Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic coronary calcium scoring in multi-center lung cancer screening trial

Machine learning plays an essential role in medical image analysis. Supervised machine learning methods typically assume that the training data and task data have an identical distribution. However, this assumption may not always hold. In medical imaging, distributions might change due to for example, variations in the image acquisition protocols or pathology shown. Acquiring a (large) new representative training set for every set of images with a different distribution is often very time consuming or practically impossible. Instead, it would be advantageous to reuse the existing training data to analyze new data having different distribution. Methods enabling such transfer of knowledge are called transfer learning methods. In this thesis, we propose a novel transfer learning method, inspired by TrAdaboost [10], that uses an iterative weighted nearest neighbor classifier to extract knowledge from one distribution (source) to analyze the data originating from another distribution (target). Our method first identifies parts of the source data useful for the analysis of the target data using a small set of the labeled target data. The classifier is subsequently trained using these selected source and target sets. The method was applied to automatic coronary calcium scoring with chest CT scans acquired in a multi-center trial. The source and the target data were represented with scans acquired in two different centers with different CT scanners. Performance of the proposed system was compared with the system described by Isgum et al [14] using standard nearest neighbor classification. The results showed that transfer learning approach improved classification. The achieved sensitivity (detected coronary calcifications) was high, but further investigation might be needed to reduce false positive rate.
Correlates of Practicing Nursing Standard Infectious Control for AIDS Precaution through Nursing Intervention among ER Nurses in Surat Thani Province

The present study aims examine the correlates of practicing of nursing standard infectious control for AIDS precautions (NSICAP) among all 129 professional nurses who worked in the emergency room of 20 governmental hospitals in Surat Thani Province. The research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire comprised of 5 parts: (1) sociodemographic factors, (2) predisposing factors, (3) enabling factors, (4) reinforcing factors and (5) practices of NSICAP with a reliability of part 1-3 of 0.71, 0.67 and 0.75, respectively. The results revealed that nearly half (48.1%) of the ER professional nurses practiced NSICAP at a low level and about one-third (31.7%) were practicing at a high level. Nurses practiced NSICAP well in the items concerning blood and its handling and body fluid discharge during wound dressing. The items in which nurses practiced poorly (< 80%) were protecting themselves from the contamination of specimens. The perceived benefit (r = -0.248, p < 0.005) and perception of policy (r = -0.371, p < 0.001) were significantly and negatively correlated with the practice of NSICAP. Age, marital status, educational level, working experience in emergency room, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perception of facilities, working experience with AIDS patients, and working experience with other communicable disease patients and training with AIDS precautions were not associated with the practice of NSICAP. The present study suggested that the training program for AIDS precautions for professional nurses should be promoted more completely and emphasized upon an awareness of the practice of NSICAP for prevention and transmission of HIV efforts at all times and conditions. The outcomes of AIDS precautions training programs among nurses, especially for those at a poor level of practice, should be monitored continuously. Providing related manuals or practical guidelines for every department also needed to be addressed.
Optimized Data Placement for Real-time Analytics on Semi-structured Data by Sahel

Optimized Data Placement for Real-time Analytics on Semi-structured Data Sahel Sharifymoghaddam Master of Applied Science Graduate Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2015 In this dissertation, we address the emerging demand for extending traditional relational support to semi-structured data, and for real-time data analytics. Semi-structured data (e.g., JSON) poses new challenges with large numbers of attributes, sparse attributes and dynamic changes in both workload and data set. In this context, we design, implement and evaluate a novel technique for vertical partitioning of data for optimizing performance of main memory databases. Our partitioning algorithm enables JSON data storage in main memory relational databases by intelligently decomposing JSON objects into different tables. It also adapts to changes in workload and dataset by dynamically refining the current layout. Using the Nobench dataset for JSON data, we outperform Argo, a state-of-the-art data model that maps JSON into relational databases, by 15-30x. We also outperform Hyrise, a state-of-the-art vertical partitioning algorithm, by 1.6x for hybrid workloads with sparse data and perform as well as Hyrise for other workloads.
Title Ecological effects of multi-species , ant – hemipteran mutualisms in citrus Permalink

