Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autonomous Structural Visual Inspection Using Region‐Based Deep Learning for Detecting Multiple Damage Types

Computer vision‐based techniques were developed to overcome the limitations of visual inspection by trained human resources and to detect structural damage in images remotely, but most methods detect only specific types of damage, such as concrete or steel cracks. To provide quasi real‐time simultaneous detection of multiple types of damages, a Faster Region‐based Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R‐CNN)‐based structural visual inspection method is proposed. To realize this, a database including 2,366 images (with 500 × 375 pixels) labeled for five types of damages—concrete crack, steel corrosion with two levels (medium and high), bolt corrosion, and steel delamination—is developed. Then, the architecture of the Faster R‐CNN is modified, trained, validated, and tested using this database. Results show 90.6%, 83.4%, 82.1%, 98.1%, and 84.7% average precision (AP) ratings for the five damage types, respectively, with a mean AP of 87.8%. The robustness of the trained Faster R‐CNN is evaluated and demonstrated using 11 new 6,000 × 4,000‐pixel images taken of different structures. Its performance is also compared to that of the traditional CNN‐based method. Considering that the proposed method provides a remarkably fast test speed (0.03 seconds per image with 500 × 375 resolution), a framework for quasi real‐time damage detection on video using the trained networks is developed.
GraphProtector: A Visual Interface for Employing and Assessing Multiple Privacy Preserving Graph Algorithms

Analyzing social networks reveals the relationships between individuals and groups in the data. However, such analysis can also lead to privacy exposure (whether intentionally or inadvertently): leaking the real-world identity of ostensibly anonymous individuals. Most sanitization strategies modify the graph's structure based on hypothesized tactics that an adversary would employ. While combining multiple anonymization schemes provides a more comprehensive privacy protection, deciding the appropriate set of techniques—along with evaluating how applying the strategies will affect the utility of the anonymized results-remains a significant challenge. To address this problem, we introduce GraphProtector, a visual interface that guides a user through a privacy preservation pipeline. GraphProtector enables multiple privacy protection schemes which can be simultaneously combined together as a hybrid approach. To demonstrate the effectiveness of GraphPro tector, we report several case studies and feedback collected from interviews with expert users in various scenarios.
Cerebello-spinal tDCS in ataxia

Objective To investigate whether a 2-week treatment with cerebellar anodal and spinal cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could reduce symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia and could modulate cerebello-motor connectivity at the short and long terms. Methods We performed a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled, crossover trial with cerebello-spinal tDCS (5 d/wk for 2 weeks) in 20 patients with neurodegenerative ataxia. Each patient underwent a clinical evaluation before and after real tDCS or sham stimulation. A follow-up evaluation was performed at 1 and 3 months with a crossover washout period of 3 months. Cerebello-motor connectivity was evaluated with transcranial magnetic stimulation at baseline and at each follow-up. Results Cerebello-spinal tDCS showed a significant improvement in all performance scores (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale, 9-Hole Peg Test, 8-m walking time), in motor cortex excitability, and in cerebellar brain inhibition compared to sham stimulation. Conclusions A 2-week treatment with cerebello-spinal tDCS reduces symptoms in patients with ataxia and restores motor cortex inhibition exerted by cerebellar structures. Cerebello-spinal tDCS might represent a promising future therapeutic and rehabilitative approach in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia, still an orphan disorder of any pharmacologic intervention. Clinical trial registration NCT03120013. Classification of evidence This study provides Class II evidence that cerebello-spinal stimulation is effective and safe in cerebellar ataxia.
Toward responsive visualization services for scatter/gather browsing

