Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical Image Retrieval by Multi-Feature Fusion

Aiming at the problems that are poor generalization performance, low retrieval accuracy and large time consumption of existing content-based image retrieval system, the hierarchical image retrieval method based on multi feature fusion is proposed in this paper. The retrieval accuracy rates on Corel5K, UKbeach and Holidays are 68.23(Top 1), 3.73(N-S) and 88.20(mAp), respectively. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper can effectively improve the deficiency of single feature retrieval and save time significantly in the premise of a small amount of loss of accuracy.
Asymmetrical Interactions between Thirst and Hunger in Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer

Pavlovian-instrumental transfer experiments have demonstrated that a stimulus paired with a sucrose solution under hunger will increase instrumental performance under thirst relative to a stimulus previously paired with food pellets. In Experiment 1 it was demonstrated that this difference is, in part, produced by suppression induced by the pellet stimulus, which, it was found, acted to reduce instrumental performance under thirst. In Experiment 2, the reverse shift was examined, comparing the effects of stimuli paired with either a saline solution or a sucrose solution under thirst on instrumental performance under hunger. Although the sucrose stimulus was found to elevate performance when hungry, the saline stimulus was found to be without effect. This asymmetry in the interaction between hunger and thirst is discussed in terms of the way motivational states control the interaction between sensory and affective components of the reinforcer.
Response of mouse lung to crocidolite asbestos. 1. Minimal fibrotic reaction to short fibres

To determine the relationship between the development of pulmonary fibrosis and the size of deposited asbestos, we prepared a pure sample of short crocidolite fibres and instilled 0.5 mg of 0.1 mg to the lungs of mice. Animals were killed up to 20 weeks later with 3H thymidine injected 1 h before death. By bronchoalveolar lavage, there was a rapid transient increase in polymorph neutrophils (PMN) and in glucosaminidase levels; alveolar macrophage (AM) numbers were elevated in the 0.5 mg group for eight weeks. Most fibres were phagocytized by AM, many of which were heavily laden and cleared from the lung over the 20 week period. Some fibres were seen in type 1 epithelial cells, frequently associated with cell injury. From cell kinetic studies, a very brief proliferative response was seen in bronchiolar epithelial and Type 2 alveolar epithelial cells. A greater response was seen in interstitial fibroblasts which showed increased labelling up to two weeks after 0.5 mg asbestos. However no granulomas were seen and very little fibrosis was found by morphology or by biochemistry at any time after 0.5 mg; no fibrosis was seen after instilling 0.1 mg. The results show that a high dose of exclusively short asbestos fibres produces minimal lung injury and fibrosis in spite of long standing macrophage‐fibre interaction in the alveoli.
Polarization-Independent Modulator by Partly Tilted Graphene-Induced Electro-Absorption Effect

A polarization-independent graphene-based electro-absorption optical modulator concept is presented. The device is based on a slanted silicon stripe upon which two graphene flakes reside; on this surface, another silicon waveguide is capped, forming a rectangular silicon-graphene waveguide (SGW). Simulation results show that effective mode index of both TE and TM modes in the SGW undergo almost the same variations under different biases across a broad wavelength range. For a 30-μm-long silicon-graphene waveguide, throughout the S, C, and L communication bands, extinction ratio (ER) higher than 20 dB can be obtained by proper choosing of switching points for “ON” and “OFF” states. The ER discrepancy between TE and TM modes is smaller than 2.3 dB, and the polarization dependency is lower than 0.1 dB for “ON” state, which fulfills the requirement of polarization-independent modulation. Calculations show that the 3-dB modulation bandwidth higher than 100 GHz of our modulator is possible.
Recipient obesity and outcomes after kidney transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally and is associated with chronic kidney disease and premature mortality. However, the impact of recipient obesity on kidney transplant outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between recipient obesity and mortality, death-censored graft loss and delayed graft function (DGF) following kidney transplantation. METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Observational studies or randomized controlled trials investigating the association between recipient obesity at transplantation and mortality, death-censored graft loss and DGF were included. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m(2). Obese recipients were compared with those with a normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)). Pooled estimates of hazard ratios (HRs) for patient mortality or death-censored graft loss and odds ratios (ORs) for DGF were calculated. RESULTS Seventeen studies including 138 081 patients were analysed. After adjustment, there was no significant difference in mortality risk in obese recipients [HR = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.90-1.70, studies = 5, n = 83 416]. However, obesity was associated with an increased risk of death-censored graft loss (HR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01-1.12, studies = 5, n = 83 416) and an increased likelihood of DGF (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.39-2.03, studies = 4, n = 28 847). CONCLUSIONS Despite having a much higher likelihood of DGF, obese transplant recipients have only a slightly increased risk of graft loss and experience similar survival to recipients with normal BMI.
Magnetooptic rib waveguides in YIG: an experiment.

