Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human Eye Visual Hyperacuity: A New Paradigm for Sensing?

The human eye appears to be using a low number of sensors for image capturing. Furthermore, regarding the physical dimensions of cones-photoreceptors responsible for the sharp central vision-, we may realize that these sensors are of a relatively small size and area. Nonetheless, the eye is capable to obtain high resolution images due to visual hyperacuity and presents an impressive sensitivity and dynamic range when set against conventional digital cameras of similar characteristics. This article is based on the hypothesis that the human eye may be benefiting from diffraction to improve both image resolution and acquisition process. The developed method intends to explain and simulate using MATLAB software the visual hyperacuity: the introduction of a controlled diffraction pattern at an initial stage, enables the use of a reduced number of sensors for capturing the image and makes possible a subsequent processing to improve the final image resolution. The results have been compared with the outcome of an equivalent system but in absence of diffraction, achieving promising results. The main conclusion of this work is that diffraction could be helpful for capturing images or signals when a small number of sensors available, which is far from being a resolution-limiting factor.
Mapping of metastasis suppressor genes for prostate cancer by microcell-mediated chromosome transfer.

AIM To identify the metastasis suppressor genes for prostate cancer. METHODS A copy of human chromosomes was introduced into the highly metastatic Dunning R-3327 rat prostate cancer cells by the use of microcell-mediated chromosome transfer. Relationships between the size of human chromosomes introduced into microcell hybrid clones and the number of lung metastases produced by the clones were analyzed to determine which part of human chromosomes contained the metastasis suppressor gene(s) for prostate cancer. To determine portions of human chromosomes introduced, G-banding chromosomal analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, and polymerase chain reaction analysis were performed. RESULTS Each of microcell hybrid clones containing human chromosomes 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, or 17 showed decreased ability to metastasize to the lung without any loss of tumorigenicity. This demonstrates that these human chromosomes contain metastasis suppressor genes for prostate cancer. Spontaneous deletion of portions of human chromosomes was observed in the human chromosome 7, 10, 11, 12, and 17 studies. In the human chromosome 8 study, irradiated microcell-mediated chromosome transfer was performed to enrich chromosomal arm deletions of human chromosome 8. Molecular and cytogenetic analyses of microcell hybrid clones demonstrated that metastasis suppressor genes on human chromosomes were located on 7q21-22, 7q31.2-32, 8p21-12, 10q11-22, 11p13-11.2, 12p11-q13, 12q24-ter, and 17pter-q23. KAI1 and MKK4/SEKI were identified as metastasis suppressor genes from 11p11.2 and 17p12, respectively. CONCLUSION This assay system is useful to identify metastasis suppressor gene (s) for prostate cancer.
Assessing the effects of temperature on dengue transmission

SUMMARY The incidence of dengue infection, a vector-borne disease transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, shows clear dependence on seasonal variation. Based on the quantification method that furnishes the size of the A. aegypti population in terms of the estimated entomological parameters for different temperatures, we assessed the risk of dengue outbreaks. The persistence and severity of epidemics can be assessed by the basic reproduction number R0, which varies with temperature. The expression for R0 obtained from ‘true’ and ‘pseudo’ mass action laws for dengue infection is discussed.
Vesicular glutamate filling and AMPA receptor occupancy at the calyx of Held synapse of immature rats

At central glutamatergic synapses, neurotransmitter often saturates postsynaptic AMPA receptors (AMPARs), thereby restricting the dynamic range of synaptic efficacy. Here, using simultaneous pre‐ and postsynaptic whole‐cell recordings, at the calyx of Held synapse of immature rats, we have investigated the mechanism by which transmitter glutamate saturates postsynaptic AMPARs. When we loaded l‐glutamate (1–100 mm) into presynaptic terminals, the quantal EPSC (qEPSC) amplitude changed in a concentration‐dependent manner. At physiological temperature (36–37°C), the qEPSC amplitude increased when intraterminal l‐glutamate concentration was elevated from 1 mm to 10 mm, but it reached a plateau at 10 mm. This plateau persisted after bath‐application of the low affinity AMPAR antagonist kynurenate, suggesting that it was caused by saturation of vesicular filling with glutamate rather than by saturation of postsynaptic AMPARs. In contrast to qEPSCs, action potential‐evoked EPSCs remained unchanged by increasing intraterminal l‐glutamate from 1 mm to 100 mm, even at room temperature, indicating that multi‐quantal glutamate saturated postsynaptic AMPARs. This saturation could be relieved by blocking AMPAR desensitization using cyclothiazide (100 μm). The concentration of ambient glutamate in the slice, estimated from NMDA receptor current fluctuations, was 55 nm; this was far below the concentration required for AMPAR desensitization. We conclude that rapid AMPAR desensitization, caused by glutamate released from multiple vesicles during synaptic transmission, underlies postsynaptic AMPAR saturation at this immature calyceal synapse before the onset of hearing.
Degeneration and regeneration of ganglion cell axons

