about the radial distance of the nightside acceleration region. We apply this principle to study ion injection events observed on September 17{endash}18, 1984, in association with pseudo-substorm onsets. CCE was atmore » 13 hours local time near its apogee (8.8R{sub E}) and observed a series of ion flux enhancements. Energy dispersion of the timing of the flux increases assures that they are due to injections on the nightside. The flux increases were observed only at pitch angles from 0{degree} to 60{degree}. We calculate drift orbits of protons using the Tsyganenko 89c magnetic field model and find that the drift orbits for 60{degree} pitch angle protons observed at the satellite pass through midnight at 9R{sub E}, well outside of geostationary orbit, indicating that the ion injections occurred tailward of 9R{sub E}. Energetic ion data from geostationary satellites for the same time interval show no evidence of injections at 6.6R{sub E}, consistent with the calculated inner boundary of the injections. Model calculations are presented demonstrating that dispersive injections observed near noon outside geosynchronous orbit provide the greatest sensitivity to drift-shell splitting effects and are therefore most suitable for remote sensing the radial boundaries of substorm injections. {copyright} 1997 American Geophysical Union« less
Characterization of apoM in normal and genetically modified mice Published, JLR Papers in Press, April 21, 2004. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M300451-JLR200

A novel human apolipoprotein [apolipoprotein M (apoM)] was recently described and demonstrated to be a lipocalin. We have now examined apoM in wild-type mice and mice with genetically altered lipoprotein metabolism. Liver and kidney showed high mRNA expression, whereas spleen, heart, brain, and testis demonstrated low expression. ApoM gene expression was initiated on embryonic day 10. Western blot analysis of plasma suggested that mouse apoM, like its human counterpart, is secreted with a retained signal peptide, but unlike human apoM it is not glycosylated. Gel filtration of plasma showed apoM to be associated with HDL-sized particles in wild-type and apoA-I-deficient mice and with HDL- and LDL-sized particles in LDL receptor-deficient mice, whereas apoM was mainly found in VLDL-sized particles in high-fat, high-cholesterol-fed apoE-deficient mice. The plasma concentration of apoM was similar in wild-type, LDL receptor-deficient, and apoE-deficient mice but was reduced to 33% in apoA-I-deficient compared with wild-type mice (P = 0.007). These data suggest that apoM mainly associates with HDL in normal mice but also with the pathologically increased lipoprotein fraction in genetically modified mice. The substantially decreased apoM levels in apoA-I-deficient mice suggest a connection between apoM and apoA-I metabolism.
Adaptive nowcasting of influenza outbreaks using Google searches

Seasonal influenza outbreaks and pandemics of new strains of the influenza virus affect humans around the globe. However, traditional systems for measuring the spread of flu infections deliver results with one or two weeks delay. Recent research suggests that data on queries made to the search engine Google can be used to address this problem, providing real-time estimates of levels of influenza-like illness in a population. Others have however argued that equally good estimates of current flu levels can be forecast using historic flu measurements. Here, we build dynamic ‘nowcasting’ models; in other words, forecasting models that estimate current levels of influenza, before the release of official data one week later. We find that when using Google Flu Trends data in combination with historic flu levels, the mean absolute error (MAE) of in-sample ‘nowcasts’ can be significantly reduced by 14.4%, compared with a baseline model that uses historic data on flu levels only. We further demonstrate that the MAE of out-of-sample nowcasts can also be significantly reduced by between 16.0% and 52.7%, depending on the length of the sliding training interval. We conclude that, using adaptive models, Google Flu Trends data can indeed be used to improve real-time influenza monitoring, even when official reports of flu infections are available with only one week's delay.
Facial Asymmetry and Emotional Expression

This report is about facial asymmetry, its connection to emotional expression, and methods of measuring facial asymmetry in videos of faces. The research was motivated by two factors: firstly, there was a real opportunity to develop a novel measure of asymmetry that required minimal human involvement and that improved on earlier measures in the literature; and secondly, the study of the relationship between facial asymmetry and emotional expression is both interesting in its own right, and important because it can inform neuropsychological theory and answer open questions concerning emotional processing in the brain. The two aims of the research were: first, to develop an automatic frame-by-frame measure of facial asymmetry in videos of faces that improved on previous measures; and second, to use the measure to analyse the relationship between facial asymmetry and emotional expression, and connect our findings with previous research of the relationship.
Cross-talk between Stat 5 b and estrogen receptor-and-in mammary epithelial cells

Both 17 -estradiol and prolactin play important roles in the mammary gland, raising the possibility of functional cross-talk between the two signaling pathways. Here, we demonstrate that estrogen receptor(ER ) and (ER ) are both able to potentiate transcription from a Stat5-responsive promoter when activated by prolactin. Potentiation was observed not only in the presence of 17 estradiol, but also in the presence of anti-estrogens such as tamoxifen and ICI 182,780. The magnitude of the response was dependent on cell-type: in the HC11 mouse mammary epithelial cell line ER potentiates transcription efficiently whereas ER showed low activity. Conversely, in COS-7 cells, both estrogen receptors were active. We show that activation domains in the N-terminus (AF-1) and the C-terminus (AF-2) of the ERs are dispensable for potentiation. The effects are dependent on the presence of an intact DNA-binding/hinge domain, which we show is capable of interacting with Stat5b in vitro and in HC11 cell extracts. We conclude that ER and ER act as coactivators for Stat5b through a mechanism which is independent of AF-1 and AF-2. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology (2001) 27, 93–106
Study of ohmic contact formation on AlGaN/GaN HEMT with AlN spacer on silicon substrate

This paper deals with the analyse of ohmic contact formation on GaN, AlGaN/GaN and AlGaN/AlN/GaN. TEM measurement was carried out on these last structures to explain the ohmic contact formation for Ti and Ti/Al contact. The difficulties to achieve an ohmic contact on AlGaN/AlN/GaN structures leads to etch the AlGaN barrier to obtain rapidly and easily an ohmic behaviour. At last, it is shown that TLM and TLTLM are necessary to characterise the ohmic contact when an alloy is formed under the metallisation. In this case, the transport is governed by tunnel effect assisted by field effect (FE) via deep levels.
Financial Development and Economic Volatility: A Unified Explanation

Empirical studies showed that firm-level volatility has been increasing but the aggregate volatility has been decreasing in the US for the post-war period. This paper proposes a unified explanation for these diverging trends. Our explanation is based on a story of financial development - measured by the reduction of borrowing constraints because of greater access to external financing and options for risk sharing. By constructing a dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium model of heterogenous firms facing borrowing constraints and investment irreversibility, it is shown that financial liberalization increases the lumpiness of firm-level investment but decreases the variance of aggregate output. Hence, the model predicts that financial development leads to a larger firm-level volatility but a lower aggregate volatility. In addition, our model is also consistent with the observed decline in volatility of private held firms which do not have (or have only limited) access to external funds.
Using a Finite Mixture Model of Heterogeneous Households to Delineate Housing Submarkets

We use a finite mixture model to identify latent submarkets from household demographics that estimates a separate hedonic regression equation for each submarket. The method is a relatively robust empirical tool to extract submarkets from demographic information with far less effort than suspected. This method draws from latent class models to group observations in a straightforward data-driven manner. Additionally, the unique information about each submarket is easily derived and summarized. Results are also shown to more convincingly sort submarkets than a prior study in the same area that used more comprehensive data.