Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning of Dense optical Flow, motion and depth, from Sparse Event Cameras

Title of dissertation: LEARNING OF DENSE OPTICAL FLOW, MOTION AND DEPTH FROM SPARSE EVENT CAMERAS Chengxi Ye Doctor of Philosophy, 2019 Dissertation directed by: Prof. Yiannis Aloimonos and Dr. Cornelia Fermüller Department of Computer Science With recent advances in the field of autonomous driving, autonomous agents need to safely navigate around humans or other moving objects in unconstrained, highly dynamic environments. In this thesis, we demonstrate the feasibility of reconstructing dense depth, optical flow and motion information from a neuromorphic imaging device, called Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS). The DVS only records sparse and asynchronous events when the changes of lighting occur at camera pixels. Our work is the first monocular pipeline that generates dense depth and optical flow from sparse event data only. To tackle this problem of reconstructing dense information from sparse information, we introduce the Evenly-Cascaded convolutional Network (ECN), a bioinspired multi-level, multi-resolution neural network architecture. The network features an evenly-shaped design, and utilization of both high and low level features. With just 150k parameters, our self-supervised pipeline is able to surpass pipelines that are 100x larger. We evaluate our pipeline on the MVSEC self driving dataset and present results for depth, optical flow and and egomotion estimation in wild outdoor scenes. Due to the lightweight design, the inference part of the network runs at 250 FPS on a single GPU, making the pipeline ready for realtime robotics applications. Our experiments demonstrate significant improvements upon previous works that used deep learning on event data, as well as the ability of our pipeline to perform well during both day and night. We also extend our pipeline to dynamic indoor scenes with independent moving objects. In addition to camera egomotion and a dense depth map, the network utilizes a mixture model to segment and compute per-object 3D translational velocities for moving objects. For this indoor task we are able to train a shallow network with just 40k parameters, which computes qualitative depth and egomotion. Our analysis of the training shows modern neural networks are trained on tangled signals. This tangling effect can be imagined as a blurring introduced both by nature and by the training process. We propose to untangle the data with network deconvolution. We notice significantly better convergence without using any standard normalization techniques, which suggests us deconvolution is what we need. LEARNING OF DENSE OPTICAL FLOW, MOTION AND DEPTH FROM SPARSE EVENT CAMERAS
Comparison of Double Sleeve Lobectomy by Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) and Thoracotomy for NSCLC Treatment

Background With the development of the surgical technique and experience of surgeons, uniportal VATS has been used in double sleeve lobectomy to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This retrospective study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of uniportal VATS in NSCLC treatment. Methods We reviewed 42 NSCLC patients who underwent double sleeve lobectomy in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from June 2015 to November 2017. 21 patients received double sleeve lobectomy through uniportal VATS and 21 through conventional thoracotomy with large incision. Results The characteristics of patients were similar between the two groups. The operation time was longer in the uniportal VATS group (p=0.021) and the drainage on postoperation day 1 was significantly less in the uniportal VATS group (p=0.004). Patients reported a lower postoperative pain level in the uniportal VATS group than in the thoracotomy group (p=0.002). No statistically significant difference showed in other aspects. Conclusion Uniportal VATS double sleeve lobectomy for NSCLC treatment is safe and effective. Lower postoperative pain level was found in the uniportal VATS group. Its complication rate and postoperation survival were similar to the conventional thoracotomy approach with large incision. But a large randomized clinical trial is still necessary for further investigation.
The Ability to Think Creatively on SSCS Using Schoology Apps, How is the Student's Language Metacognitive Awareness?

