Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salient object detection with high-level prior based on Bayesian fusion

Most of approaches to salient object detection focused on two-dimensional images, while rare attention was attached to the light field which can provide exclusive visual information for salient object detection and other computer vision applications. An effective algorithm of salient object detection is proposed for light field data. First, boundary connectivity is calculated on all-focus image. Then, background probability based on boundary connectivity is achieved by computing geodesic distance. Second, the authors rank the similarity of the superpixels of both all-focus image and depth map via graph-based manifold ranking to carry out two initial saliency maps. Third, weighted by background probability, the two initial saliency maps are fused to produce final saliency results, integrated by objectness cue. The authors also exploit how to integrate effectively objectness with other visual features, and compare two fusion strategies: linear fusion and Bayesian integration. Experiments show that light field features are helpful for saliency detection, and Bayesian integration framework is the better choice than linear fusion method. Meanwhile, the way how to combine multiple features is crucial. The proposed algorithm handles challenging natural scenarios such as cluttered background, similar foreground and background, and so on, and produces visual favourable results in comparison with the eight state-of-the-art methods.
Anti‐aging pharmacology in cutaneous wound healing: effects of metformin, resveratrol, and rapamycin by local application

Cutaneous wounds are among the most common soft tissue injuries and are particularly hard to heal in aging. Caloric restriction (CR) is well documented to extend longevity; pharmacologically, profound rejuvenative effects of CR mimetics have been uncovered, especially metformin (MET), resveratrol (RSV), and rapamycin (RAPA). However, locally applied impacts and functional differences of these agents on wound healing remain to be established. Here, we discovered that chronic topical administration of MET and RSV, but not RAPA, accelerated wound healing with improved epidermis, hair follicles, and collagen deposition in young rodents, and MET exerted more profound effects. Furthermore, locally applied MET and RSV improved vascularization of the wound beds, which were attributed to stimulation of adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, the key mediator of wound healing. Notably, in aged skin, AMPK pathway was inhibited, correlated with impaired vasculature and reduced healing ability. As therapeutic approaches, local treatments of MET and RSV prevented age‐related AMPK suppression and angiogenic inhibition in wound beds. Moreover, in aged rats, rejuvenative effects of topically applied MET and RSV on cell viability of wound beds were confirmed, of which MET showed more prominent anti‐aging effects. We further verified that only MET promoted wound healing and cutaneous integrity in aged skin. These findings clarified differential effects of CR‐based anti‐aging pharmacology in wound healing, identified critical angiogenic and rejuvenative mechanisms through AMPK pathway in both young and aged skin, and unraveled chronic local application of MET as the optimal and promising regenerative agent in treating cutaneous wound defects.
A Study on Incidence of GDM at A Tertiary Care Centre

The aim is to find the incidence of GDM using 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as a single-step screening and diagnosing GDM. Antenatal women attending Obstetrics department OP at Government Rajaji hospital, Madurai. Irrespective of age, parity and risk factors were subjected to a standardized 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Blood samples were obtained after 2 hours and venous plasma glucose was measured using an autoanalyser. 140mg/dl and above was taken as a cut off for GDM diagnosis. This study was conducted between July to december 2016. A total of 1,352 pregnant women were included in the study. Among the 1352 Ante natal women, GDM was diagnosed in 127 women. The incidence was found to be 9.39%. In this analysis, risk factors that are significantly associated with GDM were increasing age and increasing parity. Most of the cases were found positive between 24 to 28 weeks. As the percentage of pregnancies with GDM is increasing, a timely intervention is needed to prevent further complication associated with GDM. The cut off valve for diagnosing GDM can be decreased to 130mg % to increase the sensitivity of the test.
Communication and Choice in Dying from Heart Disease

