Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rotation clustering for robot vision

A robot vision system is presented which estimates the orientation and position of an arbitrary known object. The technique relies on signatures approximating the spatial distributions of edges which are generated from observed images and a CAD model of the target under examination. The signature based 3-dimensional vision system generates a map of cross-correlations between training signatures and single image signatures on a domain of rotations. In this dissertation, we treat the signature correlations as a relative indicator of the a posteriori distribution of the target rotation given the correlations. Since the high correlations are subject to noise in the amplitudes of the peaks, a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate of rotation can generate incorrect rotation estimates of the target. Instead, we perform a localized MAP estimate of the rotations which estimates the rotation of the target given the actual rotation is in its local neighborhood. The localized map estimates are obtained through the clustering of rotations. To cluster rotations we first examine the theory of rotations and define a useful algebra, norm, and metric on the space of rotations. Next we analyze the problem of averaging rotations through a minimum angle error metric and by examining the performance of several popular techniques. Finally we examine several clustering techniques modified for their use with rotations. In particular, using a weighted version of our rotation averaging techniques, we derive modified K-means and fuzzy c-means clustering algorithms which work on the non-linear space of rotations. The clustering techniques are applied to the signature based robot vision system. We demonstrate a significant improvement in the estimation of rotation by using the modified fuzzy c-means clustering. In addition we extend the system to operate over several images by reapplying the fuzzy clustering to the set of likely rotations to find an average of a consistently good set of rotation results. Experiments show that the multi-image clustering technique out-performs previous techniques of 3-D target pose estimation with only a small increase in computational overhead.
The effect of body size and composition on lumbar spine trabecular bone score in morphologically diverse subjects

Aim The trabecular bone score (TBS) is a tool for assessing bone quality and health. Current TBS algorithm corrects for body mass index (BMI), as a proxy of regional tissue thickness. However, this approach fails to consider BMI inaccuracies due to individual differences in body stature, composition and somatotype. This study investigated the relationship between TBS and body size and composition in subjects with a normal BMI, but with large morphological diversity in body fatness and height. Methods Young male subjects (n = 97; age 17.2±1.0 years), including ski jumpers (n = 25), volleyball players (n = 48) and non-athletes (controls n = 39), were recruited. The TBS was determined from L1-L4 dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans using TBSiNsight software. Results TBS correlated negatively with height and tissue thickness in the L1-L4 area in ski jumpers (r = -0.516 and r = -0.529), volleyball players (r = -0.525 and r = -0.436), and the total group (r = -0.559 and r = -0.463), respectively. Multiple regression analyses revealed that height, L1-L4 soft tissue thickness, fat mass and muscle mass were significant determinants of TBS (R2 = 0.587, p<0.001). L1-L4 soft tissue thickness explained 27% and height 14% of the TBS variance. Conclusion The negative association of TBS and both features suggests that a very low L1-L4 tissue thickness may lead to overestimation of the TBS, while tall stature may have the opposite effect. It seems that the utility of the TBS as a skeletal assessment tool in lean and/or tall young male subjects could be improved if tissues thickness in the lumbar spine area and stature instead of BMI were considered in the algorithm.
Descriptive surgical epidemiology of pituitary adenomas for a Hispanic population in Puerto Rico

Background: Demographics and socioeconomic variables for patients with pituitary adenomas have been reported in the past. However, these studies included operated and nonoperated patients, in addition to microprolactinomas frequently diagnosed in women, revealing an elevated incidence among females. This study aimed to analyze the surgical incidence of pituitary adenomas for an adult Hispanic population in Puerto Rico over 6 years. Methods: A retrospective and descriptive study was performed to investigate pituitary adenoma surgical incidence (per 100,000 people) among surgically treated pituitary adenomas in an adult (18 years or more) Puerto Rico Hispanic population. All new patients diagnosed with pituitary adenomas who underwent surgery at the Puerto Rico Medical Center between 2017 and 2022 were scrutinized. Inclusion criteria required a histopathological diagnosis of pituitary adenoma. Previously operated cases and non-Hispanic patients were excluded from the study. Patient characteristics were collected, along with the type of surgical treatment, tumor size, and secretory status. Results: The analysis included 143 patients operated on for pituitary adenomas. Of these, 75 (52%) patients were male, and 68 (48%) were female. The median age of the patients was 56 years (range: 18–85). The average annual surgical incidence of adult Hispanic patients with pituitary adenomas was 0.73 surgeries/100,000 people. About 79% of the patients had non-functioning pituitary adenomas. About 94% of the patients were operated on using transsphenoidal surgery. Conclusion: There was no sex predominance for surgical-treated pituitary adenomas in Puerto Rico. The surgical incidence for adult pituitary adenoma remained stable between 2017 and 2022.
The interaction between land‐use change and fire regimes, directly and indirectly, affects the urban avian assemblages of Darwin, Australia

