Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A SVM approach for detection of hemorrhages in background diabetic retinopathy

Hemorrhages are main evidences of background diabetic retinopathy and early detection is essential for an effective treatment. In this paper, a top-down strategy is applied to detect hemorrhages. After color normalization preprocessing stage, an evidence value for every pixel is calculated by SVM. The SVM classifier uses features extracted by combined 2DPCA instead of explicit image features as the input vector. After locating the hemorrhages in the ROI, the boundaries of the hemorrhages can be accurately segmented by the post-processing stage. The paper demonstrates a new implementation of various techniques on the problem and shows the improvement it offers over the others. Combined 2DPCA is proposed and virtual SVM is applied to achieve the higher accuracy of classification.
Pituitary and testicular function in sons of women with polycystic ovary syndrome from infancy to adulthood.

CONTEXT An important proportion of male members of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) families exhibit insulin resistance and related metabolic defects. However, the reproductive phenotypes in first-degree male relatives of PCOS women have been described less often. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to evaluate the pituitary-testicular function in sons of women with PCOS during different stages of life: early infancy, childhood, and adulthood. DESIGN Eighty sons of women with PCOS (PCOS(S)) and 56 sons of control women without hyperandrogenism (C(S)), matched for age, were studied. In all subjects, the pituitary-gonadal axis was evaluated by a GnRH agonist test (leuprolide acetate, 10 microg/kg sc). Serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B were used as Sertoli cell markers. Serum concentrations of gonadotropins, steroid hormones, and SHBG were also determined. A semen analysis was performed. RESULTS Basal concentrations of gonadotropins, sex steroids, and inhibin B were comparable between PCOS(s) and C(S) during early infancy, childhood, and adulthood. Similar results in stimulated gonadotropin and sex steroid concentrations were observed. However, AMH serum concentrations were higher in PCOS(s) compared with C(S) during early infancy [925.0 (457.3-1401.7) vs. 685.6 (417.9-1313.2) pmol/liter, P = 0.039] and childhood [616.3 (304.6-1136.9) vs. 416.5 (206.7-801.2) pmol/liter, P = 0.007). Sperm-count analysis was similar between both groups. CONCLUSIONS AMH concentrations are increased in prepubertal sons of women with PCOS, suggesting that these boys may show an increased Sertoli cell number or function during infancy and childhood. However, this does not seem to have a major deleterious effect on sperm production.
Expression of teneurins is associated with tumor differentiation and patient survival in ovarian cancer

Teneurins are a family of highly conserved pair-rule proteins involved in morphogenesis and development of the central nervous system. Their function in adult tissues and in disease is largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests a role for dysregulated expression of Teneurins in human tumors, but systematic investigations are missing. Here, we investigated Teneurin-2 and Teneurin-4 expression in various cancer cell lines and in ovarian tumor tissues. Teneurin-2 and Teneurin-4 were expressed in most of the breast cancer cell lines tested. Teneurin-4 was also detected in ovarian cancer cell lines, and throughout ovarian tumors and normal ovary tissue. Ovarian tumors with low Teneurin-4 expression showed less differentiated phenotypes and these patients had shorter mean overall survival. Similarly, Teneurin-2 expression correlated with overall survival as well, especially in patients with serous tumors. In the various cell lines, 5-Aza-cytidine-induced changes in DNA methylation did not alter expression of Teneurin-2 and Teneurin-4, despite the existence of predicted CpG islands in both genes. Interestingly, however, we found evidence for the control of Teneurin-2 expression by the oncogenic growth factor FGF8. Furthermore, we identified multiple transcript splicing variants for Teneurin-2 and Teneurin-4, indicating complex gene expression patterns in malignant cells. Finally, downregulation of Teneurin-4 expression using siRNA caused a cell-type dependent increase in proliferation and resistance to cisplatin. Altogether, our data suggest that low Teneurin-4 expression provides a growth advantage to cancer cells and marks an undifferentiated state characterized by increased drug resistance and clinical aggressiveness. We conclude that Teneurin-2 and Teneurin-4 expression levels could be of prognostic value in ovarian cancer.
Rapid identification of yeast by fluorescence in situ hybridisation from broth and blood cultures

