Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
My Text in Your Handwriting

There are many scenarios where we wish to imitate a specific author’s pen-on-paper handwriting style. Rendering new text in someone’s handwriting is difficult because natural handwriting is highly variable, yet follows both intentional and involuntary structure that makes a person’s style self-consistent. The variability means that naive example-based texture synthesis can be conspicuously repetitive. We propose an algorithm that renders a desired input string in an author’s handwriting. An annotated sample of the author’s handwriting is required; the system is flexible enough that historical documents can usually be used with only a little extra effort. Experiments show that our glyph-centric approach, with learned parameters for spacing, line thickness, and pressure, produces novel images of handwriting that look hand-made to casual observers, even when printed on paper.
A New Analysis of Stark and Zeeman Effects on Hydrogen Lines in Magnetized DA White Dwarfs

White dwarfs with magnetic field strengths larger than 10 T are understood to represent more than 10% of the total population of white dwarfs. The presence of such strong magnetic fields is clearly indicated by the Zeeman triplet structure visible on absorption lines. In this work, we discuss the line broadening mechanisms and focus on the sensitivity of hydrogen lines on the magnetic field. We perform new calculations in conditions relevant to magnetized DA stellar atmospheres using models inspired from magnetic fusion plasma spectroscopy. A white dwarf spectrum from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database is analyzed. An effective temperature is provided by an adjustment of the background radiation with a Planck function, and the magnetic field is inferred from absorption lines presenting a Zeeman triplet structure. An order-of-magnitude estimate for the electron density is also performed from Stark broadening analysis.
28-GHz Channel Measurements and Modeling for Suburban Environments

This paper presents millimeter wave propagation measurements at 28 GHz for a typical suburban environment using a 400-megachip-per-second custom- designed broadband sliding correlator channel sounder and highly directional 22-dBi (15º half-power beamwidth) horn antennas. With a 23-dBm transmitter installed at a height of 27m to emulate a microcell deployment, the receiver obtained more than 5000 power delay profiles over distances from 80m to 1000m at 50 individual sites and on two pedestrian paths. The resulting basic transmission losses were compared with predictions of the over-rooftop model in recommendation ITU-R P.1411-9. Our analysis reveals that the traditional channel modeling approach may be insufficient to deal with the varying site-specific propagations of millimeter waves in suburban environments. For line-of-sight measurements, the path loss exponents obtained for the close-in (CI) free space reference distance model and the alpha-beta-gamma (ABG) model are 2.00 and 2.81, respectively, which are close to the recommended site-general value of 2.29. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) for these two reference models are 9.93dB and 9.70dB, respectively, which are slightly lower than that for the ITU site-general model (10.34dB). For non-line-of-sight measurements, both reference models, with the resulting path loss exponents of 2.50 for the CI model and 1.12 for the ABG model, outperformed the site-specific ITU model by around 14dB RMSE.
The vertical metallicity gradients of mono-age stellar populations in the Milky Way with the RAVE and Gaia data

We investigate the vertical metallicity gradients of five mono-age stellar populations between 0 and 11 Gyr for a sample of 18 435 dwarf stars selected from the cross-matched Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution and Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) Data Release 5. We find a correlation between the vertical metallicity gradients and age, with no vertical metallicity gradient in the youngest population and an increasingly steeper negative vertical metallicity gradient for the older stellar populations. The metallicity at disc plane remains almost constant between 2 and 8 Gyr, and it becomes significantly lower for the 8 < t ≤ 11 Gyr population. The current analysis also reveals that the intrinsic dispersion in metallicity increases steadily with age.We discuss that our results are consistent with a scenario that (thin) disc stars formed from a flaring (thin) star-forming disc.
Development and initial psychometric evaluation of patient-reported outcome questionnaires to evaluate the symptoms and impact of hidradenitis suppurativa

