Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NavCog3: An Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Blind Indoor Navigation Assistant with Semantic Features in a Large-Scale Environment

Navigating in unfamiliar environments is challenging for most people, especially for individuals with visual impairments. While many personal navigation tools have been proposed to enable in- dependent indoor navigation, they have insufficient accuracy (e.g., 5-10 m), do not provide semantic features about surroundings (e.g., doorways, shops, etc.), and may require specialized devices to function. Moreover, the deployment of many systems is often only evaluated in constrained scenarios, which may not precisely reflect the performance in the real world. Therefore, we have de- signed and implemented NavCog3, a smartphone-based indoor navigation assistant that has been evaluated in a 21,000 m2 shop- ping mall. In addition to turn-by-turn instructions, it provides in- formation on landmarks (e.g., tactile paving) and points of interests nearby. We first conducted a controlled study with 10 visually im- paired users to assess localization accuracy and the perceived use- fulness of semantic features. To understand the usability of the app in a real-world setting, we then conducted another study with 43 participants with visual impairments where they could freely nav- igate in the shopping mall using NavCog3. Our findings suggest that NavCog3 can open a new opportunity for users with visual im- pairments to independently find and visit large and complex places with confidence.
Amortized Inference and Learning in Latent Conditional Random Fields for Weakly-Supervised Semantic Image Segmentation

Conditional random fields (CRFs) are commonly employed as a post-processing tool for image segmentation tasks. The unary potentials of the CRF are often learnt independently by a classifier, thereby decoupling the inference in CRF from the training of classifier. Such a scheme works effectively, when pixel-level labelling is available for all the images. However, in absence of pixel-level labels, the classifier is faced with the uphill task of selectively assigning the image-level labels to the pixels of the image. Prior work often relied on localization cues, such as saliency maps, objectness priors, bounding boxes etc., to address this challenging problem. In contrast, we model the labels of the pixels as latent variables of a CRF. The pixels and the image-level labels are the observed variables of the latent CRF. We amortize the cost of inference in the latent CRF over the entire dataset, by training an inference network to approximate the posterior distribution of the latent variables given the observed variables. The inference network can be trained in an end-to-end fashion, and requires no localization cues for training. Moreover, unlike other approaches for weakly-supervised segmentation, the proposed model doesn't require further post-processing. The proposed model achieves performance comparable with other approaches that employ saliency masks for the task of weakly-supervised semantic image segmentation on the challenging VOC 2012 dataset.
New parameter of the right gastroepiploic arterial graft using the power spectral analysis device named MemCalc soft.

OBJECTIVES Transit-time flow measurement (TTFM) parameters such as mean graft flow (MGF, ml/min), pulsatility index (PI) and diastolic filling (DF, %) have been extensively researched for internal mammary arterial or saphenous vein grafts. In our experience of using the right gastroepiploic arterial (GEA) graft for right coronary artery (RCA) grafting, we observed unique GEA graft flow waveforms. We analysed the GEA graft flow waveforms for their effectiveness in determining GEA graft patency by power spectral analysis. METHODS Forty-five patients underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass using the GEA graft for RCA grafting individually. The means of intraoperative MGF, PI and DF were compared between patent and non-patent grafts, postoperatively. Furthermore, the GEA flow data were output and analysed using power spectral analysis. RESULTS Forty grafts were 'patent' and five were 'non-patent'. There were no significant differences in the mean TTFM parameters between the patent and non-patent grafts (MGF: 22 vs 8 ml/min, respectively, P = 0.068; PI: 3.5 vs 6.5, respectively, P = 0.155; DF: 63 vs 53%, respectively, P = 0.237). Results of the power spectral analysis presented clear differences; the power spectral density (PSD) of patent grafts presented high peaks at frequency levels of 1, 2 and 3 Hz, and the non-patent graft PSD presented high peaks that were not limited to these frequencies. The PSD had a sensitivity and specificity of 80 and 87.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Power spectral analysis of the GEA graft flow is useful to distinguish between non-patent and patent grafts intraoperatively. This should be used as a fourth parameter along with MGF, PI and DF.
Learning style preferences: A study of pre-clinical medical students in Barbados

