Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extent of vitamin A deficiency among rural pregnant women in Bangladesh

Abstract Objective To investigate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) among pregnant women in rural Bangladesh, and examine the relationship between various factors and vitamin A status. Setting Community Nutrition Promoter (CNP) centres in Kapasia sub-district of Gazipur district, Bangladesh. Design A cross-sectional study. Subjects and methods Two hundred women, aged 18–39 years, in their second or third trimester of pregnancy were selected from seventeen CNP centres in four unions of Kapasia sub-district where they usually visit for antenatal care. Various socio-economic, personal and pregnancy-related information, dietary intake of vitamin A and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) data were collected. Serum retinol (vitamin A) concentration was determined. Results More than half (51 %) of the pregnant women had low vitamin A status (serum retinol <1·05 μmol/l) with 18·5 % having VAD (serum retinol <0·70 μmol/l). Fifty-three per cent of the women’s vitamin A intake was less than the recommended dietary allowance. By multiple regression analysis, MUAC, per-capita expenditure on food and wealth index were found to have significant independent positive relationship with serum retinol concentration, while gestational age of the pregnant women had a negative relationship. The overall F-ratio (10·3) was highly significant (P = 0·0001), the adjusted R2 was 0·18 (multiple R = 0·45). Conclusion VAD is highly prevalent among rural pregnant women in Bangladesh. Gestational age, nutritional status, per-capita expenditure on food and wealth index appear to be important in influencing the vitamin A status of these women. An appropriate intervention is warranted in order to improve the vitamin A status.
Multiple description scalable coding using wavelet-based motion compensated temporal filtering

Packet delay jitter and loss due to network congestion pose significant challenges for designing and deploying delay sensitive multimedia applications over the best effort packet switched networks such as the Internet. Recent studies indicate that using multiple descriptions coding (MDC) in conjunction with path or server diversity can mitigate these effects. However, the proposed MDC coding and streaming techniques are based on non-scalable coding techniques. A key disadvantages of these techniques is that they can only improve the error resilience of the transmitted video, but are not able to address two other important challenges associated with the robust transmission of video over unreliable networks: adaptation to bandwidth variations and receiving device characteristics. In this paper, we present a new paradigm, referred to as multiple description scalable coding (MDSC), that is able to address all the previously mentioned challenges by combining the advantages of scalable coding and MDC. This framework enables tradeoffs between throughput, redundancy and complexity at transmission time, unlike previous non-scalable MDC schemes. Furthermore, we also propose a novel MDSC scheme based on motion compensated temporal filtering (MCTF), denominated multiple description motion compensated temporal filtering (MD-MCTF). We use the inherent ability of current MCTF schemes, using the lifting implementation of temporal filtering. We show how tradeoffs between throughput, redundancy and complexity can easily be achieved by adaptively partitioning the video into several descriptions after MCTF. Based on our simulations using different network conditions, the proposed MD-MCTF framework outperforms existing MDC schemes over a variety of network conditions.
Human gesture recognition using a low cost stereo vision in rehab activities

During rehabilitation, patients tend to do several abnormal gestures to indicate their conditions. Since danger might happen to patients, especially without the supervision of therapist, a monitoring system should be developed. In this paper, a preliminary work is conducted to provide an online monitoring system to replace the therapist role to automatically monitor patient during the physical therapy activities by using a stepper. However, the main objective of this paper is to propose methods that can improve recognition rate of human gesture by implying Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) on features and then propose Support Vector Machine (SVM) as classifier. In order to accurately identify gesture of patients such as falling down during physical activities, angle features calculated from the information of head and torso positions is proposed as input data. A low cost RGB and depth camera will be used to track and capture the skeleton joint position of the patient. LDA of joint angles is proposed as feature in this research. The feature extracted will be analysed and classified using SVM to recognize the type of gestures performed by the patient during rehabilitation. As any abnormal gesture was recognized, the system will provide information to be used as an alarm for further supervision by the therapist.
Individual Tree Crown Delineation Techniques for Vegetation Management in Power Line Corridor

Remotely sensed, high spatial resolution images have great potential in assisting vegetation management in power line corridor. With the wide use of object-based approaches in remote sensing image analysis, individual tree crown delineation becomes a key research focus to improve the accuracy of plant information extraction. Although many algorithms have been investigated for individual tree crown delineation, no one algorithm seems suitable for all situations. As such, this paper investigates the applicability of several tree crown delineation techniques for complex environments in power line corridors. The advantages and limitations of these algorithms and prospective improvements are discussed. Initial experiment results on tree crown delineation employing JSEG are presented and compared with Mats Eriksonpsilas region-growing method.
Catalysisof the CovalentBindingof 3-Hydroxyamino-1-methyl-5 H-pyrido [ 4 , 3-b ] indoleto DMA by a L-Proline-and Adenosine Triphosphate-dependentEnzymein Rat HepaticCytosol 1

