Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PERCEPTION OF DISTORTED STEREOSCOPIC IMAGES

How to measure the perceptual quality of depth information in stereoscopic natural images, especially images undergoing different types of symmetric and asymmetric distortions, is a fundamentally important issue that is not well understood. In this paper, we present two of our recent subjective studies on depth quality. The first one follows the absolute category rating (ACR) protocol that is widely used in general image quality assessment research. We find that traditional approaches such as ACR is problematic in this scenario because monocular cues and the spatial quality of images have strong impacts on the depth quality scores given by subjects, making it difficult to single out the actual contributions of stereoscopic cues in depth perception. To overcome this problem, we carry out the second subjective study where depth effect is synthesized at different depth levels before various types and levels of symmetric and asymmetric distortions are applied. Instead of following the traditional approach, we ask subjects to identify and label depth polarizations, and a Depth Perception Difficulty Index (DPDI) is developed based on the percentage of correct and incorrect subject judgements. We find this approach highly effective at quantifying depth perception induced by stereo cues and observe a number of interesting effects regarding image content dependency, distortion type dependency, and the impacts of symmetric versus asymmetric distortions. We believe that these are useful steps towards building comprehensive 3D quality-of-experience models for stereoscopic images.
Frontline treatment of localized osteosarcoma without methotrexate: Results of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital OS99 trial.

10036 Background: Standard treatment of osteosarcoma includes cisplatin and high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX), but both agents are associated with significant toxicity and MTX administration requires complex pharmacokinetic monitoring. In our previous OS91 trial, the combination of carboplatin and ifosfamide with doxorubicin and HD-MTX yielded outcomes comparable to those of cisplatin-based regimens with less long-term toxicity in localized osteosarcoma. METHODS Between 1999 and 2006, we conducted a multi-institutional trial (OS99) to evaluate the activity of carboplatin, ifosfamide, and doxorubicin without HD-MTX in newly-diagnosed patients with localized osteosarcoma. Treatment comprised 12 cycles of chemotherapy given every 3 weeks: 3 consecutive cycles of carboplatin (dose targeted to AUC 8 mg/ml×min on day 1) and ifosfamide (2.65 g/m2 daily for 3 days) and one cycle of doxorubicin (25 mg/m2 daily for 3 days) followed by definitive surgery (week 12) and 2 additional cycles of carboplatin/ifosfamide and 3 cycles each of ifosfamide/doxorubicin and carboplatin/doxorubicin for a total of 35 weeks. The log rank test was used to compare survival and event-free survival (EFS) distributions. RESULTS A total of 72 eligible patients were enrolled. The median age was 13.4 years and 41 (57%) were male. The most common tumor site was the femur (n = 46; 64%). The median follow-up for survivors was 4.4 years. Forty of the 66 (60.6%) evaluable patients had good histologic response (tumor necrosis > 90%) to preoperative chemotherapy. There was no difference in EFS or survival distributions between OS99 and OS91. Four-year estimates of EFS were 68.1 ± 6.7% for OS99 compared to 70.2 ± 6.6% for OS91 (p = 0.89). The 4-year OS was 82.4% ± 5.7% for OS99 compared to 74.5% ± 6.3 for OS91 (p = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS OS99 produced outcomes similar to cisplatin or HD-MTX containing regimens and offers an alternative treatment regimen especially for patients with renal compromise and institutions where pharmacokinetic monitoring of MTX is not available. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Efficient Classification of Android Malware in the wild using Robust Static Features

The ubiquitous use of Android smartphones continue to threaten the security and privacy of users’ personal information. Its fast adoption rate makes the smartphone an interesting target for malware authors to deploy new attacks and infect millions of devices. Moreover, the growing number and diversity of malicious applications render conventional defenses ineffective. Thus, there is a need to not only better understand the characteristics of malware families but also, to generate features that are robust and efficient for classification over an extended period of time. In this chapter, we propose a machine learning based malware detection and classification methodology, with the use of static analysis as feature extraction method. Our tool, uniPDroid can be used to extract a plethora of informative features from our extensive dataset. We performed a malware family classification and obtained an average classification accuracy of 92%. We also present the empirical results for our cumulative classification which investigates how well features from old malware can contribute to the detection of new variants of both known and unknown malware.
Combination of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: observation of clinical effects.