Candida species including species other than Candida albicans are of importance as causative agents of sepsis in intensive‐care units, requiring prompt initiation of targeted therapy. While fluconazole is usually active against Candida albicans, non‐Candida albicans species often require more sophisticated approaches. A rapid species diagnosis is therefore desirable and can be provided by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). However, broad evaluation studies of described probes are largely lacking and the probe panel that has been described is incomplete. As an addition to previously described C. albicans FISH probes, we evaluated published DNA probes for C. glabrata and C. krusei, as well as newly designed DNA probes for C. krusei, C. lusitaniae, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, Crypotococcus neoformans and a group of intrinsically fluconazole‐resistant Candida species for FISH with 22 reference strains, 23 well‐characterised laboratory control strains, 169 isolates from clinical samples and 48 blood cultures. Sensitivity and specificity of >99% were demonstrated for all evaluated species‐specific probes, whereas the probe that binds to a heterogeneous group of intrinsically fluconazole‐resistant Candida species correctly identified eight of nine fluconazole‐resistant clinical isolates. FISH yielded reliable results using the classical FISH procedure as well as a recently described slide chamber‐based method. Given this good sensitivity and specificity, FISH may be applied for rapid identification of yeast in screening analyses, thus giving the opportunity for more precise targeting of antimycotic therapy.
Are Children “Normal”?

Abstract We examine Becker's (1960) contention that children are “normal. ” For the cross-section of non-Hispanic white married couples in the United States, we show that when we restrict comparisons to similarly educated women living in similarly expensive locations, completed fertility is positively correlated with the husband's income. The empirical evidence is consistent with children being “normal. ” In an effort to show causal effects, we analyze the localized impact on fertility of the mid-1970s' increase in world energy prices, an exogenous shock that substantially increased men's incomes in the Appalachian coal-mining region. Empirical evidence for that population indicates that fertility increases with men's income.
Distributed adaptive learning of signals defined over graphs

The goal of this paper is to propose adaptive strategies for distributed learning of signals defined over graphs. Assuming the graph signal to be band-limited, the method enables distributed adaptive reconstruction from a limited number of sampled observations taken from a subset of vertices. A detailed mean square analysis is carried out and illustrates the role played by the sampling strategy on the performance of the proposed method. Finally, a distributed selection strategy for the sampling set is provided. Several numerical results validate our methodology, and illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm for distributed adaptive learning of graph signals.
Sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Tunisia: high prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) in female sex workers (FSW) in Tunisia. Methods 188 prostitutes from three Tunisian towns were enrolled at their weekly medical visit. Demographic and sexual behaviour data were collected. C trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) and human papillomavirus (HPV) were detected by PCR. Blood samples were tested for the presence of HIV, hepatitis B core, hepatitis C virus (HCV), HSV-2, C trachomatis and syphilis antibodies and Hbs antigen. Results The mean age of the FSW was 34 years. They had worked in the sex industry for 6.6 years on average. Nearly all FSW (98.9%) had at least one marker of STI. A current infection was found in 86.7% of cases. Only one STI was noted in 37.2% and two or more in 49.5% of FSW. C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae, HPV and HSV-2 PCR were positive in 72.9%, 11.2%, 44.1% and 1.1% of cases, respectively. Syphilis, HCV antibodies and Hbs antigen were detected in poor percentages, 2.7%, 1.1% and 0.5% of cases, respectively. No case of HIV infection was noted. No epidemiological or clinical factors were associated with STI. Only disturbed bacterial vaginal flora was found to be associated with C trachomatis infection. Conclusion In this study, a high rate of C trachomatis infection was observed. The detection of this microorganism should be introduced in systematic surveillance of Tunisian FSW.
Electron microscopic studies of serially sectioned cat spinal α‐motoneurons. IV. Motoneurons innervating slow‐twitch (type s) units of the soleus muscle

Two intracellularly stained cat α‐motoneurons of the soleus‐S type (Burke et al., '74) were studied ultrastructurally. The architecture and synaptology of the cell body and proximal parts of the dendrites were analyzed from a long series of sonsecutive sections (Conradi et al., '79). Only few of the dendrites had a base diameter exceeding 10 μm. The proportion of the membrane surface of the cell body and dendrites covered by boutons was 40‐45% and 50‐80%, respectively. Out of this, 15‐20% was constituted by S‐boutons and 70‐75% by F‐boutons in both regions. In contrast to the situation in the gastrocnemius FR‐neurons (Kellerth et al., '79) the large boutons of the C‐type showed no clustering around the dendritic roots and were absent on the axon hillock. In addition, the M‐boutons of dorsal root origin were more sparse on the proximal parts on the dendrites of the soleus‐S neurons.
Evaluation of Serum CA 125 Concentration Before and During Hormonal Induced Cycles as Predictor of IVF/ET Outcome

Vujisić S, Kupešić S, Mihaljević D, Akšamija A, Kurjak A. Evaluation of serum CA 125 concentration before and during hormonal induced cycles as predictor of IVF/ET outcome. AJRI 2002; 48:355–360 © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2002
SARS-associated Coronavirus Transmission, United States

