Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised Monocular Depth Estimation for Monocular Visual SLAM Systems

Estimating monocular depth and ego-motion via unsupervised learning has emerged as a promising approach in autonomous driving, mobile robots, and augmented reality (AR)/VR applications. It avoids intensive efforts to collect a large amount of ground truth and further improves the scene construction density and long-term tracking accuracy in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) systems. However, existing approaches are susceptible to illumination variations and blurry pictures due to fast movements in real-world driving scenarios. In this article, we propose a novel unsupervised learning framework to fuse the complementary strength of visual and inertial measurements for monocular depth estimation. It learns both forward and backward inertial sequences at multiple subspaces to produce environment-independent and scale-consistent motion features and selectively weights inertial and visual modalities to adapt to various scenes and motion states. In addition, we explore a novel virtual stereo model to adopt such depth estimates in the monocular SLAM system, thus improving the system efficiency and accuracy. Extensive experiments on the KITTI, EuRoC, and TUM datasets have shown our effectiveness in terms of monocular depth estimation, SLAM initialization efficiency, and pose estimation accuracy compared with the state-of-the-art.
Therapeutic effect of ofatumumab in patients with myasthenia gravis: immunoregulation of follicular T helper cells and T helper type 17 cells

Introduction This study aimed to study the therapeutic effects of ofatumumab in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) in addition to the immunomodulatory effects on peripheral follicular T helper (Tfh) cells and T helper type 17 (Th17) cells. Methods Thirty-one patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive MG were included in this study. At weeks 0, 1, 2, and 4, an initial dose of 20 mg of ofatumumab was injected subcutaneously, with a 2-month follow-up after completing this first cycle. At baseline, 1 month, and 3 months, we assessed the Quantitative MG (QMG), 15-item MG-Quality of Life (MG-QOL15), and MG-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scales and measured the frequencies of Tfh, Th17, and B cells and the levels of anti-AChR antibody, IL-6, IL-21, and IL-17 in the peripheral blood. Results At 1 month and 3 months, the QMG, MG-QOL15, and MG-ADL scores were all significantly reduced. At 3 months, doses of prednisone were reduced by an average of 37%. Decreased frequencies of Tfh and Th17 cells, depletion of B cells, and reduced levels of IL-6, IL-21, and IL-17 were all observed at 1 month or 3 months. Discussion Therefore, the therapeutic effect of ofatumumab could be detected after one cycle of treatment, which was maintained for 2 months. The immunomodulatory effect of ofatumumab during the observation period may involve depletion of B cells, reduction of Tfh and Th17 cells frequencies, and reduced levels of IL-6, IL-21, and IL-17. The findings provide novel data for the potential application of ofatumumab in MG.
YUTO SEMANTIC: A LARGE SCALE AERIAL LIDAR DATASET FOR SEMANTIC SEGMENTATION

Abstract. Creating virtual duplicates of the real world has garnered significant attention due to its applications in areas such as autonomous driving, urban planning, and urban mapping. One of the critical tasks in the computer vision community is semantic segmentation of outdoor collected point clouds. The development and research of robust semantic segmentation algorithms heavily rely on precise and comprehensive benchmark datasets. In this paper, we present the York University Teledyne Optech 3D Semantic Segmentation Dataset (YUTO Semantic), a multi-mission large-scale aerial LiDAR dataset specifically designed for 3D point cloud semantic segmentation. The dataset comprises approximately 738 million points, covering an area of 9.46 square kilometers, which results in a high point density of 100 points per square meter. Each point in the dataset is annotated with one of nine semantic classes. Additionally, we conducted performance tests of state-of-the-art algorithms to evaluate their effectiveness in semantic segmentation tasks. The YUTO Semantic dataset serves as a valuable resource for advancing research in 3D point cloud semantic segmentation and contributes to the development of more accurate and robust algorithms for real-world applications. The dataset is available at https://github.com/Yacovitch/YUTO_Semantic.
Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Simulation in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic debilitating condition of orthostatic intolerance, predominantly affecting young females. Other than postural tachycardia, symptoms of POTS include a spectrum of non-cardiac, systemic and neuropsychiatric features. Despite the availability of widespread pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic options, the management of POTS remains challenging. Exaggerated parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic overdrive during postural stress are principal mechanisms of postural tachycardia in POTS. Non-invasive, transcutaneous, vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is known to restore sympathovagal balance and is emerging as a novel therapeutic strategy in cardiovascular conditions including arrhythmias and heart failure. Furthermore, tVNS also exerts immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. This review explores the effects of tVNS on the pathophysiology of POTS and its potential as an alternative non-pharmacological option in this condition.
NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF SELECTED MACROALGAE OF THE SOUTH-WEST COAST OF INDIA

