Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Text detection algorithm on real scenes images and videos on the base of discrete cosine transform and convolutional neural network

In this work we present algorithms which are applied in such task as text recognition on images and video. Proposed algorithm is based on the combination of discrete cosine transform and convolutional neural networks. Description of the applying features of discrete cosine transform for text detection is provided. We list the main advantages and disadvantages of CNN and DCT combination. Also in this article we are going to consider methods of convolution neural networks for the task of text recognition.
Matlab simulation of the DVB-T transmission

This paper deals with a Matlab application currently being developed to simulate DVB-T transmission in various transmission channels. The application structure and its functions are described. The aim was to implement all the functional blocks as specified in the DVB-T specification. Dependence of BER on C/N ratio as a result of the simulation in the Gaussian channel is graphically expressed and compared to the results of the laboratory measurement. The reference measurement was performed using Rohde & Schwarz SFU (broadcast test system) unit as the transmitter and Kathrein MSK-33 DVB-T test receiver. Finally, obtained results are discussed.
Cigarette smoke induces systemic defects in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator function.

RATIONALE Several extrapulmonary disorders have been linked to cigarette smoking. Smoking is reported to cause cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction in the airway, and is also associated with pancreatitis, male infertility, and cachexia, features characteristic of cystic fibrosis and suggestive of an etiological role for CFTR. OBJECTIVES To study the effect of cigarette smoke on extrapulmonary CFTR function. METHODS Demographics, spirometry, exercise tolerance, symptom questionnaires, CFTR genetics, and sweat chloride analysis were obtained in smokers with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CFTR activity was measured by nasal potential difference in mice and by Ussing chamber electrophysiology in vitro. Serum acrolein levels were estimated with mass spectroscopy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Healthy smokers (29.45 ± 13.90 mEq), smokers with COPD (31.89 ± 13.9 mEq), and former smokers with COPD (25.07 ± 10.92 mEq) had elevated sweat chloride levels compared with normal control subjects (14.5 ± 7.77 mEq), indicating reduced CFTR activity in a nonrespiratory organ. Intestinal current measurements also demonstrated a 65% decrease in CFTR function in smokers compared with never smokers. CFTR activity was decreased by 68% in normal human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to plasma from smokers, suggesting that one or more circulating agents could confer CFTR dysfunction. Cigarette smoke-exposed mice had decreased CFTR activity in intestinal epithelium (84.3 and 45%, after 5 and 17 wk, respectively). Acrolein, a component of cigarette smoke, was higher in smokers, blocked CFTR by inhibiting channel gating, and was attenuated by antioxidant N-acetylcysteine, a known scavenger of acrolein. CONCLUSIONS Smoking causes systemic CFTR dysfunction. Acrolein present in cigarette smoke mediates CFTR defects in extrapulmonary tissues in smokers.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of IV immune globulins in combination with IV methylprednisolone in the treatment of relapses in patients with MS

Background: Some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) do not show a clear improvement of acute relapses after treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP). We compared the efficacy of the combination of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) and IVMP with the standard treatment of IVMP alone in promoting recovery from moderate to severe acute relapses in MS. Methods: Patients with clinically definite MS having a relapse with at least a one point increase in Kurtzke’s expanded disability status scale (EDSS) in comparison to the preattack EDSS were randomized to IVMP-IVIg or IVMP-placebo treatment. The primary outcome criterion was the EDSS grade at four weeks. A preplanned interim analysis was performed after inclusion of 19 consecutive MS patients to evaluate the sample size necessary for a larger trial. Findings: Both groups had improved one point on the EDSS four weeks after start of treatment (P =0.81) and one of the stopping rules of the interim analysis was fulfilled. There were also no differences in secondary outcomes: EDSS at eight and 12 weeks, time to improve]-1 EDSS points, difference in Scripps score and ambulation index. Five patients in the IVMP-IVIg group and two in the IVMP group had a new relapse in the six month follow-up. Interpretation: O ur study could not show superiority of IVMP-IVIg in the treatment of moderate to severe acute relapses in MS.
A novel error observer-based adaptive output feedback approach for control of uncertain systems

