Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatically extracting frames from media content using syntacting analysis

Content analysis of media framing is difficult to do using keyword or dictionary approaches. This paper presents an automatic Semantic Network Analysis method for extracting framing. This method consists of four steps. (1) Sentences are analysed syntactically; (2) Semantic relations are extracted from the syntactic structure; (3) actors and issues are identified in these semantic relations yielding a semantic network of relations between actors and issues; and (4) the frames are extracted from this semantic network. The method is tested by analysing the framing of the 2008-2009 Gaza war by the international news media, comparing the automatically extracted frames with a manually coded gold standard. Three of four frames had strong reliability (α > .7) and one frame had moderate reliability (α = 0.58). This paves the way for more large scale quantitative content analysis studies of framing effects and dynamics.
Neuroradiology imaging database: using picture archive and communication systems for brain tumour research.

INTRODUCTION Disease registries and databases form an important component of research in clinical medicine, and can be useful to support retrospective studies and prospective clinical trials. However, analysis of radiological imaging databases has not been explored: imaging and clinical data often exist as separate silos of information, even in modern digital-enabled hospitals in Singapore. We describe a computerised method for creating a radiological research database using data from the picture archive and communication system (PACS) and hospital information system (HIS). METHODS Using a relational database and Java programming language, we created the neuroradiology imaging database (NRID). A web-interface for keyword searches were tested with the clinical data from PACS of a tertiary referral hospital for neurological diseases. Keyword and wildcard searches were conducted for various brain neoplasms and compared to HIS discharge diagnosis. RESULTS The NRID was deployed successfully and keyword search could be completed in real time. Lists of patients with meningioma, oligodendroglial tumour, neurocytomas, cerebral abscess, and neurocysticercosis could be exported and compared with the HIS discharge diagnosis. Patients with neurological diseases could be obtained by manually combining lists. CONCLUSION An imaging database can be created using clinical PACS data, which can enable keyword search functions to support brain tumour research. Radiological databases can help support clinical research, but further work needs to be done in order to take full advantage of the potential of digital health information.
Spatial mapping of dynamic cerebral autoregulation by multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy in high-grade carotid artery disease

Abstract. The exact spatial distribution of impaired cerebral autoregulation in carotid artery disease is unknown. In this pilot study, we present a new approach of multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy (mcNIRS) for noninvasive spatial mapping of dynamic autoregulation in carotid artery disease. In 15 patients with unilateral severe carotid artery stenosis or occlusion, cortical hemodynamics in the bilateral frontal cortex were assessed from changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration using 52-channel NIRS (spatial resolution ∼2 cm). Dynamic autoregulation was graded by the phase shift between respiratory-induced 0.1 Hz oscillations of blood pressure and oxyhemoglobin. Ten of 15 patients showed regular phase values in the expected (patho) physiological range. Five patients had clearly outlying irregular phase values mostly due to artifacts. In patients with a regular phase pattern, a significant side-to-side difference of dynamic autoregulation was observed for the cortical border zone area between the middle and anterior cerebral artery (p<0.05). In conclusion, dynamic cerebral autoregulation can be spatially assessed from slow hemodynamic oscillations with mcNIRS. In high-grade carotid artery disease, cortical dynamic autoregulation is affected mostly in the vascular border zone. Spatial mapping of dynamic autoregulation may serve as a powerful tool for identifying brain regions at specific risks for hemodynamic infarction.
How to Expand Dictionaries by Web-Mining Techniques

This paper presents an approach to enrich conceptual classes based on the Web. To test our approach, we first build conceptual classes using syntactic and semantic information pro-vided by a corpus. The concepts can be the input of a dictionary. Our web-mining approach deals with a cognitive process which simulates human reasoning based on the enumeration principle. The experiments reveal the interest of our approach by adding new relevant terms to existing conceptual classes.
Pulmonary embolism as the initial clinical presentation of Kimura disease: case report and literature review

Pulmonary embolism is clinically critical in that if misdiagnosed or delayed, the mortality is very high. The recognition of its risk factor or underlying disease is important for prevention of recurrence. Kimura disease is a rare, chronic inflammatory disease, which is seldom associated with thrombosis. We reported a 47-year-old male case presenting with pleural pain and dyspnoea and was found to have pulmonary embolism. After successful management of pulmonary embolism, he was noticed to have eosinophilia and lymphadenopathy. Pathologic examination of a resected lymph node has confirmed the diagnosis of Kimura disease. The patient was treated with corticosteroid and cyclosporine A, with a significant improvement of the symptoms and signs of Kimura disease and no recurrence of any thromboembolism. Associated literatures were reviewed to explore the pathogenesis underlying the thrombotic event in Kimura disease cases. It is suggested that hypereosinophilia may play a key role in thrombosis formation. The control of hypereosinophilia may contribute to the prevention of thrombosis and its recurrence in patients with Kimura disease.
DVB-S 2 — ready for lift off