: During the present work, thirty-one species of macroalgae collected from different locations on the south-west coast of India were subjected to nutritional analysis to determine total crude protein, total crude lipids, total soluble sugars, starch, total free amino acids, iodine content, and vitamin C content. It could be derived that the protein content varied from a minimum of 10.8±0.7 mg g-1 in the red alga Amphiroa fragilissima to a maximum of 180.0±0.7 mg g -1 in Chaetomorpha linum (Chlorophyceae), followed by118.0±0.3 mg g -1 in Sargassum marginatum (Phaeophyceae). The lipid content was recorded to be a maximum of 150.0±0.2 mg g -1 in the brown alga Padina tetrastroematica and a minimum of 8.0±0.4 mg g -1 in the calcareous red alga Cheilosporum spectabilis . The maximum free amino acid concentration was found to be 17.06±0.6 mg g -1 in the green alga Caulerpa sertularioides , the maximum value for Vitamin C content was 11.0±0.4 mg 100g -1 in the green alga Caulerpa chemnitzea , and the maximum iodine content of 86.90±1.0 mg 100g -1 in green alga Caulerpa peltata. The Vitamin C content was found to be reasonably high in almost all algal species studied, as also the iodine content. The overall observation shows that marine macroalgae are rich sources of Proteins, Carbohydrates, Amino acids, Vitamin C, and Iodine, hence can have great implications as source materials in the preparation of food, food supplements, and nutraceuticals.
A comparative analysis between an absolute gravimeter (FG5-206) and a superconducting gravimeter (GWR C026) in Strasbourg: new results on calibration and long-term gravity changes

This paper is devoted to a comparative analysis of gravity changes as observed both by an absolute gravimeter (AG-FG5 model 206) and a superconducting gravimeter (SG-GWR model C026) operating in parallel in Strasbourg in 1997-1998. Two main objectives will be sought: on the one hand, we want to establish the calibration capability of AG/SG parallel registrations, especially with respect to stability in time, duration requirement and precision; on the other hand, the absolute gravity values will be superimposed on the superconducting gravimeter observations in order to estimate long-term gravity changes and to attempt to separate true physical effects from the instrumental drift contribution of the cryogenic meter.
Local Seismicity and Sediment Deformation in the West Svalbard Margin: Implications of Neotectonics for Seafloor Seepage

In the Fram Strait, mid‐ocean ridge spreading is represented by the ultra‐slow system of the Molloy Ridge, the Molloy Transform Fault and the Knipovich Ridge. Sediments on oceanic and continental crust are gas charged and there are several locations with documented seafloor seepage. Sedimentary faulting shows recent stress release in the sub‐surface, but the drivers of stress change and its influence on fluid flow are not entirely understood. We present here the results of an 11‐month‐long ocean bottom seismometer survey conducted over the highly faulted sediment drift northwards from the Knipovich Ridge to monitor seismicity and infer the regional state of stress. We obtain a detailed earthquake catalog that improves the spatial resolution of mid‐ocean ridge seismicity compared with published data. Seismicity at the Molloy Transform Fault is occurring southwards from the bathymetric imprint of the fault, as supported by a seismic profile. Earthquakes in the northern termination of the Knipovich Ridge extend eastwards from the ridge valley, which together with syn‐rift faulting identified in seismic reflection data, suggests that a portion of the currently active spreading center is buried under sediments away from the bathymetric expression of the rift valley. This hints at the direct link between crustal rifting processes and faulting in shallow sediments. Two earthquakes occur close to the seepage system of the Vestnesa Ridge further north from the network. We suggest that deeper rift structures, reactivated by gravity and/or post‐glacial subsidence, may lead to accommodation of stress through shallow extensional faults, therefore impacting seepage dynamics.
Machine learning in drug development

