Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feature Tracking and Motion Classification Using a Switchable Model Kalman Filter

In order to successfully track moving objects it is necessary to understand their motion. Such motion will inevitably change with time, thus attempting to fit the same model all of the time is inappropriate. An evaluation of the single model Kalman filter described in this paper demonstrates this. A maximum model coverage technique, however, would provide a intractable solution because of the exponentially increasing number of models required. We present a solution which uses a finite set of models all making predictions on the data. One model is selected from the set on the basis that it best accounts for the data. A Kalman filter is then used to refine this model whilst it is appropriate. The remaining models continue to make predictions and at any time the filtered model may be replaced by one that more accurately describes the data. Experimental results demonstrate the improvement the switchable model Kalman filter provides over the single model Kalman filter. Problems using the chi-squared metric for model selection are discussed and a more appropriate metric, the Bhattacharyya integral, introduced. The desired properties of this integral are exposed via its analytic solution. It is believed that the statistical methods underlying this work may also have applications in other system identification problems.
Existing Motor State Is Favored at the Expense of New Movement during 13-35 Hz Oscillatory Synchrony in the Human Corticospinal System

Oscillations in local field potentials in the β-frequency band (13-35 Hz) are a pervasive feature of human and nonhuman primate motor cortical areas. However, the function of such synchronous activity across populations of neurons remains unknown. Here, we test the hypothesis that β activity may promote existing motor set and posture while compromising processing related to new movements. Three experiments were performed. First, healthy subjects were instructed to make reaction time movements of the outstretched index finger in response to imperative cues triggered by transient increases in corticospinal synchrony, as evidenced by phasic elevations of β-frequency band microtremor and intermuscular synchrony. Second, healthy subjects were instructed to resist a stretch to the index finger triggered in the same way. Finger acceleration in the reaction time task and transcortical components of the stretch reflex were measured and compared with those elicited by random cue or stretch presentation. Finally, we sought a correlation between finger acceleration in the reaction time task and cortical synchrony directly measured from the electrocorticogram in two patients undergoing functional neurosurgery. We demonstrate that movements are slowed and transcortical responses to stretch are potentiated during periods of elevated β-band cortical synchrony. The results suggest that physiological periods of β synchrony are associated with a cortical state in which postural set is reinforced, but the speed of new movements impaired. The findings are of relevance to Parkinson's disease, in which subcortical and cortical β-band synchronization is exaggerated in the setting of increased tone and slowed movements.
Antitumor Effects of Laminaria Extract Fucoxanthin on Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type. Marine plants provide rich resources for anticancer drug discovery. Fucoxanthin (FX), a Laminaria japonica extract, has attracted great research interest for its antitumor activities. Accumulating evidence suggests anti-proliferative effects of FX on many cancer cell lines including NSCLCs, but the detailed mechanisms remain unclear. In the present investigation, we confirmed molecular mechanisms and in vivo anti-lung cancer effect of FX at the first time. Flow cytometry, real-time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry revealed that FX arrested cell cycle and induced apoptosis by modulating expression of p53, p21, Fas, PUMA, Bcl-2 and caspase-3/8. These results show that FX is a potent marine drug for human non-small-cell lung cancer treatment.
Centriole Disassembly In Vivo and Its Effect on Centrosome Structure and Function in Vertebrate Cells

Glutamylation is the major posttranslational modification of neuronal and axonemal tubulin and is restricted predominantly to centrioles in nonneuronal cells (Bobinnec, Y., M. Moudjou, J.P. Fouquet, E. Desbruyères, B. Eddé, and M. Bornens. 1998. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 39:223–232). To investigate a possible relationship between the exceptional stability of centriole microtubules and the compartmentalization of glutamylated isoforms, we loaded HeLa cells with the monoclonal antibody GT335, which specifically reacts with polyglutamylated tubulin. The total disappearance of the centriole pair was observed after 12 h, as judged both by immunofluorescence labeling with specific antibodies and electron microscopic observation of cells after complete thick serial sectioning. Strikingly, we also observed a scattering of the pericentriolar material (PCM) within the cytoplasm and a parallel disappearance of the centrosome as a defined organelle. However, centriole disappearance was transient, as centrioles and discrete centrosomes ultimately reappeared in the cell population. During the acentriolar period, a large proportion of monopolar half-spindles or of bipolar spindles with abnormal distribution of PCM and NuMA were observed. However, as judged by a quasinormal increase in cell number, these cells likely were not blocked in mitosis. Our results suggest that a posttranslational modification of tubulin is critical for long-term stability of centriolar microtubules. They further demonstrate that in animal cells, centrioles are instrumental in organizing centrosomal components into a structurally stable organelle.
Computation of 3D weld pool surface from the slope field and point tracking of laser beams

