Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Partial Shape Classification Using Contour Matching in Distance Transformation

An algorithm is presented to recognize and locate partially distorted 2D shapes without regard to their orientation, location, and size. The algorithm first calculates the curvature function from the digitized image of an object. The points of local maxima and minima extracted from the smooth curvature are used as control points to segment the boundary and to guide the boundary-matching procedure. The boundary-matching procedure considers two shapes at a time, one shape from the template databank, and the other from the object being classified. The procedure tries to match the control points in the unknown shape to those of a shape from the template databank, and estimates the translation, rotation, and scaling factors to be used to normalize the boundary of the unknown shape. The chamfer 3/4 distance transformation and a partial distance measurement scheme constitute the final step in measuring the similarity between the two shapes. The unknown shape is assigned to the class corresponding to the minimum distance. The algorithm has been successfully tested on partial shapes using two sets of data, one with sharp corners and the other with curve segments. This algorithm not only is computationally simple, but also works reasonably well in the presence of a moderate amount of noise. >
Detection of Chinese Word Usage Errors for Non-Native Chinese Learners with Bidirectional LSTM

Selecting appropriate words to compose a sentence is one common problem faced by non-native Chinese learners. In this paper, we propose (bidirectional) LSTM sequence labeling models and explore various features to detect word usage errors in Chinese sentences. By combining CWINDOW word embedding features and POS information, the best bidirectional LSTM model achieves accuracy 0.5138 and MRR 0.6789 on the HSK dataset. For 80.79% of the test data, the model ranks the ground-truth within the top two at position level.
Pediatric Primary Care-Based Obesity Prevention for Parents of Preschool Children: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND The Healthy Homes/Healthy Kids Preschool (HHHK-Preschool) pilot program is an obesity prevention intervention integrating pediatric care provider counseling and a phone-based program to prevent unhealthy weight gain among 2- to 4-year-old children at risk for obesity (BMI percentile between the 50th and 85th percentile and at least one overweight parent) or currently overweight (85th percentile ≤ BMI < 95th percentile). The aim of this randomized, controlled pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of the HHHK-Preschool intervention. METHODS Sixty parent-child dyads recruited from pediatric primary care clinics were randomized to: (1) the Busy Bodies/Better Bites Obesity Prevention Arm or the (2) Healthy Tots/Safe Spots safety/injury prevention Contact Control Arm. Baseline and 6-month data were collected, including measured height and weight, accelerometry, previous day dietary recalls, and parent surveys. Intervention process data (e.g., call completion) were also collected. RESULTS High intervention completion and satisfaction rates were observed. Although a statistically significant time by treatment interaction was not observed for BMI percentile or BMI z-score, post-hoc examination of baseline weight status as a moderator of treatment outcome showed that the Busy Bodies/Better Bites obesity prevention intervention appeared to be effective among children who were in the overweight category at baseline relative to those who were categorized as at risk for obesity (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS HHHK-Preschool pilot study results support the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy in already overweight children of a pediatric primary care-based obesity prevention intervention integrating brief provider counseling and parent-targeted phone coaching. What's New: Implementing pediatric primary care-based obesity interventions is challenging. Previous interventions have primarily involved in-person sessions, a barrier to sustained parent involvement. HHHK-preschool pilot study results suggest that integrating brief provider counseling and parent-targeted phone coaching is a promising approach.
Hepatitis C virus glycoproteins mediate pH-dependent cell entry of pseudotyped retroviral particles

HIV pseudotypes bearing native hepatitis C virus (HCV) glycoproteins (strain H and Con1) are infectious for the human hepatoma cell lines Huh-7 and PLC/PR5. Infectivity depends on coexpression of both E1 and E2 glycoproteins, is pH-dependent, and can be neutralized by mAbs mapping to amino acids 412–447 within E2. Cell-surface expression of one or all of the candidate receptor molecules (CD81, low-density lipoprotein receptor, scavenger receptor class B type 1, and dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3 grabbing nonintegrin) failed to confer permissivity to HIV–HCV pseudotype infection. However, HIV–HCV pseudotype infectivity was inhibited by a recombinant soluble form of CD81 and a mAb specific for CD81, suggesting that CD81 may be a component of a receptor complex.
MRIgHIFU: A tool for image‐guided therapeutics

High‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) provides focal delivery of mechanical energy deep into the body. This energy can be used to elevate the tissue temperature to such a degree that ablation is achieved. The elevated temperature can also be used to release drugs from temperature‐sensitive carriers or activate therapeutic molecules using mechanical or thermal energy. Lower dose exposures modify the vasculature to allow large molecules to diffuse from blood in the surrounding tissue for local drug delivery. The energy delivery can be targeted and monitored using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The online image guidance and monitoring provides treatment delivery that is customized to each patient such that optimal, effective treatment can be achieved. This ability to localize and customize treatment delivery may further enhance the future potential of targeted drugs that are personalized for each patient. This review examines the rapid development of MRI‐guided HIFU (MRIgHIFU) methods over the past few years and discuss their future potential. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Function and Configuration in Archaeology

Cultural anthropology is generally considered to be a distinctive discipline which seeks an understanding of the fundamental nature of culture and of culture change. The nature of its ultimate objectives, however, is rarely made explicit, and a lack of agreement exists concerning even the more immediate objectives. There is reason to believe that within the last few years archaeology and ethnology are, in many respects, growing rapidly apart instead of contributing to mutual problems. It seems timely, therefore, to inquire whether there really exists a general, basic problem of culture and to what extent archaeological research may be brought to bear upon it.
Neodymium: YAG Laser Treatment of Subglottic Hemangioma

Subglottic hemangioma is an uncommon cause of airway obstruction in the child. This lesion is typically a smooth, pink, easily compressible mass, which occurs in the subglottis. It is usually located in the posterior aspect of the subglottic larynx but may extend onto the lateral wall. The lesion may be asymptomatic at birth, but by the time the child is 3 to 6 months of age the lesion's presence is suggested by recurrent airway obstruction associated with agitation or crying. Since this lesion may regress spontaneously over a period of I to 2 years, it can be treated by tracheotomy and waiting for spontaneous resolution. Corticosteroids have been found to reduce the size of the lesion in some cases. ' Resection has been performed to minimize long-term tracheotomy or the side effects of prolonged steroid usage. Although surgical resection can be performed, the vascularity of the lesion and its subglottic location make such a procedure difficult. The introduction of the CO2 laser to otolaryngology initiated several trials of treatment of subglottic hemangioma with this modality. ' Although in many cases the CO2 laser can control this lesion, there may be some difficulty in its use. The "straight-line" open-tube delivery of the CO2 laser beam may not permit good
On-Chip Unsteady Reference Voltage Compensation Techniques for Very-High-Speed Pipelined ADC

The operating principle of pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is to subtract, sequentially along the cascaded stages, different reference voltages from the analog sample. This operation, nevertheless, creates internally an input-dependent fluctuation on the reference voltage. Such kind of signal-dependent error cannot be eliminated by trimming and/or calibration. The effect is especially significant at very-high conversion rate, since conventional method for stabilizing the reference voltage with large off-chip capacitor is no longer appropriate, as such a capacitor will resonate with the package inductance. However, on-chip generates a stable and high-speed reference not only consumes large power and area, but also makes the reference voltage highly sensitive to internal noises. This paper, first, presents an in-depth investigation on the causes and effects of unsteady reference voltage. Then, an effective model scheme is carried out and verified by circuit simulations. Finally, two on-chip reference voltage compensation techniques, which can effectively eliminate the error without the aforementioned drawbacks and feature compact in size, are proposed
Cohort profile: The Southampton Women's Survey.

Inverse associations between birthweight and later risk of major chronic diseases, notably cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis, have been found in various studies.1 Birthweight is determined by length of gestation and the combination of the early trajectory of fetal growth and the capacity of the fetal supply line to maintain this trajectory in late gestation. Studies in early pregnancy, assisted reproductive technology, and animal experiments indicate that both genetic and environmental factors are important in establishing the fetal growth trajectory and the fetal supply line; environmental factors include transgenerational influences and the mother's body composition, endocrine profile, diet, and physical activity around the time of conception.2 As these influences may change during early pregnancy, there is a need to characterize women before conception.
Development of a MEMS-based control system for compressible flow separation

