Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A modified method for relevance feedback in high-resolution SAR image retrieval system based on SVM

Relevance feedback (RF) is an importance technique in CBIR (Content-Based Image Retrieval) systems to bridge the semantic gap between low-level visual features (eg. color, shape, texture) and high-level human perception. One of the most frequently used methods to do RF is Support Vector Machine (SVM), which has a good generalization ability in pattern recognition. But when the training data is insufficient, the performance of SVM may drop dramatically. In this paper, we proposed a method to alleviate the small sample problem in SVM based RF by using a new piecewise similarity measure function and ensemble learning. We compared our method with standard SVM based RF on a high-resolution SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) image database, the experiment results show that our method has a better performance and prove that it's an effective algorithm for RF.
Tax Compliance Costs and Employment in SMEs: Evidence from a Size-Dependent Policy in Brazil

Small businesses are important to the economic growth of developing countries. The paper evaluates the causal effect of reducing bureaucracy and the tax burden on small manufacturing firms in Brazil. The identification explored the discontinuity among firms next to the eligibility threshold associated with the Simples Nacional program. Microdata from the Annual Industrial Survey (PIA) were used for the period 2000 to 2012. Results suggest that companies participating in the program have reduced the industrial operating cost by 23%, increased job creation in 21.5% and payroll in 25.18%.
Comparison of radioimmunoassay and chemiluminescent assay methods to estimate canine blood cortisol concentrations.

BACKGROUND Non-radioactive assay methods are widely used in commercial laboratories to measure canine blood cortisol concentrations, despite a paucity of published validity data of these tests compared with the traditional 'gold standard' radioimmunoassay. OBJECTIVES To compare a commercial chemiluminescence assay with radioimmunoassay for blood cortisol measurement, determine the effect of storage on the radioimmunoassay, and determine the impact of any differences on clinical decisions. METHODS The study included 54 client owned dogs undergoing adrenal function testing. Fresh plasma or serum samples (n=170) were assayed for cortisol using radioimmunoassay (RIA1). Samples (n=196) were also frozen and stored in batches, and assayed by chemiluminescence and radioimmunoassay (RIA2). RESULTS Overall, there was a strong correlation (r2=0.967, P<0.001) between RIA2 and chemiluminescence concentrations without significant difference between means. Strong correlations were present for RIA2 and chemiluminescence at concentration subgroups of >400 nmol/L (r2=0.869, P<0.001), <100 nmol/L (r2=0.790, P<0.001), and <40 nmol/L (r2=0.738, P<0.001). Significant differences between means were present for RIA2 and chemiluminescence concentrations in the <100 nmol/L, and <40 nmol/L (P<0.001) groups. Despite a significant difference in RIA1 and RIA2 results overall, there was no significant difference between RIA1 and RIA2 for any of the concentration groups. In seven cases, discrepant RIA2 and chemiluminescence results may have altered clinical decisions. CONCLUSIONS Although RIA and chemiluminescence cortisol concentrations appear highly correlated, a significant difference may exist for concentrations less than 100 nmol/L in stored canine sera. Results of chemiluminescence cortisol assays should be interpreted with caution unless the specific assay method in the laboratory has been adequately validated in dogs.
Comparison of Blood Flow in Branched and Fenestrated Stent-Grafts for Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Purpose: To report a computational study assessing the hemodynamic outcomes of branched stent-grafts (BSGs) for different anatomic variations. Methods: Idealized models of BSGs and fenestrated stent-grafts (FSGs) were constructed with different visceral takeoff angles (ToA) and lateral aortic neck angles. ToA was defined as the angle between the centerlines of the main stent-graft and side branch, with 90° representing normal alignment, and 30° and 120° representing angulated side branches. Computational simulations were performed by solving the conservation equations governing the blood flow under physiologically realistic conditions. Results: The largest renal flow recirculation zones (FRZs) were observed in FSGs at a ToA of 30°, and the smallest FRZ was also found in FSGs (at a ToA of 120°). For straight-neck stent-grafts with a ToA of 90°, mean flow in each renal artery was 0.54, 0.46, and 0.62 L/min in antegrade BSGs, retrograde BSGs, and FSGs, respectively. For angulated stent-grafts, the corresponding values were 0.53, 0.48, and 0.63 L/min. All straight-neck stent-grafts experienced equal cycle-averaged displacement forces of 1.25, 1.69, and 1.95 N at ToAs of 30°, 90°, and 120°, respectively. Angulated main stent-grafts experienced an equal cycle-averaged displacement force of 3.6 N. Conclusion: The blood flow rate in renal arteries depends on the configuration of the stent-graft, with an FSG giving maximum renal flow and a retrograde BSG resulting in minimum renal flow. Nevertheless, the difference was small, up to 0.09 L/min. Displacement forces exerted on stent-grafts are very sensitive to lateral neck angle but not on the configuration of the stent-graft.
Three-year follow-up of Mini-Mental State Examination score in community residents aged 85 and over

