Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Index to Perform Shadow Detection in GeoEye-1 Images

With the introduction of new satellites for earth monitoring characterized by very high resolution (VHR) sensors, new algorithms to recognize shadow in the supplied images are necessary. Automatic shadow detection can enhance the interpretability of the images in several applications such as classification and change detection. Several approaches are present in literature for shadow detection and their adaptation and particularization for VHR satellite images are still in evolution. The goal of this paper is to propose a new index for shadow detection based on multispectral files processing. GeoEye-1 satellite data are used for this study: IHS pan-sharpening method is applied to transfer pixel dimensions of the panchromatic image (spatial resolution: 0.5 m x 0.5 m) into the multispectral images (2 m x 2 m); an index named ERGAS is used to test the quality of the resulting raster files. Dealing with the problem of the shadow detection, a new index is defined to identify the affected pixels both in the original as well as pan-sharpened images. The results are compared with them by another index named ratio that is generally applied for shadow detection in multispectral images: issues and advantages, derived by using the proposed technique, are discussed. Keyword - GeoEye-1, VHR, GSDI, Remotely sensed images, Shadow detection, Pan-sharpening
Improving Detection of Deformable Objects in Volumetric Data

Dominic Mai 1,3 maid@informatik.uni-freiburg.de Jasmin Durr 2 jasmin.duerr@biologie.uni-freiburg.de Klaus Palme 2,3 klaus.palme@biologie.uni-freiburg.de Olaf Ronneberger 1,3 ronneber@informatik.uni-freiburg.de Computer Science Department University of Freiburg Germany 2 Institute of Biology II Botany University of Freiburg Germany BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies University of Freiburg Germany
Boundary Condition Identification of Fluid-Filled Piping Systems Using Neural Networks

An online identification approach for boundary condition identification of fluid-filled piping systems is developed. Considering the lateral vibration of the fluid-filled pipes, the method combines the traveling wave method and the BP (backpropagation) neural network to estimate the boundary parameters. The traveling wave method is used to generate the training samples that contain several lower natural frequencies as inputs and boundary parameters as outputs for the BP neural network. Thus, the relationship of the natural frequencies and the boundary conditions of the piping system is established in the BP neural network. When the experimentally measured natural frequencies are put into the BP neural network, the boundary conditions can be identified immediately. An experiment is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. In the experiment, the four lowest natural frequencies of the lateral vibration of a fluid-filled straight pipe are measured. The boundary mass and stiffness are identified. Results show that the approach is efficient and precise.
Genuine memory deficits in dementia

Controlled learning with effective cued recall is needed to distinguish between genuine memory deficits due to impairment of specific memory processes and apparent memory deficits due to impairment of other cognitive processes, such as attention, that can limit memory. Effective cued recall is needed for accurate measurement of memory in the elderly because cued recall reveals learning not shown by free recall. When a search procedure was used to control processing for effective encoding and cued recall, nondemented elderly adults recalled all or nearly all 16 items on each trial. Decreased recall by demented patients even after they carried out the same effective processing showed genuine memory impairment that was not due to other cognitive deficits. Cued recall was better than either free recall or recognition in discriminating elderly persons with dementia from those without dementia and by itself accounted for 75 % of the variation in dementia status. Cued recall was especially useful for identifying.
Localization in V2X communication networks

This paper addresses the problem of vehicle position estimation in dense urban environments, where traditional global positioning system (GPS)-based localisation techniques are severely affected by non line-of-sight (NLOS) signal propagation and multipaths presence. Assuming that GPS signals are fairly received only by a very small fraction of vehicles at the border of the urban environment, we propose the multihop scheme based on vehicle to X (V2X) communication to propagate this information to the whole network. As a consequence, the multihop scheme allows every vehicle to estimate its own position collecting its cumulative distances to border vehicles. Finally we introduce a new analytical framework to verify the fundamental performance of multihop scheme for location forwarding in urban dense environments in terms of position estimate error bounds, jointly considering the uncertainty introduced by the multihop process and by the GPS localization.
Demonstration of Field Trial Experiments to Investigate the Cascadability of a 10 Gb/s Optical 3R Regenerator with All-optical Clock Recovery

