Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Content Based Image Retrieval Using Signature Representation

Retrieving relevant images from a large, diversified collection using visual queries (image content) as search argument is a challenging and important open problem. It requires an efficient and effective content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system. Image representation has a profound effect on the performance of CBIR. This paper presents a CBIR system based on a novel image representation using a new approach to the generation of image signatures (CBIR-ISIG). Image signatures are generated by applying random indexing (RI) to a Bag-ofvisual Words (BoW) representation of the images. RI is an efficient and scalable approach to dimensionality reduction, based on random projection which avoids the computational cost of matrix factorization. Most importantly, it can be performed incrementally as new data arrives, as is crucial for online systems. The retrieval quality of the proposed approach is evaluated using a benchmark dataset for image classification (a subset of the Corel dataset). The proposed approach shows promising results with comparable retrieval quality to state of the art approaches while retaining the benefits of the highly efficient representational scheme.
Market Stock Liquidity and Corporate Governance

In this paper, we investigate the empirical relation between corporate governance and stock market liquidity of the French firms. Based on a cross-sectional analysis, our study of the empirical relation between the corporate governance and the stock liquidity was realized on 155 French companies during 2008 and 2009. The handled mechanisms include the characteristics of the board of directors and the audit committee.Our results seem to indicate a significant effect of certain mechanisms of corporate governance on the liquidity of the French market. These mechanisms can reduce the asymmetry of information between the investors, make the exchanges more transparent and provoke an improvement of the liquidity on the market. These results suggest that firms with better corporate governance may reduce the informative asymmetry and improve the liquidity of its stocks.
A fully integrated 1–4 GHz GaN Class J power amplifier

A non-switching mode Class J power amplifier (PA) is presented. Its output power capability is improved by driving the active device into the non-linear region to generate extra harmonics. The output matching circuit is also structured to filter out unwanted harmonics to let the PA retain high efficiency and high linearity concurrently. A GaN Hetero-junction Field Effect transistor has a low output capacitance. Therefore, combining with a reactive load, a relatively broadband resonance circuit at GHz frequencies is designed. A fully integrated Class J PA. , which has an area of 1.8 × 1.3 mm. , is realized with measured 12% overall efficiency at the 2 dB compression point (P2dB), 3 GHz bandwidth, and 20.3 dBm output referred 1 dB compression.
Poliovirus Mutants at Histidine 195 of VP2 Do Not Cleave VP0 into VP2 and VP4

ABSTRACT The final stage of poliovirus assembly is characterized by a cleavage of the capsid precursor protein VP0 into VP2 and VP4. This cleavage is thought to be autocatalytic and dependent on RNA encapsidation. Analysis of the poliovirus empty capsid structure has led to a mechanistic model for VP0 cleavage involving a conserved histidine residue that is present in the surrounding environment of the VP0 cleavage site. Histidine 195 of VP2 (2195H) is hypothesized to activate local water molecules, thus initiating a nucleophilic attack at the scissile bond. To test this hypothesis, 2195H mutants were constructed and their phenotypes were characterized. Consistent with the requirement of VP0 cleavage for poliovirus infectivity, all 2195H mutants were nonviable upon introduction of the mutant genomes into HeLa cells. Replacement of 2195H with threonine or arginine resulted in the assembly of a highly unstable 150S virus particle. Further analyses showed that these particles contain genomic RNA and uncleaved VP0, criteria associated with the provirion assembly intermediate. These data support the involvement of 2195H in mediating VP0 cleavage during the final stages of virus assembly.
Water column current profile aided localisation for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Survey class Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) rely on Doppler Velocity Logs (DVL) for precise navigation near the seafloor. In cases where the seafloor depth is greater than the DVL bottom lock range, transiting from the surface, where GPS is available, to the seafloor presents a localisation problem since both GPS and DVL are unavailable in the midwater column. This paper proposes an alternative approach to navigation in the mid-water column that exploits the fact that current profiles of water columns are stable over time. With reobservation of these currents with the ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) mode of the DVL during descent, along with sensor fusion of other low cost sensors, position error growth can be constrained to near the initial velocity uncertainty of the vehicle at the sea surface during the dive, and following DVL bottom lock, the entire velocity history is constrained to an error similar to the DVL velocity uncertainty. Simulation results show performance with sensor fusion of a low cost IMU and DVL bottom lock at the sea floor can achieve 20 cm per minute (2 σ) position error growth. Results with real data from an Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE) dive show that this method is applicable and a promising approach to navigation for untended deepwater autonomous vehicle operations.
Immunochemical fecal occult blood tests predict dual antiplatelet therapy discontinuation after coronary stenting.

