Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereo matching method for raster binocular stereo vision sensor

Stereo matching is one of the difficulties of raster binocular stereo vision sensor.For this problem,a stereo matching method was presented based on epipolar constraints and searching minimum distance of space points.The method treated raster stereo vision system as two raster structur light sensors.After calibration,the 3D coordinate for centre point of light stripe to the structure light model was measured by using this method.If two points were matching points,their distance became zero.Leading in epipolar constraint,a feature point could be found in the left picture.Then a epipolar line could be found correspondingly in the right picture.The matching point could be found in the intersection points of epipolar line and structure line stripes.This method achieved points matching in 3D space.It has small account of calculation,and can obtain unique matching point.The simulation result shows the effectiveness of the method.
Increasing ethnicity reporting to better understand cultural needs accessing a primary care talking therapy service

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the under-utilisation of statutory mental health care services by minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom (UK). Aim: To improve ethnicity reporting to better understand the needs of patients accessing a primary care talking therapies service. Method: We conducted a clinical audit to observe outcomes from pre-COVID (2019), first wave of COVID-19 (2020) and 2021 for three broad ethnic categories: black African/Caribbean, Asian and white British. Intervention was conducted on staff to improve data recording of ethnicity. A patient survey was sent to those identified as dropped out from treatment from May 2020 to April 2021. A total of 229 patients responded to the survey. The survey asked for reasons that impacted on not continuing with sessions. Results: Quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant difference on discharge outcome between white British and black African/Caribbean (p=<0.0001), with black African/Caribbean patients most likely to drop out of treatment, and in 2020 the Asian population was below the recovery target of 50%. Qualitative analysis revealed therapist factors included lack of confidence in therapist and not being listened to, patient factors included neurodiversity, being unsure whether it would be helpful and confidentiality concerns, and service factors included being notified of discharge from the service, remote delivery of therapy, treatment options, and treatment materials. Discussions: Services must work towards improving service provision by capturing hidden disparities and socialising treatment to meet the needs of minority ethnic groups in the UK. The present study recommends culturally adapted treatment and co-producing therapy materials.
Lentinan induces apoptosis of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the EGR1/PTEN/AKT signaling axis

Lentinan (LNT) isolated from Lentinus edodes is a vital host defense potentiator previously utilized as an adjuvant in cancer therapy. The present study investigated the effect of LNT on the mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line Hepa1-6 and its possible mechanism. Mouse HCC apoptosis and its potential associated mechanism were then explored using in vitro and in vivo approaches. For in vitro approaches, the effect of LNT on the proliferation of Hepa1-6 cells was investigated by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Annexin V-FITC staining and flow cytometry were applied to explore HCC apoptosis. Western blotting was used to analyze related proteins, such as EGR1, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt), protein kinase B (Akt), B lymphocyte-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl2 family-associated X protein (Bax), etc. Cellular immunofluorescence staining was employed to assess the localization and expression of EGR1 and PTEN in nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions of Hepa1-6 cells. The association between EGR1 and PTEN was explored by EGR1 overexpression in cell lines. For in vivo methods, a mouse model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced primary liver cancer was established using C57BL/6 mice to investigate the inhibitory effect of LNT on liver cancer. Histopathology of liver tissue from mice was detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical assay. In vitro and in vivo results showed that LNT can inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of mouse HCC cells. Besides, LNT increased the expression of EGR1 in Hepa1-6 cells, which is translocated to the nucleus to function as a transcriptional factor. EGR1 then activates the expression of the tumor suppressor PTEN, thereby inhibiting the activation of the AKT signaling pathway. These data revealed a novel anti-tumor mechanism by which LNT can induce apoptosis to inhibit mouse HCC progression through the EGR1/PTEN/AKT axis. These results provide a scientific basis for the potential use of LNT in drug development and clinical applications associated with primary liver cancer.
Multiple surgical treatment comparisons for irreparable rotator cuff tears: A network meta-analysis

Background: To evaluate the effect of different surgical methods in the treatment of patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears (IRCTs) using a network meta-analysis. Methods: A search of the PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, VIP, WanFang Data, and CNKI databases was performed in January 2023 to search for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies of different surgical methods in the treatment of IRCTs. Risk assessment of the included randomized controlled trials was conducted using the risk of bias assessment tool recommended by the Cochrane Manual, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for the risk assessment of cohort studies. Data were analyzed and plotted using Stata 15.0 software. Results: A total of 17 studies involving 2123 patients and 10 surgical methods were included in this study. According to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve, the probability ranking in descending order is latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) + partial repair > LDT > reverse total shoulder arthroplasty > superior capsular reconstruction > patch > partial repair > debridement + tenotomy of the long head of the biceps > debridement > in space subacromial balloon spacer + tenotomy of the long head of the biceps > in space subacromial balloon spacer. Conclusion: Among the multiple surgical treatments for patients with IRCTs, LDT + partial repair may have the best effect, and more randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed for further verification.
An essential role for an Fe-S cluster protein in the cytochrome c oxidase complex of Toxoplasma parasites

