Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An application of L-band synthetic aperture radar to tide height measurement

A method for measuring the tide height near the coast from L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data is presented. Twenty-one coherent interferograms have been successfully constructed from Japanese Earth Resources Satellite 1 (JERS-1) SAR data obtained over oyster sea-farming structures. A coherence analysis of the 21 interferometric pairs showed that a perpendicular baseline of less than 3 km, with a temporal baseline within 500 days, are required to obtain a coherent pair, with a coherence higher than 0.25, in the study area. The coherent phases preserved in the interferograms showed a close relation with the sea level. The problem of phase unwrapping to restore an absolute tide height was overcome by introducing normalized image intensities. The radar measurements estimated by the proposed method were verified using tide gauge data, and comparison of the two datasets yielded a correlation coefficient R/sup 2/ of 0.91, with a root mean square error of 5.76 cm. The results demonstrate that radar interferometry can be applied for a tide height measurement near the coast given sufficient structures that return off-nadir radar pulses to the antenna. The multipolarized L-band SAR system will provide better results, using only double-bounced signals, in the future.
Automatic nerve segmentation of ultrasound images

Ultrasound guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) is the Regional Anesthesia (RA) technique of injecting the anesthetic in required amounts depending on the region to be covered using ultrasound images of patients. It is one of the fields which is steadfastly growing in medical imaging, providing advances in ultrasound imaging technology. However, nerve identification continues to remain as one of the most challenging tasks that anesthetists can encounter in the UGRA technique of injection. One of the main reasons of this include the low quality of the ultrasound images which are affected by the introduction of unwanted speckle noise. Since, Regional anesthesia (RA) is one of most frequently undertaken tasks in hospitals throughout the world to reduce or nullify the effect of the persistent pain in patients, any discrepancy in providing anesthesia can lead to severe damage to the respective region of the body or side effects to the rest of the body and also to the life of the patient. This enhances the need for correctly identifying the right nerve region to provide anesthesia. In this paper, we survey the conventional methods [1] used in biomedical image processing. For each stage of the processing, we have performed comparison with the different methodologies and we propose a combination of the methods which gives the best performance.
Prevalence of Normal Tension Glaucoma in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Patients

PurposeTo explore the prevalence of normal tension glaucoma (NTG) among patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and to examine OSAS as a risk factor of NTG. Patients and MethodsFifty-one consecutive white patients with OSAS were compared with 40 healthy subjects. All the study subjects underwent blood gas analysis, polysomnography, oxyhemoglobin saturation, and an ophthalmologic examination including visual field, visually evoked potential (VEP), and pattern electroretinography (PERG) and disc analysis with the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II. ResultsThree of 51 OSAS patients (5.9%) had NTG. No patient in the control group had OSAS or NTG. The severity of OSAS correlated with intraocular pressure, the mean deviation of the visual field, the cup/disk ratio and the mean of the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (P<0.01 to 0.001). Apnea hypopnea index and intraocular pressure were significantly greater in OSAS patients with abnormal VEP and PERG, compared to those with normal PERG and VEP. ConclusionsThe present study suggests that the prevalence of NTG in our OSAS patients is higher than expected in a white population of the same age and that OSAS may be an important risk factor for NTG. Our data underline the importance of taking an accurate sleep history from patients with NTG and referring patients with sleep disturbance for polysomnography.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus F Envelope Protein Associates with Lipid Rafts without a Requirement for Other Virus Proteins

ABSTRACT Like many enveloped viruses, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) assembles at and buds from lipid rafts. Translocation of the envelope proteins to these membrane subdomains is essential for production of infectious virus, but the targeting mechanism is poorly understood and it is not known if other virus proteins are required. Here we demonstrate that F protein of RSV intrinsically targets to lipid rafts without a requirement for any other virus protein, including the SH and G envelope proteins. Recombinant virus deficient in SH and G but retaining F protein expression was used to demonstrate that F protein still localized in rafts in both A549 and HEp-2 cells. Expression of a recombinant F gene by use of plasmid vectors demonstrated that F contains its own targeting domain and localized to rafts in the absence of other virus proteins. The domain responsible for translocation was then mapped. Unlike most other virus envelope proteins, F is unusual since the target signal is not contained within the cytoplasmic domain nor did it involve fatty acid modified residues. Furthermore, exchange of the transmembrane domain with that of the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein, a nonraft protein, did not alter F protein raft localization. Taken together, these data suggest that domains present in the extracellular portion of the protein are responsible for lipid raft targeting of the RSV F protein.
Treatment of gestational diabetes with short‐ or long‐acting insulin and neonatal outcome: a pilot study

