Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optical flow angular rate determination

One application of optical flow analyses is to determine the egomotion of moving bodies based on intensity variations in sequential sensor imagery. Full egomotion determination requires an estimate of the body's translational velocity as well as the angular rates. Such calculations of the full egomotion require solving a system of nonlinear equations. However, if the assumption is made that the translational velocities can be estimated by another sensor (i.e. accelerometers), the resulting equations for the angular rate prediction become linear. This paper presents the set of equations for the determination of the angular rates and range from the spatio-temporal image gradients introduced when employing the optical flow constraint. Results of simulations show typical accuracy for the proposed approach.
Useful parameters for distinguishing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with mild steatosis from cryptogenic chronic hepatitis in the Japanese population

Abstract: Background/Aims: As detecting mild steatosis is difficult by abdominal ultrasonography (US), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with mild steatosis may sometimes be confused with cryptogenic chronic hepatitis. We aimed to test this possibility and to isolate factors that may indicate NASH.
How does the human brain deal with a spinal cord injury?

The primary sensorimotor cortex of the adult brain is capable of significant reorganization of topographic maps after deafferentation and de‐efferentation. Here we show that patients with spinal cord injury exhibit extensive changes in the activation of cortical and subcortical brain areas during hand movements, irrespective of normal (paraplegic) or impaired (tetraplegic patients) hand function. Positron emission tomography ([15O]‐H2O‐PET) revealed not only an expansion of the cortical ‘hand area’ towards the cortical ‘leg area’, but also an enhanced bilateral activation of the thalamus and cerebellum. The areas of the brain which were activated were qualitatively the same in both paraplegic and tetraplegic patients, but differed quantitatively as a function of the level of their spinal cord injury. We postulate that the changes in brain activation following spinal cord injury may reflect an adaptation of hand movement to a new body reference scheme secondary to a reduced and altered spino‐thalamic and spino‐cerebellar input.
Protein energy malnutrition in severe alcoholic hepatitis: diagnosis and response to treatment. The VA Cooperative Study Group #275.

BACKGROUND Active nutrition therapy and the anabolic steroid oxandrolone (OX), in selected patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, significantly improved liver status and survival. We report here on the changes in their nutritional parameters. METHODS Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) was evaluated and expressed as percent of low normal in 271 patients initially, at 1 month and at 3 months. Active therapy consisted of OX plus a high caloric food supplement vs a matching placebo and a low calorie supplement. RESULTS PEM was present in every patient; mean PEM score 60% of low normal. Most of the parameters improved significantly from baseline on standard care; the largest improvement seen in visceral proteins, the smallest in fat stores (skinfold thickness). Total PEM score significantly correlated with 6 month mortality (p = .0012). Using logistic regression analysis, creatinine height index, hand grip strength and total peripheral blood lymphocytes were the best risk factors for survival. When CD lymphocyte subsets replaced total lymphocyte counts in the equation, CD8 levels became a significant risk factor (p = .004). Active treatment produced significant risk factor (p = .004). Active treatment produced significant improvements in those parameters related to total body and muscle mass (ie, mid arm muscle area, p = .02; creatinine height index, p = .03; percent ideal body weight, p = .04). CONCLUSION Deterioration in nutritional parameters is a significant risk factor for survival in severe patients with alcoholic hepatitis. This deterioration is reversible with standard hospital care. Active therapy further improves creatinine height index, mid arm muscle area and total lymphocyte counts. Hence, these later parameters appear to be the best indicators for follow-up assessments.
Anti‐D Concentration in Mother and Child in Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Abstract. The relationship between the maternal anti‐D concentration measured in μg/ml at full term, the amount of anti‐D in the baby and the severity of haemolytic disease of the newborn was studied in 18 mother‐infant pairs. The amount of anti‐D in the baby varies between 2 and 30% of that in the mother and it is concluded that the rate of active transfer of anti‐D across the placenta is the rate limiting step in the reaction between anti‐D and foetal red cells. It is suggested that there is variation in the rate of placental transfer between individual mothers and that this is a factor in determining the severity of the disease. The results also suggest that measurement of maternal antibody in μg/ml rather than antiglobulin titre will not improve the accuracy of ante‐natal assessment of severity of the disease.
Genetic investigation of a negatively phototactic strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Two laboratory strains of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii 137c differ in their pattern of phototactic aggregation. One is positively phototactic under conditions where the other is negatively phototactic. The trait segregates 2:2 in tetrads and maps to a single locus. Heterozygous diploids are positively phototactic, showing that this allele is dominant. The aggregation pattern caused by either allele is not altered by the introduction of an unlinked gene that suppresses development of the eyespot. Probably the strains already differed in phototactic behaviour at the time they were first isolated. They may therefore reflect a genetic polymorphism common among soil algae. The genetic data allowed another significant observation not specifically related to phototaxis. Anomalous products from some crosses suggest that four nuclei sometimes fuse into a tetraploid zygote that then undergoes meiosis. The meiotic products that result are diploid. This represents a previously undescribed mechanism of diploid formation in Chlamydomonas .
Tumor-associated Carbonic Anhydrase 9 Spatially Coordinates Intracellular pH in Three-dimensional Multicellular Growths*