As a type of relevance feedback, Scatter/Gather demonstrates an interactive approach to relevance mapping and reinforcement. The Scatter/Gather model, proposed by Cutting, Karger, Pedersen, and Tukey (1992), is well known for its effectiveness in situations where it is difficult to precisely specify a query. However, online clustering on a large data corpus is computationally complex and extremely time consuming. This has prohibited the method's real world application for responsive services. In this paper, we proposed and evaluated a new clustering algorithm called LAIR2, which has linear worst-case time complexity and constant running time average for Scatter/Gather browsing. Our experiment showed when running on a single processor, the LAIR2 online clustering algorithm is several hundred times faster than a classic parallel algorithm running on multiple processors. The efficiency of the LAIR2 algorithm promises real-time Scatter/Gather browsing services. We have implemented an online visualization prototype, namely, LAIR2 Scatter/Gather browser, to demonstrate its utility and usability.
Exploiting cascading citations for retrieval

We report on the utilization of the cascading citations indexing framework (C2IF) for the identification of similarities among items (in this case research articles) in a bibliographic database. More specifically, the problem of chaining forward from a given focal article is addressed by considering the direct as well as the indirect citations that target the article in question. From the population of articles that cite the given article directly, those associated with a larger number of higher-level C2IF constructs are found to be more similar to it. The findings also appear to be of value for the mirror image problem of chaining backward from the focal article to a population of referenced articles. Cited publications for which the focal article represents/hosts a larger number of higher-level C2IF constructs are likely to be more similar to it. As a testbed, sixty (60) highly cited computer science research articles are considered together with their associated bibliographic links over a six-year period 1999-2005) in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) data. The dataset has been made available by Thomson Scientific for conducting research along the lines of the Cascading Citations Analysis Project (C-CAP). Similarity values are calculated by considering author-supplied as well as automatically generated keywords registered in the SCIE dataset. The purpose of this research is to develop a strategy that will improve the effectiveness of retrieval in digital libraries that incorporate bibliographic citations.
Skin Nerve Phosphorylated &agr;-Synuclein Deposits in Parkinson Disease With Orthostatic Hypotension

This study aimed to investigate phosphorylated α-synuclein (p-syn) in autonomic skin nerves of Parkinson disease (PD) patients with and without orthostatic hypotension (OH). We studied 28 PD patients with normal corrected Mini-Mental State Examination including 14 patients with neurogenic OH (PD + OH) and 14 matched patients did not complain of OH (PD - OH); 7 of whom were re-evaluated over a follow-up period (4 ± 2 years). Skin biopsy was performed in proximal and distal sites. PD + OH patients showed a higher p-syn deposition than PD - OH, with widespread autonomic cholinergic and adrenergic skin nerve involvement. Over the follow-up period, PD - OH patients showed an increase in motor dysfunction scores without autonomic symptoms and a slight increase of skin p-syn deposition but still lower than PD + OH, mainly restricted to adrenergic fibers of skin vessels (SV). In summary, PD + OH patients showed a wide involvement of p-syn deposits in autonomic cholinergic and adrenergic skin nerves compared with PD - OH, and PD - OH patients showed a lower load of skin p-syn restricted to adrenergic fibers of SV still persisting over the follow-up period. The data supported a different pathogenesis between PD + OH and PD - OH and may help to identify a specific diagnostic trait for PD + OH.
Exposure of adipocytes to bisphenol-A in vitro interferes with insulin action without enhancing adipogenesis

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a lipophilic compound widely used in the manufacture of plastic items and thought to play a role in the growing obesity epidemic. Recent publications suggest that BPA may have a pro-adipogenic effect. Here we explore the effect of low, but environmentally relevant, concentrations of BPA on adipogenesis using a variety of cellular models. Mouse 3T3-L1, C3H10T1/2 and human adipose-derived stromal cells (hADSCs) were cultured with BPA concentrations ranging from 0.1nM to 100μM. We failed to observe positive effects on differentiation at any dose or in any model. 3T3-L1 adipocytes differentiated with high concentrations of BPA showed decreased mRNA expression of several adipocyte markers. Mature adipocytes differentiated in the presence of BPA were insulin resistant, with an approximate 25% reduction in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation, and an increase in mRNA levels of inflammatory markers (i.e. IL-6, TNFα). In conclusion, low, but environmentally relevant, doses of BPA may contribute to the development of a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state in exposed adipocytes, which in turn may affect adipose tissue insulin sensitivity, independent of adipogenesis. These studies suggest an alternative mechanism by which BPA may contribute to the development of obesity.
The influence of socioeconomic status on presentation and outcome of acute kidney injury