Major problems with gestational diabetes (GDM) have been the high frequency of fetal macrosomia, and perinatal complications, especially among mothers needing insulin in addition to diet therapy (1). Both long-acting insulin (LAI) and shortacting insulin (SAI) are used, the former to reduce the basal glucose level and the latter to control postprandial glucose peaks after meals. Despite many improvements, insulin therapy has not solved the above-mentioned problems. We compared the effects of SAI and LAI on perinatal outcome in insulin-requiring GDM. We hypothesized that SAI therapy and postprandial glucose monitoring would lead to better glycemic control than LAI and therefore reduce fetal macrosomia. After obtaining approval by the Ethics Committee of the Helsinki University Central Hospital, department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and given information to all study participants, we included 23 consecutive women with insulin-requiring GDM in a prospective randomized trial. A 2-hr oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with 75g of glucose was performed at 24–28weeks of gestation in women with
Effect Of The IFRS Adoption On The Cost Of Capital: Evidence From Korea

This study investigates whether the cost of capital of Korean listed firms was substantially reduced after the IFRS adoption in long-term aspect and which firms listed in KOSPI or KOSDAQ market had been more enjoyed the benefit. Prior studies related to this subject don’t provided consistent results and have limitations of insufficiency of research periods and generalization problem. Therefore, this study analyzes the positive effect of the IFRS adoption in Korea using long-term based approach and differential measurements (CAPM and WACC) to facilitate generalization. Results of the study found that the cost of capital of Korean listed firms had been significantly reduced during 5 years after the IFRS adoption. In addition, the cost of capital of KOSPI listed firms was reduced more than KOSDAQ listed firms. The results provide meaningful implications to evaluate the effects of IFRS adoption on the cost of capital and to assess accomplishment of fundamental purpose of the IFRS adoption in Korea.
Human evacuation modeling by the discrete element method

The Discrete Element Method (DEM) was applied for human evacuation modeling in this study. The computational domain consisted of a room without any obstacles and a single exit and the evacuation of 100 subjects from the room was simulated. The typical phenomenon of jamming that is typical of such systems was reproduced computationally with such an approach. The evacuation process was observed to consist of the formation of a human cluster around the exit of the room followed by departure of subjects one at a time that created a significant bottleneck for the entire process.
Pengaruh Pemahaman Peraturan Perpajakan, Kesadaran Wajib Pajak, Akuntabilitas Pelayanan Publik Dan Kewajiban Moral Terhadap Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak (Studi Empiris pada Kantor Bersama SAMSAT Kota Jambi)

This study aims to obtain empirical evidence of the influence of understanding tax regulations, awareness of taxpayers, accountability of public services and moral obligations towards taxpayer compliance. The population in this study were all motor vehicle taxpayers registered at the SAMSAT Office in Jambi City. The sampling technique in this study used the accidental sampling method. The data analysis technique uses multiple linear regression analysis techniques. The number of samples in this study were 100 respondents of motor vehicle taxpayers. The software used for data processing is SPSS version 22 for Windows. The results of testing the hypothesis are as follows. Simultaneously and partially, understanding tax regulations, taxpayer awareness, public service accountability and moral obligations towards taxpayer compliance.
Transdifferentiation of Umbilical Cord–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Into Epidermal-Like Cells by the Mimicking Skin Microenvironment

Human umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) are multipotent, primitive, and have been widely used for skin tissue engineering. Their transdifferentiation is determined by the local microenvironment. In this study, we investigated the potential epidermal differentiation of UC-MSCs and the formation of epidermis substitutes in a 3-dimensional (3D) microenvironment, which was fabricated by UC-MSCs embedded into collagen–chitosan scaffolds (CCSs) combined with an air–liquid interface (ALI) culture system. Using fluorescence microscope, we observed that UC-MSCs were spindle-shaped and evenly distributed in the scaffold. Methyl thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay and Live/Dead assay indicated that the CCSs have good biocompatibility with UC-MSCs. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting assay showed that UC-MSCs on the surface of the CCSs were positive for the epidermal markers cytokeratin 19 and involucrin at 14 days. In addition, hematoxylin–eosin staining indicated that multilayered epidermis substitutes were established. The constructed epidermis substitutes were applied to treat full-thickness wounds in rats and proved to promote wound healing. In conclusion, manipulating the 3D microenvironment is a novel method for inducing the epidermal differentiation of MSCs to engineer epidermal substitutes, which provides an alternative strategy for skin tissue engineering.
Privacy Models for RFID Authentication Protocols