In heart disease palliative care has received less attention than in cancer. In the Regional Study of Care for the Dying, carers of a random sample of deaths in 20 English health districts were interviewed about 10 months after the death. There were 675 respondents for patients dying with heart disease, and we report data on 600 deaths that were not sudden. 54% of patients died in hospital, 30% in their own home, 11% in a nursing or residential home, and 4% in other places. Half the patients were said to have known, or probably known, that they were likely to die; of these, 82% were said to have worked this out for themselves rather than been told by a doctor or nurse. More than one-third of patients (39%) died without an informal carer present. Respondents said that a quarter of the patients had wanted to die earlier: this desire was associated with older age and the number and severity of symptoms. The study suggests the need for health services to give greater attention to palliative care for patients dying with heart disease.
The Legacy Project Intervention to Enhance Meaningful Family Interactions: Case Examples

Manualized reminiscence and life review therapies are supported as an evidence-based, effective treatment for depression among older adults, but this therapeutic approach is usually individually administered and has rarely been applied in palliative care settings. We combined mutual reminiscence and life review with engagement in meaningful activity and examined the efficacy of this family-based dyadic intervention to decrease caregiving stress and increase family communication. Seventeen individuals living with chronic, life-limiting illnesses in the community and their family caregivers received three home visits with a Master's level interventionist. During these sessions and through structured homework activities, the interventionist actively worked with the family to construct a personal Legacy Project, usually a scrapbook with photos, a cookbook, or audiotaped stories that celebrated the life of the ill individual. All participants in the intervention group initiated a Legacy Project and reported that Legacy activities improved family communication. Participation in Legacy creation also resulted in increased positive emotional experiences in patient and caregiver groups. These results are illustrated through careful examination of three case studies.
Evaluación de conocimientos y recursos didácticos en la formación de profesores sobre probabilidad condicional

En este trabajo nos hemos centrado en la probabilidad condicional, que se incluye explicitamente como tema en los Decretos de Ensenanzas Minimas de Educacion Secundaria y Bachillerato. Por otro lado, su comprension y la resolucion de problemas elementales relacionados con la probabilidad condicional se requiere en la toma de decisiones en la vida cotidiana y en la interpretacion de informacion que aparece en los medios de comunicacion, y otras materias del curriculo. Mas concretamente, abordamos una serie de estudios relacionados con la evaluacion de las necesidades formativas de los profesores de los niveles no universitarios en relacion a la probabilidad condicional y los objetos matematicos que con ella se relacionan. La Memoria se organiza en los siguientes apartados: En el primer capitulo 1 se describe el Enfoque Ontosemiotico, marco teorico en que se apoya este trabajo y se realiza un analisis de los objetos matematicos relacionados con la probabilidad condicional y del contenido que sobre este tema aparece en las orientaciones curriculares. En el segundo presentamos los antecedentes que constan de dos partes principales: la formacion de profesores de matematicas para ensenar probabilidad y la comprension de la probabilidad condicional. En el capitulo 3 se presenta un estudio de evaluacion de los conocimientos matematicos y didacticos de una muestra de 183 futuros profesores de educacion primaria y en el capitulo 4 un estudio de evaluacion de los conocimientos matematicos en una muestra de futuros profesores de secundaria constituida por 95 estudiantes de la Licenciatura de Matematicas y 101 estudiantes del master de secundaria (especialidad matematicas). Basandonos en los resultados de dichos estudios, en el capitulo 5 analizamos los recursos en Internet y paradojas historicas que podrian utilizarse para llevar a cabo esta formacion, mostrando posibles soluciones a las tareas relacionadas con ellos, dificultades previsibles en el trabajo con los recursos, objetos y procesos matematicos trabajados e idoneidad didactica de los recursos. En el capitulo 6 se presentan los resultados de un taller formativo basado en una de las paradojas descritas en apartado anterior y que tiene en cuenta los sesgos en el razonamiento de los profesores y los antecedentes del trabajo. El taller se experimento con profesores en formacion y en ejercicio en varios congresos y jornadas dirigidas al profesorado. El analisis semiotico de los informes escritos permite evaluar su conocimiento comun del contenido y su evolucion como consecuencia del taller. El estudio de las respuestas proporcionadas en un analisis didactico permite evaluar diferentes componentes de su conocimiento didactico. La serie de estudios descritos proporciona informacion detallada sobre algunos conocimientos matematicos y didacticos de los futuros profesores y profesores en ejercicio en relacion a las tareas propuestas. Todos estos resultados se han recogido en una serie de publicaciones que se describen a lo largo de la memoria.
Severe infections emerge from the microbiome by adaptive evolution