DVB-S2 is the second-generation specification for satellite broadcasting – developed by the DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) Project in 2003. It benefits from more recent developments in channel coding (LDPC codes) combined with a variety of modulation formats (QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK and 32APSK). When used for interactive applications, such as Internet navigation, it may implement Adaptive Coding & Modulation (ACM), thus optimizing the transmission parameters for each individual user, dependant on path conditions. Backwards-compatible modes are available, allowing existing DVB-S set-top-boxes to continue working during any transitional period.
Recovery of Offenders Formerly Labeled as Not Criminally Responsible: Uncovering the Ambiguity From First-Person Narratives

The recovery paradigm is a widely accepted strength-based approach in general mental health care. Particular challenges arise when applying this paradigm in a forensic context. To address these issues, the present study examined recovery based on first-person narratives of offenders formerly labeled as not criminally responsible of whom the judicial measure was abrogated. Eleven in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain information on lived experiences and recovery resources of this hard-to-reach and understudied population. The interviews focused on recovery and elements that indicated a sense of progress in life. Key themes were derived from the collected data. Descriptions of recovery resources followed recurrent themes, including clinical, functional, social, and personal resources. Participants also reported ambiguous experiences related to features of the judicial trajectory. This was defined as forensic recovery and can be seen as an additional mechanism, besides more established recovery dimensions, that is unique to mentally ill offenders.
View-based interpretation of real-time optical flow for gesture recognition

The authors have developed a real-time, view-based gesture recognition system. Optical flow is estimated and segmented into motion blobs. Gestures are recognized using a rule-based technique based on characteristics of the motion blobs such as relative motion and size. Parameters of the gesture (e.g., frequency) are then estimated using context specific techniques. The system has been applied to create an interactive environment for children.
Systems biology of cellular membranes: a convergence with biophysics

Systems biology and systems medicine have played an important role in the last two decades in shaping our understanding of biological processes. While systems biology is synonymous with network maps and ‘‐omics’ approaches, it is not often associated with mechanical processes. Here, we make the case for considering the mechanical and geometrical aspects of biological membranes as a key step in pushing the frontiers of systems biology of cellular membranes forward. We begin by introducing the basic components of cellular membranes, and highlight their dynamical aspects. We then survey the functions of the plasma membrane and the endomembrane system in signaling, and discuss the role and origin of membrane curvature in these diverse cellular processes. We further give an overview of the experimental and modeling approaches to study membrane phenomena. We close with a perspective on the converging futures of systems biology and membrane biophysics, invoking the need to include physical variables such as location and geometry in the study of cellular membranes. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2017, 9:e1386. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1386
The development of a 3D mesoscopic model of metallic foam based on an improved watershed algorithm

The watershed algorithm has been used widely in the x-ray computed tomography (XCT) image segmentation. It provides a transformation defined on a grayscale image and finds the lines that separate adjacent images. However, distortion occurs in developing a mesoscopic model of metallic foam based on XCT image data. The cells are oversegmented at some events when the traditional watershed algorithm is used. The improved watershed algorithm presented in this paper can avoid oversegmentation and is composed of three steps. Firstly, it finds all of the connected cells and identifies the junctions of the corresponding cell walls. Secondly, the image segmentation is conducted to separate the adjacent cells. It generates the lost cell walls between the adjacent cells. Optimization is then performed on the segmentation image. Thirdly, this improved algorithm is validated when it is compared with the image of the metallic foam, which shows that it can avoid the image segmentation distortion. A mesoscopic model of metallic foam is thus formed based on the improved algorithm, and the mesoscopic characteristics of the metallic foam, such as cell size, volume and shape, are identified and analyzed.
A Fluorescent Biosensor Reveals Conformational Changes in Human Immunoglobulin E Fc