Received: 18 April 2019 Accepted: 9 July 2019 This paper aims to evaluate the students’ ability to solve syntactic problems through creative thinking, when they are engaged in Search, Solve, Create and Share (SSCS) learning, using schoology apps. For this purpose, several fourth-semester students were selected as subjects of an essay test, a structured interview and an observation. The test reveals their metacognitive awareness in solving syntax problems, the interview reflects their errors and causes of such errors, and the observation shows their conditions in SSCS learning using schoology apps. The data validity was checked through triangulation of data sources. The results show that the students, who are good at solving syntax problems in schoology apps through creative thinking, have high level of metacognitive awareness, and are able to make reflective use and strategic use of metacognitive awareness.
Ethosomal Gel for Improving Transdermal Delivery of Thymosin β-4

Purpose Thymosin β-4(Tβ-4) is a macromolecular protein drug with potential for drug development in wound repair but is limited by the shortcomings of macromolecular protein, such as large volumes, poor membrane permeability, and unstable physicochemical characteristics. Ethosomes could enhance cell membrane fluidity and reduce epidermal membrane density to make macromolecular drugs through the stratum corneum into the deeper layers of the skin easily. Herein, we developed and characterized a novel transdermal delivery vehicle to load macromolecular protein peptides and use Tβ-4 as a model drug wrapped into ethosomes. Methods We used the orthogonal method to optimize the formulation of the ethosome preparation prepared by the ethonal infusion method. Ethosomal gels were characterized by using different analytical methods. Transdermal release rate in vitro have been demonstrated in Franz diffusion cells and the efficacy of drug-loaded nanocarriers in vivo was investigated in a mouse model. Results Optimized Tβ-4 ethosomal gels have good physicochemical properties. The drug amounts of the cumulative release in the ethosomal gel within 5 hours were 1.67 times that of the T-β4 gel in vitro release study, and the wound healing time of ethosomal gel group was only half of the T-β4 gel group in vivo pharmacokinetic study. Compared with the free drug group, the ethosome preparation not only promotes the percutaneous absorption process of the macromolecular protein drugs but also shortened wound recovery time. Conclusion Hence, we provide a possible good design for ethosomal gel system that can load macromolecular protein peptide drugs to achieve transdermal drug administration, promoting the percutaneous absorption of the drug and improving the effect.
Exacerbation Frequency And Eosinophil Counts Among Patients With COPD Currently Prescribed Triple Therapy

Purpose To characterize and estimate the proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who continue to exacerbate while receiving triple therapy and further describe these patients according to blood eosinophil counts. Methods This was an analysis of the 2017 Adelphi Real-World Respiratory Disease Specific Programme (DSP) survey of patients with COPD from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK). Demographics were assessed on the date of completion of the physician/patient questionnaire; clinical characteristics were captured for the previous 12 months. The proportion of patients receiving triple therapy, who had experienced ≥2 moderate or ≥1 severe acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) in the 12 months prior to index, and had blood eosinophil counts ≥150 cells/µL (T-AECOPD-EOS150) or ≥300 cells/µL (T-AECOPD-EOS300), were calculated. Results In total, 2876 patients were included of which 762 had an eosinophil value. A higher proportion of patients in the ≥300 cells/μL eosinophil group (55.9%) compared with 150–<300 cells/μL (48.7%) and <150 cells/μL (47.1%) groups experienced ≥2 moderate and/or ≥1 severe AECOPD in the year prior to index. The ≥300 cells/μL eosinophil group had the lowest reported level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). More severe disease in terms of comorbidities, lung function, healthcare resource use, and HRQoL was seen in patients with ≥2 moderate or ≥1 severe AECOPD in the year prior to index while receiving triple therapy, compared with patients who did not meet these criteria. In total, 10.6% and 6.2% of the COPD population, respectively, met the criteria for the T-AECOPD-EOS150 and T-AECOPD-EOS300 cohorts. Conclusion This analysis demonstrates that there is a subpopulation of patients with COPD who continue to experience exacerbations despite receiving triple therapy; approximately three-quarters of these had eosinophils ≥150 cells/μL and one-third had eosinophils ≥300 cells/μL; these patients may benefit from eosinophil-targeted therapies.
Main Complications of Photorefractive Keratectomy and their Management

: Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) was the ﬁ rst surface ablation procedure introduced for the treatment of refractive errors and has been proven to be effective and safe. In some cases, however, the patient may not be totally satis ﬁ ed with the ﬁ nal result and retreatment may be necessary. We performed a literature review to describe the main conditions that may arise following PRK that may require retreatment and new promising techniques to allow customized and effective treatments for patients. There is currently no gold standard for retreatment of residual refractive error after PRK. The surgeon must take into account the patient ’ s history and type of problem when choosing the most appropriate technique. LASIK and PRK are the main options. Haze can be treated with good results with phototherapeutic keratectomy and mytomicin C. High order aberrations and decentration may be addressed with topographically-guided excimer photoablation or with wavefront-guided PRK.
Impact Of Penetratin Stereochemistry On The Oral Bioavailability Of Insulin-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

Purpose This study evaluated the stereoisomeric effect of L- and D-penetratin—cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs)—incorporated insulin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (INS-SLNs) on the bioavailability (BA) of oral insulin (INS). Methods Insulin-loaded solid nanoparticles, L-penetratin-INS-SLNs (LP-INS-SLNs), and D-penetratin-INS-SLNs (DP-INS-SLNs) were formulated by double emulsification. The developed SLNs were evaluated for particle size, zeta potential (ZP), and drug encapsulation and subjected to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and evaluated for stability against enzymatic degradation in rat intestinal fluid. Finally, the SLNs were administered to rats to evaluate the BA of INS-SLNs that contained L- and D-penetratin. Results The mean particle size, PDI, and ZP values of INS-SLNs, LP-INS-SLNs, and DP-INS-SLNs ranged from 618.5 to 973.0 nm, 0.227 to 0.734, and −17.0 to −23.7 mV, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency (%EE) and drug loading (%DL) of INS-SLNs, LP-INS-SLNs, and DP-INS-SLNs ranged from 59.03% to 67.42% and from 1.62% to 1.82%, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry and FTIR analyses indicated that INS was successfully encapsulated in SLNs. Enzymatic degradation of DP-INS-SLNs was slower in intestinal fluid, and the half-life (t1/2) was significantly prolonged, compared to all other SLNs. The pharmacological availability (PA) and BA of orally administered LP-INS-SLNs, which were the most effective SLNs, were 13.1% and 15.7% relative to s.c. administration, respectively. Conclusion Penetratin stereochemistry significantly impacted oral BA of INS-SLNs, which are promising carriers for oral INS administration.
Efficacy of new fungicides In the management of early and late blight of potato

Early and late blight are the important diseases of potato in different parts of India. Early blight (Alternaria solam) is favoured by relatively warm and wet weather conditions and assumes serious proportions in northern part of the country. It has als? been found to affect the seed potatoes (4) which can contribute an important primary source of inoculum for the subsequent crop. The loss in yield caused by this disease has been estimated up to 40% depending upon the severity of infection (2). The late blight (Phytophthora infestans) disease was reported to cause severe losses in tuber yield (1), under favourable conditions, almost entire crop may be wiped out. Therefore, keeping in view the importance of these diseases different newly developed fungicides alongwith standard fungicide were evaluated against these diseases.
REPEATABILITY OF GROWTH TRAITS IN NIGERIAN LOCAL CHICKENS USING EARLY RECORDS

One hundred and ninety-six records of body weight (WT), shank length (SL), keel length (KL), breast width (BW) and a principal component measure of body size (PCI) from a closed random-mated population of Nigerian local chickens of mixed sexes and genotypes were analyzed, using two records (2- and 4 - Week) from each individual. The repeatability of body weight (0.12±0.071) was low, indicating that selection for 4-week body weight may not result in higher lifetime average body weight. On the other hand, PCI had a high repeatability of 0.55±0.050, indicating that an appreciable amount of genetic improvement in lifetime average body size can be realized by using this trait as selection criterion. PCI is therefore recommended for selection purposes as it is a more reliable measure of an animal's overall body size. Although repeatabilities of SL (0.33±0.064), KL (0.38±0.061) and BW (0.21±0.068) were moderate, selection based on them singly may not be useful in improving overall body growth of an animal, unless selection is designed to improve specific body areas of prime economic value.
Interventions for prevention of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis and sequelae in guinea pigs

