Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of correct 3-D perception on screens viewed at different distances

A calibration technique for the realistic representation of stereo images is introduced. It guarantees the correct appearance of object distances and sizes irrespective of whether they are imaged on very large or very small screens. If a matching stereo image pair is projected onto several screens of different sizes, the apparent geometry changes from screen to screen. On smaller monitors, all objects seem to be nearer to the spectator and smaller (puppet-theater effect). The paper proves that a global shift between the two stereo frames is necessary and sufficient to reconstruct the 3D geometry exactly. This shift does not depend on image contents but only on the screen size. >
Industrial Agglomeration and Development: A Survey of Spatial Economic Issues in East Asia and a Statistical Analysis of Chinese Regions

Abstract In this article, we explore the issue of industrial agglomeration and its relationship to economic development and growth in the less-developed countries of East Asia. We present theoretical arguments and secondary empirical evidence as to why we should have strong expectations about finding a positive relationship between agglomeration and economic performance. We also review evidence from the literature on the roles of formal and informal institutions in East Asian regional economic systems. We then focus specifically on the case of China. We argue that regional development in China has much in common with regional development in other East Asian economies, although there are also important contrasts because of China’s history of socialism and its recent trend toward economic liberalization. Through a variety of statistical investigations, we substantiate (in part) the expected positive relationship between agglomeration and economic performance in China. We show that many kinds of manufacturing sectors are characterized by a strong positive relationship between spatial agglomeration and productivity. This phenomenon is especially marked in sectors and regions where liberalization has proceeded rapidly. We consider the relevance of our comments about industrial clustering and economic performance for policy formulation in China and the less-developed countries of East Asia.
Application of multi-scale singular vector decomposition to vessel classification in overhead satellite imagery

Creation and selection of relevant features for image classification is a process requiring significant involvement of domain knowledge. It is thus desirable to cover at least part of that process with semi-automated techniques capable of discovering and visualizing those geometric characteristics of images that are potentially relevant to the classification objective. In this work, we propose utilizing the multi-scale singular value decomposition (MSVD), which can be efficiently run on large high-dimensional datasets. We apply this technique to create a multi-scale representation of overhead satellite images of various types of vessels, with the objective of identifying those types. We augment the original set of pixel data with features obtained by applying the MSVD to multi-scale patches of the images. The result is then processed using a linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. The classification rule obtained is significantly better than the one based on the original pixel space. The generic nature of the MSVD mechanism and standard mechanisms used for classification (SVM) suggest a wider utility of the proposed approach.
Resolution of Three Nonproliferative Immature Splenic B Cell Subsets Reveals Multiple Selection Points During Peripheral B Cell Maturation1

Although immature/transitional peripheral B cells may remain susceptible to selection pressures before full maturation, the nature and timing of these selection events remain unclear. We show that correlated expression of surface (s) IgM (sIgM), CD23, and AA4 defines three nonproliferative subpopulations of immature/transitional peripheral B cells. We designate these populations transitional (T) 1 (AA4+CD23−sIgMhigh), T2 (AA4+CD23+sIgMhigh), and T3 (AA4+CD23+sIgMlow). Cells within all three subsets are functionally immature as judged by their failure to proliferate following sIgM cross-linking in vitro, and their rapid rate of turnover in vivo as assessed by 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine labeling. These labeling studies also reveal measurable cell loss at both the T1-T2 and T2-T3 transitions, suggesting the existence of multiple selection points within the peripheral immature B cell pool. Furthermore, we find that Btk-deficient (xid) mice exhibit an incomplete developmental block at the T2-T3 transition within the immature B cell pool. This contrasts markedly with lyn−/− mice, which exhibit depressed numbers but normal ratios of each immature peripheral B cell subset and severely reduced numbers of mature B cells. Together, these data provide evidence for multiple selection points among immature peripheral B cells, suggesting that the B cell repertoire is shaped by multiple unique selection events that occur within the immature/transitional peripheral B cell pool.
The predictive and diagnostic values of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein for clinical outcome in febrile neutropenic patients.

