Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting Working Memory Load from fMRI Data

This thesis describes an attempt to answer the question: Is it possible to predict the working memory load of a subject from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data? fMRI data was collected from experiments where subjects were performing tasks putting varying degrees of load on working memory. An artificial neural network classifier was trained to predict the working memory load given fMRI data. This was successful and further analyzes showed that activation in prefrontal cortex held the information most important to the classifier.
Leveraging Contextual Relationships Between Objects for Localization by Clinton

Object localization is currently an active area of research in computer vision. The object localization task is to identify all locations of an object class within an image by drawing a bounding box around objects that are instances of that class. Object locations are typically found by computing a classification score over a small window at multiple locations in the image, based on some chosen criteria, and choosing the highest scoring windows as the object bounding-boxes. Localization methods vary widely, but there is a growing trend towards methods that are able to make localization more accurate and efficient through the use of context. In this thesis, I investigate whether contextual relationships between related objects can be leveraged to improve localization efficiency through a reduction in the number of windows considered for each localization task. I implement a context-driven localization model and evaluate it against two models that do not use context between objects for comparison. My model constrains the search spaces for the target object location and window size. I show that context-driven methods substantially reduce the mean number of windows necessary for localizing a target object versus the two models not using context. The results presented here suggest that contextual relationships between objects in an image can be leveraged to significantly improve localization efficiency by reducing the number of windows required to find the target object.
The J-Curve for Navigating the Nasolacrimal Outflow Tract

Purpose: To describe the technique of J-shaped manipulation of the metallic stent for instrument-free intubation of the nasolacrimal outflow tract after dacryocystorhinostomy. Methods: The internal diameter of the J-shaped curve placed in the intubation stents was measured and the technique of intubation of the nasolacrimal outflow tract and out the external naris is described. In addition, the anatomic relationships of the nasolacrimal system are illustrated and videographed in relation to the described procedure. Results: This technique has been used successfully on 75 consecutive endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy cases. After completion of bony osteotomy and opening of the nasolacrimal sac, the metallic portion of the stent is bent into a J-shaped curved with an average internal diameter of 4 cm. The punctum is then canulated with the metallic stent and directed 2 mm vertically then 8 mm to 10 mm medially along the path of the canalicular system. On entering the osteotomy, the stent is directed inferior and slightly lateral in the direction of the external naris. Gentle advancement with small angle redirection of the stent as needed allows exit through the external naris without using additional instrumentation in the nose. Conclusion: The authors present a technique of J-shaped manipulation of the intubation stent allowing navigation of the nasolacrimal outflow tract and exit through the external naris without additional instrumentation. This technique offers advantages over instrument-assisted retrieval of the intubation tube. First, the J-Curve technique is faster than multi-instrument retrieval. Second, less damage is incurred to the mucosa of the lateral nasal wall and/or septum secondary to blind placement of a Crawford hook, hemostat, or grooved director.
Detection of immunocytological markers in photomicroscopic images

Early detection of cervical cancer can be achieved through visual analysis of cell anomalies. The established PAP smear achieves a sensitivity of 50-90%, most false negative results are caused by mistakes in the preparation of the specimen or reader variability in the subjective, visual investigation. Since cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), the detection of HPV-infected cells opens new perspectives for screening of precancerous abnormalities. Immunocytochemical preparation marks HPV-positive cells in brush smears of the cervix with high sensitivity and specificity. The goal of this work is the automated detection of all marker-positive cells in microscopic images of a sample slide stained with an immunocytochemical marker. A color separation technique is used to estimate the concentrations of the immunocytochemical marker stain as well as of the counterstain used to color the nuclei. Segmentation methods based on Otsu's threshold selection method and Mean Shift are adapted to the task of segmenting marker-positive cells and their nuclei. The best detection performance of single marker-positive cells was achieved with the adapted thresholding method with a sensitivity of 95.9%. The contours differed by a modified Hausdorff Distance (MHD) of 2.8 μm. Nuclei of single marker positive cells were detected with a sensitivity of 95.9% and MHD = 1.02 μ;m.
Mylitta Fluctus, Venus - Rift-related, centralized volcanism and the emplacement of large-volume flow units

