Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FR-MRInet : A Deep Convolutional Encoder-Decoder for Brain Tumor Segmentation with Relu-RGB and Sliding-window

Automatic detection of tumorous tissue in MRI scans plays an important role in computer-aided diagnosis. We present a novel deep fully convolutional encoding architecture for semantic segmentation of brain MRI scans termed, FR-MRInet. This trainable encoder works with a corresponding decoder of a fully connected network. The 32 layer deep encoding architecture is inspired by VGG16 and InceptionV3. The novelty of FR-MRInet is its architectural design that efficiently reduces input to a lower resolution feature map(s). The encoder uses strides instead of pooling in various layers to reduce feature maps without loosing spacial information. We used a non-overlapping sliding window with and a novel activation function called, Relu-RGB to train the model so that the model directly produces the final output instead of a mask. We compared our model with well know imagenets such as Alexnet and VGGnet, other recent models proposed by researchers testing for pixel wise accuracy, intersection over union (IoU) and mean square loss value. We conducted our experiment on BRATS dataset for benchmarking and one of the latest dataset which was proposed in 2016 consisting of, 3064 T1-weighted contrast-enhanced images from 233 patients. We also show that FR-MRINet provides an impressive performance on live images detecting tumors as well. To further investigate the matter, we have consulted with an MD about the usefulness and the future of these kind of projects. Our code is open sourced and freely available at github.com/farshidrayhanuiu/FR-MRInet.
Comparative Effect of Chilli Pepper (Capsicum frutescens) Extract and Capsaicin on Some Haematological Parameters and Serum Electrolytes in Albino Wistar Rats

Aim: Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chilli pepper, and is responsible for the pungency of chilli pepper. This study compared the effect of ethanolic extract of chilli pepper fruit and capsaicin on haematological parameters and serum electrolytes in female albino Wistar rats on the background that they are widely consumed in foods. Methodology: Fifteen female Wistar rats (140 – 200 g b.w) fed with rat feed and water ad libitum were divided into three groups (n = 5) thus: control, chilli pepper and capsaicin groups. The three groups were treated with daily oral administration of 0.2 mL normal saline, chilli pepper extract (5 mg/100 g b.w) and capsaicin (3 mg/100 g b.w) respectively, for 30 days. Blood samples were collected from each animal via cardiac puncture for assessment of haematological parameters and serum concentration of electrolytes. Results: Red blood cell (RBC) count, haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and packed cell volume (PCV) in both treated groups were significantly (p<0.01) reduced compared with control. PCV was Original Research Article Nwangwa et al.; IBRR, 6(3): 1-8, 2016; Article no.IBRR. 29195 2 significantly (p<0.05) reduced in capsaicin group compared with the chilli pepper group. Platelet count and platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR) were significantly reduced (p<0.01) in capsaicin group compared with the control. Serum Na, Cl, and urea concentrations showed no significant (p>0.05) difference among groups, but creatinine level decreased significantly (p<0.05) in the treated groups compared with the control. Serum HCO3 increased while K decreased significantly (p<0.05) in capsaicin treated group compared with the control. Furthermore, serum K increased (p<0.05) in chilli pepper group, compared with the control. Conclusion: Capsaicin and chilli pepper did not cause serious electrolyte imbalance, but reduced red cell indices. Additionally, capsaicin altered platelet parameters. Therefore, we suggest that capsaicin might be detrimental to individuals with bleeding and/or blood coagulation disorders.
Detectable Impact of Local and Remote Anthropogenic Aerosols on the 20th Century Changes of West African and South Asian Monsoon Precipitation

Anthropogenic aerosols are a key driver of changes in summer monsoon precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere during the 20th century. Here we apply detection and attribution methods to investigate causes of change in the West African and South Asian monsoons separately and identify the aerosol source regions that are most important for explaining the observed changes during 1920–2005. Historical simulations with the GFDL‐CM3 model are used to derive fingerprints of aerosol forcing from different regions. For West Africa, remote aerosol emissions from North America and Europe (NAEU) are essential in order to detect the anthropogenic signal in observed monsoon precipitation changes. The changes are significantly underestimated in the model, however. While natural (volcanic) forcing seems to also play a role, the dominant contribution is found to come from aerosol‐induced changes in the interhemispheric temperature gradient and associated meridional shifts of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. For South Asia, in contrast, changes in observed monsoon precipitation cannot be explained without local emissions. Here the findings show a weakening of the monsoon circulation, driven by the increase of remote NAEU aerosol emissions until 1975, and since then by the increase in local emissions offsetting the decrease of NAEU emissions. The results show that the aerosol forcing from individual emission regions is strong enough to be detected over internal variability. They also underscore the importance of the spatial pattern of global‐aerosol emissions, which is likely to continue to change throughout the expected near‐future decline in global emissions.
A New Method for Segmenting Individual Trees from the Lidar Point Cloud

Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) has been widely applied to characterize the 3-dimensional (3D) structure of forests as it can generate 3Dpoint data with high spatial resolution and accuracy. Individual tree segmentations, usually derived from the canopy height model, are used to derive individual tree structural attributes such as tree height, crown diameter, canopy-based height, and others. In this study, we develop a new algorithm to segment individual trees from the small footprint discrete return airborne lidar point cloud. We experimentally applied the new algorithm to segment trees in a mixed conifer forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. The results were evaluated in terms of recall, precision, and F-score, and show that the algorithm detected 86 percent of the trees (“recall”), 94 percent of the segmented trees were correct (“precision”), and the overall F-score is 0.9. Our results indicate that the proposed algorithm has good potential in segmenting individual trees in mixed conifer stands of similar structure using small footprint, discrete return lidar data.
Spherical Nanoindentations and Kink Bands in Ti_3SiC_2

We report for the first time on load versus depth-of-indentation response of Ti_3SiC_2 surfaces loaded with a 13.5 μm spherical tipped diamond indenter up to loads of 500 mN. Using orientation imaging microscopy, two groups of crystals were identified; one in which the basal planes were parallel to, and the other normal to, the surface. When the load-penetration depth curves were converted to stress-strain curves the following was apparent: when the surfaces were loaded normal to the c axis, the response at the lowest loads was linear elastic—well described by a modulus of 320 GPa—followed by a clear yield point at approximately 4.5 GPa. And while the first cycle was slightly open, the next 4 on the same location were significantly harder, almost indistinguishable, and fully reversible. At the highest loads (500 mN) pop-ins due to delaminations between basal planes were observed. When pop-ins were not observed the indentations, for the most part, left no trace. When the load was applied parallel to the c axis, the initial response was again linear elastic (modulus of 320 GPa) followed by a yield point of approximately 4 GPa. Here again significant hardening was observed between the first and subsequent cycles. Each cycle resulted in some strain, but no concomitant increase in yield points. This orientation was even more damage tolerant than the orthogonal direction. This response was attributed to the formation of incipient kink bands that lead to the formation of regular kink bands. Remarkably, these dislocation-based mechanisms allow repeated loading of Ti_3SiC_2 without damage, while dissipating significant amounts of energy per unit volume, W_d, during each cycle. The values of W_d measured herein were in excellent agreement with corresponding measurements in simple compression tests reported earlier, confirming that the same mechanisms continue to operate even at the high (≈9 GPa) stress levels typical of the indentation experiments.
Synchronous HPV-Positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Bilateral Base of the Tongue

Although there have been several reports of synchronous Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated tonsillar carcinoma, no reports have shown synchronous HPV-associated Base of The Tongue (BOT) carcinoma. Here we discuss a case of synchronous HPV-associated BOT carcinoma and review the literature concerning HPV-associated second primary tumors. We report the case of a 59-year-old man with synchronous HPV-positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) of the bilateral BOT. Both BOT SCCs were positive for HPV16. The patient received concomitant cisplatin radiotherapy, and remains disease-free at 18 months post-treatment.
Nonlinear transport of Bose-Einstein condensates through mesoscopic waveguides

We study the coherent flow of interacting Bose-condensed atoms in mesoscopic waveguide geometries. Analytical and numerical methods, based on the mean-field description of the condensate, are developed to study both stationary as well as time-dependent propagation processes. We apply these methods to the propagation of a condensate through an atomic quantum dot in a waveguide, discuss the nonlinear transmission spectrum and show that resonant transport is generally suppressed due to an interaction-induced bistability phenomenon. Finally, we establish a link between the nonlinear features of the transmission spectrum and the self-consistent quasi-bound states of the quantum dot.
Many People Are Afraid of White Coats. They Should Be

The concept of “do no harm” is not a figure of speech. It is a pledge to our patients to insert ourselves between them and anything that can harm them physically or emotionally. “Do lab coats harbor microbes that are detrimental to our clients’ health? ” was the question that drove this systematic review. Using a search to cover articles regarding the microbial integrity of the coat, several studies were found to include culture and sensitivity reports along with participants’ surveys that increase the data to include demographics, handling habits of the coat along with laundering habits of the owners of the coats. Eight studies were reviewed, seven of the eight did provide survey information, to extract data and conclusions for the summarization of the integrity of the coat. The microbial compromise of the garment was confirmed, and solutions were uncovered as the eight studies were examined. All studies referred to the garment as a source or a potential source of crosscontamination. Using education guided by a multidisciplinary team, nurse practitioners can lead an effective approach to aid in the safe handling of the white coat. Standards for the handling of the coat along with monitoring of the compliance of healthcare workers can lead to a safer environment and better patient outcomes.
Temporal self-regulation theory: A model for individual health behavior

