Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multispectral Object Detection for Autonomous Vehicles

Recently, researchers have actively conducted studies on mobile robot technologies that involve autonomous driving. To implement an automatic mobile robot (e.g., an automated driving vehicle) in traffic, robustly detecting various types of objects such as cars, people, and bicycles in various conditions such as daytime and nighttime is necessary. In this paper, we propose the use of multispectral images as input information for object detection in traffic. Multispectral images are composed of RGB images, near-infrared images, middle-infrared images, and far-infrared images and have multilateral information as a whole. For example, some objects that cannot be visually recognized in the RGB image can be detected in the far-infrared image. To train our multispectral object detection system, we need a multispectral dataset for object detection in traffic. Since such a dataset does not currently exist, in this study we generated our own multispectral dataset. In addition, we propose a multispectral ensemble detection pipeline to fully use the features of multispectral images. The pipeline is divided into two parts: the single-spectral detection model and the ensemble part. We conducted two experiments in this work. In the first experiment, we evaluate our single-spectral object detection model. Our results show that each component in the multispectral image was individually useful for the task of object detection when applied to different types of objects. In the second experiment, we evaluate the entire multispectral object detection system and show that the mean average precision (mAP) of multispectral object detection is 13% higher than that of RGB-only object detection.
Characterization of the distal promoter element of halobacteria in vivo using saturation mutagenesis and selection

The sequence and spacing requirements of the archaeal‘distal promoter element’(DPE) were examined by randomizing positions ‐19 to ‐32 upstream of the transcriptional start site of the ferredoxin (fdx) promoter of Halobacterium salinarium. This randomized promoter library containing 414 entries was cloned in front of the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) reporter gene and transformed into Haloferax volcanii. Two approaches were used to characterize these synthetic promoters. First, 1040 independent clones were randomly chosen and their degrees of trimethoprim resistance were determined. The sequences of 20 clones that were either sensitive, partially resistant or very resistant, respectively, were determined. Secondly, the transformed library was screened by direct selection for high‐activity promoters by growing transformants in the presence of trimethoprim. Both approaches produced the following consensus sequence for a halobacterial promoter: ‐32 RGTWWWWRACYGSY ‐19 (where R = A or G; Y = C or T; W = A or T; S = G or C; N = A, C, G or T). Further characterization of two sensitive, two partially resistant, and two very resistant clones verified that DHFR activity and cell phenotype are directly correlated. Sensitive clones did not contain detectable dhfr mRNA, whereas partially resistant clones contained a 700 nucleotide (nt)‐long transcript, and very resistant clones contained both the 700 nt‐long transcript and a second, more abundant, 500 nt‐long truncated transcript. Quantification of the dhfr mRNA and DHFR enzyme activity suggests that the 3’‐untranslated region of the dhfr transcript, missing from the shorter transcript, functions as a negative regulator of translation.
Optimization of oxygen mass transfer in a multiphase bioreactor with perfluorodecalin as a second liquid phase

Oxygenation is an important parameter involved in the design and operation of mixing–sparging bioreactors and it can be analyzed by means of the oxygen mass transfer coefficient (kLa). The operational conditions of a stirred, submerged aerated 2‐L bioreactor have been optimized by studying the influence of a second liquid phase with higher oxygen affinity (perfluorodecalin or olive oil) in the kLa. Using kLa measurements, the influence of the following parameters on the oxygen transfer rate was evaluated: the volume of working medium, the type of impellers and their position, the organic phase concentration, the aqueous phase composition, and the concentration of inactive biomass. This study shows that the best experimental conditions were achieved with a perfluorodecalin volume fraction of 0.20, mixing using two Rushton turbines with six vertical blades and in the presence of YPD medium as the aqueous phase, with a kLa value of 64.6 h−1. The addition of 20% of perfluorodecalin in these conditions provided a kLa enhancement of 25% when pure water was the aqueous phase and a 230% enhancement when YPD medium was used in comparison to their respective controls (no perfluorodecalin). Furthermore it is shown that the presence of olive oil as a second liquid phase is not beneficial to the oxygen transfer rate enhancement, leading to a decrease in the kLa values for all the concentrations studied. It was also observed that the magnitude of the enhancement of the kLa values by perfluorodecalin depends on the biomass concentration present. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 588–598. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Alpha-synuclein, Proteotoxicity and Parkinson's Disease: Search for Neuroprotective Therapy

