Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Framework for objective evaluation of privacy filters

Extensive adoption of video surveillance, affecting many aspects of our daily lives, alarms the public about the increasing invasion into personal privacy. To address these concerns, many tools have been proposed for protection of personal privacy in image and video. However, little is understood regarding the effectiveness of such tools and especially their impact on the underlying surveillance tasks, leading to a tradeoff between the preservation of privacy offered by these tools and the intelligibility of activities under video surveillance. In this paper, we investigate this privacy-intelligibility tradeoff objectively by proposing an objective framework for evaluation of privacy filters. We apply the proposed framework on a use case where privacy of people is protected by obscuring faces, assuming an automated video surveillance system. We used several popular privacy protection filters, such as blurring, pixelization, and masking and applied them with varying strengths to people's faces from different public datasets of video surveillance footage. Accuracy of face detection algorithm was used as a measure of intelligibility (a face should be detected to perform a surveillance task), and accuracy of face recognition algorithm as a measure of privacy (a specific person should not be identified). Under these conditions, after application of an ideal privacy protection tool, an obfuscated face would be visible as a face but would not be correctly identified by the recognition algorithm. The experiments demonstrate that, in general, an increase in strength of privacy filters under consideration leads to an increase in privacy (i.e., reduction in recognition accuracy) and to a decrease in intelligibility (i.e., reduction in detection accuracy). Masking also shows to be the most favorable filter across all tested datasets.
Young Children Learning Spanish Make Rapid Use of Grammatical Gender in Spoken Word Recognition

All nouns in Spanish have grammatical gender, with obligatory gender marking on preceding articles (e.g., la and el, the feminine and masculine forms of “the,” respectively). Adult native speakers of languages with grammatical gender exploit this cue in on-line sentence interpretation. In a study investigating the early development of this ability, Spanish-learning children (34–42 months) were tested in an eye-tracking procedure. Presented with pairs of pictures with names of either the same grammatical gender (la pelota, “ball [feminine]”; la galleta, “cookie [feminine]”) or different grammatical gender (la pelota; el zapato, “shoe [masculine]”), they heard sentences referring to one picture (Encuentra la pelota, “Find the ball”). The children were faster to orient to the referent on different-gender trials, when the article was potentially informative, than on same-gender trials, when it was not, and this ability was correlated with productive measures of lexical and grammatical competence. Spanish-learning children who can speak only 500 words already use gender-marked articles in establishing reference, a processing advantage characteristic of native Spanish-speaking adults.
Does Ischemia-Induced Prostate Damage during Cardiac Surgery Involving Cardiopulmonary Bypass Cause Bladder Outlet Obstruction?

Objective: This study sought to investigate whether ischemia-induced prostate damage during cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass causes bladder outlet obstruction. Materials and Methods: The study involved 37 men who underwent elective cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were determined preoperatively (baseline) and on postoperative days 1, 5, and 30. In 4 cases, the PSA level after the operation was unchanged from the preoperative level, so these 4 men were excluded from the study. In the remaining 33 patients, symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction were assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score. Each subject completed this test preoperatively and 3, 6 and 9 months postoperatively, and the means scores at these time points were compared. The effects of patient age, operative time, CPB time, and aortic clamping time on postoperative increases in PSA levels were investigated. Results: Thirty-three (89.2%) of the 37 men exhibited increased postoperative PSA levels compared to baseline. The mean PSA level for the 33 cases on day 5 was significantly higher than the baseline mean, but the mean levels on postoperative days 1 and 30 were comparable to baseline. Nine (24.3%) of the 33 men had postoperative PSA levels greater than 4.0 ng/dl (the upper normal limit). There was no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative International Prostate Symptom Scores. Conclusion: The study indicates that men’s PSA levels are, indeed, increased after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. However, in 9 months of follow-up, there was no association between this PSA rise and development of BOO, according to International Prostate Symptom Scores.
Concordance analyses of twins with bladder exstrophy–epispadias complex suggest genetic etiology

Heiko Reutter,* Lihong Qi, John P. Gearhart, Thomas Boemers, Anne-Karoline Ebert, Wolfgang Rösch, Michael Ludwig, and Simeon A. Boyadjiev Department of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany Rowe Program in Human Genetics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California—Davis, Davis, California Department of Urology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology, Children’s Hospital, Cologne, Germany Department of Pediatric Urology, St. Hedwig Hospital, Barmherzige Brüder, Germany Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany Section of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California—Davis, Davis, California
The Effect of Remifentanil on the Bispectral Index Change and Hemodynamic Responses After Orotracheal Intubation

