Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic Number Plate Recognition System (ANPR): A Survey

Traffic control and vehicle owner identification has become major problem in every country. Sometimes it becomes difficult to identify vehicle owner who violates traffic rules and drives too fast. Therefore, it is not possible to catch and punish those kinds of people because the traffic personal might not be able to retrieve vehicle number from the moving vehicle because of the speed of the vehicle. Therefore, there is a need to develop Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system as a one of the solutions to this problem. There are numerous ANPR systems available today. These systems are based on different methodologies but still it is really challenging task as some of the factors like high speed of vehicle, non-uniform vehicle number plate, language of vehicle number and different lighting conditions can affect a lot in the overall recognition rate. Most of the systems work under these limitations. In this paper, different approaches of ANPR are discussed by considering image size, success rate and processing time as parameters. Towards the end of this paper, an extension to ANPR is suggested.
The advantages and disadvantages of non‐surgical management of the diabetic foot

It is frequently stated that diabetic foot ulcers should be managed by a multidisciplinary team, comprising individuals who can deliver all the necessary and wide‐ranging skills: medical and surgical, podiatric, nursing and orthotic. Whilst there are some data to support this multidisciplinary approach there is little to guide us in ensuring the patient is seen by the right professional for the right treatment at the right time.
HIREL: An Incremental Clustering Algorithm for Relational Datasets

Traditional clustering approaches usually analyze static datasets in which objects are kept unchanged after being processed, but many practical datasets are dynamically modified which means some previously learned patterns have to be updated accordingly. Re-clustering the whole dataset from scratch is not a good choice due to the frequent data modifications and the limited out-of-service time, so the development of incremental clustering approaches is highly desirable. Besides that, propositional clustering algorithms are not suitable for relational datasets because of their quadratic computational complexity. In this paper, we propose an incremental clustering algorithm that requires only one pass of the relational dataset. The utilization of the Representative Objects and the balanced Search Tree greatly accelerate the learning procedure. Experimental results prove the effectiveness of our algorithm.
The Deletion of Several Amino Acid Stretches of Escherichia coli Alpha-Hemolysin (HlyA) Suggests That the Channel-Forming Domain Contains Beta-Strands

Escherichia coli α-hemolysin (HlyA) is a pore-forming protein of 110 kDa belonging to the family of RTX toxins. A hydrophobic region between the amino acid residues 238 and 410 in the N-terminal half of HlyA has previously been suggested to form hydrophobic and/or amphipathic α-helices and has been shown to be important for hemolytic activity and pore formation in biological and artificial membranes. The structure of the HlyA transmembrane channel is, however, largely unknown. For further investigation of the channel structure, we deleted in HlyA different stretches of amino acids that could form amphipathic β-strands according to secondary structure predictions (residues 71–110, 158–167, 180–203, and 264–286). These deletions resulted in HlyA mutants with strongly reduced hemolytic activity. Lipid bilayer measurements demonstrated that HlyAΔ71–110 and HlyAΔ264–286 formed channels with much smaller single-channel conductance than wildtype HlyA, whereas their channel-forming activity was virtually as high as that of the wildtype toxin. HlyAΔ158–167 and HlyAΔ180–203 were unable to form defined channels in lipid bilayers. Calculations based on the single-channel data indicated that the channels generated by HlyAΔ71–110 and HlyAΔ264–286 had a smaller size (diameter about 1.4 to 1.8 nm) than wildtype HlyA channels (diameter about 2.0 to 2.6 nm), suggesting that in these mutants part of the channel-forming domain was removed. Osmotic protection experiments with erythrocytes confirmed that HlyA, HlyAΔ71–110, and HlyAΔ264–286 form defined transmembrane pores and suggested channel diameters that largely agreed with those estimated from the single-channel data. Taken together, these results suggest that the channel-forming domain of HlyA might contain β-strands, possibly in addition to α-helical structures.
Microbial reduction of manganese and iron: new approaches to carbon cycling

This brief review introduces the reader to the importance and conceptual aspects of microbial metal reduction by focusing on a single group of Mn(IV)- and Fe(III)-reducing organisms in the group Shewanella putrefaciens. While this group is abundant and of worldwide distribution, it is only the tip of a very large iceberg' of metal reducers. A good example of another metal reducer is the organism GS-15, an obligate anaerobe with substantial carbon versatility and an ability to tolerate very high concentrations of metals. In addition, the authors have now isolated over 200 strains of manganese reducers (MR-203 is their latest organism), consisting of a wide variety of different taxa, including Pseudomonas spp. , Bacillus spp. , and many others. These isolates are from very diverse environments, including Lake Oneida, N.Y. ; Lake Michigan; Green Bay, Wis. ; the Black Sea; and Lake Baikal, USSR. A careful coupling of field and laboratory studies will be needed before the importance of these metal-reducing microbes, and their associated activities, are adequately understood.
Bayesian Efficient Multiple Kernel Learning