Abstract The interaction between environmental stressors may be a greater threat to biota than any individual ecological threat on its own. Land‐use change and inappropriate fire regimes are known to pose great challenges to biodiversity conservation worldwide. Despite much research being conducted into their singular impacts on ecosystems, very few have investigated how their interaction may be affecting the biota of a region. We used data from surveys in 1998/2000 and 2019/2020 to compare the feeding guild assemblages of bird communities in different habitats within the greater Darwin region. By compiling two sets of spatial data, land‐use change, and fire history mapping, we were able to investigate their interaction and impact on the avian assemblages in the Darwin urban area. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) we found that an increase in urbanization significantly affected fire occurrence across study sites. Furthermore, we found that the interaction between land‐use change and fire regimes had a significant effect on species that primarily feed on fruit. We conclude that while an increase in urbanization did not directly affect the avian assemblages, the impact of land‐use change on the fire regimes indirectly impacted urban bird community structures.
Opportunistic consumption of marine pelagic, terrestrial, and chemosynthetic organic matter by macrofauna on the Arctic shelf: a stable isotope approach

Macrofauna can contribute substantially to the organic matter cycling on the seafloor, yet the role of terrestrial and chemosynthetic organic matter in the diets of microphagous (deposit and suspension) feeders is poorly understood. In the present study, we used stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to test the hypothesis that the terrestrial organic matter supplied with river runoff and local chemosynthetic production at methane seeps might be important organic matter sources for macrofaunal consumers on the Laptev Sea shelf. We sampled locations from three habitats with the presumed differences in organic matter supply: “Delta” with terrestrial inputs from the Lena River, “Background” on the northern part of the shelf with pelagic production as the main organic matter source, and “Seep” in the areas with detected methane seepage, where chemosynthetic production might be available. Macrobenthic communities inhabiting each of the habitats were characterized by a distinct isotopic niche, mostly in terms of δ13C values, directly reflecting differences in the origin of organic matter supply, while δ15N values mostly reflected the feeding group (surface deposit/suspension feeders, subsurface deposit feeders, and carnivores). We conclude that both terrestrial and chemosynthetic organic matter sources might be substitutes for pelagic primary production in the benthic food webs on the largely oligotrophic Laptev Sea shelf. Furthermore, species-specific differences in the isotopic niches of species belonging to the same feeding group are discussed, as well as the isotopic niches of the symbiotrophic tubeworm Oligobrachia sp. and the rissoid gastropod Frigidoalvania sp. , which are exclusively associated with methane seeps.
Development, implementation, and evaluation of a program to expand the nurse's roles in colorectal cancer prevention: A mixed-methods protocol study

BACKGROUND: Nurses play an important role in cancer prevention. However, studies conducted on nurses’ roles, in the field of cancer prevention in Iran, are very limited. This study will identify the role of nurses and designs, implements, and evaluates a program to expand their role in the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This exploratory mixed-methods study will be performed using quantitative–qualitative methods in three consecutive stages. In the first phase, a qualitative study will be conducted to identify the potential and actual roles of nurses in Iran using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Participants will be selected by purposive and snowball sampling, followed by a literature review; the actual and potential roles of nurses at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of CRC prevention in Iran and around the world will be extracted. And the actual role is determined. In the second phase, the roles of nurses will be prioritized using the modified Delphi method, and the program will be designed. In the third phase, the part of the program will be implemented as a quasi-experimental intervention, and the effect of the intervention will be evaluated. CONCLUSION: Developing a program can provide some evidence for promoting nurses’ position in cancer prevention. Moreover, it is expected that this program promotes knowledge and empowerment and the position of nurses to provide primary, secondary, and tertiary cancer prevention. The entry of nurses into the field of cancer prevention leads to better quality care and more cost-effectiveness.
Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of the mitral valve in end stage renal disease patients: mortality fact check

Data Registry Transcatheter Valve Therapy registry, reported the in-hospital, 30-day and 1-year mortality among ESRD patients undergoing TMVr to be 6.5%, 13.5%, and 32.3%, respectively (8). Remarkably, the all-cause readmission rates in this study cohort were reported to be 25.7% and 78.4% at 30 days and 1 year, respectively. This is higher than the 30-day readmission rate previously reported by Sawalha et al. in a national readmission database analysis (12). Though the 1-year readmission rate is significantly higher compared to the report by Shah et al. , it is worth noting that the present study reported on all-cause readmission instead of heart failure-related readmissions (8). The findings conveyed by this research report present a unique opportunity to broaden our understanding of outcomes of MC implantation in this distinct patient population through real-world data. Importantly, it paves the path for further investigation of factors associated with morbidity and mortality in ESRD patients, with a prospect of improved care and patient optimization.
Automated identification and tracking of cells in Cytometry of Reaction Rate Constant (CRRC)

