Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Road Sign Inventory (IRSI) with Image Recognition and Attribute Computation from Video Log

Abstract: Road signs are infrastructure assets crucial for transportation safety. Transportation agencies need to inventory signs regularly, e.g., annually or every 2 years, for asset management. This article proposes a framework of intelligent road sign inventory (IRSI) to enhance sign data collection, compared with existing manual or semiautomatic methods. The two key technical problems of sign recognition and attribute computation are addressed for IRSI. Because sign colors are important for both image segmentation and color features analysis, a novel kernel‐density‐estimation‐based statistical color model (KDE‐SCM) is proposed to describe the widespread and multimodel sign color distributions. The KDE‐SCM is embedded into a sign recognition algorithm by integrating sign shapes, textures, and other features. Furthermore, sign attributes, including the distance, local position, global positioning system (GPS) position, height, tilt angle, etc., are computed from image and GPS data. The proposed algorithms have been tested with the actual video log images collected on 35 km road segments in Kyoto City, Japan. For the KDE‐SCM color models, the false positive rates for the red and blue colors are 0.9% and 0.7%, while the false negative rates are 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively. The sign recognition algorithm was configured and applied to recognize three regulatory sign types of stop, no‐crossing, and no‐parking signs with 92.6% precision and 91.9% recall on average. The sign attribute computation model was also tested with the actual video log. The computation errors for distance, position, tilt angle, and height, etc., increase with the measurement distances. The sign‐to‐camera distances have the computation errors of less than 22 cm if the measurement distances are less than 15 m. The proposed algorithms demonstrate good potential for developing IRSI to enhance road asset data collection and processing.
Appendicitis Near Its Centenary

In an analysis of the first 72 cases treated after the formulation of the appendicitis syndrome in 1886 compared with the experience from 1929-1959 and with 307 randomly selected recent cases, the major therapeutic trend has been an emphasis on appendectomy before perforation and abscess formation occur. The rate of infection nonetheless remains approximately 17%. Although the overall mortality rate has declined from 26% overall (40% for surgery) to 0.8%, the current rate of perforation is 28%, with a diagnostic accuracy of 82%. Among 13,848 patients from several reports the perforation rate increases linearly with diagnostic accuracy; therefore, a balance must be sought. Delay awaiting a diagnosis is a major determinant of perforation, but diagnostic aids are of limited help. Clinical acuity and prudent decisiveness are the keys to proper action.
Frequency-dependent conductivity in bismuth-vanadate glassy semiconductors.

The first measurements are reported for the frequency-dependent (ac) conductivity (real as well as imaginary parts) for various compositions of the bismuth-vanadate glassy semiconductors in the frequency range 10 2 -10 5 Hz and in the temperature range 77-420 K. The behavior of the ac conductivity is broadly similar to what has been observed previously in many other types of amorphous semiconductors, namely, nearly linear frequency dependence and weak temperature dependence. The experimental results are analyzed with reference to various theoretical models based on quantum-mechanical tunneling and classical hopping over barriers. The analysis shows that the temperature dependence of the ac conductivity is consistent with the simple quantum-mechanical tunneling model at low temperatures; however, this model completely fails to predict the observed temperature dependence of the frequency exponent. The overlapping-large-polaron tunneling model can explain the temperature dependence of the frequency exponent at low temperatures. Fitting of this model to the low-temperature data yields a reasonable value of the wave-function decay constant. However, this model predicts the temperature dependence of the ac conductivity much higher than what actual data showed. The correlated barrier hopping model is consistent with the temperature dependence of both the ac conductivity and its frequency exponent. This model provides reasonable values of the maximum barrier heights but higher values of characteristic relaxation times.
Acquired, noncongenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in children and adolescents: clinical management and the use of ADAMTS 13 assays

