Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computer Vision for Autonomous Vehicles: Problems, Datasets and State-of-the-Art

Recent years have witnessed enormous progress in AI-related fields such as computer vision, machine learning, and autonomous vehicles. As with any rapidly growing field, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay up-to-date or enter the field as a beginner. While several survey papers on particular sub-problems have appeared, no comprehensive survey on problems, datasets, and methods in computer vision for autonomous vehicles has been published. This book attempts to narrow this gap by providing a survey on the state-of-the-art datasets and techniques. Our survey includes both the historically most relevant literature as well as the current state of the art on several specific topics, including recognition, reconstruction, motion estimation, tracking, scene understanding, and end-to-end learning for autonomous driving. Towards this goal, we analyze the performance of the state of the art on several challenging benchmarking datasets, including KITTI, MOT, and Cityscapes. Besides, we discuss open problems and current research challenges. To ease accessibility and accommodate missing references, we also provide a website that allows navigating topics as well as methods and provides additional information.
Prophylaxis with Teicoplanin and Cefuroxime Reduces the Rate of Prosthetic Joint Infection after Primary Arthroplasty

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to compare the prosthetic joint infection (PJI) rate after total joint arthroplasty in two consecutive periods of treatment with different antibiotic prophylaxes: cefuroxime versus cefuroxime plus teicoplanin. We retrospectively reviewed 1,896 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty between March 2010 and February 2013. From March 2010 to August 2011, patients received 1.5 g of cefuroxime during induction of anesthesia and another 1.5 g 2 h later (the C group). From September 2011, 800 mg of teicoplanin was added to cefuroxime (the CT group). Throughout the period studied, there were no variations in pre- or postoperative protocols. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate independent predictors of PJI. There were 995 (55.7%) patients in the C group and 791 (44.3%) in the CT group. Patients in the CT group had a significantly lower PJI rate than patients in the C group (1.26% versus 3.51%, P = 0.002). There were no infections due to Staphylococcus aureus in the CT group (0% versus 1.6% in the C group, P < 0.001). A stepwise forward Cox regression model identified male sex (hazard ratio [HR], 3.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.09 to 7.18), a body mass index of ≥35 kg/m2 (HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.37 to 6.27), the presence of lung disease (HR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.17 to 5.15), and red blood cell transfusion (HR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.89 to 7.23) to be independent variables associated with a higher risk of PJI. The addition of teicoplanin was associated with a lower risk of infection (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.74). In conclusion, the addition of teicoplanin to cefuroxime during primary arthroplasty was associated with a significant reduction in the global PJI rate due to a reduction of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria.
Repeat Breast-Conserving Surgery Versus Salvage Mastectomy for Ipsilateral Breast Tumour Recurrence After Breast-Conserving Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis

Background Salvage mastectomy (SM) is the standard surgery for ipsilateral breast tumour recurrence (IBTR). However, whether repeat breast-conserving surgery (RBCS) is an alternative method remains unclear. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the effects of RBCS and SM after IBTR for breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Methods We searched PubMed, Cochrane, Wiley Online and Embase for controlled studies comparing RBCS and SM after IBTR for BCS (published between 1993 and 2019, published in English). Our main endpoints were the secondary local recurrence rate (SLRR), distant metastasis rate (DMR) and overall survival (OS). We used a random-effects model or fixed-effects model for data pooling. Results Fifteen of the 424 eligible studies were ultimately included, and all studies were retrospective cohort studies (n=2532 participants). 1) SLRR: The SLRR of RBCS was higher than SM (pooled relative rate (pRR) = 1.87, 95% CI 1.22 - 2.86, P=0.004). Stratified analysis was performed according to whether radiotherapy was performed after salvage surgery (radiotherapy group: 2ndRT, no radiotherapy group: no-2ndRT), and the following results were revealed: pRR=0.43 (95% CI 0.20-0.95, P=0.04) for group 2ndRT; and pRR=2.30 (95% CI 1.72-3.06, P<0.00001) for group no-2ndRT. These results showed that the main cause of heterogeneity was salvage radiotherapy. 2) DMR: No significant difference in the DMR was observed between RBCS and SM (pRR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.37 - 1.01, P=0.05). 3) OS: No significant difference in OS was observed between RBCS and SM (pRR=0.65, 95% CI 0.39 - 1.08, P=0.10). Conclusions The SLRR of RBCS was higher than SM for ITBR after BCS, but survival was not affected. RBCS may be used as an alternative for IBTR patients after BCS with strict control for several indications, such as tumor size, recurrence interval and biological behavior, and attaching importance to subsequent salvage radiotherapy and systematic therapy.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sustainability Disclosure: Findings from a Recent SASB Study