Multiple kernel learning algorithms are proposed to combine kernels in order to obtain a better similarity measure or to integrate feature representations coming from different data sources. Most of the previous research on such methods is focused on the computational efficiency issue. However, it is still not feasible to combine many kernels using existing Bayesian approaches due to their high time complexity. We propose a fully conjugate Bayesian formulation and derive a deterministic variational approximation, which allows us to combine hundreds or thousands of kernels very efficiently. We briefly explain how the proposed method can be extended for multiclass learning and semi-supervised learning. Experiments with large numbers of kernels on benchmark data sets show that our inference method is quite fast, requiring less than a minute. On one bioinformatics and three image recognition data sets, our method outperforms previously reported results with better generalization performance.
Deblurring by Example Using Dense Correspondence

This paper presents a new method for deblurring photos using a sharp reference example that contains some shared content with the blurry photo. Most previous deblurring methods that exploit information from other photos require an accurately registered photo of the same static scene. In contrast, our method aims to exploit reference images where the shared content may have undergone substantial photometric and non-rigid geometric transformations, as these are the kind of reference images most likely to be found in personal photo albums. Our approach builds upon a recent method for example-based deblurring using non-rigid dense correspondence (NRDC) [HaCohen et al. 2011] and extends it in two ways. First, we suggest exploiting information from the reference image not only for blur kernel estimation, but also as a powerful local prior for the non-blind deconvolution step. Second, we introduce a simple yet robust technique for spatially varying blur estimation, rather than assuming spatially uniform blur. Unlike the above previous method, which has proven successful only with simple deblurring scenarios, we demonstrate that our method succeeds on a variety of real-world examples. We provide quantitative and qualitative evaluation of our method and show that it outperforms the state-of-the-art.
Investigating Toll-Like Receptor Agonists for Potential To Treat Hepatitis C Virus Infection

ABSTRACT Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key mediators of innate immunity, and their activation by microbial components leads to the production of cytokines and interferons. Recombinant alpha interferon has been used to treat several viral diseases and is the current standard of care for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Recently, agonists of TLR7 and TLR9 have been shown to have clinical efficacy in HCV patients, and this is correlated with their ability to induce endogenous type I interferon production. We have carried out a comprehensive study of agonists of TLRs 1 to 9 to determine if any additional TLRs can induce antiviral molecules from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The agonists were incubated with PBMCs, and the supernatant was then removed and added to HCV replicon cells to assess antiviral activity. Agonists of TLRs 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 were found to be potent inducers of antiviral activity in PBMC supernatants, and the activity correlated with the induction of alpha interferon and the interferon-induced antiviral biomarker 2′,5′-oligoadenylate synthase. Antiviral activity of TLR7 and TLR8 agonists was blocked by an antibody that binds to the type I interferon receptor, confirming that the antiviral activity results from type I interferon induction. TLR4 and TLR8 agonists were found to strongly induce the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha at concentrations similar to those inducing antiviral activity. This raises concerns about adverse side effects if these were to be used as antiviral agents. We therefore conclude that TLRs 3, 7, and 9 represent the most attractive targets for the development of new HCV therapies.
Increased plant growth from nitrogen addition should conserve phosphorus in terrestrial ecosystems

Inputs of available nitrogen (N) to ecosystems have grown over the recent past. There is limited general understanding of how increased N inputs affect the cycling and retention of other potentially limiting nutrients. Using a plant–soil nutrient model, and by explicitly coupling N and phosphorus (P) in plant biomass, we examine the impact of increasing N supply on the ecosystem cycling and retention of P, assuming that the main impact of N is to increase plant growth. We find divergent responses in the P cycle depending on the specific pathway by which nutrients are lost from the ecosystem. Retention of P is promoted if the relative propensity for loss of plant available P is greater than that for the loss of less readily available organic P. This is the first theoretical demonstration that the coupled response of ecosystem-scale nutrient cycles critically depends on the form of nutrient loss. P retention might be lessened, or reversed, depending on the kinetics and size of a buffering reactive P pool. These properties determine the reactive pool's ability to supply available P. Parameterization of the model across a range of forest ecosystems spanning various environmental and climatic conditions indicates that enhanced plant growth due to increased N should trigger increased P conservation within ecosystems while leading to more dissolved organic P loss. We discuss how the magnitude and direction of the effect of N may also depend on other processes.
RAR/RXR binding dynamics distinguish pluripotency from differentiation associated cis-regulatory elements