The retino‐tectal system has been used to study developmental aspects of axon growth, synapse formation and the establishment of a precise topographic order as well as degeneration and regeneration of adult retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons after axonal lesion. This paper reviews some novel findings that provide new insights into the mechanisms of developmental RGC axon growth, pathfinding, and target formation. It also focusses on the cellular and molecular cascades that underlie RGC degeneration following an axonal lesion and on some therapeutic strategies to enhance survival of axotomized RGCs in vivo. In addition, this review deals with problems related to the induction of regeneration after axonal lesion in the adult CNS using the retino‐tectal system as model. Different therapeutic approaches to promote RGC regeneration and requirements for specific target formation of regenerating RGCs in vitro and in vivo are discussed. Microsc. Res. Tech. 48:55–62, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cryptographic Algorithms and current trends

Cryptography is a fundamental building block for building information systems, and as we enter the so-called "information age" of global networks, ubiquitous computing devices, and electronic commerce, we can expect that the cryptography will become more and more important with time. The main goal of cryptography is to adequately address the following four areas in both theory and practice: a. Confidentiality is a service used to keep the content of information from all but those authorized to have it. Secrecy is a term synonymous with confidentiality and privacy. There are numerous approaches to providing confidentiality, ranging from physical protection to mathematical algorithms which render data unintelligible. b. Data integrity is a service which addresses the unauthorized alteration of data. To assure data integrity, one must have the ability to detect data manipulation by unauthorized parties. Data manipulation includes such things as insertion, deletion, and substitution. 3. Authentication is a service related to identification. This function applies to both entities and information itself. Two parties entering into a communication should identify each other. Information delivered over a channel should be authenticated as to origin, date of origin, data content, time sent, etc. For these reasons this aspect of cryptography is usually subdivided into two major classes: entity authentication and data origin authentication. Data origin authentication implicitly provides data integrity (for if a message is modified, the source has changed). 4. Non-repudiation is a service which prevents an entity from denying previous commitments or actions. When disputes arise due to an entity denying that certain actions were taken, a means to resolve the situation is necessary. For example, one entity may authorize the purchase of property by another entity and later deny such authorization was granted. A procedure involving a trusted third party is needed to resolve the dispute. Cryptography has a long and fascinating history [1]. The predominant practitioners of the art were those associated with the military, the diplomatic service and government in general. Cryptography was used as a tool to protect national secrets and strategies. The proliferation of computers and communications systems in the 1960s brought with it a demand from the private sector for means to protect information in digital form and to provide security services. Beginning with the work of Feistel [2] at IBM in the early 1970s and culminating in 1977 with the adoption as a U.S. Federal Information Processing Standard for encrypting unclassified information, DES, …
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism of Interleukin-18 and Interleukin-18 Receptor and the Risk of Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

PURPOSE Growing evidence suggests that interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels may affect neoplasia and that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within IL-18 gene may influence its production. In this study, we evaluated whether IL-18 and IL-18 receptor (IL-18R) polymorphisms are associated with the development and clinicopathological features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Using direct sequencing, we investigated the association between functional polymorphisms of IL-18 and IL-18R genes and susceptibility to PTC in 94 PTC patients and 260 healthy controls. Genetic data were analyzed using commercially available software. Multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and P-values for the association between the genotypes and risk of PTC. The PTC patients were further subgrouped and compared with respect to their clinicopathological characteristics. RESULTS 3 SNPs of IL-18 (rs549908, rs360717, and rs187238) and one of IL-18R (rs1420106) examined in this study were significantly associated with the development of PTC. The allelic frequencies of the 3 SNPs of IL-18 also showed significant association with lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION IL-18 and IL-18R polymorphisms may contribute to the development and lymph node metastasis of PTC.
Mechatronic device to simulate the characteristic vibration of tremors in people with parkinson or essential tremor

A robotic arm able to reproduce the tremor characteristics of Parkinson Disease (PD) and Essential Tremor (ET), both in time and frequency domain, is presented. To obtain the tremor signals, an acquisition system with inertial sensors has been developed and implemented in affected patients. Different strategies for digital signal processing were considered to characterize the tremor. Neural networks demonstrated to be the best fit for modeling the highly non-lineal behavior of the analyzed system. The constructed mechatronic simulator was thought as a dynamic tool for developing and proving new approaches for active cancelation of tremor (ACT) as a hope for improving everyday life of people suffering from this disability.
Intimacy and Vulnerability among Young Men of Colour who have Sex with Men: An Ethnographic Approach to Social Networks and Public Venues

This paper shows the symbolic and structural vulnerabilities that Young Men of Colour who have Sex with Men (YMCSM) confront in their everyday lives. Through the analysis of social interactions in public spaces, this paper shows some of the hidden risks that these young men face, and how these situations increases their vulnerability to HIV infection. Four situations are described as particularly risky for YMCSM: drug use, inter-generational sexual interactions, homelessness and sex work, and stigma and symbolic violence associated with their sexual orientation. This paper is based on participant observation and focus groups in several public venues in New York City. It provides insights into the different social networks and the strategies these young men use to confront the dual experience of discrimination as sexual minorities and as people of colour.
CARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX: RADIATION SALVAGE OF SURGICAL FAILURES.