We develop an adaptive output feedback control methodology for nonaffine in control of uncertain systems having full relative degree. Given a smooth reference trajectory, the objective is to design a controller that forces the system measurement to track it with bounded errors. A neural network with linear parameters is introduced as an adaptive signal. A simple linear observer is proposed to generate an error signal for the adaptive laws. Ultimate boundedness is shown through Lyapunov's direct method. Simulations of a nonlinear second-order system illustrate the theoretical results.
Present and future pharmacotherapeutic options for adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often a lifelong condition. When untreated or undertreated, it appears to have a deleterious impact upon the daily functioning of the majority of adults that were diagnosed with this condition during childhood. Effective treatment, under the best circumstances, is multi-modal. The recent MTA study staged by the United States government confirmed the primary role of psychostimulants for children with this condition. The findings from this study have been generalised to adults that also have ADHD, particularly in cases where there is a well-defined longitudinal history dating back to early childhood. Psychostimulants remain a viable first-choice strategy for adults with ADHD. There are idiosyncratic differences in response to the various psychostimulants for any given individual with ADHD. Furthermore, the emergence of long-acting, once daily psychostimulant medications is likely to improve the calibre of care for adults with ADHD. A number of alternative pharmacotherapies have been studied, or are being developed, for adults with ADHD. These pharmacotherapies include antidepressant medications that affect dopaminergic and noradrenergic bioavailability, as well as cholinergic agents. In addition, agents that manipulate histaminergic and glutaminergic receptors are being studied as possible non-stimulant alternatives in the management of adult ADHD. More information is needed before any definitive statements can be made concerning the feasibility and utility of these non-stimulant medication approaches.
Economical evaluations of reactive power supply as an ancillary service offered by distributors

Reactive power supply is one of the most important ancillary services in the field of transmission systems safety. In the current market assets, at international level, this service is differently regulated and sometimes with criteria that are not market driven. The present work is focused on the perspective to realise a reactive power market to which also the distributors can take part injecting reactive power into HV/MV connection bus bar. Under this hypothesis, the paper proposes a methodology to evaluate the economic convenience limits that the system operator would have buying the capacitive reactive power offered by distributors
Valley-free violation in Internet routing — Analysis based on BGP Community data

The valley-free rule defines patterns of routing paths that allow the Internet Autonomous Systems (AS) to minimize their routing costs through selective announcement of BGP routes. The valley-free rule has been widely perceived as a universal property of the Internet BGP routing that is only violated due to transient configuration errors. Analysing the valley-free violations is important for a better understanding of BGP behaviour and inter-domain routing. This requires knowledge of the business relationships between ASes. The ground-truth data of AS relationships are not publicly available. Previous algorithms have inferred AS relationships based on the assumption that AS paths should be valley-free. Such inference results are biased and can not provide an objective assessment of the valley-free rule. Instead we extract the AS relationships directly from routing polices encoded in the BGP Community attribute. We are able to extract the business relationship of more than 30% of AS links based on BGP data collected from the RouteViews and RIPE RIS repositories in June 2011. We use our inferred AS relationships to analyse the valley-free violations in BGP routing. We reveal that the non valley-free paths are significantly more frequent than previously reported. As many as one fifth of AS paths in IPv6 BGP updates are valley paths. A substantial portion of these valley paths are persistent during the whole month of measurement. These observations strongly indicate that the valley paths are not merely a result of BGP misconfigurations. Instead they are the outcome of complex business relationships and deliberate policies by ASes using distinct unconventional models.
The role of Six1 in mammalian auditory system development

The homeobox Six genes, homologues to Drosophila sine oculis (so) gene, are expressed in multiple organs during mammalian development. However, their roles during auditory system development have not been studied. We report that Six1 is required for mouse auditory system development. During inner ear development, Six1 expression was first detected in the ventral region of the otic pit and later is restricted to the middle and ventral otic vesicle within which, respectively, the vestibular and auditory epithelia form. By contrast, Six1 expression is excluded from the dorsal otic vesicle within which the semicircular canals form. Six1 is also expressed in the vestibuloacoustic ganglion. At E15.5, Six1 is expressed in all sensory epithelia of the inner ear. Using recently generated Six1 mutant mice, we found that all Six1+/- mice showed some degree of hearing loss because of a failure of sound transmission in the middle ear. By contrast, Six1-/- mice displayed malformations of the auditory system involving the outer, middle and inner ears. The inner ear development in Six1-/- embryos arrested at the otic vesicle stage and all components of the inner ear failed to form due to increased cell death and reduced cell proliferation in the otic epithelium. Because we previously reported that Six1 expression in the otic vesicle is Eya1 dependent, we first clarified that Eya1 expression was unaffected in Six1-/- otic vesicle, further demonstrating that the Drosophila Eya-Six regulatory cassette is evolutionarily conserved during mammalian inner ear development. We also analyzed several other otic markers and found that the expression of Pax2 and Pax8 was unaffected in Six1-/- otic vesicle. By contrast, Six1 is required for the activation of Fgf3 expression and the maintenance of Fgf10 and Bmp4 expression in the otic vesicle. Furthermore, loss of Six1 function alters the expression pattern of Nkx5.1 and Gata3, indicating that Six1 is required for regional specification of the otic vesicle. Finally, our data suggest that the interaction between Eya1 and Six1 is crucial for the morphogenesis of the cochlea and the posterior ampulla during inner ear development. These analyses establish a role for Six1 in early growth and patterning of the otic vesicle.
When to automate software testing? A decision‐support approach based on process simulation