Background: There is a growing body of evidence in animal and cell based models of Parkinson's disease (PD) to suggest that overexpression and / or abnormal accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein can trigger neuronal death. This important role of α-synuclein in PD pathogenesis is supported by the fact that duplication, triplication and mutations of α-synuclein gene cause familial forms of PD. Methods: A review of literature was performed by searching PubMed and Google Scholar for relevant articles highlighting the pathogenic role of α-synuclein and the potential therapeutic implications of targeting various pathways related to this protein. Results: The overexpression and accumulation of α-synuclein within neurons may involve both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms including a decreased degradation of the protein through proteasomal or autophagic processes. The mechanisms of monomeric α-synuclein aggregating to oligomers and fibrils have been investigated intensively, but it is still not certain which form of this natively unfolded protein is responsible for toxicity. Likewise the proteotoxic pathways induced by α-synuclein leading to neuronal death are not elucidated completely but mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and altered ER-golgi transport may play crucial roles in this process. At the molecular level, the ability of α-synuclein to form pores in biomembranes or to interact with specific proteins of the cell organelles and the cytosol could be determining factors in the toxicity of this protein. Conclusion: Despite many limitations in our present knowledge of physiological and pathological functions of α-synuclein, it appears that this protein may be a target for the development of neuroprotective drugs against PD. This review has discussed many such potential drugs which prevent the expression, accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein or its interactions with mitochondria or ER and thereby effectively abolish α-synuclein mediated toxicity in different experimental models.
Edaravone, an ROS scavenger, ameliorates photoreceptor cell death after experimental retinal detachment.

PURPOSE To investigate whether edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one), a free radical scavenger, would be neuroprotective against photoreceptor cell death in a rat model of retinal detachment (RD). METHODS RD was induced in adult Brown Norway rats by subretinal injection of sodium hyaluronate. Edaravone (3, 5, or 10 mg/kg) or physiologic saline was administered intraperitoneally once a day until death on day 3 or 5. Oxidative stress in the retina was assessed by 4-hydroxynonenal staining or ELISA for protein carbonyl content. Photoreceptor death was assessed by TUNEL and measurement of the outer nuclear layer thickness. Western blot analysis and caspase activity assays were performed. Inflammatory cytokine secretion and inflammatory cell infiltration were evaluated by ELISA and immunostaining, respectively. RESULTS RD resulted in increased generation of ROS. Treatment with 5 mg/kg edaravone significantly reduced the ROS level, along with a decrease in TUNEL-positive cells in the photoreceptor layer. A caspase assay also confirmed decreased activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9 in RD treated with edaravone. The level of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 was increased in detached retinas after edaravone treatment, whereas the levels of the stress-activated p-ERK1/2 were decreased. In addition, edaravone treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of TNF-α, MCP-1, and macrophage infiltration. CONCLUSIONS Oxidative stress plays an important role in photoreceptor cell death after RD. Edaravone treatment may aid in preventing photoreceptor cell death after RD by suppressing ROS-induced photoreceptor damage.
Ending Child Marriage in Malawi: A Gatekeepers Approach to Changing Norms