BACKGROUND Procalcitonin (PCT) represents a new marker of systemic inflammatory reactions to bacterial infections. The main aim in this study was to determine the diagnostic value of PCT in predicting the clinical severity of febril neutropenic attacks, compare it with that of C-reactive protein (CRP), and clarify its importance in culture-positive attacks. METHODS Between February 2001 and April 2002, 36 patients who were neutropenic due to various hematologic disorders and febrile were entered into the study. Blood samples were obtained on the first day of fever for the measurement of serum PCT and CRP levels. RESULTS In clinically severe neutropenic fever attacks, means of serum PCT and CRP levels were measured as 0.93+/-1.33 ng/mL and 67+/-24 mg/L, while they were 0.37+/-0.23 ng/mL and 32+/-19 mg/L in clinically mild ones (p = 0.033 and p < 0.001). On the other hand, no statistical significance was found between culture-positive and negative attacks when either serum PCT or CRP levels were taken into consideration (p = 0.133 and p = 0.141). The specificity and positive predictive value of the serum PCT test for severe febrile neutropenia was higher than that of the serum CRP test (0.80 vs. 0.57 and 0.50 vs. 0.39). However, sensitivity and negative predictive value for CRP were higher than the values for PCT (1.00 vs. 0.40 and 1.00 vs. 0.73). Diagnostic value and positive likelihood ratio of CRP for severe febrile neutropenia were higher than those of PCT (71 vs. 67 and 2.32 vs. 2.00). CONCLUSIONS PCT and CRP are comparable with each other in prediction of the clinical severity of febrile neutropenic attacks. Furthermore, serum CRP levels correlate with the duration of fever.
Acid-soil resistance of forage legumes as assessed by a soil-on-agar method

Establishment of small-seeded legumes on strongly acid soils can be even more difficult than maintaining those stands once established. Our objectives were to use a soil-based procedure for characterization of acid-soil resistance of small-seeded forage-legumes and to determine the validity of primary root growth and specifically the soil-on-agar technique, using germplasm that varied widely in seed size and acid-soil resistance. We ran four experiments to evaluate 28 cultivars of 15 species. In general, species differences observed were in good agreement with previous knowledge. Large differences in acid-soil resistance, for example among crimson (Trifolium incarnatum L.), white (T. repens L.), and berseem clover (T. alexandrinum L.) were visually obvious. Smaller differences were not as clear but could still be detected statistically; for example, the greater acid-soil resistance of striate [Kummerowia striata (Thunb.) Schindl. ] compared with Korean lespedeza [K. stipulacea (Maxim.) Makino]. Relative acid-soil resistance of rose clover (T. hirtum All.) is reported for the first time. Within species, the known greater acid-soil resistance of 'AU Dewey' birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), compared with other cultivars of that species, was detected. One major difference between our results and solution culture studies, kura clover (T. ambiguum M. Bieb.) was more acid-soil resistant than white clover. 'Cossack', a kura clover bred from germplasm developed on a high pH soil, was more sensitive to acid-soil stress than several other cultivars. A procedure characterizing primary root growth, the soil-on-agar technique, can do an effective job of evaluating acid-soil resistance of small-seeded legumes.
Molecular monitoring in chronic myeloid leukemia

The majority of patients with chronic‐phase (CP) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who are treated with Bcr‐Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib and dasatinib achieve cytogenetic disease remission (ie, Philadelphia chromosome‐positive cells undetectable by cytogenetic evaluation). However, more sensitive methods are required for monitoring residual disease (ie, molecular monitoring of BCR‐ABL transcript levels). It is generally accepted that molecular responses have prognostic significance. Patients with CP CML who achieve early molecular responses are more likely to achieve durable cytogenetic responses and are less likely to experience disease progression. Rising BCR‐ABL transcript levels also indicate loss of response, often as a consequence of developing BCR‐ABL mutations. However, some studies have suggested that patients who achieve complete cytogenetic disease remission may not derive an additional prognostic benefit from achieving a major molecular response. Practical issues also exist for molecular monitoring with respect to restricted access and variability in methodologies and data reporting. Although molecular monitoring has a clear role in assessing residual disease and determining the risk of disease progression in patients with CML, the importance of cytogenetic monitoring should not be ignored. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Universal Biquadratic Filter Employing Single Differential Voltage Current Controlled Conveyor Transconductance Amplifier

This paper presents new realizations of second order voltage mode and current mode universal filters based on a recently reported active element, called the differential voltage current controlled conveyor transconductance amplifier (DVCCCTA). The proposed circuits do not use external resistor. The filter circuits provide all the responses without changing the circuit topology. All the capacitors are virtually grounded. The use of grounded capacitors makes the circuit suitable for monolithic implementation. The pole frequency and quality factor can be adjusted independently with the input bias currents. The non-ideal analysis and the sensitivity analysis have been included. Both the active and passive sensitivities are not more than unity. The filter performances are verified using the PSpice simulations which agree well with theoretical value. 
Silk Fibroin Processing and Thrombogenic Responses

