Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Motion-Aware Correlation Filters for Online Visual Tracking

The discriminative correlation filters-based methods struggle deal with the problem of fast motion and heavy occlusion, the problem can severely degrade the performance of trackers, ultimately leading to tracking failures. In this paper, a novel Motion-Aware Correlation Filters (MACF) framework is proposed for online visual object tracking, where a motion-aware strategy based on joint instantaneous motion estimation Kalman filters is integrated into the Discriminative Correlation Filters (DCFs). The proposed motion-aware strategy is used to predict the possible region and scale of the target in the current frame by utilizing the previous estimated 3D motion information. Obviously, this strategy can prevent model drift caused by fast motion. On the base of the predicted region and scale, the MACF detects the position and scale of the target by using the DCFs-based method in the current frame. Furthermore, an adaptive model updating strategy is proposed to address the problem of corrupted models caused by occlusions, where the learning rate is determined by the confidence of the response map. The extensive experiments on popular Object Tracking Benchmark OTB-100, OTB-50 and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) video have demonstrated that the proposed MACF tracker performs better than most of the state-of-the-art trackers and achieves a high real-time performance. In addition, the proposed approach can be integrated easily and flexibly into other visual tracking algorithms.
Association between physical activity and alcohol consumption: sociodemographic and behavioral patterns in Brazilian adults.

Background Our aim was to investigate the association between physical activity and alcohol consumption, as well as the sociodemographic and behavioral patterns of this association in a representative sample of Brazilian adults. Methods Data from the Brazilian Health Survey (PNS), a nationally representative survey conducted in 2013 (n = 60 202; age≥18 years), were used. Time spent in leisure physical activity, alcohol consumption as well as sociodemographic (chronological age, educational status and skin color) and associated behavioral factors (TV viewing and tobacco smoking) were collected via interview. Logistic regression models were used for the main analyses. Results Prevalence of weekly and almost daily alcohol consumption were 29.5% and 6.7% for men and 12.0% and 1.0% for women respectively. Adults with weekly alcohol consumption were more likely to be classified as physically active [young: men=OR:1.20 (CI 95%:1.02-1.39), women= OR:2.33 (CI 95%:1.92-2.82); middle-aged: men= OR:1.46 (CI 95%: 1.17-1.82), women= OR:1.75 (CI 95%:1.38-2.22); older: men= OR:1.83 (CI 95%:1.27-2.66), women= OR:2.11 (CI 95%: s1.26-3.52)], when compared to adults with no alcohol consumption. Almost daily alcohol consumption was associated with lower physical activity among young and middle-aged adults but with higher physical activity among older adults of both sexes and young women. Conclusions Weekly alcohol consumption was associated with a higher level of physical activity among young, middle aged and older adults.
Study on immortal conditions of chicken embryonic stem cells

In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to chicken embryonic stem cells (ESCs) studies in relation to extensive applications in gene therapy and regenerative medicine. However, the approaches used are still immature. In this study, we showed that the chicken ESCs clones with a clear border can express alkaline phosphatase and marker proteins such as SSEA‐1, SOX2, and OCT4 stably. In addition, culture medium containing 10 μmol/L of vitamin C (VC) could significantly promote the proliferation of ESCs cells. Moreover, ESCs transfected with p:enhanced green fluorescent protein (pEGFP)‐hTERT could be subcultured more than tenth generations in culture medium containing exogenous factors (mLIF + bFGF + hSCF) and VC, and these ESCs clone could still be regenerated following cryopreservation. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction results showed that there was no significant difference between SSEA‐1, SOX2, and OCT4 expression during ESCs immortalization and that the tenth generation of ESCs was still able to express marker proteins SSEA‐1, SOX2, and OCT4. Our results showed that an immobilized system for ESCs was established, and the ESCs were cultured in vitro maintaining their pluripotency.
Combining ability analysis for grain yield and its contributing traits in maize (Zea mays L.) over environments

