Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perspectives on climate change impacts on infectious diseases.

disease: use of remote sensing for. detection of Vibrio cholerae by indirect measurement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) 97:1438-1443. LoGuidice, K. , R. S. Ostfeld, K. A. Schmidt, and F. Keesing. 2003. The ecology of infectious disease: effects of host diversity and community composition on Lyme disease risk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) 100: 567-571. Ostfeld, R. S. , and F. Keesing. 2000. Biodiversity and disease risk: the case of Lyme disease. Conservation Biology 14:722 728.
Learning and Crafting for the Wide Multiple Baseline Stereo

This thesis introduces the wide multiple baseline stereo (WxBS) problem. WxBS, a generalization of the standard wide baseline stereo problem, considers the matching of images that simultaneously differ in more than one image acquisition factor such as viewpoint, illumination, sensor type, or where object appearance changes significantly, e.g., over time. A new dataset with the ground truth, evaluation metric and baselines has been introduced. The thesis presents the following improvements of the WxBS pipeline. (i) A loss function, called HardNeg, for learning a local image descriptor that relies on hard negative mining within a mini-batch and on the maximization of the distance between the closest positive and the closest negative patches. (ii) The descriptor trained with the HardNeg loss, called HardNet, is compact and shows state-of-the-art performance in standard matching, patch verification and retrieval benchmarks. (iii) A method for learning the affine shape, orientation, and potentially other parameters related to geometric and appearance properties of local features. (iv) A tentative correspondences generation strategy which generalizes the standard first to second closest distance ratio is presented. The selection strategy, which shows performance superior to the standard method, is applicable to either hard-engineered descriptors like SIFT, LIOP, and MROGH or deeply learned like HardNet. (v) A feedback loop is introduced for the two-view matching problem, resulting in MODS -- matching with on-demand view synthesis -- algorithm. MODS is an algorithm that handles a viewing angle difference even larger than the previous state-of-the-art ASIFT algorithm, without a significant increase of computational cost over"standard"wide and narrow baseline approaches. Last, but not least, a comprehensive benchmark for local features and robust estimation algorithms is introduced.
3D Local Binary Pattern for PET Image Classification by SVM - Application to Early Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis

The early diagnostic of Alzheimer disease by non-invasive technique becomes a priority to improve the life of patient and his social environment by an adapted medical follow-up. This is a necessity facing the growing number of affected persons and the cost to our society caused by dementia. Computer based analysis of Fluorodeoxyglucose PET scans might become a possibility to make early diagnosis more efficient. Temporal and parietal lobes are the main location of medical findings. We have clues that in PET images these lobes contain more information about Alzheimer's disease. We used a texture operator, the Local Binary Pattern, to include prior information about the localization of changes in the human brain. We use a Support Vector machine (SVM) to classify Alzheimer's disease versus normal control group and to get better classification rates focusing on parietal and temporal lobes.
Tuning Superinductors by Quantum Coherence Effects for Enhancing Quantum Computing.

Research on spatially inhomogeneous weakly coupled superconductors has recently received a boost of interest because of the experimental observation of a dramatic enhancement of the kinetic inductance with relatively low losses. Here, we study the kinetic inductance and the quality factor of a strongly disordered, weakly coupled superconducting thin film. We employ a gauge-invariant random-phase approximation capable of describing collective excitations and other fluctuations. In line with the experimental findings, we have found that in the range of frequencies of interest, and for sufficiently low temperatures, an exponential increase of the kinetic inductance with disorder coexists with a still large quality factor of ∼10^{4}. More interestingly, on the metallic side of the superconductor-insulator transition, we have identified a range of frequencies and temperatures, T∼0. 1T_{c}, where quantum coherence effects induce a broad statistical distribution of the quality factor with an average value that increases with disorder. We expect these findings to further stimulate experimental research on the design and optimization of superinductors for a better performance and miniaturization of quantum devices such as qubit circuits and microwave detectors.
Group emotion recognition in the wild by combining deep neural networks for facial expression classification and scene-context analysis

This paper presents the implementation details of a proposed solution to the Emotion Recognition in the Wild 2017 Challenge, in the category of group-level emotion recognition. The objective of this sub-challenge is to classify a group's emotion as Positive, Neutral or Negative. Our proposed approach incorporates both image context and facial information extracted from an image for classification. We use Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to predict facial emotions from detected faces present in an image. Predicted facial emotions are combined with scene-context information extracted by another CNN using fully connected neural network layers. Various techniques are explored by combining and training these two Deep Neural Network models in order to perform group-level emotion recognition. We evaluate our approach on the Group Affective Database 2.0 provided with the challenge. Experimental evaluations show promising performance improvements, resulting in approximately 37% improvement over the competition's baseline model on the validation dataset.
Diagnostic disagreement--the lessons learnt from malaria diagnosis in Mpumalanga.