Silkworm-derived fibroin, which constitutes the core of the silk filament, is an attractive protein–polymer for biomedical applications. Fibroin can also be processed into a variety of 2-D and 3-D formats to match morphological and structural features to specific applications. The focus of the present research was to correlate the structure of silk fibroin-derived biomaterials with plasma protein adsorption, platelet activation and inflammatory cell (THP-1 cell line) adhesion and activation. The amino-acid composition of the two types of silk studied influenced the crystallinity of the films, hydrophobicity, surface roughness and biological interactions. Protein adsorption was lower on samples with the higher crystallinity and hydrophobicity, in particular the chemotactic factors (C3a, C5a, C3b), while other proteins such as fibrinogen were comparable in terms of adsorption. As a consequence, platelets and immune cells responded differently to the various films obtained by following different processing protocols and stabilized by different methods (methanol or water vapour) in terms of their adherence, activation, and the secretion of inflammatory mediators by monocytes. The data presented here demonstrate that bioactivity can be influenced by changing the chemistry, such as the source of silk protein, or by the specific process used in the preparation of the materials used to assess biological responses.
Use of isoflavone supplements is associated with reduced postmenopausal breast cancer risk

Botanical supplements are widely used and contain diverse ingredients, including isoflavones. Food‐based isoflavones have been associated with reduced breast cancer risk. However, no study has comprehensively evaluated supplements identified by isoflavone content and breast cancer risk. Associations between ever use of 28 isoflavone supplements and breast cancer risk in Ontario, Canada were evaluated using cases (n = 3,101) identified in 2002–2003 from the Ontario Cancer Registry and controls (n = 3,471) identified through random digit dialing methods. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate age‐adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Several individual supplements were associated with reduced breast cancer risk (e.g., Natural HRT; AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.69; nusers = 58). Use of any isoflavone supplements was associated with reduced risk when ≥3 were ever used (AOR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.86; nusers = 332; ptrend = 0.008) or any was taken >5 years (AOR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.94; nusers = 325; ptrend = 0.01); high content supplements were consistently associated with reduced risk. Risk reduction was confined to postmenopausal breast cancer for both individual and combined supplements, and was strongest in the latter among high content users who ever took ≥3 supplements (AOR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.81; nusers = 118; ptrend = 0.04) or any >5 years (AOR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.81; nusers = 60; ptrend = 0.03). Associations did not differ by estrogen‐progesterone tumor receptor status. In conclusion, isoflavone supplements were associated with decreased postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Further research to examine these novel findings is warranted, given the low supplement use and potential limitations of our results.
Isologous diversification for robust development of cell society.

Isologous diversification, proposed for cell differentiation, is shown to be stable against molecular and other external fluctuations, where amplification of noise-induced slight difference between cells leads to a noise-tolerant society with differentiated cell types. It is a general consequence of interacting cells with biochemical networks and cell divisions, as is confirmed by several model simulations. According to the theory, differentiation proceeds first by loss of synchrony of intracellular oscillations as the number of cells increases. Then the chemical composition of the cells is differentiated. The differentiated compositions become inherited by the next generation, and lead to determined cell types. As a result of successive occurrence of the cell differentiation, the cell society will be composed of different cell types. The whole developmental process is robust not only against molecular fluctuations but also against the removal of a cluster of cells. This robustness is a remarkable feature of isologous diversification, in contrast to the conventional threshold-type mechanism for development. As a testable consequence of the theory, we also discuss interaction-dependent tumor formation and negative correlation between growth speed and chemical diversity.
EMBRYONIC FLOWER2, a Novel Polycomb Group Protein Homolog, Mediates Shoot Development and Flowering in Arabidopsis Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.aspb.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.010227.

In higher plants, developmental phase changes are regulated by a complex gene network. Loss-of-function mutations in the EMBRYONIC FLOWER genes (EMF1 and EMF2) cause Arabidopsis to flower directly, bypassing vegetative shoot growth. This phenotype suggests that the EMF genes play a major role in repression of the reproductive program. Positional cloning of EMF2 revealed that it encodes a zinc finger protein similar to FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT SEED2 and VERNALIZATION2 of Arabidopsis. These genes are characterized as structural homologs of Suppressor of zeste 12 [Su(z)12], a novel Polycomb group gene currently identified in Drosophila. In situ hybridization studies have demonstrated that EMF2 RNA is found in developing embryos, in both the vegetative and the reproductive shoot meristems, and in lateral organ primordia. Transgenic suppression of EMF2 produced a spectrum of early-flowering phenotypes, including emf2 mutant–like phenotype. This result confirms the role of EMF2 in phase transitions by repressing reproductive development.
Prevalence and Physical Determinants of Low Back Pain in a Rural Chinese Population

