Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Residual CNDS

Convolutional Neural Networks nowadays are of tremendous importance for any image classification system. One of the most investigated methods to increase the accuracy of CNN is by increasing the depth of CNN. Increasing the depth by stacking more layers also increases the difficulty of training besides making it computationally expensive. Some research found that adding auxiliary forks after intermediate layers increases the accuracy. Specifying which intermediate layer should have the fork just addressed recently. Where a simple rule were used to detect the position of intermediate layers that needs the auxiliary supervision fork. This technique known as convolutional neural networks with deep supervision (CNDS). This technique enhanced the accuracy of classification over the straight forward CNN used on the MIT places dataset and ImageNet. In the other side, Residual Learning is another technique emerged recently to ease the training of very deep CNN. Residual learning framework changed the learning of layers from unreferenced functions to learning residual function with regard to the layer’s input. Residual Learning achieved state of arts results on ImageNet 2015 and COCO competitions. In this paper, we study the effect of adding residual Connections to CNDS network. Our experiments results show increasing of accuracy over using CNDS only. Keywords— Convolutional Neural Networks, Convolutional Networks with Deep Supervision; Residual Learning;
Isolation and Characteristics of Shiga Toxin 2f-Producing Escherichia coli among Pigeons in Kyushu, Japan

An increasing number of Shiga toxin 2f-producing Escherichia coli (STEC2f) infections in humans are being reported in Europe, and pigeons have been suggested as a reservoir for the pathogen. In Japan, there is very little information regarding carriage of STEC2f by pigeons, prompting the need for further investigation. We collected 549 samples of pigeon droppings from 14 locations in Kyushu, Japan, to isolate STEC2f and to investigate characteristics of the isolates. Shiga toxin stx 2f gene fragments were detected by PCR in 16 (2.9%) of the 549 dropping samples across four of the 14 locations. We obtained 23 STEC2f-isolates from seven of the original samples and from three pigeon dropping samples collected in an additional sampling experiment (from a total of seven locations across both sampling periods). Genotypic and phenotypic characteristics were then examined for selected isolates from each of 10 samples with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles. Eight of the stx 2f gene fragments sequenced in this study were homologous to others that were identified in Europe. Some isolates also contained virulence-related genes, including lpfA O26, irp 2, and fyuA, and all of the 10 selected isolates maintained the eae, astA, and cdt genes. Moreover, five of the 10 selected isolates contained sfpA, a gene that is restricted to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O165:H2 and sorbitol-fermenting Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:NM. We document serotypes O152:HNM, O128:HNM, and O145:H34 as STEC2f, which agrees with previous studies on pigeons and humans. Interestingly, O119:H21 was newly described as STEC2f. O145:H34, with sequence type 722, was described in a German study in humans and was also isolated in the current study. These results revealed that Japanese zoonotic STEC2f strains harboring several virulence-related factors may be of the same clonal complexes as some European strains. These findings provide useful information for public health-related disease management strategies in Japan.
Changing patterns of failure of head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND With the increased use of neoadjuvant therapy for advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, we have observed an apparent change in the pattern of failure from predominantly locoregional sites to distant metastases. We reviewed the patterns of failure in cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx at our institution during the last decade. OBJECTIVE To determine whether there has been a significant change in the patterns of recurrence from the historical locoregional failure to distant sites, and whether this change is associated with the increased use of multimodality therapy. METHODS We reviewed cancer registry data on patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck diagnosed between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1999. Sites included the oral cavity and oropharynx (including the tongue, floor of mouth, retromolar trigone, gingiva, tonsil, and lip) and larynx. RESULTS Among 432 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, 280 (65%) had oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers, and 152 (35%) had laryngeal cancers. Overall, 19% developed locoregional recurrence, and 8% developed distant failure. Although locoregional failure for oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma decreased from 26% to 16% from 1988-1993 to 1994-1999, distant failure increased significantly from 3% to 8%. During these periods, multimodality therapy was used in 62% of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers, and this rate remained essentially unchanged. For laryngeal cancer, locoregional and distant failure remained stable at 18% and 9%, respectively. In these laryngeal cancers, the use of multimodality therapy decreased from 60% to 46%, but this difference was not statistically significant (P =.43). CONCLUSIONS Although locoregional control in oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers has improved significantly with the use of multimodality therapy, the incidence of distant failure has doubled. In laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, the patterns of failure have not changed significantly.
Proteomic Characterization of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Chloroplast Ribosome