Software test processes are complex and costly. To reduce testing effort without compromising effectiveness and product quality, automation of test activities has been adopted as a popular approach in software industry. However, because test automation usually requires substantial upfront investments, automation is not always more cost‐effective than manual testing. To support decision‐makers in finding the optimal degree of test automation in a given project, we recently proposed a process simulation model using the System Dynamics modeling technique and used the simulation model in the context of a case study with a software company in Calgary, Canada. With the help of the simulation model, we were able to evaluate the performance of test processes with varying degrees of automation of test activities and help testers choose the most optimal cases. The goal of the earlier study was to investigate how the simulation model can help decision‐makers decide whether and to what degree the company should automate their test processes. In this article, we present further details of the System Dynamics model, its usage scenarios and examples of simulation experiments independent from a specific company context. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intensive language training and attention modulate the involvement of fronto‐parietal regions during a non‐verbal auditory discrimination task

This event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was designed in such a manner so as to contribute to the present debate on behavioural and functional transfer effects associated with intensive language training. To address this novel issue, we measured professional simultaneous interpreters and control subjects while they performed a non‐verbal auditory discrimination task that primarily relies on attention and categorization functions. The fMRI results revealed that the discrimination of the target stimuli was associated with differential blood oxygen level‐dependent responses in fronto‐parietal regions between the two groups, even though in‐scanner behavioural results did not show significant group differences. These findings are in line with previous observations showing the contribution of fronto‐parietal regions to auditory attention and categorization functions. Our results imply that language training modulates brain activity in regions involved in the top‐down regulation of auditory functions.
Differentiating Children with Specific Language Impairment and Children with Asperger Syndrome Using Parental

Although traditionally regarded as separate disorders, children with specific language impairment (SLI) and children with Asperger syndrome (AS) may to some extent present with similar problems. The aims of the present study were to investigate if children diagnosed with SLI and children diagnosed with AS can be differentiated from each other based on parental evaluations of language and autistic symptoms. All together 43 children aged 6-15 years took part in the study. The SLI group consisted of 20 children (18 males) and the AS group consisted of 23 children (19 males). The parents completed two questionnaires assessing language and autistic symptoms; the Children’s Communication Checklist Second Edition (CCC-2) and the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ). The results showed that the two diagnostic groups were inseparable on an overall measure of communication; children with AS were as severely impaired as children with SLI. However, the AS group exhibited significantly more problems with pragmatic aspects of language than did the SLI group. Autistic symptoms were significantly more prominent in the AS group than in the SLI group. According to parent evaluations, all children in the AS group were language impaired and four children (out of 20) in the SLI group showed autistic symptoms in the clinical range. The findings of this study points to the importance of including language assessment to an initial AS assessment as well as to administer instruments sensitive to AS when assessing children with SLI.
Self-Reconfigurable Multi-Layer Neural Networks with Genetic Algorithms

SUMMARY This paper addresses the issue of reconﬁguring multi-layer neural networks implemented in single or multiple VLSI chips. The ability to adaptively reconﬁgure network conﬁguration for a given application, considering the presence of faulty neurons, is a very valuable feature in a large scale neural network. In addition, it has become necessary to achieve systems that can automatically reconﬁgure a network and acquire optimal weights without any help from host computers. However, self-reconﬁgurable architectures for neural networks have not been studied su ﬃ ciently. In this paper, we propose an architecture for a self-reconﬁgurable multi-layer neural network employing both reconﬁguration with spare neurons and weight training by GAs. This proposal o ﬀ ers the combined advantages of low hardware overhead for adding spare neurons and fast weight training time. To show the possibility of self-reconﬁgurable neural networks, the prototype system has been implemented on a ﬁeld programmable gate array. key words: self-reconﬁguration, multi-layer
A compact loop closure detection based on spatial partitioning

Loop closure detection (LCD) is a process trying to find a match between the current and a previously visited locations in SLAM. The bag of words (BoW) is a popular approach used in LCD, however, limited by perceptual aliasing primarily due to vector quantization. This paper proposes an improved method of the BoW called spatial partitioning BoW(SPBoW). We first apply scene segmentation to integrate the spatial information of visual features into BoW. Then, for better error tolerance, we setup a hierarchical K-means association dictionary to relate all visual words. Finally, sliding optimization is used to eliminate the effect of changing perspectives. The experiment results demonstrate much better real-time reaction and recall performance compared with the conventional BoW algorithm.
The WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey: Final data release and cosmological results

