Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of Safe Passage for Trains at Rail Level Crossings Using Deep Learning

The detection of obstacles at rail level crossings (RLC) is an important task for ensuring the safety of train traffic. Traffic control systems require reliable sensors for determining the state of anRLC. Fusion of information from a number of sensors located at the site increases the capability for reacting to dangerous situations. One such source is video from monitoring cameras. This paper presents a method for processing video data, using deep learning, for the determination of the state of the area (region of interest—ROI) vital for a safe passage of the train. The proposed approach is validated using video surveillance material from a number of RLC sites in Poland. The films include 24/7 observations in all weather conditions and in all seasons of the year. Results show that the recall values reach 0.98 using significantly reduced processing resources. The solution can be used as an auxiliary source of signals for train control systems, together with other sensor data, and the fused dataset can meet railway safety standards.
Cooperative Networked PIR Detection System for Indoor Human Localization

Pyroelectric Infrared (PIR) sensors are low-cost, low-power, and highly reliable sensors that have been widely used in smart environments. Indoor localization systems can be categorized as wearable and non-wearable systems, where the latter are also known as device-free localization systems. Since the binary PIR sensor detects only the presence of a human motion in its field of view (FOV) without any other information about the actual location, utilizing the information of overlapping FOV of multiple sensors can be useful for localization. In this study, a PIR detector and sensing signal processing algorithms were designed based on the characteristics of the PIR sensor. We applied the designed PIR detector as a sensor node to create a non-wearable cooperative indoor human localization system. To improve the system performance, signal processing algorithms and refinement schemes (i.e., the Kalman filter, a Transferable Belief Model, and a TBM-based hybrid approach (TBM + Kalman filter)) were applied and compared. Experimental results indicated system stability and improved positioning accuracy, thus providing an indoor cooperative localization framework for PIR sensor networks.
π–π Noncovalent Interaction Involving 1,2,4- and 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Systems: The Combined Experimental, Theoretical, and Database Study

A series of N-pyridyl ureas bearing 1,2,4- (1a, 2a, and 3a) and 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety (1b, 2b, 3b) was prepared and characterized by HRMS, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, as well as X-ray diffraction. The inspection of the crystal structures of (1–3)a,b and the Hirshfeld surface analysis made possible the recognition of the (oxadiazole)···(pyridine) and (oxadiazole)···(oxadiazole) interactions. The presence of these interactions was confirmed theoretically by DFT calculations, including NCI analysis for experimentally determined crystal structures as well as QTAIM analysis for optimized equilibrium structures. The preformed database survey allowed the verification of additional examples of relevant (oxadiazole)···π interactions both in Cambridge Structural Database and in Protein Data Bank, including the cocrystal of commercial anti-HIV drug Raltegravir.
Current and Emerging Therapies to Combat Cystic Fibrosis Lung Infections

The ultimate aim of any antimicrobial treatment is a better infection outcome for the patient. Here, we review the current state of treatment for bacterial infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung while also investigating potential new treatments being developed to see how they may change the dynamics of antimicrobial therapy. Treatment with antibiotics coupled with regular physical therapy has been shown to reduce exacerbations and may eradicate some strains. Therapies such as hypertonic saline and inhaled PulmozymeTM (DNase-I) improve mucus clearance, while modifier drugs, singly and more successfully in combination, re-open certain mutant forms of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) to enable ion passage. No current method, however, completely eradicates infection, mainly due to bacterial survival within biofilm aggregates. Lung transplants increase lifespan, but reinfection is a continuing problem. CFTR modifiers normalise ion transport for the affected mutations, but there is conflicting evidence on bacterial clearance. Emerging treatments combine antibiotics with novel compounds including quorum-sensing inhibitors, antioxidants, and enzymes, or with bacteriophages, aiming to disrupt the biofilm matrix and improve antibiotic access. Other treatments involve bacteriophages that target, infect and kill bacteria. These novel therapeutic approaches are showing good promise in vitro, and a few have made the leap to in vivo testing.
Genome-Wide Identification of the HMA Gene Family and Expression Analysis under Cd Stress in Barley

