Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real Time Hand Gesture Recognition for Smart Classroom Environment

— In today’s expeditiously changing world, the physical classrooms are soon getting replaced by virtual classrooms. In such an environment, it is important to capture the raising-of-hand gesture of the participants and convey it to the lecturer. Gesture Recognition is one of the optimal techniques which help us capture such an event. The existing systems make’s user wear colored gloves which is not a user-friendly approach. Some require costly in-depth sensor camera’s for using them. We propose a systematic approach to detect face using cascading classifiers, recognize the hand-gesture and annotate the video. This is made possible using webcam available at affordable prices. The results obtained show that the system can work under a varying degree of background lightning condition as well as illumination. The location and the hand orientation in accordance with the face detected help us in achieving greater efficiency.
A Meta-Analysis of Array-CGH Studies Implicates Antiviral Immunity Pathways in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background The development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is significantly correlated to the accumulation of genomic alterations. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) has been applied to a wide range of tumors including HCCs for the genome-wide high resolution screening of DNA copy number changes. However, the relevant chromosomal variations that play a central role in the development of HCC still are not fully elucidated. Methods In present study, in order to further characterize the copy number alterations (CNAs) important to HCC development, we conducted a meta-analysis of four published independent array-CGH datasets including total 159 samples. Results Eighty five significant gains (frequency ≥25%) were mostly mapped to five broad chromosomal regions including 1q, 6p, 8q, 17q and 20p, as well as two narrow regions 5p15.33 and 9q34.2-34.3. Eighty eight significant losses (frequency ≥25%) were most frequently present in 4q, 6q, 8p, 9p, 13q, 14q, 16q, and 17p. Significant correlations existed between chromosomal aberrations either located on the same chromosome or the different chromosomes. HCCs with different etiologies largely exhibited surprisingly similar profiles of chromosomal aberrations with only a few exceptions. Furthermore, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that the genes affected by these chromosomal aberrations were significantly enriched in 31 canonical pathways with the highest enrichment observed for antiviral immunity pathways. Conclusions Taken together, our findings provide novel and important clues for the implications of antiviral immunity-related gene pathways in the pathogenesis and progression of HCC.
A combined time-of-flight and depth-of-interaction detector for total-body positron emission tomography.

PURPOSE In support of a project to build a total-body PET scanner with an axial field-of-view of 2 m, the authors are developing simple, cost-effective block detectors with combined time-of-flight (TOF) and depth-of-interaction (DOI) capabilities. METHODS This work focuses on investigating the potential of phosphor-coated crystals with conventional PMT-based block detector readout to provide DOI information while preserving timing resolution. The authors explored a variety of phosphor-coating configurations with single crystals and crystal arrays. Several pulse shape discrimination techniques were investigated, including decay time, delayed charge integration (DCI), and average signal shapes. RESULTS Pulse shape discrimination based on DCI provided the lowest DOI positioning error: 2 mm DOI positioning error was obtained with single phosphor-coated crystals while 3-3.5 mm DOI error was measured with the block detector module. Minimal timing resolution degradation was observed with single phosphor-coated crystals compared to uncoated crystals, and a timing resolution of 442 ps was obtained with phosphor-coated crystals in the block detector compared to 404 ps without phosphor coating. Flood maps showed a slight degradation in crystal resolvability with phosphor-coated crystals; however, all crystals could be resolved. Energy resolution was degraded by 3%-7% with phosphor-coated crystals compared to uncoated crystals. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining TOF-DOI capabilities with simple block detector readout using phosphor-coated crystals.
Corrosion resistance of SS 316L in simulated concrete pore solution in presence of trisodium citrate

The corrosion resistance of SS 316L in simulated concrete pore solution, namely, saturated calcium hydroxide solution, in the absence and presence of 100ppm of trisodium citrate (TSC) has been evaluated by electrochemical studies such as polarization study and AC impedance spectra. Polarization study reveals that in presence of TSC, the corrosion resistance of SS 316L in simulated concrete pore solution decreases. AC impedance spectra reveal that in the presence of TSC, the corrosion resistance of SS 316L in simulated concrete solution decreases.
ICSV 14 Cairns • Australia 9-12 July , 2007 1 AN ALGORITHM FOR STUDYING WAVE PROPAGATION IN PHONONIC CRYSTALS COMPOSED OF VISCOELASTIC MATERIAL

In order to deal with the viscoelasticity of constituents in phononic crystals, an algorithm based on the finite-difference-time-domain method and the numerical approximation of fractional derivative are proposed. It is validated with transfer matrix method which takes the viscosity into account by complex modulus with frequency dependence. Although the viscoelasticity of host material does not influence the frequency position of gaps, a wide transmission gap is found even for very weak viscosity, which gives new idea to design phononic crystals with wide transmission gaps.
Participative Knowledge Management to Empower Manufacturing Workers

