Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Medical Image Retrieval Using Local Binary Patterns with Image Euclidean Distance

for years, researchers in medical image retrieval area have been representing and recognizing medical images based on Local Binary Patterns (LBP). Compared to Gabor wavelets, the LBP features can be extracted faster in a single scan through the raw image and lie in a lower dimensional space, whilst still retaining image information efficiently. To improve the recognition rate, several methods using local binary pattern (LBP) have been tried such as Improved Local Binary Pattern (ILBP), Extended Local Binary Pattern (ELBP) , Extended Local Binary Pattern (ELBP), Local Gabor Binary Pattern (LGBP). This paper proposes a novel medical image retrieval method, Local Binary Pattern with Image Euclidean Distance (IMED), which takes into account the spatial relationships of pixels, and it is robust to small perturbation of images. Experiments showed that IMED improved the performance of standard LBP algorithm.
Dense Array EEG Source Estimation in Neocortical Epilepsy

Rationale: Dense array EEG (dEEG) evenly covers the whole head surface with over 100 channels contributing to more accurate electrical source imaging due to the higher spatial and temporal resolution. Several studies have shown the clinical utility of dEEG in presurgical clinical evaluation of epilepsy. However validation studies measuring the accuracy of dEEG source imaging are still needed. This can be achieved through simultaneously recording both scalp dEEG with intracranial electrodes (icEEG), which is considered as the true measure of cortical activity at the source. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of 256-channel dEEG electrical source estimation for interictal spikes. Methods: Four patients with medically refractory neocortical epilepsy, all surgical candidates, underwent subdural electrode implantation to determine ictal onset and define functional areas. One patient showed a lesion on the magnetic resonance imaging in the right parietal lobe. The patient underwent simultaneous recording of interictal spikes by both scalp 256-channelsvdEEG and icEEG. The dEEG was used to non-invasively estimate the source of the interictal spikes detected by the 256-channel dEEG array, which was then compared to the activity measured directly at the source by the icEEG. Results: From the four patients, a total of 287 interictal spikes were measured with the icEEG. One hundred fifty-five of the 287 spikes (54%) were visually detected by the dEEG upon examination of the 256 channel head surface array. The spike amplitudes detected by the 256-channel dEEG correlated with icEEG spike amplitudes (p < 0.01). All spikes detected in dEEG were localized to the same lobe correctly. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that 256-channel dEEG can reliably detect interictal spikes and localize them with reasonable accuracy. Two hundred fifty-six-channel dEEG may be clinically useful in the presurgical workup for epilepsy and also reduce the need for invasive EEG evaluation.
TMUNSW: Disorder Concept Recognition and Normalization in Clinical Notes for SemEval-2014 Task 7

We present our participation in Task 7 of SemEval shared task 2014. The goal of this particular task includes the identification of disorder named entities and the mapping of each disorder to a unique Unified Medical Language System concept identifier, which were referred to as Task A and Task B respectively. We participated in both of these subtasks and used YTEX as a baseline system. We further developed a supervised linear chain Conditional Random Field model based on sets of features to predict disorder mentions. To take benefit of results from both systems we merged these results. Under strict condition our best run evaluated at 0.549 F-measure for Task A and an accuracy of 0.489 for Task B on test dataset. Based on our error analysis we conclude that recall of our system can be significantly increased by adding more features to the Conditional Random Field model and by using another type of tag representation or frame matching algorithm to deal with the disjoint entity mentions.
Collaborative Business Process Modeling – Tool Support for Solving Typical Problems

We have used a design science approach to study collaborative modeling of business processes. Following this we have first designed a collaborative modeling architecture based on the empirical findings in a modeling study using conventional tools. A specific tool for this architecture was then developed and used as a vehicle to collect data for the consolidation of the architecture and for further theorizing on modeling problems that can be solved in this way.
Aberystwyth University Enemy release and genetic founder effects in invasive killer shrimp populations of Great Britain

The predatory “killer shrimp” Dikerogammarus villosus invaded Britain from mainland 21 Europe in 2010. Originating in the Ponto-Caspian region, this invader has caused significant degradation of European freshwater ecosystems by predating and competitively excluding 23 native invertebrate species. In contrast to continental Europe, in which invasions occurred 24 through the migration of large numbers of individuals along rivers and canals, the invasion of 25 Great Britain must have involved long distance dispersal across the sea. This makes the loss 26 of genetic diversity and of debilitating parasites more likely. Analysis of nuclear 27 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences of D. villosus samples from the four 28 known populations in Britain reveal loss of rare alleles, in comparison to reference 29 populations from the west coast of continental Europe. Screening of the British D. villosus 30 populations by PCR detected no microsporidian parasites, in contrast with continental 31 populations of D. villosus and native amphipod populations, most of which are infected with 32 microsporidia. These findings suggest that the initial colonisation of Great Britain and 33 subsequent long distance dispersal within Britain were associated with genetic founder 34 effects and enemy release due to loss of parasites. Such effects are also likely to occur during 35 future long-distance dispersal events of D. villosus to Ireland or North America.
Ensuring spatio-temporal access control for real-world applications

