Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian approach to extended object and cluster tracking using random matrices

In algorithms for tracking and sensor data fusion the targets to be observed are usually considered as point source objects; i.e., compared with the sensor resolution their extension is neglected. Due to the increasing resolution capabilities of modern sensors, however, this assumption is often no longer valid as different scattering centers of an object can cause distinct detections when passing the signal processing chain. Examples of extended targets are found in short-range applications (littoral surveillance, autonomous weapons, or robotics). A collectively moving target group can also be considered as an extended target. This point of view is the more appropriate, the smaller the mutual distances between the individual targets are. Due to the resulting data association and resolution conflicts any attempt of tracking the individual objects within the group seems to be no longer reasonable. With simulated sensor data produced by a partly unresolvable aircraft formation the addressed phenomena are illustrated and an approximate Bayesian solution to the resulting tracking problem is proposed. Ellipsoidal object extensions are modeled by random matrices, which are treated as additional state variables to be estimated or tracked. We expect that the resulting tracking algorithms are also relevant for tracking large, collectively moving target swarms.
Loop Representation of Wigner's Little Groups

Wigner’s little groups are the subgroups of the Lorentz group whose transformations leave the momentum of a given particle invariant. They thus define the internal space-time symmetries of relativistic particles. These symmetries take different mathematical forms for massive and for massless particles. However, it is shown possible to construct one unified representation using a graphical description. This graphical approach allows us to describe vividly parity, time reversal, and charge conjugation of the internal symmetry groups. As for the language of group theory, the two-by-two representation is used throughout the paper. While this two-by-two representation is for spin-1/2 particles, it is shown possible to construct the representations for spin-0 particles, spin-1 particles, as well as for higher-spin particles, for both massive and massless cases. It is shown also that the four-by-four Dirac matrices constitute a two-by-two representation of Wigner’s little group.
Effect of aggregated immunoglobulin A1 from immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients on nephrin expression in podocytes

Aim: Abnormal immunoglobulin (Ig)A1 is considered to play a pivotal role in IgA nephropathy. We used mouse podocytes as the experimental model to investigate the effect of aggregated IgA1 (aIgA1) isolated from IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients on nephrin expression in podocytes through direct and indirect pathways.
Presence of Genotypic Resistance in Nucleoside Analogue-Treated HIV-1-Infected Patients with Undetectable Viral Load

Patients harbouring drug-resistant viruses usually suffer a rise in serum viraemia after a variable period of time. We have investigated the relationship between the appearance of resistant genotypes and the viral load of each patient after treatment. Our objective was to assess the association between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA plasma levels and the number of drug resistance-associated point mutations after treatment. A total of 150 patients from three reference centres in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona and Seville) from a previous study (Erase Study) were included. Patients had at that time undergone antiretroviral treatment with nucleoside analogues for at least 1 year (zidovudine/didanosine; zidovudine/zalcitabine; zidovudine/zalcitabine/lamivudine; zidovudine/didanosine/lamivudine). In this study, plasma viraemia in these patients was quantified and a line probe assay was used to determine the genotype of the virus. Viral load was significantly higher in patients harbouring virus with more than three mutations than in those individuals who harboured wild-type strains (P<0.05). Surprisingly, when patients with viral load <500 copies/ml (13/150) were analysed, only two carried wild-type strains, whereas three had virus with more than three point mutations. The viral load of six samples was assayed using an ultrasensitive test (detection limit <20 copies/ml). Of the three samples where viral load was <20 copies/ml, one patient harboured wild-type virus, whereas two carried mutant virus strains. These results suggest that even in patients with undetectable viral loads by conventional methods, viral replication may continue and mutations develop. Therefore, standard values of plasma viraemia for measuring the effectiveness of the treatment should be reconsidered when patients are on antiviral regimens of just two or three nucleoside analogues.
Searching for a Bilingual Exit

Hong Kong is a monolingual (Cantonese-speaking) and ethnically homogeneous (ninetyeight per cent Chinese) society However, since the late 1950s a growing number of her primary school students have opted to continue their secondary education in English-medium (EM) AngloChinese secondary schools (ACSSs) rather than in Chinese-medium (CM) Chinese middle schools (CMSs). In 1958, as shown in Table 1, CMS students constituted approximately forty-five per cent of the total enrollment in schools at the secondary level. By 1983 the percentage had dropped to nine and is still dropping.
Cycle Exercising in Time with Music