Combining ability analysis for grain yield and its contributing traits in maize was performed with 15 inbred line and 3 tester parents and the resulting 45 hybrids using line x tester cross analysis in three environments during kharif and rabi 2014. The results of combining ability analysis over the environments revealed significant mean squares due to general and specific combining ability indicating that both additive and non-additive gene actions were important in the inheritance of characters studied. The parents L2 (EIQ -132), L4(EIQ-134), L5(EIQ-135), L6(EIQ-136), L8(EIQ-138), and L14(EIQ-144) and L15 (EIQ145) were good general combiners for grain yield and majority of traits over the environments. Hence, these parents can be used in crossing and further exploited for improvement of traits in the population. Six inbred lines viz., L1(EIQ-131), L2(EIQ 132), L3(EIQ-133), L6(EIQ-136), L8(EIQ-138) and L14(EIQ-144) were identified good general combiner for maturity related traits. Whereas the crosses L7 x T2 (EIQ-137 x EIQ-102), L13 x T3 (EIQ-143 x EIQ-103), L10 x T1 (EIQ-140 x EIQ-101), L1 x T1(EIQ-131 x EIQ-101) and L11 x T3 (EIQ-141 x EIQ-103) were identified as potential ones for yield and yield components based on high sca effects along with high per se performance. These hybrids may be exploited for commercial cultivation by testing them over locations and years for their yield stability.
Management of atrial fibrillation for older people with frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background despite a large and growing population of older people with frailty and atrial fibrillation (AF), there is a lack of guidance on optimal AF management in this high-risk group. Objective to synthesise the existing evidence base on the association between frailty, AF and clinical outcomes. Methods a systematic review of studies examining the association between validated measures of frailty, AF and clinical outcomes, and meta-analysis of the association between frailty and oral anticoagulation (OAC) prescription. Results twenty studies (30,883 patients) were included, all observational. Fifteen were in hospital, four in the community, one in nursing care. Risk of bias was low-to-moderate. AF prevalence was 3%–38%. In people with AF, frailty was associated with increased stroke incidence, all-cause mortality, symptom severity and length of hospital stay. Meta-analysis of six studies showed frailty was associated with decreased OAC prescription at hospital admission (pooled adjusted OR 0.45 [95%CI 0.22–0.93], three studies), but not at discharge (pooled adjusted OR 0.40 [95%CI 0.13–1.23], three studies). A community-based study showed increased OAC prescription associated with frailty (OR 2.33 [95%CI 1.03–5.23]). Conclusion frailty is common, and associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with AF. There is evidence of an association between frailty status and OAC prescription, with different direction of effect in community compared with hospital cohorts. Despite the majority of care for older people being provided in the community, there is a lack of evidence on the association between frailty, AF, anticoagulation and clinical outcomes to guide optimal care in this setting.
Managing antiretroviral therapy in the elderly HIV patient

ABSTRACT Introduction: Owing to more effective and less toxic antiretroviral therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) live longer, a phenomenon expected to grow in the next decades. With advancing age, effectively treated PLWH experience not only a heightened risk for non-infective comorbidities and multimorbidity, but also for geriatric syndromes and frailty. In addition, older adults living with HIV (OALWH) have a higher prevalence of so-called iatrogenic triad described as polypharmacy (PP), potentially inappropriate medication use, and drug-drug interactions. Areas covered: This review will focus the management of ART in OALWH. We will discuss iatrogenic triad and best way to address PP. Special focus will be given to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of ART in the elderly, evaluation of ART toxicities, and specific ART strategies commonly used in this population. Expert commentary: Research should be focused on recruiting more OALWH, frail individuals in particular, into the clinical trials and specific geriatric outcome need to be considered together with traditional viroimmunological outcomes.
A Noninvasive TDR Sensor to Measure the Moisture Content of Rigid Porous Materials

The article presents the potential application of the time domain reflectometry (TDR) technique to measure moisture transport in unsaturated porous materials. The research of the capillary uptake phenomenon in a sample of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) was conducted using a TDR sensor with the modified construction for non-invasive testing. In the paper the basic principles of the TDR method as a technique applied in metrology, and its potential for measurement of moisture in porous materials, including soils and porous building materials are presented. The second part of the article presents the experiment of capillary rise process in the AAC sample. Application of the custom sensor required its individual calibration, thus a unique model of regression between the readouts of apparent permittivity of the tested material and its moisture was developed. During the experiment moisture content was monitored in the sample exposed to water influence. Monitoring was conducted using the modified TDR sensor. The process was additionally measured using the standard frequency domain (FD) capacitive sensor in order to compare the readouts with traditional techniques of moisture detection. The uncertainty for testing AAC moisture, was expressed as RMSE (0.013 cm3/cm3) and expanded uncertainty (0.01–0.02 cm3/cm3 depending on moisture) was established along with calibration of the applied sensor. The obtained values are comparable to, or even better than, the features of the traditional invasive sensors utilizing universal calibration models. Both, the TDR and capacitive (FD) sensor enabled monitoring of capillary uptake phenomenon progress. It was noticed that at the end of the experiment the TDR readouts were 4.4% underestimated and the FD readouts were overestimated for 12.6% comparing to the reference gravimetric evaluation.
A Hybrid Approach to Short-Term Load Forecasting Aimed at Bad Data Detection in Secondary Substation Monitoring Equipment