Introduction: Educators need to be aware of different learning styles to effectively tailor instructional strategies and methods to cater to the students’ learning needs and support a conductive learning environment. The VARK [an acronym for visual (V), aural (A), read/write (R) and kinesthetic (K)] instrument is a useful model to assess learning styles. The aim of this study was to use the VARK questionnaire to determine the learning styles of pre-clinical medical students in order to compare the perceived and assessed learning style preferences, assess gender differences in learning style preferences, and determine whether any relationships exists between awareness of learning styles and academic grades, age, gender and learning modality. Methods: The VARK questionnaire was administered to pre-clinical students taking a variety of courses in the first three years of the undergraduate MB BS degree programme at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados in 2014. Results: The majority of the students were multimodal learners with no differences observed between males (59.5%) and females (60.0%), with tetramodal being the most common. Read/write (33.8%) followed by kinesthetic (32.5%) were the most common learning style preferences. The sensory modality preference for females was read/write (34.2%) and for males it was kinesthetic (40.5%). Significant differences were observed between the perceived and assessed learning style preferences with a majority of visual and read/write learners correctly matching their perceived to their actual learning styles. Awareness of learning styles was associated with learning modality but not with academic performance, age or gender. Overall, 60.7% of high achievers used multimodal learning compared to 56.9% low achievers. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicated that the VARK tool was useful in gathering information about different learning styles, and might assist educators in designing blended teaching strategies to cater to the students’ needs as well as help the students in becoming aware of their learning style preferences to enhance learning.
Characterization of hapR, a positive regulator of the Vibrio cholerae HA/protease gene hap, and its identification as a functional homologue of the Vibrio harveyi luxR gene

The Vibrio cholerae HA/protease gene (hap) promoter is inactive in Escherichia coli. We cloned and sequenced the 0.7 kb hap promoter fragment from strain 3083‐2 and showed that hap is located immediately 3′ of ompW, encoding a minor outer membrane protein. A clone from a genomic library of strain 3083‐2 was isolated, which was required for activation of the hap promoter in E. coli. Expression from the hap promoter only occurred late in the growth phase. A single complete open reading frame (ORF) designated HapR was identified on a 1.7 kb DNA fragment that was required for activation. Allelic replacements showed that hapR was also essential for hap expression in V. cholerae. In El Tor, but not in classical biotypes of V. cholerae, hapR mutations also produced a rugose colonial phenotype. HapR was shown to encode a 203‐amino‐acid polypeptide with 71% identity to LuxR of V. harveyi, an essential positive regulator of the lux operon that has no previously identified homologues. The amino‐terminal domain (residues 21–68) showed significant homology to the TetR family of helix–turn–helix DNA‐binding domains and was 95% identical to the same domain of LuxR. HapR and LuxR activated both the hap and the lux promoters at near wild‐type levels, despite only limited homology in the promoter sequences (46% identity with 12 gaps over 420 bp). DNA sequences and ORFs 5′ (but not 3′) of the hapR and luxR loci were homologous, suggesting a common origin for these loci, and hapR‐hybridizing sequences were found in other vibrios. We conclude that HapR is absolutely required for hap expression and that HapR and LuxR form a new family of transcriptional activator proteins.
Young alumni perspectives about philanthropically supporting their alma mater

Declines in the public funding of higher education have made philanthropic support from alumni an important component in the financial health of institutions, and this issue is not likely to go away. Previous research has indicated that alumni are more likely to philanthropically support their alma mater through financial giving, volunteering, and advocacy if they were philanthropically engaged in the institution as young alumni. However, little research has been done to understand young alumni philanthropic support of their alma maters. Using social exchange theory, this basic interpretive study explored how young alumni philanthropically support their alma mater and how they plan to support their alma mater in the future, and examined their perspective about the costs and benefits of their philanthropic support. The key findings of the research were that participants derived a variety of benefits from philanthropically supporting their alma mater, and the benefits that they received outweighed the cost of their support. Meaningful student experiences also played a key role in why young alumni support their alma mater, and philanthropy is a skill that participants learned over time, and personal relationships played a key role in influencing their philanthropic behavior. In addition volunteer participation increased over time, and volunteering was a catalyst for advocacy and financial support. Finally, participants wanted to philanthropically support their alma mater in the future, but they were unclear about the opportunities for doing so. The results of this study provided important implications for practice including providing students with meaningful experiences that make them feel connected, examining
Association of erythrocyte indices with glycated haemoglobin in pre‐menopausal women

Aims Although HbA1c is known to be affected by the lifespan of erythrocytes, any association of erythrocyte indices with HbA1c in subjects without anaemia is poorly understood. Pre‐menopausal women may be relatively iron deficient because of menstruation. In this study, we examined the relationship between HbA1c and erythrocyte indices in pre‐ and post‐menopausal women.
Care for demented patients in different living conditions. Effects on cognitive function, ADL-capacity and behaviour.

