Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automated Optic Disc Detection in Retinal Images of Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy and Risk of Macular Edema

In this paper, a new automated methodology to detect the optic disc (OD) automatically in retinal images from patients with risk of being affected by Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Macular Edema (ME) is presented. The detection procedure comprises two independent methodologies. On one hand, a location methodology obtains a pixel that belongs to the OD using image contrast analysis and structure filtering techniques and, on the other hand, a boundary segmentation methodology estimates a circular approximation of the OD boundary by applying mathematical morphology, edge detection techniques and the Circular Hough Transform. The methodologies were tested on a set of 1200 images composed of 229 retinographies from patients affected by DR with risk of ME, 431 with DR and no risk of ME and 540 images of healthy retinas. The location methodology obtained 98.83% success rate, whereas the OD bound- ary segmentation methodology obtained good circular OD boundary approximation in 94.58% of cases. The average computational time measured over the total set was 1.67 seconds for OD location and 5.78 seconds for OD boundary segmentation.
ANTECEDENTS OF INDIVIDUALS SUPPORT FOR INNOVATION

This paper aims at explaining individual innovation reaction behavior, i.e. the decision to proactively support or oppose innovative initiatives that are carried through the organization, with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), thus conceptualizing it as a deliberate decision making process on part of organizational members. Based on the role-model behavioural characteristics of promoters and opponents of innovation, a more fine-grained typology of promotive or opponent behavior ( innovation reaction behavior ) is developed, distinguishing between active and passive modes of behavior. Therefore, this paper contributes to current literature in innovation management in three ways: first, it develops a typology of individuals support for innovative initiatives in the workplace) ( innovation reaction behavior ), second, it applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining this type of behavior, and, third, it derives hypotheses about the antecedents determining each type of behavior as a basis for empirical investigation. Implications for current research in innovation management are discussed, and avenues for future research outlined.
Assessment of visual health campaign activities at schools: teachers' perception.

PURPOSE 1) To assess the opinion of teachers involved in visual screening of school-age children and their referral to ophthalmologic examination within the "Eye-to-Eye National Campaign for Visual Disorders Prevention and Rehabilitation" (Campanha Nacional de Prevenção e Reabilitação Visual Olho no Olho); 2) To identify the teachers' perception with respect to the training received for conducting the campaign. METHODS A descriptive study has been conducted, based on data recorded from the application of a questionnaire to 1,517 elementary school teachers working in public schools in 27 Brazilian states. The following items were examined: received orientation, use of educational videos and handbooks, supplied explanations, difficulties, questions and overall campaign assessment. RESULTS 82.0% of the teachers stated they had received orientation and 92.0% stated they had read the "Teacher Orientation Manual". Among those who received orientation, 47.0% stated it had been supplied by school officials; 30.0%, by healthcare agents, and 23.0% by ophthalmologists. In the self-assessment of performance, 58.0% reported no difficulties; 32.0% reported questions concerning the campaign activities and the professionals who most frequently asked to provide clarification were those from the State Education Agency (38.0%), followed by the school director (20.0%). CONCLUSIONS Most teachers considered themselves adequately trained and oriented to take part in the campaign. Teachers' training was provided by administrative officials, previously trained by ophthalmologists ("multiplying effect") and the small percentage of questions raised indicated the validity of the procedure. Concerns have been raised as to the information about the ophthalmologic examination, transportation of the children and delivery of glasses. This kind of program always presents some difficulties and requires adjustments. It should, indeed, be improved, perhaps through a closer involvement of the community and families during its development.
Linking Work Practice and Higher Education in Accounting: Two Papers and a Commentary

The purpose of this submission is to link and position two published refereed journal articles for the award of MA by Research. The aim of the commentary is to outline and reflect on some of the links between work practice and higher education, drawing on the candidate's experience as a professional auditor, university lecturer and designer of higher education courses. The two papers demonstrate how reflection on work practice has been used to create a single instructional case and later to devise a contemporary case study – a type now known as a 'living case' – in order to improve students' educational experience in the accountancy sub-field of auditing. The publications take professional practice experienced in the auditing professional workplace and, through the process of reflection and action learning, create new teaching strategies to make students' academic experience professionally meaningful and relevant. The two papers and commentary demonstrate the value of bringing together work practice and pedagogy, i.e. higher education practice. The value, hence contribution, of the submission is the provision of an original example and an understanding of bringing practice from the work place into education to make it professionally meaningful for students thus linking higher education and work practice.
Examining the impact of integrating physical activity on fluid intelligence and academic performance in an elementary school setting: a preliminary investigation.