Privacy is a major concern in RFID systems, especially with widespread deployment of wireless enabled interconnected personal devices. In this paper, we consider privacy issues in RFID systems where the authorized readers must be able to identify tags without an adversary being able to trace them, and provide a formal security model for privacy in RFID system. Under this model, we analyze the recently proposed RFID authentication protocol named anonymous RFID authentication protocol and show attacks on them that compromise the privacy.
Exploring the Challenges of First-Year Student Funding: An Intra-Institutional Case Study

Amongst the first of the challenges facing prospective first-year university students is the need to procure funding for their studies. Indeed, demand for funding for students to access higher education far exceeds supply in South Africa. One solution has been the creation of a government loan scheme, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), but this scheme does not cover all students. Outside of NSFAS, student bursary funding remains limited and universities are being increasingly pressurised to allocate bursaries to ensure students are not excluded due to funding constraints. Despite this, to date, little work has been undertaken regarding university policy and management of bursary applications and funds. Thus this study represents an attempt to fill this gap. The study explores the current student funding model deployed at one particular large tertiary institution as a means to gain an understanding of current funding challenges and attempt to find ways in which funding decisions can be improved. A qualitative approach was used, which involved conducting in-depth interviews with senior university staff involved in a range of student support directorates. The study demonstrates the complexity of the challenges associated with student funding.
Bounding the Capacity of Saturation Recording: The Lorentz Model and Applications

The authors consider the problem of bounding the information capacity of saturation recording. The superposition channel with additive Gaussian noise is used as a model for recording. This model says that for a saturation input signal, x(t) (i.e., one that can assume only one of two levels), the output can be expressed as y(t)=x(t)+z(t) where x(t) is a filtered version of the input x(t) and z(t) is additive Gaussian noise. The channel is described by the impulse response of the channel filter, h(t), and by the autocorrelation function of the noise. A specific example of such a channel is the differentiated Lorentz channel. Certain autocorrelation and spectrum expressions for a general Lorentz channel are derived. Upper and lower bounds on the capacity of saturation recording channels are described. The bounds are explicitly computed for the differentiated Lorentz channel model. Finally, it is indicated how the derived bounds can be applied in practice using physical measurements from a recording channel. >
A Commentary on Corporate Social Responsibility and Natural Disasters in India

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of top 100 Indian companies in natural disasters and identify best practices of corporations in India. Results are derived from secondary data collected from websites, newsletters and annual reports of the companies. Three natural disasters were taken for the study from the year 2013–15. It is observed that most of the companies have been engaged in disaster relief activities for social and ethical reasoning. These activities included financial help, stake holder consultation and partnerships with NGOs, non-profit organizations (NPOs) and the government. Corporations also help in disaster management simply by engaging in their regular business. This study analyzes the role of corporations in natural disasters from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective and discusses the possible way of coping with natural disasters by Indian companies. The research findings will be very useful for Indian companies, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and Government, after the enactment of Companies Act 2013. It would be very helpful for normalcy of human life and business. It analyses only top 100 Indian company’s contribution. It lacks the reflections of the other countries.
Firefly algorithm, stochastic test functions and design optimisation

Modern optimisation algorithms are often metaheuristic, and they are very promising in solving NP-hard optimisation problems. In this paper, we show how to use the recently developed firefly algorithm to solve non-linear design problems. For the standard pressure vessel design optimisation, the optimal solution found by FA is far better than the best solution obtained previously in the literature. In addition, we also propose a few new test functions with either singularity or stochastic components but with known global optimality and thus they can be used to validate new optimisation algorithms. Possible topics for further research are also discussed.
Goodbye Washington Consensus, Hello Washington Confusion? A Review of the World Bank's Economic Growth in the 1990s: Learning from a Decade of Reform

