Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic urban area monitoring using digital surface models and shape features

Accurate monitoring of urban areas using remote sensing data requires reliable change detection techniques. Nevertheless, while most of the changes are optically visible and easily detectable by an expert user, automatic processes are quite difficult to develop. That is why, the interpretation of changes has remained up-to-now visual in most operational applications in remote sensing. This paper provides an automatic approach for 3D change detection based on the joint use of the height and spatial information. In fact, when dealing with urban areas, one possibility to cope with the automatic growth monitoring is the exploitation of the height information relative to the different man-made objects that exist in the scene. The subtraction of Digital Surface Models (DSMs), acquired at different epochs, should thus provide a valuable information about the 3D urban changes occurred in the studied area. However, when at least one of the DSMs presents some artifacts, a simple DSM subtraction could result also in the detection of virtual changes. To remove these virtual changes, we propose in this work to include, in addition to the height information, some shape features that could be of a great help in describing the geometry of the constructed or demolished man-made structures. After that, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier is used to differentiate real from virtual changes. Evaluation of the proposed approach in terms of completeness, correctness, overall accuracy, etc has been performed proving its efficiency and relatively high accuracy.
Use of health services by children who were identified during the postpartum period as being at high risk of child abuse or neglect.

OBJECTIVE To examine the rates of hospitalizations of children identified as beingat high risk of maltreatment compared with a sociodemographically similar comparison group. DESIGN retrospective study comparing a high-risk cohort with a sociodemographically matched comparison group at Yale-New Haven Hospital (New Haven, CT). PATIENTS One huntred fourteen children who were identified from January 1979 through December 1981 by clinicians on the postpartum ward as being at high risk of abuse or neglect and 114 sociodemographically similar comparison children who were matched according to date of birth, race, gender, and method of payment for the hospitalization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURER: During the first 4 years of life, the number of hospitalizations, reasons for admissions, and appropriateness of days in the hospital using the Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol. RESULTS Significantly more high-risk children wer hospitalized (40% vs 22%; risk ratio 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.74). High-risk children were hospitalized for 649 (mean, 9.0) days versus 124 (mean, 3.8) days in comparison children. For admissions for medical problems, 28% of hospital days in the high-risk group were considered inappropriate by the Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol versus 8% in the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS There are substantial differences in the rates of hospitalizations, lengths of stay, and appropriateness of days in children identified as being at hish risk of maltreatment compared with a sociodemographically similar, non-high-risk group. Preventive programs that are aimed at reducing rates of child maltreatment in high-risk young children also should examine the program's effects on the use of hospital care.
A new symptom model for autism cross-validated in an independent sample.

BACKGROUND Results from several studies indicated that a symptom model other than the DSM triad might better describe symptom domains of autism. The present study focused on a) investigating the stability of a new symptom model for autism by cross-validating it in an independent sample and b) examining the invariance of the model regarding three covariates: symptom severity, intelligence, and age. METHOD The validity of the symptom model was examined in an independent sample of N = 263 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders, and model invariance was studied in a larger sample of N = 356 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. The fit of the symptom model to the sample data was compared to that of alternative models (including the DSM triad), and the invariance of the new model was investigated for each covariate by multiple-group comparisons. RESULTS The fit of the new symptom model was better than that of two alternative models. It could not be compared to that of the DSM triad, because the latter encountered empirical identification problems. There were no significant or substantive differences between the estimated model in each of the dichotomised groups for any of the three covariates, which indicated factorial invariance of both structural form and factor loadings. CONCLUSIONS The symptom model appeared to be relatively stable: It could be cross-validated in the independent sample and factorial invariance was shown between the dichotomised groups for each covariate. Further model validation with instruments other than the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is recommended.
The Missing Link in Information Security: Three Dimensional Profiling

The problem of information security has been combatted with the use of technological methods. However, the root of the problem is the behavior of human beings. Humans are stealing passwords, committing intellectual property crimes, skimming financial accounts, selling information to competitors, breaking into databases, cyber-snooping, and committing a host of other offenses against organizations and their systems. Ironically, the disciplines that assess, evaluate, and solve human based problems have not been an integral part of the information security measures used to protect data. The methodology of profiling has been used for two decades now to assist investigators and forensic analysts in criminal investigation. Profilers and forensic scientists have joined forces to enhance and expand the tool box used to investigate violent crimes. This same type of synthesis needs to occur between profilers and computer forensic experts. In addition to the needed synthesis between the computer scientists and the b.
Record Linkage in the Industry : Applications of an Improved Suffix Array Blocking Method