Bad data as a result of measurement errors in secondary substation (SS) monitoring equipment is difficult to detect and negatively affects power system state estimation performance by both increasing the computational burden and jeopardizing the state estimation accuracy. In this paper a short-term load forecasting (STLF) hybrid strategy based on singular spectrum analysis (SSA) in combination with artificial neural networks (ANN), is presented. This STLF approach is aimed at detecting, identifying and eliminating and/or correcting such bad data before it is provided to the state estimator. This approach is developed to improve the accuracy of the load forecasts and it is tested against real power load data provided by electricity suppliers. Depending on the week considered, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values which range from 1.6% to 3.4% are achieved for STLF. Different systematic errors, such as gain and offset error levels and outliers, are successfully detected with a hit rate of 98%, and the corresponding measurements are corrected before they are sent to the control center for state estimation purposes.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis-Derived Phase Angle Predicts Protein-Energy Wasting in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients.

OBJECTIVE(S) To explore the validity of using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived 50 kHz phase angle (PhA) in predicting protein-energy wasting (PEW) in Chinese maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. DESIGN AND METHODS The design was a cross-sectional study. A total of 173 of MHD patients and 173 healthy adults were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of PEW in patients was performed by the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism criteria. The PhA, body cell mass, fat mass, body fat percentage, fat-free mass, and extracellular water/total body water were measured by InBody S10 body composition analyzer. The biochemical indices and anthropometric measurements were assessed using the way published elsewhere. The PhA, other values of BIA and its relationship with age, visceral protein, anthropometric measurements of the MHD patients were compared with the healthy group. The independent variables for predicting PEW and its cutoff values were explored using logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, respectively. RESULTS The MHD patients' PhA value was significantly lower than the healthy group (4.89°± 1.19 vs. 6.32°± 2.23, P < .01). A total of 34.1% MHD patients with PEW had significantly lower PhA values compared with well-nourished patients (P < .05). The PhA decreased more significantly with age in MHD (r = -0.35, P < .001), compared with controls (r = -0.26, P < .001). The PhA values were positively associated with nutritional indices related to serum albumin, prealbumin, fat-free mass, and mid-arm muscle circumference. PhA values were not associated significantly with fat mass and body fat percentage (P > .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PhA and body mass index were independent predictors of PEW, but the PhA was the stronger predictor (odds ratio = 4.48, P < .05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that the optimal PhA cutoff value to predict PEW was 4.6°. CONCLUSIONS BIA-derived PhA appears to be a useful bioelectrical marker for predicting PEW in Chinese hemodialysis patients with a cutoff value of 4.6°.
Age-related responses to injury and repair in insect cuticle

ABSTRACT We evaluated the ability of female adult desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) to repair injuries to their exoskeletons and restore mechanical strength over the course of their natural life. We discovered that younger insects are more capable of repairing injuries, displaying no significant decreases in failure strength, stiffness or bending moment to failure after 3 weeks of repair. Older insects, in contrast, were only capable of repairing to ∼70% of their original strength. Both older and younger insects carry out targeted deposition to repair injuries. We also examined different mechanisms of failure, and we discovered that the cuticle of older insects is more susceptible to crack growth due to a large decrease in fracture toughness with age, making them more sensitive to scalpel cuts and punctures. The biological mechanisms that drive these changes are still under investigation. Summary: Like humans/other animals, insects also suffer age-related declines. Older insects are more susceptible to injuries and less able to repair them than younger counterparts.
Nuclear Translocation of RELB Is Increased in Diseased Human Liver and Promotes Ductular Reaction and Biliary Fibrosis in Mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Cholangiocyte proliferation and ductular reaction contribute to the onset and progression of liver diseases. Little is known about the role of the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in this process. We investigated the activities of the RELB proto-oncogene NF-κB subunit in human cholangiocytes and in mouse models of liver disease characterized by a ductular reaction. METHODS We obtained liver tissue samples from patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, hepatitis B or C virus infection, autoimmune hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, or without these diseases (controls) from a tissue bank in Germany. Tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for levels of RELB and lymphotoxin β (LTB). We studied mice with liver parenchymal cell (LPC)-specific disruption of the cylindromatosis (CYLD) lysine 63 deubiquitinase gene (Cyld), with or without disruption of Relb (CyldΔLPC mice and Cyld/RelbΔLPC mice) and compared them with C57BL/6 mice (controls). Mice were fed 5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) or standard chow diets to induce biliary injury or were given injections of CCl4 to induce non-cholestatic liver fibrosis. Liver tissues were analyzed by histology, immunohistochemistry, immunoblots, in situ hybridization, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cholangiocytes were isolated from normal human liver, incubated with LTB receptor agonist, and transfected with small interfering RNAs to knock down RELB. RESULTS In liver tissues from patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, chronic infection with hepatitis B or C virus, autoimmune hepatitis, or alcoholic liver disease, we detected increased nuclear translocation of RELB and increased levels of LTB in cholangiocytes that formed reactive bile ducts compared with control liver tissues. Human cholangiocytes, but not those with RELB knockdown, proliferated with exposure to LTB. The phenotype of CyldΔLPC mice, which included ductular reaction, oval cell activation, and biliary fibrosis, was completely lost from Cyld/RelbΔLPC mice. Compared with livers from control mice, livers from CyldΔLPC mice (but not Cyld/RelbΔLPC mice) had increased levels of mRNAs encoding cytokines (LTB; CD40; and tumor necrosis factor superfamily [TNFSF] members TNFSF11 [RANKL], TNFSF13B [BAFF], and TNFSF14 [LIGHT]) produced by reactive cholangiocytes. However, these strains of mice developed similar levels of liver fibrosis in response to CCl4 exposure. CyldΔLPC mice and Cyld/RelbΔLPC mice had improved liver function on the DDC diet compared with control mice fed the DDC diet. CONCLUSION Reactive bile ducts in patients with chronic liver diseases have increased levels of LTB and nuclear translocation of RELB. RELB is required for the ductular reaction and development of biliary fibrosis in CyldΔLPC mice. Deletion of RELB and CYLD from LPCs protects mice from DDC-induced cholestatic liver fibrosis.
Intention to return to the town of Tomioka in residents 7 years after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: a cross-sectional study

