Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new method based on multi-scale retinex for low contrast image enhancement

According to the characteristic of low visibility of night image, we proposed an improved image enhancement method based on multi-scale Retinex. In our method, we replace the Gaussian filter as Blur filter, and replace logarithm gain as linear gain to reduce the computational complexity. The proposed algorithm first segment color image into three independent R, G, B channels, and then employ our improved multi-scale Retinex algorithm to enhance contrast of each channel. Finally, the enhanced image is given by recombining the three R, G, B enhanced results. A large number of experiments show that the proposed algorithm can quickly and efficiently improve the contrast of the night image and has a better visual effect than that of the similar method.
Stress-Corrosion Cracking Behaviour of Lean-Duplex Stainless Steels in Chloride/Thiosulphate Environments

The stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour of two lean-duplex stainless steels (DSS 2304 and LDSS 2404) was studied by slow strain-rate tests (SSRT) in 20% NaCl solution at 80 °C (pH about 6) and in NACE TM-0177 solution at 25 °C (pH 2.7), both in the absence and in the presence of thiosulphate ions (S2O32−). The SCC susceptibility of the two alloys was compared to that of LDSS 2101 investigated in a previous study. LDSS 2404 was always immune to SCC, while DSS 2304 (and LDSS 2101) suffered this corrosion form at specific concentrations. The high SCC resistance of DSS 2404 in both environments was connected to its high Mo content, while the significant SCC susceptibility of LDSS 2101 in NACE TM-0177 solution was likely due to the high Mn content of the alloy.
The Results of a Propensity Score Matching Analysis of the Efficacy of Abdominal Fascia and Skin Closure Using PDS® Plus Antibacterial (Polydioxanone) Sutures on the Incidence of Superficial Incisional Surgical Site Infections after Gastroenterologic Surgery.

BACKGROUND Surgical site infections (SSIs) lead to prolonged hospitalization and increased cost of hospital stay after surgery. Therefore, the prevention of SSIs is one of the most critical tasks facing surgeons and nursing staff. In the present study, the efficacy of using triclosan-coated polidioxanone sutures (PDS® Plus Antibacterial Suture, (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ) for abdominal closure was analyzed retrospectively using a propensity score matching analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Of 1,768 patients who underwent gastroenterologic surgery at Fukuoka University Hospital between January 2009 and September 2013, 812 underwent abdominal closure using PDS Plus. These patients were compared retrospectively regarding the incidence of SSIs using a propensity score matching method with 956 patients treated in the previous period without abdominal closure using PDS Plus sutures. The propensity score was calculated from the age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, diabetes mellitus, use of steroid medication, malignant or benign disease, organ location, emergency or planned surgery, wound classification, the American Society of Anesthesiologists score, open or laparoscopic surgery, the length of the operation, and blood loss. RESULTS Nine hundred sixty-six patients (483 matched sets) were enrolled by the propensity score matching method. No parameter used for the propensity score was different between the PDS Plus and control groups. Closure using PDS Plus could reduce the incidence of SSIs compared with that in the control group (p = 0.022). Of the parameters used for the propensity score, malignant disease (p = 0.0002), open surgery (p = 0.0020), a prolonged operation (p < 0.0001), high blood loss (p < 0.0001), the need for a transfusion (p = 0.019), and gastrointestinal tract surgery (p = 0.0059) were significant risk factors for the development of SSIs in the univariable analysis. In a multivariable regression model, open surgery (p < 0.0001), prolonged operation (p < 0.0001), gastrointestinal tract surgery (p = 0.001), and abdominal closure without PDS Plus (p < 0.0001) were the independent risk factors for the development of an SSI. The development of an SSI prolonged the hospital stay (p < 0.0001) and the use of antibiotic medication (p < 0.0001); abdominal closure using PDS Plus affected the antibiotic medication period (p = 0.013) but not the hospital stay (p = 0.40). CONCLUSION Although abdominal fascia and skin closure using PDS Plus was compared with variable abdominal closure, the present findings suggest that abdominal fascia and skin closure using PDS Plus sutures could help prevent the development of SSIs after gastroenterologic surgery, as determined by a propensity score matching analysis.
The Three Paradigms of HCI