Traditional access control models, such as Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), do not take into account contextual information, such as location and time, for making access decisions. Consequently, they are inadequate for specifying the access control needs of many complex real-world applications, such as the Dengue Decision Support (DDS) that we discuss in this paper. We need to ensure that such applications are adequately protected using emerging access control models. This requires us to represent the application and its access control requirements in a formal specification language. We choose the Unified Modeling Language (UML) for this purpose, since UML is becoming the defacto specification language in the software industry. We need to analyze this formal specification to get assurance that the application is adequately protected. Manual analysis is error-prone and tedious. Thus, we need automated tools for verification of UML models. Towards this end, we propose that the UML models be converted to Alloy. Alloy is based on first-order logic, has a software infrastructure that supports automated analysis, and has been used for the verification of real-world applications. We show how to convert the UML models to Alloy and verify the resulting model using the Alloy Analyzer which has embedded SAT-solvers. The results from the Alloy Analyzer will help uncover the flaws in the specification and help us refine the application and its access control requirements.
R-peak estimation using multimodal lead switching

Introduction: Intensive care unit patients are heavily monitored, and a number of clinically relevant parameters are routinely extracted from high resolution signals. In particular, heart rate is derived from intervals between pulses in pseudo-periodic signals such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) or arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveforms. However, poor signal quality and high noise levels can unfortunately lead to false localisation of these pulses (or peaks), resulting in incorrect estimates of heart rate. The goal of the 2014 Physionet/CinC Challenge was to encourage the creation of an intelligent system that fused information from different biosignals to create a robust set of peak detections. Methods: First, a set of peak detectors were evaluated on different cardiovascular signals. The detections were then fused using two different approaches: the first one was based on a calculated measures of signal quality for the ECG and ABP signals and the the second fusion technique was based on the regularity of the derived intervals between subsequent detections made on ECG, ABP, Stroke Volume and Photoplethysmogram signals. These techniques were developed using the MGH/MF database and submitted for scoring on the Challenge test-set. Conclusion: The best entries for the two approaches obtained an overall score of 87.88% and 87.66%, respectively, in phase III of the challenge, which provided the highest official score.
An Evaluation of the TSMA Protocol as a Control Channel Mechanism in MMWN

Abstract This document reports the ﬁndings of the research effort at B BN Technologies to characterize the TSMA protocol, to analyzeits performance as a control channel mechanism and to evaluate its applicability to BBN’s MMWN (Multimedia support forMobile, multi-hop, Wireless Networks) Project. Speciﬁc contributions include:  Evaluation of TSMA as a control channel protocol in MMWN.  An acknowledgment scheme for TSMA that enhances average-case performance – increases throughput and decreasesdelay – while preserving the worst-case guarantees. Results of analytical and experimental performance evaluation areprovided.  Application of a transmit power control scheme developed at BBN that can control the topological properties of thenetwork including the degree, which can potentially enhance TSMA performance in a given network or extend TSMAoperation over a wider range of network scenarios.  An implementation of the TSMA protocol, with performance enhancements using acknowledgments and topology con-trol, within the MMWN testbed.
Factored Models for Multiscale Decision-Making in Smart Grid Customers

Active participation of customers in the management of demand, and renewable energy supply, is a critical goal of the Smart Grid vision. However, this is a complex problem with numerous scenarios that are difficult to test in field projects. Rich and scalable simulations are required to develop effective strategies and policies that elicit desirable behavior from customers. We present a versatile agent-based "factored model" that enables rich simulation scenarios across distinct customer types and varying agent granularity. We formally characterize the decisions to be made by Smart Grid customers as a multiscale decision-making problem and show how our factored model representation handles several temporal and contextual decisions by introducing a novel "utility optimizing agent. " We further contribute innovative algorithms for (i) statistical learning-based hierarchical Bayesian timeseries simulation, and (ii) adaptive capacity control using decision-theoretic approximation of multiattribute utility functions over multiple agents. Prominent among the approaches being studied to achieve active customer participation is one based on offering customers financial incentives through variable-price tariffs; we also contribute an effective solution to the problem of "customer herding" under such tariffs. We support our contributions with experimental results from simulations based on real-world data on an open Smart Grid simulation platform.
Rat Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Is Not a Suitable Model for the Study of Stroke-Induced Spontaneous Infections