PURPOSE To examine the impact of integrating physical activity with elementary curricula on fluid intelligence and academic achievement. METHODS A random sample of 3rd grade teachers integrated physical activity into their core curricula approximately 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week from January 2008 to April 2008. Noninvasive fluid intelligence cognitive measures were used along with State-mandated academic achievement tests. RESULTS Experimental Group children averaged close to 1200 pedometer steps per integration day, thus averaging 3600 steps per week. Children in the Experimental Group performed significantly better on the SPM Fluid Intelligence Test. Children in the Experimental Group also performed significantly better on the Social Studies State mandated academic achievement test. Experimental Group children also received higher scores on the English/Language Arts, Math and Science achievements tests, but were not statistically significant compared with Control Group children. Children classified in Fitnessgram's Healthy Fitness Zone for BMI earned lower scores on many of the SPM Fluid Intelligence components. DISCUSSION This investigation provides evidence that movement can influence fluid intelligence and should be considered to promote cognitive development of elementary-age children. Equally compelling were the differences in SPM Fluid Intelligence Test scores for children who were distinguished by Fitnessgram's BMI cut points.
Effects of antioxidant supplements on cancer prevention: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of antioxidant supplements on the primary and secondary prevention of cancer as reported by randomized controlled trials. METHODS We searched Medline (PubMed), Excerpta Medica database, and the Cochrane Review in October 2007. RESULTS Among 3327 articles searched, 31 articles on 22 randomized controlled trials, which included 161 045 total subjects, 88 610 in antioxidant supplement groups and 72 435 in placebo or no-intervention groups, were included in the final analyses. In a fixed-effects meta-analysis of all 22 trials, antioxidant supplements were found to have no preventive effect on cancer [relative risk (RR) 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-1.03). Similar findings were observed in 12 studies on primary prevention trials (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.97-1.04) and in nine studies on secondary prevention trials (RR 0.97; 95% CI 0.83-1.13). Further, subgroup analyses revealed no preventive effect on cancer according to type of antioxidant, type of cancer, or the methodological quality of the studies. On the other hand, the use of antioxidant supplements significantly increased the risk of bladder cancer (RR 1.52; 95% CI 1.06-2.17) in a subgroup meta-analysis of four trials. CONCLUSIONS The meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials indicated that there is no clinical evidence to support an overall primary and secondary preventive effect of antioxidant supplements on cancer. The effects of antioxidant supplements on human health, particularly in relation to cancer, should not be overemphasized because the use of those might be harmful for some cancer.
Web Mining in E-Commerce : Pattern Discovery , Issues and Applications

The World Wide Web is the key source of information and it is growing rapidly. E-commerce has provided a cost efficient and effective way of ding business. Web mining is the application of data mining technique to discover useful information from World Wide Web. Web mining is applied to e-commerce to know the browsing behaviour of customers, to determine the success of marketing efforts, to improve the design of e-commerce web site and to provide personalized services. This paper discusses web mining in e-commerce, the categories of web mining, pattern discovery techniques to find out interesting patterns, issues of web mining in e-commerce and application of web mining in e-commerce. Keywords— E-Commerce, Pattern Analysis, Pattern Discovery, Web Mining.
Organic Carbon Composition of Marine Sediments: Effect of Oxygen Exposure on Oil Generation Potential

Anaerobic sedimentary conditions have traditionally been linked to the generation of the source rocks for petroleum formation. However, the influence of sedimentary redox conditions on the composition of freshly deposited organic matter (OM) is not clear. We assessed the effect of in situ exposure time to oxic conditions on the composition of OM accumulating in different coastal and deep-sea sediments using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). 13C NMR spectra were resolved into mixtures of model components to distinguish between alkyl carbon present in protein and nonprotein structures. There is an inverse relation between the length of exposure to oxic conditions and the relative abundance of nonprotein alkyl (alkylNP) carbon, whose concentration is two orders of magnitude higher in coastal sediments with short exposure times than in deep-sea sediments with long exposure times. All alkylNP-rich samples contain a physically separate polymethylene component similar in composition to algaenans and kerogens in type I oil shales. The duration of exposure to oxic conditions appears to directly influence the quality and oil generation potential of OM in marine shales.
A Framework for Incremental Syntactic Tree Formation

A syntactic tree formation system is described for use in incremental sentence generators, i.e. generators which allow for parallel planning of conceptual content and linguistic expression. The system achieves full generality in the sense that (1) all forms of incremental production (upward expansions, downward expansions, and insertions) are covered, and (2) branches of a syntactic tree are grown in a maximally independent way (3) while at the same time grammatically of the utterance as a whole can be maintained (aside from 'syntactic deadlocks'). The tree formation system is called Incremental Grammar (1G). Two novel ideas are the use of node-arc-node segments as elementary building blocks (e.g S-subject-NP, S-object-S, NP-head-N, PP-object-NP), and the introduction of feature matrices associated with segments rather than with nodes.
Effects of maternally exposed colouring food additives on cognitive performance in rats