Early research into the relationship between corporate sustainability programs and financial performance suggests a positive relationship between strong sustainability performance and a lower cost of capital. As investors increasingly incorporate sustainability information into financial decisionmaking, the importance of high-quality sustainability disclosure is growing. Just as investors have relied on financial disclosures based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to assess corporate risk, a market standard is needed to help companies disclose comparable sustainability information. To address this issue, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) conducted a recent analysis of the current state of sustainability disclosure in annual Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. The study reviewed the disclosures of over 700 U.S.-and foreign-domiciled companies, focusing on material sustainability topics as identified by SASB's industry-specific accounting standards. The authors find large variations among different corporate sectors in the frequency and quality, as well as the focus, of their sustainability disclosures. Then, after examining in detail disclosures within the SASB Resource Transformation and Consumer Staples sectors, the authors suggest a number of possible drivers of this variation, including key sustainability and economic trends, while also presenting evidence of increasing investor interest in sustainability information. Although the authors' analysis was not intended to determine the extent to which the quality of sustainability disclosure affects investor returns, the findings provide a useful baseline for the as yet largely unexplored relationship between sustainability disclosure and corporate financial performance.
Love Conditionally: The Ownership Structure and Bribery Traps of Chinese Firms

This paper empirically studies the determinants of firm bribery activities from the perspective of ownership structure. Using the survey data of Chinese firms from the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank (2002–2012), we compare the bribery activities of firms with various forms of ownership. We find that compared with private and foreign firms, state-owned firms in China are not only more likely to receive bribe requests from government officials, but are also more likely to actually pay bribes. Moreover, our research shows that more time spent dealing with the government leads to more bribery, while longer market experience and stringent audit procedures help to reduce bribery activities.
Assessment of Bone Architecture with Ultrasonometry: Experimental and Clinical Experience

Over the last decade, ultrasound technology has been introduced as a method of analysing bone tissue in clinical practice, and several studies have compared various ultrasound devices with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Unlike DXA, the ultrasound technique is not limited to the measurement of bone density – it also has the potential to provide information on the mechanical and architectural characteristics of bone. The first generation of ultrasound devices used the speed of sound and attenuation of the ultrasound signal to obtain information on bone mineral content. Second generation ultrasound devices, which analyse the ultrasound signal received, permit the study of bone structure and elasticity, in addition to its mineral content, in both experimental studies and clinical practice. This is accomplished by signal processing analysis, the study of backscattering and the application of Biot’s theory. This approach to the study of bone tissue represents the future for the development of ultrasound technology for use in clinical practice.
The chemokine stromal cell‐derived factor‐1/CXCL12 activates the nigrostriatal dopamine system