Due to the rapid technologic change, we see the role of manufacturing workers continuously changing: the increasing automation of manufacturing processes has reduced the amount of manual work, whereas the increasing complexity of manufacturing systems requires workers to build-up broader and deeper skills. In this paper, the authors suggest a participative knowledge management approach to empower manufacturing workers. Starting from a comprehensive empirical analysis of the existing work practices in a manufacturing company, the authors have developed and validated a knowledge management system prototype. The prototype is aimed for training, problem solving, and facilitating the discovery, acquisition, and sharing of manufacturing knowledge. The conducted evaluation of the prototype indicates that workers' skills and level of work satisfaction will increase since the knowledge management system allows faster problem solving by finding better solutions for observed defects.
Active-site MMP-selective antibody inhibitors discovered from convex paratope synthetic libraries

Significance The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family members are promising drug targets in diversified pathologies. Clinical trial failures taught us that selective, rather than broad-specificity, inhibitors are required for successful MMP therapies. Achieving target selectivity with small-molecule MMP inhibitors, however, is exceedingly difficult. Because the antigen-binding sites in conventional antibodies are predominantly incompatible with the concave reaction pockets of MMPs, design of inhibitory antibodies, an attractive alternative for selective inhibition, is also challenging. We synthesized human antibody libraries encoding extended convex antigen-binding sites and isolated a panel of inhibitory Fabs that selectively and efficiently inhibited MMP-14, a promising drug target in cancer. The pipeline we established can now be readily applied for the generation of inhibitory antibodies targeting multiple additional enzymes besides MMPs alone. Proteases are frequent pharmacological targets, and their inhibitors are valuable drugs in multiple pathologies. The catalytic mechanism and the active-site fold, however, are largely conserved among the protease classes, making the development of the selective inhibitors exceedingly challenging. In our departure from the conventional strategies, we reviewed the structure of known camelid inhibitory antibodies, which block enzyme activities via their unusually long, convex-shaped paratopes. We synthesized the human Fab antibody library (over 1.25 × 109 individual variants) that carried the extended, 23- to 27-residue, complementarity-determining region (CDR)–H3 segments. As a proof of principle, we used the catalytic domain of matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14), a promalignant protease and a drug target in cancer, as bait. In our screens, we identified 20 binders, of which 14 performed as potent and selective inhibitors of MMP-14 rather than as broad-specificity antagonists. Specifically, Fab 3A2 bound to MMP-14 in the vicinity of the active pocket with a high 4.8 nM affinity and was similarly efficient (9.7 nM) in inhibiting the protease cleavage activity. We suggest that the convex paratope antibody libraries described here could be readily generalized to facilitate the design of the antibody inhibitors to many additional enzymes.
Global Intracellular Slow-Wave Dynamics of the Thalamocortical System

It is widely accepted that corticothalamic neurons recruit the thalamus in slow oscillation, but global slow-wave thalamocortical dynamics have never been experimentally shown. We analyzed intracellular activities of neurons either from different cortical areas or from a variety of specific and nonspecific thalamic nuclei in relation to the phase of global EEG signal in ketamine-xylazine anesthetized mice. We found that, on average, slow-wave active states started off within frontal cortical areas as well as higher-order and intralaminar thalamus (posterior and parafascicular nuclei) simultaneously. Then, the leading edge of active states propagated in the anteroposterior/lateral direction over the cortex at ∼40 mm/s. The latest structure we recorded within the slow-wave cycle was the anterior thalamus, which followed active states of the retrosplenial cortex. Active states from different cortical areas tended to terminate simultaneously. Sensory thalamic ventral posterior medial and lateral geniculate nuclei followed cortical active states with major inhibitory and weak tonic-like “modulator” EPSPs. In these nuclei, sharp-rising, large-amplitude EPSPs (“drivers”) were not modulated by cortical slow waves, suggesting their origin in ascending pathways. The thalamic active states in other investigated nuclei were composed of depolarization: some revealing “driver”- and “modulator”-like EPSPs, others showing “modulator”-like EPSPs only. We conclude that sensory thalamic nuclei follow the propagating cortical waves, whereas neurons from higher-order thalamic nuclei display “hub dynamics” and thus may contribute to the generation of cortical slow waves.
Sensitivity and specificity of dried blood spots for HIV-1 viral load quantification