It is estimated that globally each year over 15 million girls are married before the age of 18. The practice has numerous detrimental consequences on a girl’s health and well-being that stand in clear violation of her human rights. While there has been a plethora of literature dedicated to the topic of child marriage in recent years, little attention or outcome analysis has been directed towards the gatekeepers approach in changing norms around this practice. This thesis will seek to fill this void by focusing specifically on the strategies that civil society organizations have implemented within Malawi, a county with one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, to target the gatekeepers in a community and, in the process, change attitudes and beliefs around child marriage at a grassroots level. In doing so, this thesis concludes that the gatekeepers approach has been shown to be a successful and essential strategy when working to change norms, as long as it is implemented in a holistic and context-specific manner and is implemented along with the girl-centric approach.
Risk Factors for Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

Abstract Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare thrombotic disorder involving the cerebral veins and dural sinuses. In contrast to more common sites of venous thromboembolism (VTE), such as the legs and lungs, CVT mainly affects young adults and children, and women are affected three times more often than men. Although presenting symptoms are variable, headache is usually the first symptom, often in combination with focal neurologic deficits and epileptic seizures. The primary therapy for CVT consists of heparin followed by oral anticoagulation for at least 3 to 6 months. The mortality in the acute phase is 5 to 10% and a substantial proportion of survivors suffer from long-term disabilities. A large number of risk factors have been linked to CVT, although the scientific evidence for an association varies considerably between risk factors. Some risk factors, such as hereditary thrombophilia, correspond with risk factors for more common sites of VTE, whereas others, such as head trauma, are specific to CVT. In most patients, at least one risk factor can be identified. In this review, we provide an overview of the risk factors for CVT.
Evaluating the impacts of slope aspect on forest dynamic succession in Northwest China based on FAREAST model

Mountain forests provide the main water resources and lumber for Northwest China. The understanding of the differences in forests growing among individual slope aspects in mountainous regions is of great significance to the wise management and planning of these natural systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of slope aspect on forest dynamic succession in Northwest China by using the dynamic forest succession model (FAREAST). First, the simulated forest composition and vertical forest zonation produced by the model were compared against recorded data in three sub-regions of the Altai Mountains. The FAREAST model accurately reproduced the vertical zonation, forest composition, growth curves of the dominant species (Larix sibirica), and forest biomass in the Altai Mountains. Transitions along the forest zones of the Altai Mountains averaged about a 400 m difference between the northern and southern sites. Biomass for forests on north-facing slopes were 11.0, 15.3 and 55.9 t C ha−1 higher than for south-facing slopes in the Northeast, Central and Southeast sub-regions, respectively. Second, our analyses showed that the FAREAST model can be used to predict dynamic forest succession in Northwest China under the influence of slope and aspect. In the Altai Mountains, the north-facing slopes supported the best forest growth, followed by the west- and east-facing slopes. South-facing slopes consistently exhibited the lowest growth, biomass storage and forest diversity.
Using Eisenhardt's Method to Study Ethnic Entrepreneurial Communities

: The purpose of this paper is to explain the Eisenhardt case based method of theory development using an example of a study on ethnic entrepreneurial communities in Karachi. The paper servers’ two purposes: (a) It serves as a guide, for the future researchers studying the entrepreneurial activity in Pakistani context, to establish the internal validity of the methodology which can be challenging particularly when the data is in the form of subjective responses of partici-pants with a traditional sociocultural background. (b) To ensure the reliability of a case based study the detailed articulation of the research methodology is necessary, so that the future researchers can conveniently replicate the process. For these reasons the paper goes in detail to explain the intricacies and challenges faced during the nine stage process of data collection, processing, triangulation and analysis, while ensuring the internal validity of the analysis. Discussion on the outcome of the research is not included as it will require a separate paper.
Democracies in Conflict

The vast literature on the impact of democratic political institutions on foreign policy behavior has yielded some of the most important developments in our understanding of violence and war over the past thirty years. The Journal of Conflict Resolution has played a prominent role in this growth and development. Critics of the democratic peace have dismissed this literature as a correlation in search of an explanation. However, I argue that the democratic peace literature and its various descendants represent a surprisingly productive example of an empirically focused and puzzle-oriented research program that has produced cumulative scientific knowledge regarding our understanding of international politics. This sustained investigation of democracy and foreign policy has yielded an increasingly robust and sophisticated model of democratic constraint that is the consequence of a progressive research program that compares favorably to earlier research programs that emphasized clashing paradigms of international politics.
Relationship of the angiographic extent of peripheral arterial disease with coronary artery involvement.

