Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Compressed domain action classification using HMM

The paper proposes three techniques for person independent action classification in compressed MPEG video. The features used are based on motion vectors, obtained by partial decoding of the MPEG video. The features proposed are projected 1D, 2D polar and 2D Cartesian. The feature vectors are fed to a hidden Markov model (HMM) for classification of actions. In total, seven actions were trained with distinct HMM for classification. Recognition results of more than 90% have been achieved. This work is significant in the context of the emerging MPEG-7 standard for video indexing and retrieval.
Spatial-Spectral-Emissivity Land-Cover Classification Fusing Visible and Thermal Infrared Hyperspectral Imagery

High-resolution visible remote sensing imagery and thermal infrared hyperspectral imagery are potential data sources for land-cover classification. In this paper, in order to make full use of these two types of imagery, a spatial-spectral-emissivity land-cover classification method based on the fusion of visible and thermal infrared hyperspectral imagery is proposed, namely, SSECRF (spatial-spectral-emissivity land-cover classification based on conditional random fields). A spectral-spatial feature set is constructed considering the spectral variability and spatial-contextual information, to extract features from the high-resolution visible image. The emissivity is retrieved from the thermal infrared hyperspectral image by the FLAASH-IR algorithm and firstly introduced in the fusion of the visible and thermal infrared hyperspectral imagery; also, the emissivity is utilized in SSECRF, which contributes to improving the identification of man-made objects, such as roads and roofs. To complete the land-cover classification, the spatial-spectral feature set and emissivity are integrated by constructing the SSECRF energy function, which relates labels to the spatial-spectral-emissivity features, to obtain an improved classification result. The classification map performs a good result in distinguishing some certain classes, such as roads and bare soil. Also, the experimental results show that the proposed SSECRF algorithm efficiently integrates the spatial, spectral, and emissivity information and performs better than the traditional methods using raw radiance from thermal infrared hyperspectral imagery data, with a kappa value of 0.9137.
The Impact of Temperature and Body Size on Fundamental Flight Tone Variation in the Mosquito Vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): Implications for Acoustic Lures

Abstract Aedes aegypti (L.) males use female flight tone as a means of mate localization. By playing the sound of a flying female, males can be attracted to a trap to monitor mosquito populations and the progress of transgenic male releases. However, the female flight tone used to attract males needs to be optimized to maximize trap effectiveness. The fundamental frequency of female flight tone could be influenced by both body size and ambient temperature. However, no analysis yet has considered both the effect of body size and temperature on female flight tone of Ae. aegypti. Here, we present results for both these factors by recording the sounds of free-flying and tethered females across multiple temperature environments and with females reared for small, medium, and large body sizes. We demonstrate that female fundamental frequency is highly dependent on the environmental temperature, increasing ~8–13 Hz with each °C gain. Body size and whether a female was tethered or free-flying did not impact the relationship between frequency and temperature, although further analysis is warranted. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between flight tone and temperature, and will inform the design of male mosquito traps.
Ultrasonic Machining with a Diamond Impregnated Tool

The new ultrasonic machining is studied experimentally and its characteristics are found out. Experiments are performed in three ways: 1. Glass plate drilling by an ultrasonic machine tool with a turn table. 2. Glass rod turning by a lathe with an ultrasonic vibrating tool on the carriage. 3. Glass plate drilling by an ultrasonic vibrating rotor tool. Influences of working conditions such as grain size, tool amplitude, relative motion speed, and working pressure on the removal rates are obtained. The result of the experiment enables' to make a new ultra-sonic machining rotor tool for an NC milling machine. In conclusion : 1. Relative motion of the tool and the work with a suitable speed is necessary for this process. 2. Stock removal rate depends on the working conditions and in case of glass plate drilling it reaches to 50 mm/min. 3. Tool wear is only 0.01% in length.
Preparation and Characterization of (Pva-Sncl 2) Composites

In the present work, the effect of tin chloride SnCl2 addition on some optical properties of poly-vinyl alcohol has been studied. For that purpose , many samples has been prepared by adding SnCl 2 to the poly-vinyl alcohol with different weight percentages from SnCl 2 with polymer and by different thickness . The absorption and transmission spectra has been recorded in the wavelength range (190-890)nm . The absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coefficient and energy gap of the indirect allowed transition have been determined. Keyword: Composites, optical properties
A Deterministic Word Dependency Analyzer Enhanced With Preference Learning