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of infant hospitalization and children who recover from RSV bronchiolitis often develop episodes of recurrent wheezing and "asthma"-like symptoms. Despite considerable research, the mechanisms causing both RSV bronchiolitis and its sequelae are poorly understood. Recent clinical studies suggest a T helper 2 (Th2) immune response may be involved in the pathogenesis of RSV bronchiolitis. By applying the T helper 1 (Thl)/T helper 2 (Th2) paradigm, we examined the effects of two interventions, (administration of "low" dose RSV or CpGODN) designed to shift the Thl/Th2 balance towards a Thl response, on the development of RSV bronchiolitis and post-bronchiolitis sequelae in a guinea pig model of experimental RSV infection. There were four groups of animals: a Sham-Inoculated Group, a Challenge Dose RSV Group (receiving ~10 syncytial forming units (s.f.u.)), an Intervention Dose RSV (~10 s.f.u.) + Challenge Dose RSV Group, and a CpG-ODN + Challenge Dose RSV Group. We compared the four groups (n =11-12) during acute and chronic (days 7 and 60 post-challenge dose inoculation, respectively) RSV infection. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was measured using an acetylcholine challenge method in a whole body plethysmograph. Airway infiltration by T cells and eosinophils was assessed by point counting stained lung sections. Using a semi-quantitative RT-PCR method we compared lung IFN-y/IL-5 mRNA ratios as an index of the Thl/Th2 balance and, using a RSV immunostaining technique, we assessed the proportion of animals in each group with RSV antigens in the lungs. Results on day 7 showed that the Challenge Dose RSV Group developed AHR, increased levels of airway T cells and eosinophils, a Th2 shift in lung IFN-y/IL-5 mRNA ratio and showed 9/11 animals with RSV positive
Characterization of Prognostic Factors for Recovery in Tuberculosis Patients In Northern Ghana

This study was conducted in the three Northern Regions of Ghana. A total 1,199 patients who enrolled for treatment at various treatment centers across Northern Ghana were considered for the study. The study characterized the prognostic factors for recovery in tuberculosis patients in the study area. The Kaplan-Meier estimator and binary logistic regression was used for the analysis. It was revealed that relapse patients are at increased risk of treatment failure compared to those with new cases whiles male patients have about 53% high risk of treatment failure compared to their female counterparts. It was also realized that for each one week increase in time of treatment after treatment initiation, the chance of recovery increases by 50%. Also, treatment success was found to be related to age with elderly and infants more prone to treatment failure. It was found that HIV/AIDS patients have about 24% high risk of treatment failure compared to their counterparts who non reactive to HIV/AIDS. There is therefore a pressing need for enormous care for these vulnerable groups to stem the menace of the tuberculosis disease in Northern Ghana. Keywords: Prognostic factors, recovery, logistic regression, treatment failure, Kaplan-Meier estimator
Awareness and Practices Regarding Swine Flu among Interns and Nursing Staff: A Cross-Sectional Study at Tertiary Care Hospital, Pune.

Introduction: Swine flu also referred as novel A/H1N1 officially, is an acute respiratory disease caused by Influenza type a virus. In India, the highest number of cases was reported in 2009(27,236), followed by 2010 (20,604) and 2012 (5,054 cases). During the epidemic distribution of influenza, health care workers are responsible for delivering good quality management and treatment. Their knowledge and correct behavior can play an important role in prevention of disease spreading among individuals. Hence a study was undertaken to know the Knowledge and Practice of Nursing staff and Interns. Material and Methods: Out of that 196 interns and 234 nurses participated and completed the study. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used for obtaining knowledge and practices of the respondents regarding swine flu. The questionnaire was administered by interviewer. A written consent from each subject was taken and the respondent was counseled to provide correct information. The information collected was kept strictly confidential and anonymity was maintained. Results: Both interns and nurses had good knowledge about the symptoms of H1N1 infection. However knowledge of interns was better than nurses. (p
Asthma-related hospital morbidity in relation to air pollution in Malopolska region, Poland

