Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TGSNet: Multi-Field Feature Fusion for Glass Region Segmentation Using Transformers

Glass is a common object in living environments, but detecting it can be difficult because of the reflection and refraction of various colors of light in different environments; even humans are sometimes unable to detect glass. Currently, many methods are used to detect glass, but most rely on other sensors, which are costly and have difficulty collecting data. This study aims to solve the problem of detecting glass regions in a single RGB image by concatenating contextual features from multiple receptive fields and proposing a new enhanced feature fusion algorithm. To do this, we first construct a contextual attention module to extract backbone features through a self-attention approach. We then propose a VIT-based deep semantic segmentation architecture called MFT, which associates multilevel receptive field features and retains the feature information captured by each level of features. It is shown experimentally that our proposed method performs better on existing glass detection datasets than several state-of-the-art glass detection and transparent object detection methods, which fully demonstrates the better performance of our TGSNet.
Navigating academic habitus in a higher education system that prioritises external funding – the case of Israel

ABSTRACT Israelis consistently secure European Research Council (ERC) grant funding at higher success rates compared to peers from most participating countries. Israeli scores in the ERC metric within the Adjusted Research Excellence Index (AREI) have been significantly above average and double those of the next highest (Switzerland) – yet on other AREI indicators, including publication and mobility measures, Israel has scored only modestly. Since governmental funding mechanisms in Israeli higher education are heavily weighted to reward institutions for securing external funding, competition between Israeli institutions is intense. This study seeks to understand how various actors in the Israeli system position themselves within their field, and how they navigate and negotiate their positions framed by various disciplinary, institutional, and national pressures. To explore this question, this study uses 43 interviews with stakeholders within the higher education system (including policy makers, senior administrators, and grant winning academics) and documents’ analysis to present the perceptions and strategies of actors at all levels of the Israeli academic research system, using Bourdieu's field theory. We show that the national academic habitus regards grantsmanship as cultural capital and grant attainment as symbolic capital. We highlight differences between the humanities, social, life, and physical/engineering sciences in their perceptions and strategies around external funding.
First Bounds on the Very High Energy γ-Ray Emission from Arp 220

Using the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cerenkov Telescope (MAGIC), we have observed the nearest ultraluminous infrared galaxy, Arp 220, for about 15 hr. No significant signal was detected within the dedicated amount of observation time. The first upper limits to the very high energy γ-ray flux of Arp 220 are herein reported and compared with theoretical expectations.
Trends in Quantification of HbA1c Using Electrochemical and Point-of-Care Analyzers

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), one of the many variants of hemoglobin (Hb), serves as a standard biomarker of diabetes, as it assesses the long-term glycemic status of the individual for the previous 90–120 days. HbA1c levels in blood are stable and do not fluctuate when compared to the random blood glucose levels. The normal level of HbA1c is 4–6.0%, while concentrations > 6.5% denote diabetes. Conventionally, HbA1c is measured using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, immunoassays, capillary electrophoresis, fluorometry, etc., that are time-consuming, expensive, and involve complex procedures and skilled personnel. These limitations have spurred development of sensors incorporating nanostructured materials that can aid in specific and accurate quantification of HbA1c. Various chemical and biological sensing elements with and without nanoparticle interfaces have been explored for HbA1c detection. Attempts are underway to improve the detection speed, increase accuracy, and reduce sample volumes and detection costs through different combinations of nanomaterials, interfaces, capture elements, and measurement techniques. This review elaborates on the recent advances in the realm of electrochemical detection for HbA1c detection. It also discusses the emerging trends and challenges in the fabrication of effective, accurate, and cost-effective point-of-care (PoC) devices for HbA1c and the potential way forward.
Microstructural Changes in the Macula Following Cataract Surgery in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Detected Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Background. Ophthalmologists treat diabetic macular edema before cataract surgery to reduce possible complications. Despite improvements in diagnostic techniques, whether cataract surgery per se causes the progression of diabetic retinopathy with macular edema remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of phacoemulsification on the central retina and its correlation with diabetes compensation as well as changes in the retina before surgery. Methods. Thirty-four type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery were included in this prospective longitudinal study. Of them, 29.4% had macular edema before surgery, and 70.6% had a normal macular structure. All patients underwent ophthalmic examinations, including optical coherence tomography angiography, at baseline and at one and three months after surgery. The Mann-Whitney test was performed to compare the area of the foveal avascular zone, perimeter of the foveal avascular zone, and mean vascular density in the para- and perifoveal deep and superficial capillary plexuses. All parameters were measured before and at one and three months after surgery. Multiple linear regression models with adjustments for glycated hemoglobin and duration of diabetes mellitus were constructed to assess the association between the area of the foveal avascular zone and diabetic macular edema. Results. Significant differences in the area of the foveal avascular zone, perimeter of the foveal avascular zone, and perifoveal density in the deep capillary plexus were observed at all three time points. In the fully adjusted linear regression model, those without diabetic macular edema had a reduced probability for changes in the foveal avascular zone at one and three months after surgery (effect estimate β = −0.20 [95% CI −0.31; −0.09] and β = −0.13 [−0.22; −0.03] for one and three months, respectively) compared with those with diabetic macular edema. Conclusions. Cataract surgery itself does not cause significant and permanent increase in diabetic macular edema three months post-surgery. On the contrary, in a group with diabetic macular edema before the surgery, central retinal thickness tended to stabilize three months after surgery. If the duration of diabetes is shorter and diabetes is better compensated, the possibility of changes in the foveal avascular zone is reduced.
Reconfigurable Millimeter-Wave Tri-Band Antenna Based on VO2-Films-Embedded Co-Aperture Metasurface Structures

