Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3D Motion Trail Model Based Pyramid Histograms of Oriented Gradient for Action Recognition

Human action recognition based on the depth maps is an important yet challenging task. In this paper, a new framework based on the 3D motion trail model (3DMTM) and Pyramid Histograms of Oriented Gradient (PHOG) is proposed to recognize human actions from sequences of depth maps. Specifically, a discriminative descriptor called 3DMTM-PHOG is proposed for depth-based human action recognition. The 3DMTM is generated through the entire depth video sequence to encode additional motion information from three projected orthogonal planes. By adding pyramid representation, Histograms of Oriented Gradient (HOG) descriptor is extended to PHOG which can well characterize local shapes at different spatial grid sizes for action recognition. PHOG is then computed from the 3DMTM as the 3DMTM-PHOG descriptor for the representation of an action. The proposed approach based on 3DMTM-PHOG descriptor is evaluated on MSR Action3D dataset captured by depth cameras. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art methods and demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed 3DMTM-PHOG descriptor.
Uterine closure with unlocked suture in cesarean section: Safety and Quality

Objective: Comparing locked and unlocked uterine closure techniques in terms of bleeding control and uterine incision healing. Methods: The patients undergoing cesarean section in Sifa University Hospital between May - October 2012 were accepted to this prospective controlled study. Primarily, safety was evaluated. The hemoglobin count (HC) and serum creatine kinase (CK) levels of the patients in the locked (n = 47) and unlocked (n = 35) groups were measured just before and 24 hours after operation. Hemoglobin deficit, increase in CK and the additional hemostatic sutures were compared. Secondly, uterine scar healing was evaluated three months later. Scar thickness, niche and percentage of thinning of the scar region of the locked (n = 27) and unlocked (n = 32) groups were calculated and compared. Results: The hemoglobin deficit was similar in two groups. CK rise was less in the unlocked group but it was not significant (P = 0.082). Unlocked group needed more additional sutures (P = 0.016). The thickness of the niche and the percentage of thinning of the scar region were significantly less in the unlocked group (P= 0.002, P=0.000). Conclusions: Unlocked uterine closure technique is safe and has less damage to the myometrium.
An isolated three-port bidirectional DC-DC converter for photovoltaic systems with energy storage

This paper proposes a new isolated, three-port, bidirectional, DC-DC converter for simultaneous power management of multiple energy sources. The proposed converter has the advantage of using the least number of switches and soft switching of the main switch, which is realized by using a LCL-resonant circuit. The converter is capable of interfacing sources of different voltage-current characteristics with an isolated load. In this paper, one photovoltaic (PV) panel, one rechargeable battery, and an isolated load are interfaced by the proposed converter. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed converter is capable of maximum power point tracking control for the PV panel when there is solar radiation and controlling the charge and discharge of the battery when there is surplus energy and power deficiency with respect to the load, respectively.
Genetic diversity of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium vivax parasites from the western Brazilian Amazon

The molecular basis of Plasmodium vivax chloroquine (CQ) resistance is still unknown. Elucidating the molecular background of parasites that are sensitive or resistant to CQ will help to identify and monitor the spread of resistance. By genotyping a panel of molecular markers, we demonstrate a similar genetic variability between in vitro CQ-resistant and sensitive phenotypes of P. vivax parasites. However, our studies identified two loci (MS8 and MSP1-B10) that could be used to discriminate between both CQ-susceptible phenotypes among P. vivax isolates in vitro. These preliminary data suggest that microsatellites may be used to identify and to monitor the spread of P. vivax-resistance around the world.
Complications of Temperature-controlled Radiofrequency Volumetric Tissue Reduction for Sleep-disordered Breathing

Objective--Temperature-controlled radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction (RFVTR) is a minimally invasive technique used in the treatment of the tongue base, soft palate and turbinates. Complications seem to be rare, but the scope of previous studies was often limited by the small number of patients included. The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative complications in a large series of patients. Material and Methods--In this retrospective study, temperature-controlled radiofrequency procedures (Somnoplasty®) performed between May 1998 and March 2002 were considered. The charts of the patients were analyzed with regard to intra- or postoperative complications. Results--In total, 322 patients received 497 treatment sessions; 239 of these treatments were isolated and the remaining 258 were combined procedures. Mean follow-up was 122.8±145.5 days. Concerning radiofrequency surgery, nine postoperative complications were observed (2.0%) as follows: ulcerations of the tongue base or soft palate; dysphagia necessitating hospital admission; temporary palsy of the hypoglossal nerve; and an abscess of the base of the tongue. Conclusions--Complications occurring after RFVTR are infrequent and mostly mild. Overall, temperature-controlled RFVTR is a safe procedure when used both in isolation and as part of a combined approach.
Association of Serial Biochemical Markers With Acute Ischemic Stroke: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Stroke Study