Study Design. This was a community-based cross-sectional study that is part of an ongoing study of genetics and osteoporosis. Objectives. To estimate the 1-year self-reported prevalence of low back pain (LBP); and to assess the association between physical exposures (occupation, physical stress, and vibration) and LBP in a rural Chinese population. This study also explored how these associations change when individuals with LBP report additional pains in other parts of the body. Summary of Background Data. Little is known about the prevalence and determinants of LBP in rural developing populations, even though approximately half of the world’s population, mostly from the developing world, is engaged in agriculture, a known strenuous activity. Methods. Families with at least three participating siblings residing in the surrounding rural region of Anqing city, Anhui Province, China, were invited to participate in the study through public announcements and direct invitations by village physicians. A questionnaire including demographics, physical exposures, and musculoskeletal pain was administered to 13,965 men and women (age, 25–64 years). Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate LBP prevalence and examine associations between LBP and physical exposures. Results. The 1-year prevalence of LBP was 64%. Twenty-five percent reported no pain at any body site. Women had higher prevalence of LBP than men across all age groups. Being a farmer, reporting moderate or heavy physical stress, and having had former or current exposures to vibration were positively associated with LBP (P < 0.05). Physical exposures were also associated with cases of LBP combined with other musculoskeletal pains, and generally, the more pains individuals reported, the more likely it was that they were farmers and were exposed to vibration. Conclusion. A high prevalence of LBP and LBP with additional musculoskeletal pain existed in this rural Chinese sample. We found evidence of a link between physical exposures and LBP, and LBP with additional musculoskeletal pain. Further understanding of the characteristics and risk factors of LBP in rural developing areas is needed.
High temperature applications of Al wire connection to SiC structures

Unique properties of SiC lead this semiconductor for applications in new electronic devices operating at high temperatures, high power and high frequencies. There are a few problems related to the production of high temperature SiC devices. Developing of reliable ohmic contacts to SiC structure as well as a wire connection between the SiC ohmic contact and package leads are the serious tasks for today. An investigation of properties of high temperature Al wire bonds between SiC and package leads was the aim of this work. Preliminary results of contacts resistance as well as the wire loop pull test show that Al-Al interconnection system can be use successfully up to 350degC.
X-chromosome activity in female mouse embryos heterozygous for Pgk-1 and Searle's translocation, T(X; 16) 16H.

To investigate whether the preferential expression of genes on the translocated X chromosome in female mice carrying the X -autosome translocation T(X; 16)16H (Searle's translocation) is due to non-random inactivation or to cell selection, we examined tissues of mouse embryos heterozygous for the X-linked gene coding for phosphoglycerate kinase ( Pgk-1 ). From the cross T16H Pgk-l b /+ Pgk-l b ♀ × + Pgk-l a / Y ♂, embryos expressing both isozymic forms of PGK-1 in the epiblast, and only the maternally inherited Pgk-l b allele in extra-embryonic tissues, were assumed to be chromosomally balanced, heterozygous female embryos carrying the Searle's translocation (like the mother). The normal X chromosome in this cross carries a high-expression Xce c locus. At 6 days post-coitum (p.c.) both isozymes were equally expressed in the epiblast as expected if both X chromosomes are active, but by 7 days p.c. the PGK-1B contribution was significantly less than 50%, suggesting that X inactivation has occurred with a bias towards inactivation of the translocated X chromosome carrying the lower-expression Xce allele. By 8 days p.c. the situation was the reverse, with a Pgk-l b contribution of significantly more than 50%, and by 12½ days p.c. no Pgk-l a expression could be detected. We interpret the dramatic change in isozy me expression between 7 and 8 days p.c. as indicating rapid selection against cells that had inactivated the translocated 16 X chromosome. Two 7-day p.c. embryos unexpectedly showed equal expression of both Pgk-1 alleles in both embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues; these were presumably chromosomally unbalanced embryos which had inherited from the mother both an active translocated 16 X chromosome carrying Pgk-l b and an active normal X chromosome carrying Pgk-l a .
Malaria and anaemia in pregnant women in urban Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Severe anaemia in pregnancy is a major obstetric problem in malaria-endemic areas. This study reports a cross-sectional investigation of malaria infection and haematological values at delivery in 440 women from urban Zanzibar. Severe anaemia [with haemoglobin (Hb) < or = 7 g/dl] was identified in 36 women (9.3%) and mild anaemia (7 < Hb < 10 g/dl) in 269 (69.7%) while 81 women (21.0%) had normal Hb values. Malaria infection was diagnosed in 187/385 women (48.6%) on the basis of either peripheral blood examination or placental histology. Univariate analysis indicated that the proportion of women with anaemia was similar in those with (85%) and without (80%) malaria infection. However, when primigravidae were considered alone, malaria infection was significantly more frequent among anaemic women (65.2%) than in those with normal Hb values (40.0%). In the logistic regression analysis, including age, parity, education level, malaria and free serum iron as independent variables and anaemia (Hb < or = 10 g/dl) as response variable, the odds ratio (OR) for malaria infection was 1.2 (P > 0.1). However, a similar analysis indicated that malaria was significantly associated with anaemia in the primigravidae, with an OR of 3.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.1-9.6; P < 0.05). In conclusion, this cross-sectional investigation indicated that malaria plays a significant role in the determination of anaemia in primigravidae, but not in multiparae, in the urban study area.