Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Topological Loss Function: Image Denoising on a Low-Light Dataset

Although image denoising algorithms have attracted significant research attention, surprisingly few have been proposed for, or evaluated on, noise from imagery acquired under real low-light conditions. Moreover, noise characteristics are often assumed to be spatially invariant, leading to edges and textures being distorted after denoising. Here, we introduce a novel topological loss function which is based on persistent homology. The method performs in the space of image patches, where topological invariants are calculated and represented in persistent diagrams. The loss function is a combination of $\ell_1$ or $\ell_2$ losses with the new persistence-based topological loss. We compare its performance across popular denoising architectures and loss functions, training the networks on our new comprehensive dataset of natural images captured in low-light conditions -- BVI-LOWLIGHT. Analysis reveals that this approach outperforms existing methods, adapting well to complex structures and suppressing common artifacts.
USE OF LASER RANGE FINDERS AND RANGE IMAGE ANALYSIS IN AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY TASKS

Abstract In this research it has been proposed to study the effect of filtering processess on rangeimages and also to evaluate the performance of two different laser range mappers.Median filtering had been utilized to remove noise from the range images. First andsecond order derivatives are then utilized to locate the similarities and dissimilaritiesbetween the processed and the original images. Range depth information is convertedinto spatial coordinates, and a set of coefficients which describe three dimensional ob-jects is generated using the algorithm developed in the second phase of this research.Range images of spheres and cylinders are used for experimental purposes. An algo-rithm was also developed to compare the performance of two different laser rangemappers based upon the range depth information of surfaces generated by each of themappers. Further more, an approach based on two-dimensional analytic geometry isalso proposed which serves as a basis for the recognition of regular three dimensionalgeometric objects.
VLBI STUDIES OF Sgr A

This paper reviews the progress in the VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) studies of Sgr A, the best known supermassive black hole candidates with a dark mass concentration of at the center of the Milky Way. The emphasis is on the importance of the millimeter and sub-millimeter VLBI observations in the detection of Sgr A`s intrinsic structure and search for the structural variation.
Comparison of efficacy and safety between VKAs and DOACs in patients with atrial fibrillation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

In the past decade, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have proven to be the best option for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Nevertheless, evidence for the use of DOACs for anticoagulation in valvular atrial fibrillation, particularly after aortic valve replacement, remains inadequate. Thus, we conducted a meta‐analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and DOACs in patients with atrial fibrillation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We conducted a comprehensive search of online databases, and 11 studies were included in the final analysis. The primary endpoint was all‐cause mortality. Secondary endpoints included stroke and cardiovascular death. The safe endpoint is major and/or life‐threatening bleeding. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to the different follow‐up time of each study. Random‐effects models were used for all outcomes. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using χ2 tests and quantified using I2 statistics. Patients in the DOACs group had a significantly lower risk of all‐cause mortality compared with patients in the VKAs group (relative risk [RR]: 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.43, p = .04). This benefit may be greater with longer follow‐up. In a subgroup analysis based on the length of follow‐up, a significantly lower risk of all‐cause mortality was found in the DOACs group in the subgroup with a follow‐up time of >12 months (RR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.07–2.09, p = .001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in cardiovascular death, stroke, and major and/or life‐threatening bleeding. For patients with atrial fibrillation after TAVR, the use of DOACs may be superior to VKAs, and the benefit may be greater with longer follow‐up. The anticoagulant strategy for atrial fibrillation after TAVR is a valuable direction for future research.
A roadmap for clinical trial design in marginal zone lymphoma

Significant advances in the drug development of indolent non-Hodg-kin lymphoma (iNHL) occurred over the last years expanding the landscape of treatment options. Several novel agents have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in iNHL allowing clinicians to limiting the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Indications for therapy and criteria for enrollment in iNHL vary across studies with trials accruing based on multiple or specific histologies and on need for therapy. Indications for therapy in iNHL vary between studies with some allowing investigator-based assessment and some with more precise requirements such as the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes Folliculaires (GELF) criteria to better select those patients in need for immediate therapy. Importantly, GELF criteria were developed for nodal follicular
Room‐Temperature Negative Differential Resistance and High Tunneling Current Density in GeSn Esaki Diodes