Background Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. Its prevalence is growing rapidly, however it differs between regions even of the same country. The air pollution in some districts of Malopolska region is very high and it can be related to the exacerbation of asthma symptoms as well as higher prevalence of hospital admissions. Methods For this study data were collected in the frame of the project “Hospitalization” - the Polish Survey on Overall Hospital Morbidity in Poland. ” …
A study on the collision of hydrogen ions H1+, H2+ and H3+ with a water-vapour target

The authors have measured the total cross sections of charge exchange and electron loss for energies between 2 keV and 60 keV. The use of a calorimetric detector permits the authors to determine the ratio delta 0/ delta + of the secondary emission coefficient of neutral particles to that of ions for H10, H1+, H20, H2+, H30 and H3+ impinging on a CuO-Be target (electron multiplier cathode). These results allow us to make absolute measurements for the cross sections sigma 10 and sigma 01. The experimental results are compared with those of other authors; particularly they allow the verification of the additive rule, starting from sigma 10 and sigma 01 values on O2 and H2 obtained by other authors. A theoretical treatment was attempted based upon Gryzinski's theory.
Analysis of selected demographic factors of nurses’ job satisfaction in Slovakia

Nurses´ job satisfaction is an important part of nurses´ lives affecting their productivity and performance, patients´ satisfaction and the quality of nursing care rendered. The aim of the contribution is to present job satisfaction of nurses in institutional healthcare facilities in Slovakia related to the selected demographic factors (age and gender). The research sample was composed of 206 nurses working in institutional healthcare facilities in Slovakia at the age of 23 to 63 years. The nurses´ job satisfaction was surveyed using the standardized form of the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale that was distributed in electronic form to all nurses in Slovakia. The research was realized in Slovak healthcare facilities from December 2014 to January 2015. Significant interaction of two qualitative variables was evaluated using Mann-Whitney test with Z Adj statistics, Kruskal- Wallis with H test statistics and correlation analysis with Spearmann correlation coefficient r(S). The statistical processing found no statistically significant differences between nurses´ general satisfaction and age (p = 0.994), neither between nurses´ general satisfaction and gender (p = 0.729). The results may be influenced by the unequal representation of men and women in the sample. They demonstrate the need to investigate nurses´ job satisfaction with a focus on the identification of factors determining this multifaceted phenomenon.
IMPACT OF CORTISOL ON α‐ACTIN CONTENT IN VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS OF FETAL SHEEP

1 The effects of gestation on a‐actin levels in vascular smooth muscle aortae were studied in 31 fetal sheep, aged 66–144 days (term = 150 days). Aortae were collected post‐mortem. 2 Aortae, carotid and femoral arteries from two groups of chronically catheterized fetal sheep (110–114 days) were also examined. One group was infused with cortisol (n = 6; hydrocortisone sodium succinate, total dose 16.8 mg in 48 h) and the control group received saline (0.15 mol/L, 0.33 mL/h, n = 7). 3 Vascular homogenate protein was separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western transfer. a‐Actin was identified using a monoclonal mouse anti‐a actin antibody and standardized against tissue protein and DNA content. 4 Between 60 and 144 days gestation, there was an exponential increase in the a‐actin content of vascular smooth muscle cells from fetal sheep aorta (P < 0.0001). a‐Actin concentration (densitometry units (U) relative to DNA 260 nm absorbance (Abs)) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the aortae of cortisol‐infused (12 601 2499 U/Abs) fetal sheep compared with those that were saline‐infused (4514 670 U/Abs). a‐Actin (relative to DNA absorbance) of carotid and femoral vessels in cortisol‐infused animals (20 659 4812 U/Abs) compared with those that were saline‐infused (14 461 2645 U/Abs) was increased, but the difference was not significant. 5 Therefore, the a‐actin concentration of the vascular smooth muscle of the aorta increases throughout gestation. Cortisol treatment is associated with further increases in a‐actin concentration in the fetal aorta, indicating that the development of large conduit vessels can be altered by this glucocorticoid.