To better assess the risk for transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), we obtained serial specimens and clinical and exposure data from seven confirmed U.S. SARS patients and their 10 household contacts. SARS-CoV was detected in a day-14 sputum specimen from one case-patient and in five stool specimens from two case-patients. In one case-patient, SARS-CoV persisted in stool for at least 26 days after symptom onset. The highest amounts of virus were in the day-14 sputum sample and a day-14 stool sample. Residual respiratory symptoms were still present in recovered SARS case-patients 2 months after illness onset. Possible transmission of SARS-CoV occurred in one household contact, but this person had also traveled to a SARS-affected area. The data suggest that SARS-CoV is not always transmitted efficiently. Laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV infection is difficult; thus, sputum and stool specimens should be included in the diagnostic work-up for SARS-CoV infection.
Dorsal root ganglion neurons promote proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Preliminary animal experiments have confirmed that sensory nerve fibers promote osteoblast differentiation, but motor nerve fibers have no promotion effect. Whether sensory neurons promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells remains unclear. No results at the cellular level have been reported. In this study, dorsal root ganglion neurons (sensory neurons) from Sprague-Dawley fetal rats were co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transfected with green fluorescent protein 3 weeks after osteogenic differentiation in vitro, while osteoblasts derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells served as the control group. The rat dorsal root ganglion neurons promoted the proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived osteoblasts at 3 and 5 days of co-culture, as observed by fluorescence microscopy. The levels of mRNAs for osteogenic differentiation-related factors (including alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, osteopontin and bone morphogenetic protein 2) in the co-culture group were higher than those in the control group, as detected by real-time quantitative PCR. Our findings indicate that dorsal root ganglion neurons promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, which provides a theoretical basis for in vitro experiments aimed at constructing tissue-engineered bone.
Training Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to Cooperate During Routine Laboratory Procedures: Ease of Training and Time Investment

The first author trained 12 laboratory-housed common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in pairs to assess the practicality of positive reinforcement training as a technique in the management of these nonhuman animals. Behaviors taught were (a) target training to allow in homecage weighing and (b) providing urine samples. Between 2 to 13, 10-minute training sessions established desired behaviors. Training aggressive animals only after they had been fed eliminated aggression during training. Trained animals proved extremely reliable, and data collection using trained animals was considerably faster than collection using current laboratory techniques. The results suggest that positive reinforcement training is a practical option in the management of laboratory-housed marmosets.
OFDM-Like Signaling for Broadband Satellite Applications: Analysis and Advanced Compensation

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), special form of multicarrier modulation, is the cornerstone of broad range of current standards. In addition, fifth-generation (5G) terrestrial wireless networks, advancing at accelerated speed, continue to use OFDM air interface. The first part of this paper endeavors to apply OFDM-like signaling for broadband satellite transmission in the forward direction, from gateway to terminals. Two layers of multicarrier operation are invoked. One allows multiple signals to share single on-board high-power amplifier. The other layer permits transmitted symbols from individual signals to modulate multiple narrowband OFDM subcarriers, followed by interpolating filters to suppress interference into adjacent signals and limit out-of-band emission to be compatible with satellite uplink. The second part of this paper proposes novel nonlinear compensation techniques, applied at the transmitter or receiver, and combination of both. Two performance assessments are provided: one exploiting information-theoretic framework using ideal channel coding; another based on total degradation using practical forward-error correction codes. We show that performance loss from nonlinear distortion can be significantly reduced when adopting the proposed correction methods. Furthermore, it is possible to use OFDM-like signaling over satellite, while being competitive, and in some cases surpassing, traditional systems with single-carrier modulation employing state-of-the-art enhanced receiver architecture.
Cloning, Expression, Cellular Distribution, and Role in Chemotaxis of a C5a Receptor in Rainbow Trout: The First Identification of a C5a Receptor in a Nonmammalian Species1