Record linkage is an important data mining task that has seen many uses in the industry, from matching records in separate datasets to removing duplicates in the same dataset, in the absence of a uniquely identifying key. However, for any feasible implementation, an indexing or blocking technique must be used to reduce the computational complexity of this task, which is quadratic in the number of records to be linked when unoptimised. We propose an improvement on the Suffix Array blocking method by grouping together similar suffixes. We carry out an in-depth analysis of our method and show results from experiments using real and synthetic data. We compare our results with the blocking technique used in a record linkage technique that exists in the industry, which is also the source of our real-world dataset.
PHONETIC REALIZATION OF CONTRASTIVELY ASPIRATED AFFRICATES IN NEPALI

This paper investigates the phonetic realization of the contrastively aspirated affricates /tsh/ and /dzh/ in Nepali. Static palatography reveals no consistent articulatory difference between these sounds and their nonaspirated counterparts /ts/ and /dz/. However, acoustic examination shows that /tsh/ and /dzh/ differ from /ts/ and /dz/ in several ways depending on the identity of the following vowel (open /a/ vs. palatal /i/). The most prominent and consistent cue to the aspirates, voiceless as well as voiced, is breathy or muffled voice and lowered F0 on the following vowel.
Estrogen receptor‐β immunoreactivity in the midbrain of adult rats: Regional, subregional, and cellular localization in the A10, A9, and A8 dopamine cell groups

Estrogen modulates dopamine synthesis, release, and metabolism in corticolimbic and striatal targets of midbrain dopamine neurons. The relevant sites of receptor‐mediated action, however, had been elusive, because all available evidence suggested a paucity of intracellular estrogen receptors in the A8, A9, and A10 dopamine regions and their afferent targets. More recent evidence of a relative abundance of the β isoform of the estrogen receptor (ER) in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (VTA), however, suggests that this newly described receptor may be important in estrogen's stimulation of midbrain DA systems. It is unknown, however, precisely how ERβ is distributed with respect to the functionally and neurochemically diverse cell populations of the ventral midbrain. To address these issues, this study used single‐ and double‐label immunocytochemistry to detail the regional, subregional, and cellular distributions of ERβ immunoreactivity in and around midbrain dopamine‐containing cell groups in hormonally intact adult male and female rats. These analyses revealed that ERβ‐immunoreactive nuclei were found only in neurons, more specifically, within subsets of both dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons in the dorsal VTA, the parabrachial pigmented nucleus, the substantia nigra pars lateralis, the retrorubral fields, and to a lesser extent the linear midline nuclei. These regional and cellular receptor distributions thus place the ERβ isoform in anatomical register with midbrain dopamine systems known to participate in a spectrum of motor, cognitive, and affective functions. J. Comp. Neurol. 446:288–300, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
VALIDITY, SENSITIVITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF STAGES AND GARMIN VECTOR POWER METERS WHEN COMPARED WITH SRM DEVICE

The measurement of power output (PO) during cycling has led some manufacturers to develop mobile power meters. However, such devices have to provide a valid, sensitive and reproducible PO. This study aimed to determine the validity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the Stages and Garmin Vector during both laboratory and field cycling tests. The results demonstrate that the Stages and the Garmin Vector systems appear to be reproducible. However, the validity and the sensitivity of the two systems must be treated with some caution.
Letter to the Editor, “Osterix Regulates Tooth Root Formation in a Site-specific Manner”

To the Editor: In the article titled “Osterix Regulates Tooth Root Formation in a Site-specific Manner” (Kim et al. 2015), the authors provided solid evidence that Osterix controls root but not crown dentin. These findings concur with our recent discovery that Osterix is not required for tooth germ and crown formation but is essential for root formation using conventional and conditional Osterix knockout approaches (Zhang et al. 2015), challenging the current belief that dentin formation in crown and root uses the same regulatory mechanisms. Kim et al. claimed that the cause of the root phenotype is due to a site-specific role of Osterix in the root. Apparently, this view cannot address the fact that there is no apparent crown phenotype while Osx is expressed in the crown (Kim et al. 2015). Furthermore, our data clearly showed the expression of OSX in both crown and root regions (Appendix Fig. 1). Thus, we reason that there must be other factors that can compensate for Osterix function in crown but not in root, which agrees with studies on Nfic. As shown in Appendix Figure 2, Nfic was expressed in both crown and root odontoblasts. Nfic conventional knockout mice displayed “rootless” teeth with limited impact on the tooth crown (Steele-Perkins et al. 2003; Park et al. 2007; Lee et al. 2009; Zhang et al. 2015), indicating that Nfic is essential for root formation but its function can be compensated for by other factors in crown. Regardless of this difference, the current finding will stimulate further exploration in root biology.
Comparative effectiveness of Mitraclip plus medical therapy versus medical therapy alone in high-risk surgical patients: a comprehensive review

In recent years, Mitraclip has become available as a treatment option for mitral regurgitation in high-risk surgical patients. Focusing on the incremental effectiveness of Mitraclip versus the current standard of care, this article provides a comparative review of the evidence on Mitraclip and standard medical therapy (MT) in high-risk mitral regurgitation patients. Evidence was retrieved from seven major databases. Results suggest that Mitraclip presents a high safety profile and a good middle-term effectiveness performance. Evidence on long-term effectiveness is limited both for Mitraclip and MT. Few studies allow a comparison with MT and comparative results on different endpoints are mixed. Therefore, the available evidence does not conclusively inform whether or under which circumstances Mitraclip should be preferred over MT in the treatment of high-risk patients. Head-to-head real-world studies would be needed, as they would provide great and timely insights to support policy decisions when medical devices are at stake.
Quality of life of Pakistani medical students studying in a private institution.