Aim Although socioeconomic background is known to impact on the incidence and progression of chronic kidney disease, its influence of on the presentation and outcome for acute kidney injury is not known and is the subject of this study. Design The Welsh National electronic AKI reporting system was used to identify all cases of AKI in patients >18 years of age between March 2015 and November 2017. Methods Socioeconomic classification of patients was derived from the Welsh Index Multiple Deprivation score (WIMD). Patients were grouped according to the WIMD score by their postcode, and the ranked data were categorized into percentiles and correlated with incidence and measures of AKI severity and outcome. Results Date was collected on a total of 57 654 patients. Increased deprivation was associated with higher AKI incidence rates, more episodes of AKI per patient and more severe AKI at presentation. In contrast 90-day mortality was highest in the most affluent areas. Mortality in affluent areas was driven by increased patient age. Corrected for age 90-day mortality was higher in areas of increased deprivation. Conclusion This study highlights that AKI incidence presentation and outcomes are adversely affected by social deprivation. Further studies are required to understand the extent to which these differences reflect patient related factors or regional differences in provision and access to care.
Application of Intestinal Epithelial Cells Differentiated from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Studies of Prodrug Hydrolysis and Drug Absorption in the Small Intestine

Cell models to investigate intestinal absorption functions, such as those of transporters and metabolic enzymes, are essential for oral drug discovery and development. The purpose of this study was to generate intestinal epithelial cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-IECs) and then clarify whether the functions of hydrolase and transporters in them reflect oral drug absorption in the small intestine. The hiPSC-IECs showed the transport activities of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), and peptide transporter 1 (PEPT1), revealed by using their probe substrates ([3H]digoxin, sulfasalazine, and [14C]glycylsarcosine), and the metabolic activities of CYP3A4, CES2, and CES1, which were clarified using their probe substrates (midazolam, irinotecan, and temocapril). The intrinsic clearance by hydrolysis of six ester prodrugs into the active form in hiPSC-IECs was correlated with the plasma exposure (Cmax, AUC, and bioavailability) of the active form after oral administration of these prodrugs to rats. Also, the permeability coefficients of 14 drugs, containing two substrates of P-gp (doxorubicin and [3H]digoxin), one substrate of BCRP (sulfasalazine), and 11 nonsubstrates of transporters (ganciclovir, [14C]mannitol, famotidine, sulpiride, atenolol, furosemide, ranitidine, hydrochlorothiazide, acetaminophen, propranolol, and antipyrine) in hiPSC-IECs were correlated with their values of the fraction of intestinal absorption (Fa) in human clinical studies. These findings suggest that hiPSC-IECs would be a useful cell model to investigate the hydrolysis of ester prodrugs and to predict drug absorption in the small intestine.
Longitudinal Barriers to Thiopurine Adherence in Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Objectives Cross-sectionally, more adherence barriers are associated with lower medication adherence. However, little is known about longitudinal associations between adherence barriers and adherence. Among adolescents with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), this study examined both (1) how time-varying self-reported adherence barriers affect daily thiopurine adherence and (2) how adherence barriers at baseline affect daily thiopurine adherence over a six-month period. Methods Eighty-one adolescents 11-18 years old prescribed a once-daily oral IBD maintenance medication participated in a six-month observational study. Adherence barriers were self-reported monthly via the Medication Adherence Measure (MAM): Medication Subscale. Daily adherence estimates were collected via Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) Track Caps. Results Generalized linear mixed modeling indicated that time alone did not significantly predict whether one was more likely to be adherent (p = .602). However, increasing adherence barriers lowered the likelihood that a participant would be adherent on a given day, and the interaction between time and barriers predicted likelihood of adherence on a given day (p < .01). Specifically, when participants reported no adherence barriers at baseline, adherence did not significantly change over time (p = .369). However, when barriers were endorsed, adherence decreased over time (p < .01). Conclusions Fewer adherence barriers over time predicted greater likelihood of adherence on a given day, which is consistent with previous cross-sectional research. Routine assessment of barriers to adherence over the course of adolescence is critical in addressing suboptimal adherence behavior in youth with IBD.
Accurate Estimation of In Vivo Inhibition Constants of Inhibitors and Fraction Metabolized of Substrates with Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Drug–Drug Interaction Models Incorporating Parent Drugs and Metabolites of Substrates with Cluster Newton Method