In this paper we describe fabricating YIG magnetooptic rib waveguides. We experimented with two types of the waveguide: the normal and the inverted rib. The normal rib guide was easy to make; however, the desired profile of the guide structure was not achieved for the inverted rib guide because of YIG’s uniform nucleation in the plane of the grooved substrate.
Further observations on the principal glycoprotein of the gastric secretion.

Fifty three individual gastric aspirations were eluted on Bio-gel PI50. Improved methods of separation and analysis provided a tolerably pure non-retarded fraction. The carbohydrate component showed a basic structure common to all glycoproteins comsposing the non-retarded fraction. It showed the following quantitative relationship: Galactose : Glucosamine : Galactosamine
An information system for preventive alerting of frost episodes in the Central Region of Chile

Frosts are one of the main risks faced by farmers during the winter and spring seasons. These events can cause significant damage to cultivations and crops. In Chile, these frosts generate significant losses in the agricultural production sector, causing crop losses of an entire year and compromising the income of the following year, especially fruit and wine growers. In this work we developed an information system for online monitoring of the weather conditions in the central Region of Chile. This is associated to data recorded on different zones by an automatic weather station (AWS) which data is publicly available. The systems automatically process this data in order to give a preventive alert for frost episodes. The system integrates different components including a prediction module based on historical agro-meteorological information, which communicates with an Application/Monitoring Predictions module. The system is able to deliver an alert efficiently and up to 12 hours earlier than the occurrence of a frost episode.
Research of efficiency evaluation of U-turn lanes at Signalized Intersections

This research categorized U-turn at Signalized Intersections into mainly four modes, designating them as Mode A,B,C,D: Mode A, at the Downstream Section of the Stop Line; Mode B, at Upstream Section of the Stop Line; Mode C, at the Right Side of the Ingress; Mode D, at the Upstream Section of the Transition Zone. We first evaluate their respective efficiency level, and then set up an efficiency evaluation index system. Three indexes, saturation of left turn lane, average queuing length and average delay of signal control, are standardized by modeling and simulating. The AHP method is then applied to study the integrated index for U-turn evaluation on efficiency. After theoretical arithmetic and simulating, the result shows that Mode D shows a significant advantage considering efficiency factors in each condition. This research may support urban traffic design both theoretically and technically.
The association between share price volatility and audit fees

A number of prior studies have examined the relationship between client business risk and audit fees charged for audit services by using various measures of client risk such as litigation risk, audit opinion, inherent and systematic risk, leverage, and client profitability. However, these measures of client risk are not always readily observable to users of financial information before the release of financial statements, in contrast to share price volatility. While volatility of share price is expected to be positively associated with audit fees, Pratt and Stice (1994) did not support this positive relationship. This study, hence, investigates the association between audit fees and client business risk by using share price volatility as proxy, with the aim of addressing the anomaly found in the paper of Pratt and Stice (1994). Leverage, another common measure of business risk in previous studies, is considered in order to provide a base comparison for risk. A cross-sectional audit fee regression model is used to analyse this relationship in an Australian context for the three year period 2004-2006 with some widely accepted audit fees determinants controlled. This study contributes to the extant literature by considering an additional and readily observable proxy for business risk and improves the explanatory power of existing audit fee models.
Oxidative stress drives disulfide bond formation between basic helix‐loop‐helix transcription factors

Basic helix‐loop‐helix (bHLH) transcription factors including Twist1 and E2a proteins regulate essential processes. These factors bind DNA as homo‐ or heterodimers and the choice of binding partners determines their functional output. To investigate potential regulators of bHLH dimerization, cells were exposed to the oxidative agent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Western blot analysis in the presence or absence of reducing agents, revealed that H2O2 induces the rapid formation of an intermolecular disulfide bond between Twist1 homodimers and Twist/E2a proteins heterodimers. The disulfide bond is first observed between Twist1 homodimers at 25 mM H2O2 and between Twist1 heterodimers at 75 mM H2O2. This response is dependent upon cell density as H2O2 did not induce disulfide bridge formation between bHLH proteins in cells seeded at high density. In the presence of E proteins, the formation of Twist1/E2a proteins heterodimers is favored over Twist1 homodimers, identifying an oxidative stimulus as an important factor in modulating binding partner specificity. We further demonstrated that a cysteine residue located at the C‐terminus of Twist1 and E2a proteins is involved in this response. Disulfide bond formation between Twist1 homodimers significantly reduced its ability to interact with two of its binding partners, Runx2 and HDAC4, indicating that disulfide dimerization in response to H2O2 has functional significance. These data support the conclusion that disulfide bond formation in response to an oxidative stimulus contributes to Twist1 homo‐ and heterodimerization and raises the possibility that the redox status of a cell may represent an important step in bHLH transcriptional regulation. J. Cell. Biochem. 109: 417–424, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Alertness opens the effective flow of sensory information through rat thalamic posterior nucleus