In recent years, cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil has increased with increasing industrial activities, which has restricted crop growth and agricultural development. The heavy metal ATPase (HMA) gene family contributes to heavy metal stress resistance in plants. In this study, 21 HMA genes (HvHMAs) were identified in barley (Hordeum vulgare L., Hv) using bioinformatics methods. Based on phylogenetic analysis and domain distribution, barley HMA genes were divided into five groups (A–E), and complete analyses were performed in terms of physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, conserved domains, and chromosome localization. The expression pattern analysis showed that most HvHMA genes were expressed in barley and exhibited tissue specificity. According to the fragments per kilobase of exon per million fragments values in shoots from seedlings at the 10 cm shoot stage (LEA) and phylogenetic analysis, five HvHMA genes were selected for expression analysis under Cd stress. Among the five HvHMA genes, three (HvHMA1, HvHMA3, and HvHMA4) were upregulated and two (HvHMA2 and HvHMA6) were downregulated following Cd treatments. This study serves as a foundation for clarifying the functions of HvHMA proteins in the heavy metal stress resistance of barley.
From Burden to Depressive Symptoms in Informal Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis

Background: The objective of this study was to assess the complex relationship between the multiple determinants of the caregiving process, the caregiver burden, and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a nationally representative sample (n = 798) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia from March to September 2020. A nine-section questionnaire designed for this study included the characteristics of caregivers, characteristics of care and care recipients, COVID-19 related questions, and the following standardized instruments: 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, Fatigue Severity Scale, Activities of Daily Living Scale and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory. Path analysis was used for the simultaneous assessment of the direct and indirect relationships of all determinants. Results: More than two thirds (71.9%) of informal caregivers experienced a burden, and more than one quarter (27.1%) had depression symptomatology. Self-rated physical health, need for psychosocial support, and caregiver burden were the main direct predictors of depression. Multiple determinants of the caregiving process had indirect effects on depressive symptomatology via the caregiver burden as a mediating factor. Conclusions: The subjective burden presented a significant risk factor for depressive symptoms in caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The provision of psychosocial support was identified as an important opportunity to reduce depressive risk in informal caregivers.
Improvement and Soil Consistency of Sand–Clay Mixtures Treated with Enzymatic-Induced Carbonate Precipitation

Recently, microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been studied as an alternative for the improvement of sand–clay mixtures. However, the cementing uniformity of MICP-treated sand–clay mixtures cannot be guaranteed. In this present study, enzymatic-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) was used to deal with it. The ions used in kaolin clay was predicted to affect the production rate for calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which was studied using the calcification test. The solidification test was conducted using two different methods (the premixing method and the diffusion method). The permeability, unconfined compressive strength and the content of CaCO3 of treated samples were obtained to evaluate the solidification effect of the EICP method. Moreover, in EICP treatment, the particle aggregation decreased the liquid limit, but the addition of solution increased it. Therefore, there were contrary effects to the soil consistency. In this study, the two types of liquid limits of treated samples were measured with deionized water and 2M-NaCl brine, respectively. The results show that the Al2O3, NaCl and MgCl2 in the kaolin clay had a slight impact on the production rate for CaCO3, while FeCl3 significantly inhibited it. The EICP method can improve sand–clay mixtures and decrease their permeability. Different from MICP, the EICP method can guarantee the uniformity of treated samples. Moreover, the liquid limit of the sample treated with the premixing method decreased, while that of the sample treated with the diffusion method increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing treatment cycles. Different from the deionized water, the pore-fluid chemistry had a larger effect on the liquid limit with 2M-NaCl brine.
DNR Code Status Is Not Associated with Under-Utilization of Inpatient Transthoracic Echocardiograms

In the strictest sense, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status means that cardiopulmonary resuscitation should not be performed after death has occurred; all other medical interventions in line with a patient’s goals of care should be implemented. The use of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in patients with DNR status is unknown. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the utilization of TTE among patients with DNR status using this retrospective data analysis. A total of 16,546 patient admissions were included in the final study. A total of 4370 (26.4%) of the patients had a TTE during hospitalization; among full code patients, 3976 (25.7%) underwent TTE, whereas TTEs were performed in 394 (37.4%) of DNR patients. On univariate logistic regression analysis, full code status had OR (95% confidence interval, CI) 0.57 (0.51–0.66), p < 0.01 compared with DNR status for the performance of inpatient TTE. In the final multivariate model adjusted for age, sex, race, and clinical comorbidities, the full code patients had OR (95% CI) 0.91 (0.79–1.05), p = 0.22 compared with DNR patients for the performance of inpatient TTE. DNR status is not associated with a decrease in inpatient transthoracic echocardiography performance.
Prostate Health Index and Multiparametric MRI: Partners in Crime Fighting Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment in Prostate Cancer