OBJECTIVE To find the quality of life of medical students using a World Health Organisation questionnaire. METHODS The cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2015 at Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan, and comprised students studying in an integrated medical education system. The shortened version of World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire comprising 26 items was used. Consecutive non-probability sampling was used to collect data which was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS Out of 417 medical students, 185(44.4%) were male and 232(55.6%) were female. Of them, 165(39.6%) were in pre-clinical years, while 252(60.4%) were in clinical years. Overall, 347(83.2%) students rated their quality of life as "good" or "very good". Environmental domain had the highest mean score of 70.43±16.38 while Psychological Health domain had the lowest mean score of 66.48±15.64. CONCLUSIONS Medical education affects students' health, thus their quality of life varies. Identification of this is very important, since long-term stress can induce some permanent personality changes in individuals.
Menghadirkan Kepentingan Perempuan dalam Representasi Politik di Indonesia

Tulisan ini mencoba merespons tiga diskursus utama perkembangan studi representasi politik belakangan ini. Pertama, representasi politik tidak akan menghadirkan representasi kepentingan dan identitas secara sempurna, hanya separuh atau sebagian sehingga representasi adalah tentang klaim semata bukan sebuah fakta representasi. Kedua, representasi politik yang demokratis terjadi jika mereka yang kepentingannya dipengaruhi atau tersentuh oleh sebuah keputusan mempunyai kapasitas untuk (terlibat) memengaruhi pembuatan keputusan tersebut. Ketiga, representasi politik dapat dihasilkan dari proses elektoral (pemilu) dan non-elektoral. Proses elektoral menghasilkan representasi politik formal pada ranah jabatan eksekutif dan legislatif di parlemen. Dalam proses non-elektoral representasi politik hadir dalam bentuk gerakan politik oleh kelompok, serikat, komunitas, atau organisasi masyarakat sipil. Dalam konteks praktik representasi politik di Indonesia dan kaitannya dengan isu representasi politik perempuan, tulisan ini melihat praktik representasi politik perempuan di Indonesia dalam ketiga diskursus tersebut, serta menawarkan gagasan dan rekomendasi bagi upaya meningkatkan angka representasi perempuan juga bagi upaya menghadirkan kepentingan perempuan.
Interleukin-8: more on the mechanisms of progenitor cells mobilization in acute coronary syndromes.

In the article published in the current issue of European Heart Journal, Schomig and collaborators identify new humoral factor associated with the release of progenitor cells in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The article expands current knowledge with regard to mobilization of bone-marrow progenitors in AMI by showing that parallel to already described increase of vascular endothelial growth factor, there is a marked upregulation of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in patients with AMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The increase of IL-8 levels shows the similar time-course as the mobilization of CD133+ cells, moreover plasma concentrations of IL-8 and were shown to be an independent predictor of circulating CD133+ cells number in multivariable regression model that included parameters known to influence the progenitor cell mobilization, such as cardiovascular risk factors, infarct size, and use of statins. Authors investigated the mobilization of three populations of circulating cells differentiated according to their immunophenotype and in vitro characteristics: endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), mature endothelial cells (EC), and less well-defined CD133+ CD34+ CD45− progenitor cells.1 EPC are capable of transforming into mature, functional EC and can be regarded as the pool of cells maintaining the integrity of vascular endothelium, as numerous studies confirmed their pivotal role in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis after ischaemic injury in the setting of AMI and peripheral artery disease.2 Shintani et al . 3 were the first to describe and characterize the CD34+ mononuclear cells positive for lineage markers (KDR, VE-cadherin, CD31) as well as function (Dil-acLDL uptake) and morphology of EPC which were mobilized into peripheral blood in AMI. These findings were subsequently confirmed and expanded by Masa et al . ,4 in AMI patients … *Corresponding author. Tel: +48 604188669; fax: +48 32 2523930. E-mail address : wojwoj{at}mp.pl
Promoting self-management improves the health status of patients having peritoneal dialysis.