All medications have adverse eﬀects. Among the most serious of these are cardiac arrhythmias. Current paradigms for drug safety evaluation are costly, lengthy, conservative, and impede eﬃcient drug development. Here we combine multiscale experiment and simulation, high-performance computing, and machine learning to create an easy-to-use risk assessment diagram to quickly and reliable stratify new and existing drugs according to their pro-arrhythmic potential. We capitalize on recent developments in machine learning and integrate information across ten orders of magnitude in space and time to provide a holistic picture of the eﬀects of drugs, either individually or in combination with other drugs. We show, both experimentally and computationally, that drug-induced arrhythmias are dominated by the interplay between two currents with opposing eﬀects: the rapid delayed rectiﬁer potassium current and the L-type calcium current. Using Gaussian process classiﬁcation, we create a classiﬁer that stratiﬁes drugs into safe and arrhythmic domains for any combinations of these two currents. We demonstrate that our classiﬁer correctly identiﬁes the risk categories of 23 common drugs, exclusively on the basis of their concentrations at 50% current block. Our new risk assessment diagram explains under which conditions blocking the L-type calcium current can delay or even entirely suppress arrhythmogenic events. Using machine learning in drug safety evaluation can provide a more accurate and comprehensive mechanistic assessment of the pro-arrhythmic potential of new drugs. Our study paves the way towards establishing science-based criteria to accelerate drug development, design safer drugs, and reduce heart rhythm disorders.
Associations between Hospital Setting and Outcomes after Pediatric Appendectomy

Prior studies of associations between hospital location and outcomes for pediatric appendectomy have not adjusted for significant differences in patient and treatment patterns between settings. This was a cross-sectional analysis of pediatric appendectomies in the 2016 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID). Weighted multiple linear and logistic regression models compared hospital location (urban or rural) and academic status against total admission cost (TAC), length of stay (LOS), and postoperative complications. Patients were stratified by laparoscopic (LA) or open (OA) appendectomy. Among 54,836 patients, 39,454 (73%) were performed at an urban academic center, 11,642 (21%) were performed at an urban non-academic center, and 3740 (7%) were performed at a rural center. LA was utilized for 49,011 (89%) of all 54,386 patients: 36,049 (91%) of 39,454 patients at urban academic hospitals, 10,191 (87%) of 11,642 patients at urban non-academic centers, and 2771 (74%) of 3740 patients at rural centers (p < 0.001). On adjusted analysis, urban academic centers were associated with an 18% decreased TAC (95% CI −0.193–−0.165; p < 0.001) despite an 11% increased LOS (95% CI 0.087–0.134; p < 0.001) compared to rural centers. Urban academic centers were associated with a decreased odds of complication among patients who underwent LA (OR 0.787, 95% CI 0.650–0.952) but not after OA. After adjusting for relevant patient and disease-related factors, urban academic centers were associated with lower costs despite longer lengths of stay compared to rural centers. Urban academic centers utilized LA more frequently and were associated with decreased odds of postoperative complications after LA.
Real-World Effectiveness of Belimumab in Patients with Active Lupus