Bacteria responsible for the greatest global mortality colonize the human microbiome far more frequently than they cause severe infections. Whether mutation and selection within the microbiome precipitate infection is unknown. To address this question, we investigated de novo mutation in 1163 Staphylococcus aureus genomes from 105 infected patients with nose-colonization. We report that 72% of the infections emerged from the microbiome, with infecting and nose-colonizing bacteria showing systematic adaptive differences. We found 3.6-fold, 2.9-fold and 2.8-fold enrichments of protein-altering variants in genes responding to rsp, which regulates surface antigens and toxicity; agr, which regulates quorum-sensing, toxicity and abscess formation; and host-derived antimicrobial peptides, respectively. These adaptive signatures were not observed in healthy carriers and differed from prevailing species-level signals of selection, suggesting disease-associated, short-term, within-host selection pressures. Our results show that infection, like a cancer of the microbiome, emerges through spontaneous adaptive evolution, raising new possibilities for diagnosis and treatment.
From Earth to Art: The Many Aspects of the Plant-World in Anglo-Saxon England; Proceedings of the First ASPNS Symposium, University of Glasgow, 5-7 April 2000

Illustrations Abbreviations Preface I LANDSCAPE Della HOOKE: Trees in the Anglo-Saxon Landscape: the Charter Evidence Carole HOUGH: Place-Name Evidence for Anglo-Saxon Plant-Names Ralph S. FORBES: Criteria for Assessing the Native Status of British Plants: Some Case Histories II HUMAN SUSTENANCE AND COMFORT Allan R. HALL: Investigating Anglo-Saxon Plant Life and Plant Use: the Archaeobotanical Angle Debby BANHAM: Be hlafum and wyrtum: Food Plants in Anglo-Saxon Society and Economy Maria Amalia D'ARONCO: Anglo-Saxon Plant Pharmacy and the Latin Medical Tradition III PLANTNAMES: ANALYSIS AND RECORDING Peter BIERBAUMER: Real and Not-So-Real Plant-Names in Old English Glosses Hans SAUER: The Morphology of the Old English Plant-Names Philip G. RUSCHE: Dioscorides' De materia medica and Late Old English Herbal Glossaries C. P. BIGGAM: The Aespe Tree in Anglo-Saxon England Anthony ESPOSITO: Medieval Plant-Names in the Oxford English Dictionary Mats RYDEN: William Turner as Botanist and Plant-Name Scholar IV ART AND LITERATURE Jane HAWKES: The Plant-Life of Early Christian Anglo-Saxon Art Jennifer NEVILLE: Leaves of Glass: Plant-Life in Old English Poetry Lexical Indexes
A conceptual framework of Financial Information Systems to reduce corruption

Financial Information Systems (FIS) is an integral part of business and is fundamental to its stability, sustainability, and growth. In recognition of the importance of FIS, various countries have started to invest massively in such a system. The World Bank has financed several projects worth billions of US dollars, which have been designed with a better focus on the quality of information to reduce the risk of fraud and improve system reliability. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework that examines FIS effectiveness in reducing corruption in the public sector. The research approach draws on extant literature in financial information strategies, information systems quality, strategic information systems planning, and international anti-corruption strategies to identify determining factors of information quality, system quality, service quality, FIS characteristic effectiveness, and financial corruption reduction. Results of the literature review suggest 19 propositions and 5 main factors grouped into determinants, including information systems quality, information quality and service quality. Linking financial corruption reduction with anti-corruption strategy, the proposed framework adopts the anti-corruption strategy four-perspective approach to examine the impact of increasing transparency, increasing accountability, decreasing discretion, and low enforcement. FIS characteristic dimensions in this research comprise monitoring, auditability, tracking, and controlling. Originality/value: The framework provides a starting point for researchers and practitioners to further investigate the use of FIS in governance. For researchers, the framework clarifies the determining factors that can successfully enhance the quality of FIS and the impact of these systems on financial corruption reduction through proposed relationships. For practitioners, the framework can be used to gain insights into the contributing factors of information systems quality and its effectiveness in reducing corruption.
A comparison of heart function and arrhythmia in clinically asymptomatic patients with beta thalassemia intermedia and beta thalassemia major