A novel reconfigurable millimeter-wave tri-band antenna using co-aperture metasurface structures embedded with electrically controlling vanadium dioxide (VO2) films is proposed. A co-aperture metasurface structure is designed by loading a large square ring surrounded by eight small square patches in the same aperture. By embedding the VO2 film into the large ring, two lower frequencies of 22 and 28 GHz can be excited and switched when the film operates in metallic and insulating states respectively. Meanwhile, an extra higher mode resonance at 40 GHz is produced by the small patches. Benefiting from the reasonable co-aperture layout, the three frequency bands exhibit good independent tunability. Furthermore, the tri-band metasurface structure is used as a radiation element to construct a reconfigurable antenna. To realize good feeding coupling at three bands with a large frequency ratio for the antenna, a new kind of combined slot is proposed and etched on the transverse surface of the feeding waveguide. The combined slot contains a loop slot, a dumbbell-shaped slot, and two U-shaped slots, corresponding to low, medium, and high frequencies, respectively. In addition, a simple coplanar direct current (dc) bias circuit with little effect on radiation is designed. As a result, when the VO2 film is in an insulating state, the antenna can simultaneously cover two bands of 27.7–29.8 and 38.8–40 GHz with a maximum gain of about 8.7 and 9.5 dBi, respectively; when the film is activated to a metallic state, it can also work in two bands of 21.1–21.6 and 38.6–40 GHz with the maximum gain of about 7.2 and 9.3 dBi. Compared with other reported VO2-based antennas, the proposed antenna can work in three different bands with an adjustable frequency ratio and superior radiation performance.
Experimental study of the ignition performances on a linear combustor under high-altitude conditions

The ignition reliability of combustor is related to the safety of the whole machine, especially the high-altitude ignition and combustion stability, which are the common requirements of the combustor. In this paper, the simulated altitude test facility was introduced. And the ignition performances of a linear combustor with five burners were carried out under the simulated altitude of 0–8 km, including the ignition boundary and flame propagation between burners. The process of flame propagation was recorded by a high-speed camera. The results indicate that the fuel-air ratio increases with the increase of altitude at the same pressure drop, and it decreases with the increase of pressure drop. For the period of ignition delay, the evaporation of droplets and the chemical delay process are mainly affected with the increase of altitude. At the altitude of 6 km to 8 km, flame propagates from burner to burner in an axial pattern, and the influence of altitude on flame propagation is mainly manifested in ignition delay and initial flame propagation. The key to improve the reliability of high-altitude ignition is to improve the fuel atomization and evaporation characteristics. The contribution of this article is to explore the mechanism of altitude on ignition characteristics and propose two methods to improve the high-altitude ignition characteristics.
Multi-Omics Approaches for Revealing the Epigenetic Regulation of Histone H3.1 during Spermatogonial Stem Cell Differentiation In Vitro

Epigenetic regulation, particularly post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones, participates in spermatogonial stem cell (SSCs) differentiation. However, there is a lack of systemic studies of histone PTM regulation during the differentiation of SSCs due to its low number in vivo. Herein, we quantified dynamic changes of 46 different PTMs on histone H3.1 by targeted quantitative proteomics using mass spectrometry during SSCs differentiation in vitro, in combination with our RNA-seq data. We identified seven histone H3.1 modifications to be differentially regulated. In addition, we selected H3K9me2 and H3S10ph for subsequent biotinylated peptide pull-down experiments and identified 38 H3K9me2-binding proteins and 42 H3S10ph-binding proteins, which contain several transcription factors, such as GTF2E2 and SUPT5H, which appear to be crucial for epigenetic regulation of SSC differentiation.
Social Brain Network of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characterization of Functional Connectivity and Potential Association with Stereotyped Behavior

