Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Locating All the Modes of Green's Function for a Three-Layered Medium Based on the Path Tracking Algorithm

Through a mathematical analysis on the relationship between the characteristic equations of the microstrip geometry and a configuration with a three-layered medium, a method based on the path tracking algorithm is proposed for precisely locating all the modes for a three-layered medium with moderate thickness, including surface wave modes, leaky wave modes and improper real modes. With this method, the difficulty caused by branch points and cuts in the contour integral method could be avoided. This method can be applied not only in the discrete complex image method (DCIM), but also in the steepest descent path (SDP) method. The proposed method can be extended to more complicated configurations.
Automatic classification of retinal three-dimensional optical coherence tomography images using principal component analysis network with composite kernels

Abstract. We present an automatic method, termed as the principal component analysis network with composite kernel (PCANet-CK), for the classification of three-dimensional (3-D) retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. Specifically, the proposed PCANet-CK method first utilizes the PCANet to automatically learn features from each B-scan of the 3-D retinal OCT images. Then, multiple kernels are separately applied to a set of very important features of the B-scans and these kernels are fused together, which can jointly exploit the correlations among features of the 3-D OCT images. Finally, the fused (composite) kernel is incorporated into an extreme learning machine for the OCT image classification. We tested our proposed algorithm on two real 3-D spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) datasets (of normal subjects and subjects with the macular edema and age-related macular degeneration), which demonstrated its effectiveness.
The MARE Research Program 1999–2006: Reflections on Program Management

Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea has been of great concern for the countries in the Baltic region at least since the 1980s. At the 1988 Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission, the ministers agreed to aim at a 50% reduction of total nutrient input to the Baltic Sea within a period of 10 years (1). In 1998, the ministers concluded that although the meeting in 1988 was the starting point for several actions, the 50% goal was not reached and eutrophication was still of great concern. They also committed themselves to develop joint cooperative research projects including models for decision support (2). This declaration from the Helsinki Commission, HELCOM, lead the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research, MISTRA (3) to initiate the research program Marine Research on Eutrophication, a Scientific Base for Cost-Effective Measures for the Baltic Sea, MARE. The overall aim was to provide the Helsinki Commission with a user friendly, scientifically based decision support system as a tool for reducing effects of eutrophication (4). Six years after the start of the MARE program, the decision support system Baltic NEST (Box 1) is now used to assess measures against eutrophication by e.g. the HELCOM (5). In the Baltic Sea community, those years have been a transitional period of large political changes when Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland in 2004 became members of the European Union and the Baltic Sea became more or less an EU inland sea, with the exception of Russia. For us within MARE, the years of developing Baltic NEST have been a journey combining knowledge from the traditional scientific communities with the more operational demands of the managers and from originally developing a tool for HELCOM, which is now needed to analyze effects of implementing some EU directives as well. We have learned a lot from discussions with scientist and managers, we have found ways through scientific challenges, and we have had enjoyable moments. Here, we would like to share some of our experiences of managing a policy-directed interdisciplinary research program.
Assessing face image quality for smartphone based face recognition system

In recent years, the popularity of smartphones has increased massively as a personal and authentication device. Face based biometrics is being used to secure the device and control access to several different services via smartphones such as payment gateways etc. Thus, to maintain the reliability and to obtain better verification performance, there is a need to adopt the standards recommended for face sample quality. In this paper, we present an evaluation of face image quality assessment using well-established ISO standards on the images collected using smartphones. In this work, we constructed a new database of 101 individuals with 22 frontal face images with different facial pose angles, illumination and at five different distances between the subject and the mobile device. We evaluate the existing quality metrics and further propose a new quality metric based on vertical edge density that can robustly estimate the pose variations and improves the quality estimation of a face image. The proposed method is evaluated for reliable estimation of the quality for smartphone face biometrics.
A New Database and Baseline for Noise-robust Audio-visual Speech Recognition

Although audio-visual speech is well known to improve the robustness properties of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems against noise, the realm of audio-visual ASR (AV-ASR) has not gathered the research momentum it deserves. This is mainly due to the lack of audio-visual corpora and the need to combine two fields of knowledge: ASR and computer vision. This paper describes the NTCD-TIMIT database and baseline that can overcome these two barriers and attract more research interest to AV-ASR. The NTCD-TIMIT corpus has been created by adding six noise types at a range of signal-to-noise ratios to the speech material of the recently published TCD-TIMIT corpus. NTCD-TIMIT comprises visual features that have been extracted from the TCD-TIMIT video recordings using the visual front-end presented in this paper. The database contains also Kaldi scripts for training and decoding audio-only, video-only, and audio-visual ASR models. The baseline experiments and results obtained using these scripts are detailed in this paper.
The multifocal ERG in diabetic patients without retinopathy during euglycemic clamping.