We have conducted a proteomic analysis of the 70 S ribosome from the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast. Twenty-seven orthologs of Escherichia coli large subunit proteins were identified in the 50 S subunit, as well as an ortholog of the spinach plastid-specific ribosomal protein-6. Several of the large subunit proteins of C. reinhardtii have short extension or insertion sequences, but overall the large subunit proteins are very similar to those of spinach chloroplast and E. coli. Two proteins of 38 and 41 kDa, designated RAP38 and RAP41, were identified from the 70 S ribosome that were not found in either of the ribosomal subunits. Phylogenetic analysis identified RAP38 and RAP41 as paralogs of spinach CSP41, a chloroplast RNA-binding protein with endoribonuclease activity. Overall, the chloroplast ribosome of C. reinhardtii is similar to those of spinach chloroplast and E. coli, but the C. reinhardtii ribosome has proteins associated with the 70 S complex that are related to non-ribosomal proteins in other species. In addition, the 30 S subunit contains unusually large orthologs of E. coli S2, S3, and S5 and a novel S1-type protein (Yamaguchi, K. et al., (2002) Plant Cell 14, 2957–2974). These additional proteins and domains likely confer functions used to regulate chloroplast translation in C. reinhardtii.
The Value of Myocardial Torsion and Aneurysm Volume for Evaluating Cardiac Function in Rabbit with Left Ventricular Aneurysm

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effect of left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) volume and left ventricular global torsion on cardiac function by real time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) and two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(2D-STI), to determine the accuracy of RT-3DE and 2D-STI in assessing LV function. Methods Thirty New Zealand rabbit models of with LVA were prepared by ligation of the middle segment of the left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries. Four weeks post-procedure, RT-3DE was conducted to obtain data on LVEF, left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and LVA volume (LVAV), Peak rotation angles at the mitral valve annulus level (MV-ROT), peak rotation angles at the apical level (AP-ROT), and left ventricular global torsion angles (LV-TOR) were measured by 2D-STI. Results Compared with controls, LVEDV and LVESV were significantly increased in the LVA group, while LVEF, MV-ROT, AP-ROT, and LV-TOR were consistently reduced (p<0.01). Moreover, LVEF correlated with LVA volume and LV torsion angle (r= -0.778 and 0.821, p<0.01). LVA volume/LVEDV had the strongest inverse relationship with LVEF (r= -0.911, p<0.01). Conclusion LVA volume, LVA volume/LVEDV, and LV torsion may be used as an indicator for evaluation of cardiac function after LVA. Moreover, LVA volume/LVEDV may be a more sensitive and reliable marker of cardiac function after LVA formation.
Concordance of effects of medical interventions on hospital admission and readmission rates with effects on mortality

Background: Many clinical trials examine a composite outcome of admission to hospital and death, or infer a relationship between hospital admission and survival benefit. This assumes concordance of the outcomes “hospital admission” and “death. ” However, whether the effects of a treatment on hospital admissions and readmissions correlate to its effect on serious outcomes such as death is unknown. We aimed to assess the correlation and concordance of effects of medical interventions on admission rates and mortality. Methods: We searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from its inception to January 2012 (issue 1, 2012) for systematic reviews of treatment comparisons that included meta-analyses for both admission and mortality outcomes. For each meta-analysis, we synthesized treatment effects on admissions and death, from respective randomized trials reporting those outcomes, using random-effects models. We then measured the concordance of directions of effect sizes and the correlation of summary estimates for the 2 outcomes. Results: We identified 61 meta-analyses including 398 trials reporting mortality and 182 trials reporting admission rates; 125 trials reported both outcomes. In 27.9% of comparisons, the point estimates of treatment effects for the 2 outcomes were in opposite directions; in 8.2% of trials, the 95% confidence intervals did not overlap. We found no significant correlation between effect sizes for admission and death (Pearson r = 0.07, p = 0.6). Our results were similar when we limited our analysis to trials reporting both outcomes. Interpretation: In this metaepidemiological study, admission and mortality outcomes did not correlate, and discordances occurred in about one-third of the treatment comparisons included in our analyses. Both outcomes convey useful information and should be reported separately, but extrapolating the benefits of admission to survival is unreliable and should be avoided.
HBV Carrying Drug-Resistance Mutations in Chronically Infected Treatment-Naive Patients