Abstract Objective: To identify patterns of social dysfunction in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), study the potential linkage between social brain networks and stereotyped behavior, and further explore potential targets of non-invasive nerve stimulation to improve social disorders. Methods: Voxel-wise and ROI-wise analysis methods were adopted to explore abnormalities in the functional activity of social-related regions of the brain. Then, we analyzed the relationships between clinical variables and the statistical indicators of social-related brain regions. Results: Compared with the typically developing group, the functional connectivity strength of social-related brain regions with the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, supplementary motor area, paracentral lobule, median cingulum, and paracingulum gyri was significantly weakened in the ASD group (all p < 0. 01). The functional connectivity was negatively correlated with communication, social interaction, communication + social interaction, and the total score of the ADOS scale (r = −0.38, −0.39, −0.40, and −0.3, respectively; all p < 0.01), with social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, autistic mannerisms, and the total score of the SRS scale (r = −0.32, −0.32, −0.40, −0.30, −0.28, and −0.27, respectively; all p < 0.01), and with the total score of SCQ (r = −0.27, p < 0.01). In addition, significant intergroup differences in clustering coefficients and betweenness centrality were seen across multiple brain regions in the ASD group. Conclusions: The functional connectivity between social-related brain regions and many other brain regions was significantly weakened compared to the typically developing group, and it was negatively correlated with social disorders. Social network dysfunction seems to be related to stereotyped behavior. Therefore, these social-related brain regions may be taken as potential stimulation targets of non-invasive nerve stimulation to improve social dysfunction in children with ASD in the future.
Influence of Haunch Geometry and Additional Steel Reinforcement on Load Carrying Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Box Culvert

The culverts are used to safely convey water under railways, highways, and overpasses. They are utilized in drainage areas or water channels and in areas where the bearing capacity of soil is low. The design and construction of this crucial infrastructure need to be improved to meet contemporary demands of reliability and affordability. Precast reinforced box culverts are popular alternatives as they ensure strength, durability, rigidity, and economy. This research seeks to develop an effective and affordable design improvement procedure for a precast box culvert using modern numerical tools. The Finite Element Method (FEM) based approach is used in studying the effects of haunch geometry and additional steel reinforcement on the load-bearing capacity of box culverts. A conventional box culvert is analyzed to create the numerical models in the Abaqus FEM code and to investigate the load-bearing capacity of culverts with an expanded span. The outcomes of the study reveal the critical places for stress concentration as well as the location of maximum damage. It is found that haunch geometry and additional reinforcement at these critical places significantly affect the load-carrying capacity of a culvert. From the comparison of capacity curves of models with and without haunches and diagonal reinforcement, it is found that a 25% increase in load-carrying capacity is achievable with the recommended changes. The proposed design improvement technique can be employed for the cost-effective and safe design of a concrete box culvert with larger span lengths and high water-flowing capacities. The findings of this study are expected to assist practitioners in strength enhancement tasks of box culverts for increased structural stability and drainage efficiency.
Prognostic Value of CXCL12 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Tumor Resection

Adjuvant chemotherapy is commonly indicated in lung cancer patients undergoing surgical therapy because tumor recurrence is frequent. A biomarker that can predict tumor recurrence in the postoperative period is currently unavailable. CXCR4 receptor and its ligand CXCL12 play important roles in metastasis. This study investigated the value of tumor CXCL12 expression to predict prognosis and indicate adjuvant chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients. This study enrolled 82 non-small cell lung cancer patients. The expression of CXCL12 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The degree of CXCL12 expression was assessed using the Allred score system. Among all subjects, the progression-free survival and overall survival were significantly prolonged in cancer patients with low tumor expression of CXCL12 compared to patients with high tumor expression. Multivariate analysis showed that the increased level of CXCL12 is a significant predictor of progression-free survival and overall survival in NSCLC patients. Among subjects with high tumor CXCL12 expression, progression-free survival and overall survival were significantly improved in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy compared to untreated patients. These results suggest the potential value of tumor CXCL12 expression as a marker to predict prognosis and to indicate adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical tumor resection in non-small cell lung cancer patients.
Approximate Asymptotic Distribution Functions for Unit-Root and Cointegration Tests

This article uses Monte Carlo experiments and response surface regressions in a novel way to calculate approximate asymptotic distribution functions for several well-known unit-root and cointegration test statistics. These allow empirical workers to calculate approximate P values for these tests. The results of the article are based on an extensive set of Monte Carlo experiments, which yield finite-sample quantiles for several sample sizes. Based on these, response surface regressions are used to obtain asymptotic quantiles for many different test sizes. Then approximate distribution functions with simple functional forms are estimated from these asymptotic quantiles.
Life Detection From Biological Motion