Different forms of exercise with a cycle ergometer in time with music were studied in comparison: exercise in time with a rhythm or with music at constant and movement-controlled music tempos, with simultaneous arm and leg work, and with leg work alone. For this pilot study an exercise cycle with arm levers movable forward and backward for additional arm work was equipped with a mechanically brak-able flywheel. At a movement-controlled music tempo synthesizer music was synchronized with the movement rhythm by electrical pulses generated during each pedal rotation. A point approximately 8° to 15° before the horizontal pedal position during leg stretching was preferred as the onset of the beats during movement-controlled tempo. The subjects preferred pedalling rates between about 70 and 90 revolutions • min.−1, two-thirds with movement-controlled and one-third with preset music tempo. At a comparable work-load, rhythm was rared as more boring than musical accompaniment, but there were no significant differences between the ratings of discomfort, strain, or boredom for the two forms of musical accompaniment and no interaction with the preference for them.
Multilocus analysis of nucleotide variation in Drosophila madeirensis, an endemic species of the Laurisilva forest in Madeira

Drosophila madeirensis is an endemic species of Madeira that inhabits the island Laurisilva forest. Nucleotide variation in D. madeirensis is analysed in six genomic regions and compared to that previously reported for the same regions in Drosophila subobscura, an abundant species in the Palearctic region that is closely related to D. madeirensis. The gene regions analysed are distributed along the O3 inversion. The O3 arrangement is monomorphic in D. madeirensis, and it was present in ancestral populations of D. subobscura but went extinct in this species after the origin of the derived OST and O3+4 arrangements. Levels of nucleotide polymorphism in D. madeirensis are similar to those present in the OST and O3+4 arrangements of D. subobscura, and the frequency spectrum is skewed towards rare variants. Purifying selection against deleterious nonsynonymous mutations is less effective in D. madeirensis. Although D. madeirensis and D. subobscura coexist at present in Madeira, no clear evidence of introgression was detected in the studied regions.
Identity From Variation: Representations of Faces Derived From Multiple Instances

Research in face recognition has tended to focus on discriminating between individuals, or "telling people apart. " It has recently become clear that it is also necessary to understand how images of the same person can vary, or "telling people together. " Learning a new face, and tracking its representation as it changes from unfamiliar to familiar, involves an abstraction of the variability in different images of that person's face. Here, we present an application of principal components analysis computed across different photos of the same person. We demonstrate that people vary in systematic ways, and that this variability is idiosyncratic-the dimensions of variability in one face do not generalize well to another. Learning a new face therefore entails learning how that face varies. We present evidence for this proposal and suggest that it provides an explanation for various effects in face recognition. We conclude by making a number of testable predictions derived from this framework.
Abundance, diversity and antibiotics resistance pattern of Vibrio spp. in coral ecosystem of Kurusadai island

The abundance and species diversity of Vibrio associated with coral reef ecosystem of Kurusadai island, Tamil Nadu, India were evaluated. A total of twelve sampling locations including different live and dead coral surfaces, surrounding water and rock surface (negative control) were selected for the present study. Total viable and TCBS counts were found to be higher in dead coral as compared to that of live coral. Out of total 21 species of Vibrio isolated, 13 were identified up to species level based on biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequence homology, while remaining 8 isolates did not show homology up to species level with any of the sequences available in the NCBI database. Moreover, these unidentified Vibrio spp. exhibited intra‐species variation. This study indicated association of hitherto unknown Vibrio species with coral reef ecosystem of Kurusadai island. Assuming that only resistant bacteria can grow in the coral environment, susceptibility against a total of 20 antibiotics was evaluated. All the isolates exhibited resistance towards more than 6 antibiotics. Interestingly, none of the identified bacteria were previously reported to be of coral pathogen reflecting the healthy nature of the ecosystem. However, a continuous monitoring of the region will be prerequisite to envisage the role of these bacteria on the health status of the coral ecosystem. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Clinical Study of Fetomaternal Outcome of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Objectives: To assess the fetomaternal outcome of pregnancy in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) Method: A cross sectional study, conducted in 123 patients, where 62 were normal pregnant women and 61 pregnant women with risk factors for GDM attending antenatal clinic and admitted in antenatal ward , was carried out in the department of obstetrics & gynecology of RIMS; a tertiary health care referral centre, MANIPUR, over a period of 2 years from AUGUST 2012 to AUGUST 2014. Results: The findings of the present study confirmed that GDM patients are liable to have adverse pregnancy outcomes. As expected, women in present study were found to have a higher maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality among the GDM present than the GDM absent group. Increasing age(31±5.5years) of patient was significantly associated with GDM. Poor past obstetric history, past history for GDM, positive family history carried significant high risk for GDM. Conclusion: Early detection of GDM, aggressive control of the blood sugar can ameliorate many of the complications for mother and baby and significant reduction in perinatal mortality and morbidity have been reported in GDM patients treated with insulin and diet compared to those on diet alone, which is similar to present findings.
The blood volume and plasma protein levels before and after gastrectomy 1