During the past fifteen years, 38 patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix which persisted or recurred following surgical removal were treated by irradiation. Analysis of the data demonstrated that (a) irradiation can salvage a significant number of surgery failures ; (b) the tumor-lethal dose ranges from 4,000 rads in twenty-five days to 10,000 rads in seventy days; (c) there is an optimum radiation technic for each type of residuum or recurrence. Material All patients seen were accepted for treatment. Carcinoma of the cervical stump was not included. Simple hysterectomy had been performed in 28 cases, and radical hysterectomy with various types of node dissections in 10. Classification of Extent of Recurrence Based on location and extent of the postoperative recurrent or residual disease, the lesions were subdivided into four categories (Fig. 1): 1. “Prophylactic”: No evidence of residual disease, but with a probability of recurrence. 2. Central disease: Persistent or recurrent cancer, conf.
Political Marketing

Introduction: Political Marketing: Strategic 'campaign culture' Kostas Gouliamos, Antonis Theocharous, Bruce Newman, Stephan Henneberg. 1. Of Cynicism, Political Cynisim and Political Marketing Nicolas Demertzis 2. Pop-politics: intermingling of politics, mass society and everyday life Emmanuel Heretakis 3. Political Marketing and the Politicians' Credibility Antonia Cristina Perdigao 4. Cultural Paradigm Contra Political Marketing or Two Answers to the Same Question Balazs Kiss 5. Evolving Democracy: A Memetic Analysis of the Latest Proposal for Constitutional Change in the Philippines Violeda A. Umali and Emerson S. Banez 6. Marketing Politics to Generation X Musa Ndlovu 7. Reflections on Engagement in an Evolving Political Process: Evidence from Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud Phil Harris, Matthew Parackal, Chris Rudd and John Williams 8. Cultural Context of the Perceptual Fit of Political Parties' Campaign Slogans: A Polish Case Wojciech Cwalina and Andrzej Falkowski 9. Trying to sell the vote: the lottery for raising voters' activity in Bulgarian parliamentary elections in 2005 Alexander Christov and Boyan Koutevski 10. Crafting the Political Image: a Belgian Case in Perception Politics Philippe De Vries and Christ'l De Landtsheer 11. The Role and Influence Of The Media On Voters' Decisions In Lebanon Bernard Abou Jaoude, Tarek Azzi, and Wafica Ghoul 12. Belgian Political Marketing in Context. Researching the Volatile Electorate Soetkin Kesteloot, Nicolas Bouteca and Dries Verlet 13. The Historically Fabricated Croat: An ethnographic investigation of the effects of heritage consumption upon the individual identity re-construction of the post civil-war heritage consumer Dino I. Domic 14. Aryan Wear and the New White Culture in American Politics Christopher J. McKinlay and Jason J. Turner 15. Nationalist Identity and Marketing: The Vlaams Belang against Turkish Admission to the EU Mona Moufahim and Michael Humphreys 16. Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin: a study in comparative mythopoetics Richard Tempest 17. The Impact of Webcasting Local Council Meetings Lasse Berntzen 18. E-Government and E-Democracy in Local Greek Government Prodromos Yannas and Georgios Lappas
Depression among recipients of informal care: the effects of reciprocity, respect, and adequacy of support.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this work was to examine the relationship of perceived quality of care to depression among recipients of informal long-term care. METHODS Generalized estimating equations were used to generate population-average logistic regression models of prevalent depression, using a sample of 420 disabled community-dwelling women aged 65 or older receiving informal care obtained from the Women's Health and Aging Study Caregiving Survey. RESULTS Findings confirm a substantial prevalence of depression among older women with disabilities and support the hypothesis that perceived reciprocity and respect afforded by one's primary caregiver as well as adequacy of instrumental support all were associated with a lower likelihood of being categorized as depressed, even after controlling for sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial characteristics that are known to be related to depression. DISCUSSION Perceived quality of informal care arrangements has a bearing on the psychological health of care recipients. Individuals in more reciprocal relationships and in relationships where they felt respected and valued were less likely to be depressed than their counterparts.
Childhood Psychological Maltreatment And Adolescent Depressive And Conduct Disorder Symptoms: A Prospective Longitudinal Analysis

The relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment (CPM) and later maladjustment has been observed in numerous cross-sectional studies, but prospective longitudinal evidence is limited. The current analysis employed a prospective longitudinal design to investigate the contribution of CPM to adolescent depression, anxiety, and conduct disorder symptoms. The sample includes 696 youth age 14 years from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Youth self-report of CPM was assessed at age 12, and via official Child Protective Service (CPS) allegations from birth to age 12. Anxiety, depression, and conduct disorder symptoms were assessed via youth self-report at age 14 and conduct disorder using parent report. Zero-inflated binomial regression models controlled for youth age, caregiver education, household income, minority status, study site, and age 12 symptoms. Youth reports of CPM were significantly related to adolescent depressive and conduct disorder symptoms, but CPS reports were not.
Reasons Why Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians Work While Sick: A Mixed-Methods Analysis.

IMPORTANCE When clinicians work with symptoms of infection, they can put patients and colleagues at risk. Little is known about the reasons why attending physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) work while sick. OBJECTIVE To identify a comprehensive understanding of the reasons why attending physicians and APCs work while sick. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We performed a mixed-methods analysis of a cross-sectional, anonymous survey administered from January 15 through March 20, 2014, in a large children's hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Data were analyzed from April 1 through June 1, 2014. The survey was administered to 459 attending physicians and 470 APCs, including certified registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Self-reported frequency of working while experiencing symptoms of infection, perceived importance of various factors that encourage working while sick, and free-text comments written in response to open-ended questions. RESULTS Of those surveyed, we received responses from 280 attending physicians (61.0%) and 256 APCs (54.5%). Most of the respondents (504 [95.3%]) believed that working while sick put patients at risk. Despite this belief, 446 respondents (83.1%) reported working sick at least 1 time in the past year, and 50 (9.3%) reported working while sick at least 5 times. Respondents would work with significant symptoms, including diarrhea (161 [30.0%]), fever (86 [16.0%]), and acute onset of significant respiratory symptoms (299 [55.6%]). Physicians were more likely to report working with each of these symptoms than APCs (109 [38.9%] vs 51 [19.9%], 61 [21.8%] vs 25 [9.8%], and 168 [60.0%] vs 130 [50.8%], respectively [P < .05]). Reasons deemed important in deciding to work while sick included not wanting to let colleagues down (521 [98.7%]), staffing concerns (505 [94.9%]), not wanting to let patients down (494 [92.5%]), fear of ostracism by colleagues (342 [64.0%]), and concern about continuity of care (337 [63.8%]). Systematic qualitative analysis of free-text comments from 316 respondents revealed additional reasons why attending physicians and APCs work while sick, including extreme difficulty finding coverage (205 [64.9%]), a strong cultural norm to come to work unless remarkably ill (193 [61.1%]), and ambiguity about what constitutes "too sick to work" (180 [57.0%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Attending physicians and APCs frequently work while sick despite recognizing that this choice puts patients at risk. The decision to work sick is shaped by systems-level and sociocultural factors. Multimodal interventions are needed to reduce the frequency of this behavior.
Scene Text Recognition Using Nearest Neighbors Approach

— Text in an image may contain important information. This paper proposes a nearest Neighbors based method to recognize text in images. The proposed method uses color space processing. Histogram analysis and geometrical properties are used for edge detection. Character recognition is done through OCR which accepts the input in form of text boxes, which are generated through text detection and localization stages. Proposed method is robust with respect to the font size, color, orientation, and style. Results of the proposed algorithm, by taking real scenes, including indoor and outdoor images, show that this method efficiently extract and localize the scene text.
Requirement for the SLP-76 Adaptor GADS in T Cell Development

GADS is an adaptor protein implicated in CD3 signaling because of its ability to link SLP-76 to LAT. A GADS-deficient mouse was generated by gene targeting, and the function of GADS in T cell development and activation was examined. GADS–CD4–CD8– thymocytes exhibited a severe block in proliferation but still differentiated into mature T cells. GADS– thymocytes failed to respond to CD3 cross-linking in vivo and were impaired in positive and negative selection. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that the association between SLP-76 and LAT was uncoupled in GADS– thymocytes. These observations indicate that GADS is a critical adaptor for CD3 signaling.
Single Image Dehazing and Denoising: A Fast Variational Approach

In this paper, we propose a new fast variational approach to dehaze and denoise simultaneously. The proposed method first estimates a transmission map using a windows adaptive method based on the celebrated dark channel prior. This transmission map can significantly reduce the edge artifact in the resulting image and enhance the estimation precision. The transmission map is then converted to a depth map, with which the new variational model can be built to seek the final haze- and noise-free image. The existence and uniqueness of a minimizer of the proposed variational model is further discussed. A numerical procedure based on the Chambolle--Pock algorithm is given, and the convergence of the algorithm is ensured. Extensive experimental results on real scenes demonstrate that our method can restore vivid and contrastive haze- and noise-free images effectively.