Abstract Background: Two patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires, the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Symptom Assessment (HSSA) and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Impact Assessment (HSIA), were developed to measure signs, symptoms and impacts of HS in treatment efficacy studies. Methods: In accordance with FDA guidelines and published best practices, four stages of research were conducted to create the questionnaires: concept elicitation, questionnaire construction, content evaluation and psychometric evaluation. Results: Subjects (N = 20) who participated in the concept elicitation stage reported 15 unique HS-related signs and symptoms and 51 impacts. Following this, eight sign and symptom concepts and 21 impacts were selected for construction of the HSSA and HSIA, respectively. During content evaluation, cognitive debriefing interviews with HS subjects (N = 20) confirmed subjects could read, comprehend and meaningfully respond to both questionnaires. Modifications made after this stage of work resulted in a nine-item HSSA and a 17-item HSIA. The HSSA and HSIA were subsequently entered into a US-based observational study (N = 40), and the scores produced by each were found to be reliable, construct valid, and able to distinguish among clinically distinct groups. Conclusions: The HSSA and HSIA are content-valid, HS-specific, PRO questionnaires with demonstrated ability to generate reliable, valid scores when administered to patients with HS in a research setting.
FOXO3 Transcription Factor Is Essential for Protecting Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells from Oxidative DNA Damage*

Accumulation of damaged DNA in hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is associated with chromosomal abnormalities, genomic instability, and HSC aging and might promote hematological malignancies with age. Despite this, the regulatory pathways implicated in the HSC DNA damage response have not been fully elucidated. One of the sources of DNA damage is reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by both exogenous and endogenous insults. Balancing ROS levels in HSC requires FOXO3, which is an essential transcription factor for HSC maintenance implicated in HSC aging. Elevated ROS levels result in defective Foxo3−/− HSC cycling, among many other deficiencies. Here, we show that loss of FOXO3 leads to the accumulation of DNA damage in primitive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC), associated specifically with reduced expression of genes implicated in the repair of oxidative DNA damage. We provide further evidence that Foxo3−/− HSPC are defective in DNA damage repair. Specifically, we show that the base excision repair pathway, the main pathway utilized for the repair of oxidative DNA damage, is compromised in Foxo3−/− primitive hematopoietic cells. Treating mice in vivo with N-acetylcysteine reduces ROS levels, rescues HSC cycling defects, and partially mitigates HSPC DNA damage. These results indicate that DNA damage accrued as a result of elevated ROS in Foxo3−/− mutant HSPC is at least partially reversible. Collectively, our findings suggest that FOXO3 serves as a protector of HSC genomic stability and health.
Feasibility of Audio‐Computer‐Assisted Self‐Interviewing With Color‐Coding and Helper Assistance (ACASI‐H) for Hmong Older Adults

Many older adult immigrants in the US, including Hmong older adults, have limited English proficiency (LEP), and cannot read or have difficulty reading even in their first language (non-literate [NL]). Little has been done to identify feasible data collection approaches to enable inclusion of LEP or NL populations in research, limiting knowledge about their health. This study's purpose was to test the feasibility of culturally and linguistically adapted audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) with color-labeled response categories and helper assistance (ACASI-H) for collection of health data with Hmong older adults. Thirty dyads (older adult and a helper) completed an ACASI-H survey with 13 health questions and a face-to-face debriefing interview. ACASI-H survey completion was video-recorded and reviewed with participants. Video review and debriefing interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Directed and conventional content analyses were used to analyze the interviews. All respondents reported that ACASI-H survey questions were consistent with their health experience. They lacked computer experience and found ACASI-H's interface user-friendly. All used the pre-recorded Hmong oral translation except for one, whose helper provided translation. Some Hmong older adults struggled with the color labeling at first, but helpers guided them to use the colors correctly. All dyads liked the color-labeled response categories and confirmed that a helper was necessary during the survey process. Findings support use of oral survey question administration with a technologically competent helper and color-labeled response categories when engaging LEP older adults in health-related data collection. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Accuracy of Liquid-Based Pap Tests

