Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereopsis and Motion : Extracting Shape from Images 1 Middle Level Vision

One of the goals of so-called ‘middle level’ visual processing is to extract three-dimensional geometric information from one or more images. Extracting three-dimensional geometry from images is often referred to as shape-from-x, because there are a number of different sources of information that can be used to recover the three-dimensional structure of a scene (or shape) from two-dimensional images. For instance, shading in an image reveals information about three-dimensional shapes (e.g., much of the way that the shape of a sphere in a photograph is perceived as being a solid rather than a disk is due to the uniform change in brightness away from the light source). Shape-from-shading is an active area of research, but we will not study it here because it requires a substantial amount more knowledge of surface reflectance properties than we will have time to cover (also its use in practice is quite restricted). Another source of three-dimensional shape information is provided by the change in location of an object from one image to the next, in a set of two or more images. The two main techniques for extracting image shape from multiple images are stereopsis and structure from motion. These are the two approaches that we will be considering in some detail in this section of the course. In the first approach, stereopsis, two images are taken of the same scene from slightly different viewpoints. Those objects in the scene that are far away from the two cameras will appear nearly identical in the two images, whereas those objects that are near the cameras will change significantly between the two images. The key idea underlying stereopsis (or stereo vision) is to make use of the disparity, or change in image location, of an object from one view to the next. The closer an object is to the camera, the larger the disparity will be. This allows us to reconstruct three-dimensional shape from disparity. Generally the depth (or distance) information recovered from stereo is quite noisy, and thus a surface interpolation process is often applied to the data (cf. [3]). Such interpolation methods have broad applicability beyond computer vision. The second approach that we will consider is structure from motion. Here the idea is to take a sequence of images, and to use the motion of an object with respect to the camera to reconstruct its three-dimensional shape. There are many methods for solving this problem, but all of them involve first tracking the object (finding corresponding points in successive frames), and then applying some sort of technique to recover the threedimensional positions of the points from their two-dimensional motions. The tracking
Review: Systemic consequences of COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent chronic lung condition, affecting ∼10% of adults over the age of 40 years in the western world. Research over the past 10 years has shown that COPD is more than just a lung disorder; it affects other end-organs including the cardiovascular and the musculoskeletal systems, making it a multi-component, multi-system disease. COPD increases the risk for ischemic heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, cachexia, and muscle weakness by two to threefold, independent of other factors such as smoking and age. The mechanisms by which COPD affects these end-organs, however, are unclear. In this paper, we review some of the common and serious extra-pulmonary manifestations of COPD and the potential mechanisms by which they can be linked with COPD.
Selection and Characterization of b-Lactam – b-Lactamase Inactivator-Resistant Mutants following PCR Mutagenesis of the TEM-1 b-Lactamase Gene

Mechanism-based inactivators of b-lactamases are used to overcome the resistance of clinical pathogens to b-lactam antibiotics. This strategy can itself be overcome by mutations of the b-lactamase that compromise the effectiveness of their inactivation. We used PCR mutagenesis of the TEM-1 b-lactamase gene and sequenced the genes of 20 mutants that grew in the presence of ampicillin-clavulanate. Eleven different mutant genes from these strains contained from 1 to 10 mutations. Each had a replacement of one of the four residues, Met69, Ser130, Arg244, and Asn276, whose substitutions by themselves had been shown to result in inhibitor resistance. None of the mutant enzymes with multiple amino acid substitutions generated in this study conferred higher levels of resistance to ampicillin alone or ampicillin with b-lactamase inactivators (clavulanate, sulbactam, or tazobactam) than the levels of resistance conferred by the corresponding single-mutant enzymes. Of the four enzymes with just a single mutation (Ser130Gly, Arg244Cys, Arg244Ser, or Asn276Asp), the Asn276Asp blactamase conferred a wild-type level of ampicillin resistance and the highest levels of resistance to ampicillin in the presence of inhibitors. Site-directed random mutagenesis of the Ser130 codon yielded no other mutant with replacement of Ser130 besides Ser130Gly that produced ampicillin-clavulanate resistance. Thus, despite PCR mutagenesis we found no new mutant TEM b-lactamase that conferred a level of resistance to ampicillin plus inactivators greater than that produced by the single-mutation enzymes that have already been reported in clinical isolates. Although this is reassuring, one must caution that other combinations of multiple mutations might still produce unexpected resistance.
The impact of humanoid robots on students' computational thinking