SYNOPSIS The objective of this study was to describe over time the course of cognitive function of elderly without cognitive impairment and of elderly with different stages of impairment, and to assess if the change in cognitive function was dependent on the initial level of function. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used at two time points. The first assessment (MMSE-1) was part of a community-based study and was obtained from 871 subjects. For the second assessment (MMSE-2) a sample of 166 subjects was drawn from the subjects alive at follow-up who had an MMSE-1 score. This sample was stratified by MMSE-1 score to avoid oversampling of subjects with high MMSE-1 scores. A second MMSE score was obtained from 134 elderly, whereas 18 subjects refused participation and 14 subjects were not traceable. The median age at first assessment was 89 years (25th percentile 87, 75th percentile 92), the mean follow-up period (S.D.) was 3·3 (0·5) years. The median change in MMSE score was minus 4 points (95% confidence interval (CI) − 7 to − 2) and the slope of the regression line of MMSE-2 on MMSE-1 was 1·1 (95% CI 0·9–1·3). It is likely that the slope was underestimated due to a floor effect, regression to the mean and missing observations. However, the probability of decline decreased if MMSE-1 was higher. Nevertheless, the probability ranged from 27 to 59% for subjects with the highest MMSE-1 scores aged 85 and 95 years respectively. The latter is an argument in favour of a periodical examination of all subjects aged 85 and over to reveal causes of cognitive decline that can be treated or are amenable to prevention.
Zebrafish Collagen XIV Is Transiently Expressed in Epithelia and Is Required for Proper Function of Certain Basement Membranes*

Background: Collagen XIV (COLXIV) is a component of connective tissues and regulates type I collagen fibril assembly in mice. Results: Zebrafish COLXIV-A is transiently expressed in epithelia and incorporated into basement membranes (BMs). Conclusion: COLXIV-A is a marker of epithelia in construction and is required for BM assembly. Significance: We reveal COLXIV-A localization in embryonic epithelia and underlying BMs and its crucial role in proper BM formation. We found that zebrafish has two differentially expressed col14a1 paralogs. col14a1a expression peaked between 18-somite stage and 24 hours postfertilization (hpf), whereas col14a1b was first expressed at 32 hpf. To uncover functions of collagen XIV (COLXIV) during early embryogenesis, we focused our study on col14a1a. We characterized the α1 (XIV-A) chain as a collagenase-sensitive 200-kDa protein that formed dimer that could be reduced at high pH. As observed for the transcript, COLXIV-A protein expression peaked between 24 and 48 hpf. Using antisense probes and polyclonal antibodies, we show that col14a1a and its protein product COLXIV-A are transiently expressed in several epithelia, including epithelia undergoing shape changes, such as the fin folds. In contrast, anti-COLXII antibodies stained only connective tissues. COLXIV-A was also detected in the basement membrane (BM), where it co-localized with COLXII. At later developmental stages, COLXIV-A was not expressed in epithelia anymore but persisted in the BM. Morpholino knockdown of COLXIV-A provoked a skin detachment phenotype. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that morpholino-injected embryos lacked a lamina densa and lamina lucida at 24 hpf, and BM defects, such as gaps in the adepidermal granules, were still detected at 48 hpf. These BM defects were accompanied by a rupture of the dermis and detachment of the epidermis. Taken together, these data suggest an unexpected role of COLXIV-A in undifferentiated epithelia and in the formation of embryonic basement membranes.
Using Analytic Scoring Rubrics in the Automatic Assessment of College-Level Summary Writing Tasks in L2