OBJECTIVE To determine the co-incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients investigated for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and to establish the relationship between the risk factors in the two groups of patients. METHODS The prospective study, done from January 2005 and April 2009, at the Cardiology Clinic of Rize Education and Research Hospital, Rize and John F. Kennedy Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, had a cohort of 307 patients who had been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease either clinically or by ultrasonography for the arteries of the lower extremities and had undergone coronary angiography and peripheral angiography in the same or different sessions. The patients were evaluated in terms of age, gender and atherosclerotic risk factors. Relationship of the extent of peripheral arterial disease with coronary artery involvement was investigated. RESULTS Of the 307 patients, 251 (81.8%) were male, and the mean age was 62.1 +/- 9.5 years. In the study population, 178 (58.0%) patients were diagnosed as hypertensive, 84 (27.4%) patients were diabetic, 18 (5.9%) patients had a family history of coronary artery disease, 111 (36.2%) were smokers, 149 (48.5%) were hypercholesterolemic, and 20 (6.5%) had cerebrovascular/carotid disease. In 92.3% of patients with peripheral arterial disease, various levels of coronary stenosis (P = 0.007) was noticed. Hypertension was a risk factor for both coronary and peripheral artery diseases (p = 0.012 and 0.027, respectively). Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the presence of peripheral artery disease was related to the coronary variety (Odds ratio [OR]: 6, 95% CI: 1.4-25.5, P = 0.016) and severe cases (diffused atherosclerotic stenosis and complete occlusion in all segments) significantly indicated the presence of some coronary pathology (OR: 8, 95% CI: 1.7-37.4, P = 0.008). This relationship maintained its significance after adjustment for age, gender, hypercholesterolaemia, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, family history, and the presence of cerebrovascular/carotid disease (p = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS Peripheral coronary artery diseases had similar risk factors. The extent of peripheral arterial disease observed during peripheral lower extremity angiography was significantly associated with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease. Particular attention should be focused on the possibility of coronary artery disease in patients with established and extensive peripheral arterial disease. Non-invasive, as well as invasive tests, should be performed to decrease morbidity and mortality risk of such patients.
Late B Cell Depletion with a Human Anti-Human CD20 IgG1κ Monoclonal Antibody Halts the Development of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Marmosets