Background and Purpose— Biochemical markers of acute neuronal injury may aid in the diagnosis and management of acute ischemic stroke. Serum samples from the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator Stroke Study were analyzed for the presence of 4 biochemical markers of neuronal, glial, and endothelial cell injury. These biochemical markers, myelin basic protein (MBP), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S100&bgr;, and soluble thrombomodulin, were studied for an association with initial stroke severity, infarct volume, and functional outcome. Methods— In the original NINDS study, serum samples were drawn from all patients on presentation to the Emergency Department and at ≈2 and 24 hours after initiation of study therapy. In this analysis, stored serum samples were available for 359 patients; 107 patients had samples for all 3 time points. Serum marker concentrations were measured by ELISA techniques. We examined the relation between serum concentrations of each marker and the degree of baseline neurological deficit, functional outcome, and infarct size on computed tomography at 24 hours and the effect of fibrinolytic therapy. Results— Higher 24-hour peak concentrations of MBP, NSE, and S100&bgr; were associated with higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale baseline scores (r=0.186, P<0.0001; r=0.117, P=0.032; and r=0.263, P<0.0001, respectively). Higher peak concentrations of MBP and S100&bgr; (r=0.209, P<0.0001; r=0.239, P<0.0001) were associated with larger computed tomography lesion volumes. Patients with favorable outcomes had smaller changes in MBP and S100&bgr; (P<0.05) concentrations in the first 24 hours. Soluble thrombomodulin was not associated with any severity or outcome measure. Conclusions— This study corroborates previous work demonstrating correlations of MBP, NSE, and S100&bgr; with clinical and radiographic features in acute stroke. Despite significantly better outcomes in the tissue plasminogen activator–treated group, we found no difference in the early release of the 4 biomarkers between treatment groups. Further study will define the role of biomarkers in acute stroke management and prognostication.
Towards Evolutionary Nonnegative Matrix Factorization

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) techniques has aroused considerable interests from the field of artificial intelligence in recent years because of its good interpretability and computational efficiency. However, in many real world applications, the data features usually evolve over time smoothly. In this case, it would be very expensive in both computation and storage to rerun the whole NMF procedure after each time when the data feature changing. In this paper, we propose Evolutionary Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (eNMF), which aims to incrementally update the factorized matrices in a computation and space efficient manner with the variation of the data matrix. We devise such evolutionary procedure for both asymmetric and symmetric NMF. Finally we conduct experiments on several real world data sets to demonstrate the efficacy and efficiency of eNMF.
The dual-basin landscape in GFP folding

Recent experimental studies suggest that the mature GFP has an unconventional landscape composed of an early folding event with a typical funneled landscape, followed by a very slow search and rearrangement step into the locked, active chromophore-containing structure. As we have shown previously, the substantial difference in time scales is what generates the observed hysteresis in thermodynamic folding. The interconversion between locked and the soft folding structures at intermediate denaturant concentrations is so slow that it is not observed under the typical experimental observation time. Simulations of a coarse-grained model were used to describe the fast folding event as well as identify native-like intermediates on energy landscapes enroute to the fluorescent native fold. Interestingly, these simulations reveal structural features of the slow dynamic transition to chromophore activation. Experimental evidence presented here shows that the trapped, native-like intermediate has structural heterogeneity in residues previously linked to chromophore formation. We propose that the final step of GFP folding is a “locking” mechanism leading to chromophore formation and high stability. The combination of previous experimental work and current simulation work is explained in the context of a dual-basin folding mechanism described above.
Reserve Bank of St . Louis Working Paper Series Nested Forecast Model Comparisons : A New Approach to Testing Equal Accuracy

This paper develops bootstrap methods for testing whether, in a finite sample, competing out-of-sample forecasts from nested models are equally accurate. Most prior work on forecast tests for nested models has focused on a null hypothesis of equal accuracy in population — basically, whether coefficients on the extra variables in the larger, nesting model are zero. We instead use an asymptotic approximation that treats the coefficients as non-zero but small, such that, in a finite sample, forecasts from the small model are expected to be as accurate as forecasts from the large model. Under that approximation, we derive the limiting distributions of tests of equal mean square error, and develop bootstrap methods for estimating critical values. Monte Carlo experiments show that our proposed procedures have good size and power properties for the null of equal finite-sample forecast accuracy. We illustrate the use of the procedures with applications to forecasting stock returns and inflation. JEL Nos.: C53, C12, C52
Time Efficiency of Rotary and Hand Instrumentation Performed on Vital and Necrotic Human Primary Teeth : A Randomized Clinical Trial

