Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proposal of Movie CAPTCHA Method Using Amodal Completion

Web services accounts have recently been automatically acquired in large quantities by bot-programs, which are malicious. Furthermore, the acquired accounts have been used for spamming, which is a problem for service operators or Internet users. Completely Automated Public Turing Tests To Tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHAs) have generally been adopted for Web Services as a method of preventing Web services accounts from being acquired. These are Turing tests for users of Web services to distinguish between humans and bot-programs. There are several types of methods in CAPTCHAs, but the most typical in this field are text-based. However, these methods can be decoded with a high degree of probability, because of the OCR technology that has evolved. Much research on resolving this problem has been proposed. For example, one method in this research adds distortion to characters to make it difficult to analyze them with OCR. Despite this research, OCR has a higher success rate than humans. Thus, we propose a practical method for CAPTCHA in this paper in which only humans can provide correct answers by applying a modal completion.
From Symptoms to Diagnosis: An Observational Study of the Journey of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often not diagnosed or treated quickly enough to alter outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the lag times from disease onset to first clinical consultation and diagnosis and to identify factors contributing to delayed diagnosis in Saudi Arabia. METHODS This retrospective, multicenter study collected data on 250 patients, from six hospitals in Saudi Arabia, who met the 2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA. RESULTS The patients mean age was 43.3±12.0 years (mean disease duration: 6.6±5.8 years). The majority were female (84.8%) and presented with joint pain during RA onset (83.6%). On average, they consulted 4.3±2.5 physicians from the first symptoms to the final diagnosis. The mean time from onset to first physician visit (lag 1) was 6.2±5.5 months, whereas the mean time was 30.2±16.0 months between the initial visit and final RA diagnosis (lag 2). Only 3.2% of patients initially sought consultation from a rheumatologist, while 67.2%, 23.6%, and 6.0% first met with orthopedic surgeons, general practitioners, and non-rheumatologists, respectively. Non-rheumatologists offered diagnoses in 24.4% of cases while rheumatologists diagnosed 75.6%. The absence of early hand/wrist involvement and fatigue were associated with delayed RA diagnosis (long lag 2; p<0.010). Moreover, geographic distribution influenced RA diagnosis, with rural patients experiencing a greater delay than urban patients (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Failure of patients to be seen by rheumatologists at RA onset delayed diagnosis and treatment. Thus, RA diagnosis can be accelerated by encouraging early referral to rheumatologists.
Evaluating Text-type Suitability for Machine Translation a Case Study on an English-Danish MT System

This paper reports on an evaluation of how well a specific MT system would perform in translating new text-types including an assessment of in what ways the system itself could be extended to deal with new text-types. The overall evaluation and quality criterion is defined in terms of how much effort it takes to post-edit the text after having been translated by the MT system. A structured questionnaire rating different error types was given to the post-editors involved. The results were then "translated" into a number of mainly linguistic phenomena occurring in the input text causing these errors. In order to achieve consistency and reliability the analysis of the new text-types was automated as far as possible. A suite of programs was developed, each of which identifies a particular phenomenon and assigns scores for each occurrence. A reference text, known as being a good text, was first analysed using the procedure in order to provide a benchmark against which to assess the results from analysing the new text-types. After running the evaluation, a representative subset of the new text-types were then selected and translated by a slightly revised version of the MT system and assessed by the post-editors (using the same questionnaire).
Evaluations of an Open Source WFST-based Phoneticizer