The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) of apicomplexan parasites differs considerably from the ETC of the animals that these parasites infect, and is the target of numerous anti-parasitic drugs. The cytochrome c oxidase complex (Complex IV) of the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii ETC is more than twice the mass and contains subunits not found in human Complex IV, including a 13 kDa protein termed TgApiCox13. TgApiCox13 is homologous to a human iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster-containing protein called the mitochondrial inner NEET protein (HsMiNT) which is not a component of Complex IV in humans. Here, we establish that TgApiCox13 is a critical component of Complex IV in T. gondii, required for complex activity and stability. Furthermore, we demonstrate that TgApiCox13, like its human homolog, binds two Fe-S clusters. We show that the Fe-S clusters of TgApiCox13 are critical for ETC function, having an essential role in mediating Complex IV integrity. Our study provides the first functional characterisation of an Fe-S protein in Complex IV.
Performance and symmetry measures during vertical jump testing at return to sport after ACL reconstruction

Objective Vertical jump tests are more sensitive in revealing asymmetries in performance metrics at the time of return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) than horizontal hop tests. However, it remains unclear which vertical tests (bilateral or unilateral) and which metrics (kinetics or performance) are most effective in informing the rehabilitation status and readiness for return to sport. We aimed to investigate the status of athletes during vertical jump testing at return to sport after ACLR. Methods A dual force platform system was used to evaluate jumping performance of 126 recreational and professional athletes at the time of return to sport after ACLR, as well as 532 healthy control participants. Performance and kinetic metrics were collected during four jump tests: double-leg countermovement jump, single-leg countermovement jump, double-leg 30 cm drop jump and single-leg 15 cm drop jump. Between-limb and between-group differences were explored using mixed models analyses. Results At the time of return to sport after ACLR, athletes still presented significant differences favouring the uninvolved side, particularly in the symmetry of the concentric impulse (p<0.001) in all jumps compared with the control group. Peak landing force asymmetry was greater in the ACLR group than the controls during the countermovement (p<0.001, MD=−11.6; 95% CI –15.4 to –7.9) and the double-leg drop jump (p=0.023, MD=−8.9; 95% CI –14.9 to –2.8). The eccentric impulse asymmetry was significantly greater (p=0.018, MD=−3.8; 95% CI −5.8 to –1.7) in the ACLR group during the single-leg drop jump only. Jump height was significantly lower (p<0001) in the ACLR group compared with controls in all tests except the double-leg drop jump. Conclusion At the time of return to sport after ACLR, despite passing the traditional discharge criteria, athletes remained asymmetrical during all vertical jump tests, in the concentric (push-off) phase, during landing from bilateral jumps and for most performance metrics. Clinicians should aim to restore not only symmetry in ground reaction forces but also absolute performance metrics such as jump height, reactive strength index and contact times, to potentially reduce injury risk and improve overall athletic performance.
Models for the probability densities of the turbulent plasma flux in magnetized plasmas

Observations of turbulent transport in magnetized plasmas indicate that plasma losses can be due to coherent structures or bursts of plasma rather than a classical random walk or diffusion process. A model for synthetic data based on coherent plasma flux events is proposed, where all basic properties can be obtained analytically in terms of a few control parameters. One basic parameter in the present case is the density of burst events in a long time-record, together with parameters in a model of the individual pulse shapes and the statistical distribution of these parameters. The model and its extensions give the probability density of the plasma flux. An interesting property of the model is a prediction of a near-parabolic relation between skewness and kurtosis of the statistical flux distribution for a wide range of parameters. The model is generalized by allowing for an additive random noise component. When this noise dominates the signal we can find a transition to standard results for Gaussian random noise. Applications of the model are illustrated by data from the toroidal Blaamann plasma.
Stability Analyses of a Large-Scale Transonic Coal-Fired Disk MHD Generator Designed for CO2 Recovery