Artificial food colourings and additives (AFCAs) have long been suggested to adversely affect the learning and behaviour in children. In this study, we aimed to provide additional data to clarify the possible side effects of colouring additives on behaviour and memory. We administered acceptable daily intake values of AFCAs as a mixture (Eritrosin, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red AC, Sunset Yellow FCF, Tartrazin, Amaranth, Brilliant Blue, Azorubin and Indigotin) to female rats before and during gestation and then tested their effects on behaviour and on spatial working memory in their offspring. Effects on spatial learning and memory were evaluated by Morris water maze, behavioural effects were evaluated by open-field test and forced swim test. Our results showed that commonly used artificial food colourings have no adverse effects on spatial working memory and did not create a depressive behaviour in offspring. But they showed a few significant effects on locomotor activity as AFCAs increased some parameters of locomotor activity.
Homophobia and the everyday mechanisms of prejudice: Findings from a qualitative study

This paper explores the meaning of ‘homophobia’ from a phenomenological, interpretative and social constructivist perspective. We postulate that homophobia is a useful repository for understanding experiences of prejudice and trauma expressed in 34 qualitative interviews with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clients of counselling and (heterosexual) counsellors. Homophobia can be further explained by examining mechanisms of social isolation – the ways that people deploy homophobic behaviours and thus, how minority people experience homophobia as isolating and alienating in everyday family life. Experiences of homophobia and the fear of homophobia appear to be extremely powerful, formative, and often traumatic, with long term implications for individuals’ adjustment and/or family functioning. The importance of a supportive therapeutic relationship is highlighted. ; ;
J an 2 00 8 A unifying formulation of the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation for general stochastic hybrid systems

A general formulation of the Fokker-Planck-Kolm gorov (FPK) equation for stochastic hybrid systems is presented, within the framework of Generalized S tochastic Hybrid Systems (GSHS). The FPK equation describes the time evolution of the probability la w of the hybrid state. Our derivation is based on the concept of mean jump intensity, which is related to bot h the usual stochastic intensity (in the case of spontaneous jumps) and the notion of probability current (in he case of forced jumps). This work unifies all previously known instances of the FPK equation fo r st chastic hybrid systems, and provides GSHS practitioners with a tool to derive the correct evoluti n equation for the probability law of the state in any given example.
Cleavage of human inhibitor of apoptosis protein XIAP results in fragments with distinct specificities for caspases

Several human inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family proteins function by directly inhibiting specific caspases in a mechanism that does not require IAP cleavage. In this study, however, we demonstrate that endogenous XIAP is cleaved into two fragments during apoptosis induced by the tumor necrosis factor family member Fas (CD95). The two fragments produced comprise the baculoviral inhibitory repeat (BIR) 1 and 2 domains (BIR1‐2) and the BIR3 and RING (BIR3‐Ring) domains of XIAP. Overexpression of the BIR1‐2 fragment inhibits Fas‐induced apoptosis, albeit at significantly reduced efficiency compared with full‐length XIAP. In contrast, overexpression of the BIR3‐Ring fragment results in a slight enhancement of Fas‐directed apoptosis. Thus, cleavage of XIAP may be one mechanism by which cell death programs circumvent the anti‐apoptotic barrier posed by XIAP. Interestingly, ectopic expression of the BIR3‐Ring fragment resulted in nearly complete protection from Bax‐induced apoptosis. Use of purified recombinant proteins revealed that BIR3‐Ring is a specific inhibitor of caspase‐9 whereas BIR1‐2 is specific for caspases 3 and 7. Therefore XIAP possesses two different caspase inhibitory activities which can be attributed to distinct domains within XIAP. These data may provide an explanation for why IAPs have evolved with multiple BIR domains.
The Impact of a Sports Initiative for Young Men in Prison

This study presents the prisoner and prison staff ideographic experiences of an English initiative which aimed to use sport as a way of engaging young men in identifying and meeting their reentry (or “resettlement”) needs in the transition from prison custody to the community. Young men aged between 18 to 21 years old (N = 79) participated in the prison-based sporting “academies” and the qualitative findings demonstrated how the initiative led to perceived benefits in terms of a positive impact on prison life and culture, preparation for release, improved attitudes, thinking and behavior, and in promoting desistance from crime. The results help to delineate how and why sports based interventions can motivate imprisoned young offenders in reentry programs, with the ultimate aim of reducing reoffending.
Visualizing gene interaction graphs with local multidimensional scaling

