Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detect, Replace, Refine: Deep Structured Prediction for Pixel Wise Labeling

Pixel wise image labeling is an interesting and challenging problem with great significance in the computer vision community. In order for a dense labeling algorithm to be able to achieve accurate and precise results, it has to consider the dependencies that exist in the joint space of both the input and the output variables. An implicit approach for modeling those dependencies is by training a deep neural network that, given as input an initial estimate of the output labels and the input image, it will be able to predict a new refined estimate for the labels. In this context, our work is concerned with what is the optimal architecture for performing the label improvement task. We argue that the prior approaches of either directly predicting new label estimates or predicting residual corrections w.r. t. the initial labels with feed-forward deep network architectures are sub-optimal. Instead, we propose a generic architecture that decomposes the label improvement task to three steps: 1) detecting the initial label estimates that are incorrect, 2) replacing the incorrect labels with new ones, and finally 3) refining the renewed labels by predicting residual corrections w.r. t. them. Furthermore, we explore and compare various other alternative architectures that consist of the aforementioned Detection, Replace, and Refine components. We extensively evaluate the examined architectures in the challenging task of dense disparity estimation (stereo matching) and we report both quantitative and qualitative results on three different datasets. Finally, our dense disparity estimation network that implements the proposed generic architecture, achieves state-of-the-art results in the KITTI 2015 test surpassing prior approaches by a significant margin. We plan to release the Torch code that implements the paper in: https://github.com/gidariss/DRR_struct_pred/.
Difference in the role of non-quench aging on mechanical properties between acicular ferrite and ferrite-pearlite pipeline steels

Hot-rolled plates of both acicular ferrite (AF) and ferrite-pearlite (FP) pipeline steels were reheated at approximately 600°C, named as non-quench aging in this paper. The experimental result indicated that the non-quench aging caused different effects in mechanical properties for different microstructural types of pipeline steels. AF pipeline steels could be greatly strengthened by non-quench aging while FP pipeline steels could not be. Role of non-quench aging on mechanical properties between AF and FP pipeline steels was analyzed. Strengthening for AF pipeline steels by a subsequent simple non-quench aging without any other change in chemical composition, TMCP and rolling equipment, etc., provides a lower economical cost approach for the development of high strength pipeline steels.
Davids, Goliaths, and Business Cycles

We show that a simple, intuitive variable, Goliath versus David (GVD), reflects time variation in discount rates related to changes in aggregate business conditions. GVD is the annual change in the weight of the largest 250 firms in the aggregate stock market and is motivated by research that shows that small firms are more severely impacted than large firms by economic shocks due to differences in access to external finance. We find that GVD is the best single predictor of out-of-sample market returns among traditional predictors, predicting quarterly market returns with an out-of-sample R 2 of 6.3% in the 1976–2011 evaluation period.
Strategic Analysis through the General Electric/McKinsey Matrix: An Application to the Italian Fashion Industry

Introduced in the early Seventies as a specific framework for the evaluation of investment opportunities as part of product portfolio management, the General Electric/McKinsey Matrix is still widely used for the analysis of competitive scenarios. In this study, this managerial tool is applied to the apparel sector and four well-known Italian fashion companies are analyzed. The procedure for creating the matrix is described and a detailed presentation is made, for each company over a five-year-period, of the results relative to the two typical dimensions of the matrix: business competitiveness and industry attractiveness. Considering the current tendency of the majority of fashion and luxury companies to internationalize and develop multi-product and multi-brand diversification strategies, this study may be useful for marketers working in these sectors who intend to develop positioning and competitiveness analyses. Additionally, given the limited amount of academic studies on the application of this matrix to the fashion industry, this study can help fill that gap and describe the state of the art in the field, enriching the literature on the subject and creating new points of departure for future research. The paper presents results that, although they are based on a limited selection of companies, provide an accurate demonstration of the methodology applied and highlight a few differences found between the companies examined; in particular, between fashion brands with a very high positioning (“couture”) and those with a medium/high positioning (“diffusion” or “ready-to-wear”).
Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profiles of Three Fagopyrum Buckwheats