This paper describes in detail some recent experiments for an Open-Source, WFST-based Grapheme-to-Phoneme system, Phonetisaurus. The system comprises several loosely coupled components and includes implementations of several G2P alignment algorithms, and simple 3-gram LMs, as well as support for several third-party components. Standard G2P evaluations were also performed on widely available test sets for English. In particular, on the standard Jiang NetTalk test sets, using an EM-based multiple-to-multiple alignment and a standard 6-gram language model with modiﬁed Kneser-Ney smoothing, Phonetisaurus performs favorably compared to state-of-the-art benchmarks. We also note that combination of reverse N-gram and forward N-gram models results in a modest performance gain on all the evaluated test sets with respect to just one or the other, and further that the reverse N-gram models consistently outperform the forward N-gram models on all the data sets.
Gender Differences in Comorbidities and Sleep Patterns of Obese Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the comorbidities and sleep patterns most commonly associated with each gender in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of obese individuals with OSA. The polysomnographies were carried out in a sleep laboratory environment, using a 15-channel polysomnography setup. Airflow was measured using a nasal pressure cannula/thermistor combination. A standard handbook was used for interpretation of PSG findings. Results: A total of 284 subjects were included in the study, (147 females). The mean age, body mass index and neck circumference were similar between females and males (p = 0.9579, p < 0.0001, and p < 0.0001, respectively). On polysomnography, females exhibited longer latency to REM sleep (146.50 ± 85.93 vs. 122.3 ± 68.28, p = 0.0210) and a higher percentage of delta sleep (10.09 ± 7.48 vs. 7.55 ± 6.57, p = 0.0037); males had more frequent microarousals (38.37 ± 27.44 vs. 28.07 ± 21.23, p = 0.0017) and a higher AHI score (30.56 ± 27.52 vs. 17.31 ± 21.23, p < 0.0001). The comorbidities most commonly associated with female gender were diabetes (29% vs. 9.49%, p = 0.0132), hypothyroidism (20% vs. 2.19%, p < 0.0001), and depression (81.63% vs. 51.22%, p < 0.0001). Male gender was associated with myocardial infarction (6.57% vs. 1.38%, p = 0.0245) and alcohol intake (33.88% vs. 11.34%, p < 0.0001). Obese males with OSA have a larger neck circumference and higher AHI and arousal indices than females. Conclusions: There are genderdifferences both in the sleep patterns and in the comorbidities of patients with OSA. Men had a larger neck circumference, higher apnea and sleep fragmentation scores, were more likely to consume alcohol, and were more likely to have a history of myocardial infarction than women.
Caffeine Intake, Short Bouts of Physical Activity, and Energy Expenditure: A Double-Blind Randomized Crossover Trial

PA energy expenditure (PAEE) is the most variable component of Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) and largely due to the balance of sedentary time (SedT) and low intensity physical activity (LIPA). There has been an emergence for seeking an understanding of factors which determine variations in SedT, LIPA, and PAEE. Sedentary behavior and physical activity are relatively resistant to change by experimental dietary treatments and significant body weight changes. Although caffeine (Caf) is by far the most heavily used nutritional agent ingested to promote a sense of vigor/alertness, it is still unknown if Caf is effective in increasing PAEE and physical activity. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that 2 daily doses of Caf (as a capsule to blind the treatment and divided equally during breakfast and lunch) increase PAEE and TEE, and it would do so through increasing the frequent and brief bouts of physical activity (~1-5 min long) through the day as measured by accelerometry. In 21 low Caf users (<100 mg day-1), we used a double-blind crossover trial (ClinicalTrials.govID;NCT01477294) with two conditions (4-day each with a 3-day washout period) randomly ordered as 5 mg kg-1 day-1 of Caf and maltodextrin as placebo (Plc). Resting energy expenditure (REE) by indirect calorimetry, total energy expenditure (TEE) from doubly labeled water, PAEE calculated as TEE-(REE+0.1TEE), and accelerometry measurements of both LIPA and MVPA were not different between conditions. However, regardless of caffeine or placebo, there were several significant relationships between brief bouts of LIPA and MVPA with PAEE. In conclusion, this double-blind study found that low and moderate-vigorous activity as well as the total volume of PAEE in free-living conditions is resistant to dietary caffeine intake that was equivalent to 5 cups of espresso or 7 cups of tea. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01477294
STAR: A System for Tuple and Attribute Ranking of Query Answers