Time-dependent r-θ two dimensional calculations are performed to analyze the stability of a large-scale coal-fired disk MHD generator when perturbations at channel inlet are added. The perturbations are the inlet static temperature, the inlet static pressure and the inlet radial velocity, which are added spatially and/or temporally. The gas dynamics equation is solved by using the MacCormack method, and the Maxwell equations are solved with the Galerkin finite element method. The following results are obtained. When the inlet static temperature perturbation is added temporally in the radial direction or spatially in the azimuthal direction, the generator performance deteriorates. In the case of the other perturbations being added, the generator works stably.
Integrated Method of Dynamic Analysis of Power System Stability

The dynamic analysis of power system stability is one of the important tasks of the power system security assessment,more researches were emphasized on the static analysis historically,as the static analysis methods do not take the dynamics of the components in power system into account,the creditability of the results obtained are more or less affected,and the relationship between voltage stability and angle stability of power system has not been studied thoroughly.Therefore,analysis methods with the dynamics of network components considered are introduced in the analysis stability of power system.Based on the Differential algebraic equation model(DAE) for the dynamic analysis of power system,an effective method which investigates the dynamic stability of power systems and distinguishes the stability types is presented in the paper.Firstly,the equilibrium manifold is traced by a continuation method with a prediction-correction process,an adaptive step size control strategy considering the curvature of the manifold is introduced,the more step size will be taken at the point with the less curvature,whereas the less step size will be taken at the point with the more curvature;Then the dynamic stability of each point of the equilibrium manifold is analyzed using small disturbance analysis method considering the dynamics of components,and the state matrix of the system is calculated by the numerical disturbance scheme to each state in turn;The modal participation factors of the state variables are used to distinguish the dynamic stability types.Finally,the presented method is applied in the New England 10-generator 39-Bus power system,the simulation results obtained show that the presented method is effective and practical.
A linear weighted estimator for estimating population total or mean of the study variable

In this paper we have extended the expressions of Bias and Mean square error of the estimators of Agarwal and Al-Mannai (2008) from first order of approximation to the second order of approximation. This helps further to the problem of reducing sampling error in sample surveys, by using the information on auxiliary variables. The usefulness of the estimators is demonstrated with the help of examples taken from the literature.
You are fired! Exclusion words induce corticospinal modulations associated with vicarious pain

Abstract Self- and vicarious experience of physical pain induces inhibition of the motor cortex (M1). Experience of social rejections recruits the same neural network as physical pain; however, whether social pain modulates M1 corticospinal excitability remains unclear. This study examines for the first time whether social exclusion words, rather than simulated social exclusion tasks, modulate embodied sensorimotor networks during the vicarious experience of others’ pain. Participants observed visual sequences of painful and functional events ending with a superimposed word with social exclusion, social inclusion or non-social meaning. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) to single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left M1 were recorded at 400 or 550 ms from word onset. MEPs tended to inhibit during the observation of pain, relative to functional events. Moreover, MEPs recorded at 400 ms from word onset, during pain movies, decreased following the presentation of exclusion, relative to inclusion/neutral words. The magnitude of these two modulations marginally correlated with participants’ interindividual differences in personal distress and self-esteem. These findings provide evidence of vicarious responses to others’ pain in the M1 corticospinal system and enhancement of such vicarious response in the earlier phases of semantic processing of exclusion words—supporting activation of social pain–embodied representations.
Estimation of the variance for the multitype Galton–Watson process

This paper is concerned with the estimation of the variance for the multitype Galton-Watson process X = {X n = (X n (1),…, X n (p)); n ≧ 0}. Two estimators for the variance matrix are obtained and asymptotic results for the estimators are given. The first is a maximum likelihood estimator based upon knowledge of individual offspring sizes, the second estimator is based on parent-offspring type combination counts only. Estimators for the asymptotic variances of the Asmussen and Keiding estimator and Becker estimator are also proposed.
Light and scanning electron microscopic characterization of the Egyptian buffalo hair in relation to age with analysis by SEM‐EDX