This paper is a survey of a series of 185 plasma volume estimations carried out on 75 gastric surgical patients before and after operation at St. James's Hospital in 1958-59. In the majority of cases serum proteins were also measured. The purpose of this work was to study the effects of gastric operations, and especially of partial gastrectomy, on patients' blood volume, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood as measured by the total circulating red cell volume, and serum protein content.
Reference values for local arterial stiffness. Part A: carotid artery

Objective: Non-invasive measures of common carotid artery properties, such as diameter and distension, and pulse pressure, have been widely used to determine carotid artery distensibility coefficient – a measure of carotid stiffness (stiffness ∼1/distensibility coefficient). Carotid stiffness has been associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and may therefore be a useful intermediate marker for CVD. We aimed to establish age and sex-specific reference intervals of carotid stiffness. Methods: We combined data on 22 708 individuals (age range 15–99 years, 54% men) from 24 research centres worldwide. Individuals without CVD and established cardiovascular risk factors constituted a healthy sub-population (n = 3601, 48% men) and were used to establish sex-specific equations for percentiles of carotid distensibility coefficient across age. Results: In the sub-population without CVD and treatment (n = 12 906, 52% men), carotid distensibility coefficient Z-scores based on these percentile equations were independently and negatively associated, in men and women, respectively, with diabetes {−0.28 [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.41; −0.15] and −0.27 (−0.43; −0.12)}, mean arterial pressure [−0.26 (−0.29; −0.24) and −0.32 (−0.35; −0.29)], total-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio [−0.05 (−0.09; −0.02) and −0.05 (−0.11; 0.01)] and BMI [−0.06 (−0.09; −0.04) and −0.05 (−0.08; −0.02)], whereas these were positively associated with smoking [0.30 (0.24; 0.36) and 0.24 (0.18; 0.31)]. Conclusions: We estimated age and sex-specific percentiles of carotid stiffness in a healthy population and assessed the association between cardiovascular risk factors and carotid distensibility coefficient Z-scores, which enables comparison of carotid stiffness values between (patient) groups with different cardiovascular risk profiles, helping interpretation of such measures.
Comparison of Communication Outcomes in Traditional VERSUS Simulation Strategies in Nursing and Medical Students

Abstract The Institute of Medicine has called for more interprofessional collaboration between physicians and nurses. The purpose of this research was to compare the outcomes in affective and communication domains using a traditional (roundtable) model versus simulation in nursing and medical students. A prospective, descriptive survey design was used to collect data on 41 senior bachelor of science in nursing students, and 19 second‐year medical students. The simulation strategy resulted in statistically higher levels of stress as identified by participants. In addition, nearly all participants reported having a better sense of the clinical role, and with 55 percent of participants stating that the experience changed their view of the role of the clinical team. This initial study indicates that interprofessional communication may be enhanced using simulation.
Highly Manufacturable Double-Gate FinFET With Gate-Source/Drain Underlap

The speed performance of a double-gate (DG) FinFET CMOS with gate-source/drain (G-S/D) underlap is investigated using 2-D device and mixed-mode circuit simulation. By optimizing the G-S/D underlap, we demonstrate that the fin thickness of a DG FinFET can be significantly increased up to the physical gate length without degrading the speed performance compared to the conventional G-S/D overlap structure, where the fin thickness needs to be less than one-half of the physical gate length to control short-channel effects. Such an increase in fin thickness combined with a relaxed requirement for abruptness in the source/drain profile can dramatically enhance the manufacturability of DG FinFETs for the 32-nm technology node and beyond.
Determinants of maternal care in a region of South India

A cross-sectional survey was conducted during 1993 in urban and rural areas of Karnataka State, India. The survey included 3595 currently married women aged under 35, who had at least one child under five. Nine out of ten women had at least one antenatal consultation during their most recent fertile pregnancies. Most consultations were with doctors and there was minimal use of the services provided by paramedical staff of the primary health care system. Of all respondents, 38 per cent (57% urban and 29% rural) delivered in a hospital, and a majority of institutional deliveries were in private hospitals. Surgical interventions were made in more than one-third of hospital deliveries. There was a marked imbalance between antenatal and postnatal care as fewer than one-fifth of the mothers had a postnatal checkup. The educational level, economic status and religion of the mother are significant predictors of use of maternal health services. The relationship of problems during pregnancy and delivery with subsequent health-related behaviour is also examined. One of the dominant themes of the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in September 1994 was reproductive health. This has been defined as a state in which People have the ability to reproduce and regulate their fertility; women are able to go through pregnancy and childbirth safely; the outcome of pregnancy is successful in terms of maternal and infant survival and well being; and couples are free to have sexual relations free of the fear of pregnancy and of contracting disease (Fathalla 1988). Maternal health services have a potentially critical role to play in the improvement of reproductive health. There is little doubt that access to skilled assistance and well equipped health institutions during delivery can reduce maternal mortality and morbidity and improve pregnancy outcomes. The effectiveness of routine antenatal and postnatal care is less certain. However, a few hospital based studies (Melrose 1984; Boes 1987a, b) and some community * The Ford Foundation provided financial support for the study, which is gratefully acknowledged. We would also like to record the hard and diligent work of Dr N.S. N. Rao in the organization and supervision of field work and the able assistance provided by Mr N.S. Sanath Kumar and Mr S. Ramaswamy in data processing. The interviewers, who collected data under rigorous field conditions, deserve our appreciation and commendation. Thanks are also due to the Karnataka health and ICDS officials for their full support and co-operation in the conduct of this study.
Smoking withdrawal shifts the spatiotemporal dynamics of neurocognition