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in children is rare and is often thought to be due to congenital ADAMTS13 deficiency. We report seven new cases of noncongenital TTP in children and adolescents and perform a review of the literature where ADAMTS13 assays have been performed in paediatric acquired TTP. All new cases were female and the median age was 13 years. Presenting clinical features included bruising/petechiae or bleeding, fever, neurological, and renal impairment. Median Hb and platelet counts on admission were 66 g/l and 10 × 109/l respectively. Two cases had raised Troponin T levels and one had an abnormal ECG. All cases had ADAMTS13 activity less than 5% and an inhibitor to ADAMTS13. The median number of plasma exchange to remission was 22.5. Six cases received rituximab. Three achieved normal ADAMTS13 activity and remain in remission. Two had persistently low ADAMTS13 activity with high anti-ADAMTS13 IgG levels and one of these relapsed. One had moderately reduced levels of ADAMTS13 in remission with no inhibitor, however, a fall in ADAMTS13 activity and increase in anti-ADAMTS13 IgG heralded clinical relapse. The literature review identified 12 acquired cases showing low ADAMTS13 activity and inhibition of ADAMTS13 (in 95%). In children and adolescents TTP may be due to acquired deficiency of ADAMTS13, associated with an inhibitor/Anti-ADAMTS13 IgG antibodies. Treatment of acquired disease requires PEX and usually immunosuppressive treatment. Rituximab appears to be an effective adjunctive treatment modality.
Effects of accelerated aging and subsequent priming on seed quality and biochemical change of hybrid cucumber (Cucumis sativa Linn.) seeds

The research was aimed to study beneficial effects of seed priming treatment on various deteriorated seeds under artificial accelerated aging. It was focused on seed quality and biochemical parameters which were germination percentage, speed of germination, and mean germination time, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde and total peroxide), and antioxidant activity (ascorbate, dehydroascorbate, catalase and %DPPH inhibition). Experiments were tested for seed priming and accelerated aging which conducted in the seed processing plant with the hybrid cucumber seeds of cultivar SPP012. Seeds were brought to incubate aging chamber to obtain 45C and relative humidity of 100 % for 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 days. Subsequently, all of the seeds were dried at 35 C for 48 hours by the modified air-dryer to reduce seed moisture to 7-8%. Aged seeds were soaked in KH2PO4 and using PEG 6000 as the agent to adjust a potential to be -1 MPa at 15 C for 72 hours. Primed seeds were rinsed with deionized water and adjusted to the initial seed moisture by air-drying at 35 C for 48 hours. The samples were randomly selected to examine the effects of accelerated aging to monitor seed quality in the laboratory and greenhouse. Germination tests were performed to examine seeds quality. Biochemical analysis covered lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity. The results found that seed priming was improved the quality of hybrid cucumber seeds and biochemical parameters at significant level. Level of germination defines effectiveness of seed priming in commercial purpose. Seed priming significantly reduced amount of malondialdehyde and total peroxide. The antioxidant activity, seed priming affects various results of biochemical changes were expressed by increasing the level of antioxidant activity.
An interferon‐γ‐related cytokine storm in SARS patients†

Fourteen cytokines or chemokines were analyzed on 88 RT‐PCR‐confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients. IFN‐γ, IL‐18, TGF‐β, IL‐6, IP‐10, MCP‐1, MIG, and IL‐8, but not of TNF‐α, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐10, IL‐13, or TNFRI, were highly elevated in the acute phase sera of Taiwan SARS patients. IFN‐γ was significantly higher in the Ab(+) group than in the Ab(−) group. IFN‐γ, IL‐18, MCP‐1, MIG, and IP‐10 were already elevated at early days post fever onset. Furthermore, levels of IL‐18, IP‐10, MIG, and MCP‐1 were significantly higher in the death group than in the survival group. For the survival group, IFN‐γ and MCP‐1 were inversely associated with circulating lymphocytes count and monocytes count, but positively associated with circulating neutrophils count. It is concluded that an interferon‐γ‐related cytokine storm was induced post SARS coronavirus infection, and this cytokine storm might be involved in the immunopathological damage in SARS patients. J. Med. Virol. 75:185–194, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Contributes to Phorbol Ester-Induced Ca 2 +-Independent Contraction of Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle

We determined the contribution of the Rho family of low molecular GTP-binding proteins to phorbol ester-induced contraction in swine pulmonary artery smooth muscle. In Ca2+-free medium containing 1 mM EGTA, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate (DPB, 1 μM), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, elicited sustained contractions, which were not inhibited by treatment with verapamil, a voltagedependent Ca2+ channel antagonist, and Y27632, a Rho-associated kinase inhibitor. Immunoblot analysis showed three PKC isoforms (α, ε, and ζ) and two Rho GTPases (RhoA and Cdc42) in both cytosolic and the membrane fractions from quiescent strips. DPB (1 μM) significantly induced PKCα and ε to translocate from the cytosolic to the membrane fraction in Ca2+-free medium. DPB also elicited the translocation of Cdc42, but not RhoA to the membrane fraction. Similarly, in the experiment for measurement of Rho GTPase activity by pull-down assay, DPB (1 μM) significantly increased the activity of Cdc42 in Ca2+-free medium. Norepinephrine (NE, 10 μM) stimulated the redistribution of RhoA from the cytosolic to the membrane fraction in swine pulmonary artery smooth muscle. In contrast, NE did not alter the subcellular distributions of Cdc42 and the PKC isoforms. These results indicate that phorbol ester evokes PKC-mediated Ca2+-independent contraction via a Rho GTPase pathway, especially Cdc42, in smooth muscle from swine pulmonary arteries.
Effect of second child intent on delivery mode after Chinese two child policy implementation: a cross sectional and prospective observational study of nulliparous women in Chongqing

Objectives To assess the influence of second child intent on the delivery preferences and final delivery modes of nulliparous women, particularly caesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR), after implementation of China’s two child policy. Design Cross sectional and prospective observational study. Setting A tertiary teaching hospital in Chongqing, China. Participants 1000 low risk nulliparous women were initially involved, and were divided into two groups based on their intent on having a second child. 814 women who completed all interviews were analysed. Main outcome measures Preferred mode of delivery in second trimester and at admission; final delivery mode, CDMR. Results 814 women who completed all interviews were analysed, in whom 51.2% intended to have a second child. The preference for caesarean delivery (CD) at the second trimester between the intent and no intent group was 6.2% versus 17.9% (adjusted RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.63) and increased to 24.2% versus 37.3% (adjusted RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.94) at admission, respectively. The overall CD rates between the two groups were 41.0% versus 50.4% (adjusted RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.18), and the CDMR rates were 16.7% versus 29.0% (adjusted RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.86), respectively. Conclusions Women who intend to have a second child are less likely to request a CD, and high rates of CD and CDMR in nulliparous women may have decreased after implementation of China’s two child policy.
Liver disease, aminoglycoside antibiotics and renal dysfunction

associated with a greater incideice of renal dysfunction in patients with liver disease than in patients without liver disease? The answer is obviously important to those who must choose the appropriate antibiotics for patients with liver disease. The subject is controversial, as judged from the article by Camps et al. in this issue of Hepatology (1). A review of the evidence from investigations in both man and animals should shed light on this point and also should provide a perspective on the contributions that can come from animal studies and those that can come only from investigations in man. The evidence suggests that aminoglycoside antibiotics are associated with a greater incidence of renal dysfunction in patients with liver disease and that this interaction is clinically important. Moreover, a knowledge of the interaction could contribute to our understanding of the pathophysiology of both aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity and the hepatorenal syndrome. The evidence in favor of liver disease as a risk factor for renal dysfunction in patients receiving aminoglycoside antibiotics must ultimately come from investigations in man since no animal model can provide proof that such an association does or does not occur in man. The clinical evidence supporting an association among liver disease, aminoglycoside antibiotics and renal dysfunction has come from our group at Johns Hopkins (Moore, Smith, Lietman and colleagues) and other investigators from Northwestern University (Desai and Tsang). Our interest was generated by observations of our hepatology colleagues whose clinical impression was that their patients had an unusually frequent decrease in renal function when aminoglycoside antibiotics such as gentamicin, tobramycin or amikacin were used. Liver disease was, therefore, added to a rather long list of possibilities that were analyzed by Moore et al. (2,3), Smith et al. (4) and Sawyers et al. (5) to identify risk factors for aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity using a large data base generated from two prospective, randomized, controlled and double-blinded clinical trials comparing tobramycin to gentamicin (6, 7). Liver disease was clearly a risk factor for aminogly coside nephrotoxicity when a simple univariate analysis was performed, and continued to be an important risk factor when a multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis was added to assess the ability of each independent risk factor to appropriately assign patients to groups with and without nephrotoxicity in the pres-
Effects of Kr,$hboxN_2$, and Ar on Address Discharge Time Lag in AC Plasma-Display Panel With High Xenon Content