OBJECTIVE To assess if and how demented patients' living conditions affect their level of functioning. DESIGN A prospective concurrent control-study. SETTING Sundsvall, an industrial community in the middle of Sweden. PARTICIPANTS Forty-six demented patients in group-living (GL-group) and 62 controls (C-group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Cognitive function, ADL-capacity and behaviour were measured every third month during one year. RESULTS Both groups deteriorated, but the decline was significantly slower in the GL-group regarding some ADL-functions, e.g. dressing and motor functions, whereas some behavioural disturbances were significantly more frequent in the GL-group. No differences were observed regarding the level of cognitive function. CONCLUSION The living condition has small effects on cognitive function and ADL-capacity. The behavioural disturbances observed in GL should be the focus of future research.
Forecasting Crashes: Trading Volume, Past Returns and Conditional Skewness in Stock Prices

This paper is an investigation into the determinants of asymmetries in stock returns. We develop a series of cross-sectional regression specifications which attempt to forecast skewness in the daily returns of individual stocks. Negative skewness is most pronounced in stocks that have experienced: 1) an increase in trading volume relative to trend over the prior six months; and 2) positive returns over the prior thirty-six months. The first finding is consistent with the model of Hong and Stein (1999), which predicts that negative asymmetries are more likely to occur when there are large differences of opinion among investors. The latter finding fits with a number of theories, most notably Blanchard and Watson's (1982) rendition of stock-price bubbles. Analogous results also obtain when we attempt to forecast the skewness of the aggregate stock market, though our statistical power in this case is limited.
A Human HAP1 Homologue

Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of a glutamine repeat in the protein huntingtin. The expanded glutamine repeat is thought to mediate a gain of function by causing huntingtin to abnormally interact with other proteins. We previously identified a rat huntingtin-associated protein (HAP1) that binds to huntingtin; HAP1 binds more tightly to huntingtin with an expanded glutamine repeat than to wild type huntingtin. Identification of the human homologue of HAP1 is necessary for investigation of the potential role of HAP1 in HD pathology. Here, we report the cloning of a human HAP1 homologue (hHAP) that shares 62% identity with rat HAP1 over its entire sequence and 82% amino acid identity in the putative huntingtin-binding region. The hHAP gene encodes a 4.1-kilobase transcript and a 75-kDa protein which are specifically expressed in human brain tissues. Its expression in Huntington’s disease brains is reduced in parallel with a decreased expression of huntingtin. While two isoforms of rat HAP1 are expressed at similar levels in rat brain, only a single major form of hHAP is found in primate brains. In vitro binding, immunoprecipitation, and coexpression studies confirm the interaction of hHAP with huntingtin. The in vitro binding of hHAP to huntingtin is enhanced by lengthening the glutamine repeat. Despite similar binding properties of rat HAP1 and hHAP, differences in the sequences and expression of hHAP may contribute to a specific role for its interaction with huntingtin in humans.
Behavioral Biomarkers of Schizophrenia in High Drinker Rats: A Potential Endophenotype of Compulsive Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Abstract Psychogenic polydipsia, which is compulsive, non-regulatory fluid consumption, is present in 6%–20% of chronic psychiatric patients and frequently associated with the schizophrenia diagnosis. In the present study, we investigated the relation between schizophrenia-like symptoms and biomarkers with a compulsive drinking behavior phenotype in rats. Rats that were selected for low drinking vs high drinking behavior following schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) were assessed in a latent inhibition (LI) paradigm using tone and electrical foot shock and in a spatial reversal learning task to evaluate behavioral inflexibility. We also analyzed the myelin basic protein in different brain areas of high drinker (HD) and low drinker (LD) rats. The HD rats, which were characterized by a compulsive drinking behavior on SIP, had a reduced level of LI effect and increased behavioral inflexibility in the spatial reversal learning task in comparison to the LD group. Moreover, HD rats showed less myelination in the center of the corpus callosum, striatum, and amygdala in comparison to LD rats. These findings strengthen the validity of HD rats that were selected by SIP as a possible phenotype of compulsive neuropsychiatric disorders, as evidenced by the existence of behaviors and biological markers that are related to schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, including a reduced LI effect, behavioral inflexibility and reduced brain myelination. Future studies could contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the compulsive phenotype of HD rats and its relation to vulnerability to schizophrenia.
A prospective study of intraoperative lymphatic mapping for head and neck cutaneous melanoma.

BACKGROUND Intraoperative lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy have been used successfully to stage regional lymphatics for trunk and extremity melanomas. However, the accuracy and applicability of these techniques in the head and neck have not been determined conclusively. OBJECTIVE To report the results of a prospective trial of intraoperative lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node identification in patients with head and neck cutaneous melanoma. METHODS Using technetium Tc 99m--labeled sulfur colloid and isosulfan blue, intraoperative lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node identification were performed in 43 patients with melanomas of intermediate thickness. After the sentinel lymph nodes were identified in situ, an elective dissection of levels I through V or II through V was performed, based on the location of the primary tumor. The parotid, postauricular, and suboccipital lymphatics were dissected as clinically indicated. The sentinel lymph nodes were isolated ex vivo and evaluated pathologically by serial sectioning, and the accuracy of the lymphatic mapping was determined. RESULTS Intraoperative lymphatic mapping identified 155 sentinel lymph nodes in 94 nodal basins, with a mean of 3.6 sentinel nodes and 2.2 basins per patient. Sentinel nodes were located in the parotid gland in 19 patients (44%), necessitating superficial parotidectomies, and they were distributed throughout nonadjacent nodal basins in 18 patients (42%). Nine patients (21%) had metastatic disease in 1 or more sentinel nodes, 3 of whom had metastatic disease in a nonsentinel node. No patient who had negative sentinel nodes had a positive nonsentinel node (false-negative incidence, 0). CONCLUSIONS Although intraoperative lymphatic mapping accurately identifies sentinel lymph nodes for head and neck cutaneous melanomas, the multiplicity of these nodes, their widespread distribution, and their frequent location within the parotid gland may preclude sentinel lymph node biopsy in many patients. Therefore, we advocate selective lymphadenectomy of sentinel nodal basins, allowing histological staging of the regional lymphatics with limited morbidity. However, further study is necessary to define the true role of sentinel lymph node identification for head and neck cutaneous melanoma.
Factors influencing the levels of exhaled carbon monoxide in asthmatic children

Abstract Objective: Bronchial asthma is characterised by chronic airway inflammation commonly associated with increased oxidative stress. Exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) levels could act as markers of both oxidative stress and allergic inflammation. We aimed to study eCO levels in asthmatics and detect the possible factors influencing them. Methods: We studied 241 asthmatic children and 75 healthy children. The differences in eCO levels among various asthmatic phenotypes and the correlations between eCO and other measured parameters (spirometric indices, Asthma Control Test score, exhaled nitric oxide, total IgE, blood eosinophils and marker of oxidative damage of proteins) were analysed. Results: Levels of eCO widely differed according to the selected characteristics of asthma. Asthmatics showed higher eCO concentrations than controls (1.44 ± 0.12 ppm vs. 0.91 ± 0.11 ppm, p < 0.001). Acute exacerbation of asthma was accompanied by a significant increase in eCO compared to the clinically controlled stage (2.17 ± 0.36 ppm vs. 1.33 ± 0.13 ppm, p < 0.001). Atopic, non-atopic asthma and asthma associated with allergic rhinitis (AR) showed elevated levels of eCO. The levels of eCO negatively correlated with the marker of protein oxidation in asthmatics, especially in atopic form and during acute exacerbation. Conclusions: In a population of asthmatic children, eCO levels could be considered as a marker of both allergic inflammation and oxidative stress in the airways. Concomitant AR and asthma control were the most important factors affecting the levels of eCO in asthmatic children. However, our results do not support the use of routine eCO in the clinical practice.
Attuned Practice: a service user study of specialist child and adolescent mental health, UK

Summary Aims – Best practice emphasises user involvement. This exploratory study addresses the views of teenage clients and their parents on service delivery in a specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) serving a population of 250,000. It aims to explore some of the complexities inherent in children's services when parents are integral to modes of treatment. Methods — Twenty-seven teenage clients from specialist CAMHS were recruited with their parents (n=30). All were white British, 11 boys and 16 girls, from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Focus groups were employed using a series of structured interactive technique to elicit information, preceded by home visits. Analysis of interview data followed standard approaches to qualitative data analysis. Descriptive statistics were generated from both home interview data and focus groups. Results – Three themes emerged: the core values implicated in establishing a therapeutic alliance; the style of therapy and mode of practice (i.e. its inclusiveness of different family members). Practice implications – Core therapeutic skills are of fundamental importance. Our paper supplements a model of organisational user involvement with a model of therapeutic user involvement for use in negotiating mode of practice. Conclusions – This exploratory study was a collaboration between service users, researchers and health professionals exploring three important themes of therapy and the complexities inherent in children's services. The process of eliciting views was therapeutic in itself leading to the formation of a parent-led self-help group. The design can be replicated in other specialist CAMHS to achieve attuned practice. Declaration of Interest: none.