1. Protection mutualisms between ants and honeydew-producing insects influence arthropod food webs by altering the behaviour, activity and local abundance of ants on plants. Ants often tend multiple species of honeydew-producing insects; however, studies that examine such effects typically consider only pairwise mutualisms. This study investigates how multi-species mutualisms between ants and honeydew-producing insects structure arthropod food webs in citrus. 2. In an organic lemon orchard in San Diego County, California, U.S.A. , ants or honeydew-producing insects (or neither) were experimentally removed from individual, mature lemon trees and then abundances of the following were estimated over a 2-year period: the Argentine ant, five species of honeydew-producing hemipterans, and California red scale. Red scale produces no honeydew but indirectly benefits from the presence of ants, which disrupt parasitism by Aphytis wasps. 3. Mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing hemipterans indirectly and positively affected red scale. Levels of parasitism decreased with increasing ant recruitment, and red scale density increased with both increasing ant recruitment and increasing honeydew-producing hemipteran abundance. Moreover, abundances of each of three honeydew-producing hemipteran species emerged as positive predictors of red scale density in different analyses; this finding suggests that individual hemipteran taxa exhibit distinct and spatially localised effects on ants. 4. Evidence of positive, indirect effects between two focal species of honeydewproducing Hemiptera was also detected. Guilds of honeydew-producing hemipterans may provide ants with honeydew more consistently or for longer than that produced by any single species. These results argue for an appreciation of how mutualist diversity affects the ecological consequences of mutualisms.
A voice in the debate on myocardial infarction in patients treated with converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers

W numerze piątym „Nadciśnienia Tętniczego” z 2008 roku mój przyjaciel prof. Zbigniew Gaciong zadedykował mi artykuł omawiający wyniki badania Telmisartan Randomized AssessmeNt Study in aCE iNtolerant subjects with cardiovascular Disease (TRANSCEND) [1]. Zrobił to nieprzypadkowo. Od lat polemizujemy na temat tego, czy leki blokujące receptor angiotensyny (ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker) i inhibitory konwertazy angiotensyny (ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) są lekami równoważnymi czy nie. Uważam, że nie są. Moim zdaniem ACEI są korzystniejsze w działaniu naczynioprotekcyjnym, on zaś, że obie grupy są równoważne. Zrobił to nieprzypadkowo, bowiem ostatnio opublikowane wyniki badania TRANSCEND w porównaniu z wieloma innymi badaniami uprzednio oceniającymi skuteczność sartanów po raz pierwszy wypadły nieco korzystniej. Badanie dostarczyło mojemu oponentowi garść argumentów na rzecz hipotezy o równoważności obu tych grup. Tak się składa, że w tym samym numerze czasopisma inny przyjaciel, prof. Krzysztof Filipiak, również omówił wyniki badania TRANSCEND [2]. Podobnie jak Zbigniew Gaciong, Krzysztof Filipiak także opowiada się za równoważnością obu grup leków. Nie po raz pierwszy osamotniony w swoich poglądach podejmuję dyskusję z większością. Przywołany do tablicy moją odpowiedź kieruję łącznie do obu Panów Profesorów.
Title Response of isoprene emission to ambient CO 2 changes and implications for global budgets