PURPOSE Prolonged multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) implicit times have been observed in diabetes, although the acute response to hyperglycemia is an acceleration of the ERG. The hypothesis for the current investigation was that this discrepancy is caused by a protracted adaptational response of the retina to hyperglycemia. METHODS Fourteen patients with type 1 diabetes without retinopathy were blood glucose clamped at 5 mM for 75 minutes before the recording of the mfERG. The results were compared with those found in 14 age-matched healthy subjects. RESULTS During acute normoglycemia, patients with type 1 diabetes without retinopathy demonstrated an overall 1.36-ms delay of the P1 first-order implicit times (P = 0.0013) and a 0.72-ms delay of the second-order P1 (P = 0.0049) compared with healthy subjects at 4.9 +/- 0.28 mM blood glucose. During acute hyperglycemia, the P1 first-order delay was only 0.81 ms (P = 0.02), and the P1 second-order implicit time was comparable to that of healthy subjects (P > 0.05). The magnitude of the diabetes-associated implicit time delay, at both levels of glycemia, was proportional to the level of chronic hyperglycemia at study entry, as expressed by the patients' HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS During acute normoglycemia, patients with type 1 diabetes without retinopathy demonstrated a delayed mfERG response compared with the healthy subjects. The delay was more pronounced during euglycemia than during hyperglycemia, and at both levels of glycemia, the delay was proportional to the patients' habitual hyperglycemia. The results show that chronic hyperglycemia induces an adaptational response that tends to normalize retinal implicit times at a higher level of habitual glycemia.
Why do academics engage locally? Insights from the University of Stavanger

ABSTRACT The role of individual actors in knowledge-exchange collaborations has been accorded much importance. Through their involvement with industry, innovation is especially enacted in their regions. Motivations for academic engagement have been fairly researched but academics’ motivations for local collaborations remain to be properly understood. The aim of this paper is therefore, to explore the motivations of academics for regional engagement. This exploration is done by drawing on empirical data collected through interviews with 16 academics in the Engineering Faculty of the University of Stavanger (UiS), Norway. It is evident that in addition to personal motivations to collaborate, academics are driven to engage locally by certain incentives that may be embedded in regionally ‘non-constructed’ advantages. In general, the presence of regional advantages that are relevant for advancing the academic’s research provide the motivation to engage locally.
Bene fi cial effect of pramipexole for motor function and depression in Parkinson ’ s disease

Correspondence: Osamu Kano Department of Neurology, Methodist Neurological Institute, 6565 Fannin St F772 Houston, TX 77030, USA Tel +1 713 441 7894 Fax +1 713 441 7894 Email osamukano@aol.com Abstract: We examined whether pramipexole (PPX) can infl uence depressive scale in normal and mild depressive parkinsonian patients. In an open study of PPX as an add-on to L-dopa therapy or single administration, 36 nondemented outpatients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) were entered fi rst. All were in the stage II or III of Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&Y). PPX were started at 0.125 mg/day and daily doses were increased to 1.5 mg/day. At 3 months after PPX treatment, patients were re-evaluated. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Unifi ed Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale III, H&Y stage, and freezing of gait questionnaire were compared in patients before and after PPX treatment. These scores were signifi cantly improved after PPX administration. There were no correlations between HAM-D and those motor functions. We suggest that PPX treatment has antidepressant effects in depressive PD patients and also ameliorates HAM-D score in nondepressive PD patients in addition to motor function.
Structural invariance of constitutively active and inactive mutants of acanthamoeba myosin IC bound to F-actin in the rigor and ADP-bound states.

The three single-headed monomeric myosin I isozymes of Acanthamoeba castellanii (AMIs)-AMIA, AMIB, and AMIC-are among the best-studied of all myosins. We have used AMIC to study structural correlates of myosin's actin-activated ATPase. This activity is normally controlled by phosphorylation of Ser-329, but AMIC may be switched into constitutively active or inactive states by substituting this residue with Glu or Ala, respectively. To determine whether activation status is reflected in structural differences in the mode of attachment of myosin to actin, these mutant myosins were bound to actin filaments in the absence of nucleotide (rigor state) and visualized at 24-A resolution by using cryoelectron microscopy and image reconstruction. No such difference was observed. Consequently, we suggest that regulation may be affected not by altering the static (time-averaged) structure of AMIC but by modulating its dynamic properties, i.e., molecular breathing. The tail domain of vertebrate intestinal brush-border myosin I has been observed to swing through 31 degrees on binding of ADP. However, it was predicted on grounds of differing kinetics that any such effects with AMIC should be small [Jontes, J. D. , Ostap, E. M. , Pollard, T. D. & Milligan, R. A. (1998) J. Cell Biol. 141, 155-162]. We have confirmed this hypothesis by observing actin-associated AMIC in its ADP-bound state. Finally, we compared AMIC to brush-border myosin I and AMIB, which were previously studied under similar conditions. In each case, the shape and angle of attachment to F-actin of the catalytic domain is largely conserved, but the domain structure and disposition of the tail is distinctively different for each myosin.
A Model for Investigating E-Governance Adoption Using TAM and DOI

