Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ConV-ViT: Feature Fusion-based Detection of Gastrointestinal Abnormalities using CNN and ViT in WCE Images

Vision Transformer (ViT) and its variants have gained significant prominence in computer vision due to their exceptional performance across various tasks. However, ViTs are data-hungry models that require vast amounts of data for training. Given the scarcity of medical data, this paper presents a fine-tuned vision transformer specifically designed for small-size datasets. We fine-tuned the original model using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to extract both high and low-level features from wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) images. In this work, we integrate a CNN module into the original ViT to extract features from WCE patches, which are then fused with the original ViT features. The classification is accomplished using a multilayer perceptron (MLP) to categorize images into normal and abnormal categories on the Kvasir Capsule Endoscopy dataset, as well as bleeding or non-bleeding categories on the Red Lesion Endoscopy dataset. The experimental findings substantiate the efficacy of the suggested approach, yielding favorable outcomes in comparison to other state-of-the-art methods.
Competition, Chromium, and Contracts: The Interaction Between Bidding Intensity and Toxic Waste Releases

Abstract The public procurement sector has a high impact on the environment including pollution from manufacturing. Competition is the primary way that the United States government ensures that the most efficient facilities receive contracts, but whether this competition leads to more, or less, pollution is unknown. We explore the impact of competition for contracts on contractor pollution in sectors that handle chromium, a toxic, yet necessary, component in many goods. We find that competition alone has negligible impact on overall chromium releases among contractors; however, the way chromium is used in the manufacturing process does. Contractors that use chromium as a component report higher releases of chromium waste than contractors that only use chromium in non-incorporative ways. However, when contractors face higher competition for contracts, pollution levels significantly decrease. This suggests that both competition and the use of the metal are important. Findings support a complex association between competition and pollution generation.
Enhancing the Security: A Lightweight Authentication and Key Agreement Protocol for Smart Medical Services in the IoHT

The Internet of Things (IoT) has witnessed significant growth with advancements in Internet and wireless technologies. In the medical field, the Internet of Health Things (IoHT) has emerged as an extension of the IoT, enabling the exchange of remote data and real-time monitoring of patients’ health conditions. Through the IoHT, doctors can promptly provide diagnoses and treatment for patients. As patient data are transmitted over public channels, security issues may arise, necessitating security mechanisms. Recently, Amintoosi et al. proposed an authentication protocol for smart medical services in the IoHT. However, their protocol exhibited security weaknesses, including vulnerabilities to privileged insider attacks. To address the security concerns, we propose an enhanced authentication and key agreement protocol. The security of our protocol is rigorously analyzed using the Real-Or-Random model, informal security analysis, and the AVISPA tool. Finally, the results of our analysis demonstrate that our proposed protocol ensures sufficient security while maintaining a performance level similar to existing protocols.
Retrospective Analysis of Axial Length Changes in Overnight Orthokeratology in an Academic Myopia Control Clinic

SIGNIFICANCE Although the myopia control efficacy of orthokeratology lenses has been established with clinical trials, reports of axial length change in non–study-based patient care are scarce. This study investigates the use of orthokeratology lenses for myopia control in a clinical population and compares axial elongation against those published in recent clinical investigations. PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate factors affecting axial elongation during use of orthokeratology lenses for myopia control in an academic clinical setting. METHODS This study was a retrospective consecutive case series from the Myopia Control Clinic at the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry at the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA). Patients ranging from 5 to 18 years old using orthokeratology for at least 1 year were included in the study. Data from 102 patients' eyes were analyzed at baseline (before the initiation of treatment) and after 1 year of wear (12 ± 3 months). Multivariate analysis was undertaken to identify factors significantly associated with axial elongation over this period. RESULTS Mean (±standard deviation) spherical equivalent refraction and axial length at baseline were −2.54 (±1.21) D and 24.53 (±0.82) mm, respectively. By the 1-year follow-up, eyes had shown significant axial elongation (0.18 ± 0.24 mm; P < .001), which was found to be inversely correlated with age (P < .001). Race, sex, baseline axial length, and baseline refraction were not significantly associated with axial elongation. CONCLUSIONS Factors influencing axial length and the magnitude of axial elongation in our orthokeratology patient population are consistent with orthokeratology treatment groups from published randomized clinical trials and support the use of these lenses for myopia control in a clinical practice setting.
Biodegradation Potential of Polyethylene Terephthalate by the Two Insect Gut Symbionts Xanthomonas sp. HY-74 and Bacillus sp. HY-75