The genus Fagopyrum (Polygonaceae), currently comprising 15 species of plants, includes three important buckwheat species: Fagopyrum esculentum (F. esculentum) Moench. (common buckwheat), Fagopyrum tataricum (F. tataricum) (L.) Gaertn. (tartary buckwheat) and Fagopyrum dibotrys (F. dibotrys) (D. Don) Hara. (perennial buckwheat), which have been well explored due to their long tradition of both edible and medicinal use. This review aimed to present an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the phytochemistry and pharmacology of the three Fagopyrum buckwheats. In addition, the scope for future research was also discussed. All available references included in this paper were compiled from major databases, such as MEDLINE, Pubmed, Scholar, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley and CNKI. A total of 106 compounds isolated from three Fagopyrum buckwheats can be mainly divided into six classes: flavonoids, phenolics, fagopyritols, triterpenoids, steroids and fatty acids. Flavonoids and phenolic compounds were considered to be the major active components. Considerable pharmacological experiments both in vitro and in vivo have validated that Fagopyrum buckwheats possess antitumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic activities, etc. All reported data lead us to conclude that Fagopyrum buckwheats have convincing medicinal potential. However, further research is needed to explore its bioactive constituents, the relationship to their structural activities and the molecular mechanisms of action.
Using Implicit Association Tests for the Assessment of Implicit Personality Self-Concept

Psychologists have long suspected that people do not have good access to their own thoughts and feelings and that self-exploration is subject to introspective limits. Empirical evidence supports this view (e.g. Nisbett and Wilson, 1977). What results is a compelling claim for measurement procedures suitable for the assessment of cognitive processes that remain obscured if people are simply asked to report them. Recently, social cognition research has made progress towards the development of such 'implicit' procedures. This chapter deals with a most prominent class of implicit procedures, the Implicit Association Tests (IATs) (Greenwald et al., 1998), and reviews theoretical and empirical contributions that explored IATs for the assessment of the personality self-concept. Although the term 'implicit' was criticized because it left unclear whether it described the measure or the construct, we retain this term that is now firmly entrenched in the literature. Originally, 'implicit' was intended to be a label for the measure. In this chapter, we consider both aspects and refer to the implicit personality self-concept at the construct level and to features of the measurement procedure (e.g. unawareness or fakability) at the empirical level. Also, we refer to IAT measures in plural to indicate that they represent different applications of a general procedure rather than one specific test. The chapter is organized into four main parts. The first section is devoted to the con-ceptualization of the explicit and the implicit personality self-concept. Following this, we describe essential characteristics of IAT procedures and discuss different theoretical accounts for IAT effects. The third section presents the psychometric properties of IATs including their reliability and their ability to predict criterion variance unpredicted by self-report measures (incremental validity). The section also discusses the extent to which IATs meet the demands of individual diagnosis. In the final section, we describe alternatives to IAT measures along with their advantages and disadvantages over the IATs and offer an outlook to future research.
Discovery and significance of the colonial tunicate Didemnum vexillum in Alaska.

The colonial tunicate, Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002, has a history of invading and overgrowing marine communities in temperate waters worldwide. The species can colonize and dominate remarkably large areas of benthic habitat, including coastal bays and outer coastal areas, causing concerns about potential long-term effects on community structure, critical habitats, and fisheries resources. We report here the confirmed occurrence of D. vexillum in Alaska, representing a dramatic 1000 km northward extension of this non-native species along the western coast of North America. The species was detected as part of a “bioblitz”, engaging citizen scientists to survey local biota and detect non-native marine species incursions. Following detection, the identity of D. vexillum was confirmed with robust genetic methods, and morphological characters were also consistent with previous species descriptions. Although invasions have been relatively rare in Alaskan waters to date, it is now clear that D. vexillum is established in at least one site (Whiting Harbor) near Sitka, Alaska. Given the explosive growth and spread of this species in other global regions, and its potential for significant impacts across diverse habitats in Alaska, current efforts are underway to evaluate its distribution and options to eradicate or control the species.
Chemical and Biochemical Mechanisms Underlying the Cardioprotective Roles of Dietary Organopolysulfides

Foods that are rich in organosulfides are highly regarded for their broad range of functions in disease prevention and health promotion since ancient time yet modern scientific study, particularly clinical studies could not agree with traditional wisdom. One of the complexities is due to the labile nature of organosulfides, which are often transformed to different structures depending on the processing conditions. The recent evidence on polysulfides as H2S donors may open up a new avenue for establishing structure and health promotion activity relationship. To put this development into perspective, we carried out a review on the recent progress on the chemistry and biochemistry of organopolysulfides with emphasis on their cardioprotective property. First, we briefly surveyed the foods that are rich in polysulfides and their structural diversity. This is followed by in-depth discussion on the chemical transformations of polysulfides under various processing conditions. We further reviewed the potential action mechanisms of polysulfides in cardioprotection through: (a) hydrogen sulfide releasing activity; (b) radical scavenging activity; and (c) activity in enzyme inhibition and intervention of gene regulation pathways. Based on the literature trend, we can conclude that the emerging concept of organopolysulfides as naturally occurring H2S donors is intriguing and warrants further research to establish the structure and activity relationship of the organopolysulfides as H2S donors.
Prevalence of H. pylori infection and atrophic gastritis among symptomatic and dyspeptic adults in Kazakhstan. A hospital-based screening study using a panel of serum biomarkers.