In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in developing effective techniques for ad-hoc search and retrieval in structured repositories such as relational databases - e.g., searching online databases of homes, used cars, and electronic goods. In many of these applications, the user often experiences "information overload'', which occurs when the system responds to an under-specified user query by returning an overwhelming number of tuples, each displayed with a huge number of features (or attributes). We have developed a search and retrieval system that tackles this information overload problem from two angles. First, we show how to automatically rank and display the top-n most relevant tuples. Second, our system offers techniques for ordering the attributes of the returned tuples in decreasing order of "usefulness" and selects only a few of the most useful attributes to display.
Clinical Benefit of New Targeted Agents in Phase I Trials in Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Background: Standard treatment for patients with advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC) includes fluoropyrimidines in combination with oxaliplatin or irinotecan. The addition of targeted agents such as bevacizumab and cetuximab to these chemotherapy backbones further improved outcome with survival rates. However, even after intensive treatment, most tumors will subsequently progress and some patients are offered experimental phase I therapies. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcome for 78 ACRC patients treated consecutively within 23 phase I trials at the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) between January 2004 and January 2008. Results: The median age was 62 years (range 26–78). After a median follow-up time of 21.4 weeks (range 1.7–115.6) the median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 8.6 weeks (95% CI: 6.4–10.7) and 29.1 weeks (95% CI: 15.7–42.5), respectively. 28.8 and 8.2% of the patients were assessed as having stable disease (SD) at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Patients with SD had an OS of 40.6 weeks (95% CI: 32.9–48.2) compared to 17.4 weeks (95% CI: 14.0–20.8, p = 0.017) for patients with progressive disease. Conclusion: A limited number of patients with ACRC who failed conventional treatments can derive clinical benefit by participating in phase I cancer trials, and the use of the RMH prognostic score can help to identify these patients.
Scheduling Policies in Time and Frequency Domains for LTE Downlink Channel: A Performance Comparison

A key feature of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system is that the packet scheduler can make use of the channel quality information (CQI), which is periodically reported by user equipment either in an aggregate form for the whole downlink channel or distinguished for each available subchannel. This mechanism allows for wide discretion in resource allocation, thus promoting the flourishing of several scheduling algorithms, with different purposes. It is therefore of great interest to compare the performance of such algorithms under different scenarios. Here, we carry out a thorough performance analysis of different scheduling algorithms for saturated User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) traffic sources, as well as consider both the time- and frequency-domain versions of the schedulers and for both flat and frequency-selective channels. The analysis makes it possible to appreciate the difference among the scheduling algorithms and to assess the performance gain, in terms of cell capacity, users' fairness, and packet service time, obtained by exploiting the richer, but heavier, information carried by subchannel CQI. An important part of this analysis is a throughput guarantee scheduler, which we propose in this paper. The analysis reveals that the proposed scheduler provides a good tradeoff between cell capacity and fairness both for TCP and UDP traffic sources.
Quantitation of Cytomegalovirus DNA Load in Dried Blood Spots Correlates Well with Plasma Viral Load

ABSTRACT An assay to accurately quantitate cytomegalovirus (CMV) load in finger-stick-collected dried blood spots (DBS) could potentially be useful for field studies or for analyzing patient self-collected specimens. We therefore assessed CMV DNA load in paired venipuncture-collected plasma samples and finger-stick DBS, using a previously validated quantitative PCR assay. Assay variability, sensitivity, and changes in viral load during antiviral therapy in finger-stick DBS were compared to the reference plasma quantitative PCR assay, using 106 prospectively collected pairs of finger-stick DBS and plasma samples from 35 solid-organ transplant (SOT) patients. The DBS assay showed good agreement with the reference plasma viral load assay on the log10 scale (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.92; P < 0.001). The 95% limit of detection of the DBS assay was estimated at 2,700 plasma copies/ml (675 plasma IU/ml). In 94% (76/81) of paired DBS and plasma samples above the limit of detection, the difference in CMV load was <1 log10. CMV viral load changes during antiviral treatment were comparable in plasma and DBS. We conclude that finger-stick DBS provides a convenient sample type for quantitation of CMV load that correlates well with plasma levels. Future studies to optimize and evaluate this methodology for patient self-collected samples are warranted.
Localization of near field cyclostationary source based on fourth-order cyclic cumulant