We demonstrate field trial experiments to evaluate a 10-Gb/s optical 3R regenerator using fiber recirculation loops built with 264-km and 462-km SSMF fiber in field. Error-free transmission over 264,000-km with 1,000 optical 3R regeneration stages has been achieved. Experimental results indicate only 1.5-dB power penalty at BER 10-9 after 264,000-km.
RTED: A Robust Algorithm for the Tree Edit Distance

We consider the classical tree edit distance between ordered labeled trees, which is defined as the minimum-cost sequence of node edit operations that transform one tree into another. The state-of-the-art solutions for the tree edit distance are not satisfactory. The main competitors in the field either have optimal worst-case complexity, but the worst case happens frequently, or they are very efficient for some tree shapes, but degenerate for others. This leads to unpredictable and often infeasible runtimes. There is no obvious way to choose between the algorithms. In this paper we present RTED, a robust tree edit distance algorithm. The asymptotic complexity of RTED is smaller or equal to the complexity of the best competitors for any input instance, i.e., RTED is both efficient and worst-case optimal. We introduce the class of LRH (Left-Right-Heavy) algorithms, which includes RTED and the fastest tree edit distance algorithms presented in literature. We prove that RTED outperforms all previously proposed LRH algorithms in terms of runtime complexity. In our experiments on synthetic and real world data we empirically evaluate our solution and compare it to the state-of-the-art.
A Manual of Standardized Terminology, Techniques and Scoring System for Sleep Stages of Human Subjects.

With the vast research interest in sleep and dreams that has developed in the past 15 years, there is increasing evidence of noncomparibility of scoring of nocturnal electroencephalograph-electroculograph records from different laboratories. In 1967 a special session on scoring criteria was held at the seventh annual meeting of the Association for the Psychophysiological Study of Sleep. Under the auspices of the UCLA Brain Information, an ad hoc committee composed of some of the most active current researchers was formed in 1967 to develop a terminology and scoring system for universal use. It is the results of the labors of this group that is now published under the imprimatur of the National Institutes of Health. The presentation is beautifully clear. Techniques of recording, scoring, and doubtful records are carefully considered. Recommendations for abbreviations, types of pictorial representation, order of polygraphic tracings are suggested.
Induction of Dormancy in Arabidopsis Summer Annuals Requires Parallel Regulation of DOG1 and Hormone Metabolism by Low Temperature and CBF Transcription Factors[W][OA]

In plants grown under field conditions, seed dormancy varies considerably with the time of year the seed is set, and this variation is important for the coordination of plant life history and seed quality. This work elucidates the mechanisms through which environmental temperature during seed set affects the germination behavior of seeds when released from the mother plant. Summer annuals overwinter as seeds in the soil seed bank. This is facilitated by a cold-induced increase in dormancy during seed maturation followed by a switch to a state during seed imbibition in which cold instead promotes germination. Here, we show that the seed maturation transcriptome in Arabidopsis thaliana is highly temperature sensitive and reveal that low temperature during seed maturation induces several genes associated with dormancy, including DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1), and influences gibberellin and abscisic acid levels in mature seeds. Mutants lacking DOG1, or with altered gibberellin or abscisic acid synthesis or signaling, in turn show reduced ability to enter the deeply dormant states in response to low seed maturation temperatures. In addition, we find that DOG1 promotes gibberellin catabolism during maturation. We show that C-REPEAT BINDING FACTORS (CBFs) are necessary for regulation of dormancy and of GA2OX6 and DOG1 expression caused by low temperatures. However, the temperature sensitivity of CBF transcription is markedly reduced in seeds and is absent in imbibed seeds. Our data demonstrate that inhibition of CBF expression is likely a critical feature allowing cold to promote rather than inhibit germination and support a model in which CBFs act in parallel to a low-temperature signaling pathway in the regulation of dormancy.
Characterization of mRNA Interferases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis*