As governments around the world move toward e-governance, a need exists to examine citizensâ€™ willingness to adopt e-governance services. In this paper, the authors identify the success factors of e-governance adoption by teachers in Greece, using the Technology Acceptance Model, the Diffusion of Innovation model and constructs of trust, risk and personal innovativeness. Two hundred thirty primary and secondary education teachers responded to an online survey. LISREL then analyzed the data. Model estimation used the maximum likelihood approach, with the item covariance matrix as input. A SEM validation of the proposed model reveals that personal innovativeness, compatibility and relative advantage are stronger predictors of intention to use, compared to trust, and perceived risk. Findings may enhance policymakersâ€™ capacities by presenting them with an understanding of citizensâ€™ attitudes.
Tissue‐specific expression of a vimentin–desmin hybrid gene in transgenic mice.

We have introduced a hybrid gene, pVVim2, composed of the 5′ region of the hamster vimentin gene encoding the head and rod domain of vimentin and the 3′ region of the hamster desmin gene encoding the tail domain of desmin, into the germ line of mice by pronuclear injection. RNA and protein analysis of mice transgenic for this construct showed that the pVVim2 gene was expressed at high levels in a developmental and tissue‐specific manner. This indicates that the vimentin‐derived segment of the fusion gene contains all the regulatory elements required for vimentin‐specific expression. Immunohistochemical staining of fibroblast cultures derived from the transgenic mice with antibodies specific for vimentin and desmin demonstrated that the pVVim2 protein is assembled into filaments that co‐localize with the endogenous vimentin filaments. The expression of pVVim2 protein in mesenchymal cells does not interfere with the function of vimentin in these cells.
Canal Paresis in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Secondary to Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Objectives: To review the clinical features of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) secondary to sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and to analyze the correlation between canal paresis and the effectiveness of canalith repositioning procedures (CRPs) for the treatment. Design: Study case series with chart review. Setting: Academic university hospital. Patients: We retrospectively reviewed 277 patients with BPPV. For sudden SNHL with a recent vertigo, patients underwent electronystagmography and bithermal caloric tests. We investigated the clinical characteristics including causes, type of involved semicircular canal, frequency of CRPs, treatment results, and canal paresis (CP). Interventions: The diagnosis of BPPV accompanied by same-sided sudden SNHL was based on the results of head roll and Dix-Hallpike tests. Results: Of 277 patients with BPPV, 24 (8.7%) had sudden SNHL. Multiple-canal involvement most commonly developed in post-sudden SNHL BPPV (p < 0.01). Patients with post-sudden SNHL BPPV received a greater number of CRPs (2.95) than those with idiopathic BPPV (1.58) (p = 0.043). In patients with post-sudden SNHL BPPV, the average number of CRPs was 3.31 in the presence of CP and 2.1 sessions in the absence of CP (p = 0.030); the CP value was correlated with the frequency of CRPs (p = 0.020). Conclusions: In post-sudden SNHL BPPV, the worse the canal paresis becomes, the greater the number of CRPs will be needed for treatment; the simultaneous involvement of the posterior semicircular canal and horizontal semicircular canal is most common.
Memory efficient face recognition using Compressed Phase Component

Most of current algorithms for face recognition involve considerable amount of computations and hence they cannot be used on devices constrained with limited speed and memory. In this paper, we propose a novel solution for efficient face recognition problem for the systems that utilize small memory devices and demand fast performance. The new technique divides the face images into components and finds the discriminant phases of the Fourier transform of these components. The discriminant phases are found by the implementation of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) technique. Further, those discriminant phases are compressed to obtain a system that matches the criteria imposed by devices of limited memory and requiring fast recognition. The results show that in comparison with the use of spatial domain, compressed components frequency domain produces better and faster recognition performance for different range of compression ratios.
Dynamics of a Closed Rod with Twist and Bend in Fluid