Cytometry of Reaction Rate Constant (CRRC) is a method for studying cell-population heterogeneity using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, which allows one to follow reaction kinetics in individual cells. The current and only CRRC workflow utilizes a single fluorescence image to manually identify cell contours which are then used to determine fluorescence intensity of individual cells in the entire time-stack of images. This workflow is only reliable if cells maintain their positions during the time-lapse measurements. If the cells move, the original cell contours become unsuitable for evaluating intracellular fluorescence and the CRRC experiment will be inaccurate. The requirement of invariant cell positions during a prolonged imaging is impossible to satisfy for motile cells. Here we report a CRRC workflow developed to be applicable to motile cells. The new workflow combines fluorescence microscopy with transmitted-light microscopy and utilizes a new automated tool for cell identification and tracking. A transmitted-light image is taken right before every fluorescence image to determine cell contours, and cell contours are tracked through the time-stack of transmitted-light images to account for cell movement. Each unique contour is used to determine fluorescence intensity of cells in the associated fluorescence image. Next, time dependencies of the intracellular fluorescence intensities are used to determine each cell’s rate constant and construct a kinetic histogram “number of cells vs rate constant. ” The new workflow’s robustness to cell movement was confirmed experimentally by conducting a CRRC study of cross-membrane transport in motile cells. The new workflow makes CRRC applicable to a wide range of cell types and eliminates the influence of cell motility on the accuracy of results. Additionally, the workflow could potentially monitor kinetics of varying biological processes at the single-cell level for sizable cell populations. Although our workflow was designed ad hoc for CRRC, this cell-segmentation/cell-tracking strategy also represents an entry-level, user-friendly option for a variety of biological assays (i.e., migration, proliferation assays, etc.). Importantly, no prior knowledge of informatics (i.e., training a model for deep learning) is required.
Interplay of Cortisol, Testosterone, and Abdominal Fat Mass in Normal-weight Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract Context Ovarian and adrenal steroidogenesis underlie endocrine-metabolic dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Adipocytes express aldo-keto reductase 1C3 and type 1 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which modulate peripheral androgen and cortisol production. Objectives To compare serum adrenal steroids, including 11-oxygenated androgens (11-oxyandrogens), cortisol, and cortisone between normal-weight women with PCOS and body mass index- and age-matched ovulatory women with normal-androgenic profiles (controls), and assess whether adrenal steroids associate with abdominal adipose deposition. Design Prospective, cross-sectional, cohort study. Setting Academic medical center. Patients Twenty normal-weight women with PCOS and 20 body mass index-/age-matched controls. Intervention(s) Blood sampling, IV glucose tolerance testing, and total-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Main Outcome Measure(s) Clinical characteristics, hormonal concentrations, and body fat distribution. Results Women with PCOS had higher serum total/free testosterone (T) and androstenedione (A4) levels and a greater android/gynoid fat mass than controls (androgens P < .001; android/gynoid fat mass ratio, P = .026). Serum total/free T and A4 levels correlated positively with android/gynoid fat mass ratio in all women combined (P < .025, all values). Serum 11ß-hydroxyA4, 11-ketoA4, 11ß-hydroxyT, 11-ketoT, cortisol, and cortisone levels were comparable between female types and unrelated to body fat distribution. Serum 11-oxyandrogens correlated negatively with % total body fat, but lost significance adjusting for cortisol. Serum cortisol levels, however, correlated inversely with android fat mass (P = .021), with a trend toward reduced serum cortisol to cortisone ratio in women with PCOS vs controls (P = .075), suggesting diminished 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. Conclusion Reduced cortisol may protect against preferential abdominal fat mass in normal-weight PCOS women with normal serum 11-oxyandrogens.
Pronounced State-Level Disparities in Prescription of Cannabinoids to Medicaid Patients