mRNA interferases are sequence-specific endoribonucleases encoded by the toxin-antitoxin systems in the bacterial genomes. MazF from Escherichia coli has been shown to be an mRNA interferase that specifically cleaves at ACA sequences in single-stranded RNAs. It has been shown that MazF induction in E. coli effectively inhibits protein synthesis leading to cell growth arrest in the quasidormant state. Here we have demonstrated that Mycobacterium tuberculosis contains at least seven genes encoding MazF homologues (MazF-mt1 to -mt7), four of which (MazF-mt1, -mt3, -mt4, and -mt6) caused cell growth arrest when induced in E. coli. MazF-mt1 and MazF-mt6 were purified and characterized for their mRNA interferase specificities. We showed that MazF-mt1 preferentially cleaves the era mRNA between U and A in UAC triplet sequences, whereas MazF-mt6 preferentially cleaves U-rich regions in the era mRNA both in vivo and in vitro. These results indicate that M. tuberculosis contains sequence-specific mRNA interferases, which may play a role in the persistent dormancy of this devastating pathogen in human tissues.
Health inequalities among the elderly in western Europe

Background: This paper analyses gender inequalities in health status and in social determinants of health among the elderly in western Europe. Methods: Data came from the first wave of the “Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe” (2004). For the purposes of this study a subsample of community-residing people aged 65–85 years with no paid work was selected (4218 men and 5007 women). Multiple logistic regression models separated by sex and adjusted for age and country were fitted. Results: Women were more likely to report poor health status, limitations in mobility and poor mental health. Whereas in both sexes educational attainment was associated with the three health indicators, household income was only related to poor self-rated health among women. The relationship between living arrangements and health differed by gender and was primarily associated with poor mental health. In both sexes, not living with their partner but living with other people and being the household head was related to poor mental health status (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.14; 95% CI 1.11 to 4.14 for men and aOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.12 to 2.72 for women). In addition, women living with their partner and other(s) and those living alone were more likely to report poor mental health status (aOR 1.67; 95% CI 1.17 to 2.41 and aOR 1.58; 95% CI 1.26 to 1.97, respectively). Conclusions: Health inequalities persist among the elderly. Women have poorer health status than men and in both sexes the risk of poor health status increases among those with low educational attainment. Living arrangements are primarily associated with poor mental health status with patterns that differ by gender.
Reliability and variability of running economy in elite distance runners.

PURPOSE To establish the typical error (TE) associated with equipment, testing, and biological variation of a running economy (RE) test in 11 elite male distance runners (VO2max 70.3 +/- 7.3 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1)), and measure the between-athlete variation of 70 highly trained runners (VO2max 69.7 +/- 6.0 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1)) to determine the magnitude of the smallest worthwhile change (SWC) required for RE. METHODS Runners performed three 4-min bouts of submaximal treadmill running at speeds of 14, 16, and 18 km x h(-1) (0% grade), on two separate occasions within a 7-d period to determine reliability and once over a 3-yr period to measure the SWC. During all RE tests O2 consumption (VO2), ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), stride rate (SR), and concentration of blood lactate (Lac) were determined. RESULTS The TE for the pooled data of three running speeds (14, 16, and 18 km x h(-1)) was 2.4% for VO2, 7.3% for VE, 27% for Lac, and ranged between 1 and 4% for RER, HR, and SR. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that although the magnitude of the TE for a submaximal treadmill running protocol of three 4-min work efforts is small (2.4-7.3%) for measures associated with cardiorespiratory parameters, it is three- to fourfold higher for Lac. Given the small TE associated with RE, and a SWC of similar magnitude for this cohort of distance runners, the RE test is useful in detecting changes attributable to training interventions. Changes in RE greater than approximately 2.4% in this cohort of elite distance runners are likely to be "real" and "worthwhile," and not simply related to testing error and typical variation.
SAR Image Change Detection Based on Iterative Label-Information Composite Kernel Supervised by Anisotropic Texture