Depletion of CD20+ B cells has been related to reduced clinical activity in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. The underlying mechanism is not understood, because serum IgG levels were unaltered by the treatment. We report the effect of late B cell depletion on cellular and humoral immune mechanisms in a preclinical multiple sclerosis model (i.e., experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis [EAE] in the common marmoset). We used a novel human anti-human CD20 IgG1κ mAb (HuMab 7D8) that cross-reacts with marmoset CD20. EAE was induced in 14 marmosets by immunization with recombinant human myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) in CFA. After 21 d, B cells were depleted in seven monkeys by HuMab 7D8, and seven control monkeys received PBS. The Ab induced profound and long-lasting B cell depletion from PBMCs and lymphoid organs throughout the observation period of 106 d. Whereas all of the control monkeys developed clinically evident EAE, overt neurologic deficits were reduced substantially in three HuMab 7D8-treated monkeys, and four HuMab 7D8-treated monkeys remained completely asymptomatic. The effect of HuMab 7D8 was confirmed on magnetic resonance images, detecting only small lesions in HuMab 7D8-treated monkeys. The infusion of HuMab 7D8 arrested the progressive increase of anti-MOG IgG Abs. Although CD3+ T cell numbers in lymphoid organs were increased, their proliferation and cytokine production were impaired significantly. Most notable were the substantially reduced mRNA levels of IL-7 and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-17A, IFN-γ, and TNF-α). In conclusion, B cell depletion prevents the development of clinical and pathological signs of EAE, which is associated with impaired activation of MOG-reactive T cells in lymphoid organs.
Perforated peptic ulcer and short-term mortality among tramadol users.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT * Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a strong risk and prognostic factor for peptic ulcer perforation, and alternative analgesics are needed for high-risk patients. * Pain management guidelines propose tramadol as a treatment option for mild-to-moderate pain in patients at high risk of gastrointestinal side-effects, including peptic ulcer disease. * Tramadol may mask symptoms of peptic ulcer complications, yet tramadol's effect on peptic ulcer prognosis is unknown. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS * In this population-based study of 1271 patients hospitalized with peptic ulcer perforation, tramadol appeared to increase mortality at least as much as NSAIDs. * Among users of tramadol, alone or in combination with NSAIDs, adjusted 30-day mortality rate ratios were 2.02 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17, 3.48] and 1.32 (95% CI 0.89, 1.95), compared with patients who used neither tramadol nor NSAIDs. AIM Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases risk and worsens prognosis for patients with complicated peptic ulcer disease. Therefore, patients who are at high risk of peptic ulcer often use tramadol instead of NSAIDs. Tramadol's effect on peptic ulcer prognosis is unknown. The aim was to examine mortality in the 30 days following hospitalization for perforated peptic ulcer among tramadol and NSAID users compared with non-users. METHODS The study was based on data on reimbursed prescriptions and hospital discharge diagnoses for the 1993-2004 period, extracted from population-based healthcare databases. All patients with a first-time diagnosis of perforated peptic ulcer were identified, excluding those with previous ulcer diagnoses or antiulcer drug use. Cox regression was used to estimate 30-day mortality rate ratios for tramadol and NSAID users compared with non-users, adjusting for use of other drugs and comorbidity. RESULTS Of 1271 patients with perforated peptic ulcers included in the study, 2.4% used tramadol only, 38.9% used NSAIDs and 7.9% used both. Thirty-day mortality was 28.7% overall and 48.4% among users of tramadol alone. Compared with the 645 patients who used neither tramadol nor NSAIDs, the adjusted mortality rate in the 30 days following hospitalization was 2.02-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17, 3.48] higher for the 31 'tramadol only' users, 1.41-fold (95% CI 1.12, 1.78) higher for the 495 NSAID users and 1.32-fold (95% CI 0.89, 1.95) higher for the 100 patients who used both drugs. CONCLUSION Among patients hospitalized for perforated peptic ulcer, tramadol appears to increase mortality at a level comparable to NSAIDs.
GSTM1 and GSTT1 allele frequencies among various Indian and non-Indian ethnic groups.

BACKGROUND Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) is an important phase II xenobiotic compound metabolizing enzyme family, involved in tolerance to a particular drug or susceptibility to a diseasec. This study focused the GSTM1 and T1 null allele frequency in the Gujarat population with a comparison across other Inter- and Intra-Indian ethnic groups to predict variation in the possible susceptible status. METHODS DNA was isolated by a salting out method and GSTM1 and T1 homozygous null genotypes were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction in 504 unrelated individuals. The genotype distribution of null alleles was compared with Indian and non Indian ethnics reported earlier in the literature using Fisher's test. RESULTS The frequencies of the homozygous null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 were 20% (95%CI 16.7-23.9) and 35.5% (95%CI 31.4-39.9) respectively. GSTM1 null frequency did not deviate from most other Indian ethnic groups but differed from the majority of those of non Indian ethnicity studied. The frequency of homozygous null type of GSTT1 was significantly higher and deviated from all Indian groups and a few of non Indian ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS Gujarat ethnicity, possibly the most susceptible for GSTT1 dependent drug disposition and diseases regarding effects of pollution. Further, the results have implications for GSTT1 dependent drugs used for treatment, a serious problem which needs to be solved by physicians and clinical researchers.