In order to examine whether changes in the bispectral index (BIS) may be an adequate monitor for the analgesic component of anesthesia, we evaluated the effect of remifentanil on the BIS change and hemodynamic responses to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Fifty ASA physical status I patients were randomly assigned, in a double-blinded fashion, to one of five groups (n = 10/group) according to the remifentanil target effect compartment site concentration (0, 2, 4, 8, or 16 ng/mL). The target-controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil was initiated 3 min after the TCI of propofol that was maintained at the effect-site concentration of 4 &mgr;g/mL throughout the study. After the loss of consciousness and before the administration of vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg, a tourniquet was applied to one arm and inflated above the systolic blood pressure in order to detect any gross movement within the first minute after tracheal intubation, which was performed 3 min after remifentanil TCI began. A BIS value was generated every 10 s. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were measured every minute, noninvasively. Measures of mean arterial pressure (MAP), HR, and BIS were obtained before the induction, before the start of remifentanil TCI, before laryngoscopy, and 5 min after intubation. The relationships between remifentanil effect-site concentrations and BIS change or hemodynamic responses (changes in MAP and HR) to intubation were determined by logarithmic regression. BIS values were not affected by remifentanil before laryngoscopy. During this period, MAP and HR decreased significantly (P < 0.01) in the remifentanil 8 and 16 ng/mL groups. Changes in BIS, MAP, and HR were negatively correlated with remifentanil effect-site concentration (P < 0.0001). The number of movers in the remifentanil 0-, 2-, 4-, 8-, and 16-ng/mL groups was, respectively, 10, 9, 7, 1, and 0. Hypotensive episodes (MAP < 60 mm Hg) were noted in 1, 2, and 5 patients in the remifentanil 4-, 8-, and 16-ng/mL groups, respectively. We conclude that the addition of remifentanil to propofol affects BIS only when a painful stimulus is applied. Moreover, remifentanil attenuated or abolished increases in BIS and MAP after tracheal intubation in a comparable dose-dependent fashion. Implications Bispectral index change is as sensitive as hemodynamic responses after a painful stimulus for detecting deficits in the analgesic component of anesthesia. It may, therefore, be a useful monitor of the depth of anesthesia in patients who are incapable of HR and MAP responses to noxious stimuli because of medications or cardiovascular disease.
Glycemic and lipid responses to glucomannan in Thais with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the benefits of glucomannan supplement on glycemic and lipid controls in type 2 diabetic patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD A single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with two treatments separated by a 2-week washout period was performed in 10 men and 10 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Two separated protocols of experiments were sequentially followed. Initially, purified glucomannan (1 g) or placebo was ingested 30 min before 75-g glucose load to evaluate their effects on glucose absorption and insulin secretion in oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Later, the glycemic and lipid changes after 4-week intervention with 3 g/day glucomannan comparing to the placebo were determined. The standard OGTT was performed before and after ending of each intervention. RESULTS Glucomannan taken before performing the OGTT can lower the rise of blood glucose and insulin from 1 to 2 hour in comparison with the placebo, though a statistically significance of insulin was not achieved. Long-term glucomannan supplement significantly reduced the 120-min glucose area under the curve of OGTT. Glucomannan also decreased the rise of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Reductions of HOMA-insulin resistance index and body mass index were detected in glucomannan-treated group though the former was shown only in females. No within- and between-group differences of insulin, fructosamine, and other lipids were observed in glucomannan- nor placebo- treated groups. CONCLUSION In type 2 diabetes, pre-prandial glucomannan ingestion attenuated a rise of blood glucose without significantly affecting insulin levels. Long-term supplement of glucomannan to the regular diabetic regimen lessened post challenge glucose AUC and impeded the rise of LDL-C. Supplement of glucomannan may be beneficial to the glycemic and lipid controls in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Simple versus complex models of trait evolution and stasis as a response to environmental change

Significance Paleontologists have long argued about what the fossil record call tell us about how species evolve over long periods. Simple models such as stasis and random walks have been used to explore evolutionary patterns, but these have not always adequately captured the ways in which traits change over time in fossil species. Here we find that models with complex evolutionary dynamics are often favored, especially for fossil series that sample many populations, suggesting that the underlying evolutionary reality is likely more complex than represented by simplified—though still useful—models of trait change. Previous analyses of evolutionary patterns, or modes, in fossil lineages have focused overwhelmingly on three simple models: stasis, random walks, and directional evolution. Here we use likelihood methods to fit an expanded set of evolutionary models to a large compilation of ancestor–descendant series of populations from the fossil record. In addition to the standard three models, we assess more complex models with punctuations and shifts from one evolutionary mode to another. As in previous studies, we find that stasis is common in the fossil record, as is a strict version of stasis that entails no real evolutionary changes. Incidence of directional evolution is relatively low (13%), but higher than in previous studies because our analytical approach can more sensitively detect noisy trends. Complex evolutionary models are often favored, overwhelmingly so for sequences comprising many samples. This finding is consistent with evolutionary dynamics that are, in reality, more complex than any of the models we consider. Furthermore, the timing of shifts in evolutionary dynamics varies among traits measured from the same series. Finally, we use our empirical collection of evolutionary sequences and a long and highly resolved proxy for global climate to inform simulations in which traits adaptively track temperature changes over time. When realistically calibrated, we find that this simple model can reproduce important aspects of our paleontological results. We conclude that observed paleontological patterns, including the prevalence of stasis, need not be inconsistent with adaptive evolution, even in the face of unstable physical environments.
Expression of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sdh3p and Sdh4p Paralogs Results in Catalytically Active Succinate Dehydrogenase Isoenzymes*