Kernel methods with specifically designed kernel function are suitable for dealing with practical nonlinear problems. However, kernel methods have found limited applications to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image change detection in that their performances are affected by the inherent multiplicative speckle noise of SAR images. It is known that the spatial-contextual information is helpful in suppressing the degrading effects of the noise. Therefore, a label-information composite kernel (LIC kernel) constructed on the basis of the spatial-contextual information is proposed in this paper for SAR image change detection. A typical spatial information, the output-space label-neighborhood information that is extracted using all labels in the neighborhood of each pixel, may enhance noise immunity, but with inaccurate edge locations simultaneously. Consequently, the anisotropic Gaussian kernel model is utilized for analyzing anisotropic textures of the bitemporal images, and then, a comparison scheme acting on the input-space textures of the bi-temporal images is proposed to supervise the extraction of the output-space label-neighborhood information in the construction of the LIC kernel. The constructed LIC kernel is of good preservation of edge locations of changed areas as well as strong noise immunity. The LIC kernel is updated iteratively with the newest change map outputted from the support vector machine, until the change map converges. Experiments on real SAR images demonstrate the effectiveness of the LIC kernel method and illustrate that it has both strong noise immunity and good preservation of edge locations of changed areas for SAR image change detection.
Dynamic response of breast tumor oxygenation to hyperoxic respiratory challenge monitored with three oxygen-sensitive parameters.

The simultaneous measurement of three oxygen-sensitive parameters [arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO2), tumor vascular-oxygenated hemoglobin concentration ([HbO2]), and tumor oxygen tension (pO2)] in response to hyperoxic respiratory challenge is demonstrated in rat breast tumors. The effects of two hyperoxic gases [oxygen and carbogen (5% CO2 and 95% O2)] were compared, by use of two groups of Fisher rats with subcutaneous 13762NF breast tumors implanted in pedicles on the foreback. Two different gas-inhalation sequences were compared, i.e., air-carbogen-air-oxygen-air and air-oxygen-air-carbogen-air. The results demonstrate that both of the inhaled, hyperoxic gases significantly improved the tumor oxygen status. All three parameters displayed similar dynamic response to hyperoxic gas interventions, but with different response times: the fastest for arterial SaO2, followed by biphasic changes in tumor vascular [HbO2], and then delayed responses for pO2. Both of the gases induced similar changes in vascular oxygenation and regional tissue pO2 in the rat tumors, and changes in [HbO2] and mean pO2 showed a linear correlation with large standard deviations, which presumably results from global versus local measurements. Indeed, the pO2 data revealed hetergeneous regional response to hyperoxic interventions. Although preliminary near-infrared measurements had been demonstrated previously in this model, the addition of the pO2 optical fiber probes provides a link between the noninvasive relative measurements of vascular phenomena based on endogenous reporter molecules, with the quantitative, albeit, invasive pO2 determinations.
Part-of-Speech Tagging for Chinese-English Mixed Texts with Dynamic Features

In modern Chinese articles or conversations, it is very popular to involve a few English words, especially in emails and Internet literature. Therefore, it becomes an important and challenging topic to analyze Chinese-English mixed texts. The underlying problem is how to tag part-of-speech (POS) for the English words involved. Due to the lack of specially annotated corpus, most of the English words are tagged as the oversimplified type, "foreign words". In this paper, we present a method using dynamic features to tag POS of mixed texts. Experiments show that our method achieves higher performance than traditional sequence labeling methods. Meanwhile, our method also boosts the performance of POS tagging for pure Chinese texts.
Helicobacter pylori test-and-treat intervention compared to usual care in primary care patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease in the United States