Background Infections related to stroke-induced immunodepression are an important complication causing a high rate of death in patients. Several experimental studies in mouse stroke models have described this process but it has never been tested in other species such as rats. Methods Our study focused on the appearance of secondary systemic and pulmonary infections in ischemic rats, comparing with sham and naive animals. For that purpose, male Wistar rats were subjected to embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion (eMCAO) or to transient MCAO (tMCAO) inserting a nylon filament. Forty-eight hours after ischemia, blood and lung samples were evaluated. Results In eMCAO set, ischemic rats showed a significant decrease in blood-peripheral lymphocytes (naive = 58.8±18.1%, ischemic = 22.9±16.4%) together with an increase in polymorphonuclears (PMNs) (naive = 29.2±14.7%, ischemic = 71.7±19.5%), while no change in monocytes was observed. The increase in PMNs counts was positively correlated with worse neurological outcome 48 hours after eMCAO (r = 0.55, p = 0.043). However, sham animals showed similar changes in peripheral leukocytes as those seen in ischemic rats (lymphocytes: 40.1±19.7%; PMNs: 51.7±19.2%). Analysis of bacteriological lung growth showed clear differences between naive (0±0 CFU/mL; log10) and both sham (3.9±2.5 CFU/mL; log10) and ischemic (4.3±2.9 CFU/mL; log10) groups. Additionally, naive animals presented non-pathological lung histology, while both sham and ischemic showed congestion, edema or hemorrhage. Concordant results were found in the second set of animals submitted to a tMCAO. Conclusions Inflammatory and infection changes in Wistar rats subjected to MCAO models may be attributed not only to the brain ischemic injury but to the surgical aggression and/or anaesthetic stress. Consequently, we suggest that stroke-induced immunodepression in ischemic experimental models should be interpreted with caution in further experimental and translational studies, at least in rat stroke models that entail cervicotomy and cranial trepanation.
BUILDING CONSISTENT LASER SCAN MAPS

The paper presents an approach to generate consistent maps in real-time using a laser r ange sensor. Its application scenario is the Bremen Autonomous Wheelchair “Rolland” that is developed as an autonomous transport vehicle for hospitals. The paper consists of t wo pa rts: in the first one, a laser s can matching method is presented that i n several aspects improves an a lgorithm originally proposed by Weis et al. [14]. In the second part, a mapping approach is introduced that i s based on the scan matching method. Using a laser s canner mounted on the wheelchair, it generates consistent maps, i.e. maps that do no t have discontinuities resulting from the accumulation of errors in the mapping p rocess. As s uch a ccumulations cannot be avoided, the resulting errors are c orrected whenever the wheelchair returns to a reas already mapped. An important property of the presented approach is its r eal-time c apability. The mapping is performed on the fly and thus, the resulting maps can immediately be employed for self-localization.
Ideology and Post-Colonial Society