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a liquid-based Pap test, the ThinPrep Pap test (TP) (Cytyc Corp., Boxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.A.), by comparing concurrent TP and cervical biopsy results on 782 patients who were referred for colposcopy because of previously abnormal conventional Pap smears (CPs). STUDY DESIGN The ability of TP diagnoses of atypical cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) to predict biopsy diagnoses of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was analyzed using chi2 and McNemar tests. RESULTS The rate of agreement between diagnoses of SIL by TP and CIN by biopsy was 74.7%. ASC-US accounted for 16.0% of TP diagnoses. ASC-US had biopsy diagnoses of CIN 1 in 60% and CIN 2/3 in 12.8% of cases. For TP diagnosis of low grade SIL, biopsy diagnoses of CIN 2/3 were found in 13.5% of cases. For TP diagnoses of ASC-US and higher, the proportions of TP and cervical biopsies in comparable diagnostic categories were statistically significant (p < 0.001), with TP having sensitivity of 89.4% and positive predictive value of 89.7% for the detection of CIN. The false positive rate for TP was 8.1%, but rescreening confirmed the presence of abnormal cells in 51 of 63 (81.0%) cases of ASC-US or higher having negative biopsies. TP had a false negative rate of 8.3% and negative predictive value of 61.3%. Rescreening showed that most (77.6%) of the false negative TP specimens failed to have abnormal cells on the slides. CONCLUSION For patients having previously detected cervical abnormalities by CP, concurrent TP demonstrated the following: (1) that it has high diagnostic accuracy for SIL, (2) that ASC-US was diagnostically equivalent to LSIL, and (3) that false negative TP for SIL can be attributed primarily to sampling rather than cytotechnologists' screening errors.
Development of a Double-Gauss Lens Based Setup for Optoacoustic Applications

In optoacoustic (photoacoustic) systems, different echo signal intensities such as amplitudes, center frequencies, and bandwidths need to be compensated by utilizing variable gain or time-gain compensation amplifiers. However, such electronic components can increase system complexities and signal noise levels. In this paper, we introduce a double-Gauss lens to generate a large field of view with uniform light intensity due to the low chromatic aberrations of the lens, thus obtaining uniform echo signal intensities across the field of view of the optoacoustic system. In order to validate the uniformity of the echo signal intensities in the system, an in-house transducer was placed at various positions above a tissue sample and echo signals were measured and compared with each other. The custom designed double-Gauss lens demonstrated negligible light intensity variation (±1.5%) across the illumination field of view (~2 cm diameter). When the transducer was used to measure echo signal from an eye of a bigeye tuna within a range of ±1 cm, the peak-to-peak amplitude, center frequency, and their −6 dB bandwidth variations were less than 2 mV, 1 MHz, and 6%, respectively. The custom designed double-Gauss lens can provide uniform light beam across a wide area while generating insignificant echo signal variations, and thus can lower the burden of the receiving electronics or signal processing in the optoacoustic system.
Modeling of Biologically Inspired Adhesive Pads Using Monte Carlo Analysis

Recently, the analysis and prototyping of biologically inspired adhesive pads have been the subject of growing interest. Similar to biological counterparts, these synthetic adhesives consist of rafts of tiny protruding fibers. The adhesion performance of these micro-engineered products is highly dependent on the geometrical and mechanical properties of the micro-fibers and the surface they adhere to. Small fluctuations in these parameters can drastically change their adhesion performance. In this investigation, a comprehensive mathematical model of a single micro-fiber with adhesion capability in contact with an uneven surface has been developed and the behavior of the model studied. To provide more realistic results, this analytical model could be extended to an array of micro-fibers. Thus, in a further step, using a Monte Carlo simulation, we studied an array of these micro-fibers under more realistic conditions with several degrees of uncertainty. The results deduced by this novel modeling approach are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of adhesion performance in synthetic adhesive pads available in literature.
Antecedents and outcomes of global sourcing and information technology in the US apparel supply chain