Word dependency is important in parsing technology. Some applications such as Information Extraction from biological documents benefit from word dependency analysis even without phrase labels. Therefore, we expect an accurate dependency analyzer trainable without using phrase labels is useful. Although such an English word dependency analyzer was proposed by Yamada and Matsumoto, its accuracy is lower than state-of-the-art phrase structure parsers because of the lack of top-down information given by phrase labels. This paper shows that the dependency analyzer can be improved by introducing a Root-Node Finder and a Prepositional-Phrase Attachment Resolver. Experimental results show that these modules based on Preference Learning give better scores than Collins' Model 3 parser for these subproblems. We expect this method is also applicable to phrase structure parsers.
Genetic analysis reveals population structure and recent migration within the highly fragmented range of the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli)

Recently developed methods of individual‐based analysis of genetic data allow an unprecedented opportunity to understand the relationships among fragmented populations. By defining population structure and identifying migrant individuals, such analyses can provide a framework to aid in evaluating the threats posed by inbreeding and reduced genetic variability as a consequence of limited gene flow among fragments. Here we investigate population structure in the critically endangered Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) by applying a suite of individual‐based analyses to data obtained from between one‐quarter and one‐third of the estimated total population through the use of noninvasively collected DNA samples. The population structure inferred using data from 11 autosomal microsatellite loci was broadly consistent with geography and habitat fragmentation, but showed no simple isolation‐by‐distance effects. In contrast to previous field surveys, which suggested that all gorilla localities were isolated from one another, we infer low levels of gene flow and identify migrants between habitat fragments as well as individuals of admixed ancestry, suggesting persistent recent reproductive contact between many of the localities. These results are encouraging for the conservation of the Cross River gorilla population. Conservation efforts should strive to maintain connectivity between subpopulations that are still in migratory contact and attempt to restore connectivity where it has been lost.
QoS for Networked Heterogeneous Real-Time Embedded Systems

With the development of networked real-time embedded systems, the ability to guarantee traffic throughput rates and to decrease delay, energy, and loss rates, is particularly important for multimedia communications. These performance-based metrics are likely to vary from one application to another. In this paper, we proposed an integrated QoS metric that combines time, energy, and guaranteed probability together. We also propose an online adaptive algorithm to optimize the communication for multimedia mobile devices based on our QoS metric. The experimental results show that our approach achieves significant energy saving when compared with previous work. Index Terms — Assignment, probability, sensor, real-time, heterogeneous, mode.
Addiction Vulnerability: Exploring Relationships Among Cigarette Smoking, Substance Misuse, and Early Psychosis

ABSTRACT Objective: Smoking rates in adolescents at risk for psychosis are significantly greater than in those who are not at risk. Recent research suggests that cigarette smoking in adolescence may be a potential marker of transition to psychosis, although the exact relationship between the two remains unclear. Our aim was to examine whether tobacco smoking is a potential marker of transition to psychosis or subsequent episodes of psychosis, independently of other substance use, or alternatively whether smoking is essentially a general marker of later mental illness episodes. Methods: This substudy was conducted as part of an audit of a specialized early psychosis community mental health service, the Psychological Assistance Service (PAS). A multilayered audit over 10 years (January 1997 to December 2007) of PAS presentations was conducted (N = 1997), which documented baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and subsequent illness episodes and service usage. Among clients with baseline smoking status information (n = 421, mean age = 18.3 years), this study examined predictors of transition to or subsequent episodes of psychosis, substance misuse, and affective disorder. Results: A recent psychosis episode at baseline and receiving ongoing treatment from PAS predicted transition to or subsequent psychosis episodes; however, baseline ultra-high-risk status was not predictive. In addition, baseline smoking/substance misuse status was a significant predictor, with smokers being twice as likely to experience a subsequent episode of psychosis, even after controlling for other baseline comorbidity. Baseline smoking status also independently predicted subsequent substance misuse episodes, but not subsequent affective disorder. Among clients experiencing post-PAS comorbid substance misuse and psychosis, the majority (80.3%) reported smoking at baseline. Conclusions: Smoking status at service presentation appeared to function as a general proxy for addiction vulnerability among young help seekers and thereby as a potential marker for the development of severe mental illness (including psychosis) and associated health problems. Routine evaluations of presenting problems need to incorporate comprehensive assessments of early substance misuse and tobacco smoking. Adjunctive lifestyle interventions promoting smoking cessation, physical health, and well-being need to be offered in conjunction with conventional mental health interventions tailored to key presenting problems, recovery, and psychological strengthening.
Redefining diabetes and the concept of self-management from a patient’s perspective: implications for disease risk factor management