OBJECTIVE The discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) increases the risk of stent thrombosis after coronary stenting. Some patients must discontinue DAPT due to gastrointestinal (GI) tract disease; however, the type of examination that is most useful for detecting GI tract diseases has not been fully evaluated. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether the immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) can be used to predict GI tract disease-related DAPT discontinuation following stent implantation in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS A total of 181 consecutive DAPT-naïve patients who underwent coronary stenting were divided into two groups according to the results of iFOBTs: a positive iFOBT group (n=32) and a negative iFOBT group (n=149). During the 12-month follow-up period, the DAPT discontinuation rate was lower in the negative iFOBT group than in the positive iFOBT group (3.4 vs. 18.8%, p=0.005). Kaplan-Meier event-free curves showed that the DAPT discontinuation rate in the negative iFOBT group was lower than that observed in the positive iFOBT group (log-rank test: p=0.001). Logistic and Cox regression analyses showed that a positive iFOBT result was the strongest predictor of the risk of DAPT discontinuation after coronary stenting. CONCLUSION A positive iFOBT result is associated with DAPT discontinuation following coronary stenting.
Structural and Computational Characterization of the SHV-1 β-Lactamase-β-Lactamase Inhibitor Protein Interface*

β-Lactamase inhibitor protein (BLIP) binds a variety of class A β-lactamases with affinities ranging from micromolar to picomolar. Whereas the TEM-1 and SHV-1 β-lactamases are almost structurally identical, BLIP binds TEM-1 ∼1000-fold tighter than SHV-1. Determining the underlying source of this affinity difference is important for understanding the molecular basis of β-lactamase inhibition and mechanisms of protein-protein interface specificity and affinity. Here we present the 1.6Å resolution crystal structure of SHV-1 ·BLIP. In addition, a point mutation was identified, SHV D104E, that increases SHV ·BLIP binding affinity from micromolar to nanomolar. Comparison of the SHV-1 ·BLIP structure with the published TEM-1 ·BLIP structure suggests that the increased volume of Glu-104 stabilizes a key binding loop in the interface. Solution of the 1.8Å SHV D104K ·BLIP crystal structure identifies a novel conformation in which this binding loop is removed from the interface. Using these structural data, we evaluated the ability of EGAD, a program developed for computational protein design, to calculate changes in the stability of mutant β-lactamase ·BLIP complexes. Changes in binding affinity were calculated within an error of 1.6 kcal/mol of the experimental values for 112 mutations at the TEM-1 ·BLIP interface and within an error of 2.2 kcal/mol for 24 mutations at the SHV-1 ·BLIP interface. The reasonable success of EGAD in predicting changes in interface stability is a promising step toward understanding the stability of the β-lactamase ·BLIP complexes and computationally assisted design of tight binding BLIP variants.
Heartland virus-associated death in tennessee.