A novel computation method of the 3D weld pool surface from specular reflection of laser beams is presented in this paper. The mathematical model for the three-dimensional surface measurement technique has been developed. The structured pattern of a laser is projected on the weld pool in a molten state and the reflection observed using a CCD camera. These reflected patterns can be tracked using image processing techniques including optical flow and moving point tracking. A simulation model has been developed implementing these techniques. The movement of the reflected laser during the welding process is indicative of the change in state of the weld pool. The surface slope field is calculated from the law of reflection and is used to compute the 3D surface of the weld pool. The measurement technique is tested on objects with a priori knowledge of geometry having a specular surface to test the effectiveness of the measurement technique.
Efficient visual sensor coverage algorithm in Wireless Visual Sensor Networks

Traditional Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) transmits the scalar data (e.g., temperature, irradiation) to the sink node. A new Wireless Visual Sensor Network (WVSN) that can transmit images is a more promising solution than the WSN on sensing, detecting and monitoring the environment to enhance awareness of the cyber, physical, and social contexts of our daily activities. Sensor coverage in WVSN is more challenging than in WSN due to besides the sensing range coverage, the Field of View (FoV) should also be considered in deploying the sensors. In this paper, we study the sensor coverage problem in WVSN. We first propose the mathematical model to formulate the sensor coverage problem in WVSN. We devise a heuristic algorithm (FoVIC) algorithm to tackle this sensor coverage problem in WVSN. The basic idea of FoVIC algorithm is to deploy a sensor one at a time that can cover the largest number of uncovered nodes and then the algorithm checks for any sensor deployed in the earlier stage that could be removed. From the computational experiments, they show that larger span angle could help the sensors to cover more nodes in bigger grid size and fewer sensors will be need in smaller grid size when in fixed sensing range and span angle.
Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Airway Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background. Airway inflammation and oxidative stress may be linked in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. We determined the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in reducing fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in OSA patients. Methods. Thirteen patients with OSA and 13 normal controls were recruited. FeNO and MDA levels were measured in the controls and in OSA patients before and after three months of CPAP therapy. Results. FeNO and MDA levels were higher in the patients compared to the age and gender matched controls (FeNO: 25.9 ± 5.0 versus 17.5 ± 5.9 ppb, P < 0.001; MDA: 14.6 ± 7.8 versus 2.1 ± 0.3 μmol/L, P < 0.001). FeNO and MDA levels were lower post-CPAP compared to pre-CPAP (FeNO: 25.9 ± 5.0 versus 17.0 ± 2.3 ppb, P < 0.001; MDA: 14.6 ± 7.8 versus 10.0 ± 6.4 μmol/L, P < 0.01). Apnea-hypopnea index (15.9 ± 6.6 versus 4.1 ± 2.1/h, P < 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (P < 0.01) decreased following CPAP treatment. Daytime mean SpO2 (P < 0.05) increased. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates that CPAP therapy yields clinical benefits by reducing upper airway inflammation and oxidative stress in OSA patients.
Development and Validation of A New Tool for Assessing Risk of Falls in Acute Psychiatric Settings

Background: Falls in hospitals are a global problem, due to their frequency and the consequences for the person, the operators, the organization. The literature shows that patients suffering from mental disorders, especially inacute settings, have specific characteristics that increase their risk. Two scales are available in literature for these patients, but one is not fully validated, and the other has unsatisfactory predictive validity. Furthermore, no tools exist in Italian. Aim: To create and validate a tool, in English and in Italian, to assess risk to fall in patients hospitalized acute psychiatric settings. Materials and Methods: upon literature review, a new scale was created and administered to the patients of two psychiatric services in different Italian hospitals. Validity and reliability of the scale were assessed by means of factor analysis, content validity index, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Results: The scale consists of 11 items (CVI-S = 90.9%); 7 clinical experts have positively judged comprehensibility and the uniqueness of the items. 123 patients were screened (at admission, and after 24 and 48 hours), 10 of them reported falls; with a cut-off of 11 points, the scale showed 100% sensitivity and 80.2% specificity. Inter-rater reliability was high (Pearson's r = 0.93). Conclusions: the new scale seems easy to use and capable of predicting falls in psychiatric patients admitted to acute hospital units.
Evidence that neurites in human epiretinal membranes express melanopsin, calretinin, rod opsin and neurofilament protein