The additive gas effect on the discharge time lag of the address pulse was investigated in an ac plasma-display panel (PDP) with a Ne+13% Xe gas mixture. A small amount of Kr, N2, and Ar gas, respectively, was added to a Ne+13% Xe gas mixture to improve the address discharge time lag of an ac PDP. It was found that the address discharge time lag was improved by adding a small amount of Kr gas (up to 2%) to the Ne+13% Xe gas mixture and thereafter worsened. In the case of the addition of Ar gas to Ne+13% Xe, the discharge time lag of the address pulse was not improved. The concentration of N2 in the Ne+13% Xe gas mixture was varied from 0.013% to 0.187%, and its effects on the address discharge time lag were investigated. The time lag for the address discharge with a Ne+13% Xe+0.013% N2 gas mixture was improved
Acute phosphate nephropathy following colonoscopy preparation.

T American Cancer Society, American College of Gastroenterology, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force all recommend routine colonoscopy in the screening of colon cancer in adults older than 50 years.1–4 According to American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines, there are three methods of bowel preparation in widespread clinical use for colonoscopy. These include a polyethylene glycol salt solution, oral sodium phosphate (OSP) solution, and OSP tablets. The latter phosphate-containing preparations remain an oft-used bowel purgative prior to colonoscopy. The most recent purgative to have been introduced was Visicol (Salix Pharmaceuticals, Morrisville, NC), which is a phosphate-based tablet. Visicol is a 2 gram tablet that contains 1500 mg of monobasic and dibasic sodium phosphate. It is administered in a split-dosing regimen, with doses approximately 12 hours apart. When Visicol is used as a bowel purgative, patients are instructed to take 3–4 tablets every 15 minutes along with 8 ounces of water for a total of 20 tablets the night prior to and the morning of the colonoscopy. Thus, the complete regimen consists of 40 tablets, or 60 grams of phosphate salts. Preparations using phosphate solution and tablets have comparable efficacy to those using polyethylene glycol (PEG). 5–8 and are well-tolerated. Although phosphate-based preparations are generally felt to have few systemic side effects,5 of late, a number of case reports of acute renal failure have been reported following the use of these agents. We present one such case of renal failure with persistent loss of renal function subsequent to the administration of Visicol in preparation for a colonoscopy. Case Report
Disposition of ceftriaxone in rat: application of a pharmacokinetic-protein binding model and comparison with cefotaxime.

1. The pharmacokinetic profile and protein binding parameters of ceftriaxone were determined in rat, and compared with those of cefotaxime. 2. Plasma concentration-time curves of ceftriaxone and cefotaxime (single i.v. bolus; 100 mg/kg each) were described by a two-compartment, protein-binding model. 3. The corrected VTss (ml/kg) of ceftriaxone was lower than that of cefotaxime. The AUCs of both drugs were similar. The t1/2 beta of the two drugs differed significantly, being 29 min for ceftriaxone and 17 min for cefotaxime. 4. In vivo protein binding constants of both drugs were similar, but the concentrations of protein binding sites differed significantly. The average free fractions in plasma (Fp) of ceftriaxone and cefotaxime were 0.22 and 0.48 respectively. 5. Saturation of the binding site for cefotaxime was estimated to occur at about 30 micrograms/ml in plasma, whereas saturation for ceftriaxone was seen at lower concentrations.
Cell biology of valvular interstitial cells.