In mouse embryonic cells, ligand-activated retinoic acid receptors (RARs) play a key role in inhibiting pluripotency-maintaining genes and activating some major actors of cell differentiation. To investigate the mechanism underlying this dual regulation, we performed joint RAR/RXR ChIP-seq and mRNA-seq time series during the first 48 h of the RA-induced Primitive Endoderm (PrE) differentiation process in F9 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells. We show here that this dual regulation is associated with RAR/RXR genomic redistribution during the differentiation process. In-depth analysis of RAR/RXR binding sites occupancy dynamics and composition show that in undifferentiated cells, RAR/RXR interact with genomic regions characterized by binding of pluripotency-associated factors and high prevalence of the non-canonical DR0-containing RA response element. By contrast, in differentiated cells, RAR/RXR bound regions are enriched in functional Sox17 binding sites and are characterized with a higher frequency of the canonical DR5 motif. Our data offer an unprecedentedly detailed view on the action of RA in triggering pluripotent cell differentiation and demonstrate that RAR/RXR action is mediated via two different sets of regulatory regions tightly associated with cell differentiation status.
Race and gender differences in perceived caregiver availability for community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

PURPOSE Informal family caregivers are increasingly recognized as critical for meeting the needs of individuals with chronic diseases associated with aging. This study examined race and gender differences in perceived informal caregiver availability for participants aged 45 and older in a large national epidemiological study. DESIGN AND METHODS Cross-sectional data were collected in structured telephone interviews from 32,999 participants from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Participants were asked if they believed that someone was available to provide care for them in the event of a serious illness or disability and, if so, to describe that person. RESULTS More than 80% of the participants reported having an available caregiver. Variables associated with lower perceived caregiver availability from a multivariable logistic regression analysis included being female, White, or unmarried; living alone; being older than 85; and having worse self-rated health. Spouses were the most likely caregivers for all racial and gender groups except for African American women, who identified daughters as the most likely caregivers. African American women also showed the smallest differential in perceived caregiver availability between married and unmarried (82.8% vs 75.7%), whereas White men showed the largest differential (90.9% vs 60.4%). IMPLICATIONS Most individuals believe they have an informal caregiver available to them, but certain factors increase the risk of reporting no available caregiver. Increased efforts are needed to anticipate future caregiving needs, particularly for individuals who perceive a lack of available informal caregivers and may require more formal care services.
Thermodynamic of the Interactions Between Gas-Solidand Solid-Liquid on Carbonaceous Materials

Vanessa Garcia-Cuello1, Diana Vargas-Delgadillo1, Yesid Murillo-Acevedo1, Melina Yara Cantillo-Castrillon 1, Paola Rodriguez-Estupinan1, Liliana Giraldo1 and Juan Carlos Moreno-Pirajan2 1Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Nacional de Colombia 2Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Quimica, Grupo de Investigacion en Solidos Porosos y Calorimetria, Universidad de Los Andes Colombia
Compartimentalização do núcleo acumbens e sua relação com as aferências do córtex pré-frontal.

MACEDO, C. A. Compartmental organization of the nucleus accumbens and its relationship with prefrontal afferents. 2013. 80 p. Thesis (Doctoral thesis in Human Physiology) Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2013. The nucleus accumbens (Acb) is a key structure of the reward system and is traditionally divided into two major subregions denominated core (AcbC) and shell (AcbSh). However, there is evidence that divisions within the Acb go beyond the classical core-shell dichotomy and that particularly the caudal AcbSh stands out as a highly heterogeneous structure consisting of distinct compartments and microcircuits. Thus, there is growing evidence that regions poor in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and calretinin (Calr) might form a complex corridor network in the caudal AcbSh. To further clarify the compartmental organization of the Acb and the cellular framework of its dopamine (DA) glutamate (Glu) interactions, we first investigated here by immunohistochemical methods the distribution of TH, Calr, as well as the neuronal phosphoprotein DARPP -32, a marker for medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs). Additionally, we investigated the distribution of the dopamine transporter (DAT) in AcbSh in genetically modified mice which express a fluorescent protein (tdTomato) in cell bodies and axons that contains DAT. Then, we compared the distribution of these markers with that of the GluA2/3 AMPA type Glu receptor subunits, which also display a heterogeneous distribution pattern in the AcbSh. Finally, we explored by tract tracing methods, whether afferents from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are preferentially directed to distinct compartments of the AcbSh. As revealed by doublelabeling immunohistochemistry: 1) regions containing densely packed GluA2/3+ cell bodies not only coincide with isolated cell clusters, but form a continuous complex corridor network in the caudal AcbSh that is in register with areas weakly innervated by TH+ and Calr+ axons and TH+ and Calr; 2) All DARPP-32+ MSNs in the Acb contain the GluA2/3 subunits, but a minority (7%) of GluA2/3+neurons does not contain DARPP-32. As revealed in the Acb of transgenic mice, DAT+ axons were distributed heterogeneously in the caudal AcbSh, with the corridor network previously identified in rats, characterized as poor in DAT. Finally, our anterograde tracing experiments indicated that only a small portion of prefrontal afferents is directed to the corridor network.In all, our results indicate that GluA2/3 is a reliable cell marker to outline a complex corridor system in the AcbSh. This system probably is a highly specialized neurochemical compartment of the AcbSh, in which the kinetics of the release and reuptake of DA are different than in the remainder Acb.
Spinal cord compression from a brown tumour despite maximal medical therapy with cinacalcet and sevelamer