A vast majority of the existing eigen decomposition based localization schemes invoke the plane-wave assumption when estimating the localization parameter of multiple sources. When the sources are located close to the array, these techniques may no longer perform satisfactorily. Most modulated communication signals exhibit cyclostationarity. In this paper a new algorithm for near-field sources localization is presented based on fourth order cyclic cumulant matrix and MUSIC algorithm. The algorithm can estimate bearing and range of near field non-Gaussian cyclostationary sources through a uniform linear array (ULA) and remove cyclostationary interference with different cyclic frequency from the desired signals and suppress the cyclostationary Gaussian white noise. Simulation results attesting for the performance of the algorithms were provided.
Independent effects of motivation and spatial attention in the human visual cortex

Abstract Motivation and attention constitute major determinants of human perception and action. Nonetheless, it remains a matter of debate whether motivation effects on the visual cortex depend on the spatial attention system, or rely on independent pathways. This study investigated the impact of motivation and spatial attention on the activity of the human primary and extrastriate visual cortex by employing a factorial manipulation of the two factors in a cued pattern discrimination task. During stimulus presentation, we recorded event-related potentials and pupillary responses. Motivational relevance increased the amplitudes of the C1 component at ∼70 ms after stimulus onset. This modulation occurred independently of spatial attention effects, which were evident at the P1 level. Furthermore, motivation and spatial attention had independent effects on preparatory activation as measured by the contingent negative variation; and pupil data showed increased activation in response to incentive targets. Taken together, these findings suggest independent pathways for the influence of motivation and spatial attention on the activity of the human visual cortex.
Bodybuilding : trajectories of involved young male bodybuilders

Martina Sciberras Bodybuilding: Trajectories of Involved Young Male Bodybuilders This dissertation seeks to explore how young males, aged 19 to 30, experience their career trajectory of bodybuilding. It will explore the onset, the escalation and the perceptions of their commitment to their chosen sport. It will talk about the motivators during their career trajectory. More specifically, the study will attempt to shed a light on the contingencies why youths engage in this hobby, focusing on psychological, sociological and cultural influences and implications. A qualitative design was employed. Data was based on semi-structured interviews with six male bodybuilders. The constant comparative method was employed to analyse the resultant data. The major propositions of the study indicated that there are clearly distinct features of the onset, the commitment, and the escalation stages of the career trajectory of bodybuilding. Contingencies which bind a bodybuilder to his career are psychological, social and cultural in nature, and progress in the field is not linear. Similarly, motivators are dependent on an intricate interplay between personal and social factors. It is clear that bodybuilders are members of a sub-culture, which has defined criteria for membership. Recommendations for future research concluded the dissertation. BA (Hons) Youth and Community Studies April 2014
Text Feature Extraction Based on Rough Set

In this paper, a method for text feature extraction based on rough set (TFERS) is proposed. Firstly, a new formulation for attribute significance is presented based on the classification capability of condition attributes, which avoids the recalculation of attribute significance during iterations of reduction procedure conducted in conventional rough-set-based methods. Secondly, the attribute correlation analysis is incorporated, which helps to achieve a satisfactory reduction of text features. In text preprocessing phase, the typical vector space representation is extended from term to concept (dasiasynsetpsila) level based on Wordnet. In this way, the problem of synonym is solved and the dimension of the feature vector is reduced obviously. The simulation experiment and applications in text classification show that TFERS can improve the classification performance significantly.
HIV-1 vaccines and co-infection