Background: Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies play a role in allergic disease. Results: IgE has a bent conformation in solution that becomes more bent upon binding to the FcϵRI receptor but less bent upon binding the anti-IgE omalizumab. Conclusion: Conformational change is critical for FcϵRI-mediated IgE activity. Significance: The bent structure provides a molecular rationale for the susceptibility of IgE-FcϵRI complexes to allergenic stimulation. IgE binding to its high affinity receptor FcϵRI on mast cells and basophils is a key step in the mechanism of allergic disease and a target for therapeutic intervention. Early indications that IgE adopts a bent structure in solution have been confirmed by recent x-ray crystallographic studies of IgEFc, which further showed that the bend, contrary to expectation, is enhanced in the crystal structure of the complex with receptor. To investigate the structure of IgEFc and its conformational changes that accompany receptor binding in solution, we created a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor using biologically encoded fluorescent proteins fused to the N- and C-terminal IgEFc domains (Cϵ2 and Cϵ4, respectively) together with the theoretical basis for quantitating its behavior. This revealed not only that the IgEFc exists in a bent conformation in solution but also that the bend is indeed enhanced upon FcϵRI binding. No change in the degree of bending was seen upon binding to the B cell receptor for IgE, CD23 (FcϵRII), but in contrast, binding of the anti-IgE therapeutic antibody omalizumab decreases the extent of the bend, implying a conformational change that opposes FcϵRI engagement. HomoFRET measurements further revealed that the (Cϵ2)2 and (Cϵ4)2 domain pairs behave as rigid units flanking the conformational change in the Cϵ3 domains. Finally, modeling of the accessible conformations of the two Fab arms in FcϵRI-bound IgE revealed a mutual exclusion not seen in IgG and Fab orientations relative to the membrane that may predispose receptor-bound IgE to cross-linking by allergens.
Improving OTM mechanical properties by controlling the pore architecture

Macroporous ceramics are widely used in applications such as filtration, thermal insulation, scaffolds for tissue engineering, SOFCs, or OTM’s. They must combine mechanical stability with at least one other functional property such as high permeability, low thermal conductivity, or biocompatibility. However, strength is usually increased by decreasing the total pore volume even though this may degrade the other functional properties. Beyond porosity content, morphological parameters such as pore size, shape, or tortuosity, can become crucial to maximize the performance while maintaining high strength. For example, a significant improvement can be achieved by engineering anisotropic structures to mechanically reinforce the direction of the main stress, similarly to natural materials such as trabecular bone, cork, or wood. Unfortunately, most of the techniques conventionally used to produce macroporous ceramics do not offer this level of flexibility. Ice-templating is a processing technique suitable to obtain anisotropic macroporous materials. It is based on the freezing of colloidal suspensions and the subsequent segregation of particles by the solidification front. After solidification, the frozen solvent is removed, leaving pores whose morphologies are a replica of the sublimated crystals. Finally, the green body is sintered to consolidate the microstructure. This process provides independent control of the pore architecture (pore volume, size, and morphology) through initial solids loading, cooling rate, or additives. Therefore, a good understanding of these parameters is essential to understand the relationship between processing, microstructure, and performance of this type of materials and extend their use in the aforementioned applications.The purpose of this work is first, tailor the pore architecture of specimens processed by ice-templating to then, determine the main microstructural parameters that control the compressive strength, mechanical reliability, and air permeability of unidirectional porous materials. Furthermore, the applicability of mechanistic and gas flow models will be discussed in the context of the structured pore morphologies. Finally, we will provide some guidelines to produce tubular ice-templated samples with controlled porosity.The purpose of this work is first, tailor the pore architecture of specimens processed by ice-templating to then, determine the main microstructural parameters that control the compressive strength, mechanical reliability, and air permeability of unidirectional porous materials. Furthermore, the applicability of mechanistic and gas flow models will be discussed in the context of the structured pore morphologies. Finally, we will provide some guidelines to produce tubular ice-templated samples with controlled porosity.
Aerobic Fitness and Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents Living with HIV.

PURPOSE To examine aerobic fitness, total moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and also patterns in terms of MVPA between children and adolescents with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and controls, and to determine whether differences, if any, are associated with HIV, sex and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHOD A cross-sectional analysis was carried out with 130 children and adolescents, aged between 8 and 15 years, divided into two groups (HIV group= 65 patients, control group= 65 healthy participants). Total MVPA was measured by accelerometers and 5 and 10-min bouts were estimated. The peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) was measured by breath-by-breath respiratory exchange in an incremental cycle ergometer test. RESULTS HIV-positive participants had lower peak VO2 (39.2 ± 6.8 vs. 44.5 ± 9.1 ml.kg-1min-1), lower bouts of MVPA of 5-min (19.7 ± 16.6 vs. 26.6 ± 23.5) and 10-min (3.6 ± 3.9 vs. 5.8 ± 7.2), but similar total MVPA (49.5 ± 28.9 vs. 49.1 ± 30.6 min.day-1). HIV infection in untreated, nonprotease inhibitors (PI)- based HAART and PI-based HAART patients was associated with lower 8.5 (95%CI= 12.5-4.6), 7.1 (95%CI= 10.6-3.6) and 4.5 (95%CI= 7.0-2.0) ml.kg-1min-1 of peak VO2. CONCLUSION Children and adolescents with HIV demonstrated lower aerobic fitness compared with the controls and the absence of HAART may increase peak VO2 impairment. Lower bouts of MVPA were also observed in HIV group despite the similar values of total MVPA of controls.
CORBA for real-time, high performance and embedded systems