CA9 is a membrane-tethered, carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme, expressed mainly at the external surface of cells, that catalyzes reversible CO2 hydration. Expression is greatly enhanced in many tumors, particularly in aggressive carcinomas. The functional role of CA9 in tumors is not well established. Here we show that CA9, when expressed heterologously in cultured spheroids (0.5-mm diameter, ∼25,000 cells) of RT112 cells (derived from bladder carcinoma), induces a near-uniform intracellular pH (pHi) throughout the structure. Dynamic pHi changes during displacements of superfusate CO2 concentration are also spatially coincident (within 2 s). In contrast, spheroids of wild-type RT112 cells lacking CA9 exhibit an acidic core (∼0.25 pHi reduction) and significant time delays (∼9 s) for pHi changes in core versus peripheral regions. pHi non-uniformity also occurs in CA9-expressing spheroids after selective pharmacological inhibition of the enzyme. In isolated RT112 cells, pHi regulation is unaffected by CA9 expression. The influence of CA9 on pHi is thus only evident in multicellular tissue. Diffusion-reaction modeling indicates that CA9 coordinates pHi spatially by facilitating CO2 diffusion in the unstirred extracellular space of the spheroid. We suggest that pHi coordination may favor survival and growth of a tumor. By disrupting spatial pHi control, inhibition of CA9 activity may offer a novel strategy for the clinical treatment of CA9-associated tumors.
Pancreatic endocrine tumors: expression profiling evidences a role for AKT-mTOR pathway.