Background: Succinate dehydrogenase is a tetrameric, mitochondrial membrane protein needed for respiratory energy generation. Results: Yeast succinate dehydrogenase containing Sdh3p and Sdh4p paralogs is catalytically active. Conclusion: Expression of paralogous subunits results in enzymes with novel kinetic properties. Significance: At least four functional succinate dehydrogenase isoenzymes containing zero, one, or two paralogs can be expressed in yeast mitochondria. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), also known as complex II, is required for respiratory growth; it couples the oxidation of succinate to the reduction of ubiquinone. The enzyme is composed of two domains. A membrane-extrinsic catalytic domain composed of the Sdh1p and Sdh2p subunits harbors the flavin and iron-sulfur cluster cofactors. A membrane-intrinsic domain composed of the Sdh3p and Sdh4p subunits interacts with ubiquinone and may coordinate a b-type heme. In many organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, possible alternative SDH subunits have been identified in the genome. S. cerevisiae contains one paralog of the Sdh3p subunit, Shh3p (YMR118c), and two paralogs of the Sdh4p subunit, Shh4p (YLR164w) and Tim18p (YOR297c). We cloned and expressed these alternative subunits. Shh3p and Shh4p were able to complement Δsdh3 and Δsdh4 deletion mutants, respectively, and support respiratory growth. Tim18p was unable to do so. Microarray and proteomics data indicate that the paralogs are expressed under respiratory and other more restrictive growth conditions. Strains expressing hybrid SDH enzymes have distinct metabolic profiles that we distinguished by 1H NMR analysis of metabolites. Surprisingly, the Sdh3p subunit can form SDH isoenzymes with Sdh4p or with Shh4p as well as be a subunit of the TIM22 mitochondrial protein import complex.
Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of the Line Current in Matrix Converters

In this paper a general approach for the determination of the line current harmonic content in matrix converters is presented. The input disturbances, such as voltage unbalance and voltage harmonics, are considered as perturbations of the fundamental component, and a small-signal analysis is used to determine the spectrum of the line current. The proposed analytical approach has a general validity, because it takes into account the effects of the line and filter impedance, the supply harmonics and the input current modulation strategy as well. Hence, it could be usefully employed to evaluate the line current quality in the point of common coupling for different filter topologies and supply distortions. Experimental results are given to confirm the analytical solution.
Computed tomographic evaluation to determine efficacy of euthanasia of yearling feedlot cattle by use of various firearm-ammunition combinations.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate with CT the efficacy of various combinations of firearms and ammunitions to penetrate and disrupt the brain tissue of cadaveric heads of feedlot steers. SAMPLE 42 fresh cadaveric heads of 12- to 18-month-old Bos taurus steers. PROCEDURES For each of 7 combinations of firearms and ammunitions (.22-caliber rifle firing a long rifle 30-grain plated lead solid- or hollow-point round, .223-caliber carbine firing a 50-grain ballistic-tip round, 9-mm pistol firing a 124-grain total metal jacket round, .45-caliber automatic Colt pistol [ACP] firing a 230-grain full metal jacket round, and 12-gauge shotgun firing a 2.75-inch 1.25-ounce No. 4 birdshot shell or a 1-ounce rifled slug), 6 cadaveric heads were shot at an identical distance (3 m), angle, and anatomic location. Heads were scanned with third-generation CT, and images were evaluated to determine extent of penetration, projectile fragmentation, cranial fracture, and likelihood of instantaneous death (≥ 30% destruction of brain tissue or a brainstem lesion). RESULTS-41 of 42 skulls were penetrated by the projectile. Instantaneous death was considered a likely consequence for 83% (25/30) of heads shot with a rifle-fired . 22-caliber solid-point round, pistol-fired . 45-caliber ACP round, carbine-fired . 223-caliber round, and shotgun-fired birdshot and slug. Of the 18 heads shot with pistol-fired 9-mm and . 45-caliber ACP rounds and rifle-fired . 22-caliber hollow-point rounds, only 6 had brainstem lesions. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Results suggested that gunshots delivered by all firearm-ammunition combinations except rifle-fired . 22-caliber hollow-point rounds and pistol-fired 9-mm rounds were viable options for euthanasia of feedlot cattle.
Alcohol drinking and total cancer risk: an evaluation based on a systematic review of epidemiologic evidence among the Japanese population.