The Dark Duo Model of Post-Colonial Ideology states that post-colonial nations possess a specific set of sociostructural conditions that foster a unique pair of complementary ideologies responsible for maintaining the status quo. These are the ideologies of Historical Negation and Symbolic Exclusion. Together, these ideologies articulate a pair of discourses that draw upon culturally sanctioned repertoires to effectively resolve the collective dissonance created by past—and present—injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples. Historical Negation and Symbolic Exclusion form a joint ideological system that legitimizes inequality in two critical social domains common to all post-colonial societies: one domain relating to resource allocations for Indigenous peoples and the other domain relating to representation and membership in the nation's identity. In the current article, we review and integrate over 10 years of research on post-colonial intergroup relations in New Zealand, leading up to a formal presentation of the Dark Duo Model. Our work in this area indicates that Historical Negation and Symbolic Exclusion are psychometrically distinct constructs that are stable over time. A meta-analytic review of 13 independent samples (N = 18,903) shows that both ideologies are independently associated with Social Dominance Orientation and Right-Wing Authoritarianism among members of the dominant (European) group in New Zealand. We review and explain why there are systematic ethnic group differences in support for these dual ideologies and why positive intergroup contact with the dominant group attenuates resistance to Symbolic Exclusion amongst Māori (the Indigenous peoples). We also show that Historical Negation and Symbolic Exclusion exert powerful unique effects on voter sentiment and support for different social policies relating to biculturalism and that these ideologies mediate the effects of Social Dominance Orientation and Right-Wing Authoritarianism on various sociopolitical attitudes. Our Dark Duo Model is a context-specific extension of the Dual-Process Model of Ideology and Prejudice that explains how specific post-colonial ideologies are generated and used to maintain social inequalities that systematically disadvantage Indigenous peoples.
MiRNA-200a expression is inverse correlation with hepatocyte growth factor expression in stromal fibroblasts and its high expression predicts a good prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in favoring tumor progression. However, little is known concerning expression of miRNA-200a and its potential target gene hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in CAFs. In the present study, we investigated expression levels and prognostic significance of miRNA-200a and HGF in stromal fibroblasts of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and evaluated the correlation between miRNA-200a and HGF. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining were used to investigate expression levels of miRNA-200a and HGF in 134 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from clinical stage I -IIIA NSCLC, respectively. The results showed a significant inverse correlation existed between miRNA-200a and HGF expression level in stromal fibroblasts (χ2 = 21.778, p = 0.000). In vitro, the upregulation of miRNA-200a reduced expression of HGF protein in human CAFs. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rates with low and high miRNA-200a expression in stromal fibroblasts were 39.0% and 53.4%, respectively (χ2=4.25, p=0.039). The 3-year OS rates with low and high HGF expression in stromal fibroblasts were 60.3% and 31.8%, respectively (χ2=12.55, p=0.000). The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stage and HGF expression level in stromal fibroblasts were the independent predictive factors of OS. These results suggested that miRNA-200a expression was inverse correlation with HGF expression in stromal fibroblasts. High miRNA-200a and low HGF expression in stromal fibroblasts may predict a good prognosis in patients with NSCLC.
Q148N, a Novel Integrase Inhibitor Resistance Mutation Associated with Low-Level Reduction in Elvitegravir Susceptibility

Abstract The integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-resistance mutations Q148H/K/R are arguably the most important INSTI-resistance mutations as they represented the first step to high-level dolutegravir cross-resistance. We describe an individual with transmitted four-class drug resistance whose virus sequence had the previously uncharacterized mutation Q148N. Infectious molecular HIV-1 clones containing Q148N alone and in combination with G140S demonstrated ∼2.4–4.5 reduced elvitegravir susceptibility depending on the virus's genetic context but retained susceptibility to raltegravir and dolutegravir. This level of reduced elvitegravir susceptibility is lower than that observed with Q148H/K/R and in fact the infected individual responded to an initial treatment regimen containing tenofovir/emtricitabine/elvitegravir/cobicistat. Q148N was associated with a higher replication capacity than Q148H, suggesting that this mutation may be more fit in the absence of selective INSTI therapy.
Research Note Understanding Treatment Impact on Drug-Addicted Offenders

This study examines variables that could predict treatment perseverance and impact for offenders (N = 124) admitted to one of five rehabilitation centers for alcoholics/drug addicts representing different regions of the province of Quebec. Information was collected on time spent in treatment, alcohol/drug use‐related problems, motivation to change, criminal profile, subject’s perception of judicial pressure, subjective assessment of importance/probability of judicial consequences tied to treatment dropout or substance use, quality of the therapeutic relationship, assessment of client commitment to treatment, and social support. Results indicate that judicial pressure only have impact on retention into treatment for those who are not already sentenced but this “forced” retention is not linked with positive results. The study’s limitations are noted.
Human ClCa1 modulates anionic conduction of calcium-dependent chloride currents

Proteins of the CLCA gene family including the human ClCa1 (hClCa1) have been suggested to constitute a new family of chloride channels mediating Ca2+‐dependent Cl− currents. The present study examines the relationship between the hClCa1 protein and Ca2+‐dependent Cl− currents using heterologous expression of hClCa1 in HEK293 and NCIH522 cell lines and whole cell recordings. By contrast to previous reports claiming the absence of Cl− currents in HEK293 cells, we find that HEK293 and NCIH522 cell lines express constitutive Ca2+‐dependent Cl− currents and show that hClCa1 increases the amplitude of Ca2+‐dependent Cl− currents in those cells. We further show that hClCa1 does not modify the permeability sequence but increases the Cl− conductance while decreasing the GSCN−/GCl− conductance ratio from ∼2–3 to ∼1. We use an Eyring rate theory (two barriers, one site channel) model and show that the effect of hClCa1 on the anionic channel can be simulated by its action on lowering the first and the second energy barriers. We conclude that hClCa1 does not form Ca2+‐dependent Cl− channels per se or enhance the trafficking/insertion of constitutive channels in the HEK293 and NCIH522 expression systems. Rather, hClCa1 elevates the single channel conductance of endogenous Ca2+‐dependent Cl− channels by lowering the energy barriers for ion translocation through the pore.