Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting performance of a face recognition system based on image quality

In this dissertation, we present a generative model to capture the relation between facial image quality features (like pose, illumination direction, etc) and face recognition performance. Such a model can be used to predict the performance of a face recognition system. Since the model is based solely on image quality features, performance predictions can be done even before the actual recognition has taken place thereby facilitating many preemptive action. A practical limitation of such a data driven generative model is the limited nature of training data set. To address this limitation, we have developed a Bayesian approach to model the distribution of recognition performance measure based on the number of match and non-match scores in small regions of the image quality space. Random samples drawn from these models provide the initial data essential for training the generative model. Many automatic face recognition systems use automatically detected eye coordinates for facial image registration. We investigate the influence of automatic eye detection error on the performance of face recognition systems. This study helps us understand how image quality variations can amplify its influence on recognition performance by having dual impact on both facial image registration and facial feature extraction/comparison stages of a face recognition system. A forensic case involving face recognition commonly contains a surveillance view trace (usually a frame from CCTV footage) and a frontal suspect reference set containing facial images of suspects narrowed down by police and forensic investigation. In such forensic cases, we investigate if it is potentially more useful to apply a view based approach which involves adapting the frontal view reference set such that it matches the pose of the surveillance view trace.
Fecundity and gonado-somatic index of wild freshwater spiny eel Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepede) from Kishoreganj region of Bangladesh

Fecundity and gonado-somatic index (GSI) of wild freshwater spiny eel Mastacembelus armatus were estimated from haor region of Kishoreganj district of Bangladesh. Estimated fecundity ranged from 2,235 to 19,493 for the fish measuring from 25 to 54 cm and weighing from 79 to 345 g. The minimum, median and maximum ova diameter was 0.20, 1.90 and 2.20 mm, respectively. The average numbers of ova present per g body weight were 45.41±8.85, 46.93±15.00 and 47.52±8.32 while the average numbers of ova present per g ovary were 369.64±40.66, 351.29±30.90 and 328.36±33.00 in the months of April, May and June, respectively. Maximum GSI for female spiny eel was 14.40±1.48 in the month of June and the minimum GSI for the same sex was 0.44±0.06 in September. The regression of fecundity on total length, body weight and gonad weight of female spiny eels were Log F = -0.875 + 2.957 × Log TL (r = 0.874), Log F = 0.630 + 1.461 × Log BW (r = 0.917) and Log F = 2.425 + 1.087 × Log GW (r = 0.977), respectively. Fecundity-gonad weight gave a better relationship when compared to fecundity-body weight and fecundity-total length relationship.
Phrase-based Image Captioning with Hierarchical LSTM Model

Automatic generation of caption to describe the content of an image has been gaining a lot of research interests recently, where most of the existing works treat the image caption as pure sequential data. Natural language, however possess a temporal hierarchy structure, with complex dependencies between each subsequence. In this paper, we propose a phrase-based hierarchical Long Short-Term Memory (phi-LSTM) model to generate image description. In contrast to the conventional solutions that generate caption in a pure sequential manner, our proposed model decodes image caption from phrase to sentence. It consists of a phrase decoder at the bottom hierarchy to decode noun phrases of variable length, and an abbreviated sentence decoder at the upper hierarchy to decode an abbreviated form of the image description. A complete image caption is formed by combining the generated phrases with sentence during the inference stage. Empirically, our proposed model shows a better or competitive result on the Flickr8k, Flickr30k and MS-COCO datasets in comparison to the state-of-the art models. We also show that our proposed model is able to generate more novel captions (not seen in the training data) which are richer in word contents in all these three datasets.
Assessment of salivary flow rate and salivary pH in subjects with smoking and smokeless form of tobacco habits