We explore the potential role of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) on isoprene emissions using a global coupled land–atmosphere model [Community Atmospheric Model–Community Land Model (CAM–CLM)] for recent (year 2000, 365 ppm CO2) and future (year 2100, 717 ppm CO2) conditions. We incorporate an empirical model of observed isoprene emissions response to both ambient CO2 concentrations in the long-term growth environment and short-term changes in intercellular CO2 concentrations into the MEGAN biogenic emission model embedded within the CLM. Accounting for CO2 inhibition has little impact on predictions of present-day global isoprene emission (increase from 508 to 523 Tg C yr ). However, the large increases in future isoprene emissions typically predicted in models, which are due to a projected warmer climate, are entirely offset by including the CO2 effects. Projected global isoprene emissions in 2100 drop from 696 to 479 Tg C yr 1 when this effect is included, maintaining future isoprene sources at levels similar to present day. The isoprene emission response to CO2 is dominated by the long-term growth environment effect, with modulations of 10% or less due to the variability in intercellular CO2 concentration. As a result, perturbations to isoprene emissions associated with changes in ambient CO2 are largely aseasonal, with little diurnal variability. Future isoprene emissions increase by more than a factor of two in 2100 (to 1242 Tg C yr ) when projected changes in vegetation distribution and leaf area density are included. Changing land cover and the role of nutrient limitation on CO2 fertilization therefore remain the largest source of uncertainty in isoprene emission prediction. Although future projections suggest a compensatory balance between the effects of temperature and CO2 on isoprene emission, the enhancement of isoprene emission due to lower ambient CO2 concentrations did not compensate for the effect of cooler temperatures over the last 400 thousand years of the geologic record (including the Last Glacial Maximum).
ixing by solid particles

A procedure for the direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the mixing of a passive scalar dissolved in a fluid phase due to the motion of spherical solid particles relative to the fluid is outlined. The procedure is based on solving the fluid flow in between the solid spheres with the lattice Boltzmann method, a molecular dynamics type of approach for the solid particle motion (including hard-sphere collisions), and solving a convection–diffusion equation for the passive scalar. The full resolution (in terms of particle motion, flow of interstitial fluid, boundary conditions at the particle surfaces) implies that only small-scale systems can be considered. In this paper the procedure is applied to a fully periodic system to assess the mixing performance of granular particles, and to a micro-channel in which particles are contained to enhance scalar mixing in laminar flow. © 2008 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Τhe potential implications of reclaimed wastewater reuse for irrigation on the agricultural 1 environment : the knowns and unknowns of the fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant 2 bacteria and resistance genes – A review 3 4 5

Christou, Anastasis and Agüera, Ana and Bayona, Josep Maria and Cytryn, Eddie and Fotopoulos, Vasileios and Lambropoulo, Dimitra and Manaia, Célia M. and Michael, Costas and Revitt, D. Mike and Schröder, Peter and Fatta-Kassinos, Despo (2017) The potential implications of reclaimed wastewater reuse for irrigation on the agricultural environment: the knowns and unknowns of the fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance genes – a review. Water Research, 123 . pp. 448-467. ISSN 0043-1354
Teachers ’ Views Regarding the Implementation of First Grade Mathematics Curriculum in Villages : A Case Study – Şanlıurfa İlkokul 1

In this qualitative study, semi-structured interview questions were asked to twelve 1st grade classroom teachers working in villages. The aim of the study is to specify 1st grade classroom teachers’ needs, views and suggestions regarding the implementation of the 1st grade Mathematics curriculum. Twelve classroom teachers, ten of whom are first grade teachers and two of whom are multi-grade class teachers (one of them covers the content of 1st grade and 3th grade together, and the other covers 1st and 2nd grader course content) voluntarily participated in the study. Two themes emerged from the interviews: factors affecting the 1st grade curricula and factors affecting 1st grade Mathematics Curriculum. Under the first theme, 60-66 month-old children, the effect of pre-school education, and physical conditions of schools emerged as categories. The “Other” category under the first theme included the participants’ suggestions like making pre-school education obligatory and taking into account schools with one classroom by central curriculum development team. Under the second theme, the categories of attainment, content, materials, and effective instructional methods emerged. In Numbers and Operations topic, the problematic areas were found to be confusion between the capital letter “E” and number “3”, counting down from 9 to 5, teaching of zero, and teaching of two digit numbers. It was highlighted that geometric models and 10’s series of accounting blocks are needed. Moreover, the concepts of whole, half, and quarter require models. Similarly, it was found that it is difficult to achieve some attainments. As the results revealed, as far as the attainments “Students will be able to notice. ” are concerned, it is difficult to make students notice without explaining the topic. Playing games, drama and musical-rhythmic intelligence were listed as the effective methods in teaching mathematics subjects. Anahtar Kelimeler ilkokul 1. sınıf matematik öğretim programı köy okulları
Effects of Different Levels of Dried Lemon ( Citrus aurantifulia )