ABSTRACT Background: The goal of this study was to compare heart function and arrhythmia in clinically asymptomatic patients with beta thalassemia intermedia and beta thalassemia major. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 60 patients with beta thalassemia major and 60 patients with beta thalassemia intermedia who had clinically no symptoms of arrhythmia and clinically normal heart function were evaluated using 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring and echocardiography. For data analysis SPSS ver.20 software was used. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the beta thalassemia intermedia patients was 24.18 ± 7.9 years and the mean age in beta thalassemia major was 24.38 ± 7.7 years (P>0.05). Premature atrial contractions (PACs) were observed in 14 (23.3%) patients with beta thalassemia intermedia and in 22 (36.6%) beta thalassemia major patients. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were detected in 8 (13.3%) patients in the beta thalassemia intermediate group and 16 (26.6) patients in the beta thalassemia major group, respectively. The left ventricular diastolic dimension, end-diastolic volume, and stroke volume were significantly higher in beta thalassemia intermedia group (P<0.05). Pulmonary acceleration time as an indicator of pulmonary pressure was lower in beta thalassemia intermedia group. Conclusion: Both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias were more common in the beta thalassemia major group. Higher end-diastolic volume and stroke volume were detected in the beta thalassemia intermedia group. Pulmonary acceleration time was lower in the beta thalassemia intermedia group, which can be an indicator of higher pulmonary pressure.
The limits of empathy: problems in medical education and practice

Empathy is commonly regarded as an essential attribute for doctors and there is a conviction that empathy must be taught to medical students. Yet it is not clear exactly what empathy is, from a philosophical or sociological point of view, or whether it can be taught. The meaning, role and relevance of empathy in medical education have tended to be unquestioningly assumed; there is a need to examine and contextualise these assumptions. This paper opens up that debate, arguing that ‘empathy’, as it is commonly understood, is neither necessary nor sufficient to guarantee good medical or ethical practice.
Anxiolytic and sedative effects of extracts and essential oil from Citrus aurantium L.

Citrus aurantium L. is commonly used as an alternative treatment for insomnia, anxiety and epilepsy. Essential oil from peel (EOP) and hydroethanolic (70% w/v) extract (HE) from leaves were obtained. Hexanic (HF), dichloromethanic (DF) and final aqueous (AF) fractions were obtained from HE by successive partitions. Swiss male mice (35-45 g) were treated orally with 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg of these preparations 30 min before the experiments for the evaluation of the sedative/hypnotic activity (sleeping time induced by sodium pentobarbital - SPB: 40 mg/kg, i.p.), anxiolytic activity (elevated plus maze--EPM) and anticonvulsant activity (induced by pentylenetetrazole--PTZ: 85 mg/kg, sc or by maximal electroshock--MES: 50 mA, 0.11 s, corneal). The results showed that EOP (0.5 g/kg) increased the latency period of tonic seizures in both convulsing experimental models. This effect was not dose-dependent. Treatment with 1.0 g/kg increased the sleeping time induced by barbiturates and the time spent in the open arms of the EPM. Specific tests indicated that the preparation, in both doses used, did not promote deficits in general activity or motor coordination. HF and DF fractions (1.0 g/kg) did not interfere in the epileptic seizures, but were able to enhance the sleeping time induced by barbiturates. The results obtained with EOP in the anxiety model, and with EOP, HF and DF in the sedation model, are in accord with the ethnopharmacological use of Citrus aurantium L. , which could be useful in primary medical care, after toxicological investigation.
pH-dependent recognition of apoptotic and necrotic cells by the human dendritic cell receptor DEC205