Mylitta Fluctus is a volcanic flow field that covers approximately 300,000 km2 in southern Lavinia Planitia. The flows are typically radar-bright with uniform surface textures. Central channels are common. Maximum flow lengths range from 400 to 1000 km; flow widths range 30–100 km in the medial and distal portions of the flow field. The total volume of the flow field, based on estimates of flow thickness, is of the order of 2 × 104 km3. The flow field is composed of six smaller flow fields that are interpreted to represent major eruption events in the evolution of Mylitta. An asymmetric shield volcano 200 km in radius with a central caldera has been identified as the single major source. It is located along a possible rift zone at the northern edge of Lada Terra. No evidence for fissure-fed eruptions is observed, although eruptions may have occurred along fissures within the rift before the main vent centralized. Mylitta is similar in scale to many terrestrial flood basalt provinces, although it is lower in total estimated volume and is distinguished by the presence of a central source edifice. The origin of Mylitta is proposed to be linked to regional extension and possible hotspot activity in a manner similar to that suggested for the origin of terrestrial flood basalts. The lower apparent volume of Mylitta relative to terrestrial flood basalts suggests that the amount of material upwelling from the mantle may have been lower in this case or that the formation of the flow field has not yet finished. Detailed studies of the morphology and distribution of flow fields similar to Mylitta should yield insight into the variation and evolution of hotspot-related volcanism and the formation of possible flood basalts on Venus.
Efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of antidepressant treatments for patients with post-stroke depression: a network meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of antidepressants in treating post-stroke depression (PSD) by performing a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the current literature. Eligible studies were retrieved from online databases, and relevant data were extracted. The primary outcome was efficacy as measured by the mean change in overall depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes included discontinued treatment for any reason and specifically due to adverse events. Fourteen trials were eligible, which included 949 participants and 9 antidepressant treatments. Few significant differences were found for all outcomes. For the primary outcome, doxepin, paroxetine, and nortriptyline were significantly more effective than a placebo [standardized mean differences: −1.93 (95%CI=−3.56 to −0.29), −1.39 (95%CI=−2.59 to −0.21), and −1.25 (95%CI=−2.46 to −0.04), respectively]. Insufficient evidence exists to select a preferred antidepressant for treating patients with post-stroke depression, and our study provides little evidence that paroxetine may be the potential choice when starting treatment for PSD. Future studies with paroxetine and larger sample sizes, multiple medical centers, and sufficient intervention durations is needed for improving the current evidence.
Top e down restoration of speech in cochlear-implant users

In noisy listening conditions, intelligibility of degraded speech can be enhanced by top-down restoration. Cochlear implant (CI) users have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. This could partially be due to reduced top-down restoration of speech, which may be related to the changes that the electrical stimulation imposes on the bottom-up cues. We tested this hypothesis using the phonemic restoration (PhR) paradigm in which speech interrupted with periodic silent intervals is perceived illusorily continuous (continuity illusion or CoI) and becomes more intelligible (PhR benefit) when the interruptions are filled with noise bursts. Using meaningful sentences, both CoI and PhR benefit were measured in CI users, and compared with those of normal-hearing (NH) listeners presented with normal speech and 8-channel noise-band vocoded speech, acoustically simulating CIs. CI users showed different patterns in both PhR benefit and CoI, compared to NH results with or without the noise-band vocoding. However, they were able to use top-down restoration under certain test conditions. This observation supports the idea that changes in bottom-up cues can impose changes to the topedown processes needed to enhance intelligibility of degraded speech. The knowledge that CI users seem to be able to do restoration under the right circumstances could be exploited in patient rehabilitation and product
EFFECT OF POLYMER STRUCTURE AND ADDITIVES ON SILANE GRAFTING OF POLYETHYLENE

Silane method is a preferred method in crosslinking polyethylene to modify its properties. Here, the silane graft- ing reactions of low density (LDPE), linear low density (LLDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) were compared, all with a fixed amount of silane (vinyltrimethoxysilane) and peroxide (dicumylperoxide). Processing for silane grafting was carried out in an internal mixer, and FTIR spectra were used for comparing the silane grafting efficiencies. The effect of polymer physical form and pre-mixing the components was also determined. Molecular structure parameters were ana- lyzed to investigate their effect on silane grafting efficiency. In case of LDPE and LLDPE, the probable interfering effect of two types of antioxidants on silane grafting reactions was studied. Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) was added to LDPE to evaluate its effect on silane grafting efficiency. Amongst different grades of polyethylene, LLDPE had a better efficiency in silane grafting. Branchings, PDI, Mw, and MFI are all determining factors and should be considered in comparing the silane grafting efficiency between different grades of polyethylene. In case of incorporating antioxidant, dif- ferent results were observed when the polymer under study was different. EPDM as an additive would enhance silane graft- ing efficiency.
Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci markers for the barnacle Balanus amphitrite (syn. Amphibalanus amphitrite) Darwin 1854