An enzymatic mechanism involved in the activation of 3hydroxyamino-1 -methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-u]indole (N-hydroxy-TrpP-2), a mutagenic intermediate of a tryptophan pyrolysate, was studied in vitro. In hepatic cytosol supplemented with adenosine triphosphate and L-proline, N-hydroxy-Trp-P-2 was converted to a form which reacts readily with DMA. The enzyme responsible for the activation was partially purified and identified as prolyl transfer RNA synthetase as judged by their cofactor require ments, inhibition by pyrophosphate or adenosine monophosphate, and copurification of their activities. The prolyl transfer RNA-dependent covalent binding of Nhydroxy-Trp-P-2 to DNA of hepatic cytosol was highest in rats, followed by mice, hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs in that order. The capacity for the binding of N-hydroxy-Trp-P-2 was largely consistent with their prolyl transfer RNA synthetase activ ity. With regard to the ultimate form of N-hydroxy-Trp-P-2 for the covalent binding, a possible formation of A/,0-prolyl-3-amino-1methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-o]indole was proposed.
An Iterative Multi-path Routing Protocol in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

In Wireless ad hoc networks, multi-path routing cannot only improve the reliability of route, but also enhance the throughput and load-balancing of networks. However, due to the existence of unavoidable connectivity holes in randomly deployed networks, the number of found node-disjoint paths k of existing multi-path routing protocols still remains to be improved. In this paper, we propose an iterative multi-path routing protocol(IMPR). We first categorize nodes into three types by analyzing node local topology features and give formal definitions of node type and network connectivity hole. Then, we present an algorithm to recognize network connectivity holes by local flooding. Finally, we design an iterative multiple paths discovery algorithm, which with the help of recognized connectivity holes, iteratively builds alternate paths based on a path found by any known single-path routing protocol between a node pair. Simulation results show that in comparison with existing multi-path routing protocols, IMPR can find more node-disjoint paths between source-destination pairs.
CoPhIR Image Collection under the Microscope

The Content-based Photo Image Retrieval (CoPhIR) dataset is the largest available database of digital images with corresponding visual descriptors. It contains five MPEG-7 global descriptors extracted from more than 106 million images from Flickr photo-sharing system. In this paper, we analyze this dataset focusing on 1) efficiency of similarity-based indexing and searching and on 2) expressiveness of combination of the descriptors with respect to subjective perception of visual similarity. We treat the descriptors as metric spaces and then combine them into a multi-metric space. We analyze distance distributions of individual descriptors, measure intrinsic dimensionality of these datasets and statistically evaluate correlation between these descriptors. Further, we use two methods to assess subjective accuracy and satisfaction of similarity retrieval based on a combination of descriptors that is recommended for CoPhIR, and we compare these results on databases of 10 and 100 million CoPhIR images. Finally, we suggest, explore and evaluate two approaches to improve the accuracy: 1) applying logarithms in order to weaken influence of a single descriptor contribution if it deviates from the rest, and 2) the possibility of categorization of the dataset and identifying visual characteristics important for individual categories.
Multi-cue 3D object recognition in knowledge-based vision-guided humanoid robot system

A vision based object recognition subsystem on knowledge-based humanoid robot system is presented. Humanoid robot system for real world service application must integrate an object recognition subsystem and a motion planning subsystem in both mobility and manipulation tasks. These requirements involve the vision system capable of self-localization for navigation tasks and object recognition for manipulation tasks, while communicating with the motion planning subsystem. In this paper, we describe a design and implementation of knowledge based visual 3D object recognition system with multi-cue integration using particle filter technique. The particle filter provides very robust object recognition performance and knowledge based approach enables robot to perform both object localization and self localization with movable/fixed information. Since this object recognition subsystem share knowledge with a motion planning subsystem, we are able to generate vision-guided humanoid behaviors without considering visual processing functions. Finally, in order to demonstrate the generality of the system, we demonstrated several vision-based humanoid behavior experiments in a daily life environment.
What Caused Chicago Bank Failures in the Great Depression? A Look at the 1920s