Tunnel field‐effect transistors (TFETs) are a promising candidate for low‐power applications owing to their steep subthreshold swing of sub‐60 mV per decade. For silicon‐ or germanium‐based TFETs, the drive current is low due to the indirect band‐to‐band tunneling (BTBT) process. Direct‐bandgap germanium–tin (GeSn) can boost the TFET performance since phonon participation is not required during the tunneling process. Esaki diodes with negative differential resistance (NDR) are used to characterize the BTBT properties and calibrate the tunneling rates for TFET applications. This work demonstrates high‐performance GeSn Esaki diodes with clear NDR at room temperature with very high peak‐to‐valley current ratios of 15–53 from 300 K to 4 K. A record‐high peak current density of 545 kA cm−2 at 4 K is also reported for the tensile‐strained Ge0.925Sn0. 075 device (strain ≈0.6 %). By applying tensile stresses to n‐GeSn epitaxial films, the direct BTBT process dominates, leading to high tunneling rates. Hall measurements further confirm that more electrons populate in the direct Γ valley in the tensile‐strained n‐GeSn epitaxial films.
Aerobic exercise training improves not only brachial artery flow‐mediated vasodilatation but also carotid artery reactivity: A randomized controlled, cross‐over trial in older men

It is well‐known that aerobic exercise training beneficially affects endothelial function as measured by brachial artery flow‐mediated vasodilation (FMD). This trial with older sedentary overweight and obese men, therefore, examined the effects of aerobic training on other non‐invasive markers of the vasculature, which have been studied in less detail. Seventeen men (67 ± 2 years, BMI: 30.3 ± 2.8 kg/m2) participated in this controlled cross‐over study. Study participants followed in random order a fully supervised, progressive, aerobic exercise training (three 50‐min sessions each week at 70% maximal power) and a no‐exercise control period for 8 weeks, separated by a 12‐week wash‐out period. At the end of each period, endothelial function was assessed by the carotid artery reactivity (CAR) response to a cold pressor test and FMD, and local carotid and regional aortic stiffness by the carotid‐to‐femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVc–f). The retinal microvasculature, the serum lipid profile, 24‐h ambulatory blood pressure, and 96‐h continuous glucose concentrations were also determined. Aerobic training increased CAR from 1.78% to 4.01% (Δ2.23 percentage point [pp]; 95% CI: 0.58, 3.89 pp; p = 0.012) and FMD from 3.88% to 6.87% (Δ2.99 pp; 95% CI: 0.58, 5.41 pp; p = 0.019). The stiffness index β0 increased by 1.1 (95% CI: 0.3, 1.9; p = 0.012), while PWVc–f did not change. Retinal arteriolar width increased by 4 μm (95% CI: 0, 7 μm; p = 0.041). Office blood pressure decreased, but ambulatory blood pressure, and serum lipid and continuous glucose concentrations did not change. Aerobic exercise training improved endothelial function and retinal arteriolar width in older sedentary overweight and obese men, which may reduce cardiovascular risk.
Numerical investigation of field‐effect control on hybrid electrokinetics for continuous and position‐tunable nanoparticle concentration in microfluidics