BACKGROUND Health authorities of Kazakhstan are seeking for effective measures to interrupt the untoward trend, projected to increase the current number of gastric cancer (GC) cases (n=3,316) by 50% until the year 2030. OBJECTIVE Use of a non-invasive blood test with four stomach-specific biomarkers [Pepsinogen-I (PG-I) and -II (PG-II), amidated gastrin-17 (G-17), and Helicobacter pylori (HP) IgG antibodies], to assess for the prevalence of stomach conditions: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and atrophic gastritis (AG), both known to increase GC risk of in Kazakhstan. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cohort of 835 (symptomatic and asymptomatic) cases (473 women and 362 men)(median age 46.8 years; range 13.6-74.8) was examined with a panel of biomarkers. Results were assigned in five categories: 1) Healthy stomach, 2) HP infection, 3) atrophic gastritis (AG) of the antrum, 4) AG of the corpus, and 5) AG of both antrum and corpus (pangastritis). RESULTS The distribution in these five categories was identical in both sexes (p=0.259). Healthy stomach was detected only in 196 (23.5%) subjects, whereas the vast majority, 62.3% (n=519) had HP infection (with no AG). In 118 (14.1%) subjects, results were consistent with AG; in antrum (n=72), corpus (n=42) or pangastritis (n=4). Prevalence of AG increased with patient's age in both sexes. There was no age-related pattern in biomarker levels, and only slight differences between the genders. CONCLUSION While capable of detecting the subjects at risk for GC (HP or AG), GP seems to be a cost-effective means to intervene the current ominous trend in GC incidence in Kazakhstan.
Prognostic Significance of Postoperative In-Hospital Complications in Elderly Patients. II. Long-Term Quality of Life

To determine the impact of nonfatal in-hospital postoperative complications on long-term quality of life and functional status, we studied consecutive patients ≥70 yr of age who had undergone noncardiac surgery. The association between the occurrence of nonfatal in-hospital postoperative complications and long-term quality of life (measured by the Medical Outcome Study Short form 36) and functional status was determined 2–3 yr after surgery. Independent predictors of quality of life and functional status were measured by multivariate logistic regression. Two-hundred-sixty-four of 353 patients (74.8%) responded to the survey. The mean Medical Outcome Study Short form 36 scores of patients with in-hospital postoperative complications were significantly lower than those without complications in the following domains: physical functioning (42.8 versus 53.9;P = 0.029), general health (52.3 versus 62.3;P = 0.02), and role emotional (45.7 versus 67.9;P = 0.00058). Patients who had postoperative complications were more likely to be dependent in daily living activities. Comparison with age-matched United States population showed that patients with postoperative complications had lower scores in physical functioning (42.8 versus 53.2;P = 0.04), role physical (26.6 versus 45.3;P = 0.0078), role emotional (45.7 versus 63.2;P = 0.025), and mental health (66 versus 74;P = 0.024). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, only a history of diabetes (odds ratios 4.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.7–10.3;P < 0.002 and new hospitalization because of medical reasons (odds ratio, 3.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.6–8.8;P < 0.002) were significant independent predictors of a long-term decrease in quality of life. Adjusting for other clinical factors, in-hospital complications no longer independently predicted changes in functional status. For geriatric patients, the occurrence of postoperative complications does not independently predict long-term quality of life or functional status. The important independent predictors are co-morbid conditions, age, and new hospitalization after discharge.
Building a Bridge between the Present and the Past : A Corpus of 19th-century English

1 The need for a corpus of 19th-century English The 19th century was an age of exploration and new discoveries; yet the English language in that period remains largely an unexplored territory. Happily, over the past few years we have witnessed an increasing interest in late Modern English. 1 We have also seen a growing number of corpora being compiled and becoming available for various periods of the history of English. However, we still need access to corpora covering the 19th century. 2 There are several ways in which such corpora would be useful. First of all, they could provide the data necessary for carrying out follow-up studies to research done on early Modern English. This would be valuable for a number of syntactic studies, for instance on the distribution of modal auxiliaries and relative pronouns, various ways of expressing future time, and the development of the progressive form. In order to serve this function, however, the corpus would have to be compiled with a cross-genre perspective in mind, providing the researcher with texts stratified according to extralinguistic criteria roughly comparable to, for instance, the Helsinki Corpus of English Texts. Secondly, there is a scarcity of corpora covering the period immediately before Present-Day English. 3 A corpus of 19th-century English would thus provide researchers with the possibility of extending studies both of short-term dia-chronic change and of trends in Present-Day English backwards in time. Studies
Comparative metabolite analysis to understand lactate metabolism shift in Chinese hamster ovary cell culture process