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical effect of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS A total of 92 cases of advanced primary liver cancer underwent TACE and RFA treatment from June 2005 to 2011 at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College. A total of 88 cases with complete clinical treatment and follow-up data were divided into two groups: 43 patients treated with TACE (TACE group) and 45 patients that received TACE combined with RFA treatment (TACE + RFA group). After clinical data assessment, tumor size and survival status were not significantly different between the groups as determined by stratified analysis. RESULTS Before and after surgery, spiral CT radiography and color comparison observed ablation conditions. The tumor necrosis rates after treatment (CR + PR) were 67.4% (29/43) and 91.1% (41/45) for the TACE and combined treatment groups, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The quality of life was significantly improved for patients undergoing TACE + RFA compared with the control group. Survival duration was not significantly different in patients undergoing TACE + RFA compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS In this study, the effect of RFA combined with TACE treatment was better than TACE alone in treating advanced HCC.
Ketotifen in pollen‐induced asthma: a double blind placebo‐controlled study

Twenty‐nine children with an average age of 10.5 years were studied with respect to the protective effect of ketotifen on pollen‐induced bronchial asthma. All of them were sensitive to deciduous tree pollen, the diagnosis being verified by bronchial challenge. The children were stratified in matched pairs and randomly allocated to two treatment groups, placebo or ketotifen 1 mg twice daily. The study was double‐blind and was performed during the whole of the deciduous tree pollen season. Daily pollen counts were made, allergic symptoms were noted, additional medication was given and the expiratory pulmonary flow was recorded. During the birch pollen peak the ketotifen group showed significantly fewer, and less severe asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis than the placebo group. The anti‐asthmatic medication was also used significantly less than in the placebo group. Ketotifen appeared to have good protective properties in the treatment of pollen‐induced asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis.
Development, characterization and toxicological evaluations of phospholipids complexes of curcumin for effective drug delivery in cancer chemotherapy

Abstract The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize the complexes between curcumin (CU) phosphatidylcholine (PC) and hydrogenated soya phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and to evaluate their anticancer activity. These CU–PC and CU–HSPC complexes (CU–PC-C and CU–HSPC-C) were evaluated for various physical parameters like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, melting point, solubility, scanning electron microscopy and the in vitro drug release study. These data confirmed the formation of phospholipids complexes. The in vitro hemolysis study showed that the complex was non-hemolytic. The anti-cancer potential of the complexes was demonstrated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay in MCF-7 cell line. This increase may be due to the amphiphilic nature of the complexes, which significantly enhances the water and lipid solubility of the CU. Unlike the free CU (which showed a total of only 90% drug release at the end of 8 h), complex showed around 40–60% release at the end of 8 h in dissolution studies. It showed that (when given in equimolar doses) complexes have significantly decreased the amount of CU available for absorption as compared with CU-free drug. Both CU-PC-C and CU-HSPC-C were found to be non-toxic at the dose equivalent to 2000 mg/kg of body weight of CU in the toxicity study. Acute and subacute toxicity studies confirmed the oral safety of the formulation. A series of genotoxicity studies was conducted, which revealed the non-genotoxicity potential of the developed complexes. Thus, it can be concluded that the phospholipid complexes of CU may be a promising candidate in cancer therapy.
Descriptive Account of Spanish Loanword Phonology in Kaqchikel

This paper examines Spanish loanwords in Kaqchikel from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives. This paper is, to my knowledge, the first descriptive account of any length concerning Spanish loanword phonology in Kaqchikel. The section pertaining to a diachronic perspective of Spanish loanwords examines observable assimilatory processes by which Spanish words may have entered the Kaqchikel lexicon. Some historical developments of Spanish phonology are explored, relating them to potential explanations for contemporary forms of Kaqchikel borrowings. The section treating loanwords from a synchronic perspective examines contemporary speaker data. A number of recurrent phenomena observed in the data are discussed. One of the central observations is that Kaqchikel appears to utilize a number of structurally unrelated processes in order to resolve non-native stress patterns in Spanish loanwords. The phenomenon of vowel devoicing was observed, which, as far as the author is aware has not previously been described as a process occurring in Kaqchikel; furthermore, this phenomenon was consistent with the typology of voiceless vowels, in spite of the fact that this process does not manifest in other areas of the phonology. Following a brief consideration of how the data patterns relate to the discussion found in the diachronic perspective section, limitations of the present work, as well as implications for future direction are considered before entertaining some concluding thoughts.
Stability analysis and periodic optimal control problems for impulsive periodic system

In this paper, stability analysis and periodic optimal control problems for a class of an impulsive periodic system in Banach spaces is considered. Combining exponen- tial stabilizability and impulsive evolution operators, we present the existence of periodic optimal controls without assuming the semigroup is compact or exponentially stable. Fi- nally, an example is given for demonstration. AMS subject classiflcations: 47D03, 34G10, 93D15.
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species activate the slow force response to stretch in feline myocardium