The accurate estimation of “in vivo” inhibition constants (Ki) of inhibitors and fraction metabolized (fm) of substrates is highly important for drug–drug interaction (DDI) prediction based on physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models. We hypothesized that analysis of the pharmacokinetic alterations of substrate metabolites in addition to the parent drug would enable accurate estimation of in vivo Ki and fm. Twenty-four pharmacokinetic DDIs caused by P450 inhibition were analyzed with PBPK models using an emerging parameter estimation method, the cluster Newton method, which enables efficient estimation of a large number of parameters to describe the pharmacokinetics of parent and metabolized drugs. For each DDI, two analyses were conducted (with or without substrate metabolite data), and the parameter estimates were compared with each other. In 17 out of 24 cases, inclusion of substrate metabolite information in PBPK analysis improved the reliability of both Ki and fm. Importantly, the estimated Ki for the same inhibitor from different DDI studies was generally consistent, suggesting that the estimated Ki from one study can be reliably used for the prediction of untested DDI cases with different victim drugs. Furthermore, a large discrepancy was observed between the reported in vitro Ki and the in vitro estimates for some inhibitors, and the current in vivo Ki estimates might be used as reference values when optimizing in vitro–in vivo extrapolation strategies. These results demonstrated that better use of substrate metabolite information in PBPK analysis of clinical DDI data can improve reliability of top-down parameter estimation and prediction of untested DDIs.
Designing from disability experience: space for multi-sensoriality

This paper describes a participatory workshop as part of a larger process to design an inclusive museum space. The workshop covers a number of sessions that go from mutual introductions, over idea generation, to synthesis of an architectural concept. We discuss the participants' experience of the process that is set up to allow for a balanced exchange between architects and user/experts living with an impairment. We also discuss the outcome of the process in terms of its expression of inclusive museum architecture.
The PROSIT Cohort of Infliximab Biosimilar in IBD: A Prolonged Follow-up on the Effectiveness and Safety Across Italy.

BACKGROUND We report a prospective, nationwide cohort evaluating the safety and effectiveness of CT-P13. METHODS A structured database was used to record serious adverse events (SAEs), clinical remission/response, inflammatory biomarkers (CRP and calprotectin), and endoscopic findings. RESULTS Eight hundred ten patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (452 Crohn's disease [CD]) were enrolled. Four hundred fifty-nine patients were naïve to anti-TNFα (group A), 196 had a previous exposure (group B), and the remaining 155 were switched to CT-P13 (group C). All patients were included in the safety evaluation with a mean follow-up of 345 ± 215 days and a total number of 6501 infusions. One hundred fifty-four SAEs were reported (19%), leading to cessation of the biosimilar in 103 subjects (12.7%). Infusion reactions were 71, leading to cessation of the biosimilar in 53 subjects (6.5%), being significantly more frequent in patients pre-exposed to anti-TNFα (P = 0.017). The efficacy of therapy was calculated in 754 IBD patients, with a mean follow-up of 329 ± 202 days. Forty-eight patients had a primary failure (6.4%), and 188 (25.6%) lost response during follow-up. Six hundred twenty-eight (364 CD) and 360 IBD patients (222 CD) completed the follow-up at 6 and 12 months, respectively. At 12 months, patients without loss of response were 71%, 64%. and 82% in groups A, B, and C, respectively (log rank P = 0.01). Clinical/endoscopic scores and inflammatory biomarkers dropped significantly in CD and UC patients (P = 0.01 and P < 0.0001) compared with baseline. CONCLUSIONS In this large prospective cohort, no further signals of difference in safety and effectiveness of CT-P13 in IBD has been observed.
Personalized Teammate Recommendation for Crowdsourced Software Developers