Abstract Human behavior often seems “maladaptive”, “self-defeating”, or “dysfunctional” to the observer. Upon closer examination, the rationality of human behavior largely depends on the temporal frame adopted; behaviors judged to be maladaptive in the long-run are usually driven by a strongly favorable balance of immediate costs and benefits. That is, many ‘‘maladaptive’’ behaviors are associated with substantial long-term costs and few (if any) long-term benefits; however, these same behaviors are frequently associated with many benefits and few costs for the individual at the time of action. In contrast, many avoided behaviors that seem ‘‘adaptive’’ to the outside observer, are in fact associated with substantial costs (and few benefits) at the time of action, leading to the perplexing but common state of affairs where individuals know ‘‘what is good for them’’, but do not do it. We present a new theoretical framework—Temporal Self-Regulation Theory—as a way of understanding human behavior in general, and those special instances of seemingly ‘‘self-defeating’’ behavior that have important implications for physical health. This theoretical framework incorporates thinking about temporal aspects of behavioral contingencies and the biological roots of self-regulation to make sense of human behavioral patterns that seem to represent, on the surface, significant deviations from rationality.
Accelerated optical solitons in reorientational media with transverse invariance and longitudinally modulated birefringence

We demonstrate that reorientational spatial solitons can curve when propagating in a medium with engineered walk-oﬀ along the direction of propagation. In this regard, we employ nematic liquid crystals with molecular anchoring deﬁned by electron beam lithography and optic axis distribution modulated in the longitudinal direction only, keeping the transverse orientation constant. The experimental results are in remarkably good agreement with a simple modulation theory based on momentum conservation
FAST SEMANTIC SEGMENTATION OF 3D POINT CLOUDS WITH STRONGLY VARYING DENSITY

Abstract. We describe an effective and efficient method for point-wise semantic classification of 3D point clouds. The method can handle unstructured and inhomogeneous point clouds such as those derived from static terrestrial LiDAR or photogammetric reconstruction; and it is computationally efficient, making it possible to process point clouds with many millions of points in a matter of minutes. The key issue, both to cope with strong variations in point density and to bring down computation time, turns out to be careful handling of neighborhood relations. By choosing appropriate definitions of a point’s (multi-scale) neighborhood, we obtain a feature set that is both expressive and fast to compute. We evaluate our classification method both on benchmark data from a mobile mapping platform and on a variety of large, terrestrial laser scans with greatly varying point density. The proposed feature set outperforms the state of the art with respect to per-point classification accuracy, while at the same time being much faster to compute.
Effect of starch granule structure , associated components and processing on nutritive value of cereal starch : A review

Starch is organized in concentric alternating semi-crystalline and amorphous layers in granules of various sizes within the endosperm. The amount of amylose in starch normally varies between 200 and 300 g/kg, but waxy cereals may contain negligible amounts and starch from high-amylose varieties may contain up to 700 g amylose/kg. High amylose content is associated with reduced digestibility. Fat and protein are found on the surface of starch granules, and these components may act as physical barriers to digestion. Heat treatment with sufficient water present will cause gelatinisation that will increase susceptibility for starch degradation in the digestive tract, although a linear relationship between extent of gelatinisation due to processing and digestibility has not been found. The low water content during feed processing limits the extent of gelatinisation, but gelatinisation temperature and extent of gelatinisation will be affected by properties of the starch, which in turn may affect digestibility. The effect of starch properties and feed processing on digestion in non-ruminant animals and ruminants are discussed. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
DNA barcodes to explore diversity in aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae and Adelgidae).

A tendency towards loss of taxonomically useful characters, and morphological plasticity due to host and environmental factors, complicates the identification of aphid species and the analysis of relationships. The presence of different morphological forms of a single species on different hosts and at different times of the year makes it difficult to consistently associate routinely collected field samples with particular species definitions. DNA barcoding has been proposed as a standardized approach to the characterization of life forms. We have tested the effectiveness of the standard 658-bp barcode fragment from the 5’ end of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (COI) to differentiate among species of aphids and adelgids. Results are presented for a preliminary study on the application of DNA barcoding in which approximately 3600 specimens representing 568 species and 169 genera of the major subfamilies of aphids and the adelgids have been sequenced. Examples are provided where DNA barcoding has been used as a tool in recognizing the existence of cryptic new taxa, linking life stages on different hosts of adelgids, and as an aid in the delineation of species boundaries. The future use of these DNA barcodes for the routine detection of invasive species, the resolution of pest complexes, and the analysis of diverse faunas is discussed.
DIFFUSION-CONTROLLED EVAPORATING PERFECTLY WETTING MENISCUS IN A CHANNEL