While global sourcing and information technology (IT) are critical in the performance of apparel companies, few studies have examined which firm-related factors are related to the level of global sourcing and IT and how these two practices contribute to firm performance. This study proposed a model integrating three firm antecedents (firm’s global awareness, top management commitment to global sourcing, and firm size) and outcomes of global sourcing and IT implementation (operational, strategic, and financial performance) and empirically tested it with the data collected from 111 US apparel manufacturers. This study found that the greater the firm’s global awareness and the greater the firm size, the higher the global sourcing involvement. Also, the greater the top management commitment to global sourcing and the greater the firm size, the higher the IT implementation. While global sourcing involvement increased all three levels of firm performance, IT implementation led only to higher operational performance.
Magnesium upregulates insulin receptor and glucose transporter-4 in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced type-2 diabetic rats

Abstract Objective. We investigated the effects of magnesium supplementation on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress as well as the concentration of insulin receptor and glucose transporter-4 in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type-2 diabetic (T2D) rats. Methods. Rats were divided into four groups designated as: 1) control (CTR); 2) diabetic untreated (DU); 3) diabetic treated with 1 mg of Mg/kg diet (Mg1-D); and 4) diabetic treated with 2 mg of Mg/kg diet (Mg2-D). T2D was induced with a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of freshly prepared streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) aft er an initial i.p. injection of nicotinamide (120 mg/kg). Glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, malondialdehyde (MAD) and glutathione content, insulin receptors (INSR) and glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4), fasting insulin and glucose levels were measured, and insulin resistance index was calculated using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results. Magnesium supplementation improved glucose tolerance and lowered blood glucose levels almost to the normal range. We also recorded a noticeable increase in insulin sensitivity in Mg-D groups when compared with DU rats. Lipid perturbations associated T2D were significantly attenuated by magnesium supplementation. Fasting glucose level was comparable to control values in the Mg-D groups while the HOMA-IR index was significantly lower compared with the DU rats. Magnesium reduced MDA but increased glutathione concentrations compared with DU group. Moreover, INSR and GLUT4 levels were elevated following magnesium supplementation in T2D rats. Conclusion. These findings demonstrate that magnesium may mediate effective metabolic control by stimulating the antioxidant defense, and increased levels of INSR and GLUT4 in diabetic rats.
Cytology of Recurrent Ameloblastoma with Malignant Change

BACKGROUND Ameloblastoma is a rare tumor of the jaw that arises from the odontogenic epithelium. Ameloblastomas have a propensity for local recurrence and, rarely, for metastasis. The term malignant ameloblastoma is reserved for those metastasizing tumors that retain the typical morphology of ameloblastoma. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) reports on ameloblastomas are scant, and those on malignant ameloblastomas are still more so. CASE In a case of malignant ameloblastoma diagnosed by FNA cytology, the clinical presentation was that of a malignant neoplasm. FNA smears were highly cellular and showed isolated, scattered cells and small groups of basaloid cells and polygonal squamous epithelial cells. Stellate and spindle-shaped cells were also seen in the background. The cytologic diagnosis was subsequently confirmed on histopathology. CONCLUSION The characteristic combination of cells in FNA smears facilitated the diagnosis of ameloblastoma. Since the biologic behavior of the tumor was that of a malignant neoplasm, the slides were reviewed. The cytologic smears did not exhibit sufficient features of malignancy to label the lesion malignant.
One year refractive outcomes of Femtosecond-LASIK in mild, moderate and high myopia