Habitual “psychoactive substance (PS) use” is defined as the repeated use of PS, despite the knowledge of its negative health consequences. [1] Some of the readily available PSs are alcohol, tobacco, and arecanut. [2] Tobacco, either as smoked or smokeless form, is one of the most commonly used PS. [3] Smoked tobacco forms are cigarettes, cigars, and loose tobacco in pipes or handmade beedies. [4] Smokeless form of tobacco is available as unflavored tobacco, traditional betel quid, and flavored forms, such as Khaini, Zarda, Mishri, and Datun, or is available in combination with arecanut such as Gutkha and mawa. [4,5] Whether usage of smoked or smokeless tobacco forms have systemic as well as locoregional effects. [6] In oral cavity, saliva is the first biological fluid that gets exposed to the toxic chemicals present in tobacco or arecanut. [5,7] Saliva is a complex secretion of the oral cavity, wherein 93% of volume is secreted by the major salivary glands and remaining 7% is secreted by minor glands. [8] Saliva is composed of 99% of water, 1% of organic and inorganic molecules, and various antibacterial substances. Saliva plays a significant role in maintaining homeostasis of the oral cavity. [8,9] Daily secretion of saliva ranges from 0.75 to 1.5 L/day. Unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (SFR) is about 0.3–0.5 ml/min. The normal pH of saliva ranges from 6.7 to 7.3. The buffering capacity of saliva is an important factor and it usually correlates with flow rate, decrease in the flow rate tends to decrease buffering capacity thereby decreasing the salivary pH (acidic), making the oral mucosa and dental structures more vulnerable to changes,[10] and thus the quantity and quality of saliva are important in maintaining the integrity of oral health. [11] Reduction in the quantity of saliva is known as hyposalivation or xerostomia. Xerostomia is the perceived feeling of dry mouth which may or may not be associated with salivary gland hypofunction. It is subjective and can be measured by means of questionnaires. On the other hand, hyposalivation is a demonstrable reduction in SFR that can be measured objectively by collecting saliva over a specified period of time. Assessment of
Menstrual and reproductive factors and gastric cancer risk in a large prospective study of women

Background: Gastric cancer incidence rates are consistently lower in women than men in both high and low-risk regions worldwide. Sex hormones, such as progesterone and estrogen, may protect women against gastric cancer. Objective: To investigate the association of menstrual and reproductive factors and gastric cancer risk. Methods: These associations were prospectively investigated in 73 442 Shanghai women. After 419 260 person-years of follow-up, 154 women were diagnosed with gastric cancer. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, body mass index, education, income, and cigarette use. Results: No associations were observed between gastric cancer risk and age of menarche, number of children, breast feeding, or oral contraceptive use. In contrast, associations were observed with age of menopause (HR 0.80 per five-year increase in menopausal age, 95% CI 0.66–0.97), years of fertility (participants with less than 30 years of fertility were at increased risk compared with those with 30–36 years of fertility, HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.25–2.90), years since menopause (HR 1.26 per five years, 95% CI 1.03–1.53), and intrauterine device use (HR for users 1.61, 95% CI 1.08–2.39). Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that female hormones play a protective role in gastric cancer risk.
Analysis of the operator splitting scheme for the Cahn‐Hilliard equation with a viscosity term

In this paper, we consider a second‐order fast explicit operator splitting method for the viscous Cahn‐Hilliard equation, which includes a viscosity term αΔut (α ∈ (0, 1)) described the influences of internal micro‐forces. The choice α = 0 corresponds to the classical Cahn‐Hilliard equation whilst the choice α = 1 recovers the nonlocal Allen‐Cahn equation. The fundamental idea of our method is to split the original problem into linear and nonlinear parts. The linear subproblem is numerically solved using a pseudo‐spectral method, and thus an ordinary differential equation is obtained. The nonlinear one is solved via TVD‐RK method. The stability and convergence are discussed in L2‐norm. Numerical experiments are performed to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. Besides, a detailed comparison is made for the dynamics and the coarsening process of the metastable pattern for various values of α. Moreover, energy degradation and mass conservation are also verified.
Nominations for Sale