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a relationship between the microstructure and measurements of Egyptian buffalo hair and age. The buffalo studied ranged in age from young to premature to adult (3–8 months, 1.5–3, 4–6, and 8–10 years). The hair was collected from the animals' withers. Cuticle elements were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis. Hair shaft diameter increased with age, according to SEM and light microscopy measurements. The values of shaft diameter obtained by SEM of the same animal were 64%–67% of the values obtained by light microscopy due to shrinkage of the hair during the drying process. Additional microscopy measurements revealed that the width of the cortex and medulla increased with age, while the width of the cuticle decreased slightly. The medulla index of four different age groups ranged from 0.56 to 0.61 μm. The average distance between successive scale values increased from 4.83 μm in the young group to 8.86 μm between the ages of 8 and 10 years. The scale pattern had a distinct personality at each stage of age. The hair medulla was in the center and consisted of a mesh‐like structure with large pores divided into smaller pores by septa. The cortex was a bundle of fibers that wrapped around the medulla. Light microscopy revealed small oval granules and large streak‐like granules in the cortex. EDX spectra revealed that carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen were shown to be more abundant in all age groups of buffalo. In buffalo hair, oxygen was the second most abundant element after carbon. The carbon mass in the examined samples decreased slightly with age (42.31%, 39.18%, 38.88%, and 38.49%), while oxygen increased with age. We concluded that hair measurements varied with age, scale microstructure, and elements, so we estimated buffalo animals' ages up to 10 years.
New load transfer structure to reduce body deformation in side collisions

Abstract Objective In this research, body technology was established for side collisions with new IIHS MDB as a representative case. In the conventional body structure, most of the load received from the barrier is absorbed by bending deformation of the door beam and B-pillar, etc. For that reason, the body is subjected to large deformation before reaching the maximum load, and the deformation increases further when subjected to a high-energy collision. Therefore, the objective of this research is to create a structure that increases the load from the initiation of impact and suppresses the deformation of the car body. Method An arched door beam was developed to reduce the bending moment by the axial load in the longitudinal direction generated during the deformation and to increase the load in the lateral direction. A principle equation was developed that uses the shape of the door beam as a variable. A prototype of the arched door beam was fabricated, and its performance was evaluated by an impactor test. A full-car simulation was conducted using a mass-produced sedan as a base, to which the arched door beam was added to verify the performance of the complete vehicle. Results The results of the impactor tests were evaluated using the load gradient, which was defined as the generated load divided by the amount of deformation. Compared to conventional straight door beams, the load gradient was 7.1 times higher. Full-car simulation results showed that for a gasoline-powered vehicle body weight, the body load gradient of the proposed structure was 4.7 times higher, and the body deformation adjacent to the dummy shoulder was reduced by 210 mm. Spine acceleration of the dummy was reduced by 56%. Conclusion The body structure proposed in this research has the effect of increasing the load gradient and reducing body deformation and spine acceleration. It is expected to be applicable to EVs and FCVs, which require more energy absorption due to their increased vehicle weight.
Learning spatial frequency identification through reweighted decoding

Perceptual learning, the improvement of perceptual judgments with practice, occurs in many visual tasks. There are, however, relatively fewer studies examining perceptual learning in spatial frequency judgments. In addition, perceptual learning has generally been studied in two-alternative tasks, occasionally in n-alternative tasks, and infrequently in identification. Recently, perceptual learning was found in an orientation identification task (eight-alternatives) and was well accounted for by a new identification integrated reweighting theory (I-IRT) (Liu et al., submitted). Here, we examined perceptual learning in a similar eight-alternative spatial frequency absolute identification task in two different training protocols, finding learning in the majority but not all observers. We fit the I-IRT to the spatial frequency learning data and discuss possible model explanations for variations in learning.
Views on the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on health in people with Down syndrome from diverse backgrounds

Down syndrome (DS) has a unique medical and psychological profile. To date, few studies have asked individuals with DS about their views of health, and fewer have explored the impact of COVID‐19 on the health of individuals with DS and their families. We used a mixed methods approach including two studies on the health of individuals with DS and their parents conducted during the COVID‐19 pandemic: (1) eight virtual focus groups, comprised of 20 parents and 8 individuals with DS to obtain participants' views of health, and (2) a 20‐item questionnaire on health care experience of patients with DS who are African American or come from primarily Spanish‐speaking homes. Focus group transcripts were coded using a hybrid inductive/deductive framework and thematically analyzed using the Framework Method. This questionnaire included questions regarding the impact of COVID‐19 on caregivers and their loved ones with DS; responses to these questions were summarized using descriptive statistics. Individuals with DS discussed the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on their physical and social health including masking, online learning, and online communication with friends and family. Parents of individuals with DS discussed how the COVID‐19 pandemic negatively impacted their child's physical, social, and mental health, as a result of virtual schooling and decreased socialization. There were unexpected positives of the pandemic such as improved hygiene and eased scheduling with telehealth visits. Caregivers noted COVID‐19 impacted their own anxiety, employment, and other domains that have potential ripple effects on the health of their children. The COVID‐19 pandemic had a pervasive impact on the mental health and wellness of caregivers as well as the physical, social, and mental health of individuals with DS.