We recently demonstrated that dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the rat substantia nigra constitutively expressed CXCR4, receptor for the chemokine stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1)/CXCL12 (SDF‐1). To check the physiological relevance of such anatomical observation, in vitro and in vivo approaches were used. Patch clamp recording of DA neurons in rat substantia nigra slices revealed that SDF‐1 (10 nmol/L) induced: (i) a depolarization and increased action potential frequency; and (ii) switched the firing pattern of depolarized DA neurons from a tonic to a burst firing mode. This suggests that SDF‐1 could increase DA release from neurons. Consistent with this hypothesis, unilateral intranigral injection of SDF‐1 (50 ng) in freely moving rat decreased DA content and increased extracellular concentrations of DA and metabolites in the ipsilateral dorsal striatum, as shown using microdialysis. Furthermore, intranigral SDF‐1 injection induced a contralateral circling behavior. These effects of SDF‐1 were mediated via CXCR4 as they were abrogated by administration of a selective CXCR4 antagonist. Altogether, these data demonstrate that SDF‐1, via CXCR4, activates nigrostriatal DA transmission. They show that the central functions of chemokines are not restricted, as originally thought, to neuroinflammation, but extend to neuromodulatory actions on well‐defined neuronal circuits in non‐pathological conditions.
A power amplifier with efficiency improved using defected ground structure

The authors report the effects of defected ground structure (DGS) on the output power and efficiency of a class-A power amplifier. In order to evaluate the effects of DGS on the efficiency and output power, two class-A GaAs FET amplifiers have been measured at 4.3/spl sim/4.7 GHz. One of them has a 50 /spl Omega/ microstrip line with DGS at the output section, while the other has only 50 /spl Omega/ straight line. It is shown that DGS rejects the second harmonic at the output and yields improved output power and power added efficiency by 1/spl sim/5%.
‘Inpatriation’ for knowledge-transfer within Japanese multinational corporations

Abstract This article uses knowledge management theory and the gravity model to analyse the determinants of ‘inpatriation’ for knowledge-transfer within multinational corporations (MNCs) and the differences in their effects based on the region of the subsidiary’s host country. The empirical analysis uses data collected through a survey of the overseas subsidiaries of Japanese MNCs and finds that factors related to both the countries and the individual MNCs affect inpatriation, with the former factors having a stronger influence than the latter. With regard to the country factors, a smaller geographic distance and a larger cultural distance between the home and host countries and a lower GDP per capita in the subsidiary’s host country increase inpatriation. Regarding the individual MNC factors, a larger subsidiary R&D budget, a larger parent firm and the execution of collaborative R&D projects between a subsidiary and its parent firm increase inpatriation. Additionally, this study finds that in Asia, geographic closeness and low GDP per capita facilitate inpatriation, whereas a relatively small R&D budget and rare collaborative R&D projects with Japan decrease inpatriation. More subsidiaries in Asia send inpatriates to Japan than do subsidiaries in other regions because these positive factors are much stronger than these negative factors.
Barriers to providing palliative care and priorities for future actions to advance palliative care in Japan: a nationwide expert opinion survey.

OBJECTIVES Palliative care specialists are faced with extensive barriers to providing effective palliative care. We carried out a survey to identify existing barriers from the point of view of palliative care experts in Japan and determine the priorities for future actions to overcome these barriers. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional mail survey in December 2004. We sent out 2607 questionnaires to members of the Japanese Society of Palliative Medicine and Hospice Palliative Care Japan. We asked all respondents two open-ended questions regarding barriers and future actions in the context of palliative care in Japan. In total, 426 questionnaires were returned (response rate of 16%). RESULTS We identified 95 different answers concerning barriers to providing effective palliative care. The three most frequent answers were "general medical practitioners' lack of interest, knowledge, and skills" (n = 203), "general population's lack of knowledge and misunderstandings about palliative care" (n = 122), and "general medical practitioners' failure to provide information and lack of communication skills" (n = 89). We identified 136 different answers concerning future actions required to improve palliative care. The three most frequent answers were "organize study sessions on palliative care or case conferences in hospitals" (n = 122), "provide information about palliative care to the general population" (n = 117), and "in undergraduate education, make palliative care a compulsory course" (n = 88). CONCLUSIONS We identified numerous barriers to providing effective palliative care, related to not only medical practitioners, but also economic factors and the general population. These findings suggest that to overcome these barriers, we need to take action on many fronts, including increasing social awareness and effecting political change, as well as addressing problems relating to practitioners. We prioritized the future actions. The most frequent urgent problems were identified. We hope that collaborative efforts by the relevant organizations will improve palliative care in Japan.
Evaluation of resveratrol derivatives as potential antioxidants and identification of a reaction product of resveratrol and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical.

Resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), an antioxidant from grapes, and five other polyhydroxystilbenes were synthesized. Their antioxidative properties were evaluated in two model systems [pure lipid oxidation using the Rancimat method and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging model. ] 3, 3',4,5'-Tetrahydroxystilbene, 3,3',4,5,5'-pentahydroxystilbene, and 3,4,4',5-tetrahydroxystilbene were found to be more active than resveratrol in both models. A dimer of resveratrol was identified as the major radical reaction product when resveratrol was reacted with DPPH radicals.
Rehabilitation for Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of available evidence

Objective: To systematically review the available evidence on the effectiveness of nonpharmacological rehabilitation interventions for people with Parkinson's disease, and identify future research needs. Design: Electronic searches of four databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsychLIT) 1980-2002; examination of reference lists of relevant papers. Controlled trials and observational studies were included. Data extraction and quality assessment of papers by two independent reviewers. A narrative review. Setting: Rehabilitation interventions delivered either in subjects' own homes, or in clinical settings as outpatients. Subjects: Community-living adults with Parkinson's disease. Interventions: Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychological counselling and support, and education. Main measures: A range of outcomes: mobility, functional status, speech, swallowing, psychological well-being, as determined by the studies included in the review. Results: Forty-four different studies (reported in 51 papers) were included (25 physiotherapy, 4 occupational therapy, 10 speech and language therapy, 3 psychological counselling, 1 educational, 1 multidisciplinary). All studies, except one, reported improvements on at least one outcome measure. Conclusions: Findings may reflect publication bias, but suggest interventions can affect patients' lives for the better in a variety of ways. It is difficult to interpret the clinical importance of statistically significant improvements reported in most studies. There is a need for methodologically more robust research with meaningful follow-up periods, designed in a manner that separates specific and nonspecific effects. Cost-effectiveness evidence is required to provide clear guidance on service extensions.
AGLOMERASI DAN PERTUMBUHAN EKONOMI: PERAN KARAKTERISTIK REGIONAL DI INDONESIA

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of agglomeration of regional economic growth across 26 provinces in Indonesia. The provincial pooling data for the period of 1994-2003 are regressed using generalized least square (GLS) method. Factors affecting the economic growth are considered such as agglomeration, labor force, inflation rates, openness rate of the provinces, and human capital. The study suggests the influence of three variables on the regional economic growth: labor force, inflation rates and the openness rate of the provinces; whereas the remaining two (agglomeration and human capital) are likely to have no effect.
Wykorzystanie narzędzi social media marketingu przez polskie organizacje pozarządowe w komunikacji z otoczeniem na rzecz promocji zdrowia