We study the evaporating meniscus of a perfectly wetting liquid formed in the gap between two horizontal flat plates. The plates are at the same temperature as the surroundings, and the pure liquid evaporates into a binary mixture of its own vapor and an inert component. Though the identical problem for a capillary has been studied since the work of Stefan, except for the work by Derjaguin et al. (1965), the interface has been treated as a plane surface having a known contact angle of 90°. Here, by contrast, the interface location is determined as part of the solution to a free boundary problem coupling viscous flow in the liquid to diffusive transport in the gas. We make the following simplifying assumptions: (a) liquid and vapor at the interface are in local thermodynamic equilibrium, and (b) the system is effectively isothermal. Given (a) and (b), the vapor partial pressure is related to the liquid pressure by the Kelvin equation. Though the hydrostatic contact angle is zero for a completely wetting system, the stationary evaporating meniscus exhibits an apparent contact angle; Θ is determined chiefly by a capillary number Ca = μℓ V s /γ based on surface tension γ, liquid viscosity μℓ, and a velocity scale V s set by evaporation. Though microphysics must be included in the free boundary problem in order to resolve a hydrodynamic singularity at the contact line, Θ is insensitive to the microphysical details.
Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus infection among pregnant women at Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan.

This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) among pregnant women at Omdurman Maternity Hospital between the period January 2009 and June 2009. Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Omdurman Maternity Hospital; blood was taken from pregnant women that came for delivery and investigated for cytomegalovirus specific immunoglobin G (IgG) and immunoglobin M (IgM) antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Demographic and clinical data were collected by questionnaire after a written consent. A total of 200 pregnant women were included in this study. The ages of all women tested ranged from 18 to 43 years. Out of the 200 pregnant women tested, 195 (97.5%) and 12 (6.0%) were CMV IgG and CMV IgM positive, respectively. The age was associated with CMV IgM and history of miscarriage was significantly associated with CMV IgG positive women, while parity, congenital abnormalities, educational level, and occupation were not significantly (P > 0.05) associated with CMV infection. Key words: Seroprevalence, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), pregnant women, Sudan.
Determinants of international technology transfer: an empirical analysis of the Enterprise Europe Network

This paper explores the key factors that foster technology transfer within the triad university-industry-government in an international context, i.e., the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). Based on 71 technological Partnership Agreements (PAs), estimation results indicate that PAs associated to partners that provide their collaborators with the appropriate training in technology transfer-related issues, present substantial past experience in international or technological projects, and participate in extensive networks, are those that achieve better performances in terms of international technology transfer. High levels of formal schooling per se are not a key determinant of international technology transfer; the critical factor is highly educated human resources who receive complementary training in technology transfer issues.
SUBMARINE DETECTION USING UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC SENSOR NETWORKS by Gaith A. Tellisi

It is well known that submarines can hide successfully from traditional sonar systems. For this reason, we propose a new technique implemented via the utilization of mobile robots comprising Distributed Underwater Sensor Networks (DUWSNs). In the design and operation of DUWSNs, the arising challenging issues are: (1) the establishing of reliable communication links among the sensor nodes; (2) the maximization of the life time of the network; (3) the sustaining of sufficient data rate within the network; (4) the architecture of the DUWSN and the routing policies deployed; (5) the effectiveness of the DUWSN, regarding submarine detection and identification. This thesis contributes towards an understanding of, and solution to, the impact of the latency on DUWSNs in underwater acoustic environments. Moreover, a new underwater KCells transmission protocol is implemented to overcome and exploit the large propagation delay inherent to acoustic underwater networks. We develop a novel DUWSNs that consists of mobile elementary nodes (ENs), a backbone network of cluster-heads (CHs) and a Base Station (BS). We provide a DUWSN node clustering technique that attains high data rate and low energy consumption; the DUWSN utilizes the audio signal emitted by the submarine’s engine to detect its presence. We also present some simulation results using MATLAB. The form and the content of this abstract are approved. I recommend its publication. Approved by: Prof. Titsa Papantoni
Relationship between rs 11206510 and susceptibility , risk factors , and clinical characteristics of acute myocardial infarction in a Chinese Han population

The rs11206510 SNP has been confirmed to be related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The present study was undertaken to detect associations between rs11206510 and susceptibility, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and gene-environment interactions for AMI. In 600 Chinese Han patients, genotyping of rs11206510 SNPs was performed using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Significant differences in both genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs11206510 between the AMI group and the control group were detected (P < 0.007 for each). Interactions were found between subjects with TT genotype and smoking or alcohol consumption (P < 0.001). The mutant TC and CC genotypes and minor C allele of rs11206510 were positively correlated with increased risk of AMI. Also, interactions between the TT genotype of rs11206510 and smoking or alcohol consumption appear to increase the risk of AMI.