This study evaluated the real-world effectiveness of belimumab (BLM) in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with moderate to high disease activity. This retrospective cohort study enrolled 129 Japanese patients with moderate to high SLE disease activity who received BLM between January 2013 and March 2023. The clinical outcomes, including the flare-free survival, SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score, and prednisone-equivalent dose, in the BLM and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment groups were compared before and after treatment. Safety data for BLM were collected. Additionally, we compared the effectiveness of BLM and intravenous cyclophosphamide (IV-CY) treatment using the stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method based on the propensity scores. This observational study enrolled 129 patients with moderate/severe SLE: 48 patients received belimumab, 45 received IV-CY, and 36 received MMF and prednisolone for remission induction therapy. The median follow-up for the BLM group was 17.0 months. Among them, 19 received BLM plus MMF. BLM significantly reduced the mean SLEDAI-2K (from mean baseline to 52 weeks: 49.2% reduction from 12.8 to 6.5) and prednisone daily dose (from mean baseline to 52 weeks: 21.9% reduction from 12.8 to 10.0 mg/day). The flare-free survival at 52 weeks was not significantly different between the BLM and MMF groups. There was no significant difference in the flare-free survival rates or reduction rates of the SLEDAI-2K between the patients treated with BLM and those treated with BLM plus MMF. In the propensity score-matched comparative analyses, there was no significant difference in the flare-free survival rates or an estimated decline in the SLEDAI-2K scores between the patients with lupus treated with BLM and IV-CY. BLM may be a promising alternative treatment option for lupus patients with moderate or high disease activity who do not respond to conventional treatments.
21. RADIOCARBON AND RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS IN SEDIMENTS OF THE BLACK SEA

New data on age determinations based on radiocarbon and on the distribution of potassium, radium, and thorium in bottom sediments of the Black Sea are presented. The material was sampled during Cruise 42B of D/V Glomar Challenger in the Black Sea. Dating by C was done separately on the organic and the inorganic carbon fraction for samples from Sites 380 and 381. It has been established that the upper deposits have an age older than assumed. In samples from Site 381 from a depth of 3 to 114 meters, K(K), Ra(Bi), and Th(Tl) were determined with the aid of a gamma spectrometer. It is shown that correlations exist between Th and K.
Ophthalmic Manifestations of Migraine in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Facility

Abstract Background: Migraine is a group of headache syndromes, with a prevalence of 5%–25%. Migraine is a complex recurrent headache disorder, often unilateral, throbbing or pulsating in nature aggravated by physical activity, bright light, and loud noises. Symptoms associated with migraine without aura are nausea, anorexia, and varying degrees of ophthalmic problems ranging from visual aura, ocular symptoms, and ophthalmoplegia. Objectives: The study determined the pattern and ophthalmic manifestations of migraine in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study. Ethical clearance was obtained from the research ethical committee of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH). A total of 254 patients diagnosed with migraine using international headache society criteria attending neurology clinic in AKTH were interviewed and examined using a structured questionnaire which captured the biodata, pattern of migraine and ocular symptoms associated with migraine. The data obtained were collated and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 23. Results: Of the 254 patients examined, there were 95 (37.4%) males and 159 (62.6%) females, (M:F = 1:2) with mean age of 28.9 ± 9.7 years. Migraine without aura was the commonest type seen in 55.8% of patients. Most patients had unilateral headaches. About 52.8% and 57.5% had headaches that were throbbing in nature. The headache lasted for 72 h in 48.2% and 48 h in 30.3%. It was triggered by physical stress in 49.6% and lack of sleep in 46.5%. The commonest associated symptom was nausea in 44.9%, tinnitus in 39.0%, and vomiting in 29.1%. While the commonest ocular/visual symptom was photophobia in 76% of patients. Most of the patients had family history of migraine (62.8%). Migraine without aura (MWOA) was found to be significantly associated with female gender (P = 0.001; OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.45–4.25). Scotoma, fortifying spectra were significantly associated with migraine with aura (MWA; P = 0.0004; OR = 28.46; 95% CI: 11.53–70.35). Conclusion: Migraine is one of the most common types of primary headache. There is a female preponderance. Migraine has significant association with visual disturbances and ocular symptoms.
Ameliorative Effects of Amla Fruit Pulp Extract and Selenium on Dimethoate Induced Alteration in Serum Calcium and Phosphate Level of Rats

