Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian algorithm for the estimation of the dielectric constant from active and passive remotely sensed data

An inversion technique based on the merging of microwave remotely sensed data is applied to ground-based radiometer and scatterometer data acquired for the same area. The purpose of this technique is to retrieve the dielectric constant of bare soils. The algorithm is based on a Bayesian approach and combines prior information on the dielectric constant and surface roughness with observed data, in order to obtain a marginal posterior probability density function. The function describes how the probability is distributed within the range of the dielectric constant values, given the measured values of emissivity and backscattering coefficient. The algorithm allows for the incorporation of all the available sources of information, such as multipolarization and multifrequency data. Several criteria, which have been used to compare the predicted and the observed values, show that for dielectric constant values higher than 10 the best performance is achieved when data with one polarization and one or two frequencies are exploited. For dielectric constant values of less than 10, the configuration with two polarizations produces the best estimates.
A Study on DS-SVM-Based Forecast Model from the View of Information Fusion

Dempster-Shafer Theory is specially advantaged in information fusion, while Support Vector Machine (SVM) can well deal with high-dimensional limited sample data. This Article firstly forecasts the data samples by categories with multiple SVMs, and hence based thereon, fuses the resulting information from multiple SVM models by using DS theory. At the end, Anderson's Iris data set is used to simulate the system of the created DS-SVM model, which shows that the approaches proposed in this Article can not only increase the accuracy rate of the SVM forecasting model, but also improve the propensity scores of the SVM forecasting model.
STRUKTUR SEMANTIK Verba PROSES TIPE KEJADIAN Bahasa Jawa : KaJIAN METABAHASA SEMANTIK ALAMI

Verba proses tipe kejadian merupakan bagian dari verba proses yang mengungkapkan kejadian tidak bergerak. Verba kejadian memiliki komponen dan struktur semantis tertentu yang membedakannya dengan verba tindakan dan verba keadaan. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan komponen dan struktur semantik verba kejadian dalam bahasa Jawa (BJ). Penelitian ini menggunakan ancangan Metabahasa Semantik Alami (MSA), yaitu teori semantik yang menggunakan perangkat makna asali, yang telah dikembangkan pertaman kali oleh Wiezbicka. Data yang digunakan dalam tulisan ini meliputi data tulis dan data lisan, yang diperoleh dari penutur asli BJ dan majalah BJ. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa verba kejadian memiliki beberapa komponen semantik, yakni: [+dinamis], [-kesengajaan], [+/kepungtualan], [+/-telik], [-kinesis], dan [gerakan]. Verba kejadian ini dibentuk dengan makna asali TERJADI dan MELAKUKAN. Dengan perangkat makna asali yang tertuang dalam sintaksis MSA, eksplikasi dari verba kejadian BJ dapat dijelaskan dengan tuntas. Kata Kunci : verba proses tipe kejadian, bahasa Jawa, Metabahasa Semantik Alami
Les six opérations de Grothendieck et le formalisme des cycles évanescents dans le monde motivique (I)

© Société mathématique de France, 2007, tous droits réservés. L’accès aux archives de la collection « Astérisque » (http://smf4.emath.fr/ Publications/Asterisque/) implique l’accord avec les conditions générales d’utilisation (http://www.numdam.org/conditions). Toute utilisation commerciale ou impression systématique est constitutive d’une infraction pénale. Toute copie ou impression de ce fichier doit contenir la présente mention de copyright.
Image Quality Assessment Based on Gradient Similarity F

In this paper, we propose a new image quality assessment (IQA) scheme, with emphasis on gradient similarity. Gradients convey important visual information and are crucial to scene understanding. Using such information, structural and contrast changes can be effectively captured. Therefore, we use the gradient similarity to measure the change in contrast and structure in images. Apart from the structural/contrast changes, image quality is also affected by luminance changes, which must be also accounted for complete and more robust IQA. Hence, the proposed scheme considers both luminance and contrast–structural changes to effectively assess image quality. Furthermore, the proposed scheme is designed to follow the masking effect and visibility threshold more closely, i.e., the case when both masked and masking signals are small is more effectively tackled by the proposed scheme. Finally, the effects of the changes in luminance and contrast–structure are integrated via an adaptive method to obtain the overall image quality score. Extensive experiments conducted with six publicly available subject-rated databases (comprising of diverse images and distortion types) have confirmed the effectiveness, robustness, and efficiency of the proposed scheme in comparison with the relevant state-of-the-art schemes.
Pretreatment quality of life and functional status assessment significantly predict survival of elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy: a prognostic analysis of the multicenter Italian lung cancer in the elderly study.