Behavioural reactions to sensory stimuli vary with the level of arousal, but little is known about the underlying reorganization of neuronal networks. In this study, we use chronic recordings from the somatosensory regions of the thalamus and cortex of behaving rats together with a novel analysis of functional connectivity to show that during low arousal tactile signals are transmitted via the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus (VPM), a first‐order thalamic relay, to the primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex and then from the cortex to the posterior medial thalamic nucleus (PoM), which plays a role of a higher‐order thalamic relay. By contrast, during high arousal this network scheme is modified and both VPM and PoM transmit peripheral input to the barrel cortex acting as first‐order relays. We also show that in urethane anaesthesia PoM is largely excluded from the thalamo‐cortical loop. We thus demonstrate a way in which the thalamo‐cortical system, despite its fixed anatomy, is capable of dynamically reconfiguring the transmission route of a sensory signal in concert with the behavioural state of an animal.
Concepts and categories: Memory, meaning, and metaphysics

Memory, Meaning, and Metaphysics Lance J. Rips, Edward E. Smith, and Douglas L. Medin Abstract The psychological study of concepts has two main goals: explaining how people’s knowledge of categories such as tables or cats enables them to classify or recognize members of those categories, and explaining how knowledge of word meanings (e.g., the meaning of table and cat) enables people to make inferences and to compute the meanings of phrases and sentences. We review current theories and data relevant to these two functions of concepts, including recent insights from cognitive neuropsychology. Both kinds of theories have evolved in ways that suggest that people make use of mental representations at several levels of complexity, from sparse, atomic concepts to complex, knowledge-intensive ones. We examine the implications of this variety for issues including psychological essentialism and domain specificity.
A Role for Thrombopoietin in Hemangioblast Development

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) act as growth factors for the hemangioblast, an embryonic progenitor of the hematopoietic and endothelial lineages. Because thrombopoietin (TPO) and its receptor, c‐Mpl, regulate primitive hematopoietic populations, including bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, we investigated whether TPO acts on the hemangioblasts that derive from differentiation of embryonic stem cells in vitro. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis detected expression of c‐Mpl beginning on day 3 of embryoid body differentiation when the hemangioblast first arises. In assays of the hemangioblast colony‐forming cell (BL‐CFC), TPO alone supported BL‐CFC formation and nearly doubled the number of BL‐CFC when added together with VEGF and SCF. When replated under the appropriate conditions, TPO‐stimulated BL‐CFC gave rise to secondary hematopoietic colonies, as well as endothelial cells, confirming their nature as hemangioblasts. Addition of a neutralizing anti‐VEGF antibody did not block TPO enhancement of BL‐CFC formation, suggesting that TPO acts independently of VEGF. These results establish that Mpl signaling plays a role in the earliest stages of hematopoietic development and that TPO represents a third growth factor influencing hemangioblast formation.
Posture-Dependent Dysphagia After Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection at Sternocleidomastoid in a Patient With Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

Abstract Cervical dystonia is a common issue in patients with athetoid cerebral palsy. Botulinum toxin injection to dystonic cervical muscles is a well-recognized treatment option, but it is known to be associated with dysphagia. Previously reported cases of dysphagia after botulinum toxin injection to the sternocleidomastoid muscle were related to the regional spread of toxin to the pharyngeal muscles. We report a unique case of posture-dependent dysphagia due to preactivation of the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles to compensate for impaired head stabilization by the weakened sternocleidomastoid muscle while swallowing. This case suggests a possible mechanism of dysphagia in patients with athetoid cerebral palsy.
QuantitativeDeterminationof HumanPlasmaApolipoproteinA-I by Laser

A technical procedure is described for quantitation of human apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) in normal plasma or serum by immunonephelometry. Dilution of the plasma samples with 6 mol/L guanidine chloride ensures maximpm exposure of the antigenic sites of the apoprotein and enables optimum quantitation of the apo A-I without requiring extraction with organic solvents. Similar data are obtained by this assay and with radioimmunoassay for normal subjects (1.2-1.5 gIL), and the results obtained on 31 patients are correlated with a coefficient of 0.92. The apo A-I values are correlated with values for plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.64). The interassay CV for immunonephelometry is about 7% and the standard curve is linear between 0.1 and 1.0 g of apo A-I per sample, corresponding to a 150-fold dilution of serum or plasma. The assay is applicable to plasma samples containing as much as 4 g of triglycerides per liter. At higher concentrations plasma delipidation is required.
Modern Architectures for Embedded Reconfigurable Systems - a Survey