AIM This paper is a report of a study conducted to explore the effects of promoting self-management on the well-being of patients having peritoneal dialysis. BACKGROUND Peritoneal dialysis is a home-based treatment for end-stage renal disease. Promoting self-management has been shown to improve the health status of people with diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases. However, little is known about the effects of self-management support for patients having peritoneal dialysis. METHOD Thirty patients who had received peritoneal dialysis for at least 6 months and were clinically stable were enrolled in the study in 2006. A multidisciplinary team was built to support the patients' self-management. Various forms of education such as group discussion and individual consultation were used to improve patients' self-efficacy and all were followed up for 6 months. We compared the volume status, adequacy of dialysis, nutritional status, quality of life, rehabilitation status, self-management capacity and self-efficacy levels at baseline, 3 and 6 months after enrolment. RESULTS During follow-up, patients' urine volume and residual renal function decreased, while the adequacy of dialysis (Kt/v and Ccr) did not change. Volume status, quality of life and rehabilitation status all improved, whereas nutritional status did not deteriorate. Both self-management capacity and self-efficacy level increased statistically significantly. CONCLUSION A team approach needs to be taken to achieve successful self-management in patients having peritoneal dialysis, as with other chronic disease treatments. Nurses should use multiple strategies based on self-efficacy theory to improve patients' self-efficacy levels and self-management capacities.
The behaviour of political parties and MPs in the parliaments of the Weimar Republic

Analysing the roll-call votes of the MPs of the Weimar Republic we find: (1) that party competition in the Weimar parliaments can be structured along two dimensions: an economic left–right and a pro-/anti-democratic. Remarkably, this is stable throughout the entire lifespan of the Republic and not just in the later years and despite the varying content of votes across the lifespan of the Republic, and (2) that nearly all parties were troubled by intra-party divisions, though, in particular, the national socialists and communists became homogeneous in the final years of the Republic.
Serum enterolactone and postmenopausal breast cancer risk by estrogen, progesterone and herceptin 2 receptor status

Lignans are a group of estrogenic compounds present in plants. Several epidemiological studies proposed that lignans may protect against breast cancer by exerting anticarcinogenic activity. Levels of enterolactone were determined in serum samples of 1,250 cases and 2,164 controls from a large population‐based case–control study. We assessed the association between serum enterolactone and postmenopausal breast cancer risk using conditional logistic regression accounting for potential risk and confounding factors. Fractional polynomials were used to determine the function that best fitted the data. Moreover, we assessed heterogeneity by estrogen/progesterone/herceptin (ER/PR/HER2) status of the tumor. Additionally, a meta‐analysis with seven further studies addressing enterolactone concentrations and breast cancer risk was performed. Postmenopausal breast cancer risk decreased with increasing serum enterolactone levels [highest compared to lowest quintile: [odds ratio = 0.65; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52–0.83, ptrend = <0.0001]. A significant inverse association for ER+/PR+ as well as ER−/PR− tumors was observed, with a significantly stronger association for ER−/PR− tumors (pheterogeneity = 0.03). The association for ER−/PR− tumors did not differ by expression of HER2 (pheterogeneity = 0.3). The meta‐analysis yielded a significant reduced pooled risk estimate of: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.55–0.77) comparing the highest to the lowest quantiles of enterolactone levels. We found strong evidence for a significant inverse association between serum enterolactone and postmenopausal breast cancer risk, which was stronger for ER−PR− than for ER+PR+ tumors but not differential by further expression of HER2. The overall evidence together with other studies supports an inverse association between higher serum enterolactone levels and postmenopausal breast cancer risk.
Augmented distributed gradient methods for multi-agent optimization under uncoordinated constant stepsizes

We consider distributed optimization problems in which a number of agents are to seek the optimum of a global objective function through merely local information sharing. The problem arises in various application domains, such as resource allocation, sensor fusion and distributed learning. In particular, we are interested in scenarios where agents use uncoordinated (different) constant stepsizes for local optimization. According to most existing works, using this kind of stepsize rule for update, which is necessary in asynchronous scenarios, will lead to some gap (error) between the estimated result and the exact optimum. To deal with this issue, we develop a new augmented distributed gradient method (termed Aug-DGM) based on consensus theory. The proposed algorithm not only allows for using uncoordinated stepsizes but also, most importantly, be able to seek the exact optimum even with constant stepsizes assuming that the global objective function has Lipschitz gradient. A simple numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Specific lysis of varicella zoster virus-infected B lymphoblasts by human T cells

Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human B cells expressed cell surface varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antigens after superinfection with VZV although they did not form infectious centers in a plaque assay. The VZV-superinfected cells were lysed by autologous VZV-stimulated T-cell lines and their derivative clones. The effector cells were specific for VZV and an HLA DR antigen and were T4+. The specificity of lysis of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed, VZV-superinfected targets by prestimulated mononuclear cells in this system contrasted with the unrestricted lysis seen when the targets were VZV-infected fibroblasts.