Models of nomination politics in the USA often find ‘gridlock’ in equilibrium because of the supermajority requirement in the Senate for the confirmation of presidential nominees. A blocking coalition often prefers to defeat any nominee. Yet empirically nominations are successful. In the present article we explore the possibility that senators can be induced to vote contrary to their nominal (gridlock-producing) preferences through contributions from the president and/or lobbyists, thus breaking the gridlock and confirming the nominee. We model contributions by the president and lobbyists according to whether payment schedules are conditioned on the entire voting profile, the vote of a senator, or the outcome. We analyze several extensions to our baseline approach, including the possibility that lobbyists may find it more productive to offer inducements to the president in order to affect his proposal behavior, rather than trying to induce senators to vote for or against a given nominee.
Bodyweight Assessment of Enamelin Null Mice

The Enam null mice appear to be smaller than wild-type mice, which prompted the hypothesis that enamel defects negatively influence nutritional intake and bodyweight gain (BWG). We compared the BWG of Enam−/− and wild-type mice from birth (D0) to Day 42 (D42). Wild-type (WT) and Enam−/− (N) mice were given either hard chow (HC) or soft chow (SC). Four experimental groups were studied: WTHC, WTSC, NHC, and NSC. The mother's bodyweight (DBW) and the average litter bodyweight (ALBW) were obtained from D0 to D21. After D21, the pups were separated from the mother and provided the same type of food. Litter bodyweights were measured until D42. ALBW was compared at 7-day intervals using one-way ANOVA, while the influence of DBW on ALBW was analyzed by mixed-model analyses. The ALBW of Enam−/− mice maintained on hard chow (NHC) was significantly lower than the two WT groups at D21 and the differences persisted into young adulthood. The ALBW of Enam−/− mice maintained on soft chow (NSC) trended lower, but was not significantly different than that of the WT groups. We conclude that genotype, which affects enamel integrity, and food hardness influence bodyweight gain in postnatal and young adult mice.
Hybrid RF and Digital Beamformer for Cellular Networks: Algorithms, Microwave Architectures, and Measurements

Modern wireless communication networks, particularly the upcoming cellular networks, utilize multiple antennas to improve capacity and signal coverage. In these systems, typically an active transceiver is connected to each antenna. However, this one-to-one mapping between transceivers and antennas will dramatically increase the cost and complexity of a large phased antenna array system. In this paper, firstly we propose a digitally steerable beamformer architecture where a reduced number of transceivers with a digital beamformer (DBF) is connected to an increased number of antennas through an RF beamforming network (RFBN). Then, based on the proposed architecture, we present a methodology to derive the minimum number of transceivers that are required for macro-cell and small-cell base stations. Subsequently, in order to achieve optimal beam patterns with given cellular standard requirements and RF operational constraints, we propose efficient algorithms to jointly design DBF and RFBN. Starting from the proposed algorithms, we specify generic microwave RFBNs for optimal macro-cell and small-cell networks. In order to verify the proposed approaches, we compare the performance of RFBN using simulations and anechoic chamber measurements. Experimental measurement results confirm the robustness and performance of the proposed hybrid DBF-RFBN concept ensuring that theoretical multi-antenna capacity and coverage are achieved at a little incremental cost.
The Voice of the Patient Patient-reported outcomes in respiratory allergic disease , with special focus on health-related quality of life

Allergic diseases, which constitute a global health problem, have been defined as one of the epidemics of the twenty-first century. Since there are no cures for allergic diseases today, the goal of treatment is to get the disease under control so that the patient can live a normal life with optimal chances of development. Patient-reported outcomes for control assessment have been a focus of attention since no laboratory test or physical examination can do this alone in a reliable manner. The aim of this thesis was to develop patient-reported outcomes (PRO) for clinical evaluation in regard to respiratory allergic disease. Two PROs were validated. The first questionnaire was a disease-specific, healthrelated quality of life questionnaire that had been developed in England for children with multiple allergic diseases. The questionnaire was translated into Swedish and validated for children with a grass pollen allergy. The second instrument is a novel tool for asthma assessment in primary care developed with the goal of structuring asthma review in primary care. The result showed that it can be useful for assessing asthma control as well. The burden of allergic disease was assessed in children with a grass pollen allergy during pollen season. The result showed that the health-related quality of life was impaired and that the patients were affected both physically and mentally. We also propose new limits for pollen prognosis that would be easy for children to understand, in this case presented as a traffic light model with green, yellow and red lights. In conclusion, this thesis shows that respiratory allergies can affect the health-related quality of life. We believe, since the goal of our treatment is to improve the patient's daily life, that PRO measurements can be helpful both in research and in clinical practice.
Modeling the degradation kinetics of ascorbic acid