: Wistar rats were divided into 6 numerically equal groups and treated as -- Group A: Control; Group B: dimethoate (20 mg/kg b wt); Group C: dimethoate (20 mg/kg b wt) and selenium (0.5 mg/kg b wt); Group D: dimethoate (20 mg/kg b wt) and amla fruit pulp extract (200 mg/kg b wt); Group E: selenium (0.5 mg/kg b w.) and Group F: amla fruit pulp extract (200 mg/kg b wt). Blood samples were collected on 7 and 14 day and serum calcium and phosphate levels were analyzed. Serum calcium levels of rats treated for 7 day with dimethoate (Group B); dimethoate +selenium (Group C) and dimethoate+amla fruit pulp extract (Group D) decreased as compared to control rats (Group A). The administration of amla fruit pulp extract and selenium did not fully restore the reduced calcium levels caused by dimethoate, despite a slight increase in calcium levels of group C and group D. After 14 day, calcium levels decreased after dimethoate; dimethoate+ selenium
Long-term eddy modulation affects the meridional asymmetry of the halocline in the Beaufort Gyre

Abstract. Against the background of wind-forcing change along with Arctic sea ice retreat, the mesoscale processes undergoing distinct variation in the Beaufort Gyre (BG) region are increasingly important to oceanic transport and energy cascades, and these changes subsequently put oceanic stratification into a new state. Here, the varying number and strength of eddies in the central Canada Basin (CB) and Chukchi–Beaufort continental slope are obtained based on mooring observations (2003–2018), altimetry measurements (1993–2019), and reanalysis data (1980–2020). In this paper, the variability in the BG halocline, representing the adjustment of stratification in the upper layer, is shown in order to analyse how variability occurs under changing mesoscale processes. We find that over almost the last 2 decades the halocline depth has deepened by ∼ 40 m in the south of the central gyre, while that in the north has deepened by ∼ 70 m according to multiple datasets. Surrounding the central gyre, the asymmetry of the halocline, with much steeper and deeper isopycnals over the southern continental slope, reduced after 2014. In the meantime, eddy activities in the upper layer from the southern margin of the BG to the abyssal plain have been enhanced. Moreover, the convergence of the eddy lateral flux has increased as the halocline structures on either side, which is at least 120 km from the central gyre, have reached a nearly identical and stable regime. It has been clarified that long-term dynamic eddy modulation through eddy fluxes, facilitating the freshwater redistribution, affects the meridional asymmetry of the BG halocline. Our results provide a better understanding of the eddy modulation processes and their influence on the halocline structure.
The Complete Plastid Genome Sequences of the Belian (Eusideroxylon zwageri): Comparative Analysis and Phylogenetic Relationships with Other Magnoliids

The Belian (Eusideroxylon zwageri Teijsm. & Binn.) is a commercially important timber species in Southeast Asia that was listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species in 1998. Six years ago, we published an article in Genome Biology Ecology entitled “Evolutionary Comparisons of the Chloroplast Genome in Lauraceae and Insights into Loss Events in the Magnoliids” in which one complete plastid genome of Belian was assembled for comparative analyses of the plastomes in Lauraceae. However, a recent study concluded that our sequenced Belian individual can be located in the clade of Myristicaceae instead of that of Lauraceae. Here, we performed reanalyses of an additional two Belian plastomes, along with 42 plastomes from plants spanning 10 families of the Magnoliids. The three Belian plastomes are 39% CG and vary in length from 157,535 to 157,577 bp. A total of 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 85 protein-coding genes were among the 130 annotated genes. There were 95–101 repeat sequences and 56–61 simple repeat sequences (SSRs). Comparative genomic analysis revealed 170 mutation sites in their plastomes, which include 111 substitutions, 53 indels, and 6 microinversions. Phylogeny was reconstructed using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian approaches for 44 magnoliids species, indicating that the 3 Belian individuals were nested among the species in the Lauraceae family rather than Myristicaceae.