Background Nucleoside/nucleotide analogue (NA) treatment causes selection pressure for HBV strains carrying mutations conferring NA resistance. Drug-resistance mutations occur in the reverse transcriptase (RT) region of the HBV polymerase gene and spontaneously arise during viral replication. These mutations can also alter the hepatitis B surface (HBs) protein and in some cases reduce binding to HBs antibodies. The spread of NA-resistant HBV may impact the efficacy of antiviral treatment and hepatitis B immunization programmes. In this study, we used direct sequencing to assess the occurrence of HBV carrying known mutations that confer NA resistance in the largest cohort of treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) to date. Methods HBV DNA samples isolated from 702 patients were sequenced and the RT region subjected to mutational analysis. Results There was high genetic variability among the HBV samples analysed: A1 (63.7%), D3 (14.5%), A2 (3.3%), A3 (0.1%), B1 (0.1%), B2 (0.1%), C2 (0.9%), D1 (0.9%), D2 (4.6%), D4 (5.1%), D unclassified sub-genotype (0.7%), E (0.6%), F2a (4.6%), F4 (0.4%) and G (0.4%). HBV strains harbouring mutations conferring NA resistance alone or combined with compensatory mutations were identified in 1.6% (11/702) of the patients. Conclusions HBV strains harbouring resistance mutations can comprise the major population of HBV quasispecies in treatment-naive patients. In Brazil, there is a very low frequency of untreated patients who are infected with these strains. These findings suggest that the spread and natural selection of drug-resistant HBV is an uncommon event and/or most of these strains remain unstable in the absence of NA selective pressure.
Channels of communication in small groups.

lem of the selection of materials. Have the responses been selected to illustrate what the leader wants to illustrate? Could other assortings of responses be made to illustrate something else-perhaps the futility of "guided group conversation," as the method also has been called? Research on how to make use of transcriptions seems urgently needed. Perhaps investigators with different philosophical and methodological orientations could be induced to listen to, and to interpret, a succession of extensive transcriptions of actual group sessions. It would be interesting to see to what extent they reach similar conclusions from the babel of conversation! Some of these questions are directly involved in the further research now under way in connection with the New Jersey project in Guided Group Interaction. It would be my judgment that this experiment constitutes some of the most important research in criminology now going on in the United States. This work is likely to produce results of basic importance both for the practice of penology and for the advancement of research methodology in the field.
Semantic Image Labelling as a Label Puzzle Game

In this work we introduce a novel solution to the semantic image labelling problem, i.e. the task of assigning semantic object class labels to individual pixels in a test image. Conventional methods are typically relying on random fields for modelling interactions between neighboring pixels and obtaining smooth labelling results using unary and pairwise cost functions. Instead, we consider the labelling problem as a puzzle game, where the final labelling is obtained by assembling discriminatively learned candidate sets of label puzzle pieces, each representing a topological and semantically plausible label configuration. The puzzle game is set up by means of a modified random forest classifier, designed to learn the local, topological label-structure and hence the local context associated to the training data. To solve the puzzle game we propose an iterative optimization technique that maximizes an agreement function by alternatingly seeking for the best label puzzle piece per pixel and the resulting semantic labelling per image. We provide both, theoretical properties of our puzzle solver algorithm as well as experimental results on the challenging MSRC and CamVid databases. In a direct comparison with a conditional random field we obtain superior results, indicating the practicability of our proposed method.
Control Scheme of Three-Level NPC Inverter for Integration of Renewable Energy Resources Into AC Grid

This paper presents a multiobjective control scheme based on the dynamic model of three-level, neutral-point-clamped voltage source inverter for integration of distributed generation (DG) resources based on renewable energy resources to the distribution grid. The proposed model has been derived from the abc/αβ and αβ/dq transformation of the AC system variables. The proposed control technique generates the compensation current references and by setting appropriate references of DG control loop, the DG link not only provides active and reactive currents in fundamental frequency, but also it can supply nonlinear load harmonic currents with a fast dynamic response. Simulation results and mathematical analysis have achieved a reduced total harmonic distortion, increased power factor, inject maximum power of renewable energy resources via a multilevel converter as an interface to the AC grid. It also compensated the active and reactive powers of linear and nonlinear loads. The analyses and simulation results show the high performance of proposed control scheme in the integration of renewable energy resources to the AC grid.
Cross-Sectional Study on Attitudes among General Practitioners towards Pneumococcal Vaccination for Middle-Aged and Elderly Population in Hong Kong