ABSTRACT Most published reports on ascorbic acid (AA) degradation during food storage and heat preservation suggest that it follows first-order kinetics. Deviations from this pattern include Weibullian decay, and exponential drop approaching finite nonzero retention. Almost invariably, the degradation rate constant's temperature-dependence followed the Arrhenius equation, and hence the simpler exponential model too. A formula and freely downloadable interactive Wolfram Demonstration to convert the Arrhenius model's energy of activation, Ea, to the exponential model's c parameter, or vice versa, are provided. The AA's isothermal and non-isothermal degradation can be simulated with freely downloadable interactive Wolfram Demonstrations in which the model's parameters can be entered and modified by moving sliders on the screen. Where the degradation is known a priori to follow first or other fixed order kinetics, one can use the endpoints method, and in principle the successive points method too, to estimate the reaction's kinetic parameters from considerably fewer AA concentration determinations than in the traditional manner. Freeware to do the calculations by either method has been recently made available on the Internet. Once obtained in this way, the kinetic parameters can be used to reconstruct the entire degradation curves and predict those at different temperature profiles, isothermal or dynamic. Comparison of the predicted concentration ratios with experimental ones offers a way to validate or refute the kinetic model and the assumptions on which it is based.
Treatment protocols to reduce renal injury during shock wave lithotripsy

Purpose of review Growing concern over the acute and long-term adverse effects associated with shock wave lithotripsy calls for treatment strategies to reduce renal injury and improve the efficiency of stone breakage in shock wave lithotripsy. Recent findings Experimental studies in the pig model show that lithotripter settings for power and shock wave rate and the sequence of shock wave delivery can be used to reduce trauma to the kidney. Step-wise power ramping as is often used to acclimate the patient to shock waves causes less tissue trauma when the initial dose is followed by a brief (3–4 min) pause in shock wave delivery. Slowing the firing rate of the lithotripter to 60 shock waves/min or slower is also effective in reducing renal injury and has the added benefit of improving stone breakage outcomes. Neither strategy to reduce renal injury – not power ramping with ‘pause-protection’ nor delivering shock waves at reduced shock wave rate – have been tested in clinical trials. Summary Technique in lithotripsy is critically important, and it is encouraging that simple, practical steps can be taken to improve the safety and efficacy of shock wave lithotripsy.
Reversible and Rapid Transfer-RNA Deactivation as a Mechanism of Translational Repression in Stress

Stress-induced changes of gene expression are crucial for survival of eukaryotic cells. Regulation at the level of translation provides the necessary plasticity for immediate changes of cellular activities and protein levels. In this study, we demonstrate that exposure to oxidative stress results in a quick repression of translation by deactivation of the aminoacyl-ends of all transfer-RNA (tRNA). An oxidative-stress activated nuclease, angiogenin, cleaves first within the conserved single-stranded 3′-CCA termini of all tRNAs, thereby blocking their use in translation. This CCA deactivation is reversible and quickly repairable by the CCA-adding enzyme [ATP(CTP):tRNA nucleotidyltransferase]. Through this mechanism the eukaryotic cell dynamically represses and reactivates translation at low metabolic costs.
Design and development of thiolated graphene oxide nanosheets for brain tumor targeting