Aim: To compare the instrumentation time efficiency of rotary and hand instrumentation performed on necrotic human primary teeth. Methodology: Patients aged 4-7 years were enrolled, forty five teeth (19 maxillary and 26 mandibular teeth), which had a total of 102 canals and completely formed apices and of minimum 10 mm root length were selected. Of the 45 treated primary molars, 31 teeth were diagnosed as having chronic pulpitis, and 14 as having pulp necrosis that responded negative to hot and cold tests; and, clinically, all pulps were confirmed to be necrotic on entrance into the pulp chamber. Results: The mean time spent for rotary root canal preparation and hand preparation for the three groups was GI: 20.10 ± 7.86, GII: 9.37 ± 2.19 minutes and GIII: 10.45 ± 4.77 minutes, respectively. With regard to canal filling quality, 29 cases (64.44%) were flush-filled, 5 cases (11.11%) were under-filled, and 11 cases (24.44%) were over-filled. The Student t test was used to compare data whether there were statistically significant differences between the results obtained clinically. Significance was set at p<0.05. Conclusion: Clinically, time efficacy in primary molar endodontic treatment, especially with the unpredictability and difficulty of canal morphology, is invaluable. The use of rotary files in primary teeth has several advantages when compared with manual K files. *Corresponding author: Jorge Paredes Vieyra, PMB#1513, 710E San Ysidro Blvd. suite “A”, San Ysidro California 92173, USA, Tel: (619) 8463512, 01152664 1230750; E-mail: jorgitoparedesvieyra@hotmail.com Received March 04, 2014; Accepted March 29, 2014; Published March 31, 2014 Citation: Vieyra JP, Enriquez FJJ (2014) Instrumentation Time Efficiency of Rotary and Hand Instrumentation Performed on Vital and Necrotic Human Primary Teeth: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Dentistry 4: 214. doi:10.4172/2161-1122.1000214 Copyright: © 2014 Vieyra JP, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Effect of grafting materials on osseointegration of dental implants surrounded by circumferential bone defects. An experimental study in the dog.

AIMS This study was designed to evaluate the effect of gap width and graft placement on bone healing around implants placed into simulated extraction sockets in the mandibles of four beagle dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four Ti-Unite implants (13 mm x 3.3 mm) were placed on each side of the mandible. Three implants were surrounded by a 1.35 mm circumferential and a 5 mm deep gap around the coronal portion of the implants. A fourth implant was inserted conventionally into both sides of the mandibles as a positive control. The gaps were filled with either Bio-Oss, autogenous bone or with a blood clot alone. The study design was balanced for animal, side and modality. Ground sections were prepared from biopsies taken at 3 months, and computer-aided histometric measurements of bone/implant contact and area of bone within threads were made for the coronal 5 mm. Data were analysed using analysis of variance. RESULTS The mean bone/implant contact was 9.8 mm for the control and ranged from 9.3 to 11.3 mm for the three test modalities. The corresponding values for area within threads were 1 mm(2) and 1-1.2 mm(2). Modality had a significant effect on both bone/implant contact (F=16.9; P<0.0001) and area within threads (F=16.7; P<0.0001). CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that both autogenous bone graft and Bio-Oss played an important role in the amount of hard tissue fill and osseointegration occurring within marginal bone defects around implants.
Temporal encoding of movement kinematics in the discharge of primate primary motor and premotor neurons.