The aim of the study was to understand the impact of humanoid robots on student learning, the integration of the robots into the curriculum and the pedagogical approaches that enhance and extend student learning. This research is part of a larger three-year study and draws on questionnaires, interviews and journals from teachers. Collected data were triangulated to determine how the humanoid robots were utilised in the classroom and recurring themes were documented. The research findings are presented in a thematic style and provide an insight into the educational benefits of using humanoid robots. This paper will introduce the 4plus4 Model that describes deep student learning when an innovative technology such as humanoid robots is integrated into a revised pedagogy. The preliminary findings focus on the 4plus4 Model that represent a richer understanding of the deep student learning and this deep learning is evident across a range of contexts from early childhood through to secondary.
mRNA EXPRESSION OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-α AND THE EGF RECEPTOR FOLLOWING NEPHROTOXIC RENAL INJURY

We studied gene expression for transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, epidermal growth factor (EGF), heparin binding (HB) EGF, and the EGF receptor following acute renal failure induced by mercuric chloride administration to gain insight into potential mechanisms of renal repair. Twenty four hours after HgCl2, 2 mg/kg, creatinine increased from 0.3 ± 0.01 mg/dl in controls to 2.2 ± 0.26 mg/dl in injured rats (n = 5, p < 0.01). Similar changes were observed after 3 days. Messenger RNA expression for EGF was decreased at 24 hours in HgCl2 treated rats and remained depressed for at least 3 days. On the other hand steady state mRNA for TGF-α increased nearly 2 fold at day 3 in HgCl2 treated rats 4 mg/kg. Heparin binding EGF was increased early, by day one in injured kidneys and gene expression for the EGF receptor was increased as well. Immunohistochemistry documented an increase in expression of TGF-α in injured kidneys at distal nephron sites. These studies suggest that TGF-α along with HB EGF may be important ligands for the EGF receptor during repair from renal injury.
State of the art of cardiac surgery in patients with congenital heart disease

During the last 20 years, pediatric cardiac surgery has been characterized by important changes, with reductions in surgical mortality and the achievement of complete repair at an earlier age, thus avoiding multiple procedures and strongly ameliorating the global outcome of these patients. In this review, we describe the actual trends in the surgical treatment of cardiac malformations. We analyze two groups of patients: in the first group (septal defects, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, aortic stenosis and coarctation) the indications are well established and the goal is represented by a lessening of the surgical trauma and post-operative morbidity, with stable results in the follow-up. In the second group (univentricular heart, pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum, double discordance, conduit, hypoplastic left heart syndrome), the lesions are still considered complex and submitted to ongoing experimental and clinical research, in order to improve the post-surgical history of these diseases.
Research on multi-agent-based simulation of supervision issues

Supervision issues exist among almost every industry of this world. Based on a multi-agent modeling and simulation approach, this paper, which is different from the existing researches, designs the interaction rules of supervision and violation, builds the evolving mechanism using genetic algorithm, and simulates the evolving process on the swarm platform. On the basis of the results of the simulation, it reach the conclusion that under the condition of ldquobounded rationalityrdquo and ldquoincomplete informationrdquo, to eliminate the violation, the supervisor must obtain almost the ldquocomplete informationrdquo of the behavior of actors, apart from making their expected revenue of obedience greater than the expected revenue of violation. A heavier punishment can accelerate the progress of the evolution.
Degrading internet services by intermittent false feedbacks and the countermeasures

Feedback control is an important element in the engineering of many stable Internet services. However, the feedback channels are vulnerable to various Internet attacks. In this paper, we show analytically that the recently proposed low-rate denial-of-service (DoS) attacks can effectively degrade these Internet services by generating intermittent false feedback signals. To evaluate the attacks’ effectiveness, we employ both controltheoretic approach for a general feedback control system and a detailed analysis for a specific system. On the countermeasures, we propose a nonparametric algorithm to detect an attack based on the changes in the traffic distribution.
Multipactor in High Power Radio-Frequency Systems for Nuclear Fusion

Magnetic confinement fusion researches are an approach to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion power for energy production. In these experiments, mega-watt range power Radio-Frequency waves, from tens of MHz to hundreds of GHz, are injected into magnetically confined plasmas in order to increase its temperature and to extend its duration. These RF systems are subjected to the magnetic field environment of the experiments, ranging from few tenth of Tesla to Tesla, and various orientations depending of their locations. As these RF systems made of copper, silver or ceramics are located in vacuum environments, they are subject to multipactor discharges. These discharges are generally considered detrimental since they can lead to detuned RF systems, limit the RF power transmission in the plasma and eventually damage RF sources or components. In some case, especially in the MHz range of frequency, multipactor discharges can be desired for vacuum conditioning. This paper presents the various RF systems used in magnetic fusion experiments and review the work performed in the fusion research community on multipactor discharges for high power coaxial (MHz) and rectangular waveguides (GHz) transmission lines, with their practical implications on power delivery into the plasma.
Multicriteria Ordered Clustering