Abstract The present investigation emphasizes on synthesis and characterization of thiol functionalized reduced graphene oxide (TrGO) as a novel platform for loading of anticancer drug methotrexate (TrGO-MTX), through amide bonding. Thiolation of graphene oxide (GO) was achieved by transesterification process. The introduction of sulfur containing chemical groups and the partial reduction of GO to TrGO were proven by analytical techniques. Thiol content was found to be 6.98 mM by Ellman’s method in a quantitative manner. Furthermore, antineoplastic action of TrGO-MTX against human glioblastoma astrocytom U-373 MG cell line was studied, wherein TrGO-MTX demonstrated significant inhibition rate as compared with pure MTX. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Throughput comparison of wireless downlink transmission schemes with multiple antennas

This paper considers wireless downlink transmission when multiple antennas are employed at both the base station (BS) and the mobile terminals. Assorted dynamic transmission schemes based on TDMA and SDMA are described and their associated system throughput limits are compared, under different assumptions on the availability of channel side information (CSI) at the BS. The trade-off between scheme complexity and system throughout is discussed.
Developmental plasticity of the rubrospinal tract in the North American opossum

We have shown previously that rubral axons can grow caudal to a lesion of their pathway at thoracic levels of the spinal cord in the developing opossum, Didelphis virginiana. In the present report we expand on that observation and present evidence which suggests that the critical period for plasticity of the rubrospinal tract ends earlier at cervical than at thoracic levels. In addition, we show that most rubrospinal neurons die as a result of axotomy during early stages of the critical period. The opossum was chosen for study because the development of its rubrospinal tract occurs after birth.
Octreoscan in patients with bronchial carcinoid tumours

objectives Scintigraphy with radiolabelled octreotide (octreoscan) is useful for imaging various neuroendocrine tumours, especially in patients with midgut carcinoids. We were interested in estimating the efficacy of octreoscan for detection of the primary tumour and metastases in patients with bronchial carcinoids.
Neurospora Strains Harboring Mitochondrial Disease-Associated Mutations in Iron-Sulfur Subunits of Complex I

We subjected the genes encoding the 19.3-, 21.3c-, and 51-kDa iron-sulfur subunits of respiratory chain complex I from Neurospora crassa to site-directed mutagenesis to mimic mutations in human complex I subunits associated with mitochondrial diseases. The V135M substitution was introduced into the 19.3-kDa cDNA, the P88L and R111H substitutions were separately introduced into the 21.3c-kDa cDNA, and the A353V and T435M alterations were separately introduced into the 51-kDa cDNA. The altered cDNAs were expressed in the corresponding null-mutants under the control of a heterologous promoter. With the exception of the A353V polypeptide, all mutated subunits were able to promote assembly of a functional complex I, rescuing the phenotypes of the respective null-mutants. Complex I from these strains displays spectroscopic and enzymatic properties similar to those observed in the wild-type strain. A decrease in total complex I amounts may be the major impact of the mutations, although expression levels of mutant genes from the heterologous promoter were sometimes lower and may also account for complex I levels. We discuss these findings in relation to the involvement of complex I deficiencies in mitochondrial disease.
Nonlinear Hierarchical Part-Based Regression for Unconstrained Face Alignment

Non-linear regression is a fundamental and yet under-developing methodology in solving many problems in Artificial Intelligence. The canonical control and predictions mostly utilize linear models or multi-linear models. However, due to the high non-linearity of the systems, those linear prediction models cannot fully cover the complexity of the problems. In this paper, we propose a robust two-stage hierarchical regression approach, to solve a popular Human-Computer Interaction, the unconstrained face-in-the-wild keypoint detection problem for computers. The environment is the still images, videos and live camera streams from machine vision. We firstly propose a holistic regression model to initialize the face fiducial points under different head pose assumptions. Second, to reduce local shape variance, a hierarchical part-based regression method is further proposed to refine the global regression output. Experiments on several challenging faces-in-the-wild datasets demonstrate the consistently better accuracy of our method, when compared to the state-of-the-art.