Abstract The aim of our study was to identify the factors associated with intention to return (ITR) in residents of Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture. We contacted approximated 8000 residents aged 20 years or older who lived in Tomioka. We invited them to take part in a written survey on ITR. In all, 1749 residents’ replies were included in the analysis. We asked about ITR in former residents of Tomioka town. We also asked about relevant factors and about risk perception in relation to the health effects of radiation exposure. Of those contacted, 469 (26.8%) had an ITR. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being male (OR = 1.6, 95% Cl: 1.24–1.96, P < 0.001), the anticipation of improving shopping in the town (OR = 1.5, 95% Cl: 1.26–1.67, P < 0.001) and requests for individual consultation with experts on the health effects of radiation (OR = 2.7, 95% Cl: 2.10–3.48, P <0.001) were associated with the ITR (+), and living with children under 18 years of age (OR = 0.7, 95% Cl: 0.51–0.95, P = 0.023), reluctance to drink tap water (OR = 0.5, 95% Cl: 0.36–0.69, P < 0.001) and anxiety regarding genetic effects of radiation in the next generation (OR = 0.6, 95% Cl: 0.45–079, P <0.001) were associated with the ITR (-) to Tomioka town, independent of other covariates. To allay the anxieties of residents who have an ITR to their hometown, careful risk communication, including information on the potential effects of radiation on health, is important.
A Review for Compact Model of Thin-Film Transistors (TFTs)

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) have grown into a huge industry due to their broad applications in display, radio-frequency identification tags (RFID), logical calculation, etc. In order to bridge the gap between the fabrication process and the circuit design, compact model plays an indispensable role in the development and application of TFTs. The purpose of this review is to provide a theoretical description of compact models of TFTs with different active layers, such as polysilicon, amorphous silicon, organic and In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) semiconductors. Special attention is paid to the surface-potential-based compact models of silicon-based TFTs. With the understanding of both the charge transport characteristics and the requirement of TFTs in organic and IGZO TFTs, we have proposed the surface-potential-based compact models and the parameter extraction techniques. The proposed models can provide accurate circuit-level performance prediction and RFID circuit design, and pass the Gummel symmetry test (GST). Finally; the outlook on the compact models of TFTs is briefly discussed.
Surface Oxidation of TiNiSn (Half-Heusler) Alloy by Oxygen and Water Vapor

TiNiSn-based half-Heusler semiconducting compounds have the highest potential as n-type thermoelectric materials for the use at elevated temperatures. In order to use these compounds in a thermoelectric module, it is crucial to examine their behaviour at a working temperature (approximately 1000 K) under oxygen and a humid atmosphere. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized to study the surface composition and oxidation of the TiNiSn alloy at elevated temperatures. It was found that during heating in vacuum, Sn segregates to the surface. Exposing the alloy to oxygen at room temperature will cause surface oxidation of Ti to TiO2 and Ti2O3 and some minor oxidation of Sn. Oxidation at 1000 K induces Ti segregation to the surface, creating a titanium oxide layer composed of mainly TiO2 as well as Ti2O3 and TiO. Water vapor was found to be a weaker oxidative gas medium compared to oxygen.