PURPOSE To study the prognostic value for overall survival of baseline assessment of functional status, comorbidity, and quality of life (QoL) in elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from 566 patients enrolled onto the phase III randomized Multicenter Italian Lung Cancer in the Elderly Study (MILES) study were analyzed. Functional status was measured as activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL). The presence of comorbidity was assessed with a checklist of 33 items; items 29 and 30 of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core questionnaire QLQ-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were used to estimate QoL. ADL was dichotomized as none versus one or more dependency. For IADL and QoL, three categories were defined using first and third quartiles as cut points. Comorbidity was summarized using the Charlson scale. Analysis was performed by Cox model, and stratified by treatment arm. RESULTS Better values of baseline QoL (P = .0003) and IADL (P = .04) were significantly associated with better prognosis, whereas ADL (P = .44) and Charlson score (P = .66) had no prognostic value. Performance status 2 (P = .006) and a higher number of metastatic sites (P = .02) also predicted shorter overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Pretreatment global QoL and IADL scores, but not ADL and comorbidity, have significant prognostic value for survival of elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who were treated with chemotherapy. Using these scores in clinical practice might improve prognostic prediction for treatment planning.
The genetic organization of Desulfovibrio desulphuricans ATCC 27774 bacterioferritin and rubredoxin‐2 genes: involvement of rubredoxin in iron metabolism

The anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio desulphuricans ATCC 27774 contains a unique bacterioferritin, isolated with a stable di‐iron centre and having iron‐coproporphyrin III as its haem cofactor, as well as a type 2 rubredoxin with an unusual spacing of four amino acid residues between the first two binding cysteines. The genes encoding for these two proteins were cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the bacterioferritin shows that it is among the most divergent members of this protein family. Most interestingly, the bacterioferritin and rubredoxin‐2 genes form a dicistronic operon, which reflects the direct interaction between the two proteins. Indeed, bacterioferritin and rubredoxin‐2 form a complex in vitro, as shown by the significant increase in the anisotropy and decay times of the fluorescence of rubredoxin‐2 tryptophan(s) when mixed with bacterioferritin. In addition, rubredoxin‐2 donates electrons to bacterioferritin. This is the first identification of an electron donor to a bacterioferritin and shows the involvement of rubredoxin‐2 in iron metabolism. Furthermore, analysis of the genomic data for anaerobes suggests that rubredoxins play a general role in iron metabolism and oxygen detoxification in these prokaryotes.
{1,5,9-Tris[(2S)-2-hydroxypropyl]-1,5,9-triazacyclododecane}zinc(II) dinitrate monohydrate

In the title compound, [Zn(C18H39N3O3)](NO3)2·H2O, the coordination geometry around the central ZnII atom is distorted octahedral. The hydroxyl groups in the macrocyclic ligand and water molecules are engaged in O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding, which forms two-dimensional corrugated sheets comprising 34-membered rings. Neighbouring sheets are connected by C—H⋯O interactions.
Weighing risks against benefits in contraceptive safety.

The safety or health benefit of family planning needs to be weighed against the risks associated with unintended pregnancy and birth. It is the responsibility of family planning providers to consider these relative benefits and to inform contraceptive users of them. The risks related to childbearing and contraception differ greatly, varying with age, parity, race, nutritional status, geographic area, amount and type of medical care, contraceptive method, and availability of legal abortion. The prevention of pregnancy in less developed countries has a larger public health impact than in developed nations. A significant proportion of maternity related mortality and morbidity could be reduced by increasing the interval between pregnancies and by limiting the number of births. Contraception is 5-10 times safer than childbearing in developing countries, but data on contraceptive risks are inadequate so it is difficult to weigh the risks and benefits of a specific contraceptive method for a specific population. The information presented on contraceptive methods has been drawn mainly from studies conducted in the more developed countries. More than 150 million women around the world are using oral contraceptives (OCs). Even in a developed country such as England, deaths caused by strokes associated with OC use are only 1/8 the number of deaths due to pregnancy. In less developed countries, the incidence of these diseases is even lower than in developed countries. For OC users in a developing country, the diagnosis of complications and adequate treatment are not always readily available and so mortality from these complications may be higher. Yet, there are many advantages in addition to the OC's contraceptive effect, such as reduced rates of iron deficiency anemia and benign breast disease. There appears to be an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and ectopic pregnancy among IUD users, but careful selection of women for IUD insertion can minimize these risks. Young women with no children particularly should be informed of the increased risks to health and fertility, but the public health impact may be limited in developing countries where most women who practice family planning have had several children. Considering the risk benefit ratio, the advantages of sterilization far outweigh any adverse effects and contribute significantly to the improvement and promotion of family health. Despite the known side effects of long-acting progestogens such as Depo-Provera, they have proven to be an important contraceptive method for many countries. They are particularly appropriate for women who have completed their desired family size and are awaiting permanent sterilization. The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved its use as a contraceptive in the US. Barrier methods cause no known illness, disease, or mortality, and they offer some protection against sexually transmitted diseases and are highly effective when used by motivated persons.
Lysine Residues Lys-19 and Lys-49 of β-Catenin Regulate Its Levels and Function in T Cell Factor Transcriptional Activation and Neoplastic Transformation*