: Diagnostic tests that require human interpretation will always be susceptible to error. This may lead to delays in initiating effective therapy for potentially fatal conditions. The Malaria Control Programme in South Africa has historically relied on the microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained thick blood smears to confirm the clinical diagnosis of malaria. The level of agreement of malaria laboratory diagnosis performed by the four laboratories serving the Mpumalanga Province Malaria Control Programme was investigated. The disagreement between the laboratories argues in favour of a uniform training and quality assurance programme or the introduction of alternative diagnostic modalities. It should also serve as a caution against diagnostic complacency in other public health programmes.
Rationale and Standardization for a Combined Speech Articulation and Auditory Discrimination Test

A description of the rationale for the development of a rapid screening test of articulation combined with a new type of auditory discrimination test called “self-monitoring” is given. Standardization norms, equivalency of two alternate forms, test-retest reliability, interjudge reliability, and intercorrelations are provided. The articulation test is quick to administer; the self-monitoring auditory discrimination test is new. Results for both tests can be recorded on a single page.
Screening Colonoscopy in Chinese and Western Patients: A Comparative Study

OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to compare findings on screening colonoscopy in a Chinese cohort versus a concurrent Western cohort.METHODS:Asymptomatic adults aged 40 years or older concurrently underwent screening colonoscopy in two hospitals, one in Taiwan and the other in Seattle. The prevalence and distribution of colonic neoplasia and advanced neoplasia (defined as an adenoma ≥10 mm or with villous, high-grade dysplastic, or malignant features) were compared between the two groups.RESULTS:The Taiwan cohort was composed of 1,456 subjects. Colonic neoplasms were found in 214 (14.7%), advanced neoplasms in 58 (4%), and colon cancers in 4 subjects (0.3%). The Seattle cohort was composed of 3,403 subjects. Neoplasms were found in 705 (20.7%), advanced neoplasms in 166 (4.9%), and cancers in 11 subjects (0.3%). Age and male sex were risk factors for neoplasia in both groups. The adjusted risk ratio was 1.30 (95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.57) in Western versus Chinese patients. However, the prevalence of advanced neoplasms was not statistically different between the two cohorts. The Chinese cohort had a higher proportion of distal neoplasia (66.4% vs 52.6%; p = 0.0004). The sensitivity of a sigmoidoscopic screening strategy for detecting advanced neoplasia was higher in Chinese (79.3%) than in Western patients (67.5%). CONCLUSIONS:Compared to Westerners, Chinese patients have a slightly lower prevalence of colon neoplasia (but not advanced neoplasia), more distal distribution of neoplasia, and higher likelihood of concomitant proximal advanced neoplasia and distal neoplasia. Colonoscopy is safe, well-tolerated, and a viable screening option in Chinese patients, but its advantage over sigmoidoscopy as a screening tool may be smaller.
Evaluation of Linear Array Human Papillomavirus Genotyping Using Automatic Optical Imaging Software

ABSTRACT Variations in biological behavior suggest that each carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) type should be considered individually in etiologic studies. HPV genotyping assays might have clinical applications if they are approved for use by the FDA. A widely used genotyping assay is the Roche Linear Array HPV genotyping test (LA). We used LA to genotype the HPV isolates from cervical specimens from women with the full spectrum of cervical disease: cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and HPV infections. To explore the feasibility and value of the automated reading of the LA results, we custom-designed novel, optical imaging software that provides optical density measurements of LA bands. We compared unmagnified visual examination with the automated measurements. The two measurements were highly associated. By either method, the threshold between a negative and a positive result was fairly sharp, with a clear bimodal distribution. Visually, most positive results were judged to be strong or medium, with fewer equivocal results categorized as weak (9.5% of positive samples), very weak (6.5% of positive samples), or extremely weak (7.7% of positive samples). The automated measurements of the intensities were significantly associated with the strength of the visual categories (P < 0.001). At the extremes of the automated signal intensities (≤20 units or ≥120 units), the bands were almost always categorized visually as negative and positive, respectively. In the equivocal zone (20 to 119 units), specimens were more increasingly likely to be judged to be visually positive as the number of other, definite infections on the same strip increased (P for trend < 0.001). Multiple, concurrent infections comprise ≥25% of HPV infections; thus, any systematic visual tendency that influences their evaluation when the result is equivocal should be minimized. Therefore, automated reading is probably worth development if easy-to-calibrate hardware and software can be optimized.
Enhanced Biomethanation in Co-Digestion of Cassava Pulp and Pig Manure Using A Two-Phase Anaerobic System