AbstractThe use of dried blood spots (DBS) instead of plasma as a specimen type for HIV-1 viral load (VL) testing facilitates the decentralization of specimen collection and can increase access to VL testing in resource-limited settings. The performance of DBS for VL testing is lower, however, when compared to the gold standard sample type plasma. In this diagnostic accuracy study, we evaluated 3 VL assays with DBS.Participants were recruited between August 2012 and April 2015. Both plasma and DBS specimens were prepared and tested for HIV-1 VL with the Roche CAP/CTM HIV-1 test v2.0, the Abbott RealTime HIV-1, and the bioMérieux NucliSENS EasyQ HIV-1 v2.0. Sensitivity and specificity to detect treatment failure at a threshold of 1000 cps/mL with DBS were determined.A total of 272 HIV-positive patients and 51 HIV-negative people were recruited in the study. The mean difference or bias between plasma and DBS VL was <0.5 log cps/mL with all 3 assays but >25% of the specimens differed by >0.5 log cps/mL.All 3 assays had comparable sensitivities around 80% and specificities around 90%. Upward misclassification rates were around 10%, but downward misclassification rates ranged from 20.3% to 23.6%. Differences in between assays were not statistically significant (P > 0.1). The 3 VL assays evaluated had suboptimal performance with DBS but still performed better than immunological or clinical monitoring. Even after the introduction of the much-anticipated point-of-care VL devices, it is expected that DBS will remain important as a complementary option for supporting access to VL monitoring, particularly in rural, resource-limited settings. Manufacturers should accelerate efforts to develop more reliable, sensitive and specific methods to test VL on DBS specimens.
Determinants of Quality of Life in Ageing Populations: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study in Finland, Poland and Spain

Purpose To comprehensively identify the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in a population study sample of persons aged 18–50 and 50+. Methods In this observational, cross-sectional study, QoL was measured with the WHOQOL-AGE, a brief instrument designed to measure QoL in older adults. Eight hierarchical regression models were performed to identify determinants of QoL. Variables were entered in the following order: Sociodemographic; Health Habits; Chronic Conditions; Health State description; Vision and Hearing; Social Networks; Built Environment. In the final model, significant variables were retained. The final model was re-run using data from the three countries separately. Results Complete data were available for 5639 participants, mean age 46.3 (SD 18.4). The final model accounted for 45% of QoL variation and the most relevant contribution was given by sociodemographic data (particularly age, education level and living in Finland: 17.9% explained QoL variation), chronic conditions (particularly depression: 4.6%) and a wide and rich social network (4.6%). Other determinants were presence of disabling pain, learning difficulties and visual problems, and living in usable house that is perceived as non-risky. Some variables were specifically associated to QoL in single countries: age in Poland, alcohol consumption in Spain, angina in Finland, depression in Spain, and self-reported sadness both in Finland and Poland, but not in Spain. Other were commonly associated to QoL: smoking status, bodily aches, being emotionally affected by health problems, good social network and home characteristics. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of modifiable determinants of QoL, and provide public health indications that could support concrete actions at country level. In particular, smoking cessation, increasing the level of physical activity, improving social network ties and applying universal design approach to houses and environmental infrastructures could potentially increase QoL of ageing population.
CIVILIAN ABUSE AND WARTIME INFORMING ∗

Civilian support is central to the success of counterinsurgent campaigns. Harm to civilians, and who harms them, influences when and with whom non-combatants collaborate. Drawing on newly declassified military records and a novel instrumental variables approach, we find robust, direct evidence that civilians respond to victimization by insurgents by providing intelligence to security forces in Afghanistan. These results clarify the conditions under which civilian casualties can shape the course of internal war, with implications for future research on political violence. ∗For advice and comments, we thank Eli Berman, Ryan Grauer, Kyle Pizzey, and Oliver Vanden Eynde. We also thank workshop participants at Universidad del Rosario for comments on related work. This material is based in part upon work supported by AFOSR grant FA9550-09-1-0314, by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. CNS-0905086, by the Army Research Office (ARO) under Award No. W911NF-11-1-0036, and by the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts. All errors remain with the authors. †Corresponding author. Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637. Email: austinlw@uchicago.edu ‡Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Email: lcondra@pitt.edu §Professor, Department of Politics and Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540. Email: jns@princeton.edu ¶Ph.D. Candidate, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540. Email: ashaver@princeton.edu
Necessary Modifications to the Strap-Down Inertial Navigation System Model for Non-Earth-Based Users

Different researches and text books had discussed the inertial navigation system, or some of its components such as [1-3] and [4]. The inertial navigation system accelerometer consists of a proof mass m suspended from a case by a pair of springs, as illustrated in Figure. 1. Referring to Figure. 1, the input axis is indicated by the arrow. If the body to which the system is attached is accelerating along this axis by an acceleration, a, the proof mass will be displaced from its equilibrium position by an amount, x. From Newton’s law, the force affecting on the proof mass is equal to the mass times the acceleration. And from Hook’s law, the force generated by the springs are equal to the equivalent spring constant, K, times the displacement x. Thus, from Newton’s law we find that
Factors that Influences Students Academic Performance: A Case of Rift Valley University, Jimma, Ethiopia