Vaccines are an economically efficient means of controlling viral infections, and it is likely that a vaccine against HIV-1 will be the most effective way of controlling the global AIDS crisis. However, an effective vaccine has not yet been attainable and in developing countries co-infection with protozoa and other chronic diseases adds another level of complexity to the design of an HIV-1 vaccine. Helminthic and protozoan infections can result in a constant state of immune activation that is characterised by a dominant T helper (Th)2 type of cytokine profile. Such an immune profile is likely to have an adverse impact on the efficacy of an HIV-1 vaccine CD8 cellular immune response and the corresponding Th1 cytokines that are most likely to be important for clearing viral infections.
Evaluation of the usefulness of a silicone tube connected to a microphone in monitoring noise levels induced by drilling during mastoidectomy and cochleostomy

Abstract Conclusion: The use of a silicone tube and a microphone enables peroperative noise recordings in cadavers and should be safe to apply in vivo. Our preliminary data indicate that noise levels during inner ear surgery reach levels that can cause noise-induced hearing loss. Our method is easily performed and enables future uncomplicated and safe noise recordings and we suggest future application in vivo to expand knowledge regarding peroperative noise levels. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and utility of a silicone tube connected to a microphone probe in noise recordings during middle ear surgery and to achieve preliminary results regarding drill-related noise levels. Methods: Peroperative noise recordings were obtained during mastoidectomy and at the round window during cochleostomy in a cadaver model by means of a silicone tube connected to a microphone and a Matlab® computer program. Results: Our method enabled recordings of radiated noise levels close to the drill ranging from 84 to 125 dB SPL during drilling in cortical bone and from 85 to 117 dB during drilling in the mastoid cavity. During cochleostomy noise levels ranged from 114 to 128 dB SPL when recordings were made close to the round window. Maximal noise levels were underestimated due to microphone overload above 80 Pa.
Simultaneous Detection of Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Cryptosporidium parvum in Fecal Samples by Using Multiplex Real-Time PCR

ABSTRACT Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Cryptosporidium are three of the most important diarrhea-causing parasitic protozoa. For many years, microscopic examination of stool samples has been considered to be the “gold standard” for diagnosis of E. histolytica, G. lamblia, and C. parvum infections. Recently, more specific and sensitive alternative methods (PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and direct fluorescent-antibody assay) have been introduced for all three of these parasitic infections. However, the incorporation in a routine diagnostic laboratory of these parasite-specific methods for diagnosis of each of the respective infections is time-consuming and increases the costs of a stool examination. Therefore, a multiplex real-time PCR assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of E. histolytica, G. lamblia, and C. parvum in stool samples. The multiplex PCR also included an internal control to determine efficiency of the PCR and detect inhibition in the sample. The assay was performed on species-specific DNA controls and a range of well-defined stool samples, and it achieved 100 percent specificity and sensitivity. The use of this assay in a diagnostic laboratory would provide sensitive and specific diagnosis of the main parasitic diarrheal infections and could improve patient management and infection control.
Symbolic and Nonsymbolic Pathways of Number Processing

Recent years have witnessed an enormous increase in behavioral and neuroimaging studies of numerical cognition. Particular interest has been devoted toward unraveling properties of the representational medium (mental number line) on which numbers are thought to be represented. We have argued that a correct inference concerning these properties requires distinguishing between different input modalities (symbolic vs. nonsymbolic stimuli; e.g., Verguts & Fias, 2004) and different decision/output structures (task requirements; e.g., parity judgment task versus magnitude comparison task; Verguts, Fias, & Stevens, 2005). To back up this claim, we have trained computational (neural network) models with either symbolic or nonsymbolic input and with different task requirements, and showed that this allowed for an integration of the existing data in a consistent manner. In later studies, predictions from the models were derived and tested with behavioral and neuroimaging methods. Here we present an integrative review of this work.