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a plastic material that is widely used in beverage bottles, food packaging, and other consumer products, which is highly resistant to biodegradation. In this study, we investigated the effects of two insect gut symbionts, Xanthomonas sp. HY-74 and Bacillus sp. HY-75, during PET biodegradation. Both strains degraded PET-containing agar plates, and the sole nutrition source assay showed that HY-74 had different degradation rates depending on the presence of specific carbon and nitrogen sources, whereas HY-75 exhibited comparable degradation across all tested conditions. The two strains biodegraded the PET film with 1.57 ± 0.21% and 1.42 ± 0.46% weight loss after 6 weeks, respectively. Changes in the morphology and structure of the PET films, such as erosion, scratching, and surface roughening, were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Further, the two strains biodegraded PET powder, broke it into its degradation products, and changed the surface functional groups. This is the first study to investigate the biodegradation of PET by Hymenoptera gut-derived microbes and offers promising insights into the potential applications of insect gut symbionts in PET waste management.
Destructive water : water-caused natural disasters, their abatement and control

Proceedings of the International Conference on Destructive Water: WaterCaused Natural Disasters, their Abatement and Control, held at Anaheim, California, USA, from 24 to 28 June 1996. The conference was organized and sponsored by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences as a contribution to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and was held in conjunctionwith the North American Water and Environment Congress'96 organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The conference was organized in cooperation with the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, the US Geological Survey, the International Hydrological Programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Meteorological Organization; and co-sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Water Research and the World Bank.
Dental Caries Prevention Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice among Patients at a University Hospital in Guangzhou, China

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) of patients regarding dental caries prevention in a university hospital in Guangzhou, China. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based KAP survey was conducted in a cross-sectional manner at the First Affiliated Hospital in Guangzhou, China, from 1 September to 30 September 2022. Questionnaires were distributed to eligible patients, resulting in the participation of 251 individuals. The questionnaire consisted of five sections capturing socio-demographic data and exploring participants’ knowledge, attitudes, practice, and accurate preventive dental caries knowledge. Descriptive statistics and a generalized linear model with univariate tests were used for analysis. Results: The study results show that the knowledge score 7.97 (±0.91) and attitudes score 7.67 (±0.89) among the participants were good while the practice score was 6.80 (±0.81) moderate. The majority of participants identified tooth infections (81.3%), bacteria (92%), and sugar (89.2%) as the main causes of gum bleeding and tooth decay. Brushing (96%) and fluoride (80.5%) were also recognized as essential for preventing tooth decay. Of oral diseases, 94% were recognized as potentially affecting overall health. The vast majority ranging from 92.8% to 98%, believed that oral health is crucial to overall health and that regular check-ups and proper brushing habits are beneficial. There is a significant association of gender with age (p = 0.018), occupation (p = 0.050), lifestyle habit (p = 0.012), and knowledge score; whole education is significantly associated with practice score (p = 0.050). Conclusions: The majority of patients exhibited accurate knowledge and attitudes with moderate practice towards dental caries prevention, with socio-demographic factors playing a major role. However, effective implementation of dental health education programs across the healthcare system is still required to further enhance outcomes.
Thrombolysis Versus Nonthrombolyzed in Patients With Mild Strokes and Large Vessel Occlusions

Background The safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusions and mild neurological deficits are controversial. Methods: Data of stroke patients presenting with mild initial stroke, which was defined as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) ≤5 and large vessel occlusion, were extracted from a large provincewide stroke registry. Results: A total of 619 IVT and 2170 non-IVT patients were identified in this study. IVT patients had higher rates of favorable functional outcome Modified Rankin Scale(mRS) ≤1 (74.6% vs. 70.6%; P=0.047), lower mRS scores (1 vs. 1, P=0.001), and higher NIHSS score decreased (1 vs. 0, P<0.001) at discharge compared with the non-IVT patients. The rates were similar in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (2.1% vs. 2.0%, P=0.853), severe systemic bleeding (0.8% vs. 0.6%, P=0.474), and mortality at discharge (0.2% vs. 0.2%, P=0.906) between the 2 groups. A multiple Logistic regression model found that age above 80 years [adjusted OR (aOR) 2.056 (95% CI, 1.125 to 3.756)], history of stroke [aOR 1.577 (95% CI, 1.303 to 1.910)], hyperlipidemia [aOR 2.156 (95% CI, 1.059 to 4.388)], high admission NIHSS score [aOR 1.564 (95% CI, 1.473 to 1.611)], and non-IVT [aOR 1.667 (95% CI, 1.337 to 2.077)] were independent risk factors for mRS >1. Conclusions: IVT administration is safe and effective in eligible acute ischemic stroke patients. Age above 80 years, with a history of stroke and hyperlipidemia, high admission NIHSS score, and non-IVT were independent risk factors for mRS >1 at discharge in these patients.
Spectroscopic and Biological Properties of the 3-Imino-1,8-naphthalimide Derivatives as Fluorophores for Cellular Imaging