A MEMS-based sensor and actuator system has been designed and fabricated for separation control in the compressible flow regime. The MEMS sensors in the system are surface-micromachined shear stress sensors and the actuators are bulk-micromachined balloon vortex generators (VGs). A three-dimensional (3-D) wing model embedded with the shear stress sensors and balloon VGs was tested in a transonic wind tunnel to evaluate the performance of the control system in a range of Mach number between 0.2 and 0.6. At each Mach number tested, the shear stress sensors quantify the boundary layer on the surface of the wing model while the balloon VGs interact with the boundary layer in an attempt to provide flow control. The shear stress measurements indicate the presence of a separated flow on the trailing ramp section of the wing model at all Mach numbers tested when the balloon VGs are not activated. This result is confirmed by total pressure measurements downstream from the wing model where a wake profile is observed. When the balloon VGs are activated, the shear stress level on the trailing ramp increases with the Mach number. At the highest Mach number tested, this increase elevates the shear stress on the ramp to almost the same level as the unseparated flow, suggesting the possibility of a boundary layer reattachment. This result is supported by the downstream pressure measurements which show a large pressure recovery when the balloon VGs are activated. The wind tunnel experiment successfully demonstrated two aspects of the MEMS flow control system: the effectiveness of the microshear stress sensors in measuring the separation characteristics of a high-speed compressible flow and the ability of the microballoons in positively enhancing the aerodynamic performance of a high-speed wing through boundary layer modification.
Sexual experiences in relation to HPV vaccination status in female high school students in Sweden

Abstract Objectives To investigate sexual experiences, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and use of condoms in relation to human papillomavirus (HPV)-vaccination status in female high school students. Methods In 2013, 355 female students with a median age of 18 years from randomly selected high schools in Sweden answered a classroom questionnaire on sexual experiences and HPV-vaccination status. Results In total 227/348 (65%) of the women reported having received at least one HPV vaccine dose. Median age at first intercourse was 15 and 16 years respectively, in the 141/227 (62%) vaccinated after, and the 86/227 (38%) vaccinated before their sexual debut. There were no differences between the HPV-vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups regarding condom use, STIs, and experiences of oral and anal sex, or friends- with-benefit relationships. However, having had sexual intercourse and ‘one-night stands’ were more common in the vaccinated group (both p < 0.05). Conclusion Many students (62%) were vaccinated against HPV, with two-thirds after their sexual debut. There were no differences in condom use and STIs, and only a few differences in sexual experiences between the HPV-vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. Initiating HPV vaccination before sexual debut is important, as is information about the link between HPV, sexual behaviour and cancer.
Mesenchymal progenitor cells as cellular vehicles for delivery of oncolytic adenoviruses

Natural and genetically modified oncolytic viruses have been systematically tested as anticancer therapeutics. Among this group, conditionally replicative adenoviruses have been developed for a broad range of tumors with a rapid transition to clinical settings. Unfortunately, clinical trials have shown limited antitumor efficacy partly due to insufficient viral delivery to tumor sites. We investigated the possibility of using mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPC) as virus carriers based on the documented tumor-homing abilities of this cell population. We confirmed preferential tumor homing of MPCs in an animal model of ovarian carcinoma and evaluated the capacity of MPCs to be loaded with oncolytic adenoviruses. We showed that MPCs were efficiently infected with an adenovirus genetically modified for coxsackie and adenovirus receptor–independent infection (Ad5/3), which replicated in the cell carriers. MPCs loaded with Ad5/3 caused total cell killing when cocultured with a cancer cell line. In an animal model of ovarian cancer, MPC-based delivery of the Ad5/3 increased the survival of tumor-bearing mice compared with direct viral injection. Further, tumor imaging confirmed a decrease in tumor burden in animals treated with oncolytic virus delivered by MPC carriers compared with the direct injection of the adenovirus. These data show that MPCs can serve as intermediate carriers for replicative adenoviruses and suggest that the natural homing properties of specific cell types can be used for targeted delivery of these virions. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(3):755–66]
Mandibular distraction osteogenesis assisted by cell-based tissue engineering: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES To review the advances and limitations of recent investigations on mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) assisted by mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane electronic databases were systematically searched and screened from their inception through August 2014. Searching terms included the following: 'distraction osteogenesis', 'mandible OR mandibular OR jaw', and 'cells', without any other limitations. RESULTS Nineteen studies meeting the eligibility criteria were selected from 227 published articles and used for qualitative synthesis. Fifteen of the studies used small animal models (rats or rabbits), while the other four used large animal models (dogs, pigs or sheep). Among these studies, large variations exist in MDO protocol, cell transplantation time, route and quantity, as well as methodology of outcome assessment. Additionally, all studies had certain biases. Nevertheless, the majority of studies found that MSC transplantation enhanced MDO bone regeneration. CONCLUSION Evidence from animal studies indicates that MDO may be enhanced by mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, but many questions related to animal models, MDO protocols, and cell transplantation remain to be investigated.
Reduced Arousals Following Obstructive Apneas in Infants Sleeping Prone