Simple Summary In the last decades, the widespread use of PSA as the standard tool for prostate cancer diagnosis led to a high rate of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. More recently, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) became part of the diagnostic pathway, and several next-generation PSA-based tests (PHI, PHI density, 4Kscore, STHLM3) have been proposed. The multivariable approach promises to help with a better stratification of PCa patients at initial diagnosis. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the prostate health index (PHI) and mpMRI for the prediction of positive biopsy and of high-grade PCa at radical prostatectomy (RP). Our findings suggested that PHI had a better ability than mpMRI to predict positive biopsy, whereas a comparable performance in the identification of pathological aggressive PCa was pointed out. Notably, PHI and PHI density might represent useful biomarkers to recognize high-grade PCa in patients with low or uncertain PI-RADS scores on mpMRI. Abstract Widespread use of PSA as the standard tool for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis led to a high rate of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the prostate health index (PHI) and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for the prediction of positive biopsy and of high-grade PCa at radical prostatectomy (RP). To this end, we prospectively enrolled 196 biopsy-naïve patients who underwent mpMRI. A subgroup of 116 subjects with biopsy-proven PCa underwent surgery. We found that PHI significantly outperformed both PI-RADS score (difference in AUC: 0.14; p < 0.001) and PHI density (difference in AUC: 0.08; p = 0.002) in the ability to predict positive biopsy with a cut-off value of 42.7 as the best threshold. Conversely, comparing the performance in the identification of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) at RP, we found that PHI ≥ 61.68 and PI-RADS score ≥ 4 were able to identify csPCa (Gleason score ≥ 7 (3 + 4)) both alone and added to a base model including age, PSA, fPSA-to-tPSA ratio and prostate volume. In conclusion, PHI had a better ability than PI-RADS score to predict positive biopsy, whereas it had a comparable performance in the identification of pathological csPCa.
Gut Leakage Markers in Response to Strenuous Exercise in Patients with Suspected Coronary Artery Disease

Elevated levels of gut leakage markers have been shown after strenuous exercise in healthy individuals. Any association between a temporary increase in these markers and the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknown. We therefore aimed to explore circulating gut leakage markers in response to a bout of strenuous exercise in patients with symptoms of CAD. Patients referred to exercise stress testing due to symptoms of CAD were included (n = 287). A maximal exercise ECG stress test was performed and venous blood samples were drawn at rest and within five minutes after, for analysis of soluble cluster of differentiation 14 (sCD14), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), intestinal fatty-acid binding protein (I-FABP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and gene expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in circulating leukocytes. Patients then underwent coronary angiography. LPS, LBP and sCD14 increased significantly after strenuous exercise in patients with symptoms of CAD, suggesting that even short bouts of vigorous exercise are associated with gut leakage. The gene expression of TLR4 decreased significantly after exercise, possibly as a negative feedback to the increase in LPS. There were no differences in exercise-induced changes between the groups of CAD, suggesting gut leakage to be independent of the presence of CAD.
Upregulation of CCL7, CCL20, CXCL2, IL-1β, IL-6 and MMP-9 in Skin Samples of PCB Exposed Individuals—A Preliminary Study

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are well known immunotoxic and carcinogenic compounds. Although cutaneous symptoms are the hallmark of exposure to these compounds, exact pathophysiologic mechanisms are not well understood. We took skin biopsies from moderately high PCB exposed workers (n = 25) after an informed consent and investigated the expression of immunological markers such as CCL-7, CCL-20, CXCL2, IL-1β and IL-6, as well as the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-9, EPGN and NRF2 by RT-qPCR, and compared expression levels with plasma PCB levels. Statistical analyses showed a significant correlation between CCL-20, CXCL2, IL-6, IL-1β, CCL-7 and MMP-9 and PCB serum levels. EPGN and NRF2 were not correlated to PCB levels in the blood. We found a significant correlation of genes involved in autoimmune, auto-inflammatory and carcinogenesis in skin samples of PCB exposed individuals with elevated plasma PCB levels. Confirmation of these findings needs to be performed in bigger study groups and larger gen-sets, including multiple housekeeping genes. Further study needs to be performed to see whether a chronical exposure to these and similar compounds can cause higher incidence of malignancies and inflammatory disease.
Issues in the Current Practices of Spatial Cluster Detection and Exploring Alternative Methods