In the context of multicriteria decision aid (MCDA), a lot of research has been focused on the assignment of alternatives to predefined categories, i.e. ordered groups of actions. Nevertheless, to our point of view, not enough attention has been paid to the detection or the forming of these groups. This will be referred to the ‘multicriteria ordered clustering problem. ’ Based on the definition of two constraints, we will formalize our problem as an optimization problem and we will propose a related heuristic, inspired by the tabu search. Our approach will be tested on artificial datasets as well as on a financial example related to the country risk problem.
Risk of lung cancer following exposure to carbon black, titanium dioxide and talc: Results from two case–control studies in Montreal

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently evaluated the carcinogenicity of three poorly soluble weakly‐toxic substances: carbon black, titanium dioxide and talc. Though there is evidence of carcinogenity in experimental animals for these substances, the evidence in humans is sparse and equivocal. In the context of two large population based case–control studies of lung cancer carried out in Montreal, we were able to study the possible relationships between the exposure to each of these substances and subsequent risk of lung cancer. We were able to distinguish talc used for industrial purposes from that used for cosmetic purposes. Interviews for Study I were conducted in 1979–1986 (857 cases, 533 population controls, 1,349 cancer controls) and interviews for Study II were conducted in 1996–2001 (1,236 cases and 1,512 controls). Detailed lifetime job histories were elicited, and a team of hygienists and chemists evaluated the evidence of exposure to a host of occupational substances. Lung cancer risk was analysed in relation to each exposure, adjusting for several potential confounders, including smoking. Subjects with occupational exposure to carbon black, titanium dioxide, industrial talc and cosmetic talc did not experience any detectable excess risk of lung cancer. The results are consistent with the recent evaluations of the IARC Monographs. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
SALT-OVERLY SENSITIVE5 Mediates Arabidopsis Seed Coat Mucilage Adherence and Organization through Pectins1[W][OPEN]

A fasciclin-like arabinogalactan protein mediates Arabidopsis seed coat mucilage adherence primarily through its influence on pectin. Interactions between cell wall polymers are critical for establishing cell wall integrity and cell-cell adhesion. Here, we exploit the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seed coat mucilage system to examine cell wall polymer interactions. On hydration, seeds release an adherent mucilage layer strongly attached to the seed in addition to a nonadherent layer that can be removed by gentle agitation. Rhamnogalacturonan I (RG I) is the primary component of adherent mucilage, with homogalacturonan, cellulose, and xyloglucan constituting minor components. Adherent mucilage contains rays composed of cellulose and pectin that extend above the center of each epidermal cell. CELLULOSE SYNTHASE5 (CESA5) and the arabinogalactan protein SALT-OVERLY SENSITIVE5 (SOS5) are required for mucilage adherence through unknown mechanisms. SOS5 has been suggested to mediate adherence by influencing cellulose biosynthesis. We, therefore, investigated the relationship between SOS5 and CESA5. cesa5-1 seeds show reduced cellulose, RG I, and ray size in adherent mucilage. In contrast, sos5-2 seeds have wild-type levels of cellulose but completely lack adherent RG I and rays. Thus, relative to each other, cesa5-1 has a greater effect on cellulose, whereas sos5-2 mainly affects pectin. The double mutant cesa5-1 sos5-2 has a much more severe loss of mucilage adherence, suggesting that SOS5 and CESA5 function independently. Double-mutant analyses with mutations in MUCILAGE MODIFIED2 and FLYING SAUCER1 that reduce mucilage release through pectin modification suggest that only SOS5 influences pectin-mediated adherence. Together, these findings suggest that SOS5 mediates adherence through pectins and does so independently of but in concert with cellulose synthesized by CESA5.
Kinin‐forming activity and histamine in lymph after tissue injury

The old view that protein break-down products take part in local tissue reactions received a new impetus from the work of Menkin (1940). He suggested that the signs of the inflammatory response were mediated by specific peptides one of which, called leukotaxine, was present in inflammatory exudates. Later, Menkin (1950) described other peptides to which he assigned definite roles in the response of tissues to injury. Unfortunately none of the crude factors described by Menkin was ever characterized and their validity has been questioned. A group of peptides, some of which have been isolated, characterized (Elliott, Horton & Lewis, 1960a, 1961; Pierce & Webster, 1961; Elliott, Lewis & Smyth, 1963) and synthesized (Boissonnas, Guttmann, Jacquenod, Konzett & Sturmer, 1960; Nicholaides & de Wald, 1961; Nicholaides, de Wald & McCarthy, 1961), and which could well correspond to some of the peptides of Menkin, have been termed kinins. Bradykinin, for instance, has been shown to produce all four of the cardinal signs of the inflammatory response, vasodilatation, increased vascular permeability, pain production and, in higher doses, accumulation of leucocytes (Elliott, Horton & Lewis, 1960b). Yet there is so far no direct evidence of the participation of kinins in inflammatory reactions. In physiological reactions in which kinins were shown to play some part (Hilton & Lewis, 1957) the evidence indicated that kinin formation goes on not in the blood stream but in the interstitial fluid. If this occurs in tissue injury, then in order to detect any part of the kininforming system coming from an injured tissue it would seem reasonable to look for it in the lymph. Lymph is known to contain almost all the constituents of plasma (Yoffey & Courtice, 1956) and it has been found that thoracic duct lymph contains both the globulin from which kinins are derived and a kinin-inactivating enzyme, kininase (Schachter, 1960). In the present experiments lymph was collected from the hind limbs of dogs before and after injury and examined particularly for factors involved
Slime production by Staphylococcus saprophyticus