The development of distributed systems software poses unique challenges due to the diversity of hardware, software, and network protocols in the market today. Achieving interoperability with legacy systems and between systems provided by different vendors has, in the past, required the development of intricate interface specifications or proprietary bridging software. Real time, embedded distributed systems introduce additional performance and resource requirements. Real time systems require the ability to schedule tasks, predict the performance of those tasks, and perhaps most important, predict how the system will react to an overload situation or resource failure. Embedded systems are often characterized by resource constraints, diverse operating systems, and non-TCP/IP transports. Most real time and/or embedded systems share the requirement of reasonably high performance. High performance systems seek the lowest possible communication overhead and streamlined, optimized software layers. The paper discusses how CORBA has evolved to meet all these requirements, and uses ORBexpress CORBA from Objective Interface as a reference implementation of real time, high performance CORBA for embedded developers.
Evolution of highly efficient rare-earth free Cs(1−x)RbxVO3 phosphors as a single emitting component for NUV-based white LEDs

Since the commercialization of white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) in 1996, they are rapidly replacing conventional lighting sources and have become an essential commodity for day-to-day human life. At present, most of the WLEDs existing in the market are rare-earth based, which are very limited, expensive and often not available due to monopolistic supply conditions. Hence, there is a serious demand for novel rare-earth free phosphors to achieve cost-effective and energy-efficient WLEDs with excellent luminous efficacy for general illumination. Herein we report on highly efficient rare-earth free Cs(1−x)RbxVO3 phosphors as a single emitting compound for near UV-based WLEDs manufactured by the citrate sol–gel method for the first time. Rietveld refinement is performed for the X-ray diffraction patterns of the CsVO3 host and CsVO3:0.25Rb phosphors to reveal their orthorhombic pyroxene structure. The difference in the ionic radii of Rb+ and Cs+ ions led to a more distorted VO43− tetrahedron with a broken Td symmetry, which allows spin forbidden transitions for CsVO3:0.25Rb phosphors, resulting in enhanced internal and external quantum efficiencies of 94.7% and 84.5% along with superior luminescence properties compared to the CsVO3 host. When varying the input current from 20 to 200 mA, the fabricated WLED exhibited a good color rendering index of 69.7–81.5 and an extremely high luminous efficacy of 94.8–58.7 lm W−1, which are among the highest values for the same host lattice. These rare-earth free CsVO3:0.25Rb phosphors with a single emitting center may emerge as a new class of advanced inorganic phosphors for near UV-based WLEDs in the lighting industries.
Statistical mechanics and stability of a model eco-system

We study a model eco-system by means of dynamical techniques from disordered systems theory. The model describes a set of species subject to competitive interactions through a background of resources, which they feed upon. Additionally direct competitive or co-operative interaction between species may occur through a random coupling matrix. We compute the order parameters of the system in a fixed point regime and identify the onset of instability and compute the phase diagram. We focus on the effects of variability of resources, direct interaction between species, co-operation pressure and dilution on the stability and the diversity of the eco-system. It is shown that resources can be exploited optimally only in the absence of co-operation pressure or direct interaction between species.
Multiplex PCR-Ligation Detection Reaction Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Drug Resistance and Toxin Genes from Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium

ABSTRACT A multiplex PCR-ligation detection reaction (PCR-LDR) assay was developed for rapid detection of methicillin, tetracycline, and vancomycin resistance, as well as toxic shock toxin and Panton-Valentine leukocidin. The assay was tested on 470 positive blood culture bottles containing Staphylococcus aureus or enterococci. PCR-LDR exhibited a sensitivity and specificity of ≥98% for all components except tetracycline resistance, which had a sensitivity of 94.7%. Rapid and sensitive detection of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes could help guide therapy and appropriate infection control measures.
Finding the Maximum Area Axis-parallel Rectangle in a Polygon

We consider the geometric optimization problem of nding the maximum area axis-parallel rectangle (MAAPR) in an n-vertex general polygon. We characterize the MAAPR for general polygons by considering di erent cases based on the types of contacts between the rectangle and the polygon. We present a general framework for solving a key subcase of the MAAPR problem which dominates the running time for a variety of polygon types. Using this framework, we obtain the following MAAPR time results: (n) for xy-monotone polygons, O(n (n)) for orthogonally convex polygons, O(n (n) logn) for horizontally (vertically) convex polygons, (where (n) is the slowly growing inverse of Ackermann's function), O(n logn) for a special type of horizontally convex polygon, and O(n log2 n) for general polygons. For all these types of non-rectilinear polygons, we match the running time of the best known algorithms for their rectilinear counterparts. We prove a lower bound of time in (n logn) for nding the MAAPR in both selfintersecting polygons and general polygons with holes. The latter result gives us both a lower bound of (n logn) and an upper bound of O(n log2 n) for general polygons with holes.