PURPOSE We investigated the global gene expression in a large panel of pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) aimed at identifying new potential targets for therapy and biomarkers to predict patient outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Using a custom microarray, we analyzed 72 primary PETs, seven matched metastases, and 10 normal pancreatic samples. Relevant differentially expressed genes were validated by either quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. RESULTS Our data showed that: tuberous sclerosis 2 (TSC2) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were downregulated in most of the primary tumors, and their low expression was significantly associated with shorter disease-free and overall survival; somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) was absent or very low in insulinomas compared with nonfunctioning tumors; and expression of fibroblast growth factor 13 (FGF13) gene was significantly associated with the occurrence of liver metastasis and shorter disease-free survival. TSC2 and PTEN are two key inhibitors of the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and the specific inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin or RAD001 inhibited cell proliferation of PET cell lines. CONCLUSION Our results strongly support a role for PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in PET, which ties in with the fact that mTOR inhibitors have reached phase III trials in neuroendocrine tumors. The finding of differential SSTR expression raises the potential for SSTR expression to be evaluated as a marker of response to somatostatin analogs. Finally, we identified FGF13 as a new prognostic marker that predicted poorer outcome in patients who were clinically considered free from disease.
Efficacy and Safety of Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide Combined Therapy in Patients with Refractory/Recurrent B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (B-CLL)—Polish Multicentre Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a combination of fludarabine (F) and cyclophosphamide (C) in the treatment of patients with refractory/recurrent B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). Between November 1999 and December 2001, 63 patients with B-CLL (median age 60 years) received a regimen that consisted of F 25 mg/m2 and C 250 mg/m2, days 1-3, intravenously, every 4 weeks, for a maximum of 6 courses, Response and toxicity were assessed according to current criteria (NCI-WG and WHO). Complete and partial remissions were achieved in 17.5% and 55.6% of patients, respectively; 19% of patients had stable disease and 7.9% of patients showed disease progression. The median follow-up was 16.5 (range 1.5-32) months. The median duration of progression-free survival (PFS) has not been reached among patients treated with FC regimen as second-line therapy. The median PFS was 13 (range 8-26) months in the 19 responding patients treated with FC regimen as third-line therapy. The most frequent side-effects were neutropenia (45%), thrombocytopenia (42%) and infections (57%). We conclude that the combination of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide demonstrated significant efficacy in pretreated, advanced B-CLL patients, with tolerable toxicity.
Does Time Spent on Household Activities or Housework Stress Complicate Recovery Following Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?

ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of household activities and housework stress as factors contributing to gender differences in recovery following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Therefore, the impact of time spent on household activities and housework stress on physical functioning (PF) was explored. Methods: Psychosocial data were measured two months and again one year after CABG in a sample of 351 patients (23% women) recruited within one week before surgery. Self-report questionnaires included assessment of household responsibilities, depression (PHQ–9), and PF (SF-36 subscale). Results: The results revealed that, following CABG, women spent more time on household activities and experienced markedly more stress due to these activities than men. Surprisingly, only housework stress was associated with poorer PF, whereas the time spent on household activities did not explain differences in PF in men and women. Finally, household responsibilities were not associated with the poorer recovery of the female CABG patient. Discussion: In conclusion, our results do not support the advice that women should not resume household activities two months after surgery. More research is needed to establish valid guidelines.
A fingerprint matching algorithm based on alignment using LPD and GCD minutia descriptors

Although various algorithms have been proposed, accurate fingerprint matching remains an unresolved problem. This paper describes a minutiae based fingerprint matching algorithm that uses minutia descriptors to help finding the optimal global transformation between two different fingerprints quickly. Two different minutia descriptors, the local patch descriptor (LPD) and the geometrical configuration descriptor (GCD), are used in this paper. A small set of matched pairs between two different fingerprints are found first based on these minutia descriptors. A rough global transformation will be found in these small set of matched pairs by RANSAC algorithm, then a proposed method of verifying the matching result is applied to filter matched pairs that extracted from RANSAC algorithm. The final global transformation will be overdetermined by the filtered matched pairs. The matching result will be calculated by the final global transformation. Experimental results show that the occurrence of misalignment is dramatically reduced and that matching accuracy is improved at the same time.
Forbidden games: the construction of sexuality and sexual pleasure by BDSM ‘players’

This study aims to explore personal meanings related to the constructs ‘sexuality’ and ‘sexual pleasure’ in people who choose to write in forums and blogs about their own experience with Bondage and Discipline, dominance and submission, and Sadism and Masochism (BDSM). We carried out semi-structured online interviews with 343 people, of whom 50 (24 women and 26 men) claimed to practise or to have practised BDSM, in order to investigate participants' definitions of their sexual experiences and the construction of sexuality and sexual pleasure from their personal point of view and from the perspective of the opposite sex. Data were analysed according to Grounded Theory methodology. Questions concerning the ‘normality’ or the ‘deviance’ of participants' sexual practices were reflected in the answers of the majority of BDSM practitioners. Sexuality was construed as a ‘game’ with specific rules, and ‘pleasure’ was associated with extremely intense experiences. The relationship between the partners was considered fundamental, as it gave meaning to the sexual practice. Both dominant and dominated roles were found to be tightly linked to the possession and management of power between partners, which either confirms or reverses the social construction of traditional male and female roles.
Validation of the sperm class analyser CASA system for sperm counting in a busy diagnostic semen analysis laboratory