University is one of the places where a systematically organized and scientifically oriented education is offered. It is through such an organized manner that the knowledge, skill and desired attitude of the learner develop, but in a given class it is sometimes seen that there is a difference in achievement as a result of different factors that affect the academic achievement of students. This study was conducted to examine different factors influencing the academic performance of students in higher institution case of Rift valley university Jimma campus Ethiopia. Cross sectional study design was examined. The respondents for this study was 294 students which is determined using simple random sampling technique. A survey was conducted by using a questionnaire for information gathering about different factors relating to academic performance of students. Chi-square test of association and regressions was applied to investigate the effect of different factors on students’ achievement.
D2Refine: A Platform for Clinical Research Study Data Element Harmonization and Standardization

In this paper, we present a platform known as D2Refine for facilitating clinical research study data element harmonization and standardization. D2Refine is developed on top of OpenRefine (formerly Google Refine) and leverages simple interface and extensible architecture of OpenRefine. D2Refine empowers the tabular representation of clinical research study data element definitions by allowing it to be easily organized and standardized using reconciliation services. D2Refine builds on valuable built-in data transformation features of OpenRefine to bring source data sets to a finer state quickly. We implemented the reconciliation services and search capabilities based on the standard Common Terminology Services 2 (CTS2) and the serialization of clinical research study data element definitions into standard representation using clinical information modeling technology for semantic interoperability. We demonstrate that D2Refine is a useful and promising platform that would help address the emergent needs for clinical research study data element harmonization and standardization.
Home-Telemonitoring Lung Cancer Intervention in Appalachia: A Pilot Study

Benefits of home-telemonitoring for rural dwelling cancer patients are largely unknown. This study examined the effectiveness of home-telemonitoring surveillance with nurse coaching for self-management to improve lung cancer outcomes in mountainous Appalachia where health care access/ service is limited. This randomized clinical trial pilot study compared patient outcomes for telemonitoring versus routine care. A convenience sample (N = 47) was enrolled/ randomized (Telemonitored: 26/ Control: 21) from a university hospital and cancer center. Physiologic parameters and symptoms were collected in the telemonitored group for two weeks; all participants were studied for 60 days after the index treatment/ discharge. The telemonitored group showed greater improvement for both functional status (Wald X2 = 3.78, p = .05) and quality of life (QOL) (Wald X2 = 7.25, p = .007) from baseline to 60 days post-discharge. Compared to controls, telemonitored patients survived longer; had more scheduled medical visits (96% vs. 75%); made more unplanned calls to doctors/ nurses (32% vs. 30% & 64% vs. 50%); had fewer rehospitalizations (28% vs. 40%); and had more ER utilization (36% vs. 30%). The telemonitored group had relative improvements for health utility (.09 on a scale where 0 = death/ 1= perfect health) and QOL (15 on 0–100 VAS). Differences in health care utilization and cost were not significantly different (p > .05), likely due to the sample size. Telemonitoring group satisfaction with care was high and recommended by patients and caregivers. Results suggest that it is possible to improve patient outcomes with home-telemonitoring for self-management in rural areas. Short-term, telemonitoring-based coaching is feasible and offers a promising option to develop patient self-management knowledge and skills.
Validation of an Optimized ELISA for Quantitative Assessment of Epstein-Barr Virus Antibodies from Dried Blood Spots

ABSTRACT Our objective was to validate a commercially available ELISA to measure antibody titers against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in dried blood spots (DBS) to replace a previously validated assay for DBS that is no longer available. We evaluated the precision, reliability, and stability of the assay for the measurement of EBV antibodies in matched plasma, fingerprick DBS, and venous blood DBS samples from 208 individuals. Effects of hematocrit and DBS sample matrix on EBV antibody determination were also investigated, and the cutoff for seropositivity in DBS was determined. A conversion equation was derived to enable comparison of results generated using this method with the former DBS method. There was a high correlation between plasma and DBS EBV antibody titers (R2 = 0.93) with very little bias (−0.07 based on Bland-Altman analysis). The assay showed good linearity and did not appear to be affected by the DBS matrix, and physiological hematocrit levels had no effect on assay performance. There was reasonable agreement between DBS EBV titer estimates obtained using this assay and the previously validated assay (R2 = 0.72). The commercially available ELISA assay for EBV antibody titers that we validated for use with DBS will facilitate continued investigation of EBV antibody titers in DBS.