Several bioinformatics data sets are naturally represented as graphs, for instance gene regulation, metabolic pathways, and protein- protein interactions. The graphs are often large and complex, and their straightforward visualizations are incomprehensible. We have recently de- veloped a new method called local multidimensional scaling for visualizing high-dimensional data sets. In this paper we adapt it to visualize graphs, and compare it with two commonly used graph visualization packages in visualizing yeast gene interaction graphs. The new method outperforms the alternatives in two crucial respects: It produces graph layouts that are both more trustworthy and have fever edge crossings.
Conscious processing of a complex motor skill : an investigation into the automaticity paradigm of full golf swing execution

This thesis examines factors that influence the propensity to, and the utility of, conscious processing during a complex motor skill. Prevalent theories of skill acquisition and automaticity view expert performance as best executed in the absence of conscious control of the movement. There is substantial evidence to support this claim for simple tasks but a lack of research for complex skills is apparent. In this thesis the role of conscious processing (reinvestment) is examined in relation to the full golf swing in baseline and anxiety conditions. The early experiments in the thesis examined the effects of limiting conscious processing through a temporal restriction. This paved the way for the later experiments that looked deeper into individualistic elements of personality and cognitive 'make up,' that may affect the control structures of the golf swing. The results indicate that conscious processing during task performance affects individuals differently. A high 'verbaliser' group deteriorated while 'visualisers' showed improvement during restricted conscious input trials. Furthermore, both short­-term memory and working memory showed positive correlations with task performance. Overall, this study implies a positive role for conscious control in the golf swing and questions the efficacy of reinvestment theory in relation to complex skills.
Effect of dietary fiber on microbial activity and microbial gas production in various regions of the gastrointestinal tract of pigs

The microbial activity, composition of the gas phase, and gas production rates in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs fed either a low- or a high-fiber diet were investigated. Dense populations of culturable anaerobic bacteria, high ATP concentrations, and high adenylate energy charges were found for the last third of the small intestine, indicating that substantial microbial activity takes place in that portion of the gut. The highest microbial activity (highest bacterium counts, highest ATP concentration, high adenylate energy charge, and low pH) was found in the cecum and proximal colon. Greater microbial activity was found in the stomach and all segments of the hindgut in the pigs fed the high-fiber diet than in the pigs fed the low-fiber diet. Considerable amounts of O2 were found in the stomach (around 5%), while the content of O2 in gas samples taken from all other parts of the gastrointestinal tract was < 1%. The highest concentrations and highest production rates for H2 were found in the last third of the small intestine. No methane could be detected in the stomach or the small intestine. The rate of production and concentration of methane in the cecum and the proximal colon were low, followed by a steady increase in the successive segments of the hindgut. A very good correlation between in vivo and in vitro measurements of methane production was found. The amount of CH4 produced by pigs fed the low-fiber diet was 1.4 liters/day per animal. Substantially larger amounts of CH4 were produced by pigs fed the high-fiber diet (12.5 liters/day)(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Online Shared Editing for Introductory Programming Courses

This paper argues how online shared editing can benefit teaching/learning intro-programming courses like CS1 and CS2. Various available tools supporting online shared editing are surveyed. A simple but novel Javabased online shared editing framework named Olshed is also presented and demonstrated. Olshed is a suite of Swing-based Java classes that supports easy development of online shared editing applications or extension of existing applications for online shared editing. As a proof-of-concept example, DrJava (an educational Java IDE) is extended with Olshed to provide real-time online shared editing facility.
Maximal Covering by Two Isothetic Unit Squares

Let P be the point set in two dimensional plane. In this paper, we consider the problem of locating two isothetic unit squares such that together they cover maximum number of points from P. In case of overlapping, the points in their common zone are counted once. To solve the problem, we propose an algorithm that runs
Uncovering Hidden Structure through Parallel Problem Decomposition

A key strategy for speeding up computation is to run in parallel on multiple cores. However, on hard combinatorial problems, exploiting parallelism has been surprisingly challenging. It appears that traditional divide-and-conquer strategies do not work well, due to the intricate non-local nature of the interactions between the problem variables. In this paper, we introduce a novel way in which parallelism can be used to exploit hidden structure of hard combinatorial problems. We demonstrate the success of this approach on minimal set basis problem, which has a wide range of applications in machine learning and system security, etc. We also show the effectiveness on a related application problem from materials discovery. In our approach, a large number of smaller sub-problems are identified and solved concurrently. We then aggregate the information from those solutions, and use this to initialize the search of a global, complete solver. We show that this strategy leads to a significant speed-up over a sequential approach. The strategy also greatly outperforms state-of-the-art incomplete solvers in terms of solution quality. Our work opens up a novel angle for using parallelism to solve hard combinatorial problems.