BACKGROUND Heartland virus (HRTV) is a tick-borne phlebovirus recently described in Missouri that is associated with fever, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. The virus has also been detected in Ambylomma americanum ticks. METHODS Here we report the first fatal case of HRTV disease in an 80-year-old Tennessee resident. He was hospitalized with fever, confusion, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia and developed multiorgan failure and hemorrhage. A tick-borne illness was suspected and testing for ehrlichiosis was negative. He died on hospital day 15, and autopsy specimens were tested for various pathogens as part of an unexplained death evaluation. RESULTS HRTV antigens were detected in postmortem spleen and lymph nodes by immunohistochemistry, and HRTV was detected in premortem blood by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and by isolation in cell culture. CONCLUSIONS This case demonstrates that HRTV infection can cause severe disease and death and expands the geographic range of HRTV within the United States.
The Economics of Retailing and Distribution

This book provides a uniform and coherent approach to the analysis of distribution systems in general and retail systems in particular. It develops the fundamentals of retail demand and supply, and demonstrates how the provision of distribution services is a principal determinant of economic outcomes in retail exchanges for both retailers and their customers, as well as for other agents such as suppliers and franchisors.
Feasibility Assessment of Cerebrospinal Fluid from HIV-1-Infected Children for HIV Proviral DNA and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 Alleles

The objective of the study was to assess the feasibility of measuring human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) proviral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and associated single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) in pediatric cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The importance of HIV DNA and MCP1 SNP has been suggested to be independently important in progression to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and neurocognitive impairment in adults. In children, measuring both factors in the CSF may help us understand the neuropathogenic process leading to HIV-1-associated encephalopathy (HAE). Repository specimens from 27 perinatally HIV-1-infected children with HAE were assessed for HIV DNA copy by real-time polymerase chain reaction and compared with MCP1 2578G SNP mutations measured by digesting amplified 361 bp fragments. When compared with MCP1 2578G SNP, a significant number with the mutation had high HIV DNA compared with those with wild type (p < .01), with no levels detected in HIV-1-seronegative control specimens. There were six CSF specimens with enough supernatant to measure MCP1 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which showed high levels in those with the MCP1 2578G mutation. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that CSF HIV DNA and MCP1 SNP can be measured and could be potential tools in future clinical studies to understand the pathogenesis of pediatric HAE.
InMon Corporation's sFlow: A Method for Monitoring Traffic in Switched and Routed Networks

This memo defines InMon Coporation's sFlow system. sFlow is a technology for monitoring traffic in data networks containing switches and routers. In particular, it defines the sampling mechanisms implemented in an sFlow Agent for monitoring traffic, the sFlow MIB for controlling the sFlow Agent, and the format of sample data used by the sFlow Agent when forwarding data to a central data collector.
Emerging Market Economies: The Aftermath of Volatility Contagion in a Selection of Three Financial Crises

This paper examines the volatility contagion resulting from intra- and inter- regional links among emerging economies, on the basis of three major financial crises, namely Mexico 1994, East Asia 1997 and Argentina 2002. In particular, it presents a methodology that uses the sovereign bond spread as the financial time series to determine the impact of the volatility of the first-infected country on the behaviour of other emerging economies. Our main results reveal that only the Asia 1997 crisis had negative effects —both within and outside the region— on other emerging economies, in the form of increased sovereign spread volatility. On the other hand, the crises of Mexico 1994 and Argentina 2002 seem to have caused a minor additional effect on the stability of international markets for emerging bonds.
Significant Differences Between Local Reporting and Central Assessment of Radiographic Complications in a Prospective, Multicenter Study About Locking Plate Fixation of Proximal Humerus Fractures

Objectives: To compare reporting outcomes of radiographic complications conducted by an independent review board and the responsible on-site study personnel in a multicenter study about locking plate fixation of proximal humeral fractures. Design: Prospective, multicenter study; setting: 9 level I trauma centers. Patients: One hundred fifty patients (age 50–90) with a radiographically confirmed displaced proximal humeral fracture fixed with a locking plate were included in the study. Intervention: All radiographic data were reevaluated by an independent review board according to predefined criteria. Main Outcome Measurements: Differences in outcomes between the review board and the on-site assessment were analyzed with a paired t test. Interrater agreements between the central review board and on-site assessments were estimated by means of kappa statistics. Results: The review board revealed significantly more radiographic complications than the on-site assessment (P = 0.006), except for the complication “head necrosis. ” The interrater agreement was slight to moderate in all calculated categories. Conclusions: Implementation of a complication review board using predefined criteria is recommended for clinical studies to prevent underreporting of radiographic complications by on-site assessment.
Error model and the reliability of arithmetic operations