When the length of the myocardium is increased, a biphasic response to stretch occurs involving an initial rapid increase in force followed by a delayed slow increase called the slow force response (SFR). Confirming previous findings involving angiotensin II in the SFR, it was blunted by AT1 receptor blockade (losartan). The SFR was accompanied by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) of ∼30% and in intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) of ∼2.5 mmol l−1 over basal detected by H2DCFDA and SBFI fluorescence, respectively. Abolition of ROS by 2‐mercapto‐propionyl‐glycine (MPG) and EUK8 suppressed the increase in [Na+]i and the SFR, which were also blunted by Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE‐1) inhibition (HOE642). NADPH oxidase inhibition (apocynin or DPI) or blockade of the ATP‐sensitive mitochondrial potassium channels (5HD or glybenclamide) suppressed both the SFR and the increase in [Na+]i after stretch, suggesting that endogenous angiotensin II activated NADPH oxidase leading to ROS release by the ATP‐sensitive mitochondrial potassium channels, which promoted NHE‐1 activation. Supporting the notion of ROS‐mediated NHE‐1 activation, stretch increased the ERK1/2 and p90rsk kinases phosphorylation, effect that was cancelled by losartan. In agreement, the SFR was cancelled by inhibiting the ERK1/2 signalling pathway with PD98059. Angiotensin II at a dose that mimics the SFR (1 nmol l−1) induced an increase in ·O2− production of ∼30–40% detected by lucigenin in cardiac slices, an effect that was blunted by losartan, MPG, apocynin, 5HD and glybenclamide. Taken together the data suggest a pivotal role of mitochondrial ROS in the genesis of the SFR to stretch.
Examination of Some Pesticide Residues in Surface Water, Sediment and Fish Tissue of Elechi Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria

An investigation into the levels of selected pesticides in surface waters, sediment and fish (Mudskipper) in the Elechi creek was carried out in two seasons and at three pre-determined sites. A higher concentration of 2, 4- diamine was observed in all stations and matrixes, while propoxur was least observed. Pesticide concentration in sediment is significantly different from that of water and fish tissue, which had the highest residual concentration. Concentration of pesticides ranged from 0.01 to 0.04 µg/L in water, 0.01 to 0.06 µg/gdw in sediment and 0.01 to 0.07 µg/gdw in fish, respectively. There was bioaccumulation of pesticides in fish samples. Observed residues are generally higher than stipulated limit of 0.01 µg/L by USEPA for pesticides of aquatic life, therefore, possess an ecological risk to the ecosystem and consequently human health.
Effects of apigenin on scrotal heat-induced damage in the mice testis

To investigate the effect of apigenin on scrotal heat-induced damage in mice, 8-week-old ICR mice were divided into five groups: (I) control group; (II) heat-treat (H) group; (III) H + apigenin 10 mg/kg; (IV) H + apigenin 20 mg/kg; (V) H + apigenin 50 mg/kg. Serum testosterone and inhibin B levels by immunoassays were evaluated. The related oxidative damage markers were determined by kit and histopathological examination was also performed. The results showed that the administration of apigenin was shown a significant effect on the recovery of testis function. When compared with the H group, the H + apigenin groups showed a significant increase in testosterone and inhibin B levels. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity increased after treated by apigenin, but malondialdehyde (MDA) reduced. Histopathological examination further verified the effects of apigenin on scrotal heat-induced damage mice. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate for the first time the ability of apigenin in attenuation of heat-induced testicular damage, apigenin therapy may be useful as a suppressor of degenerative effects following testicular hyperthermia.
Every caesarean section must count

Caesarean section rates (CSR) have climbed over the last three decades but some authors have argued that there is no reason to count them, claiming that this practice may lead to inappropriate attempts to lower CSR. However, there are many adverse effects of CS and these are short, medium and long‐term for both mother and baby. There is likely to be an optimal CSR which gives the best perinatal outcomes and unless each caesarean counts, and is counted, CSR will be higher than they need to be for best perinatal outcomes.
Human Neutrophil Gelatinase and Associated Lipocalin in Adult and Localized Juvenile Periodontitis

In search of direct in vivo evidence of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in periodontal tissue destruction, we studied the presence and localization of MMP-9 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in adult periodontitis (AP) and localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) gingival tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry, and the activities of gelatinases by Western blot, enzymography, and activity measurements, using radioactive gelatin as substrate in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and saliva. In gingival tissue obtained from AP and LJP patients, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) 92-kDa MMP-9 and NGAL were seen in the connective tissue, but both the sulcular and the oral epithelia were consistently negative. Whereas PMNs located in the gingival blood vessels showed strictly cytoplasmic MMP-9 and NGAL immunoreactivities, in the case of PMN extravasation the staining reactions extended extracellularly. Gelatinase activities consisting mainly of 92-kDa gelatinase were increased in AP GCF relative to LJP GCF and periodontally healthy control GCF. Western blot with specific anti-NGAL antibodies revealed the presence of 25-kDa NGAL and its high-molecular-weight forms in AP and LJP GCF and saliva and in culture medium of oral keratinocytes, but not in gingival fibroblast culture medium. We conclude that extravasated degranulating PMNs are the major source of MMP-9 and NGAL in periodontitis gingiva, GCF, and saliva.
Sonographic Features of Benign Papillary Neoplasms of the Breast: Review of 22 Patients