OBJECTIVES:The Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) “test-and-treat” strategy in uninvestigated dyspepsia is an effective alternative to prompt endoscopy. Our aims were to determine whether the combination of an educational session and availability of office-based H. pylori testing (test-and-treat intervention [TTI]) increases use of the test-and-treat strategy by primary care practitioners and whether it improves patient outcomes.METHODS:We conducted a 1-yr prospective trial of patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease in six primary care centers, three with TTI and three designated as usual care controls (UCC). RESULTS:H. pylori testing was performed in 81% of 54 TTI patients and in 49% of 39 UCC patients (p = 0.004). TTI and UCC patients had similar gastroenterology referral rates (24% vs 33%, p = 0.33), endoscopy or upper GI radiography rates (30% vs 31%, p = 0.91), and primary care visits per patient (3.1 ± 2.8 vs3.1 ± 2.6, p = 0.92). TTI patients were less likely than UCC patients to receive repeated antisecretory medication prescriptions (35% vs 66%, p = 0.003). Symptomatic status at 1 yr and satisfaction with medical care did not differ between groups. Median (and interquartile range) annualized disease-related expenditures per patient were $454 ($162–932) for TTI and $576 ($327–1435) for UCC patients (p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS:The combination of an educational session and availability of office-based H. pylori testing may increase acceptance of the test-and-treat strategy by primary care providers. It remains to be determined whether increased use of the test-and-treat strategy yields significant improvements in clinical and economic outcomes compared to usual care.
The effect of online co-regulated learning in the implementation of team-based learning on improving students’ involvement

Many education institutions and teachers are recognizing and applying online learning and related educational technologies to help students achieve satisfactory learning performance. Due to the free entertainment on the Internet that may distract students’ attention from online courses and with the purpose of developing students’ teamwork abilities, the author in this study adopted team-based learning (TBL) and co-regulated learning (CRL) to develop students’ involvement in a blended computing course. The subjects in this study were 111 first-year students from three classes taking a compulsory course titled ‘Applied information technology: data processing’. The first group (G1, which received online TBL and CRL) and the second group (G2, which received online TBL only) were the experimental groups. The last group (CG), which received the traditional teaching method in a blended learning environment, served as the control group. The results in this study indicate that students who receive the online TBL have significantly higher involvement than those without. However, the online CRL does not contribute to better development of students’ involvement in the implementation of TBL. The insights for teachers who plan to adopt e-learning, and the reasons for the ineffectiveness of CRL, are discussed in this study.
Ultra-efficient Replication of Infectious Prions by Automated Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification*

Prions are the unconventional infectious agents responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which appear to be composed mainly or exclusively of the misfolded prion protein (PrPSc). Prion replication involves the conversion of the normal prion protein (PrPC) into the misfolded isoform, catalyzed by tiny quantities of PrPSc present in the infectious material. We have recently developed the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technology to sustain the autocatalytic replication of infectious prions in vitro. Here we show that PMCA enables the specific and reproducible amplification of exceptionally minute quantities of PrPSc. Indeed, after seven rounds of PMCA, we were able to generate large amounts of PrPSc starting from a 1 × 10-12 dilution of scrapie hamster brain, which contains the equivalent of ∼26 molecules of protein monomers. According to recent data, this quantity is similar to the minimum number of molecules present in a single particle of infectious PrPSc, indicating that PMCA may enable detection of as little as one oligomeric PrPSc infectious particle. Interestingly, the in vitro generated PrPSc was infectious when injected in wild-type hamsters, producing a disease identical to the one generated by inoculation of the brain infectious material. The unprecedented amplification efficiency of PMCA leads to a several billion-fold increase of sensitivity for PrPSc detection as compared with standard tests used to screen prion-infected cattle and at least 4000 times more sensitivity than the animal bioassay. Therefore, PMCA offers great promise for the development of highly sensitive, specific, and early diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy and to further understand the molecular basis of prion propagation.