We introduce herein an effective way for continuous delivery and position‐switchable trapping of nanoparticles via field‐effect control on hybrid electrokinetics (HEK). Flow field‐effect transistor exploiting HEK delicately combines horizontal linear electroosmosis and transversal nonlinear electroosmosis of a shiftable flow stagnation line (FSL) on gate terminals under DC‐biased AC forcing. The microfluidic nanoparticle concentrator proposed herein makes use of a simple device geometry, in which an individual or a series of planar metal strips serving as gate electrode (GE) are subjected to a hybrid gate voltage signal and arranged in parallel between a pair of 3D driving electrodes. On the application of a DC‐biased AC electric field across channel length direction, all the GE are electrochemically polarized, and the action of imposed hybrid electric field on the multiple‐frequency bipolar counterions within the composite‐induced double layer generates two counter‐rotating induced‐charge electroosmotic (ICEO) micro‐vortices on top of each GE. Symmetry breaking in ICEO flow profile occurs once the gate voltage deviates from natural floating potential of corresponding GE. The gate voltage offset not only results in an additional pump motion of working fluid for enhanced electroosmotic transport but also directly changes the location of FSL where nanoparticles are preferentially collected by field‐effect HEK. Our results of field‐effect control on HEK are supposed to guide an elaborate design of flexible electrokinetic frameworks embedding coplanar metal strips for a high degree of freedom analyte manipulation in modern micro‐total‐analytical systems.
Inﬂuenza B Virus BM2 Protein Is Transported through the trans-Golgi Network as an Integral Membrane Protein

A bicistronic mRNA transcribed from the inﬂuenza B virus RNA segment 7 encodes two viral proteins, matrix protein M1 and uncharacterized small protein BM2. In the present study, we focused on the cytoplasmic transport and cellular membrane association of BM2. Immunoﬂuorescence studies of virus-infected cells indicated that BM2 accumulated at the Golgi apparatus immediately after synthesis and then was transported to the plasma membrane through the trans -Golgi network. Localization of a set of BM2 deletion mutants revealed that the N-terminal half of BM2 (residues 2 to 50) was crucial for its transport; in particular, the deletion of residues 2 to 23, deduced to be a transmembrane domain, resulted in diffused distribution of the protein throughout the entire cell. Sucrose gradient ﬂotation and biochemical analyses of the membrane showed that BM2 was tightly associated with cellular membranes as an integral membrane protein. Oligomer-ization of BM2 was demonstrated by coprecipitation of differentially epitope-tagged BM2 proteins. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that BM2 is integrated into the plasma membrane at the N-terminal hydrophobic domain as fourth membrane protein, in addition to hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, and NB, of the inﬂuenza
Performance Improvement for Reduction of Resonance in a Grid-Connected Inverter System Using an Improved DPWM Method

This paper proposes discontinuous pulse width modulation (DPWM) for a grid-connected inverter system using an LCL-filter which consists of two inductors and a capacitor that is connected in parallel per phase. The modulation signal is discontinuously changed, and the harmonic voltages are generated in the wide frequency range at the output terminal of the inverter when the conventional DPWM is used. If these harmonic voltages are present in the resonance frequency band by an LCL-filter, then the resonance problem of the grid current occurs. To suppress the resonance problem, the proposed DPWM injects the sixth harmonic to the modulation signal. Therefore, in the improved DPWM, harmonic voltages at the output terminal of the inverter are sufficiently reduced because the discontinuous change of the modulation signal disappears. The proposed DPWM method is verified by a Powersim (PSIM) simulation (Powersim Inc., Rockville, MD, USA) and experiments with a 3-kW neutral-point clamped (NPC)-type grid-connected inverter system.
Graph Algorithms for Word Sense Disambiguation in Biomedicine

Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) is an important task for Biomedicine text-mining. Supervised WSD methods have the best results but they are complex and their cost for testing is too high. This work presents an experiment on WSD using graph-based approaches (unsupervised methods). Three algorithms were tested and compared to the state of the art. Results indicate that similar performance could be reached with different levels of complexity, what may point to a new approach to this problem.
Grain Size Inﬂuence on the Magnetic Property Deterioration of Blanked Non-Oriented Electrical Steels