Reconfigurable systems, exploiting a mixture of the traditional CPU-centric instruction-stream-based processing with the decentralized parallel application-specific data-dominated processing, provide a drastically higher performance and lower power consumption than the traditional CPU-centric systems. They do it at much lower costs and shorter times to market than the not reconfigurable hardware solutions. They also provide the flexibility that is often required for engineering of modern robust and adaptive systems. Due to their heterogeneity, flexibility and potential for highly optimized application-specific instantiation, the reconfigurable computing (RC) systems are adequate for a very broad class of applications across different industry sectors. In this paper, the basic definitions, concepts and features of reconfigurable systems are discussed, as well as their role, purposes they serve and applications that can significantly benefit from them. Also, a comparison of the hardwired systems, RC systems and CPU-centric systems is made, and some main concepts of an effective and efficient reconfigurable computing are discussed. Subsequently, the classification of the RC systems is introduced and their various architecture classes are overviewed. This is followed by a discussion of some major drivers and requirements of the recent and future developments in the modern RC system area, and an overview of the recent and future development trends in the RC architectures. The reconfigurable system area is a very promising, but quite a new field. New opportunities have been opened for this field through introduction of the system-on-a-chip technology, and a big progress has been made in the recent years. Many different reconfigurable devices and computers became commercially available. Nevertheless, multiple aspects of the RC systems, their development and their supporting tools still belong to the open research or development topics.
Collaborative support for learning in complex domains

Engineering is a complex domain to learn. CaMILE (Collaborative and Multimedia Interactive Learning Environment) aims to facilitate engineering students' learning. CaMILE builds on Cognitive Flexibility the­ ory [14, 15) in a CSILE-like structure [10, 11) through which students share multiple media and collaborate to develop understanding across diverse perspectives. CaMILE includes a collaborative NoteBase, a hyper­ media database with guides
The process of dynamic capability emergence in technology start-ups – an exploratory longitudinal study in China

This study examines what exactly dynamic capabilities look like in technology start-ups and how they emerge and evolve in the emerging market of China. Employing a case-based research method, our findings reveal that the evolutionary path of these start-ups is different than that of well-established firms. Specifically, for a start-up, (1) capabilities of sensing opportunities are shaped by the entrepreneur's existent knowledge and past experience, as well as swiftly adapted in response to external feedback over time; (2) unique competences and fast-acting capabilities at seizing opportunities rely heavily on the mobilisation and orchestration of external complementary resources; (3) a start-up is more nimble in reconfiguring internal resources and external contacts to embrace opportunities to change directions and address threats during the exploration phase and (4) capabilities of sensing, together with capabilities of seizing and transforming or/(re)configuring, form a cycle for the development of dynamic capabilities in a start-up. These results contribute to the research of dynamic capability by empirically grounding the conceptual discussion of dynamic capabilities in technology start-ups and advancing our understanding of the emergence of dynamic capabilities from scratch.
On uncertainty and robustness in evolutionary optimization-based multicriterio decision-making

Resumen: En esta tesis se abordan los diferentes problemas causados por la presencia de incertidumbre en procesos de toma de decisiones multicriterio, apoyados en metodos evolutivos. A tal fin, se hacen contribuciones metodologicas y algoritmicas relativas al manejo de incertidumbre, en lo referente a la formulacion de los programas matematicos derivados de los problemas de toma de decisiones, asi como tambien acerca de la estructura y funcionamiento de los Algoritmos Evolutivos de Optimizacion Mulitobjetivo (MOEA) empleados para solucionar dichos programas. Entre las contribuciones de la tesis, se presenta un MOEA disenado para trabajar con incertidumbre no probabilistica, llamado IP-MOEA. Por otra parte, se contemplan futuros desarrollos en el area de diseno de MOEA a traves de la comparacion del criterio de minimo arrepentimiento (minimal regret) con el concepto de epsilon-dominancia, como alternativa para el manejo de incertidumbre no probabilistica. De igual modo, se sugiere una reinterpretacion probabilistica del concepto de densidad de un hipercubo, en el almacenamiento mediante hypergrid, para el almacenamiento de soluciones con incertidumbre probabilistica. En la segunda parte de la tesis, se presenta la aplicacion de la metodologia AUREO a tres problemas de seguridad de funcionamiento, relacionados con fiabilidad de sistemas, planificacion y analisis de vulnerabilidad. Los resultados obtenidos son de interes, no solamente para el area de optimizacion evolutiva multiobjetivo, sino tambien para la el area de seguridad de funcionamiento.
The Role of Sodium-Calcium Exchanger in the Calcium Homeostasis of Airway Smooth Muscle

© 2012 Espinosa-Tanguma et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The Role of Sodium-Calcium Exchanger in the Calcium Homeostasis of Airway Smooth Muscle