OBJECTIVE To review the cell biology of the interstitial cells of heart valves. While studying the function of interstitial cells of heart valves, the authors observed that interstitial cells from porcine mitral valve have mixed phenotypic expression. DATA SOURCE English-language literature from 1985-95 that discussed the cell biology of heart valve interstitial cells, including their structural and functional characteristics. RESULTS Morphologically, heart valve interstitial cells have characteristics of both fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. It is not clear, however, whether these cells represent a single (myofibroblast) cell type or whether there are two populations of cells within the valve. This review summarizes reports of the structural and functional characteristics of heart valve interstitial cells including ultrastructure, cell junctions, smooth muscle cell markers, cell growth, role in wound repair and contractility. CONCLUSIONS Vascular interstitial cells play an important role in both normal and diseased valves. Our understanding of the heterogeneity of valvular interstitial cells is incomplete; however, this heterogeneity allows for multiple functions to be carried out including cell-cell communication, matrix secretion, wound repair and contractility. Future studies are needed to focus on the regulation of cellular heterogeneity as it relates to valve structure and function in health and disease.
Stromules: Recent Insights into a Long Neglected Feature of Plastid Morphology and Function1[W]

Extensions and protrusions of the plastid envelope had been described a number of times in the pre-1990s literature, including a report in 1888 and a 1908 monograph on plastids (for review, see [Gray et al., 2001][1]; [Kwok and Hanson, 2004a][2]), but they were never generally accepted features of
The Cysteine Desulfhydrase CdsH Is Conditionally Required for Sulfur Mobilization to the Thiamine Thiazole in Salmonella enterica

ABSTRACT Thiamine pyrophosphate is a required coenzyme that contains a mechanistically important sulfur atom. In Salmonella enterica, sulfur is trafficked to both thiamine biosynthesis and 4-thiouridine biosynthesis by the enzyme ThiI using persulfide (R-S-S-H) chemistry. It was previously reported that a thiI mutant strain could grow independent of exogenous thiamine in the presence of cysteine, suggesting there was a second mechanism for sulfur mobilization. Data reported here show that oxidation products of cysteine rescue the growth of a thiI mutant strain by a mechanism that requires the transporter YdjN and the cysteine desulfhydrase CdsH. The data are consistent with a model in which sulfide produced by CdsH reacts with cystine (Cys-S-S-Cys), S-sulfocysteine (Cys-S-SO3−), or another disulfide to form a small-molecule persulfide (R-S-S-H). We suggest that this persulfide replaced ThiI by donating sulfur to the thiamine sulfur carrier protein ThiS. This model describes a potential mechanism used for sulfur trafficking in organisms that lack ThiI but are capable of thiamine biosynthesis.
Anatomy of bovine mammillitis DNA II. Size and arrangements of the deoxynucleotide sequences

We previously reported that bovine mammillitis virus (BMV) DNA consists of two covalently linked components designated L and S and estimated to be 71.5 x 10(6) and 15.7 x 10(6) in molecular weight, respectively; the components invert relative to each other, giving rise to four equimolar populations differing soley in the relative orientation of the two components. We now report that (i) BMV DNA has a contour length corresponding to a molecular weight of 89 x 10(6). (ii) Component L consists of a unique sequence (Ul) bracketed by sequences ab and its inverted repeat b'a', estimated to be of molecular weights 66.1 x 10(6), 2.7 x 10(6), and 2.7 x 10(6), respectively. (iii) Component S consists of a unique sequence (Us) bracketed be sequence ca and its inverted repeat a'c', estimated to be of molecular weights 8.3 x 10(6), 3.7 x 10(6), and 3.7 x 10(6), respectively. (iv) The a sequences present at the termini of a complete linear molecule (abUlb'a'a'c'Usca) are arranged in tandem so that the DNA can circularize after limited digestion with arranged in tandem so that the DNA can circularize after limited digestion with lambda 5'-exonuclease. The size of the a sequences was estimated to be 0.7 x 10(6) in molecular weight. (v) At least portions of the a sequences are repeated in an inverted orientation immediately adjacent to or near the a sequence. Thus, BMV DNA mimics herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA with respect to the arrangement but not size of deoxynucleotide sequences. The evolutionary relationship of BMV DNA relative to other herpesvirus DNAs is discussed.