: Non-oriented electrical steel sheets are applied as a core material in rotors and stators of electric machines in order to guide and magnify their magnetic ﬂux density. Their contouring is often realized in a blanking process step, which results in plastic deformation of the cut edges and thus deteriorates the magnetic properties of the base material. This work evaluates the inﬂuence of the material’s grain size on its iron losses after the blanking process. Samples for the single sheet test were blanked at different cutting clearances (15 µ m–70 µ m) from sheets with identical chemical composition (3.2 wt.% Si) but varying average grain size (28 µ m–210 µ m) and thickness (0.25 mm and 0.5 mm). Additionally, in situ measurements of blanking force and punch travel were carried out. Results show that blanking-related iron losses either increase for 0.25 mm thick sheets or decrease for 0.5 mm thick sheets with increasing grain size. Although this is partly in contradiction to previous research, it can be explained by the interplay of dislocation annihilation and transgranular fracturing. The paper thus contributes to a deeper understanding of the blanking process of coarse-grained, thin electrical steel sheets.
of compensates for loss in cells in downstream expression of milk proteins.

Laminin-111 (Ln-1), an extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein found in the basement membrane of mammary gland epithelia, is essential for lactation. In mammary epithelial cells (MECs), dystroglycan (Dg) is believed to be necessary for polymerization of laminin-111 into networks. , thus we asked whether correct polymerization could compensate for Dg loss. Artificially polymerized laminin-111 and the laminin-glycoprotein mix Matrigel, both formed branching, spread networks with fractal dimensions from 1.7 to 1.8, whereas laminin-111 in neutral buffers formed small aggregates without fractal properties (a fractal dimension of 2). In Dg knockout cells, either polymerized laminin-111 or Matrigel readily attached to the cell surface, whereas aggregated laminin-111 did not. In contrast, polymerized and aggregated laminin-111 bound similarly to Dg knock-ins. Both polymerized laminin-111 and Matrigel promoted cell rounding, clustering, formation of tight junctions, and expression of milk proteins, whereas aggregated Ln-1 did not attach to cells or promote functional differentiation. These findings support that the microstructure of Ln-1 networks in the basement membrane regulates mammary epithelial cell function. binding. I. With increasing doses of either polyLM or Mg-Ln increasing expression of β casein is observed by immunofluorescent staining and quantitative image processing. β casein expression in Mg-Ln at 50 μg/ml and polyLM at 800 μg/ml is not statistically different. For pH7-Ln, no dose response behavior was noted; pH7-Ln at 800 μg/ml was not different from pH7-Ln at 12.5 μg/ml. (n =3 experiments). J Ln-1 staining intensity increases with increasing stimulus of either Mg-Ln or polyLM, whereas no change was observed for pH7-Ln (n = 3 experiments). K. Autocorrelation analysis indicates increased clustering of nuclei with increased doses of either Mg-Ln or polyLM. Mg-Ln at 50 or 100 μg/ml and polyLM at 800 μg/ml are statistically different than pH7-Ln at 800 μg/ml. (n =3 experiments).
Differential inter- and intra-speciﬁc responses of Aphanizomenon strains to nutrient limitation and algal growth inhibition

Cyanobacterial blooms of Aphanizomenon spp. occur worldwide, with deleterious effects on aquatic communities. The present work aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of phosphorus and nitrogen on the growth of Aphanizomenon bloom-forming strains, belonging to the species A. issatschenkoi , A. aphanizomenoides and A. gracile . Algal inhibition tests were also performed to assess the potential allelopathic effects of the strains’ ﬁltrates on the growth of four green algae ( Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata , Chlorella vulgaris , Pandorina morum and Coelastrum astroideum ). Phosphorus had a signiﬁcant effect on the growth of all the strains tested; orthophosphate concentrations (cid:2) 0.3 mg PO 43 2 L 2 1 led to a decrease of more than 50% in the cyanobacterial growth of most strains. The growth of A. gracile strains was unaffected by variation in nitrate levels, but strains of A. issatschenkoi (UADFA1) and A. aphanizomenoides (UADFA6, UADFA7 and UADFA13) were moderately to extremely sensitive to nitrate depletion in the medium. These results strengthen the idea that intra-speciﬁc variation may play an important role in bloom dynamics; however, culture conditions and mutations may explain the morphological and physiological changes observed. Allelopathic assays revealed signiﬁcant inhibition of microalgal growth by ﬁltrates of strains from the three species, but also indicated intra-speciﬁc differences in allelopathic activity.
Influence of Auxiliary Features in Factorization-based Collaborative Filtering