This article reassesses the causes of Chicago state bank failures during the Great Depression by tracking the evolution of their balance sheets in the 1920s. I find that all banks suffered tremendous deposit withdrawals; however banks that failed earlier in the 1930s had invested more in mortgages in the 1920s. The main problem with mortgages was their lack of liquidity, not their quality. Banks heavily engaged in mortgages did not have enough liquid assets to face the withdrawals, and failed. This article thus reasserts the importance of pre-crisis liquidity risk management in preventing bank failures.
Simulating an Autonomously Operating Low-Cost Static Terrestrial LiDAR for Multitemporal Maize Crop Height Measurements

In order to optimize agricultural processes, near real-time spatial information about in-field variations, such as crop height development (i.e., changes over time), is indispensable. This development can be captured with a LiDAR system. However, its applicability in precision agriculture is often hindered due to high costs and unstandardized processing methods. This study investigates the potential of an autonomously operating low-cost static terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) for multitemporal height monitoring of maize crops. A low-cost system is simulated by artificially reducing the point density of data captured during eight different campaigns. The data were used to derive and assess crop height models (CHM). Results show that heights calculated with CHM based on the unreduced point cloud are accurate when compared to manually measured heights (mean deviation = 0.02 m, standard deviation = 0.15 m, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.16 m). When reducing the point cloud to 2% of its original size to simulate a low-cost system, this difference increases (mean deviation = 0.12 m, standard deviation = 0.19 m, RMSE = 0.22 m). We found that applying the simulated low-cost TLS system in precision agriculture is possible with acceptable accuracy up to an angular scan resolution of 8 mrad (i.e., point spacing of 80 mm at 10 m distance). General guidelines for the measurement set-up and an automatically executable method for CHM generation and assessment are provided and deserve consideration in further studies.
Towards Understanding Latent Factors and User Profiles by Enhancing Matrix Factorization with Tags

With the interactive recommending approach we have recently proposed, users are given more control over modelbased Collaborative Filtering while the results are perceived as more transparent. Integrating the latent factors derived by Matrix Factorization with tags users provided for the items has, however, even more advantages. In this paper, we show how general understanding of the abstract factor space, and of user and item positions inside it, can benefit from the semantics introduced by considering additional information. Moreover, our approach allows us to explain the user’s (former latent) preference profile by means of tags. CCS Concepts •Information systems→Recommender systems; Personalization; Search interfaces;
Staggered Trellis Coded Modulation with Increased Frame-Wise Memory

Staggered trellis coded modulation was recently presented as a special concatenated coding scheme employing bandwidth-efficient trellis coded modulation. Thanks to the additionally introduced frame-wise memory it outperforms the conventional parallel concatenated trellis coded modulation. The drawback of the original construction is that the order of the frame-wise memory is limited to be 1. In this work, we modify this staggered coding scheme such that frame memory orders larger than 1 are possible. Numerical simulations show that this yields an additional performance gain by lowering the error floor.
Introducing a CPS style optimizer into an existing compiler

This paper examines the process of in t roduc ing a global opt imizer into a pre-existing compiler. A number of aspects of this effort are of interest to the larger compiler community: the use of a separate declaration format to capture the behavior of existing instructions, the process of selecting an intermediate representation, and the evolution of the opt imizer 's intermediate representation from a relatively pure Continuation Passing Style (CPS) representation to a decorated CPS with a basic block style cache. We will discuss the reasons for our decisions on these issues and their impact on the optimizer implementation and on the ultimate optimization potential of the compiler.
Cytotoxicity of Protein-Carbon Nanotubes on J774 Macrophages Is a Functionalization Grade-Dependent Effect

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used as carriers in medicine due to their ability to be functionalized with chemical substances. However, cytotoxicity analysis is required prior to use for in vivo models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of CNTs functionalized with a 46 kDa surface protein from Entamoeba histolytica (P46-CNTs) on J774A macrophages. With this purpose, CNTs were synthesized by spray pyrolysis and purified (P-CNTs) using sonication for 48 h. A 46 kDa protein, with a 4.6–5.4 pI range, was isolated from E. histolytica HM1:IMSS strain trophozoites using an OFFGEL system. The P-CNTs were functionalized with the purified 46 kDa protein, classified according to their degree of functionalization, and characterized by Raman and Infrared spectroscopy. In vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT, apoptosis, and morphological assays. The results demonstrated that P46-CNTs exhibited cytotoxicity dependent upon the functionalized grade. Contrary to what was expected, P46-CNTs with a high grade of functionalization were more toxic to J774 macrophages than P46-CNTs with a low grade of functionalization, than P-CNTs, and had a similar level of toxicity as UP-CNT. This suggests that the nature of the functionalized protein plays a key role in the cytotoxicity of these nanoparticles.
Effect of food intake on protein and energy metabolism in finishing beef steers