A metabolic shift from lactate production (LP) to net lactate consumption (LC) phenotype was observed in certain Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines during the implementation of a new chemically defined medium (CDM) formulation for antibody production. In addition, this metabolic shift typically leads to process performance improvements in cell growth, productivity, process robustness, and scalability. In our previous studies, a correlation between a key media component, copper, and this lactate metabolism shift was observed. To further investigate this phenomenon, two complementary studies were conducted. In the first study, a single cell line was cultivated in two media that only differed in their copper concentrations, yet were known to generate an LP or LC phenotype with that cell line. In the second study, two different cell lines, which were known to possess inherently different lactate metabolic characteristics, were cultivated in the same medium with a high level of copper; one cell line produced lactate throughout the duration of the culture, and the other consumed lactate after an initial period of LP. Cell pellet and supernatant samples from both studies were collected at regular time intervals, and their metabolite profiles were investigated. The primary finding from the metabolic analysis was that the cells in LP conditions exhibited a less efficient energy metabolism, with glucose primarily being converted into pyruvate, sorbitol, lactate, and other glycolytic intermediates. This decrease in energy efficiency may be due to an inability of pyruvate and acetyl‐CoA to progress into the TCA cycle. The lack of progression into the TCA cycle or overflow metabolism in the LP phenotype resulted in the inadequate supply of ATP for the cells. As a consequence, the glycolysis pathway remained the major source of ATP, which in turn, resulted in continuous LP throughout the culture. In addition, the accumulation of free fatty acids was observed; this was thought to be a result of phospholipid catabolism that was being used to supplement the energy produced through glycolysis in order to meet the needs of LP cells. A thorough review of the metabolic profiles indicated that the lactate metabolic shift could be related to the oxidative metabolic capacity of cells. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012;109: 146–156. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Discriminating Gene Expression Signature of Radiation-Induced Thyroid Tumors after Either External Exposure or Internal Contamination

Both external radiation exposure and internal radionuclide contamination are well known risk factors in the development of thyroid epithelial tumors. The identification of specific molecular markers deregulated in radiation-induced thyroid tumors is important for the etiological diagnosis since neither histological features nor genetic alterations can discriminate between sporadic and radiation-induced tumors. Identification of highly discriminating markers in radiation-induced tumors is challenging as it relies on the ability to identify marker deregulation which is associated with a cellular stress that occurred many years before in the thyroid cells. The existence of such a signature is still controversial, as it was not found in several studies while a highly discriminating signature was found in both post-radiotherapy and post-Chernobyl series in other studies. Overall, published studies searching for radiation-induced thyroid tumor specificities, using transcriptomic, proteomic and comparative genomic hybridization approaches, and bearing in mind the analytical constraints required to analyze such small series of tumors, suggest that such a molecular signature could be found. In comparison with sporadic tumors, we highlight molecular similarities and specificities in tumors occurring after high-dose external radiation exposure, such as radiotherapy, and in post-Chernobyl tumors that occurred after internal 131I contamination. We discuss the relevance of signature extrapolation from series of tumors developing after high and low doses in the identification of tumors induced at very low doses of radiation.
Apatite-mullite glass-ceramics

Two series of fluoro-alumino-silicate glasses, one with varying phosphate content (P2O5) and one with fixed phosphate content and varying fluorite (CaF2) content have been investigated as potential bioglass-ceramics. Compositions with intermediate phosphate contents that contained fluorite crystallized to fluoroapatite and mullite. Compositions with high fluorite contents exhibited a low liquidus temperature, were readily castable and crystallized by a bulk nucleation mechanism. The fluoroapatite phase with appropriate heat treatment formed as thin needle-like crystals with a high aspect ratio.
Fiber energy efficiency Part IV: Multi-scale modeling of refining processes

Models of thermomechanical pulp processes must handle a large number of physical variables and machine specific parameters at different scales. Some variables, measured in the refining zone, will be invaluable when spanning the material and energy balances and thereby they provide essential information to the models. In this paper, measurements of temperature profile and plate gaps from a full-scale CD-refiner are used as model inputs together with process variables such as motor load, production, dilution water, inlet pressure and casing pressure. Two independent models, a micro-model describing fluid mechanics between the refining bars and an extended entropy model (macro-model) describing the material and energy balances for a complete refiner are used to get a realistic estimate of the pulp dynamic viscosity inside the refining zone. The models comprise a multi-scale concept and it is shown that the variability in the estimated pulp dynamic viscosity is directly related to the fiber energy efficiency in a micro-as well as in a macro perspective. To produce homogeneous pulp quality at energy efficient process conditions, it is concluded that large variations in the pressure pulses must be reduced. This can be performed by optimizing refining segments as well as stabilizing conditions by improved control strategies.