Significance Dendritic cells are critical in regulating immune responses. DEC205 (CD205) is an endocytotic receptor on dendritic cells with antigen presentation function and has been widely used in immune therapies. Here, we report that DEC205 is an immune receptor that recognizes apoptotic and necrotic cells specifically through a pH-dependent mechanism. The ectodomain of DEC205 forms a double-ringed conformation at acidic pH and becomes extended at basic pH. DEC205 only recognizes apoptotic and necrotic cells at acidic conditions with its N-terminal small ring and has no binding activities to healthy cells at either acidic or basic conditions, thus representing a novel pathway for immune clearance of dead cells and a potential mechanism for tumor scavenging. Dendritic cells play important roles in regulating innate and adaptive immune responses. DEC205 (CD205) is one of the major endocytotic receptors on dendritic cells and has been widely used for vaccine generation against viruses and tumors. However, little is known about its structure and functional mechanism. Here we determine the structure of the human DEC205 ectodomain by cryoelectron microscopy. The structure shows that the 12 extracellular domains form a compact double ring-shaped conformation at acidic pH and become extended at basic pH. Biochemical data indicate that the pH-dependent conformational change of DEC205 is correlated with ligand binding and release. DEC205 only binds to apoptotic and necrotic cells at acidic pH, whereas live cells cannot be recognized by DEC205 at either acidic or basic conditions. These results suggest that DEC205 is an immune receptor that recognizes apoptotic and necrotic cells specifically through a pH-dependent mechanism.
Rasgos funcionales y su relación con el funcionamiento de las plantas

Los rasgos funcionales son caracteristicas fisicas y quimicas de las plantas que pueden utilizarse como indicadores, para predecir o explicar distintos procesos, estrategias o respuestas de las plantas ante diferentes condiciones ambientales (Lavorel y Garnier 2002; Cornelissen et al. 2003). Por ejemplo, se ha encontrado que rasgos como el area especifica foliar (SLA), o la razon de area foliar (LAR) estan positivamente relacionados con el crecimiento de las plantas (Lambers y Poorter, 1992; Antunez et al., 2001). Otros, como la relacion entre la biomasa de raices y la parte aerea (R: S), o la densidad del tallo son rasgos implicados en una respuesta de mayor tolerancia a la sequia (Leiva y Fernandez-Alez, 1998; Markesteijn et al. 2011). Ademas de los rasgos estructurales, la composicion quimica tambien puede explicar el funcionamiento de las plantas. Por ejemplo, una alta concentracion de nitrogeno en la hoja se ha relacionado con una elevada tasa de crecimiento relativo (Cornelissen et al. 1996; Villar et al. 2006). Por otro lado, las caracteristicas de la hoja verde tambien pueden tener una influencia sobre las caracteristicas de las hojas senescentes y por lo tanto en la calidad de la hojarasca y la descomposicion. Asi, por ejemplo, una alta concentracion de nutrientes en la hojarasca puede acelerar el proceso de descomposicion y un rapido regreso de los nutrientes y otros compuestos al suelo (Gallardo y Merino, 1993), afectando a su vez al crecimiento de las nuevas plantulas bajo la hojarasca, bien potenciandolo (Dorrepaal et al., 2007) o inhibiendolo (Bonanomi et al., 2011). Por otro lado, el funcionamiento de las plantas esta intimamente relacionado con las condiciones ambientales. En las ultimas decadas, debido al cambio climatico, se han observado importantes alteraciones en variables climaticas. Actualmente se desconoce la influencia que dichas alteraciones pueden tener sobre los rasgos funcionales y como estas podrian afectar al funcionamiento de las plantas y ecosistemas.