Wnt signaling regulates cell fate determination, proliferation, and survival, among other processes. Certain Wnt ligands stabilize the β-catenin protein, leading to the ability of β-catenin to activate T cell factor-regulated genes. In the absence of Wnts, β-catenin is phosphorylated at defined serine and threonine residues in its amino (N) terminus. The phosphorylated β-catenin is recognized by a β-transducin repeat-containing protein (βTrCP) and associated ubiquitin ligase components. The serine/threonine residues and βTrCP-binding site in the N-terminal region of β-catenin constitute a key regulatory motif targeted by somatic mutations in human cancers, resulting in constitutive stabilization of the mutant β-catenin proteins. Structural studies have implicated β-catenin lysine 19 as the major target for βTrCP-dependent ubiquitination, but Lys-19 mutations in cancer have not been reported. We studied the consequences of single amino acid substitutions of the only 2 lysine residues in the N-terminal 130 amino acids of β-catenin. Mutation of Lys-19 minimally affected β-catenin levels and functional activity, and mutation of Lys-49 led to reduced β-catenin levels and function. In contrast, β-catenin proteins with substitutions at both Lys-19 and Lys-49 positions were present at elevated levels and had the ability to potently activate T cell factor-dependent transcription and promote neoplastic transformation. We furthermore demonstrate that the K19/K49 double mutant forms of β-catenin are stabilized as a result of reduced βTrCP-dependent ubiquitination. Our findings suggest that Lys-19 is a primary in vivo site of βTrCP-dependent ubiquitination and Lys-49 may be a secondary or cryptic site. Moreover, our results inform understanding of why single amino acid substitutions at lysine 19 or 49 have not been reported in human cancer.
Number and relative size of thenar motor units estimated by an adapted multiple point stimulation method

An adapted multiple point stimulation (AMPS) method is described for estimating the number and relative size of thenar motor units. With this method, the median nerve was stimulated at various sites from the wrist to the elbow. To avoid alternation, only two or three clearly identifiable surface‐recorded motor unit action potentials (S‐MUAPs) were recruited at each point by incremental stimulation. A total of 10 S‐MUAPs, eleicited from four to five distinct stimulatin points, was used to calculate the average S‐MUAP size. By dividing the maximum M‐potential size by that value, a motor unit number estimate (MUNE) was derived. In 59 healthy volunteers, from 19 to 87 years old, the mean average S‐MUAP size was 87 ± 27.6 μV. ms and the mean MUNE was 278 ± 113 motor units. When performed repeatedly, the results were reproducible. The number of motor units declined exponenetially with age while average S‐MUAP sized increased only moderately. To assess the validity of the AMPS method, its results were correlated with those obtained using the F‐response technique. The correlation coefficient was 0.83 (P < 0.001). © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Transmission Dynamics of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae: a National Survey of Cattle Farms in Israel in 2013

ABSTRACT Our objectives were to study the prevalence, risk factors for carriage, and transmission dynamics of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBLPE) in a national survey of cattle. This was a point prevalence study conducted from July to October 2013 in Israel. Stool samples were collected from 1,226 cows in 123 sections on 40 farms of all production types. ESBLPE were identified in 291 samples (23.7%): 287 contained Escherichia coli and 4 contained Klebsiella pneumoniae. The number of ESBLPE-positive cows was the highest in quarantine stations and on fattening farms and was the lowest on pasture farms (P = 0.03). The number of ESBLPE-positive cows was the lowest in sections containing adult cows (age, >25 months) and highest in sections containing calves (age, <4 months) (P < 0.001). Infrastructure variables that were significant risk factors for ESBLPE carriage included crowding, a lack of manure cleaning, and a lack of a cooling (P < 0.001 for each), all of which were more common in sections containing calves. Antimicrobial prophylaxis was given almost exclusively to calves and was associated with a high number of ESBLPE carriers (P < 0.001). The 287 E. coli isolates were typed into 106 repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR types and mostly harbored bla CTX-M-1 or bla CTX-M-9 group genes. The isolates on the six farms with ≥15 isolates of ESBLPE were of 4 to 7 different REP-PCR types, with one dominant type being harbored by about half of the isolates. Fourteen types were identified on more than one farm, with only six of the farms being adjacent to each other. The prevalence of ESBLPE carriage is high in calves in cowsheds where the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis is common. ESBLPE disseminate within cowsheds mainly by clonal spread, with limited intercowshed transmission occurring.
Autophagy activator promotes neuronal differentiation of adult adipose-derived stromal cells