We investigate the instability and subsequent dynamics of a closed rod with twist and bend in a viscous, incompressible fluid. A new version of the immersed boundary (IB) method is used in which the immersed boundary applies torque as well as force to the surrounding fluid and in which the equations of motion of the immersed boundary involve the local angular velocity as well as the local linear velocity of the fluid. An important feature of the IB method in this context is that self-crossing of the rod is automatically avoided because the rod moves in a continuous (interpolated) velocity field. A rod with a uniformly distributed twist that has been slightly perturbed away from its circular equilibrium configuration is used as an initial condition, with the fluid initially at rest. If the twist in the rod is sufficiently small, the rod simply returns to its circular equilibrium configuration, but for larger twists that equilibrium configuration becomes unstable, and the rod undergoes large excursions before relaxing to a stable coiled configuration.
Influence of ultrasonic excitation and heat application on the microleakage of glass ionomer cements.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess the influence of externally applied 'command set' methods on the microleakage of several glass ionomer cements (GICs). METHODS Four different restorative GICs were cured using three different methods: standard curing (SC), ultrasonic excitation (UC) and by an external heat source (HC). Different conditioning agents (10% polyacrylic and 10% citric acid) were used. The sample comprised 180 teeth with 360 Class V restorations placed on the lingual and vestibular tooth surface. After thermocycling, the teeth were immersed in a dye solution for 24 hours, embedded in acrylic resin, sectioned and evaluated. Oberholtzer criteria were used for margin evaluation. Data were analysed using three-way ANOVA. RESULTS The heat cured GIC showed statistically significant better marginal adaptation compared to the other tested groups (SC, UC) (p < 0.001). GICs in groups with HC and conditioned cavities had lower microleakage scores. The highly viscous material Fuji IX GP Fast in the HC and conditioned cavities group demonstrated the best marginal adaptation. The other three products reacted similarly to heating treatment. Leakage at the enamel margins was significantly lower than the cementum/dentine margins (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Heating the GIC during setting decreased microleakage, improved marginal adaptation of the GIC restoration and is suitable for clinical practice.
Treatment of Mild Hypoglycemia

> “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. ” > > —Hippocrates It has been well established by studies such as the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) that metabolic control delays the development and progression of microvascular complications in adults with type 1 diabetes.1 Unfortunately, improvement in metabolic control is associated with an increased incidence of treatment-induced hypoglycemia. This is a common side effect of insulin, as well as the insulin secretagogues frequently used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.2 As insulin secretion diminishes in type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia becomes more frequent and limiting. Five years after initiation of insulin therapy, the rate of severe hypoglycemia is reported to be as high as 35–70 episodes per 100 patient-years, higher than that in type 1 diabetes.3,4 Abnormal glucose counterregulation (and hypoglycemia unawareness) progresses based on the progression of insulin deficiency. Thus, because type 2 diabetes is more prevalent than type 1 diabetes, most episodes of hypoglycemia occur in people with type 2 diabetes.2 In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia steadily decline with frequent and repetitive episodes.2 This can become a vicious circle; a hypoglycemia episode impairs defenses against a subsequent episode, and thus hypoglycemia can result in recurrent hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes increased morbidity in most people with type 1 diabetes and in many with a long duration of type 2 diabetes and is sometimes fatal.2 There is growing evidence that older adults with known cardiovascular disease (CVD)5–8 and very young children who cannot independently recognize low glucose levels may be particularly vulnerable to adverse events associated with hypoglycemia.9,10 Findings such as these led a workgroup from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and The Endocrine Society (TES) to publish a …
MEANINGFUL STATISTICAL MODEL FORMULATIONS FOR REPEATED MEASURES

When choosing a parametric statistical model two important consider- ations are mathematical soundness and substantive relevance. In this paper, we illustrate and exemplify that a number of issues arise from these considerations, even in relatively simple settings, such as ordinal regression, linear mixed models, models for cross-classified data and generalized linear mixed models. Many of our points are illustrated with data. Choosing a parametric statistical model is a common task in statistical prac- tice. When choosing a model, it is important to reflect on whether the model is sound from a theoretical point of view and whether it is adequate in terms of the scientific research question of interest. While some authors have approached aspects of this problem from a fundamental, theoretical perspective (McCullagh (2002) and references therein) it is fair to say that the problem receives less at- tention in everyday practice than it should. We consider a number of simple but key settings in order to make a number of general and specific points about this topic. Many of these points are illustrated using a few simple settings (Section 2). First, we consider the linear mixed-effects model, that has become a standard tool for analyzing repeated continuous, normally distributed outcomes. While it looks like a relatively straightforward extension of linear regression it is sur- rounded with a number of problems, some of them arising due to the fact that one can adopt either a hierarchical or a marginal point of view which, while having connections, are different. The implications of this fact for variance com- ponent testing ought not to be overlooked (Section 4). Second, when switching from normally distributed to discrete repeated measures (Section 5), one should realize that, even though there are links to the simpler linear mixed model, the situation is dramatically more complicated. In particular, one can choose be- tween a number of relevant but non-equivalent modelling families. Within each