A decreased arousability and an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have been shown in infants sleeping prone. Obstructive apnea, a known risk factor for SIDS, is less often terminated by an arousal reaction in infants than in adults. The effect of body position on the arousal reaction to spontaneous respiratory events had not been previously studied in infants. The aim of our study was to see if body position has an influence on the frequency and delay of the arousal reaction to obstructive apnea. All obstructive events recorded during two successive nights in 20 infants sleeping one night prone and one night supine were studied. During the supine recording 153 obstructive events were detected, and 217 were detected during the prone session. Prone sleep was not associated with an increased frequency of obstructive apneas. Total sleep time was 382 min (range, 283–456) supine and 423 min (range, 325–521) prone (p = 0.003). Obstructive events duration was 6.5 s (range, 3–21.5) when sleeping supine and 8 s (range, 3.5–30.5) when prone (p = 0.002). Behavioral arousal were found in 57.5% of obstructive events recorded supine and in 31.3% of those seen prone (p < 0.001). Arousal occurred after 8 s (range, 0–21) from the start of the obstructions when supine and 10.5 s (range, 3.5–23.5) when prone (p = 0.001). Sighs were found in 34% of supine obstructive events and in 44.7% of those prone (p = 0.040). A reaction, i.e. arousal or sigh, was found in 91.5% of supine events and 76% of those prone (p < 0.001). We conclude that when sleeping supine, infants arouse to obstructive events more often and after shorter delay than when prone.
On-line optimization of the P&O MPPT method by means of the system identification

One of the main functions any photovoltaic system is equipped with is the maximum power point tracking. The perturb and observe technique is one of the mainly used algorithms for tracking the optimal operating point of the photovoltaic source. Its performances depend on the values of the two design parameters, that are the amplitude and the frequency of the perturbations it applies for identifying the position of the maximum power point. In this paper, two methods for an on-line optimization of the perturbation period are presented. They are based on the identification of the dc/dc converter, that controls the photovoltaic source, by means of its impulse and frequency response, both evaluated by using the cross-correlation method. Such methods, as well as the tracking algorithm, are effectively implemented by using a Field Programmable Gate Array. The feasibility of the proposed methods has been confirmed by Matlab simulations.
Water Pool Behaviors of Water Lubricating for Glass/Steel Point Contact

The behavior of pools of water for lubrication under a point of contact between a glass disk and a steel ball is studied here, employing a home-built apparatus. A deformed water pool is found to form around the contact region under different rolling speeds. To investigate the effect of rolling speed on the water pool, two parameters (advancing angle and receding angle) are introduced to describe the shape of the water pool. Two distinct glass surfaces, namely a smooth surface and a microgrooved surface, are observed. In the case of the smooth surface, the advancing/receding angle of the water pool significantly decreases with increasing rolling speed before the rolling speed reaches a critical value (80 mm/s). At speeds higher than 80 mm/s, the water pool is in a stable state and the advancing/receding angle remains steady. In the case of the microgrooved surface, the influence of the microgroove on water lubricating flow disappears when the rolling speed reaches a critical value (1030 mm/s).
Monoclonal antibodies capable of discriminating the human inhibitory Fcγ‐receptor IIB (CD32B) from the activating Fcγ‐receptor IIA (CD32A): biochemical, biological and functional characterization

Human CD32B (FcγRIIB), the low‐affinity inhibitory Fcγ receptor (FcγR), is highly homologous in its extracellular domain to CD32A (FcγRIIA), an activating FcγR. Available monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against the extracellular region of CD32B recognize both receptors. Through immunization of mice transgenic for human CD32A, we generated a set of antibodies specific for the extracellular region of CD32B with no cross‐reactivity with CD32A, as determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance with recombinant CD32A and CD32B, and by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting analysis of CD32 transfectants. A high‐affinity mAb, 2B6, was used to explore the expression of CD32B by human peripheral blood leucocytes. While all B lymphocytes expressed CD32B, only a fraction of monocytes and almost no polymorphonuclear cells stained with 2B6. Likewise, natural killer cells, which express CD32C, a third CD32 variant, did not react with 2B6. Immune complexes co‐engage the inhibitory receptor with activating Fcγ receptors, a mechanism that limits cell responses. 2B6 competed for immune complex binding to CD32B as a monomeric Fab, suggesting that it directly recognizes the Fc‐binding region of the receptor. Furthermore, when co‐ligated with an activating receptor, 2B6 triggered CD32B‐mediated inhibitory signalling, resulting in diminished release of inflammatory mediators by FcεRI in an in vitro allergy model or decreased proliferation of human B cells induced by B‐cell receptor stimulation. These antibodies form the basis for the development of investigational tools and therapeutics with multiple potential applications, ranging from adjuvants in FcγR‐mediated responses to the treatment of allergy and autoimmunity.