Informal histories of HCI commonly document two major intellectual waves that have formed the field: the first orienting from engineering/human factors with its focus on optimizing man-machine fit, and the second stemming from cognitive science, with an increased emphasis on theory and on what is happening not only in the computer but, simultaneously, in the human mind. In this paper, we document underlying forces that constitute a third wave in HCI and suggest systemic consequences for the CHI community. We provisionally name this the ‘phenomenological matrix’. In the course of creating technologies such as ubiquitous computing, visualization, affective and educational technology, a variety of approaches are addressing issues that are bad fits to prior paradigms, ranging from embodiment to situated meaning to values and social issues. We demonstrate the underlying unity of these approaches, and document how they suggest the centrality of currently marginal criteria for design, evaluation, appreciation, and developmental methodology in CHI work.
In vitro characterization of statistically optimized quetiapine-loaded self-nanoemulsified systems with quality by design

Objective: To optimize and characterize quetiapine (QP)-loaded self-nanoemulsified drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) by 3-factorial 3-level Box–Behnken design (BBD) to improve the dissolution. Methods: Amounts of olive oil (X1), tween 80 (X2), and PEG 400 (X3) as independent factors, whereas % limpidity (Y1), self-emulsification time (SET) (Y2), and drug released at 15 min (T15) (Y3) as responses were employed in BBD. Three-dimensional response surface plots were run to understand the main interaction and quadratic effects of independent variables. Preliminary screening was carried out by equilibrium solubility and emulsification efficiency studies. Nanoemulsification region was recognized by pseudoternary plot. Results: Mean droplet size of optimized nanodispersion was 89.68 nm, electrokinetic potential was −27.2 mV and polydispersity index <1 and represented 94% of limpidity, 69 s of SET, and 93.4% of T15. Software-generated model graphs (predicted versus actual and residual versus predicted) for all three responses were produced without outliers and thus indicated the adequacy of selected statistical model. Conclusion: This study explained the effectiveness of BBD in insights of formulation variables and quality of QP-loaded nanoemulsified systems so as to enhance dissolution. As a result, BBD was a well-suitable experimental design in predicting the responses of QP-loaded liquid SNEDDS.
Characterization of freshwater benthic biofilm‐forming Hydrocoryne (Cyanobacteria) isolates from Antarctica

The aims of this work were to study cyanobacterial isolates resembling the genus Hydrocoryne using a combination of morphology and phylogeny of 16S rRNA and nifH sequences and to investigate genes involved in cyanotoxin and protease inhibitor production. Four new cyanobacterial strains, isolated from biofilm samples collected from King George Island, Antarctica, were studied. In terms of morphology, these new strains share traits similar to true Anabaena morphotypes (benthic ones), whereas phylogenetic analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences grouped them with the sequence of the type species Hydrocoryne spongiosa (H. Schwabe ex Bornet and Flahault 1886–1888), but not with sequences of the type species from the genus Anabaena. This cluster is the sister group of Anabaena morphotypes isolated only from the Gulf of Finland. In addition, this cluster is related to two other clusters formed by sequences of Anabaena isolated from different sites. Partial nifH genes were sequenced from two strains and the phylogenetic tree revealed that the Antarctic nifH sequences clustered with sequences from Anabaena. Furthermore, two strains were tested, using PCR with specific primers, for the presence of genes involved in cyanotoxins (microcystin and saxitoxin) and protease inhibitor (aeruginosin, and cyanopeptolin). Only cyanopeptolin was amplified using PCR. These four Hydrocoryne strains are the first to be isolated and sequenced from Antarctica, which improves our knowledge on this poorly defined cyanobacterial genus.
CAP reform and its impact on structural change and productivity growth: A cross country analysis