Most crowdsourced software development platforms adopt contest paradigm to solicit contributions from the community. To attain competitiveness in complex tasks, crowdsourced software developers often choose to work with others collaboratively. However, existing crowdsourcing platforms generally assume independent contributions from developers and do not provide effective support for team formation. Prior studies on team recommendation aim at optimizing task outcomes by recommending the most suitable team for a task instead of finding appropriate collaborators for a specific person. In this work, we are concerned with teammate recommendation for crowdsourcing developers. First, we present the results of an empirical study of Kaggle, which shows that developers' personal teammate preferences are mainly affected by three factors. Second, we give a collaboration willingness model to characterize developers' teammate preferences and formulate the teammate recommendation problem as an optimization problem. Then we design an approximation algorithm to find suitable teammates for a developer. Finally, we have conducted a set of experiments on a Kaggle dataset to evaluate the effectiveness of our approach.
The human brainome: network analysis identifies HSPA2 as a novel Alzheimer’s disease target

By integrating genome, transcriptome and proteome data, Petyuk et al. identify HSPA2 as a driver of pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, replicating the finding in an independent cohort and validating it in two in vitro systems. The results highlight the power of systems approaches for identifying genes involved in disease pathways.
Moderate Effects of Low-Intensity Behavioral Intervention

We compared clinical outcomes in a treatment group of 98 individuals who received between 8 and 15 weekly hours (M = 10.6; SD = 1.7) of applied behavior analysis (ABA) intervention with a comparison group of 73 individuals who received another provision, including some ABA, (between 1.4-8 weekly hours, M = 5.7; SD = 1.6). After 2 years, the treatment group made greater gains than the comparison group on language and social skills, and other areas assessed by the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). We evaluated the outcome on adaptive skills for a smaller sample of participants using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales II (VABS), but found no significant differences between the treatment (n = 17) and comparison groups (n = 11). Although the treatment group made important and clinically meaningful gains, the gains were moderate. These findings underline the importance of intervention intensity and provide further support for a dose–response relationship between ABA intervention hours and outcomes.
Establishment of an in ovo chick embryo yolk sac membrane (YSM) assay for pilot screening of potential angiogenic and anti‐angiogenic agents

Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation from pre‐existing vessels, is essential for growth and development. Development of drugs that can accelerate or decelerate angiogenesis in the context of various diseases requires appropriate preclinical screening. As angiogenesis involves complex cellular and molecular processes, in vivo studies are superior to in vitro investigations. Conventional in vitro, in vivo, and ex ovo models of angiogenesis are time consuming and tedious, and require sophisticated infrastructure for embryo culture. In the present study, we established an in ovo chick embryo yolk sac membrane (YSM) assay for angiogenesis and tested the angiogenic potential of arginine, conditioned medium (CM) from human adipose tissue and placenta‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs‐CM and PDMSCs‐CM), avastin and vitamin C. The obtained results were confirmed with the routinely employed chick embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) assay. Both assays revealed the pro‐angiogenic nature of arginine, ADMSCs‐CM, and PDMSCs‐CM, and the anti‐angiogenic effect of avastin and vitamin C. This novel in ovo YSM model is simple, reproducible, and highly economic in terms of the time frame and cost incurred. The proposed model is thus a suitable substitute to the CAM model for pilot screening of potential angiogenic and anti‐angiogenic agents.