Assessing summaries is a demanding, yet useful task which provides valuable information on language competence, especially for second language learners. We consider automated scoring of college-level summary writing task in English as a second language (EL2). We adopt the Reading-for-Understanding (RU) cognitive framework, extended with the Reading-to-Write (RW) element, and use analytic scoring with six rubrics covering content and writing quality. We show that regression models with reference-based and linguistic features considerably outperform the baselines across all the rubrics. Moreover, we find interesting correlations between summary features and analytic rubrics, revealing the links between the RU and RW constructs.
The Role of NHERF and E3KARP in the cAMP-mediated Inhibition of NHE3*

NHE3 is the apically located Na+/H+ exchanger in the gut and in the renal proximal tubule. Acute inhibition of this transporter by cAMP requires the presence of either of two NHE3-associated proteins, NHERF or E3KARP. It has been suggested that these proteins either directly regulate NHE3 activity after being phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA) or that they may serve as adapters that localize PKA near NHE3. We studied the role of NHERF and E3KARP in opossum kidney cells, which endogenously express NHE3, NHERF, and ezrin and display cAMP-dependent inhibition of NHE3. In vivophosphorylation studies showed that NHERF is a phosphoprotein under basal conditions, but does not change its phosphorylation state after 8-bromo-cAMP treatment, and that E3KARP is not phosphorylated at all. Co-immunoprecipitation showed that NHERF and E3KARP bind both NHE3 and ezrin. Using cAMP analogs it was demonstrated that NHE3 activity, measured as sodium-dependent recovery of the intracellular pH after intracellular acidification, is inhibited by PKA type II. Because others have shown that ezrin binds PKA type II and that NHE3 is phosphorylated by PKA we suggest that NHERF and E3KARP are adapters that link NHE3 to ezrin, thereby localizing PKA near NHE3 to allow NHE3 phosphorylation.
Time-Based Prospective Memory Performance and Time-Monitoring in Children with ADHD

The current study investigated prospective memory (PM) performance in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and controls and aimed at exploring possible underlying factors of PM performance. Twenty-two children with ADHD and 39 age- and ability-matched typically developing children performed a computerized time-based PM task. As predicted, children with ADHD had fewer correct PM responses than controls. Neither differences in overall ongoing task performance nor, remarkably, differences in overall frequency and accuracy of time monitoring were found. Exploratory analyses suggest that individual differences in time monitoring in the final interval before target times may be related to PM performance in ADHD.
An Empirical Study of the Effectiveness of using Sentiment Analysis Tools for Opinion Mining

Sentiment analysis is increasingly used as a tool to gauge people’s opinions on the internet. For example, sentiment analysis has been widely used in assessing people’s opinions on hotels, products (e.g., books and consumer electronics), public policies, and political candidates. However, due to the complexity in automated text analysis, today’s sentiment analysis tools are far from perfect. For example, many of them are good at detecting useful mood signals but inadequate in tracking and inferencing the relationships between different moods and different targets. As a result, if not used carefully, the results from sentiment analysis can be meaningless or even misleading. In this paper, we present an empirical analysis of the effectiveness of using existing sentiment analysis tools in assessing people’s opinions in five different domains. We also proposed several effectiveness indicators that can be computed automatically to help avoid the potential pitfalls in misusing a sentiment analysis tool.
Cardiovascular disease in women with polycystic ovary syndrome at long‐term follow‐up: a retrospective cohort study

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors but the relative prevalence of cardiovascular disease in women with PCOS has not previously been reported. We have compared cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in middle‐aged women previously diagnosed with PCOS and age‐matched control women.
Possible pitfalls of flux calculations based on (13)C-labeling.