The sonographic features of 22 patients with histologically benign intraductal papillomas are presented, with clinical, mammographic, galactographic, and histopathologic correlation. The most common presenting feature in this series is a palpable central breast mass in an elderly woman. Sonography was abnormal in all 22 patients. The typical sonographic features include a well‐defined, smooth‐walled, solid, hypoechoic nodule or a lobulated, smooth‐walled, cystic lesion with solid components. Dilated ducts are a common feature, often with visible solid intraluminal echoes. These findings suggest the diagnosis of an intraductal papilloma. The differential diagnosis includes fibroadenoma and phyllodes tumor (for large solid lesions) and intracystic carcinoma (for complex cystic lesions). Mammograms are frequently normal (36% of patients). When abnormal, the mammographic features are of a smooth‐walled, well‐defined mass or increased retroareolar opacity. Contrary to the reported literature, calcification was seen infrequently. We conclude that ultrasonography is useful in the detection and delineation of intraductal papillomas.
Effect of Apolipoprotein E on the Cerebral Load of Latent Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 DNA

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is neurotropic and enters a latent state lasting the lifetime of the host. This pathogen has recently been proposed as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in conjunction with apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4). In a murine acute infection model, we showed that viral neuroinvasiveness depends directly on the overall ApoE dosage and especially on the presence of isoform ApoE4. If an interaction between ApoE and HSV-1 is involved in AD, it may occur during latency rather than during acute infection. Certainly, ApoE plays an important role in late-onset AD, i.e., at a time in life when the majority of people harbor HSV-1 in their nervous system. In the present work, wild-type, APOE knockout, APOE3, and APOE4 transgenic mice were used to analyze the influence of the ApoE profile on the levels of latent virus DNA. The knockout mice had significantly lower concentrations of the virus in the nervous system than the wild-type mice, while the APOE4 mice had very high levels in the brain compared to the APOE3 animals. ApoE4 seems to facilitate HSV-1 latency in the brain much more so than ApoE3. The APOE dosage correlated directly with the HSV-1 DNA concentration in the brain, strengthening the hypothesis that HSV-1, together with ApoE, might be involved in AD.
The Perceived Quality of Working Life in Croatia and the European Union

This study explores the perceived quality of working life (QWL) in Croatia and in two groups of EU countries: the EU17, which comprises established market economies of Western Europe, and the EU10, which consists of ten Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The analysis draws upon the database of the Fifth European Working Conditions Survey, the fieldwork for which was carried out in 2010. The number of participants was 24,424 in the EU17, 10,948 in the EU10, and 1,100 in the Croatian sample. Four dimensions have been constructed to measure the QWL: (1) economic security, (2) social relations at work, (3) meaningfulness of work, and (4) autonomy and participation in making decisions. The results show that the CEE countries lag behind the Western European countries, in particular in economic security. In a hierarchical cluster analysis the two groups are bundled together in separate clusters, indicating that a pronounced East-West divide in quality of working life continues to exist. Croatia, although with relatively high ratings on social relations, clusters together with the other transitional countries.
When Adolescents with High Self-Concept Lose their Engagement in School

Engagement in school and self-concept are two main constructs to explain the school adjustment. To understand how engagement might change during adolescence, we analyzed early and middle adolescents’ engagement in school (cognitive, affective, behavioural, and personal agency) as a function of their level of self-concept. Participants were 685 adolescents, 296 males (43.2%) and 389 females between 11-17 years old. Among early adolescents, students with high self-concept always reported more cognitive, affective, behavioural, and personal agency engagement than students with low self-concept. However, among middle adolescents, students with high self-concept reported only higher affective and behavioral engagement than students with low self-concept. High self-concept middle adolescents reported levels of cognitive and agentic engagement that were the same as their low self-concept peers, suggesting that these high self-concept middle adolescents had lost their earlier high levels of cognitive and agentic engagement.
Exploring the Political Side of Board Involvement in Strategy: A Study of Mixed-Ownership Institutions

This article reports on a comparative study of strategic decision-making and board functioning in nine firms. Findings indicate that the heterogeneity of interests represented on the board, members' possession of relevant knowledge, and the presence of ex-ante conflict resolution mechanisms combine in shaping if and how board members engage in strategy-related activities and how strategic decisions are taken. Findings extend current understandings about the strategic functions of the board (monitoring, advice, and resource-dependence), suggesting how, under certain conditions, boards may act as negotiation forums where directors search for a reconciliation between diverging shareholders' interests and views.