This paper presents cosmological results from the final data release of the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. We perform full analyses of different cosmological models using the WiggleZ power spectra measured at z=0.22, 0.41, 0.60, and 0.78, combined with other cosmological data sets. The limiting factor in this analysis is the theoretical modeling of the galaxy power spectrum, including nonlinearities, galaxy bias, and redshift-space distortions. In this paper we assess several different methods for modeling the theoretical power spectrum, testing them against the Gigaparsec WiggleZ simulations (GiggleZ). We fit for a base set of six cosmological parameters, {Ω_(b)h^2,Ω_(CDM)h^2,H_0,τ,A_s,n_s}, and five supplementary parameters {n_(run),r,w,Ω_k,∑m_ν}. In combination with the cosmic microwave background, our results are consistent with the ΛCDM concordance cosmology, with a measurement of the matter density of Ωm=0.29±0.016 and amplitude of fluctuations σ_8=0.825±0.017. Using WiggleZ data with cosmic microwave background and other distance and matter power spectra data, we find no evidence for any of the extension parameters being inconsistent with their ΛCDM model values. The power spectra data and theoretical modeling tools are available for use as a module for CosmoMC, which we here make publicly available at http://smp.uq. edu.au/wigglez-data. We also release the data and random catalogs used to construct the baryon acoustic oscillation correlation function.
Immunofluorescence in epidemiologic control of E, coli diarrhea. Incidence, cross-infections, and control in a children's hospital.

For over a decade it has been recognized that hospital outbreaks of infantile diarrhea due to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EEC) can be potentiated by the introduction of EEC serotypes into a nursery population of susceptible newborn or young infants. 1 Nursery epidemics have appeared to follow either 1 of 2 clinical patterns: There may be a smoldering period of varying duration before the outbreak reaches epidemic proportions, 2,3 or the outbreak may be explosive with no advance warning. 4 Wheeler 1 has pointed out that the smoldering period may represent a build-up of environmental contamination in the absence of overt diarrhea in the nursery. Indeed, there have been a number of reports concerning the incidence of EEC in asymptomatic infants which have led to several views regarding the predisposition of such infants to overt diarrhea or their role in potentiating an outbreak. 3,5-10 However, studies of incidence of EEC and
Fluorescence activated cell sorting of functional anterior pituitary cells.

The fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) offers a new approach to purification and analysis of pituitary cell types. Using dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells 29.5 ± 3.2% of pituitary cells can be recovered from the FACS of which up to 93% are viable. More importantly, these cells actively adhere to cell culture dishes and respond to both the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) by increasing LH secretion and to dopamine by decreasing prolactin secretion. Using the narrow angle light scatter discriminator combined with the detection of LH beta subunit antibody conjugated to highly fluorescent microspheres, immunocytochemically identified gonadotropes have been enriched from the normal control range of 7.4 ± 1.4% to 52.3 ± 11% of sorted cells (n = 4). This enhancement was also confirmed by measuring the ratio of LH to prolactin in the cell homogenates of control and sorted groups. This ratio rose from 8 to 650, 26 to 35, and 55 to 170 in three independent experiments. The ability of the fluorescen.
The Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein Modulates Levels of Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) by Mediating Its Cellular Catabolism*

Members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family of enzymes participate in matrix remodeling and share a number of structural and functional features. The activity of this family of proteinases is carefully regulated at the level of zymogen activation and by a family of specific inhibitors termed tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP). It is now becoming clear that levels of certain MMPs are modulated by their association with cellular receptors that mediate their rapid internalization and degradation. In the current investigation we report that the amount of MMP-9 in conditioned cell culture medium is significantly increased when mouse embryonic fibroblasts are grown in the presence of the 39-kDa receptor-associated protein (RAP), an antagonist of ligand binding to low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP). In vitro assays reveal that the MMP-9·TIMP-1 complex binds to LRP with high affinity and that the binding determinant for LRP appears to reside on MMP-9. Cell lines expressing LRP mediate the internalization of125I-labeled MMP-9·TIMP-1 complexes, whereas cell lines genetically deficient in LRP show a diminished capacity to mediate the cellular catabolism of MMP-9·TIMP-1 complexes. The results demonstrate that LRP is a functional receptor for MMP-9 and suggest a major role for LRP in modulating remodeling of the extracellular matrix by regulating extracellular proteinase activity.