C3a, C4a, and C5a anaphylatoxins generated during complement activation play a key role in inflammation. C5a is the most potent of the three anaphylatoxins in eliciting biological responses. The effects of C5a are mediated by its binding to C5a receptor (C5aR, CD88). To date, C5aR has only been identified and cloned in mammalian species, and its evolutionary history remains ill-defined. To gain insights into the evolution, conserved structural domains, and functions of C5aR, we have cloned and characterized a C5aR in rainbow trout, a teleost fish. The isolated cDNA encoded a 350-aa protein that showed the highest sequence similarity to C5aR from other species. Genomic analysis revealed the presence of one continuous exon encoding the entire open reading frame. Northern blot analysis showed significant expression of the trout C5a receptor (TC5aR) message in PBLs and kidney. Flow cytometric analysis showed that two Abs generated against two different areas of the extracellular N-terminal region of TC5aR positively stained the same leukocyte populations from PBLs. B lymphocytes and granulocytes comprised the majority of cells recognized by the anti-TC5aR. More importantly, these Abs inhibited chemotaxis of PBLs toward a chemoattractant fraction purified from complement-activated trout serum. Our data suggest that the split between C5aR and C3aR from a common ancestral molecule occurred before the emergence of teleost fish. Moreover, we demonstrate that the overall structure of C5aR as well as its role in chemotaxis have remained conserved for >300 million years.
Zero-order release and bioavailability enhancement of poorly water soluble Vinpocetine from self-nanoemulsifying osmotic pump tablet

Abstract Solid self-nanoemulsifying (S-SNEDDS) asymmetrically coated osmotic tablets of the poorly water-soluble drug Vinpocetine (VNP) were designed. The aim was to control the release of VNP by the osmotic technology taking advantage of the solubility and bioavailability-enhancing capacity of S-SNEDDS. Liquid SNEDDS loaded with 2.5 mg VNP composed of Maisine™ 35-1, Transcutol® HP, and Cremophor® EL was adsorbed on the solid carrier Aeroperl®. S-SNEDDS was mixed with the osmotic tablet excipients (sodium chloride, Avicel®, HPMC-K4M, PVP-K30, and Lubripharm®), then directly compressed to form the core tablet. The tablets were dip coated and mechanically drilled. A 32*21 full factorial design was adopted. The independent variables were: type of coating material (X1), concentration of coating solution (X2), and number of drills (X3). The dependent variables included % release at 2 h (Y1), at 4 h (Y2), and at 8 h (Y3). The in vivo performance of the optimum formula was assessed in rabbits. Zero-order VNP release was obtained by the single drilled 1.5% Opadry® CA coated osmotic tablets and twofold increase in VNP bioavailability was achieved. The combination of SNEDDS and osmotic pump tablet system was successful in enhancing the solubility and absorption of VNP as well as controlling its release.
How Important is Scale in Galaxy Image Classification?

In this paper, we study the importance of scale on Galaxy Image Classification. Galaxy Image classification involves performing Morphological Analysis to determine the shape of the galaxy. Traditionally, Morphological Analysis is carried out by trained experts. However, as the number of images of galaxies is increasing, there’s a desire to come up with a more scalable approach for classification. In this paper, we pre-process the images to have three different scales. Then, we train the same neural network for small number of epochs (number of passes over the data) on all of these three scales. After that, we report the performance of the neural network on each scale. There are two main contributions in this paper. First, we show that scale plays a major role in the performance of the neural network. Second, we show that normalizing the scale of the galaxy image produces better results. Such normalization can be extended to any image classification task with similar characteristics to the galaxy images and where there’s no background clutter.
Decoding the Dyad

Social relationships are central to human life and are underpinned by the social interactions that constitute them. Both the behavioral sequences and the quality of these interactions vary significantly from individual to individual and conversation to conversation. This makes it difficult to understand the mechanisms that cause individual differences in social behavior and how such differences affect social outcomes. In order to gain insight into this problem, research must involve the study of real social interactions in parallel with experimental laboratory work. The aim of this review is to present three challenges in the study of face-to-face social behavior and to review results that have begun to address the question of how individual differences predict social behavior, which in turn determines social outcomes. Importantly, this review demonstrates that natural social behavior can be used as an outcome variable in experimental settings, making it possible to examine the mechanisms that drive social behavior and individual differences therein.
Aer on the inside looking out: paradigm for a PAS–HAMP role in sensing oxygen, redox and energy

Aer, the Escherichia coli aerotaxis (oxygen‐sensing) receptor, is representative of a small class of receptors that face the cytoplasm in bacteria. Instead of sensing oxygen directly, Aer detects redox changes in the electron transport system or cytoplasm when the bacteria enter or leave a hypoxic microniche. As a result, Aer sensing also enables bacteria to avoid environments where carbon deficiency, unfavourable reduction potential or other insults would limit energy production. An FAD‐binding PAS domain is the sensor for Aer and a HAMP domain interacts with the PAS domain to form an input–output module for signal transduction. By analogy to the first solution structure of an isolated HAMP domain from Archaeoglobus, Aer HAMP is proposed to fold into a four‐helix bundle that rotates between a signal‐on and signal‐off conformation. Aer is the first protein in which a PAS–HAMP input–output module has been investigated. The structure and signal transduction mechanism of Aer is providing important insights into signalling by PAS and HAMP domains.