Smoking withdrawal is associated with significant deficits in the ability to initiate and maintain attention for extended periods of time (i.e. sustained attention; SA). However, the effects of smoking abstinence on the temporal dynamics of neurocognition during SA have not been evaluated. Twenty adult smokers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scans following smoking as usual and after 24‐hours abstinence. During scanning they completed a SA task with two levels of task difficulty, designed to measure both sustained (i.e. over the duration of the task) and transient (i.e. event‐related) activation. Smoking abstinence significantly decreased task accuracy regardless of task difficulty. Compared to smoking as usual, abstinence resulted in decreased sustained activation in right inferior and middle frontal gyri but increased transient activation across dispersed cortical areas including precuneus and right superior frontal gyrus. Greater task difficulty was associated with even greater transient activation during abstinence in mostly right hemisphere regions including right inferior frontal gyrus. These findings suggest smoking withdrawal shifts the temporal and spatial dynamics of neurocognition from sustained, right prefrontal activation reflecting proactive cognitive control ( Braver, Gray & Burgess 2009 ) to more dispersed and transient activation reflecting reactive control.
EmboDop: insufficient automatic microemboli identification.

To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent article by Drs Markus and Punter1 on the assessment of the EmboDop ultrasound system. Independent evaluation of this device was overdue. Differentiation between gaseous and solid microemboli in vivo is of utmost importance and would provide exciting new insights to the pathophysiology of stroke. Although the principle of the dual-frequency technique appears striking, the reliability of discrimination reported in the recent article is disappointing. Our own experience with the EmboDop system unfortunately supports these observations. …
HISTOACRYL BLUE VERSUS SUTURED LEFT COLONIC ANASTOMOSIS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Background: Cyanoacrylates have been advocated as a protective seal in colonic anastomosis to prevent leakage. In order to assess the effects of n‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate on left colonic anastomosis it was compared to the sutured anastomosis in the rat.
Conversion from liquid to solid rapamycin formulations in stable renal allograft transplant recipients

Sirolimus (rapamycin, RAPA, Rapamune™) is a potent immunosuppressive agent currently being investigated for prophylaxis against acute rejection episodes in renal transplant recipients. In the present study, stable renal allograft recipients under maintenance therapy with RAPA and cyclosporine (CsA) were converted from the original oil‐based liquid RAPA to a solid tablet formulation on a milligram‐to‐milligram basis, in order to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of this new dosage form. Twelve‐hour pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of both RAPA and CsA were conducted with the final liquid RAPA dose, and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks postconversion to the solid tablet. In addition, the parameters of the PK profiles for the solid formulation were compared with those for liquid RAPA, which were performed prior to this study. Area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) values for the liquid formulation and for the solid tablet at 2, 4, and 8 weeks postconversion were 256.5, 205.8, 226.1, and 224.4 ng·h/mL, respectively (p=NS). Time to maximum RAPA concentration was longer at 4 weeks postconversion, but similar at 2 and 8 weeks. There were no differences observed between the liquid and solid tablet trough concentrations. The only significant differences observed among the PK parameters of the solid tablet versus those of the liquid formulation were the lower Cmax values of the solid, namely 25.3, 24.9, and 26.7 ng/mL versus 37.1 ng/mL (p<0.05). In addition, the dose corrected Cmax was lower in the solid tablet PK profiles compared with the prior PK profiles for the liquid (7.7 versus 10.2 ng/mL, p<0.02). Cyclosporine AUC values did not change appreciably during the study. Conversion from the liquid to the solid formulation was neither associated with episodes of acute rejection, nor changes in laboratory values, during the 8‐week study. In summary, conversion from the liquid to the solid RAPA formulation resulted in similar PK profiles and appears to be both safe and well‐tolerated in renal transplant recipients. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.