Balanus amphitrite is a widespread species of barnacle. It is frequently studied, and of great importance to the marine coatings industry due to its significant abundance as a fouling organism on commercial shipping. We isolated and characterized eight highly polymorphic microsatellite loci, to aid in the determination of population genetic structure within this species. All loci showed considerable genetic variation with the number of alleles ranging from two to 14. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.74 to 0.98.
Microbiological food safety in Malaysia from the academician’s perspective

New, C.Y. , Ubong, A. , Premarathne, J.M. K.J.K. , Thung, T.Y. , Lee, E. , Chang, W.S. , Loo, Y.Y. , Kwan, S.Y. , Tan, C.W. , Kuan, C.H. and Son, R. Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Safety and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Food Safety and Food Integrity, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Department of Livestock and Avian Science, Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries and Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandara, 60170 Gonawila, Sri Lanka
Pheromone Binding Protein EhipPBP1 Is Highly Enriched in the Male Antennae of the Seabuckthorn Carpenterworm and Is Binding to Sex Pheromone Components

The seabuckthorn carpenterworm moth Eogystia hippophaecolus is a major threat to seabuckthorn plantations, causing considerable ecological and economic losses in China. Transcriptomic analysis of E. hippophaecolus previously identified 137 olfactory proteins, including three pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs). We investigated the function of E. hippophaecolus PBP1 by studying its mRNA and protein expression profiles and its binding ability with different compounds. The highest levels of expression were in the antennae, particularly in males, with much lower levels of expression in the legs and external genitals. Recombinant PBP1 showed strong binding to sex-pheromone components, suggesting that antennal EhipPBP1 is involved in binding sex-pheromone components during pheromone communication.
Follow me: A simple approach for person identification and tracking

In this paper we present an approach to detect and keep track of a person walking in front of a mobile robot without any form of prior training. Additionally, the robot can be easily used by different persons. The only thing required to switch between them is a simple initialization step. The robot only uses a person's legs for the purpose of tracking. The approach is based on the fusion of sensor data from an ordinary RGB camera and a laser rangefinder (LRF). The image processing algorithm tries to identify the person's leg within the image stream, while the LRF is used to verify the position of the person with respect to the information provided by the camera. The system is implemented in ROS.
Monitoring Lung Tumor Progression from Onset to Late Stage , and ex vivo using Complementary Bioluminescence-, Fluorescence-, and microCT Imaging

relative strengths in sensitivity, resolution, quantification and molecular versus anatomical detections. The use of these modalities can be combined in studies of oncology, infection, and probe/tracer development to leverage their relative strengths. As an example, optical molecular imaging and microCT imaging have complementary, synergistic strengths. Optical molecular imaging offers a relatively high throughput platform, where multiple experimental animals can be imaged simultaneously. Further, using disease models with bioluminescent or fluorescent transfected organisms (e.g. tumor cells, stem cells, and/or infectious agents), optical molecular imaging can provide highly sensitive, relatively early in vivo detections. Bioluminescence Imaging (BLI) is particularly well suited for sensitive cell progression imaging owing to the excellent Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) achieved with luciferase reporters (Conley-LaComb et al., 2016). In a complementary fashion, microCT imaging provides excellent resolution of anatomical features, given the inherent density differences of bone, adipose, and lung tissues (Postnov et al., 2009).
Shooting the messenger: RNA-targetting CRISPR-Cas systems

Since the discovery of CRISPR-Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, CRISPR-associated genes) immune systems, astonishing progress has been made on revealing their mechanistic foundations. Due to the immense potential as genome engineering tools, research has mainly focussed on a subset of Cas nucleases that target DNA. In addition, however, distinct types of RNA-targetting CRISPR-Cas systems have been identified. The focus of this review will be on the interference mechanisms of the RNA targetting type III and type VI CRISPR-Cas systems, their biological relevance and their potential for applications.
Parity is a risk factor for hepatobiliary neoplasm : a meta-analysis of 16 studies