Purpose: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, predictability and stability for a cohort of myopic eyes treated by Femtosecond-LASIK procedure. Methods: 60 eyes (36 patients) with different degrees of myopia that underwent refractive surgery by using the Femtosecond-LASIK technique were prospectively evaluated for 12 months. The mean preoperative spherical equivalent value was –3.827 ± 1.410 diopters (D) (range: –8.125 to –1.375 D). VisuMax® femtosecond laser was used for cutting the corneal flap and then the Mel80® excimer laser for the stromal ablation. Results: Mean age was 30.80 ± 5.745 years (range: 21 to 46 years) with 75% female patients. Postoperative spherical equivalent at 12 months was within ±0.25 D of emmetropia in 90% of the eyes and within ±0.50 D of emmetropia in 100% of the eyes. All the eyes achieved an uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 1.0 (decimal scale). No eye lost lines of preoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). No major intraoperative or postoperative complications were encountered. Conclusions: Femtosecond-LASIK seems to be a suitable option for the correction of mild, moderate, and high myopia, as the procedure showed to be safe, effective, and predictable for the treatment of myopic refractive errors.
Impairment in subcortical suppression in schizophrenia: Evidence from the fBIRN Oddball Task

Schizophrenia patients show widespread impairments in brain activity during oddball tasks, which involve responding to infrequent target stimuli while refraining from responding during continuous non‐target stimuli. In a network‐based investigation comparing schizophrenia or schizoaffective patients to healthy controls, we sought to clarify which networks were specifically associated with target detection using a multivariate analysis technique that identifies task‐specific functional brain networks. We acquired data from the publicly available function biomedical informatics research network collaboration, including 58 patients and 50 controls. Two task‐based functional brain networks were identified: (1) a response modulation network including bilateral temporal pole, supramarginal gyrus, striatum, and thalamus, on which patients showed decreased activity relative to controls; and (2) an auditory–motor response activation network, on which patients showed a slower return to baseline than controls, but no difference in peak activation. For both groups, baseline to peak activation of the response modulation network correlated negatively with peak to baseline activity in the response activation network, suggesting a role in suppressing the motor response following targets. Patients’ impaired activity in the response modulation network, and subsequent longer return to baseline in the response activation network, correspond with their later and less accurate behavioral performance, suggesting that impairment in suppression of the auditory–motor response activation network could underlie oddball task deficits in schizophrenia. In addition, the magnitude of the activity in the response modulation network was correlated with intensity of delusions of reference, supporting the notion that increased referential ideation is associated with hyperactivity within the subcortical striatal–limbic network. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4640–4653, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Full-thickness conjunctival flap covering surgery combined with amniotic membrane transplantation for severe fungal keratitis

Fungal keratitis is a severe and common ocular infectious disease. The present study evaluated the efficiency of full-thickness conjunctival flap covering surgery with amniotic membrane transplantation (FCCS + AMT) as a transitional surgery for severe fungal keratitis. A total of 17 patients with severe fungal keratitis without corneal perforation underwent FCCS + AMT between January 2010 and December 2015. The pathogenic factors, preoperative diagnosis and postoperative prognosis of FCCS + AMT at 3 months were evaluated. Subsequently, 7 patients received sclerokeratoplasty, and the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and recurrence ratio were analyzed at 1 month postoperatively. The primary risk factor was agricultural trauma (7 cases), followed by a non-agricultural object entering the eye (3 cases). Preoperatively, there were 10 cases of fungal keratitis positively identified using confocal microscopy and 9 cases positively identified by corneal scrapings. A total of 3 months following FCCS + AMT, the percentage of cases resulting in preservation of the eyeball was 88.24%, with 15/17 patients demonstrating complete conjunctival re-epithelization and a smooth conjunctival surface without any complications. A total of 2 (11.76%) patients experienced melting of the conjunctival flap and development of endophthalmitis, and subsequently underwent ocular evisceration surgery. A total of 7 patients underwent sclerokeratoplasty and the mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVA at 1 month was significantly improved (0.689±0.121; P<0.001) compared with preoperative values (2.459±0.037) and BCVA values following FCCS + AMT (2.529±0.066). No recurrence was observed in any of the cases during the follow-up period. Conclusively, FCCS + AMT may be a preferable treatment for severe fungal keratitis of the entire corneal ulcer without perforation, and may save the eyeball and provide a greater opportunity for corneal transplantation.