Abstract The colliding epidemics of non-communicable diseases including diabetes with chronic infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa requires contextualized innovative disease management strategies. This qualitative study conducted in a peri-urban township near Cape Town, South Africa aimed to identify and gain in-depth understanding of contextual and environmental issues pertinent to the patient that could influence Type 2-diabetes mellitus (T2DM) care and self-management. Participants included purposively sampled diabetics or pre-diabetics from the community, PURE study database, facility health club and health care providers. Data collection employed in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) using structured interviews and FGD topic guides. Thematic data analysis was done to identify recurrent themes. Themes identified: knowledge and awareness about T2DM; health-seeking behaviour; weight perceptions; healthy lifestyles; self-management; health education needs and health care provider experiences. Patients defined T2DM as a physically and emotionally dangerous disease caused by socio-cultural factors, influenced by the sufferers’ food and socio-cultural environment with significance placed on physical, social and emotional effects of T2DM diagnosis. Patient-centred definition of T2DM is key to enhancing T2DM self-management. Patients suggested that personally rewarding benefits of physical activity and healthy diet such as anti-ageing, brain boosting, energy boosting which are commonly harnessed by food, tobacco and beauty industry should be considered in T2DM self-management strategies.
INFLUENCE OF GRAPE SEED EXTRACT AND ZINCOVIT TABLETS (NUTRITIONAL FOOD SUPPLEMENT) ON GLUCOSE LEVEL IN NORMAL AND STREPTOZOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Objective: To evaluate the influence of combination of Grape seed extract and Zincovit tablets (nutritional food supplement) on blood glucose level in normal and streptozocin induced diabetic rats. Method: A total of 48 adult male Wistar rats (24 normal rats, 24 diabetic surviving rats) were divided into 8 groups of 6 rats each. Experimental hyperglycemia was produced in rats by single dose of Streptozocin (35 mg/kg; i.p). Assessment of glucose in blood and urine of rats was used as marker of hyperglycemia. Results: Oral administration of combination of Grape seed extract and Zincovit tablets (nutritional food supplement) for 45 days significantly reduced the levels of blood glucose in a dose dependent manner among diabetic treated rats when compared to diabetic control rats (P<0.0001, at 40 mg/kg, 80 mg/kg and 160 mg/kg) whereas it had significantly increased the blood glucose level in normal treated rats in comparison with normal control rats (P=0.011, 0.003 and 0.029 at 40 mg/kg, 80 mg/kg and 160 mg/kg respectively). There was significant increase in the weight of isolated dry liver among diabetic treatment group when compared to diabetic control in a dose dependent manner. There was no significant body weight change in diabetic and normal rats as compared to diabetic control and normal control rats respectively. Conclusion: The hypoglycemic effect of combination of Grape seed extract and Zincovit tablets may be attributed to enhanced antioxidant potential and protection against tissue lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation.
Long term anti-tumour necrosis factor α monotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis: effect on radiological course and prognostic value of markers of cartilage turnover and endothelial activation

Objectives: To investigate the effect of prolonged neutralisation of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) on the radiological course in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To assess whether the radiological course can be predicted by clinical variables or biological markers of cartilage and synovium turnover and of endothelial activation. Patients and methods: Forty seven patients with active RA enrolled at our centre in monotherapy trials with adalimumab (D2E7), a fully human anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody, were studied for two years. Radiographs of hands and feet obtained at baseline and after one and two years were scored in chronological order by a single, blinded observer using the modified Sharp method. Radiological course was classified as stable or progressive using the smallest detectable difference as cut off point. The relation between radiological course and serum markers of cartilage and synovium turnover (metalloproteinases (MMP-1 and MMP-3), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), human cartilage glycoprotein-39 (HC gp-39)), endothelial activation (soluble E-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1)), and integrated measures of disease activity were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Radiological evaluation was performed in 36 patients with paired sets of radiographs at baseline and two years. After two years a total of 15/36 (42%) presented no radiological progression. More patients with stable radiological course were still receiving anti-TNFα treatment after two years (13/15 (87%) v 11/21 (52%); p=0.03) and had lower baseline COMP and sICAM-1 levels (p=0.01 and 0.04, respectively) than those in the group with progressive disease. In a logistic regression model the combination of sustained TNF neutralisation and baseline COMP and sICAM-1 levels was predictive for radiological outcome (p=0.03). C reactive protein and disease activity score area under the curve were significantly correlated with changes in radiological scores after two years (r=0.40 and 0.37, p<0.05). Long term TNFα neutralisation decreased the levels of COMP, sICAM, MMPs, and HC gp-39, but not sE-selectin. Conclusion: The results suggest that long term monotherapy with anti-TNFα has a positive effect on radiological outcome and modulates cartilage and synovium turnover as measured by biological markers. Baseline serum sICAM-1 levels and COMP levels may be helpful to identify patients with progressive or non-progressive radiological outcome.
The Dual Actions of Morin (3,5,7,2′,4′-Pentahydroxyflavone) as a Hypouricemic Agent: Uricosuric Effect and Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity

Hyperuricemia is associated with a number of pathological conditions such as gout. Lowering of elevated uric acid level in the blood could be achieved by xanthine oxidase inhibitors and inhibitors of renal urate reabsorption. Some natural compounds isolated from herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine have been previously demonstrated to possess xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. In the present investigation, morin (3,5,7,2′,4′-pentahydroxyflavone), which occurs in the twigs of Morus alba L. documented in traditional Chinese medicinal literature to treat conditions akin to gout, was demonstrated to exert potent inhibitory action on urate uptake in rat renal brush-border membrane vesicles, indicating that this compound acts on the kidney to inhibit urate reabsorption. Lineweaver-Burk transformation of the inhibition kinetics data demonstrated that the inhibition of urate uptake was of a competitive type, with a Ki value of 17.4 μM. In addition, morin was also demonstrated to be an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. Lineweaver-Burk analysis of the enzyme kinetics indicated that the mode of inhibition was of a mixed type, with Ki and Kies values being 7.9 and 35.1 μM, respectively. Using an oxonate-induced hyperuricemic rat model, morin was indeed shown to exhibit an in vivo uricosuric action, which could explain, in part at least, the observed hypouricemic effect of morin in these rats. The potential application of this compound in the treatment of conditions associated with hyperuricemia was discussed.
MicroRNA-127-5p regulates matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression and interleukin-1β-induced catabolic effects in human chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVE MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNA molecules, are involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as cancer and arthritis. The aim of this study was to determine whether miR-127-5p regulates interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) and other catabolic factors in human chondrocytes. METHODS Expression of miR-127-5p and MMP-13 by normal and osteoarthritic (OA) human cartilage was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The effect of miR-127-5p on MMP-13 expression was evaluated using transient transfection of human chondrocytes or chondrogenic SW-1353 cells with miR-127-5p or its antisense inhibitor (anti-miR-127-5p). MMP-13 protein production was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the involvement of miR-127-5p in IL-1β-mediated catabolic effects was examined by immunoblotting. MicroRNA-127-5p binding with the putative site in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of MMP-13 messenger RNA (mRNA) was validated by luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in miR-127-5p expression in OA cartilage compared with normal cartilage. Up-regulation of MMP-13 expression by IL-1β was correlated with down-regulation of miR-127-5p expression in human chondrocytes. MicroRNA-127-5p suppressed IL-1β-induced MMP-13 production as well as the activity of a reporter construct containing the 3'-UTR of human MMP-13 mRNA. In addition, mutation of the miR-127-5p binding site in the 3'-UTR of MMP-13 mRNA abolished miR-127-5p-mediated repression of reporter activity. Conversely, treatment with anti-miR-127-5p remarkably increased reporter activity and MMP-13 production. Interestingly, the IL-1β-induced activation of JNK, p38, and NF-κB and expression of MMP-1 and cyclooxygenase 2 were significantly inhibited by miR-127-5p. CONCLUSION MicroRNA-127-5p is an important regulator of MMP-13 in human chondrocytes and may contribute to the development of OA.
Intelligent Control of Dynamic Population Size for Evolutionary Algorithms

We are presenting an innovative method for improving the performance of single objective (SO) evolutionary algorithms (EAs). It consists of an intelligent method based in human expertise to establish a fuzzy inference system with the purpose of making more efficient the exploration and exploitation of the landscape by increasing or diminishing the amount of individuals through generations. It is very common that human experts disagree in a major or a minor part of the knowledge hence information can be somewhat contradictory and doubtful. The proposed method uses a novel concept called Mediative Fuzzy Logic (MFL) for handling doubtful and contradictory information from experts with the aim of calculating the appropriated amount of individual to create and/or to eliminate. We are presenting results that outperform significantly in precision and in time the Genetic Algorithm of the Matlab’s Toolbox.