Metabolic engineers have enthusiastically adopted the (13)C-labeling technique as a powerful tool for elucidating fluxes in metabolic networks. This tracer technique makes it possible to determine fluxes that are unobservable using only metabolite balances and allows the elimination of doubtful cofactor balances that are indispensable in flux analysis based on metabolite balancing alone. The (13)C-labeling technique, however, relies on a number of assumptions that are not free from uncertainties. Two possible errors in the models that are needed to determine the metabolic fluxes from labeling data are omitted reactions and ignored occurrence of channeling. By means of two representative examples it is shown that these modeling errors may lead to serious errors in the calculated flux distributions despite the use of labeling data. A complicating fact is that the model errors are not always easily detected as poor models may still yield good fits of experimental data. Results of (13)C-labeling experiments should therefore be interpreted with appropriate caution.
Relationship between air pollution and outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis.

PURPOSE Past studies present evidence of associations between air pollution and human ocular symptoms; however, to the knowledge of the authors, research investigating the hazardous effects of air pollution on nonspecific conjunctivitis is nonexistent. This study investigates the relationship between air pollution and outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis in Taiwan. A multiarea analysis was conducted to examine and assess the risks of short-term effects of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), ozone (O₃), and carbon monoxide on nonspecific conjunctivitis. METHODS Data were collected from outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis from seven air-quality-monitoring areas. To find immediate and lag effects of air pollution, an area-specific, case-crossover analysis was performed and a meta-analysis with random effects was used to combine the area-specific RESULTS Results. The effects on outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis are strongest for O₃ and NO₂, with a 2.5% increase (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-4.1) for a 16.4 ppb (parts per billion) concentration rise in O₃ and a 2.3% increase (95% CI, 0.7-3.9) for an 11.47 ppb concentration rise in NO₂. Effects are also found for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM₁₀) and SO₂. Effects are more prominent in winter because the analysis was stratified according to season. CONCLUSIONS The air pollutants NO₂, SO₂, O₃, and PM₁₀ increase the chances of outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis and have no evident lag effects.
Biochemical Characterization of a Regulatory Cascade Controlling Transcription of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion System*

Many Gram-negative pathogens utilize type III secretion systems (T3SS) to translocate effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells. Expression of T3SS genes is highly regulated and is often coupled to type III secretory activity. Transcription of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa T3SS genes is coupled to secretion by a cascade of interacting regulatory proteins (ExsA, ExsD, ExsC, and ExsE). ExsA is an activator of type III gene transcription, ExsD binds ExsA to inhibit transcription, ExsC inhibits ExsD activity, and ExsE inhibits ExsC activity. The entire process is coupled to secretion by virtue of the fact that ExsE is a secreted substrate of the T3SS. Changes in the intracellular concentration of ExsE are thought to govern formation of the ExsC-ExsE, ExsC-ExsD, and ExsD-ExsA complexes. Whereas formation of the ExsC-ExsE complex allows ExsD to bind ExsA and transcription of the T3SS is repressed, formation of the ExsC-ExsD complex sequesters ExsD from ExsA and transcription of the T3SS is induced. In this study, we characterized the self-association states of ExsC, ExsD, and ExsE and the binding interactions of ExsC with ExsE and ExsD. ExsC exists as a homodimer and binds one molecule of ExsE substrate. Dimeric ExsC also interacts directly with ExsD to form a heterotetrameric complex. The difference in binding affinities between the ExsC-ExsE (Kd 1 nm) and ExsC-ExsD (Kd 18 nm) complexes supports a model in which ExsC preferentially binds cytoplasmic ExsE, resulting in the inhibition of T3SS gene transcription.
Comprehensive Theory of Differential Kinematics and Dynamics for Motion Optimization

This paper presents a novel unified theoretical framework for differential kinematics and dynamics for complex robot motion optimization. By introducing 18×18 comprehensive motion transformation matrix (CMTM), forward differential kinematics and dynamics including velocity and acceleration can be written in a simple chain product like ordinary rotational matrix. This formulation enables analytical computation of derivative of various physical quantities including joint force or torques with respect to joint coordinate variables and their derivatives for a robot trajectory in an efficient manner (O(NJ), where NJ is the number of the robot’s DOF), which is useful for motion optimization.
The Influence of Factors; Human Resource Management, Production, and Marketing on the Financial Performance of Small-Sized Enterprises in Jayapura City