The recent reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have exposed the European agricultural sector to a new set of constraints and challenges. The decoupling of direct payments from production is expected to make production decisions more market-oriented as farmers move from mainly subsidy revenue maximization objectives toward profit maximizing behaviour. However, ex-post analyses of the productivity of farms have yet to uncover any evidence of a positive effect of the decoupling policy on farm productivity. Using the Irish, Danish and Dutch farm level data, we identify the extent to which both system and product switching after the introduction of decoupling has occurred and to what extent these changes have contributed to productivity growth in the agriculture. We find some evidence that the decoupling policy had positive significant effects on farm productivity but the product switching behaviour associated with the changes in farm decoupling rates have not led to productivity improvements.
Mapping the layer count of few-layer hexagonal boron nitride at high lateral spatial resolutions

Layer count control and uniformity of two dimensional (2D) layered materials are critical to the investigation of their properties and to their electronic device applications, but methods to map 2D material layer count at nanometer-level lateral spatial resolutions have been lacking. Here, we demonstrate a method based on two complementary techniques widely available in transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) to map the layer count of multilayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films. The mass-thickness contrast in high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) mode allows for thickness determination in atomically clean regions with high spatial resolution (sub-nanometer), but is limited by surface contamination. To complement, another technique based on the boron K ionization edge in the electron energy loss spectroscopy spectrum (EELS) of h-BN is developed to quantify the layer count so that surface contamination does not cause an overestimate, albeit at a lower spatial resolution (nanometers). The two techniques agree remarkably well in atomically clean regions with discrepancies within ±1 layer. For the first time, the layer count uniformity on the scale of nanometers is quantified for a 2D material. The methodology is applicable to layer count mapping of other 2D layered materials, paving the way toward the synthesis of multilayer 2D materials with homogeneous layer count.
Application of Neural Net Modeling and Inverse Control to the Desulphurization of Hot Metal Process

Optimization techniques are powerful in determining inputs to a process that will drive its output to a desired target. This inverse control problem reduces to minimizing a positive cost function that measures the difference between the output and its target value. In this paper, we present a method for inverse control that uses a combination of artificial neural net modeling and optimization. We apply this method to the desulphurization of hot metal process. In this steel industry application, the sulphur content of hot metal, obtained at the end of calcium carbide powder injection into 400 ton torpedo ladles is predicted as a function of hot metal weight, treatment time, initial sulphur content, gas flow rate, and powder injection rate. Based on the prediction model, the optimization algorithm coordinates the five inputs or part of them to achieve a desired sulphur content in the hot metal.
Fluorescent Imaging of a Dual-Pathway Atrioventricular-Nodal Conduction System

Abstract— A dual-pathway theory to explain atrioventricular-nodal (AVN) reentry has been proposed previously. However, the exact anatomical and functional correlates of the fast pathway (FP) and slow pathway (SP) have not yet been elucidated. We used optical mapping to reconstruct patterns of activation during retrograde conduction through the AVN and during AVN reentry in the triangles of Koch of 12 rabbits. Reentry was inducible by a premature stimulation of the bundle of His in 6 preparations (50%). A functional FP and SP appear to be anatomically correlated with posterior and posterolateral extensions of the AVN, which were recently described. Retrograde breakthrough points in 6 noninducible preparations were clustered near the apex of the triangle of Koch (FP), whereas 6 inducible preparations had either cycle length–dependent FP and SP exits (n=3) or only SP exits located near the coronary sinus orifice. The shift of breakthrough points from FP to SP during progressive shortening of the coupling interval was accompanied by a discontinuity in the conduction curve. We observed a transmural reentrant circuit involving the AVN, FP, SP, and the superficial endocardial layer of atrial and transitional cells. The presence of a functional SP during retrograde conduction was associated with inducibility of AVN reentry. The full text of this article is available at http://www.circresaha. org.
Optimal HARDI acquisition schemes for multi-tensor models

Introduction. Multiple-tensors models have been proposed to deal with fiber-crossings configurations in diffusion imaging but are well known to be numerically challenging. First, we show that the main reason is the presence of a collinearity in the parameters when using a single-shell HARDI acquisition (one b-value), leading to an infinite number of solutions for the fitting procedure. In contrast, multiple-shell HARDI acquisitions allow the system of equations to be better determined. Second, we propose a set of simulations to numerically explore the optimal acquisition scheme for multi-tensor estimation.
Segregated labeling of olfactory bulb projection neurons based on their birthdates

Mitral and tufted cells are the projection neurons of the olfactory bulb (OB). We previously reported that somata location and innervation patterns were different between early‐ and late‐born mitral cells (Imamura et al., 2011). Here, we introduced a plasmid that drives the expression of a GFP gene into the mouse OB using in utero electroporation, and demonstrated that we can deliver the plasmid vectors into distinct subsets of OB projection neurons by changing the timing of electroporation after fertilisation. The electroporation performed at embryonic day (E)10 preferentially labeled mitral cells in the accessory OB and main OB mitral cells in dorsomedial mitral cell layer (MCL). In contrast, the E12 electroporation introduced the plasmid vectors preferentially into main OB mitral cells in the ventrolateral MCL and tufted cells. Combining these data with BrdU injections, we confirmed that E10 and E12 electroporation preferentially labeled early‐ and late‐born projection neurons, respectively. This work introduces a novel method for segregated labeling of mouse olfactory bulb projection neurons based on their birthdates. With this technique we found that early‐ and late‐born projection neurons extend their secondary dendrites in the deep and superficial external plexiform layer (EPL), respectively. Although a similar segregation has been suggested for mitral vs. tufted cell dendrites, we found mitral cells projecting secondary dendrites into the superficial EPL in E12‐electroporated main OB. Our observations indicate that timing of neurogenesis regulates not only somata location and innervation patterns but also the laminar organisation of projection neuron dendrites in the EPL.
Time and Location Aware Mobile Data Pricing

Mobile users’ correlated mobility and data consumption patterns often lead to severe cellular network congestion in peak hours and hot spots. This paper presents an optimal design of time and location aware mobile data pricing, which incentivizes users to smooth traffic and reduce network congestion. We derive the optimal pricing scheme through analyzing a two-stage decision process, where the operator determines the time and location aware prices by minimizing his total cost in Stage I, and each mobile user schedules his mobile traffic by maximizing his payoff (i.e., utility minus payment) in Stage II. We formulate the two-stage decision problem as a bilevel optimization problem, and propose a derivative-free algorithm to solve the problem for any increasing concave user utility functions. We further develop low complexity algorithms for the commonly used logarithmic and linear utility functions. The optimal pricing scheme ensures a win-win situation for the operator and users. Simulations show that the operator can reduce the cost by up to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$97.52$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="huang-ieq1-2503763.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> percent in the logarithmic utility case and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$98.70$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="huang-ieq2-2503763.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> percent in the linear utility case, and users can increase their payoff by up to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$79.69$</tex-math> <alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="huang-ieq3-2503763.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$106.10$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="huang-ieq4-2503763.gif"/> </alternatives></inline-formula> percent for the two types of utilities, respectively, comparing with a time and location independent pricing benchmark. Our study suggests that the operator should provide price discounts at less crowded time slots and locations, and the discounts need to be significant when the operator's cost of provisioning excessive traffic is high or users’ willingness to delay traffic is low.
Evaluation of a Multiplexed PCR Assay for Detection of Respiratory Viral Pathogens in a Public Health Laboratory Setting

ABSTRACT There are numerous viral and bacterial causes of respiratory disease. To enable rapid and sensitive detection of even the most prevalent causes, there is a need for more-simplified testing systems that enable researchers and clinicians to perform multiplexed molecular diagnostics quickly and easily. To this end, a new multiplexed molecular test called the MultiCode-PLx respiratory virus panel (PLx-RVP) was developed and then implemented in a public health laboratory setting. A total of 687 respiratory samples were analyzed for the presence of 17 viruses that commonly cause respiratory disease. As a comparator, the samples were also tested using a standard testing algorithm that included the use of a real-time influenza virus A and B reverse transcription-PCR test and routine viral culture identification. The standard testing algorithm identified 503 (73%) samples as positive and 184 as negative. Analyzing the same 687 samples, the PLx-RVP assay detected one or more targets in 528 (77%) samples and found 159 samples negative for all targets. There were 25 discordant results between the two systems; 14 samples were positive for viruses not routinely tested for by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, and 13 of these were confirmed by real-time PCR. When the results of the standard testing algorithm were considered “true positives,” the PLx-RVP assay showed an overall sensitivity of 99% and an overall specificity of 87%. In total, the PLx-RVP assay detected an additional 40 viral infections, of which 11 were mixed infections.
Seasonal variation in essential oil yield and composition from Thymus vulgaris L. during different growth stages in the south of Jordan

The effect of plant space and time of harvesting on yield and quality of Thymus vulgaris was evaluated in Jordan. Thyme was cultivated in rows of 50 cm apart with inter-row spacing of 15, 30 or 45 cm and was grown at various development stages. Plants were harvested during different growth stages including vegetation, beginning of blooming, full blooming and fruit maturation. Results indicated that oil yields of thyme were affected by growth stage and inter-row spacing. The maximum oil yields was obtained by harvesting at the early growth stage, which was found superior to oil yield corresponding to the later stages of collection. With 45 cm inter-row spacing, the maximum oil yield was recorded when the samples were collected at growth stage. Indicated results showed that the chemical composition during various growth stages was characterised by high percentage of carvacrol and its corresponding monoterpenic hydrocarbon precursors ρ-cymene and γ-terpinene, and ether 1,4-cineol.
Rapid Production of Highly Interconnected Porous Scaffolds by Spheroidized Sugar Particles for Tissue Engineering

Düzensiz gözenek morfolojisi kemik doku mühendisliği için tasarlanan doku iskelelerinde hücre cevabı ve gözenekler arası bağlantılar üzerinde önemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu çalışmada, oldukça yüksek gözenek bağlantıları olan doku iskelelerinin üretiminde partikül ekstraksiyonu yöntemi için yeni bir gözenek oluşturucu üretildi. Doku iskelelerinin oluşturulmasında poli-L-laktik asit (PLLA) ve poli-e-kaprolaktondan (PCL) (ağırlıkça ortalama molekül ağırlıkları sırasıyla 220 kDa ve 50 kDa) oluşan bir polimerik karışım kullanıldı. Bir Meker beki yardımıyla alev ile küreselleştirilmiş şeker partikülleri hazırlandı. Bu yöntemle suda oldukça iyi çözünerek uzaklaştırılabilen homojen ve simetrik partiküllerin oluşturulması mümkün oldu. Oluşturulan doku iskelelerinin gözenek morfolojisinin konfokal mikroskop altında incelenmesi için polimerik karışıma üretim sırasında bir pigment ilave edildi. Üretilen doku iskeleleri fiziksel ve biyolojik olarak karakterize edildi. Gözeneklilik ve ortalama gözenek boyu değerleri mikro-bilgisayarlı tomografi (mikro-CT) ile sırasıyla %83 ve 312 mm olarak belirlendi. Hücre kültürü neticesinde konfokal mikroskop ile canlı/cansız kiti uygulamasının sonuçları, doku iskelelerinde yüksek derecede hücre tutunması ve hücre canlılığına işaret etti. Bu yeni yöntemin doku iskelelerinin yapısal kontrolünde doku mühendisliği çalışan gruplar için oldukça yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir.
Fast Eeective Rule Induction

Many existing rule learning systems are computationally expensive on large noisy datasets. In this paper we evaluate the recently-proposed rule learning algorithm IREP on a large and diverse collection of benchmark problems. We show that while IREP is extremely eecient, it frequently gives error rates higher than those of C4.5 and C4.5rules. We then propose a number of modiications resulting in an algorithm RIPPERk that is very competitive with C4.5rules with respect to error rates, but much more eecient on large samples. RIPPERk obtains error rates lower than or equivalent to C4.5rules on 22 of 37 benchmark problems, scales nearly linearly with the number of training examples, and can eeciently process noisy datasets containing hundreds of thousands of examples.