Rozwoj technologii cyfrowej wymusza na wielu organizacjach dopasowanie sie do zmieniających tendencji komunikacji z otoczeniem. Celem badania bylo ustalenie, czy polskie organizacje pozarządowe stosują narzedzia social media marketingu w komunikacji z otoczeniem na rzecz promocji zdrowia. Badaniem objeto 305 organizacji pozarządowych z calej Polski, metodą badawczą bylo CAWI oraz CATI z zastosowaniem autorskiego kwestionariusza ankiety. Analize danych oparto na standardowych metodach statystycznych. Przebadane organizacje pozarządowe w 86,9% angazują sie w dzialania z zakresu promocji zdrowia, w tym glownie obejmujące tematyke chorob nowotworowych (21,6%) oraz otylości u dzieci (20,6%). 51,8% respondentow uznaje komunikacje bezpośrednią za najbardziej przekonującą i budzącą zaufanie forme promocji zdrowia wśrod pacjentow. Jako mniej istotne formy respondenci wskazują emisje spotow telewizyjnych (31,5%) oraz rozpowszechnianie gazetek informacyjnych (25,6%). 86,6% badanych organizacji non profit jako narzedzie w prowadzonych kampaniach zdrowotnych wykorzystuje portale i serwisy spolecznościowe, w tym najcześciej: Onet.pl (53%), Facebook (47,3%) oraz Wirtualna Polska (34,8%). 92,1% organizacji pozarządowych przyznaje, ze wykorzystuje narzedzia social media marketingu – najwiekszy odsetek badanej proby deklaruje przesylanie fanpage’a marek, do ktorych są przekonani lub z nimi wspolpracują (44,1%) oraz udzial w konsultingu na forach internetowych (33,1%). Organizacje pozarządowe stosują narzedzia social media marketingu w komunikacji z otoczeniem na rzecz promocji zdrowia, co warunkuje skuteczniejsze dostosowanie do zmieniających sie potrzeb spoleczenstwa informacyjnego.
Evidence of cognitive and neurophysiological impairment in patients with untreated naive acromegaly.

CONTEXT Recent studies have suggested that long-term exposure to high levels of GH and IGF-I affect brain and cognitive functions. However, very few human studies have challenged this hypothesis. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore whether GH/IGF-I excess in naive patients with acromegaly alters cognitive functions, particularly memory, and whether these alterations are accompanied by neurophysiological correlates. DESIGN We conducted a comprehensive neuropsychological and neurophysiological exam on 16 naive acromegaly patients and 16 strictly matched healthy controls. Comparative analyses were carried out on major neurocognitive domains (executive functions, visual/verbal memory, attention, visuoconstructive abilities, and verbal fluency) and on quantitative electroencephalogram and low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography sources. Results were correlated with GH and IGF-I hormone concentrations. RESULTS Short- and long-term memory were the most severely impaired cognitive functions. Moreover, memory performance correlated negatively with GH and IGF-I concentrations. No association was detected between depression and memory impairment, and only a marginal association was found with quality of life. Finally, acromegaly patients showed power attenuation in fast frequency electroencephalogram bands, as well as decreased activity in prefrontal and middle temporal cortices, that was associated to cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS Results provide evidence of cognitive and neurophysiological impairment, characterized by moderate-to-severe memory impairment and decreased neural activity in specific brain areas. High levels of GH and IGF-I in acromegaly patients could be the basis for these findings.
NONINVASIVE PROCEDURES FOR DIAGNOSIS OF RENOVASCULAR HYPERTENSION IN RENAL TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS—A PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

The purpose of this study was to clarify the selectivity and specificity of noninvasive procedures for diagnosis of clinically suspected posttransplant renovascular hypertension. We prospectively investigated 25 renal transplant recipients with arterial hypertension and clinically suspected stenosis of the graft artery (8 female and 17 male patients; ages 45±15 years). We performed a captopril test with 25 mg captopril (n=25), renography with technetium-99m diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) before and after angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition with determination of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) (n=23) and color-coded duplex ultrasonography of the transplant kidney vessels (n=24). Renal transplant artery stenosis (RTAS) was excluded by renal arteriography in 20 patients and by operative evaluation or clinical follow-up in 5 patients. We identified 4 patients with RTAS and renovascular hypertension. The noninvasive methods showed the following results (sensitivity/specificity): (1) captopril test: 75%/67%; (2) renography combined with ACE-inhibition: 75%/84%; and (3) color-coded duplex ultrasonography: 100%/75%. We conclude that in patients with clinical evidence of RTAS most noninvasive diagnostic procedures are not sufficiently accurate to exclude the diagnosis. Only color-coded duplex ultrasonography did not fail to detect all patients with RTAS and may act as a screening test. Intraarterial renal angiography remains the most reliable and as-yet indispensable diagnostic test for transplant recipients to rule out RTAS.