Preliminary research from our group found altered autophagy intensity during adipose-derived stromal cell differentiation into neuronal-like cells, and that this change was associated with morphological changes in differentiated cells. This study aimed to verify the role of rapamycin, an autophagy activator, in the process of adipose-derived stromal cell differentiation into neuronal-like cells. Immunohistochemical staining showed that expression of neuron-specific enolase and neurofilament-200 were gradually upregulated in adipose-derived stromal cells after 5 mM β-mercaptoethanol induction, and the differentiation rate gradually increased with induction time. Using transmission electron microscopy, induced cells were shown to exhibit cytoplasmic autophagosomes, with bilayer membranes, and autolysosomes. After rapamycin (200 μg/L) induction for 1 hour, adipose-derived stromal cells began to extend long processes, similar to the morphology of neuronal-like cells, while untreated cells did not exhibit similar morphologies until 3 hours after induction. Moreover, the differentiation rate was significantly increased after rapamycin treatment. Compared with untreated cells, expression of LC3, an autophagy protein, was also significantly upregulated. Positive LC3 expression tended to concentrate at cell nuclei with increasing induction times. Our experimental findings indicate that autophagy can significantly increase the speed of adipose-derived stromal cell differentiation into neuronal-like cells.
Tax Induced Emissions ? Estimating short-run emission impacts from carbon taxation under different electricity market structures

This paper evaluates the relevance of market structure on the short-run effectiveness of carbon taxation by utilizing the introduction of Australia’s carbon tax in 2012, its removal in 2014, and between these dates a change in market structure in Western Australia where the dominant generator became vertically integrated with the market retailer. The market power of the dominant firm decreased with the introduction of the carbon tax, reducing its profit incentive to lower its coal based generation in some demand conditions and increasing equilibrium carbon emissions. However, when vertically integrated, the dominant firm behaved more competitively and the carbon tax reduced equilibrium carbon emissions. The results indicate that the immediate short-run impacts from carbon taxation can be small and perhaps even induce emissions in imperfect markets. However, these shortrun results have limited long-run implications because it is expected that a carbon price would result in incentives for electricity generators to invest in a less emissions-intensive capital stock. Rather, these short-run findings highlight the importance for an emissions tax to cover a broad base of industries and be long lasting in order to achieve substantive reductions in carbon emissions.
The Chemokines, CX3CL1, CCL14, and CCL4, Promote Human Trophoblast Migration at the Feto-Maternal Interface1

Abstract Human embryo implantation is a complex process involving blastocyst attachment to the endometrial epithelium and subsequent trophoblast invasion of the decidua. Chemokines, critical regulators of leukocyte migration, are abundant in endometrial epithelial and decidual cells at this time. We hypothesized that endometrial chemokines stimulate trophoblast invasion. Chemokine receptors CX3CR1 and CCR1 were immunolocalized in human first-trimester implantation sites, specifically to endovascular extravillous trophoblasts, but not to the invading interstitial EVTs (iEVTs), with weak staining also on syncytium. CCR3 was localized to invading iEVTs and to microvilli on the syncytial surface. Expression of CX3CL1 (fractalkine), CCL7 (MCP-3), and their receptors (CX3CR1, CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, and CCR5) mRNA was examined in cellular components of the maternal-embryonic interface by RT-PCR. Both chemokines were abundant in entire endometrium and placenta, endometrial cells (primary cultures and HES, a human endometrial epithelial cell line) and trophoblast cell lines (JEG-3, ACIM-88, and ACIM-32). Chemokine receptor mRNA was expressed by placenta and trophoblast cell lines: CCR1 by all trophoblast cell types, whereas CCR2, CCR3, and CX3CR1 were more variable. CX3CR1, CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5 were also expressed by endometrial cells. Migration assays used the trophoblast cell line most closely resembling extravillous cytotrophoblast (AC1M-88). Trophoblast migration occurred in response to CX3CL1, CCL14, and CCL4, but not CCL7. Endometrial cell-conditioned media also stimulated trophoblast migration; this was attenuated by neutralizing antibodies to CX3CL1 and CCL4. Thus, chemokines are expressed by maternal and embryonic cells during implantation, whereas corresponding receptors are on trophoblast cells. Promotion of trophoblast migration by chemokines and endometrial cell conditioned medium indicates an important involvement of chemokines in maternal-fetal communication.
Real-Time physics simulation system for marine robotic platforms

This work describes the development of a real-time simulator for an ROV pilot trainer. The challenges addressed in this paper were the selection and implementation of a dynamic physical model that provides both, an accurate model of the physical phenomena and a fast enough implementation for the operation as a real-time simulator. It also has graphical interface for the user interaction. This work explains in detail how was the process of development and the features that the software has.