Abstract Sperm counts have been linked to several fertility outcomes making them an essential parameter of semen analysis. It has become increasingly recognised that Computer-Assisted Semen Analysis (CASA) provides improved precision over manual methods but that systems are seldom validated robustly for use. The objective of this study was to gather the evidence to validate or reject the Sperm Class Analyser (SCA) as a tool for routine sperm counting in a busy laboratory setting. The criteria examined were comparison with the Improved Neubauer and Leja 20-μm chambers, within and between field precision, sperm concentration linearity from a stock diluted in semen and media, accuracy against internal and external quality material, assessment of uneven flow effects and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to predict fertility in comparison with the Neubauer method. This work demonstrates that SCA CASA technology is not a standalone ‘black box’, but rather a tool for well-trained staff that allows rapid, high-number sperm counting providing errors are identified and corrected. The system will produce accurate, linear, precise results, with less analytical variance than manual methods that correlate well against the Improved Neubauer chamber. The system provides superior predictive potential for diagnosing fertility problems.
Heuristic and Metaheuristic Approaches for a Class of Two-Dimensional Bin Packing Problems

Two-dimensional bin packing problems consist of allocating, without overlapping, a given set of small rectangles (items) to a minimum number of large identical rectangles (bins), with the edges of the items parallel to those of the bins. According to the specific application, the items may either have a fixed orientation or they can be rotated by 90°. In addition, it may or not be imposed that the items are obtained through a sequence of edge-to-edge cuts parallel to the edges of the bin. In this article, we consider the class of problems arising from all combinations of the above requirements. We introduce a new heuristic algorithm for each problem in the class, and a unified tabu search approach that is adapted to a specific problem by simply changing the heuristic used to explore the neighborhood. The average performance of the single heuristics and of the tabu search are evaluated through extensive computational experiments.
Pseudorhodobacter sinensis sp. nov. and Pseudorhodobacter aquaticus sp. nov., isolated from crater lakes.

Three Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strains, Y1R2-4T, Y3R2-3 and DC2N1-10T, isolated from two crater lakes of the Daxinganling Mountains, northern China, were studied to determine their taxonomic position. They grew at 4-30 °C (optimally at 20-25 °C), at pH 6.0-7.5 (optimally at pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-0.5 % (w/v) NaCl. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, these strains showed 95.3-96.6 % similarity to members of the genus Pseudorhodobacter, including Pseudorhodobacter ferrugineus DSM 5888T, Pseudorhodobacter wandonensis WT-MW11T, Pseudorhodobacter antarcticus ZS3-33T and Pseudorhodobacter aquimaris HDW-19T. All strains contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The main polar lipids for strains Y1R2-4T and Y3R2-3 were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentiﬁed aminophospholipid, one unidentiﬁed aminolipid, three unidentiﬁed phospholipids and two unidentiﬁed lipids, and those for strain DC2N1-10T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentiﬁed aminophospholipid, one unidentiﬁed aminolipid, one unidentiﬁed phospholipid and several unidentiﬁed lipids. The DNA G+C contents of strains Y1R2-4T, Y3R2-3 and DC2N1-10T were 61.9, 61.0 and 60.0 mol%, respectively. In addition, strain Y1R2-4T shared less than 50 % DNA-DNA relatedness to strain DC2N1-10T. Based on these differences in genetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic properties, strains Y1R2-4T, Y3R2-3 and DC2N1-10T were considered to represent two novel species of the genus Pseudorhodobacter, for which the names Pseudorhodobacter sinensis sp. nov. (type strain Y1R2-4T=CGMCC1.14435T=KCTC 52039T) and Pseudorhodobacter aquaticus sp. nov. (type strain DC2N1-10T=CGMCC1.14433T=KCTC 52040T) are proposed.
Differentiation between three Saudi goat types using Size-free Canonical Discriminant Analysis