This paper presents the photophysical and biological properties of eight 3-imino-1,8-naphthalimides. The optical properties of the compounds were investigated in the solvents that differed in their polarity (dichloromethane, acetonitrile, and methanol), including three methods of sample preparation using different pre-dissolving solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide or chloroform. In the course of the research, it was found that there are strong interactions between the tested compounds and DMSO, which was visible as a change in the maximum emission band (λem) of the neat 3-imino-1,8-naphthalimides (λem = 470–480 nm) and between the compounds and DMSO (λem = 504–514 nm). The shift of the emission maximum that was associated with the presence of a small amount of DMSO in the sample was as much as 41 nm. In addition, the susceptibility of imines to hydrolysis in the methanol/water mixture with increasing water content and in the methanol/water mixture (v/v; 1:1) in the pH range from 1 to 12 was discussed. The studies showed that the compounds are hydrolysed in the CH3OH/H2O system in an acidic environment (pH in the range of 1 to 4). In addition, it was found that partial hydrolysis occurs in systems with an increased amount of water, and its degree may depend on the type of substituent on the imine bond. The compounds tended to quench the emission (ACQ) in the aggregated state and increase the emission related to the protonation of the imine bond. Moreover, it was found that the substituent in the imine bonds influenced a compound’s individual photophysical properties. Biological tests, including cytotoxicity studies and cellular localisation, were also performed for all of the molecules. All of the tested compounds exhibited green fluorescence in the MCF-7 cells and showed co-localisation in the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosome. The obtained photophysical and biological results indicate the promising potential use of the tested compounds as cellular dyes.
Fundamental Studies on the Runoff by Characteristics

In treating the hydraulic analysis of surface runoff phenomena, the author's basic idea is expressed as follows : the surface runoff mechanism of rain water in a mountainous district consists of the combination of overland flow and flow in open channels with lateral inflow. Consequently, the unsteady flows with lateral inflow must be solved for various conditions, individually. In this paper, an approximate method for calculation of unsteady flow in open channels with lateral inflow, using the characteristic curve, is presented. Hydrographs resulting from the abrupt increase and decrease of rate of lateral inflow are obtained by this approach, and moreover the calculated hydrographs are compared with the experimental results.
The case for pausing any immediate embrace of the social inflation argument for legal system reforms

This paper brings a critical eye to the current conversation about “social inflation,” reaching the conclusion that the current calls for legal system reform—whether that be controls on attorney advertising, clamping down on litigation financing, revisiting of fee recovery rules, or other similar reform proposals—currently lack the empirical support and analytical comprehensiveness for . regulators and legislators to act with confidence that the requested reforms will do more good than harm. In a variety of States, insurance premiums are rising faster than general inflation, some insurers are becoming insolvent, and some insurers are leaving markets entirely. Insurers are pointing to social inflation as a major cause. “Social inflation” is the terminology for the assertion that lawyers, litigation financers, contractors, and other opportunists including perhaps policyholders themselves, are increasingly causing insurers to overpay claims and incur unwarranted LAE, often in litigation settings where the problem is exacerbated by gullible jurors and changing societal attitudes toward businesses and insurance companies. This paper explores several potential concerns with the arguments for legal system reform. Three concerns in particular are whether the literature adequately not only models the possible benefits to insurers of legal system reforms, but also the possible harm to consumers; whether the literature adequately explains why the proposed reforms are likely to be more successful than prior reform efforts; and whether there is yet sufficient development of the social inflation argument to act on it. This paper concludes that so far, there is not enough data for a regulator or legislator to confidently embrace further legal system reform. The reforms may be advisable. But it is too soon to tell, and there is significant risk that the reforms would do more harm than good.
Machine Learning in Action

SummaryMachine Learning in Action is unique book that blends the foundational theories of machine learning with the practical realities of building tools for everyday data analysis. You'll use the flexible Python programming language to build programs that implement algorithms for data classification, forecasting, recommendations, and higher-level features like summarization and simplification. About the BookA machine is said to learn when its performance improves with experience. Learning requires algorithms and programs that capture data and ferret out the interesting or useful patterns. Once the specialized domain of analysts and mathematicians, machine learning is becoming a skill needed by many.Machine Learning in Action is a clearly written tutorial for developers. It avoids academic language and takes you straight to the techniques you'll use in your day-to-day work. Many (Python) examples present the core algorithms of statistical data processing, data analysis, and data visualization in code you can reuse. You'll understand the concepts and how they fit in with tactical tasks like classification, forecasting, recommendations, and higher-level features like summarization and simplification.Readers need no prior experience with machine learning or statistical processing. Familiarity with Python is helpful.Purchase includes free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBooks downloadable at manning.com. What's InsideA no-nonsense introduction Examples showing common ML tasks Everyday data analysis Implementing classic algorithms like Apriori and Adaboos=================================== Table of ContentsPART 1 CLASSIFICATION Machine learning basics Classifying with k-Nearest Neighbors Splitting datasets one feature at a time: decision trees Classifying with probability theory: nave Bayes Logistic regression Support vector machines Improving classification with the AdaBoost meta algorithm PART 2 FORECASTING NUMERIC VALUES WITH REGRESSION Predicting numeric values: regression Tree-based regression PART 3 UNSUPERVISED LEARNING Grouping unlabeled items using k-means clustering Association analysis with the Apriori algorithm Efficiently finding frequent itemsets with FP-growth PART 4 ADDITIONAL TOOLS Using principal component analysis to simplify data Simplifying data with the singular value decomposition Big data and MapReduce
sintered dicalcium pyrophosphate treatment attenuates estrogen deficiency-associated disc degeneration in ovariectomized rats