1. Several neurophysiological studies of the primary motor and premotor cortices have shown that the movement parameters direction, distance, and target position are correlated with the discharge of single neurons. Here we investigate whether the correlations with these parameters occur simultaneously (i.e., parallel processing), or sequentially (i.e., serial processing). 2. The single-unit data used for the analyses presented in this paper are the same as those used in our earlier study of neuronal specification of movement parameters. We recorded the activity of single neurons in the primary motor and premotor cortices of two rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) while the animals performed reaching movements made in a horizontal plane. Specifically, the animals moved from a centrally located start position to 1 of 48 targets (1 cm2) placed at eight different directions (0-360 degrees in 45 degrees intervals) and six distances (1.4-5.4 cm in 0.8-cm increments) from the start position. 3. We analyzed 130 task-related cells; of these, 127 (99 in primary motor cortex, 28 near the superior precentral sulcus) had average discharges that were significantly modulated with the movement and were related to movement direction, distance, or target position. To determine the temporal profile of the correlation of each cell's discharge with the three parameters, we performed a regression analysis of the neural discharge. We calculated partial R2s for each parameter and the total R2 for the model as a function of time. 4. The discharge of the majority of units (73.2%) was significantly correlated for some time with all three parameters. Other units were found that correlated with different combinations of pairs of parameters (21.3%), and a small number of units appeared to code for only one parameter (5.5%). There was no obvious difference in the presence of correlations between cells recorded in the primary motor versus premotor cortices. 5. On average we found a clear temporal segregation and ordering in the onset of the parameter-related partial R2 values: direction-related discharge occurred first (115 ms before movement onset), followed sequentially by target position (57 ms after movement onset) and movement distance (248 ms after movement onset). Some overlap in the timing of the correlation of these parameters was evident. We found a similar sequential ordering for the latency of the peak of the R2 curves (48, 254, and 515 ms after movement onset, respectively, for direction, target position, and distance). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Motor-Cortical Interaction in Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome

Background In Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) increased activation of the primary motor cortex (M1) before and during movement execution followed by increased inhibition after movement termination was reported. The present study aimed at investigating, whether this activation pattern is due to altered functional interaction between motor cortical areas. Methodology/Principal Findings 10 GTS-patients and 10 control subjects performed a self-paced finger movement task while neuromagnetic brain activity was recorded using Magnetoencephalography (MEG). Cerebro-cerebral coherence as a measure of functional interaction was calculated. During movement preparation and execution coherence between contralateral M1 and supplementary motor area (SMA) was significantly increased at beta-frequency in GTS-patients. After movement termination no significant differences between groups were evident. Conclusions/Significance The present data suggest that increased M1 activation in GTS-patients might be due to increased functional interaction between SMA and M1 most likely reflecting a pathophysiological marker of GTS. The data extend previous findings of motor-cortical alterations in GTS by showing that local activation changes are associated with alterations of functional networks between premotor and primary motor areas. Interestingly enough, alterations were evident during preparation and execution of voluntary movements, which implies a general theme of increased motor-cortical interaction in GTS.
Características del comportamiento agresivo en las parejas de los adolescentes españoles

This study examined dating violence in a sample of high school students to determine some of the main characteristics of this problem. An incidental sample of 601 adolescents (42% men and 58% women) was surveyed in Salamanca (Spain); participants were between 15 and 19 years old and were either involved in a romantic relationship (44.4% of the sample) or had had at least one serious relationship in the previous 12 months (55.6%), in both cases with a minimum length of one month. Analyses focused on comparing male and female reports Estudio financiado por el Vicerrectorado de Investigación de la Universidad de Salamanca (Proyecto I+D USAL2008A-03). Correspondencia: Andrés Fernández, Departamento de Educación, Universidad de Cantabria, 39006 Santander (España). E-mail: andres.fernandez@unican.es 502 Fernández-Fuertes, Orgaz y Fuertes of both perpetration and victimization in current dating relationships. The results indicated that the use of abusive behaviours, especially verbal-emotional abuse, is prevalent in Spain. Consistent with previous studies, adolescent boys reported higher perpetration levels of sexual abuse than female did, and adolescent girls reported higher perpetration levels of verbal-emotional aggression than males; there were no differences in self-reports of physical abuse. The implications of findings for future research are discussed.
Behavioural responses of naked mole rats to acute hypoxia and anoxia

Naked mole rats (NMRs) are among the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals. Other species respond to hypoxia by either escaping the hypoxic environment or drastically decreasing behavioural activity and body temperature (Tb) to conserve energy. However, NMRs rarely leave their underground burrows, which are putatively hypoxic and thermally stable near the NMRs' preferred Tb. Therefore, we asked whether NMRs are able to employ behavioural and thermoregulatory strategies in response to hypoxia despite their need to remain active and the minimal thermal scope in their burrows. We exposed NMRs to progressively deeper levels of hypoxia (from 21 to 0% O2) while measuring their behaviour and Tb. Behavioural activity decreased 40–60% in hypoxia and Tb decreased slightly in moderate hypoxia (5–9%) and then further with deeper hypoxia (3% O2). However, even at 3% O2 NMRs remained somewhat active and warm, and continued to explore their environment. Remarkably, NMRs were active for greater than 90 s in acute anoxia and Tb and metabolic rate decreased rapidly. We conclude that NMRs are adapted to remain awake and functional even at the extremes of their hypoxia-tolerance. This adaptation likely reflects variable and challenging levels of environmental hypoxia in the natural habitat of this species.