In this study, the co-digestion of cassava pulp (CP) and pig manure (PM) in a two-phase continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was examined to find the optimum CP-to-PM mixture ratio (w/w volatile solids; VS) and to evaluate the effect of phase separation on the efficiencies of solid destruction and methane production. The results showed that the highest VS removal (29%) and the greatest production of intermediates, such as volatile fatty acids and ethanol (24%) in the hydrolysis/acidification reactor were obtained using a 50:50 CP:PM ratio. Using feedstock that had a higher CP ratio, the activity of the hydrolytic/acidogenic bacteria was inhibited at approximately pH 4. In addition, the distribution of the VFA produced was shifted at approximately pH 4.5. The removal of solids and the production of methane increased in the two-phase CSTR with increasing cassava pulp ratio, up to 60% of the feedstock. The highest reduction in solids (68%) and the greatest methane yield (370 mL g-1VSadded) were obtained using a 60:40 CP:PM ratio. Co-digestion in a two-phase CSTR reduced the solids by 14% and increased the production of methane by 36% over those obtained using a single-phase CSTR.
Electric field and current density distribution in an anatomical head model during transcranial direct current stimulation for tinnitus treatment

Tinnitus is considered an auditory phantom percept. Recently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proposed as a new approach for tinnitus treatment including, as potential targets of interest, either the temporal and temporoparietal cortex or prefrontal areas. This study investigates and compares the spatial distribution of the magnitude of the electric field and the current density in the brain tissues during tDCS of different brain targets. A numerical method was applied on a realistic human head model to calculate these field distributions in different brain structures, such as the cortex, white matter, cerebellum, hippocampus, medulla oblongata, pons, midbrain, thalamus, and hypothalamus. Moreover, the same distributions were evaluated along the auditory pathways. Results of this study show that tDCS of the left temporoparietal cortex resulted in a widespread diffuse distribution of the magnitude of the electric fields (and also of the current density) on an area of the cortex larger than the target brain region. On the contrary, tDCS of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex resulted in a stimulation mainly concentrated on the target itself. Differences in the magnitude distribution were also found on the structures along the auditory pathways. A sensitivity analysis was also performed, varying the electrode position and the human head models. Accurate estimation of the field distribution during tDCS in different regions of the head could be valuable to better determine and predict efficacy of tDCS for tinnitus suppression. Bioelectromagnetics 33:476–487, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The metabolism of C14 carboxyl salicylic acid in the dog and in man.

1. Metabolic studies have been carried out on dogs and human subjects with C14 carboxyl salicylic acid. 2. The urinary metabolites of salicylic acid from the dog were: 50 per cent unchanged salicylic acid, 25 per cent glycuronic acid conjugate, 10 per cent salicyluric acid and 4 to 5 per cent gentisic acid. 3. The metabolites found in human urine after salicylic acid were: 10 to 85 per cent free salicylic acid, 0 to 50 per cent salicyluric acid, 1 per cent or less of gentisic acid and 15 to 40 per cent glycuronic acid conjugates. 4. Two conjugates of salicylic acid with glycuronic acid have been identified in human urine, one of which retains a free saucyl hydroxyl group. No other glycuronate conjugates with metabolites of salicylic acid have been identified. One conjugate of salicylate with glycuronic acid has been found in dog urine.
A full‐length cDNA resource for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

Large collections of full‐length cDNAs are important resources for genome annotation and functional genomics. We report the creation of a collection of 50 599 full‐length cDNA clones from the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Sequencing from 5′ and 3′ ends of the clones generated 97 828 high‐quality expressed sequence tags, representing approximately 9000 genes. These sequences were imported to AphidBase and are shown to play crucial roles in both automatic gene prediction and manual annotation. Our detailed analyses demonstrated that the full‐length cDNAs can further improve gene models and can even identify novel genes that are not included in the current version of the official gene set. This full‐length cDNA collection can be utilized for a wide variety of functional studies, serving as a community resource for the study of the functional genomics of the pea aphid.
No , Orally Administered Hemolymph Of Limicolaria Aurora Does Not Reduce Blood Pressure In Wistar Rats

The oral administration of the hemolymph of Limicolaria aurora at doses of 22.8 and 45.6 mg/kg body wt did not result in any significant difference in the systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure and heart rate of both normotensive and adrenaline induced hypertensive wistar rats. The data from this study show the lack of antihypertensive potential associated with the oral ingestion of Limicolaria aurora hemolymph.
Optimal control of a single leg hopper by Liouvillian system reduction

The benefits of legged locomotion shown in nature overcome challenges such as obstacles or terrain smoothness typically encountered with wheeled vehicles. This paper evaluates the benefits of using optimal control on a single leg hopper during the entire hopping motion. Basic control without considering physical constraints is implemented through hand-tuned PD controllers following the Raibert control framework. The differential flatness of the first-order equations of motion and the Liouvillian property for the second-order equations for the hopper system are proved, enabling flat outputs for control. A two-point boundary value problem (BVP) is then used to minimize jerk in the flat system to gain implicit smoothness in the output controls. This smoothness ensures that the planned trajectories are feasible, allowing for given waypoints to be reached.
[Research on the application feasibility of HLA-DRB1 genotyping for forensic identification by oligonucleotide chip].