Error detecting and correcting codes are widely used in data transmission, storage systems and also for data processing. In logical circuits like arithmetic operations, arbitrary faults can cause errors in the result. However in safety critical applications, it is important to avoid those errors which would lead to system failures. Several approaches are known to protect the result of operations during software processing. In the same way like transmission systems, coded processing uses codes for fault detection. But in contrast to transmission systems, there is no adequate channel model available which makes it possible to evaluate the residue error probability of an arithmetic operation in an analytical way. This paper tries to close the gap of arithmetic error models by the development of a model for an ordinary addition in a computer system. Thus, the reliability of an addition's result can be analytically evaluated.
Oxidation induces a Cl−‐dependent cation conductance in human red blood cells

Oxidative stress induces complex alterations of membrane proteins in red blood cells (RBCs) eventually leading to haemolysis. To study changes of membrane ion permeability induced by oxidative stress, whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings and haemolysis experiments were performed in control and oxidised human RBCs. Control RBCs exhibited a small cation‐selective whole‐cell conductance (236 ± 38 pS; n= 8) which was highly sensitive to the external Cl− concentration: replacement of NaCl in the bath by sodium gluconate induced an increase of this cation conductance by about 85 %. Exposing RBCs to t‐butylhydroxyperoxide (1 mm for 10 min) induced a twofold increase in this cation conductance which was further stimulated after replacement of extracellular Cl− by gluconate, Br−, I− or SCN−. In addition, lowering the ionic strength of the bath solution by isosmotic substitution of NaCl by sorbitol activated the cation conductance. The Cl−‐sensitive and oxidation‐induced cation conductance was Ca2+ permeable, exhibited a permselectivity of Cs+ > K+ > Na+= Li+ >> NMDG+, and was partially inhibited by amiloride (1 mm) and almost completely inhibited by GdCl3 (150 μm), but was insensitive to TEA, BaCl2, NPPB, flufenamic acid or quinidine. DIDS (100 μm) reversibly inhibited the activation of the cation conductance by removal of external Cl−. Oxidation induced haemolysis in NaCl‐bathed human RBCs. This haemolysis was attenuated by amiloride (1 mm) and inhibited by replacement of bath Na+ by the impermeant cation NMDG+. The Na+‐ and Ca2+‐permeable conductance might be involved in haemolytic diseases induced by elevated oxidative stress, such as glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
Images of a Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Glow Discharge Between Two Point Electrodes in Air at 300 K and at Atmospheric Pressure

For many applications of atmospheric pressure plasmas, a crucial issue is to obtain glow discharges at 300 K. We have generated such plasmas with a nanosecond repetitively pulsed method. We present experimental and simulated optical emission images of the dynamics of the formation of the glow regime at the early stages of its development.
Selective weights based median filtering approach for impulse noise removal of brain MRI images