Life motion, the active movements of people and other animals, contains a wealth of information that is potentially accessible to the visual system of an observer. Biological-motion point-light displays have been widely used to study both the information contained in life motion stimuli and the visual mechanisms that make use of it. Biological motion conveys motion-mediated dynamic shape, which in turn can be used for identification and recognition of the agent, but it also contains local visual invariants that humans and other animals use as a general detection system that signals the presence of other agents in the visual environment. Here, we review recent research on behavioral, neurophysiological, and genetic aspects of this life-detection system and discuss its functional significance in the light of earlier hypotheses.
Synthesis, Molecular Docking, and Dynamic Simulation Targeting Main Protease (Mpro) of New, Thiazole Clubbed Pyridine Scaffolds as Potential COVID-19 Inhibitors

Many biological activities of pyridine and thiazole derivatives have been reported, including antiviral activity and, more recently, as COVID-19 inhibitors. Thus, in this paper, we designed, synthesized, and characterized a novel series of N-aminothiazole-hydrazineethyl-pyridines, beginning with a N′-(1-(pyridine-3-yl)ethylidene)hydrazinecarbothiohydrazide derivative and various hydrazonoyl chlorides and phenacyl bromides. Their Schiff bases were prepared from the condensation of N-aminothiazole derivatives with 4-methoxybenzaldehyde. FTIR, MS, NMR, and elemental studies were used to identify new products. The binding energy for non-bonding interactions between the ligand (studied compounds) and receptor was determined using molecular docking against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (PDB code: 6LU7). Finally, the best docked pose with highest binding energy (8a = −8.6 kcal/mol) was selected for further molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies to verify the outcomes and comprehend the thermodynamic properties of the binding. Through additional in vitro and in vivo research on the newly synthesized chemicals, it is envisaged that the achieved results will represent a significant advancement in the fight against COVID-19.
Procedural Defect Modeling for Virtual Surface Inspection Environments

Development of automated visual surface inspection systems heavily depends on the availability of defected product samples. Both inspection hardware configuration and training of defect detection models require diversified, representative, and precisely annotated data. Reliable training data of sufficient size are frequently challenging to obtain. Using virtual environments, it is possible to simulate defected products, which would serve both for configuration of acquisition hardware as well as for generation of required datasets. In this work, we present parameterized models for adaptable simulation of geometrical defects, based on procedural methods. The presented models are suitable for creating defected products in virtual surface inspection planning environments. As such, they enable inspection planning experts to assess defect visibility for various configurations of acquisition hardware. Finally, the presented method enables pixel-precise annotations alongside image synthesis for the creation of training-ready datasets.
Optimizing cardiovascular risk assessment and registration in a developing cardiovascular learning health care system: Women benefit most

Since 2015 we organized a uniform, structured collection of a fixed set of cardiovascular risk factors according the (inter)national guidelines on cardiovascular risk management. We evaluated the current state of a developing cardiovascular towards learning healthcare system–the Utrecht Cardiovascular Cohort Cardiovascular Risk Management (UCC-CVRM)—and its potential effect on guideline adherence in cardiovascular risk management. We conducted a before-after study comparing data from patients included in UCC-CVRM (2015–2018) and patients treated in our center before UCC-CVRM (2013–2015) who would have been eligible for UCC-CVRM using the Utrecht Patient Oriented Database (UPOD). Proportions of cardiovascular risk factor measurement before and after UCC-CVRM initiation were compared, as were proportions of patients that required (change of) blood pressure, lipid, or blood glucose lowering treatment. We estimated the likelihood to miss patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and elevated HbA1c before UCC-CVRM for the whole cohort and stratified for sex. In the present study, patients included up to October 2018 (n = 1904) were matched with 7195 UPOD patients with similar age, sex, department of referral and diagnose description. Completeness of risk factor measurement increased, ranging from 0% -77% before to 82%-94% after UCC-CVRM initiation. Before UCC-CVRM, we found more unmeasured risk factors in women compared to men. This sex-gap resolved in UCC-CVRM. The likelihood to miss hypertension, dyslipidemia, and elevated HbA1c was reduced by 67%, 75% and 90%, respectively, after UCC-CVRM initiation. A finding more pronounced in women compared to men. In conclusion, a systematic registration of the cardiovascular risk profile substantially improves guideline adherent assessment and decreases the risk of missing patients with elevated levels with an indication for treatment. The sex-gap disappeared after UCC-CVRM initiation. Thus, an LHS approach contributes to a more inclusive insight into quality of care and prevention of cardiovascular disease (progression).