Aims We have previously identified neurofilament-protein-containing neurites in human epiretinal membranes (ERMs). The aim of this study was to further characterise these neurites by examining the expression of additional specific proteins in human ERMs and to correlate this expression with various retinal disease conditions. Methods Epiretinal membranes originating from 43 patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) or with no known pathology (idiopathic epiretinal membrane; iERM) were removed during vitrectomy at varying durations after diagnosis and immediately placed in fixative. The membranes were labelled immunohistochemically with different combinations of antibodies to the proteins melanopsin, calretinin and neurofilament (to identify subclasses of ganglion cells), rod opsin (to identify rod photoreceptors), synaptophysin and synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2) (identifies synaptic vesicles) and vimentin (identifies glial cells). Results Anti-melanopsin-, anti-calretinin-, anti-neurofilament- and anti-rod-opsin-labelled neurites were routinely observed in the epiretinal membranes. Their presence did not appear to correlate with a specific disease condition or duration of the membrane. Generally neurites were observed in regions of glial cells. Conclusions Based on the expression of selected markers for neurites, we show neurite processes in human ERMs of various aetiologies originating from rod photoreceptors and different populations of retinal ganglion cells, although there was no obvious correlation with specific disease condition. In addition, synaptophysin and SV2 labelling was observed associated with all types of neurites, indicating the presence of at least one component necessary for synaptic transmission. Our data suggest that the adult human retina retains a significant capacity for neuronal remodelling under various disease conditions.
Display and referential questions: Effects on student responses

It has been claimed by several researchers, (notably Gass, 1997; Long, 1996; Pica, 1994; Swain, 1995) that, according to the interaction hypothesis of second language acquisition, negotiated interaction facilitates SLA. Swain (1995) coined the output hypothesis, which suggests that pushed output encourages fluency, gap-noticing, and hypothesis testing while controlling and internalizing linguistic knowledge. The current study focuses on display and referential questions in relation to quantity of output, and examines this with regard to researchers’ claims about SLA benefits. The output of fifty-two Japanese adult EFL learners was recorded during a communicative activity that used display and referential questions to elicit description. The output was then analysed quantitatively using units of length and complexity (Brock, 1986; Chaudron, 1988) to examine if question type affected output; and instances of pushed output negotiation for meaning were also investigated. A qualitative exploration of students’ reflections on their output for the two question types showed common perceived differences and insights into links with motivation. This study indicates that, overall, referential questions in the interactive context of a communicative classroom may be beneficial in promoting enhanced student output, negotiation and SLA.
The effects of temperature on flight muscle potentials in honeybees and cuculiinid winter moths

Amplitudes of extracellular action potentials in indirect flight muscles of honeybees and cuculiinid winter moths decline with decreasing muscle temperatures and fall suddenly to zero. Action potential durations increase with amplitude decline. Amplitudes at 11°C are only 20% of values near 30°C in workers of Apis mellifera mellifera . They fall to zero at approx. 10°C. In the cuculiinid winter moth Eupsilia devia , amplitudes at 1°C are approx. 12% of values at 27°C. They fall to zero between 0 and 1°C. The duration of action potentials in bees and cuculiinid winter moths is about 7 ms at 27°C and increases to 52 ms at 11°C in bees and to 66 ms at 1°C in moths. The ratios of action potential rise time to fall time are about 1 at 27°C for bees and moths. They decrease to 0.45 at 11°C in bees and to 0.56 at 1°C in moths. Results suggest that bees can heat flight muscles only if muscle temperatures are above 10°C, whereas cuculiinid winter moths can shiver with muscle temperatures near 0°C.
Low Temperature Results for the Heisenberg XXZ and XY Models

This thesis contains two results for the low temperature behavior of quantum spin systems. First, we present a lower bound for the spin-1 XXZ chain in finite volumes in terms of the gap of the two-site Hamiltonian. The estimate is derived by a method developed by Nachtergaele in (cond-mat/9410110) called the Martingale Method. Our bound relies on an assumption which we have, as yet, been unable to verify analytically in all cases. We present numerical evidence that strongly indicates our assumption is valid. The second result is a proof that the spin-1/2, d-dimensional XY model in the presence of an external magnetic field does not undergo a phase transition at low temperature, provided that the strength of the field is great enough. Using a contour expansion inspired by Kennedy, we show that the weights of contours satisfy a condition of Kotecky and Preiss which allows us to express the free energy of the system as a cluster expansion. As part of the setup we give a simple proof that the all-spin-up state is the unique ground state when the external magnetic field has strength at least 2d.
Modeling Expected Loss

This paper develops a methodology for modeling and estimating expected loss over arbitrary horizons. We jointly model the probability of default and the recovery rate given default. Difierent model speciflcations are estimated using an extensive default and recovery data set that contains the majority of defaults between 1980{2004 of AMEX, NYSE and NASDAQ listed companies. We undertake extensive out-of-sample performance tests for both the default prediction models and recovery rate given default models. Under the joint model speciflcation, we flnd that the probability of default and the recovery rate given default are negatively correlated out-of-sample, and that the magnitude of the correlation varies with the credit cycle. We also compare the accuracy of the out-of-sample one year ahead default predictions using quarterly and annual data.
Student teachers’ appraisal of the importance of assessment in teacher education and self-reports on the development of assessment competence