In medical image processing, the accurate understanding and analysis of medical images is progressively challenging and demanding in providing the clear detection and diagnosis of the diseases. A very important and primary step in automatic detection of abnormalities in brain MRI images is reliable elimination of presence of the noise in the acquired images. Evaluation of the various noise removal algorithms to estimate the noise parameters is widely recognized as a typical standards for medical image processing solicitations. Validation of such brain MRI images can be done based on the evaluation through various statistical noise parameters. But the enactment of noise removal procedure profoundly depend on superiority of input brain MRI images and image processing skills employed for restoring original quality of brain MRI image by eliminating noises present in it and make the input image free from noises. This paper projects the type of noise existing in the brain MRI images and also removal of noises from the images using different types of noise elimination filters. The work proposes the design and implementation of the simple and efficient filtering technique for removal of noises in medical images specifically for brain MRI images and to upsurges the performance capabilities of the method. The experimental outcomes of suggested filtering algorithm are compared with the additional existing filtering approaches. The simulated results of filtering process executed on a standard set of assessment images shows that proposed algorithm provides good results with high SNR and low MSE values for the noise level of 95% and outperforms the conventional steps for removal of noise present in brain MRI images.
Expression of COX‐2, mPGE‐synthase1, MDR‐1 (P‐gp), and Bcl‐xL: a molecular pathway of H pylori‐related gastric carcinogenesis

Helicobacter pylori up‐regulates cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression, which in turn is involved in tumourigenesis. Recently, a causal link between COX‐2 and multidrug resistance 1 (MDR‐1) gene expression, implicated in cancer chemoresistance, has been demonstrated. Thus, the expression of COX‐2 and the downstream enzyme involved in PGE2 biosynthesis, microsomal PGE‐synthase1 (mPGES1), was correlated with P‐gp, the product of MDR‐1, and the anti‐apoptotic protein, Bcl‐xL, in gastric biopsies from patients with H pylori infection and in patients with gastric cancer. In a retrospective analysis of endoscopic and pathology files, 40 H pylori‐negative patients (Hp−), 50 H pylori‐positive patients who responded to eradication therapy (Hp+R), 84 H pylori‐positive patients who did not respond to eradication therapy (Hp+NR), and 30 patients with gastric cancer (18 intestinal and 12 diffuse types) were selected. COX‐2, mPGES1, P‐gp, and Bcl‐xL were detected by immunohistochemistry. COX‐2, mPGES1, P‐gp, and Bcl‐xL expression was undetectable in gastric mucosa from Hp− patients. By contrast, COX‐2 and mPGES1 expression was detected in 42% and 44% of Hp+R patients, respectively, and in up to 66% (range 63–66%) of Hp+NR patients (p < 0.05). The expression of COX‐2 and mPGES1 correlated significantly (p < 0.0001) with that of P‐gp and Bcl‐xL. High levels of COX‐2, mPGES1, P‐gp, and Bcl‐xL expression were found in intestinal‐type gastric cancer samples. In conclusion, H pylori‐dependent induction of COX‐2 and mPGES1 is associated with enhanced production of P‐gp and Bcl‐xL that may contribute to gastric tumourigenesis and resistance to therapy. Copyright © 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Targeted deletion of thioesterase superfamily member 1 promotes energy expenditure and protects against obesity and insulin resistance

Mammalian acyl-CoA thioesterases (Acots) catalyze the hydrolysis of fatty acyl-CoAs to form free fatty acids plus CoA, but their metabolic functions remain undefined. Thioesterase superfamily member 1 (Them1; synonyms Acot11, StarD14, and brown fat inducible thioesterase) is a long-chain fatty acyl-CoA thioesterase that is highly expressed in brown adipose tissue and is regulated by both ambient temperature and food consumption. Here we show that Them1−/− mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity despite greater food consumption. Them1−/− mice exhibited increased O2 consumption and heat production, which were accompanied by increased rates of fatty acid oxidation in brown adipose tissue and up-regulation of genes that promote energy expenditure. Them1−/− mice were also protected against diet-induced inflammation in white adipose tissue, as well as hepatic steatosis, and demonstrated improved glucose homeostasis. The absence of Them1 expression in vivo and in cell culture led to markedly attenuated diet- or chemically induced endoplasmic reticulum stress responses, providing a mechanism by which Them1 deficiency protects against insulin resistance and lipid deposition. Taken together, these data suggest that Them1 functions to decrease energy consumption and conserve calories. In the setting of nutritional excess, the overproduction of free fatty acids by Them1 provokes insulin resistance that is associated with inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress.