Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Localization of Visual Codes using Fuzzy Inference System

Usage of computer-readable visual codes is common in everyday life. The reading process of visual codes consists of two steps, localization and data decoding. This paper introduces a fast and robust method for localization of visual codes using Fuzzy Inference Systems based on simplistic, attentive features which can be optionally extended with cell histograms. Input image properties, assigned membership functions and efficiency of the system has been evaluated and discussed, showing FIS is a viable alternative for rapid QR code recognition in the image domain. The basic approach can be also used with lookup tables, that speeds up image cell evaluation and makes it ideal for embedded systems.
Self-Assembly Process for Chip-to-Wafer Three-Dimensional Integration

We have proposed chip-to-wafer stacking for three-dimensional (3D) integration. To realize the chip-to-wafer 3D integration, five key technologies of through-Si interconnection and microbump formation, chip-to-wafer alignment, underfilling, and chip thinning were investigated. Three-layer stacked chips with a layer thickness of several tens microns were fabricated by using the key technologies. Each chip was serially and mechanically aligned and bonded onto a support LSI wafer. In addition, we newly introduce a stacking technique using self-assembly as a key process for advanced chip-to-wafer 3D integration. High-precision alignment with an accuracy of within 1 mum was obtained and stacking throughput can be dramatically improved by the self-assembly.
Longitudinal outcomes of patients with traumatic brain injury: A preliminary study

Primary objective: To examine the long-term global clinical outcomes of TBI patients from 1 week to 10 years post-injury. Research design: A retrospective study was conducted at a level I trauma centre. Methods and procedures: A total of 327 TBI patients were recruited retrospectively in this longitudinal study and the score of Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) was then documented as an indicator of the clinical outcomes. Main outcomes and results: The results presented that less than one-in-three patients recovered well within 2 weeks after trauma. Around 40% of patients were evaluated as favourable outcomes within 6 months post-injury. Less than 30% of TBI patients could gain favourable outcomes at 3 years post-injury and over half of patients still could not recover well at 6 years. Five patients’ outcomes were continuously followed until 10 years and the results indicated that they started to have good outcomes after 3 years post-injury. Conclusions: This study might be the first one to longitudinally evaluate the outcomes of patients from 1 week to 10 years post-injury and revealed that patients still may have difficulties in social interactions and family relationships until 6 years post-injury, even though they could live and work independently. Hence, professionals should pay attention to the underlying factors causing their difficulties within the long-term recovery process.
LONG CYCLES IN CERTAIN GRAPHS OF LARGE DEGREE

Let G be a connected graph of order n and X ={ x ∈ V : d(x) ≥ n/2}. Suppose |X |≥ 3 and G satisfies the modified Fan's condition. We show that the vertices of the block B of G containing X form a cycle. This generalizes a result of Fan. We also give an efficient algorithm to obtain such a cycle. The complexity of this algorithm is O(n 2 ). In case G is 2-connected, the condition |X |≥ 3 can be removed and G is hamiltonian.
Robust support vector machines against evasion attacks by random generated malicious samples

Pattern recognition techniques have been widely used in security-sensitive applications to distinguish malicious samples from legitimate ones. However, there usually exist some intelligent attackers who intend to have malicious samples to be mis-classified as legitimate at test time, i.e. evasion attack. Current researches show that traditional Support Vector Machines (SVMs) are vulnerable to evasion attacks as they do not consider the existence of an attack. In this paper, we propose to increase the robustness of SVMs against evasion attacks by adding random generated malicious samples to the training set. The experimental result on spam filtering shows that the proposed method can increase the true positive rate of SVMs under evasion attacks without significantly affecting the false positive rate.
Evidence‐based development of liver allocation: a review

Liver transplantation has undergone a rapid evolution from a high‐risk experimental procedure to a mainstream therapy for thousands of patients with a wide range of hepatic diseases. Its increasing success has been accompanied by progressive imbalance between organ donor supply and the patients who might benefit. Where demand outstrips supply in transplantation, a system of organ allocation is inevitably required to make the wisest use of the available, but scarce, organs. Early attempts to rationally allocate donor livers were particularly hampered by lack of available and suitable data, leading to imperfect solutions that created or exacerbated inequities in the system. The advent and maturation of evidence‐based predictors of waiting list mortality risk led to more objective criteria for liver allocation, aided by the increasing availability of data on large numbers of patients. Until now, the vast majority of allocation systems for liver transplantation have relied on estimation of waiting list mortality. Evidence‐based allocation systems that incorporate measures of post‐transplant outcomes are conceptually attractive and these transplant benefit‐based allocation systems have been developed, modeled, and subjected to computer simulation. Future implementations of benefit‐based liver allocation await continued refinement and additional debate in the transplant community.
The influence of wye and delta connection on induction motor losses taking slot opening and skew effect into account

As a basic theoretical research for the ultra efficiency motor design, in this paper, the influence of wye and delta connection on induction motor losses is focused on. The Multi-slice field-circuit coupled time-stepping finite element method (T-S FEM), taking slot opening and skew effect into account, is used to predict the losseswith wye and delta connection under different load conditions respectively. It is shown that the copper loss is higher when delta connection is adopted and the iron losses of wye connection may be more than that of the delta connection.
Rectennas for Radio-Frequency Energy Harvesting and Wireless Power Transfer: A Review of Antenna Design [Antenna Applications Corner]

Radio-frequency (RF) energy harvesting (RFEH) and radiative wireless power transfer (WPT) have attracted significant interest as methods of enabling battery-free sustainable wireless networks. Rectifying antennas (rectennas) are the cornerstone of WPT and RFEH systems and critically affect the amount of dc power delivered to the load. The antenna element of the rectenna directly impacts the radiation-to-ac harvesting efficiency, which can vary the harvested power by orders of magnitude. In this article, antenna designs employed in WPT and ambient RFEH applications are reviewed. Reported rectennas are categorized based on two main criteria: the antenna-rectifier impedance bandwidth and the antenna's radiation properties. For each criterion, the figure of merit (FoM) is identified for different applications and reviewed comparatively.
Variability of quantal synaptic currents in thalamocortical neurons

Broad amplitude variability and skewed distributions are characteristic features of quantal synaptic currents (minis) at central synapses. The relative contributions of the various underlying sources are still debated. Through computational models of thalamocortical neurons, we separated intrafrom extra-synaptic sources. Our simulations indicate that the external factors of local input resistance and dendritic filtering generate equally small amounts of negatively skewed synaptic variability. The ability of these two factors to reduce positive skew increased as their contribution to variability increased, which in control trials for morphological, biophysical, and experimental parameters never exceeded 10% of the range. With these dendritic factors ruled out, we tested multiple release models, which led to distributions with clearly non-physiological multiple peaks. We conclude that intra-synaptic organization is the primary determinant of synaptic variability in thalamocortical neurons and, due to extra-synaptic mechanisms, is more potent than the data suggested. Thalamortical neurons, especially in rodents, constitute a remarkably favorable system for molecular genetic studies of synaptic variability and its functional consequence. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Eigenvalue-based techniques for continuous sensing model in MIMO CR networks

Many studies on cognitive radio (CR) networks have been carried out to maximize the CR throughput under the restriction of avoiding interference on primary user (PU) network. Aiming at a higher network throughput than in the classic approach, the concept of continuous sensing is used, where secondary receiving nodes are responsible for the spectrum sensing and decision about the presence of the PU while others secondary users (SU) transmit in the same sensed spectrum band. In this paper we compare, in a continuous sensing scheme, the performance of eigenvalue spectrum sensing techniques in a multiple sensor CR network. The soft Akaike information criterion (SAIC) achieves the best performance for detection of the PU signal when the SU signal is strong and the modified maximum eigenvalue detection performs better when the SU signal is week.
Surface Functionalized Electrospun Biodegradable Nanofibers for Immobilization of Bioactive Molecules

A blend mixture of biodegradable poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(d,l‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid)‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐NH2 (PLGA‐b‐PEG‐NH2) block copolymer was electrospun to produce surface functionalized nanofibers. The resulting nanofibrous mesh with primary amine groups on the surface was applied for immobilization of biologically active molecules using lysozyme as a model enzyme. Lysozyme was immobilized via covalent conjugation by using a homobifunctional coupling agent. The nanofibrous mesh could immobilize a far greater amount of lysozyme on the surface with concomitantly increased activity, primarily due to its larger surface area, compared to that of the solvent casting film. It was also found that the enzyme immobilization process slightly altered thermal and pH‐dependent catalytic activity profiles compared to those of native lysozyme. The results demonstrated the surface functionalized electrospun nanofibrous mesh could be used as a promising material for immobilizing a wide range of bioactive molecules.
TOUGH: The Measure of Merit in Psychological Science

Scientific careers depend largely on the evaluation of one’s merit. Yet scientists agree that the measurement of merit is quite a complex endeavor. Some indicators exist, such as Hirsch’s well-known h index, but none can fully capture the complexity of the notion of merit. We propose that the h factor should be complemented with additional useful measurements: the t, o, u, and g indexes.
Is it really worth it? A test of pay-what-you-want pricing strategies in a German consumer behaviour context

This paper focuses on the factors that significantly influence an individual's decision in establishing a price for a standardised product under so-called pay-what-you-want (PWYW) circumstances. Current research has identified seven influential constructs that are assumed to be the main drivers of consumer behaviour when making a pricing decision in a PWYW environment: fairness, altruism, loyalty, price consciousness, income, satisfaction and reference price. This paper extends the list of influential factors with an additional construct, situational factors and examines the constructs' relative importance with regard to their influence on a PWYW decision. Moreover, the positive effect of personal interaction on a buyer's willingness to pay during a payment situation in the PWYW context was confirmed.
Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase‐1 inhibition blocks proliferation and enhances apoptosis in oesophageal adenocarcinoma cells without affecting endothelial prostacyclin production

Prostaglandins are important in the progression of various gastrointestinal cancers including oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). Cyclo‐oxygenase (COX)‐2 inhibitors reduce OAC prostaglandin production but also have potentially detrimental effects on vascular endothelial function by reducing prostacyclin production and increasing the risk of cardiovascular events. We have examined the effects of inhibiting microsomal prostaglandin synthase‐1 (mPGES‐1), the enzyme downstream of COX‐2 in the prostaglandin synthetic cascade. In OAC cells, reduction of mPGES‐1 with RNA interference blocked PGE2 production, inhibited serum‐induced proliferation and enhanced apoptosis in the COX‐2 expressing cell lines (OE33 and FLO) but had no effect in COX‐2 deficient BIC‐1 cells. Three different methods of inhibiting mPGES‐1 (RNA interference, a novel small molecule inhibitor and the endogenous inhibitor 15‐deoxy‐Δ12,14‐PGJ2) also blocked leptin induced mPGES‐1 expression and PGE2 production and abolished the leptin‐induced proliferative and anti‐apoptotic effects in OE33 cells, without affecting COX‐2 expression. The anti‐proliferative effects were equivalent to those produced by COX‐2 inhibitory concentrations of celecoxib and NS‐398. However, unlike the two COX‐2 inhibitors, mPGES‐1 inhibition did not reduce endothelial prostacyclin production. In contrast to the effects of the COX‐2 inhibitor celecoxib, mPGES‐1 inhibition had no effects on Akt kinase activity in OAC cells. We conclude that inhibition of mPGES‐1 has potentially beneficial effects in OAC without the potentially detrimental effects on vascular endothelial prostacyclin synthesis. We have also confirmed that celecoxib has anticancer actions separate from the inhibition of COX‐2. Inhibition of mPGES‐1 may be therapeutically useful in the treatment and prevention of OAC.
Intake Fraction for Multimedia Pollutants: A Tool for Life Cycle Analysis and Comparative Risk Assessment

We employ the intake fraction (iF) as an effective tool for expressing the source‐to‐intake relationship for pollutant emissions in life cycle analysis (LCA) or comparative risk assessment. Intake fraction is the fraction of chemical mass emitted into the environment that eventually passes into a member of the population through inhalation, ingestion, or dermal exposure. To date, this concept has been primarily applied to pollutants whose primary route of exposure is inhalation. Here we extend the use of iF to multimedia pollutants with multiple exposure pathways. We use a level III multimedia model to calculate iF for TCDD and compare the result to one calculated from measured levels of dioxin toxic equivalents in the environment. We calculate iF for emissions to air and surface water for 308 chemicals. We correlate the primary exposure route with the magnitudes of the octanol‐water partition coefficient, Kow, and of the air‐water partitioning coefficient (dimensionless Henry constant), Kaw. This results in value ranges of Kow and Kaw where the chemical exposure route can be classified with limited input data requirements as primarily inhalation, primarily ingestion, or multipathway. For the inhalation and ingestion dominant pollutants, we also define empirical relationships based on chemical properties for quantifying the intake fraction. The empirical relationships facilitate rapid evaluation of many chemicals in terms of the intake. By defining a theoretical upper limit for iF in a multimedia environment we find that iF calculations provide insight into the multimedia model algorithms and help identify unusual patterns of exposure and questionable exposure model results.
Rapid assessment of contact‐dependent secondary structure propensity: Relevance to amyloidogenic sequences

We have previously demonstrated that calculation of contact‐dependent secondary structure propensity (CSSP) is highly sensitive in detecting non‐native β‐strand propensities in the core sequences of known amyloidogenic proteins. Here we describe a CSSP method based on an artificial neural network that rapidly and accurately quantifies the influence of tertiary contacts (TCs) on secondary structure propensity in local regions of protein sequences. The present method exhibited 72% accuracy in predicting the alternate secondary structure adopted by chameleon sequences located in highly disparate TC regions. Analysis of 1930 nonhomologous protein domains reveals that the α‐helix and the β‐strand largely share the same sequence context, and that tertiary context is a major determinant of the native conformation. Conversely, it appears that the propensity of random coils for either the α‐helix or the β‐strand is largely invariant to tertiary effects. The present CSSP method successfully reproduced the amyloidogenic character observed in local regions of the human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP). Furthermore, CSSP profiles were strongly correlated (r = 0.76) with the observed mutational effects on the aggregation rate of acylphosphatase. Taken together, these results provide compelling evidence in support of the present CSSP approach as a sensitive probe useful for analysis of full‐length proteins and for detection of core sequences that may trigger amyloid fibril formation. The combined speed and simplicity of the CSSP method lends itself to proteome‐wide analysis of the amyloidogenic nature of common proteins. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A comparative review of various approaches for feature extraction in face recognition

Face recognition is a type of biometric software application by using which, we can analyzing, identifying or verifying digital image of the person by using the feature of the face of the person that are unique characteristics of each person. These characteristics may be physical or behavioral. The physiological characteristics as like finger print, iris scan, or face etc and behavior characteristics as like hand-writing, voice, key stroke etc. Face recognition is very useful in many areas such as military, airports, universities, ATM, and banks etc, used for the security purposes. There are many techniques or algorithms that are used features extraction in face recognition. This paper make a review of some of those methods which are used for the face recognition that are Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Back Propagation Neural Networks (BPNN), Genetic Algorithm, and LDA, SVM, Independent Component Analysis(ICA). Each method has different -2 functions that are used for the face recognition. Dimensionality is reduced by using the Eigen face approach or PCA, LDA to extract the features from images. Genetic Algorithm is based on feature selection and Back propagation Neural Network (BPNN) is used for the classification of face images.
Two-port oscillators based on three impedance structure

This paper investigates the general analysis of the three impedance common B oscillators based on two port network. The concept is applied for 12 different impedance structures to obtain a second order oscillator where the condition and the frequency of oscillation are studied for each case. Then three special cases of two-port networks whose transmission matrices contain two non-zero elements are studied which represent MOS, BJT and gyrator circuits where six cases only can be adapted to have oscillation using gyrators. The effect on non-idealities of the current conveyor used to build gyrator on the condition and the frequency of oscillation is also studied. Finally three different cases are validated using the circuit simulations which match the theoretical study.
The Interchangeability of Global Positioning System and Semiautomated Video-Based Performance Data During Elite Soccer Match Play

Harley, JA, Lovell, RJ, Barnes, CA, Portas, MD, and Weston, M. The interchangeability of GPS and semiautomated video-based performance data during elite soccer match play. J Strength Cond Res 25(8): 2334-2336, 2011—In elite-level soccer, player motion characteristics are commonly generated from match play and training situations using semiautomated video analysis systems and global positioning system (GPS) technology, respectively. Before such data are used collectively to quantify global player load, it is necessary to understand both the level of agreement and direction of bias between the systems so that specific interventions can be made based on the reported results. The aim of this report was to compare data derived from both systems for physical match performances. Six elite-level soccer players were analyzed during a competitive match using semiautomated video analysis (ProZone® [PZ]) and GPS (MinimaxX) simultaneously. Total distances (TDs), high speed running (HSR), very high speed running (VHSR), sprinting distance (SPR), and high-intensity running distance (HIR; >4.0 m·s-1) were reported in 15-minute match periods. The GPS reported higher values than PZ did for TD (GPS: 1,755.4 ± 245.4 m; PZ: 1,631.3 ± 239.5 m; p < 0.05); PZ reported higher values for SPR and HIR than GPS did (SPR: PZ, 34.1 ± 24.0 m; GPS: 20.3 ± 15.8 m; HIR: PZ, 368.1 ± 129.8 m; GPS: 317.0 ± 92.5 m; p < 0.05). Caution should be exercised when using match-load (PZ) and training-load (GPS) data interchangeably.
Critical care in emergency department: massive haemorrhage in trauma

Inadequate resuscitation of major haemorrhage is an important cause of avoidable death in severely injured patients. Early recognition of blood loss, control of bleeding and restoration of circulating volume are critical to the management of trauma shock, and transfusion of blood components is a key intervention. Vital signs may be inadequate to determine the need for transfusion, and resuscitation regimens targeting vital signs may be harmful in the context of uncontrolled bleeding. This article addresses current concepts in haemostatic resuscitation. Recent guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of coagulopathy in major trauma, and the role of component and adjuvant therapies, are considered. Finally, the potential role of thromboelastography and rotational thromboelastometry are discussed.
Single fiber electromyography in myasthenia gravis during pregnancy

We report the use of single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) to demonstrate changes in the physiologic abnormality of myasthenia gravis (MG) during pregnancy. A 23‐year‐old became pregnant 15 months after the onset of mild ocular weakness. On initial evaluation, SFEMG jitter measurements demonstrated a slight abnormality of neuromuscular transmission. There was no change in severity of clinical disease or jitter measurements until the third trimester, when she improved. Jitter measurements at that time were normal. Labor was normal and she delivered a normal male. Three days postpartum, myasthenic weakness recurred temporarily and jitter measurements showed worsening. At 16 days and 6 weeks postpartum, she had only minimal medial rectus weakness and jitter studies were normal. Three months postpartum, ocular symptoms recurred and jitter measurements were slightly abnormal. She continued to worsen, developing limb muscle and severe ocular muscle weakness at 4 months postpartum. She was treated with plasma exchange and thymectomy. Prednisone was added 2 months after thymectomy due to continued worsening and development of oropharyngeal weakness. Three years postpartum she was taking prednisone 10 mg every other day and had only slight weakness of neck flexors, and jitter studies were again normal. © 1993 John Wiley & Soncs, Inc.