BACKGROUND We conducted a systematic review of epidemiological evidence to evaluate the association between alcohol drinking and total cancer risk among the Japanese population. METHODS Original data were obtained from MEDLINE searches using PubMed or from searches of the Ichushi database, complemented with manual searches. Evaluation of associations was based on the strength of evidence and the magnitude of association, together with biological plausibility as previously evaluated by the International Agency of Research on Cancer. RESULTS Of eight cohort studies identified, six studies, three of which included women, were subjected to evaluation. In men, all six studies showed a weak to moderate positive association between alcohol drinking and total cancer risk. While light drinking had little effect on total cancer risk, heavy drinking of more than 46-69 g of alcohol per day contributed to total cancer risk for most of these Japanese populations. However, no association was reported in women in any of the three studies. CONCLUSION We conclude that there is convincing evidence that alcohol drinking increases the risk of total cancer in the Japanese population, specifically among heavy drinking men.
Patients with Infectious Endocarditis and Drug Dependence Have Worse Clinical Outcomes after Valvular Surgery.

BACKGROUND Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) are at high risk for post-operative morbidity and death, which might be associated with drug abuse. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of drug dependence on outcomes in patients who have IE and undergo valvular surgery (VS). PATIENTS AND METHODS The Nationwide/National Inpatient Sample 2001-2012 was queried to select patients with IE who had elective VS using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis and procedure codes. Among them, patients with drug dependence (PDD) were identified, and their health status and post-operative outcomes were compared with those in patients without drug dependence (control group). Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests as well as multi-variable regression analysis were used for statistics. RESULTS A total of 809 (12.9%) PDD of the 6,264 patients who underwent VS were evaluated. They were younger compared with those in the control group (39.0 ± 10.8 y vs. 54.4 ± 14.8 y; p < 0.0001), had less age-related co-morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, renal failure, obesity, but greater rates of alcohol abuse, liver disease, and psychoses. Despite the younger age and fewer co-morbidities, PDD compared with control patients were more likely to have post-operative complications develop overall (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34-2.01), including infectious complications (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.27-1.78), specifically pneumonia (OR = 1.4; 95% CI 1.14-1.74) and sepsis (OR = 1.4; 95% CI 1.16-1.63), renal complications (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.23-1.77), and pulmonary embolism (OR = 1.9; 95% CI 1.44-2.52). Further, PDD had 11% longer hospital length of stay than those in the control groups (p < 0.0001). We did not find significant difference in hospital deaths, however, between these groups. CONCLUSION Drug dependence is associated with worse post-operative outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis who underwent valvular surgery and lengthens their hospital stay.
Observation of impurities in ice

This paper presents a new method for determining the microstructural location of impurities in polycrystalline ice, which involves allowing the ice to sublimate under vacuum and then identifying the concentrated impurities using energy dispersive X‐ray microanalysis in a low‐vacuum scanning electron microscope. The method allows the presence of impurities in both the grain boundaries and the lattice of natural polycrystalline ice to be observed. Using this technique on natural ice, filaments consisting chiefly of NaCl were observed in some grain boundaries, small amounts of sulfur and chlorine were found in the grain interiors of the ice, and large concentrations of sulfur were observed in inclusions. Microsc. Res. Tech. 55:198–207, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antioxidant Enzymes in Gestational Diabetes: A Study on a Kuwaiti Population

Objectives: We hypothesize that enzymatic antioxidants are significant contributors to antioxidant status in gestational diabetes (GDM) through scavenging of free radicals. Methods: We evaluated total antioxidant activity and the activities of two major physiological antioxidant enzymes: glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in peripheral blood of 22 pregnant Kuwaiti women in second trimester afflicted with GDM, 28 healthy pregnant women (also in 2nd trimester) and 27 healthy non-pregnant women. Enzyme activities were measured using spectrophotometric assays. Results: No significant differences were noted in total antioxidant activity in peripheral blood in the three cohorts; however, serum SOD activity was significantly decreased in blood of both GDM women (p<0.05) and healthy pregnant subjects (p<0.05) relative to the non-pregnant cohort. Conversely, the activity of GPX was significantly elevated in blood of GDM-afflicted women relative to non-pregnant (p<0.001); and healthy pregnant women (p<0.001). GPX/SOD ratio was significantly higher in the GDM group compared to normal pregnancy and nonpregnant control (P<0.01). Conclusion: The activity of GPX /SOD ratio may be a marker of glycemic control in women with gestational diabetes. It is reasonable to conclude that the pathogenesis of GDM may involve the release of substantial quantities of mediators. This phenomenon suggest further investigation in the management of GDM which may involve other therapeutic targets for pharmacological intervention.