Only 9 of 30 Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains produced slime in trypticase soy broth, while all did so in urine. It was found that urea was essential for the production of slime. The pH, the iron concentration, or the presence of sex hormones did not affect slime production.
The effect of repeated exposures to low-dose UV radiation on the apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether repeated exposures to low-dose UV or solar-simulated radiation induce apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. DESIGN Cohort study in a healthy population. SETTING Departments of Dermatology and Hematology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. PARTICIPANTS Ninety-eight healthy volunteers were divided into the following 4 groups: group A, whole-body irradiated with a 0.7-minimal erythema dose (MED) of UV-B daily on 10 consecutive days followed by a single dose of 3 MEDs on a small body area 24 hours later; group B, whole body irradiated with 120 J/m(2) solar-simulated radiation (10 consecutive days, then single-dose UV-B exposure of 3 MEDs on a small body area after 24 hours); group C, irradiated with a single UV-B dose of 3 MEDs on a small body area; and group D, irradiated with a single UV-B dose of 4 MEDs on a small body area. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells as well as expression of several apoptosis-regulating proteins in response to irradiation. RESULTS Ten daily whole-body suberythemal exposures to UV-B or solar-simulated radiation enhanced the apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, while the single erythemal doses on the small body area, either on their own or following the repeated exposures, did not increase the level significantly. Increase in Bax and p73 protein expression and down-regulation of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 correlated with enhanced apoptosis. CONCLUSION Repeated suberythemal UV exposures enhance the apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in healthy subjects.
Deciphering Complement Receptor Type 1 Interactions with Recognition Proteins of the Lectin Complement Pathway

Complement receptor type 1 (CR1) is a membrane receptor expressed on a wide range of cells. It is involved in immune complex clearance, phagocytosis, and complement regulation. Its ectodomain is composed of 30 complement control protein (CCP) modules, organized into four long homologous repeats (A–D). In addition to its main ligands C3b and C4b, CR1 was reported to interact with C1q and mannan-binding lectin (MBL) likely through its C-terminal region (CCP22–30). To decipher the interaction of human CR1 with the recognition proteins of the lectin complement pathway, a recombinant fragment encompassing CCP22–30 was expressed in eukaryotic cells, and its interaction with human MBL and ficolins was investigated using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. MBL and L-ficolin were shown to interact with immobilized soluble CR1 and CR1 CCP22–30 with apparent dissociation constants in the nanomolar range, indicative of high affinity. The binding site for CR1 was located at or near the MBL-associated serine protease (MASP) binding site in the collagen stalks of MBL and L-ficolin, as shown by competition experiments with MASP-3. Accordingly, the mutation of an MBL conserved lysine residue essential for MASP binding (K55) abolished binding to soluble CR1 and CCP22–30. The CR1 binding site for MBL/ficolins was mapped to CCP24–25 of long homologous repeat D using deletion mutants. In conclusion, we show that ficolins are new CR1 ligands and propose that MBL/L-ficolin binding involves major ionic interactions between conserved lysine residues of their collagen stalks and surface exposed acidic residues located in CR1 CCP24 and/or CCP25.
Self-Organized Clustering Architecture for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Vehicular Ad Hoc NETworks (VANETs) are likely to be deployed in the near future. Then, they will become the platform for much of the relayed information in the Internet of Things. This paper proposes a new system based on 1-hop clustering to reduce the number of VANET communications in dense road traffic scenarios while maintaining the security of communications by combining public-key with secret-key cryptography. The proposed distributed clustering architecture creates a dynamic virtual backbone in the network, formed by Cluster-Heads and cluster-gateways, so that these nodes are responsible for the efficient message propagation in the network. The main aim of the described architecture is to balance both stability of backbone connections and cost/efficiency trade-off. Full definitions of all the architecture procedures are provided, including a cluster-head selection algorithm based on a version of the independent set problem and a secret-key agreement scheme that uses the generalized Diffie-Hellman protocol. Simulations show that the proposal improves network performance and security.