Abstract Competence in assessment has been identified as a key feature in teachers’ professional success. However, assessment competence is a complex field, comprising capacity in both summative and formative assessment. Hence, a detailed view on how student teachers perceive assessment is the focus of this study. Based on an official catalogue of assessment standards, over 900 student teachers repeatedly rated the importance of the standards and the frequency with which they behaved in accordance with the standards in practicum situations. Analyses revealed that (a) students perceived assessment competence as a contextual entity distinguishable from other domains, (b) while they assigned high importance ratings to assessment standards in general, standards concerned specifically with external evaluation were seen as relatively unimportant, and (c) they perceived a rise in their own assessment competence during their teacher education. Taken together, this suggests that in the student view assessment competence is important and develops over time.
Employer Size Effects in Russia

As early as 1911, Henry L. Moore documented that the wages of female textile workers in Italy were higher in larger establishments. In the last thirty years a large number of studies have demonstrated the presence of employer size-wage effects (at both the plant and firm level) in numerous different countries and across different time periods. This paper analyzes the labor market effects of employer size in Russia during the years 1994-98. Using the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, a four year nationally representative panel of the Russian population, I investigate the relationship between enterprise size and the characteristics of employees, wage levels and wage growth, on-the-job training, tenure and turnover. My findings indicate that employer size effects in Russia exhibit similar characteristics to those observed in the U.S. and a variety of other countries.
A Novel Molecular Signature Identified by Systems Genetics Approach Predicts Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Molecular methods for predicting prognosis in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are urgently needed, considering its high recurrence rate and tendency for metastasis. The present study investigated the genetic basis of variations in gene expression associated with poor prognosis in OSCC using Affymetrix SNP 6.0 and Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST arrays. We identified recurrent DNA amplifications scattered from 8q22.2 to 8q24.3 in 112 OSCC specimens. These amplicons demonstrated significant associations with increased incidence of extracapsular spread, development of second primary malignancies, and poor survival. Fluorescence in situ hybridization, in a validation panel consisting of 295 cases, confirmed these associations. Assessment of the effects of copy number variations (CNVs) on genome-wide variations in gene expression identified a total of 85 CNV-associated transcripts enriched in the MYC-centered regulatory network. Twenty-four transcripts associated with increased risk of second primary malignancies, tumor relapse, and poor survival. Besides MYC itself, a novel dysregulated MYC module plays a key role in OSCC carcinogenesis. This study identified a candidate molecular signature associated with poor prognosis in OSCC patients, which may ultimately facilitate patient-tailored selection of therapeutic strategies.
Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis for Molecular Typing of Shigella sonnei

ABSTRACT A multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) method was developed and evaluated for the subtyping of Shigella sonnei isolates. A total of 26 VNTR loci were identified by exploring the repeat sequence loci in the genomic sequences of S. sonnei strains Ss046 and 53G and by testing 536 isolates that had previously been characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The discriminatory power of MLVA (Simpson's index of diversity [D], 0.9524; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9373 to 0.9564) for the 536 isolates was significantly higher than that of PFGE (D, 0.8882; CI, 0.8667 to 0.9097). MLVA typing with the four and eight most variable loci had D values of 0.9468 and 0.9481, respectively, results approaching that of 26 loci. The usefulness of MLVA for outbreak investigation was evaluated using 151 isolates from 10 shigellosis outbreaks and 22 PFGE-indistinguishable isolates collected from nine epidemiologically unrelated events in five different countries. The evaluations indicated that MLVA was a powerful typing tool to distinguish isolates for outbreak investigation and that it exhibited a good discrimination of the 22 PFGE-indistinguishable isolates. Single-locus variants did occur during the outbreak; therefore, S. sonnei isolates with MLVA profiles differing at no more than a single locus should be considered part of the same outbreak. The present study suggests that MLVA has the potential to replace PFGE as a standard method of typing S. sonnei isolates for disease surveillance and outbreak investigation.
Expanded space-mapping EM-based design framework exploiting preassigned parameters

We present a novel design framework for microwave circuits. We calibrate coarse models (circuit based models) to align with fine models (full-wave electromagnetic simulations) by allowing some preassigned pa- rameters (which are not used in optimization) to change in some compo- nents of the coarse model. Our expanded space-mapping design-frame- work (ESMDF) algorithm establishes a sparse mapping from optimizable to preassigned parameters. We illustrate our approach through two mi- crostrip design examples.