The tremendous growth of the Internet brings with it a massive amount of data that users are exposed to on a daily basis. Consequently, information filtering techniques like recommender systems have become increasingly important to sift through the data and find what is relevant to a particular user. A recent approach for recommender systems, called Factorization Machines (FM), has been attracting lots of attention for its flexibility and accuracy. In this work we explore the importance of optimizing FMs, the influence of different auxiliary features on the performance of FMs and how to weight these features. The results show that the optimization of hyper-parameters, factorization dimensionality and feature weights is a very crucial part of using FMs for recommendations. Using static un-normalized feature weights is found to outperform using previously proposed normalized weights in terms of rating prediction accuracy. Several new approaches to auxiliary features are proposed. Expanding feature vectors with info based on the ratio of users that found a review of the item helpful or not is found to improve performance slightly. Additionally, constructing feature vectors using the similarity of users (based on either common movies commented on, common friends or common ratings) was also beneficial to the performance. However, the overall conclusion is that there is no clear answer to which auxiliary features are useful, as it depends heavily on the dataset and in many cases auxiliary features seem to introduce noise into the model. A noticeable trend in the results indicates that item attributes are more useful for rating predictions than user attributes, while the opposite applies for top-N ranking predictions and diversity, which benefits more from user attributes.
The Local Government and Creative Industry Experience from Batik Tulis Lasem Industries

Recently, Batik Tulis Lasem had several problems with a product, starting from input until the market process. Also, there is the problem of capital and technological capabilities from Batik Tulis Lasem industry, poverty, and social inequality of the craftsman. This article aims to examine the role of local government in improving creative industries, especially Batik Tulis Lasem. Further, this article was conducted by qualitative descriptive approach, particularly using the case study. In addition, the researchers collected data from semi-structured interviews with official local government and Batik TulisLasem entrepreneurs in the period covered 2018-2019. The results showed that local government has an important role in improving creative industries, firstly as a regulator, secondly as a facilitator, and thirdly to ensure the existence of Batik Tulis Lasem through empowerment. The problems in Batik Tulis Lasem are the regeneration of entrepreneurs, including batik craftsman, the lack of empowerment by local government, and the lack of information technology knowledge among the majority of Batik entrepreneurs. As an implication, the government should increase empowerment for the Batik Tulis Lasem industry through the regeneration program of batik craftsman and increase capacity for digital marketing.
A systematic new product development methodology for creating affective products

The success of new product development (NPD) relies on the effective integration of marketing and engineering especially when the development is targeted at creating new products capable of satisfying customer needs generated by feelings, attitudes, and emotions. Such products can be called affective products. This paper introduces a systematic new product development methodology that integrates the processes needed to elicit both tangible/objective and intangible/affective customer needs and translates those needs into product parameters to be used in the development of new products that meet both the customer functional and affective needs. The methodology begins by identifying customer tangible and intangibles needs, then translates those needs into metrics. Next, perceptual mapping is used to determine initial specification and select a new position for the new product. After that, new product concepts are generated and tested. The methodology is illustrated using a case-study application of new pen development.
CLINICAL CASE SEMINAR Osteoporosis: An Unusual Presentation of Childhood Crohn’s Disease*

Osteoporosis is known to be associated with Crohn’s disease. We report a 12-yr-old boy without a history of steroid use, in whom severe osteoporosis and multiple collapsed vertebrae were the presenting manifestations of Crohn’s disease. After treatment of the Crohn’s disease, he resumed normal growth and progressed through puberty. Concomitantly, he demonstrated a substantial recovery of vertebral bone mineral density and structure. Possible pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the osteoporosis and the subsequent im- provement in bone density are discussed. ( J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85: 2122–2126, 2000)