Background: Conflicting results have been reported by studies assessing parity as a risk factor for hepatobiliary neoplasm. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of available epidemiologic studies to investigate the association of parity with hepatobiliary neoplasm and calculated dose-response trends using a linear model. Betweenstudy heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran’s Q statistic and the I2 index. Random effects meta-analysis was used to assess the summary relative risk (RR) per child and the 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Eleven eligible studies including 2021 cases provided data for the meta-analysis. The summary RR of hepatobiliary neoplasm for the highest versus lowest parity number was 2.207 (95% CI = 1.397-3.488), with statistically significant heterogeneity (Q = 95.84, P = 0.000, I2 = 82.3%). The summary RR of hepatobiliary neoplasm for parous versus nulliparous cases was 1.37 (95% CI = 1.159-1.624, I2 = 43.8%, P = 0.001). The combined RR of hepatobiliary neoplasm for per live birth was 1.118 (95% CI = 1.032-1.211, I2 = 77.0%, P = 0.000). We observed a positive association between giving birth to five or more children and hepatobiliary neoplasm risk, with an RR of 2.24 (95% CI = 1.472-3.411, I2 = 55.6%, P = 0.005). Among the parity numbers considered, five or more was associated with the highest risk of hepatobiliary neoplasm. Elucidating the mechanism underlying this positive association requires further detailed investigation.
Reduced orbitofrontal cortical volume is associated with interdependent self-construal

Significance Recent work in cultural neuroscience suggests that sociocultural processes are reciprocally influenced by neural mechanisms that are recruited to support social behaviors. In particular, interdependent orientations (which include a commitment to duties and obligations, and prosocial tendencies) require both the suspension of self-interest and cognitive attunement to social surroundings. Dominant theoretical perspectives suggest that this orientation is achieved through active inhibitory control of egoism. Our results highlight an alternative pathway wherein the suspension of self-interest is achieved through reduced cortical volumes for personal incentives and goals. This reduced cortical volume is linked to interdependence especially for those who are cognitively attuned to the surrounding context. Therefore interdependent tendencies may be automatic and supported by structurally realized inhibition of egoism. Interdependent self-construal refers to a view of the self as embedded in relationships with others. Prior work suggests that this construal is linked to a strong value placed on social obligations and duties. Interdependent people are therefore cognitively attuned to others and various social events in their surroundings while down-regulating their personal goals. In the present work, we examined whether structural properties of the brain predict interdependent self-construal. We performed a structural magnetic resonance imaging on 135 Japanese young adults while assessing (i) independent and interdependent self-construals and (ii) the degree to which individuals form vivid images of external objects (object imagery). The cortical volume of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (a core cortical region responsible for value-based decisionmaking and, thus, inherently involved in personal goals and desires) inversely predicted interdependent self-construal. Further analysis found that the highest level of interdependent self-construal is achieved when those who are relatively low in the OFC volume are simultaneously high in object imagery, consistent with previous evidence that interdependence, as realized via obligation and duty, requires both the reduced self-interest and vigilant cognitive attunement to environmental context.
Planck intermediate results XL. The Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal from the Virgo cluster

The Virgo cluster is the largest Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) source in the sky, both in terms of angular size and total integrated flux. Planck's wide angular scale and frequency coverage, together with its high sensitivity, enable a detailed study of this big object through the SZ effect. Virgo is well resolved by Planck, showing an elongated structure that correlates well with the morphology observed from X-rays, but extends beyond the observed X-ray signal. We find good agreement between the SZ signal (or Compton parameter, y(c)) observed by Planck and the expected signal inferred from X-ray observations and simple analytical models. Owing to its proximity to us, the gas beyond the virial radius in Virgo can be studied with unprecedented sensitivity by integrating the SZ signal over tens of square degrees. We study the signal in the outskirts of Virgo and compare it with analytical models and a constrained simulation of the environment of Virgo. Planck data suggest that significant amounts of low-density plasma surround Virgo, out to twice the virial radius. We find the SZ signal in the outskirts of Virgo to be consistent with a simple model that extrapolates the inferred pressure at lower radii, while assuming that the temperature stays in the keV range beyond the virial radius. The observed signal is also consistent with simulations and points to a shallow pressure profile in the outskirts of the cluster. This reservoir of gas at large radii can be linked with the hottest phase of the elusive warm/hot intergalactic medium. Taking the lack of symmetry of Virgo into account, we find that a prolate model is favoured by the combination of SZ and X-ray data, in agreement with predictions. Finally, based on the combination of the same SZ and X-ray data, we constrain the total amount of gas in Virgo. Under the hypothesis that the abundance of baryons in Virgo is representative of the cosmic average, we also infer a distance for Virgo of approximately 18 Mpc, in good agreement with previous estimates.