1. The effects of progressive reduction in food intake from 1.6 x maintenance (1.6 M) to approximately maintenance (M′) and then to zero (fasting) on energy expenditure and leucine kinetics were examined in Hereford x Friesian finishing beef steers. 2. Estimates of whole body protein synthesis and protein oxidation were obtained from the specific radioactivity of free leucine in blood and of exhaled carbon dioxide during continuous infusions of [I-14C]leucine. Protein synthesis contributed a minimum of 0.19 to total heat production across all three intakes. 3. The apparent efficiencies with which synthesized protein was retained were 0.28 between 1.6 M and M′ and 1.04 between M′ and fasting. The greater efficiency below M′ reflected probable use of amino acids as energy sources during fasting, which would be spared as soon as feed was available. 4. Nitrogen derived from protein oxidation made a minor contribution to urine N at both 1.6 M (0.45) and M′ (0.36) but provided a significant proportion to the increment in urine N between intakes (0.68). 5. Amino acid absorption, estimated indirectly as the sum of protein oxidation and protein retention, represented only 0.28 of N intake at M′ and 0.38 at 1.6 M but the contribution to the increment in N intake between these two diet levels was greater (0.56). 6. The estimated efficiency of utilization of absorbed amino acids between M′ and 1.6 M was 0.45.
Efficient Privacy Preserving Matchmaking for Mobile Social Networking against Malicious Users

Making friends with some common attributes is one of the most popular applications in the mobile social networking (MSN). However, how to preserve the users' privacy while matchmaking has been considered as the key security issue for such applications. In this paper, based on the definitions of the privacy level, a new privacy preserving matchmaking system and protocol for MSN is proposed, which can help users to find their friends without leaking their privacy information. A user (called initiator) can find the best match among the candidates, and only exchange attributes intersection set with the best matched, while other users only know the size of the attributes intersection set mutually. The analyzing and simulation results show that our protocol is efficient with the ability to resist the semi-honest and malicious attacks while providing higher matchmaking efficiency.
Patterns from multiresolution 0-1 data

Biological systems are complex systems and often the biological data is available in different resolutions. Computational algorithms are often designed to work with only specific resolution of data. Hence, upsampling or downsampling is necessary before the data can be fed to the algorithm. Moreover, high-resolution data incorporates significant amount of noise thus producing explosion of redundant patterns such as maximal frequent itemset, closed frequent itemset and non-derivable itemset in the data which can be solved by downsampling the data if the information loss is insignificant during sampling. Furthermore, comparing the results of an algorithm on data in different resolution can produce interesting results which aids in determining suitable resolution of data. In addition, experiments in different resolutions can be helpful in determining the appropriate resolution for computational methods. In this paper, three methods of downsampling are proposed, implemented and experiments are performed on different resolutions and the suitability of the proposed methods are validated and the results compared. Mixture models are trained on the data and the results are analyzed and it was seen that the proposed methods produce plausible results showing that the significant patterns in the data are retained in lower resolution. The proposed methods can be extensively used in integration of databases.
Chilean Tetraploid Cultivated Potato, Solanum tuberosum , is Distinct from the Andean Populations

This study tests the genetic difference between landrace populations of Solanum tuberosum L. subsp. tuberosum and subsp. andigenum (Juz. & Bukasov) Hawkes using nuclear DNA microsatellites. Microsatellite loci were amplified in subsp. andigenum (35 accessions), subsp. tuberosum (35 accessions), and other cultivated and wild species (22 accessions). A total of 208 alleles were scored from 18 microsatellite loci spread throughout all 12 chromosomes of potato. Using an infinite allele model and a least squares method of analysis, microsatellite loci separated subsp. tuberosum from subsp. andigenum, and cultivated and wild species. These results support the genetic difference of these two populations and their recognition at some classification level.
Attitudes of caregivers in the infant class in the day-care centre

ABSTRACT This research addresses caregivers and infants in the infant class in the day-care centre. It focuses on an intervention programme with the goal of getting to know the attitudes of caregivers and examining their influence on infants. In the programme, the caregivers will be given the possibility of sharing with peers and of learning contemporary knowledge. The chosen research approach is the mixed methods approach, in which both quantitative and qualitative strategies are used. The sample included 23 caregivers of the ‘Smart Start’ Chain. All the participants filled out questionnaires before and after the intervention programme. Some were interviewed, and the data of the intervention programme itself were collected and analysed. The research presents the change caregivers experienced. The intervention programme can constitute a basis for an instruction programme that will increase the quality of the solutions provided for caregivers and thus for infants under their care.