Objective To study the attitudes among general practitioners towards pneumococcal vaccination for middle-aged (50–64) and elderly population (over 65) in Hong Kong and the factors affecting their decision to advise pneumococcal vaccination for those age groups. Design Cross-sectional study of general practitioners in private practice in Hong Kong. Participants Members of Hong Kong Medical Association delivering general practice services in private sector. Measuring Tool Self-administered questionnaire. Main Outcome Measures Intention to recommend pneumococcal vaccination, barriers against pneumococcal vaccination. Results 53.4% of the respondents would actively recommend pneumococcal vaccination to elderly patients but only 18.8% would recommend for middle-aged patients. Consultation not related to pneumococcal vaccine was the main reason for not recommending pneumococcal vaccine (43.6%). Rarity of pneumonia in their daily practice was another reason with 68.4% of respondents attending five or less patients with pneumonia each year. In multivariate analysis, factors such as respondents would get vaccination when reaching age 50 (ORm 10.1), and attending 6 pneumonia cases or more per year (ORm 2.28) were found to be associated with increasing likelihood for recommending vaccination to the middle-aged. While concerns of marketing a product (ORm 0.41), consultation not related to vaccination (ORm 0.45) and limited time (ORm 0.38) were factors that reduced the likelihood. Conclusion Public policy is needed to increase the awareness of impact of pneumococcal pneumonia and the availability of preventive measures.
Getting Children from Low-Income Families to read: What works

This paper is an excerpt from the author’s Master of Education dissertation. The author carried out a study to evaluate a community-based reading programme, kidsREAD for children aged between 4 and 8 of different ethnic groups from low-income families. These children, who are most at risk of reading failure, were exposed to one hour of weekly reading intervention for a year at various reading clubs where volunteers read aloud stories to them in groups before engaging them in a variety of other reading-related activities. Analyses using paired t-tests and intercorrelation were conducted on variables to establish the significance of the effects, and to examine the links among the reading activities measured. Drawing from the research findings and literature review, the author discusses how the underlying elements of the kidsREAD programme might have worked to benefit slow or poor readers.
Diffusion‐ and perfusion‐weighted MR imaging of transient focal cerebral ischaemia in mice

Temporary focal ischaemia was induced in wild‐type C57Black/6 mice by thread occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Recirculation was started after 60 min and maintained for 24 h, after which the mouse brain was frozen in situ. Development of the cerebral infarct was monitored by diffusion‐, perfusion‐ and T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during ischaemia, during the early reperfusion period of 90 min, and at 24 h after reperfusion. Ischaemia caused a marked reduction of the perfusion signal intensity and of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of tissue water in the ipsilateral MCA territory. In sham‐operated control animals ADC remained unchanged. Hemispheric lesion volume after 1 h MCA occlusion was 53 ± 6% (n = 6), as defined by an ADC decrease of more than 20%. Recirculation reduced hemispheric lesion volume to only 27 ± 13%, while there was a trend towards secondary lesion growth at 24 h. Post‐ischaemic recovery of perfusion was slow, heterogeneous and incomplete. A region‐of‐interest analysis showed only partial and transient recovery of the ADC, particularly in the dorsolateral cortex and lateral caudate putamen, which may be explained by inadequate reperfusion in these regions. Detailed MRI studies of cerebral ischaemia and reperfusion may now also be performed in the transgenic mice. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Convergent Properties of Word Embedding Methods

Do word embeddings converge to learn similar things over different initializations? How repeatable are experiments with word embeddings? Are all word embedding techniques equally reliable? In this paper we propose evaluating methods for learning word representations by their consistency across initializations. We propose a measure to quantify the similarity of the learned word representations under this setting (where they are subject to different random initializations). Our preliminary results illustrate that our metric not only measures a intrinsic property of word embedding methods but also correlates well with other evaluation metrics on downstream tasks. We believe our methods are is useful in characterizing robustness -- an important property to consider when developing new word embedding methods.
On meaningful parameters for routing in VANETs urban environments under realistic mobility patterns

A Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET) is an instance of MANETs that establishes wireless connections between cars. In VANETs, routing protocols and other techniques must be adapted to vehicular-specific capabilities and requirements. As many previous works have shown, routing performance is greatly dependent to the availability and stability of wireless links, which makes it a crucial parameter that should not be neglected in order to obtain accurate performance measurements in VANETs. Although routing protocols have already been analyzed and compared in the past, simulations and comparisons have almost always been done considering random motions with non-urban specific parameters. But what would be the effects of urban motions on the simulation parameters, and what would be their consequences on routing performance ? In this paper, we illustrate how realistic motion patterns affect the velocity and how new parameters become necessary to evaluate the performance of routing protocols in VANETs. To express our point, we evaluate the performance of AODV with realistic urban scenarios. We show how new urban specific parameters have significant impacts on routing, and de-facto replace some non-urban specific parameters. For example, the average velocity appears to be irrelevant in urban scenarios and should be replaced by road segment lengths.