Local Moran and local G-statistic are commonly used to identify high-value (hot spot) and low-value (cold spot) spatial clusters for various purposes. However, these popular tools are based on the concept of spatial autocorrelation or association (SA), but do not explicitly consider if values are high or low enough to deserve attention. Resultant clusters may not include areas with extreme values that practitioners often want to identify when using these tools. Additionally, these tools are based on statistics that assume observed values or estimates are highly accurate with error levels that can be ignored or are spatially uniform. In this article, problems associated with these popular SA-based cluster detection tools were illustrated. Alternative hot spot-cold spot detection methods considering estimate error were explored. The class separability classification method was demonstrated to produce useful results. A heuristic hot spot-cold spot identification method was also proposed. Based on user-determined threshold values, areas with estimates exceeding the thresholds were treated as seeds. These seeds and neighboring areas with estimates that were not statistically different from those in the seeds at a given confidence level constituted the hot spots and cold spots. Results from the heuristic method were intuitively meaningful and practically valuable.
Tuning the Properties of PNIPAm-Based Hydrogel Scaffolds for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) is a three-dimensional (3D) crosslinked polymer that can interact with human cells and play an important role in the development of tissue morphogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. PNIPAm-based scaffolds possess many desirable structural and physical properties required for tissue regeneration, but insufficient mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and biomimicry for tissue development remain obstacles for their application in tissue engineering. The structural integrity and physical properties of the hydrogels depend on the crosslinks formed between polymer chains during synthesis. A variety of design variables including crosslinker content, the combination of natural and synthetic polymers, and solvent type have been explored over the past decade to develop PNIPAm-based scaffolds with optimized properties suitable for tissue engineering applications. These design parameters have been implemented to provide hydrogel scaffolds with dynamic and spatially patterned cues that mimic the biological environment and guide the required cellular functions for cartilage tissue regeneration. The current advances on tuning the properties of PNIPAm-based scaffolds were searched for on Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the scaffolding properties of PNIPAm-based hydrogels and the effects of synthesis-solvent and crosslinking density on tuning these properties. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of considering these two design variables for developing PNIPAm-based scaffolds are outlined.
Towards a Framework for High-Performance Simulation of Livestock Disease Outbreak: A Case Study of Spread of African Swine Fever in Vietnam

Simple Summary Disease transmission simulation programs in veterinary epidemiology in general and in simulation of African swine fever in particular are often very diverse and require great computing power. However, such programs often share similar workflows from processing input/output data, performing simulations, or storing data. Our paper proposes a common architectural framework for livestock disease transmission simulation programs in order to both improve simulation performance and reduce the effort of developing new simulation programs. Our framework was evaluated with a simulation program of African swine fever transmission currently raging in Vietnam and some other countries around the world. The results from the evaluation experiments not only demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework in terms of performance but also have practical consulting value for decision makers in Vietnam and for international colleagues. Abstract The spread of disease in livestock is an important research topic of veterinary epidemiology because it provides warnings or advice to organizations responsible for the protection of animal health in particular and public health in general. Disease transmission simulation programs are often deployed with different species, disease types, or epidemiological models, and each research team manages its own set of parameters relevant to their target diseases and concerns, resulting in limited cooperation and reuse of research results. Furthermore, these simulation and decision support tools often require a large amount of computational power, especially for models involving tens of thousands of herds with millions of individuals spread over a large geographical area such as a region or a country. It is a matter of fact that epidemic simulation programs are often heterogeneous, but they often share some common workflows including processing of input data and execution of simulation, as well as storage, analysis, and visualization of results. In this article, we propose a novel architectural framework for simultaneously deploying any epidemic simulation program both on premises and on the cloud to improve performance and scalability. We also conduct some experiments to evaluate the proposed architectural framework on some aspects when applying it to simulate the spread of African swine fever in Vietnam.
Evaluating a Low-Cost Technology to Enable People with Intellectual Disability or Psychiatric Disorders to Initiate and Perform Functional Daily Activities

People with intellectual disability or psychiatric disorders and cognitive dysfunctions may need assistive technology to maintain and improve their levels of functioning and independence. This study assessed a smartphone-based system to remind the user to initiate functional daily activities (e.g., setting a table for lunch) and perform them without the support of a caregiver. The system was evaluated through a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across two groups of participants. During the intervention sessions, the participants were provided with a system involving a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone fitted with the Easy Alarm YouTube application and audio files. The alarm served to remind the participant to carry out a planned activity. Following the reminder, the smartphone presented each of the step instructions preset for the activity. The data showed a statistically significant increase in the number of activities initiated independently from baseline to intervention for all participants. All participants also showed a significant increase in the number of activity steps correctly performed when supported by the smartphone. These results suggest that a low-cost system (i.e., smartphone) can be used to improve independence of people with intellectual disability or psychiatric disorders with cognitive dysfunctions.