Body weight and 16 body measurements were utilized to discriminate between 188 animals randomly selected from three Saudi goat types, namely Ardi, Line1 and Line2. A size-free canonical discriminant analysis was conducted. Results indicated that Ardi breed is separated from the other two lines. The Mahalanobis distance of 0.55 was obtained between Line1 and Line2, while the corresponding distances between Ardi and each of Line1 and Line2 were 25.03 and 21.45, respectively. These values indicate that Line1 and Line2 are more closely related to each other than the relation between Ardi and each of both, which they are far apart. The three distances were significantly (P<0.01) different from each other. The cross-validation procedure assigned 100% of Ardi animals into their genetic group, while percentages of animals assigned in Line1 and line2 were 86.10 and 42.55, respectively. The size-free canonical approach is proved useful and informative in differentiating between the three breeds. Application of selective breeding to genetic improvement would benefit from the detected phenotypic differentiation.
What are some tips and pearls for preserving and improving nasal function when performing a cosmetic rhinoplasty?

Purpose of reviewUnderstanding nasal form and function is critical in performing successful cosmetic rhinoplasty. Careful evaluation of the patient's nasal airway with identification of areas of existing or potential obstruction is important in avoiding potential pitfalls that may compromise nasal function following rhinoplasty. This article will review surgical techniques that can be utilized to preserve and improve nasal function during cosmetic rhinoplasty. Recent findingsRecent literature on nasal functionality focuses on the management of the internal and external nasal valve as well as the nasal septum during rhinoplasty. SummarySuccessful cosmetic rhinoplasty requires a thorough preoperative analysis of both aesthetic and functional characteristics of the nose. Close attention should be paid to the internal and external nasal valves and nasal septum before and during surgery to preserve and improve nasal function following cosmetic rhinoplasty.
PEER INFLUENCES AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SMOKING AMONG CALIFORNIA ADOLESCENTS

Using data from a diverse statewide sample of 10th-grade adolescents in California, in 1996–97, this study investigated the associations between peer influence variables and susceptibility to smoking. Peer influence variables included attitudes about the social consequences of smoking and subjective norms, as described by the Theory of Reasoned Action. Among never-smokers (N = 2681) and ever-smokers (N = 4248), attitudes about social consequences of smoking and subjective norms each were associated with an increased risk of susceptibility to smoking. The model explained a larger proportion of the variance in susceptibility among ever-smokers than among never-smokers. Results indicate that peer influences, including perceptions of the social consequences of smoking and perceived social norms, may make adolescents susceptible to smoking.
Symbolic Model-checking for Resource-Bounded ATL

In this paper we present a symbolic implementation of a model checking algorithm for the verification of properties expressed in Resource-Bounded Alternating Time Temporal Logic (RB-ATL). The implementation is based on the model checker MCMAS. We evaluate the performance of our implementation using simple multi-agent model checking problems of increasing complexity.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 hnRNP A/B-Dependent Exonic Splicing Silencer ESSV Antagonizes Binding of U2AF65 to Viral Polypyrimidine Tracts

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exonic splicing silencers (ESSs) inhibit production of certain spliced viral RNAs by repressing alternative splicing of the viral precursor RNA. Several HIV-1 ESSs interfere with spliceosome assembly by binding cellular hnRNP A/B proteins. Here, we have further characterized the mechanism of splicing repression using a representative HIV-1 hnRNP A/B-dependent ESS, ESSV, which regulates splicing at the vpr 3′ splice site. We show that hnRNP A/B proteins bound to ESSV are necessary to inhibit E complex assembly by competing with the binding of U2AF65 to the polypyrimidine tracts of repressed 3′ splice sites. We further show evidence suggesting that U1 snRNP binds the 5′ splice site despite an almost complete block of splicing by ESSV. Possible splicing-independent functions of U1 snRNP-5′ splice site interactions during virus replication are discussed.