OBJECTIVE Research on the application feasibility of HLA-DRB1 genotyping for forensic identification by oligonucleotide chip. METHODS Population studies on HLA-DRB1 was carried out in a sample of 561 unrelated Chinese Han individuals using oligonucleotide arrays for genotype detection. Meanwhile, we explored the feasibility of typing HLA-DRB1 by DNA chip for forensic identification. RESULTS No significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium could be found. The Observed heterozygosity(Ho) was 0.888. The Expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.902. The Polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.893. The Average exclusion probability (PE) was 0.801. Pedigree analysis showed no deviation from Mendel's Law. CONCLUSION The data and results of pedigree analysis and case application demonstrated that HLA-DRB1 typing by oligonucleotide probe arrays was a useful technique for paternity testing and individual identification.
A Data-driven Approach Towards Human-robot Collaborative Problem Solving in a Shared Space

We are developing a system for human-robot communication that enables people to communicate with robots in a natural way and is focused on solving problems in a shared space. Our strategy for developing this system is fundamentally data-driven: we use data from multiple input sources and train key components with various machine learning techniques. We developed a web application that is collecting data on how two humans communicate to accomplish a task, as well as a mobile laboratory that is instrumented to collect data on how two humans communicate to accomplish a task in a physically shared space. The data from these systems will be used to train and fine-tune the second stage of our system, in which the robot will be simulated through software. A physical robot will be used in the final stage of our project. We describe these instruments, a test-suite and performance metrics designed to evaluate and automate the data gathering process as well as evaluate an initial data set.
Arterial reconstruction to the foot arteries--a viable option?

OBJECTIVE To analyse the outcome of arterial reconstruction to the foot arteries for chronic critical leg ischaemia. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Regional hospital and academic referral centre in Finland. SUBJECTS 99 patients who underwent 109 reconstructions to the foot arteries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patency, leg salvage and survival. RESULTS Autogenous vein was used for the reconstruction in 91%. Two year patency of femoropedal and popliteopedal vein bypasses were 60% and 72% with similar rates of leg salvage. Prosthetic bypass had a low patency rate (20% at 2 years). Age, sex, diabetes and the condition of the outflow artery did not influence outcome. Survival of patients at 1, 2 and 3 years was 80%, 69% and 54%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Reconstructions to the foot arteries are demanding and have high immediate failure rates. If autogenous vein is used acceptable patency and leg salvage rates can be achieved. In old patients this may be enough to preserve mobility for the rest of their lives.
Some Thoughts on Empathy and Countertransference

Two aspects of countertransference—namely, the countertransference reaction and empathic understanding—must be distinguished. The term countertransference should be reserved exclusively for the conscious reactions of the analyst emerging from the preconscious by virtue of the patient's current transferences; the term empathy should be used to denote a perspective whereby the analyst employs current countertransference reactions for an understanding of the patient's inner life.
Co‐localization analysis of complex formation among membrane proteins by computerized fluorescence microscopy: application to immunofluorescence co‐patching studies

Fluorescence imaging of two independently labelled proteins is commonly used to determine their co‐localization in cells. Antibody‐mediated crosslinking can mediate the patching of such proteins at the cell surface, and their co‐localization can serve to determine complex formation among them. However, manual analysis of such studies is both tedious and subjective. Here we present a digital co‐localization analysis that is independent of the fluorescence intensity, is highly consistent and reproducible between observers, and dramatically reduces the analysis time. The approach presented is based on a segmentation procedure that creates binary objects, and then determines whether objects belonging to two different groups (e.g. green‐ and red‐labelled) are co‐localized. Two methods are used to determine co‐localization. The ‘overlap’ analysis defines two objects as co‐localized if the centre of mass of one falls within the area of the other. The ‘nearest‐neighbour distance’ analysis considers two objects as co‐localized if their centres are within a threshold distance determined by the imaging modality. To test the significance of the results, the analysis of the actual images is tested against randomized images generated by a method that creates images with uncorrelated distributions of objects from the two groups. The applicability of the algorithms presented to study protein interactions in live cells is demonstrated by co‐patching studies on influenza haemagglutinin mutants that do or do not associate into mutual oligomers at the cell surface via binding to AP‐2 adaptor complexes. The approach presented is potentially applicable to studies of co‐localization by other methods (e.g. electron microscopy), and the nearest‐neighbour distance method can also be adapted to study phenomena of correlated placement.