Background: Estrogen deficiency is associated with musculoskeletal disorders. Sintered dicalcium pyrophosphate (SDCP) is a novel antiosteoporotic agent. In this study, we examined its use for restoration of bone quality and attenuation of disc degeneration in ovariectomy rats. Methods: Sixty female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, namely sham group undergoing sham surgery, ovariectomy (OVX) group receiving an equivalent volume of isotonic sodium chloride solution, and OVX/SDCP group orally administered with 0.25 mg/mL SDCP. Animals were sacrificed at 3 and 6 months post ovariectomy and lumbar vertebrae and intervertebral discs were harvested. Bone mineral density, micro-computed tomography analysis, and biomechanical testing were performed to assess bone quality. Histological analysis with hematoxylin and eosin, Alcian blue, and Masson’s trichrome stain were conducted to determine disc degeneration. Immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR were carried out to measure the expressions of aggrecan, type I collagen, type II collagen, and MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13. Results: SDCP improved bone quality as observed by the results of increased bone mineral density and stiffness in OVX rats. The improvement in disc degeneration induced by estrogen withdrawal was associated with reduced gene expressions of MMPs and increased production of collagen type II. Conclusion: SDCP prevents osteoporosis and ameliorates disc degeneration in OVX rats. It represents a favorable therapeutic agent for osteoporotic and osteoarthritic conditions in clinical practice. It is of interest to explore the immunomodulatory effect of SDCP in osteoporotic setting. We hypothesized that SDCP exerts beneficial effects on estrogen deficiency-induced bone remodeling and disc degeneration in ovariectomized rats with emphasis on immunomodulatory activity. In the present study, we investigated role of estrogen deficiency in bone integrity and microstructure. We evaluated the effects of SDCP on gene expressions, BMD, biomechanical parameters, and disc degeneration in the ovariectomized rats. Proinflammatory mediators in situ were evaluated.
Vegetation and climate of north anatolian and north aegean region since 7 Ma according to pollen analysis

This study concerns a long marine section (DSDP Site 380: Late Miocene to Present) and onshore exposed sections from the Late Miocene and/or Early Pliocene. The main target of this study is to reconstruct vegetation and climate in the North Anatolia and North Aegean region for the last 7 Ma. Two vegetation types were alternately dominant: thermophilous forests and open vegetations including Artemisia steppes. During the Late Miocene, most of the tropical and subtropical plants declined because of the climatic deterioration. However, some of them survived during the Late Pliocene, such as those which constituted coastal swamp forests (Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa) or composed deciduous mixed forests with mesothermic trees. Simultaneously, herbaceous assemblages became a prevalent vegetation component despite steppe elements (Artemisia, Ephedra, Hippophae rhamnoides) did not significantly develop. At 2.6 Ma, as a response to the onset of Arctic glaciations, subtropical elements rarefied despite some taxa persisted (Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa). In parallel, deciduous mixed forest assemblages composed of mesothermic trees (deciduous Quercus, Betula, Alnus, Liquidambar, Fagus, Carpinus, Tilia, Acer, Ulmus, Zelkova, Carya, Pterocarya) almost disappeared too while steppe environments strongly enlarged. Then, Artemisia steppic phases developed during longer temporal intervals than mesophilous tree phases all along the glacial-interglacial cycles (first with a period of 41 kyrs, then 100 kyrs). Since 1.8 Ma, herbaceous ecosystems including Artemisia steppes still continuously enlarged up today. Such an expansion of Artemisia steppes in the Ponto-Euxinian region was observed at the earliest Pliocene but their earliest settlement in Anatolia seems to have occurred in the Early Miocene. The development of the Artemisa steppes in Anatolia might result from the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Relictuous plants such as Carpinus orientalis, Pterocarya, Liquidambar orientalis, Zelkova persisted up today. This story can be explained by some influence of the Asian monsoon which reinforced as a result from the uplifted Tibetan Plateau.