This study aims to identify and analyze the influence of human resource management, production and marketing, on the financial performance of Small-sized enterprise in Jayapura City. Data collection methods used were observation, interviews, and questionnaires. Data were analyzed by applying SEM (structural equation modeling analysis method by making use of Amos Software. The results showed that the factors of human resource management and marketing not affect the financial performance of small-sized enterprise in Jayapura. Then the production factor affect the financial performance of small-sized enterprise in Jayapura.
Classifying Africans with the Metabolic Syndrome

This study was aimed to compare prevalences of the metabolic syndrome in Africans using five definitions as proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR), the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults [Adult Treatment Panel (ATPIII)], the American College of Endocrinology (ACE), and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). A further objective was to identify difficulties in classifying Africans with the metabolic syndrome and to suggest specific areas where criteria adjustments for identifying Africans should be made. A case-case-control cross-sectional study involved 102 urban African women. Except for microalbumin data, all data necessary for classification of the metabolic syndrome were collected, including fasting and 2-h glucose and insulin, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and lipids. The metabolic syndrome prevalences ranged from 5.4% (EGIR), 15.7% (ATPIII), >or=19.4% (WHO), 24.8% (IDF) to 25.5% (ACE). Only 2.9% (n=3) had a triglyceride level >or=1.69 mmol/l, but 58.8% (n=60) had a HDL-level <1.29 mmol/l, whereas 27% (n=26) were insulin resistant, 22.3% (n=21), had a blood pressure >or=140/90 or used hypertension medication. It seems as if the classification of hypertension, insulin resistance and hyperglycemia might have been adequate, but body composition and dyslipidemia criteria need adjustment for Africans. Since neither definition seems completely suitable for Africans it is suggested that clinical emphasis should rather be on treating any specific cardiovascular disease risk factor that is present, than on diagnosing a patient with the metabolic syndrome.
Data management in TestBed for large scale wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor network (WSN) testbed design challenges can be divided into three main sub-categories: architectural, hardware and software. By considering all these challenges, an optimal solution was found and EDI TestBed created. In this paper, a method, which solves software related problems in large scale WSN testbed, such as how to distribute computational resources, control all of the testbed devices and how to efficiently acquire and structure the data, is described. The experimental test results shows that proposed method is advantageous for large scale testbeds (more than 20 sensor nodes), and its efficiency increases rapidly if the number of sensor nodes in testbed increases.
Adenocarcinoma of duodenum and ampulla of Vater: Clinicopathology study and expression of p53, c‐neu, TGF‐α, CEA, and EMA

Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and growth factors are being explored as to their role in the initiation and progression of most neoplasms, but little information exists on the expression of oncoproteins or growth factors in adenocarcinoma of the duodenum or ampulla of Vater. This report covers expressions of p53, c‐neu, TGF‐α, CEA, and EMA in duodenal adenocarcinoma and ampullary adenocarcinoma, as well as correlations between expressions and tumor stage, histological grade and patient survival. The expression of p53, c‐neu, TGF‐α, CEA, and EMA has been studied in 15 duodenal adenocarcinomas and in eight ampullary adenocarcinomas by avidin‐biotin‐peroxidase complex indirect immunoperoxidase technique. The positive reaction for p53, c‐neu, TGF‐α, CEA, and EMA in duodenal adenocarcinoma was 20%, 60%, 60%, 73%, and 100%, respectively, and in ampullary adenocarcinoma, 13%, 100%, 50%, 63%, and 100%. Among the duodenal tumors, C‐neu and p53 expression was noted more frequently in groups with high histological grades. Patients with c‐neu positive duodenal adenocarcinoma had a shorter survival than the patients with c‐neu negative duodenal adenocarcinoma (P < 0.01). C‐neu product may serve as an unfavorable prognostic indicator in duodenal adenocarcinoma. No statistically significant correlation was found between the expressions of CEA, EMA, p53, and TGF‐α and patient survival, tumor stage, or histological grade in either duodenal or ampullary adenocarcinomas. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.