Introduction: Dronabinol is approved in the USA for chemotherapy-induced nausea as well as vomiting and HIV-induced anorexia, while cannabidiol is primarily approved for childhood epileptic disorders Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome. The use pattern for these prescription cannabinoids in the USA is unknown. This study examined Medicaid claims for two FDA-approved prescription cannabinoids, dronabinol and cannabidiol, approved in 1985 and 2018, respectively, from 2016–2020 to better understand the pharmacoepidemiologic trends and distribution of these drugs in US Medicaid amidst the increasing use of non-pharmaceutical formulations of cannabis. Methods: The longitudinal study analyzed Medicaid prescription claims that were calculated by extracting the prescriptions on a state level from 2016 to 2020 for two cannabinoids, dronabinol and cannabidiol, where outcomes over each year were calculated. Outcomes were (1) the number of prescriptions for each state corrected for the number of Medicaid enrollees and (2) dronabinol and cannabidiol spending. Spending refers to the amount reimbursed by the state Medicaid program. Results: Dronabinol prescriptions per state decreased by 25.3% from 2016 to 2020, while cannabidiol prescriptions increased by 16,272.99% from 2018 to 2020. The spending on these drugs parallels that of their prescription trend with a 66.3% decrease in reimbursement for dronabinol ($5.7 million in 2020), whereas cannabidiol increased by +26,582.0% ($233.3 million in 2020). Dronabinol prescriptions, when corrected for the number of enrollees, in Connecticut were 136.4 times larger than in New Mexico, and seventeen states had zero prescriptions. Idaho’s prescriptions of cannabidiol (27.8/10,000 enrollees) were significantly elevated relative to the national average and were 15.4-fold higher than Washington, DC (1.8/10K enrollees). Conclusions: The prescriptions of pharmaceutical-grade tetrahydrocannabinol decreased while those of cannabidiol increased. This study also identified pronounced state-level variation in cannabinoid prescribing to Medicaid patients. State formularies and prescription drug list variation may contribute to the drug reimbursements in Medicaid, though further research is needed to identify the health policy or pharmacoeconomic origins of these disparities.
Water-Based Exercises on Peak Oxygen Consumption, Exercise Time, and Muscle Strength in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Background There is a growing use of water-based exercises in cardiac rehabilitation programs. However, there is little data concerning the effects of water-based exercise on the exercise capacity of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Objective To perform a systematic review to investigate the effects of water-based exercise on peak oxygen consumption, exercise time, and muscle strength in patients with CAD. Methods Five databases were searched to find randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of water-based exercise for coronary artery disease patients. Mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test. Results Eight studies were included. Water-based exercise resulted in an improvement in peak VO2 of 3.4 mL/kg/min (95% CI, 2.3 to 4.5; I2 = 0%; 5 studies, N = 167), exercise time of 0.6 (95% CI, 0.1 to 1.1; I2 = 0%; 3 studies, N = 69), and total body strength of 32.2 kg (95% CI, 23.9 to 40.7; I2 = 3%; 3 studies, N = 69) when compared to no exercising controls. Water-based exercise resulted in an improvement in peak VO2 of 3.1 mL/kg/min (95% CI, 1.4 to 4.7; I2 = 13%; 2 studies, N = 74), when compared to the plus land exercise group. No significant difference in peak VO2 was found for participants in the water-based exercise plus land exercise group compared with the land exercise group. Conclusions Water-based exercise may improve exercise capacity and should be considered as an alternative method in the rehabilitation of patients with CAD.
From Matrix to Tensor : Multilinear Algebra and Signal Processing

The analysis of linear functions using geometric algebraan alternative to matrices and tensors Rational approximation using Grobner bases: some numerical results Grobner basis design of incomplete Chebyshev polynomials Fractals, linear channels, and delay methods Blind binary signal separation using joint diagonalization techniques Adaptive algorithms for single user blind channel equalization Assessing stability for adaptive filtering algorithms in signal processing Constrained Kalman filter for least-squares estimation of time-varying beamforming weights Using algorithmic engineering to derive a fast parallel weight extraction algorithm based on QRD recursive least squares The simultaneous strict positive real problem: similarities with the simultaneous stability problem and applications in adaptive recursive algorithms Asymptotic performance analysis of Yang's subspace tracking algorithm Generalized prediction error approach to spectral analysis and filtering of irregularly-sampled data Decaying exponentials and signal decomposition Robust envelope-constrained filter design On the use of positivity in reconstructing images from noisy data Treatment of noise in positive reconstructions in linear inverse problems Ill conditioning and gradient based optimization of multi-layer perceptrons Online modelling of time series with resource allocating neural networks Bayesian model selection for linear and non-linear time series using the Gibbs sampler Bayesian image estimation from sparse raw MRI data Polynomial models for 3D motion parameters and depth estimation in monocular computer vision Symmetry and wavelet transforms for image data compression Vanishing moments and biorthogonal wavelet systems On sliding window schemes for discrete least-squares approximation by trigonometric polynomials Jump detection by Pade approximation Discrete simulation models for multidimensional systems based on functional transformations Analytic performance evaluation of third-order statistics based estimators for Allpass identification Detection of sleep apnoea using time-frequency analysis of heart rate variability Robust estimation of oceanic background spectrum