The agro-industrial processing was resulted some wastes as vegetable and fruit by-products. The fruit byproducts use as energy source in animal feed and these by-products are economical and environmentally sound way for food processors to reduce waste discharges and cut waste management cost. Selling by-products can also produce additional revenue (Crickenberger, 1991). The poor state of economy in developing countries has made consumption of high protein foods out of reach of more than 65-70% of the people. One of the ways of solving this problem is to use unconventional sources of feed ingredients to supplement the diets of man and farm animals (Nworgu, 2004). The active antioxidant compounds in citrus pulp are flavonoids, isoflavones, flavones, anthocyanins, coumarins, This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of dried lemon pulp (DLP) on performance, carcass traits, blood biochemical and immunity parameters of broilers. In this experiment 240 of broilers (Ross-308) were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 3 replicates (with 20 birds in each replicate) from 1 to 42 days. Experimental diets included: 1) control group with no DLP, in 2 until 4 treatments the levels of DLP were 0, 1.5, 3 and 4.5 percent. Inclusion different levels of dried lemon pulp on broilers diets had significant effects on their performance, carcass traits and blood biochemical parameters (P>0.05). Adding DLP into broiler diets significantly increased the amount of feed intake in starter, grower and whole experiment periods. Also it significantly increased the amount of daily weight gain in starter and whole experiment periods; however they were not observed any significant difference between treatments in daily weight gain in grower period. As the rate of feed intake to daily weight gain was high, especially in grower period in treatments, which contained DLP, it had adverse effect on feed conversion and led to be increased, in contrast with control group. There were no significant differences between experimental groups regarding to feed conversion in starter period (P>0.05). Using 3% DLP significantly decreased the abdominal fat and blood low density lipoprotein (LDL), whereas the lowest percent of gizzard was obtained by inclusion 1.5% DLP. Adding different levels of dried lemon pulp could not significantly affect the hematological parameters of broilers. According to these experimental results, using DLP up to 4.5% of broiler diets in starter period, would be possible without any adverse effects on their performance, however these levels in grower period increased significantly the ratio of daily feed intake to daily weight gain and had adverse effect on feed conversion. Moreover 1.5% DLP had desirable effects on reduce of abdominal fat and blood low density lipoproteins.
Individual genomic DNA isolation of Entomogenous nematodes: the Deladenus study case

- Populational studies involve single individual DNA extraction in order to grant further genotyping data. In the case of some parasitic nematodes, the reduced dimensions and high individual number per infestation makes individual genotyping a difficult task. Aiming the development of a protocol we performed adjustments in available methods in order to acquire the best gain in purity and concentration of genomic DNA. Single specimens were digested in Worm Lysis Buffer and submitted to PCR amplification as a concept test. It was possible to obtain good amount and concentration of DNA from individuals. Quality was sufficient to grant subsequent ITS1 sequencing.
G ENERALIZED VERSUS SPECIALIZED POLLINATION SYSTEMS IN O ENOTHERA ( O NAGRACEAE )

Although generalized and specialized plants are often discussed as alternative states, the biological reality may better be viewed as a continuum. However, estimations of pollinator specificity have been confounded in some studies by the assumption that all floral visitors are pollinators. Failure to account for pollen load can lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding the number of pollinators with which a species actually interacts. The aim of this study was to clarify the distribution of pollination-system specialization within one clade, using a more rigorous assessment of pollen flow. The genus Oenothera has long been used as a model system for studying reproductive biology, and it provides a diversity of pollination systems and a wealth of historical data. Both floral visitation rate and pollen-load analysis of sampled pollinators, combined into a metric of pollen flow, were used to quantify the pollination systems of 26 Oenothera taxa. Metric of pollinator specialization were calculated as functions of both total pollinator taxa, and as pollinator functional groups. We found that for Oenothera, the number of floral visitors highly overestimates the number of pollinators, and is inadequate for determining or predicting pollination system specialization. We found that that pollination systems were distributed on a gradient from generalized to specialized, with more pollinator-specialized plant taxa, especially when estimated using pollinator functional groups. These results are in conflict with previous studies that depict most plant species as generalists, and this finding may be related to how prior studies have estimated specialization.
Chapter 2 . 1 METHODS FOR STUDYING NODULE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION

Makoto Hayashi, Myra L Tansengco, Norio Suganuma, Krzysztof Szczyglowski, Lene Krusell, Thomas Ott, and Michael Udvardi Osaka University, Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Yamadaoka 2-1, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, JAPAN; Department of Life Science, Aichi University of Education, Kariya Aichi, 448-8542, JAPAN; Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre, 1391 Sandford Street, London, Ontario N5V 4T3, CANADA; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Golm, GERMANY; Corresponding author.
Resting Heart Rate Variability as a Predictor of Responses to Predictable and Unpredictable Threat

Prior research indicates that individual differences in RSA are an important predictor of aversive emotional responding. One indicator of aversive responding is an exaggerated potentiated startle to threat. While a few studies have shown an association between RSA and abnormal startle potentiation, no study to date has distinguished predictable from unpredictable threat. This is an important distinction given that separable aversive states are elicited by each type of stimulus. Thus, in the present study, we examined whether resting RSA predicts startle response and/or self-reported anxiety during threat of predictable and unpredictable shock in 92 college students. Resting RSA was collected for a total of 6 minutes. Afterwards, participants completed a 10 minute computerized shock task in which predictable and unpredictable electric shocks were delivered. Results indicated that those with lower resting RSA evidenced exaggerated potentiated startle in response to unpredictable, but not the predictable, threat. These findings are in line with a growing body of literature noting that individual differences in resting RSA are an important indicator of anxious responding and extend previous work by highlighting the specificity of the relationship between low RSA and contextual anxiety/unpredictable threat. These results also implicate potential shared underlying mechanisms between low RSA and clinical anxiety
Effect of fruit maturity stage and fermentation period on the germination of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.) and sweet granadilla seeds (Passiflora ligularis Juss.)

In Colombia, we have found 165 species that belong to the Passiflora genus and, of these, about 50% have edible fruits. Among these, passion fruit, sweet granadilla and purple passion fruit are considered to be of economic importance. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of fruit ripeness and pulp fermentation time period (mucilage) on the seed germination of passion fruits ( Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.) and sweet granadillas ( Passiflora ligularis Juss.) under laboratory conditions (alternating temperatures (30/20°C, 12/12 hour), 60% relative humidity and in darkness for 60 days) and to establish growth parameters leaf area and plant dry mass. The seeds were extracted from fruits in three maturity stages (M4, M5 and M6) and five fermentation periods (0 days (F0);1 day (F1), 2 days (F2), 4 days (F4) and 8 days (F8)) using a completely random design with a 3x5 factorial arrangement (maturity stage x fermentation time), with four replicates of 50 seeds each. It was found that the M6F1 and M5F1 treatments were more favorable in terms of germination for the passion fruit (94.5 and 92.0%, respectively), while, for the sweet granadilla, the M6F2 (39%) and M6F1 (35%) treatments were more favorable. The growth parameters demonstrated that the highest dry mass value occurred in M6F8 for the passion fruit (136.76 mg) and in M6F1 for the sweet granadilla (104.73 mg); furthermore, these values increased as the maturity stage of the two species progressed. The leaf area of the passion fruit had maximum values in seedlings obtained from the treatment with maturity stage M5F2 and a fermentation period of 1 day, M5F2 (18.3 cm 2 ), while the leaf area of the sweet granadilla increased in the same fashion as the dry mass, with M6F8 having the highest value (16.8 cm 2 ).