Proponents and critics alike agree that the policies spawned by the Washington Consensus have not produced the desired results. The debate now is not over whether the Washington Consensus is dead or alive, but over what will replace it. An important marker in this intellectual terrain is the World Bank? s Economic Growth in the 1990s: Learning from a Decade of Reform (2005). With its emphasis on humility, policy diversity, selective and modest reforms, and experimentation, this is a rather extraordinary document demonstrating the extent to which the thinking of the development policy community has been transformed over the years. But there are other competing perspectives as well. One (trumpeted elsewhere in Washington) puts faith on extensive institutional reform, and another (exemplified by the U.N. Millennium Report) puts faith on foreign aid. Sorting intelligently among these diverse perspectives requires an explicitly diagnostic approach that recognizes that the binding constraints on growth differ from setting to setting.
Suppression of Ongoing T Cell-Mediated Autoimmunity by Peptide-MHC Class II Dimer Vaccination1

Tissue-specific autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) are characterized by T cell-driven pathology. Administration of autoantigenic peptides provides a strategy to selectively target the pathogenic T cell response. Indeed, treatment with β cell peptides effectively prevents T1D in NOD mice. However, the efficacy of peptide immunotherapy generally wanes as β cell autoimmunity progresses and islet inflammation increases. With the goal of enhancing the efficacy of peptide immunotherapy, soluble (s)IAg7-Ig dimers covalently linked to β cell autoantigen-derived peptides were tested for the capacity to suppress late preclinical T1D. NOD female mice with established β cell autoimmunity were vaccinated i.v. with a short course of sIAg7-Ig dimers tethered to peptides derived from glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 (sIAg7-pGAD65). Treatment with sIAg7-pGAD65 dimers and the equivalent of only ∼7 μg of native peptide effectively blocked the progression of insulitis and the development of diabetes. Furthermore, suppression of T1D was dependent on β cell-specific IL-10-secreting CD4+ T cells, although the frequency of GAD65-specific FoxP3-expressing CD4+ T cells was also increased in sIAg7-pGAD65 dimer vaccinated NOD mice. These results demonstrate that MHC class II-Ig dimer vaccination is a robust approach to suppress ongoing T cell-mediated autoimmunity, and may provide a superior strategy of adjuvant-free peptide-based immunotherapy to induce immunoregulatory T cells.
Zap1‐dependent transcription from an alternative upstream promoter controls translation of RTC4 mRNA in zinc‐deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Maintaining zinc homeostasis is an important property of all organisms. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Zap1 transcriptional activator is a central player in this process. In response to zinc deficiency, Zap1 activates transcription of many genes and consequently increases accumulation of their encoded proteins. In this report, we describe a new mechanism of Zap1‐mediated regulation whereby increased transcription of certain target genes results in reduced protein expression. Transcription of the Zap1‐responsive genes RTC4 and RAD27 increases markedly in zinc‐deficient cells but, surprisingly, their protein levels decrease. We examined the underlying mechanism further for RTC4 and found that this unusual regulation results from altered transcription start site selection. In zinc‐replete cells, RTC4 transcription begins near the protein‐coding region and the resulting short transcript leader allows for efficient translation. In zinc‐deficient cells, RTC4 RNA with longer transcript leaders are expressed that are not efficiently translated due to the presence of multiple small open reading frames upstream of the coding region. This regulation requires a potential Zap1 binding site located farther upstream of the promoter. Thus, we present evidence for a new mechanism of Zap1‐mediated gene regulation and another way that this activator protein can repress protein expression.
Automatic speech synthesiser parameter estimation using HMMs

This paper presents a new approach to speech synthesis which uses a set of decision tree state clustered triphone HMMs to automatically segment a single speaker speech database into sub-word units suitable for use in a synthesiser. Parameters are then obtained for each of these sub-word units from the segmented database, enabling a basic synthesis system to be constructed. This automatic generation of synthesis parameters means that the system can easily be retrained on a new speaker, whose voice it then mimics. It also means that a very large number of sub-word units can be used, which enables more precise context modelling than was previously possible.
Glucose, exercise and insulin: emerging concepts

Physical exercise induces a rapid increase in the rate of glucose uptake in the contracting skeletal muscles. The enhanced membrane glucose transport capacity is caused by a recruitment of glucose transporters (GLUT4) to the sarcolemma and t‐tubules. This review summarises the recent progress in the understanding of signals that trigger GLUT4 translocation in contracting muscle. The possible involvement of calcium, protein kinase C (PKC), nitric oxide (NO), glycogen and AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) are discussed. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms behind the well‐described improvement of insulin action on glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activity in the post‐exercise period is discussed. It is concluded that both during and following muscle contractions, glycogen emerges as an important modulator of signalling events in glucose metabolism.