Background Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which occurs as a result of hyperphosphataemia, hypovitaminosis D and hypocalcaemia. Chronic hyperparathyroidism can result in osteitis fibrosis cystica, also known as brown tumours. Spinal cord compression from a brown tumour is a rare emergency and of the eight reported cases in the literature, this represents the first case while undergoing treatment with sevelamer and cinacalcet. Although cinacalcet may have a role in the metabolic control of hyperparathyroidism, caution needs to be taken in delay or avoidance of parathyroidectomy in severe cases, as it may cause delays in necessary therapy.
Perceiving talking faces: from speech perception to a behavioral principle

Part 1 Perceiving talking faces: bimodal speech perception speech as pattern recognition perceptual events and time a universal law. Part 2 Broadening the domain: individual variability ecological variability emotion in the face emotion from the face and the voice. Part 3 Broadening the framework: broadening the model broadening the tests addressing critiques. Part 4 Creating talking faces, Michael M. Cohen, Michael A. Berger: synthesizing talking faces evaluating talking faces applying talking faces.
The Location of Culture

Acknowledgements, Introduction: Locations of culture, 1. The commitment to theory, 2. Interrogating identity: Frantz Fanon and the postcolonial prerogative, 3. The other question: Stereotype, discrimination and the discourse of colonialism, 4. Of mimicry and man: The ambivalence of colonial discourse, 5. Sly civility, 6. Signs taken for wonders: Questions of ambivalence and authority under a tree outside Delhi, May 1817, 7. Articulating the archaic: Cultural difference and colonial nonsense, 8. DissemiNation: Time, narrative and the margins of the modern nation, 9. The postcolonial and the postmodern: The question of agency, 10. By bread alone: Signs of violence in the mid-nineteenth century, 11. How newness enters the world: Postmodern space, postcolonial times and the trials of cultural translation, 12. Conclusion: 'Race', time and the revision of modernity, Notes, Index.
Direct association of pp125FAK with paxillin, the focal adhesion- targeting mechanism of pp125FAK

Focal adhesion kinase (pp125FAK) is localized to focal adhesions and tyrosine phosphorylated by the engagement of beta 1 integrins. However, it is unclear how pp125FAK is linked to integrin molecules. We demonstrate that pp125FAK is directly associated with paxillin, a 68-kD cytoskeleton protein. The COOH-terminal domain of pp125FAK spanning FAK residues 919-1042 is sufficient for paxillin binding and has vinculin- homologous amino acids, which are essential for paxillin binding. Microinjection and subsequent immunohistochemical analysis reveal that glutathione S-transferase-FAK fusion proteins, which bind to paxillin, localize to focal adhesions, whereas fusion proteins with no paxillin- binding activity do not localize to focal adhesions. These findings strongly suggest that pp125FAK is localized to focal adhesions by the direct association with paxillin.
A Bayesian Approach to Joint Mixed‐Effects Models with a Skew‐Normal Distribution and Measurement Errors in Covariates

Summary In recent years, nonlinear mixed‐effects (NLME) models have been proposed for modeling complex longitudinal data. Covariates are usually introduced in the models to partially explain intersubject variations. However, one often assumes that both model random error and random effects are normally distributed, which may not always give reliable results if the data exhibit skewness. Moreover, some covariates such as CD4 cell count may be often measured with substantial errors. In this article, we address these issues simultaneously by jointly modeling the response and covariate processes using a Bayesian approach to NLME models with covariate measurement errors and a skew‐normal distribution. A real data example is offered to illustrate the methodologies by comparing various potential models with different distribution specifications. It is showed that the models with skew‐normality assumption may provide more reasonable results if the data exhibit skewness and the results may be important for HIV/AIDS studies in providing quantitative guidance to better understand the virologic responses to antiretroviral treatment.