Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved FDCM in laser scanning inspection system for workpiece deformation

Three-dimensional (3D) inspection based on machine vision is high-precision and efficient. In this paper, a laser scanning system using the triangulation measurement is designed to obtain dense point clouds of the workpiece surface, and the point clouds are projected to two-dimensional (2D) range images. Fast Directional Chamfer Matching (FDCM) is a reliable algorithm for object detection and localization, and it is improved to accelerate the time-consuming 3D registration. Although the author of FDCM greatly improved the directional chamfer matching, it remains very slow in practice. We mainly improved the line fitting process and distance transform in this algorithm, and they greatly accelerate the scanning process. Experimental results show that the scanning system with the improved algorithm can highlight the deformation of the workpiece in real time.
Detecting Credit Card Fraud Using Periodic Features

When constructing a credit card fraud detection model, it is very important to extract the right features from transactional data. This is usually done by aggregating the transactions in order to observe the spending behavioral patterns of the customers. In this paper we propose to create a new set of features based on analyzing the periodic behavior of the time of a transaction using the von Mises distribution. Using a real credit card fraud dataset provided by a large European card processing company, we compare state-of-the-art credit card fraud detection models, and evaluate how the different sets of features have an impact on the results. By including the proposed periodic features into the methods, the results show an average increase in savings of 13%. The aforementioned card processing company is currently incorporating the methodology proposed in this paper into their fraud detection system.
Toward Adaptive Causal Consistency for Replicated Data Stores

Causal consistency for key-value stores has two main requirements (1) do not make a version visible if some of its dependencies are invisible as it may violate causal consistency in the future and (2) make a version visible as soon as possible so that clients have the most recent information (to the extent feasible). These two requirements conflict with each other. Existing key-value stores that provide causal consistency (or detection of causal violation) utilize a static approach in the trade-off between these requirements. Depending upon the choice, it assists some applications and penalizes some applications. We propose an alternative where the system provides a set of tracking groups and checking groups. This allows the application to choose the settings that are most suitable for that application. Furthermore, these groups can be dynamically changed based on application requirements.
Improving Care at the End of Life: Creating Hospice in Place.

©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2017228 Every year, more than 5 million patients are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and an average of 55 000 ICU patients are being cared for daily across the United States.1 Indeed, 20% of all hospital deaths are associated with an ICU stay within the final 3 days of life.2-4 The number of patients admitted to the ICU is expected to rise as our aging population continues to increase. The neurologic intensive care unit (NICU) often admits many patients with abrupt and devastating diagnoses or injuries. The plan of care for these patients can quickly change from aggressive, life-prolonging measures to end-of-life care when the diagnosis and prognosis become clear. NICU staff at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital became concerned with a lack of formal structure and support within their unit to deliver highquality palliative, hospice, and bereavement care to this population of patients and families.
Microbiota, Inflammation and Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, is a multifactorial disease involving genetic, environmental and lifestyle risk factors. In addition, increased evidence has established a role for the intestinal microbiota in the development of colorectal cancer. Indeed, changes in the intestinal microbiota composition in colorectal cancer patients compared to control subjects have been reported. Several bacterial species have been shown to exhibit the pro-inflammatory and pro-carcinogenic properties, which could consequently have an impact on colorectal carcinogenesis. This review will summarize the current knowledge about the potential links between the intestinal microbiota and colorectal cancer, with a focus on the pro-carcinogenic properties of bacterial microbiota such as induction of inflammation, the biosynthesis of genotoxins that interfere with cell cycle regulation and the production of toxic metabolites. Finally, we will describe the potential therapeutic strategies based on intestinal microbiota manipulation for colorectal cancer treatment.
Applications of thiolated chitosans in drug delivery

Chitosan is an excellent biodegradable, nontoxic and biocompatible polymer that is extensively used as a drug delivery system. It has remarkable properties that have paved the way for the introduction of chitosan in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. However due to its poor solubility in water or in organic solvents, it has limited applications. The efforts to overcome the limitations of chitosan resulted in derivatives which are more effective than chitosan in various drug delivery systems. New properties are imparted to the chitosan by the chemical modification of the chain, generally by grafting of functional groups without modification of the initial skeleton in order to conserve the original properties. Chemical modifications of chitosan yielded various types of chitosan derivatives that are used to enhance the efficiency of drug delivery by various routes. The present review aims to provide an overview of chitosan derivatives and their usefulness in drug delivery.
1 Multislice CT : Current Technology and Future

Since its introduction in the early 1970s, computed tomography (CT) has undergone tremendous improvements in terms of technology, performance and clinical applications. Based on the historic evolution of CT and basic CT physics, this chapter describes the status quo of the technology and tries to anticipate future developments. Besides the description of key components of CT systems, a special focus is placed on breakthrough developments, such as multi-slice CT and dedicated scan modes for cardiac imaging.
Determining One‐Year Trajectories of Low‐Back–Related Leg Pain in Primary Care Patients: Growth Mixture Modeling of a Prospective Cohort Study

The clinical presentation and outcome of patients with back and leg pain in primary care are heterogeneous and may be better understood by identification of homogeneous and clinically meaningful subgroups. Subgroups of patients with different back pain trajectories have been identified, but little is known about the trajectories for patients with back‐related leg pain. This study sought to identify distinct leg pain trajectories, and baseline characteristics associated with membership of each group, in primary care patients.
Simulations for time-optimal trajectory planning along parametric polynomial lane-change curves for a unicycle

G2 lane-change path imposes symmetry boundary conditions on the path geometry for autonomous point-to-point movement. This paper presents the comparative study of three planar parametric polynomial curves as lane-change paths followed by an autonomous vehicle, assuming that the neighboring lane is free. A simulated model based on unicycle that accounts for acceleration constraints, velocity bounds and the time-optimal parameterization of each path is adopted. We base the timeoptimal trajectory simulations on numerical integration for each family of lane-change curves under two different end conditions representing loose and hard curvature scenarios to highlight the effect of path curvature on achievable speed or minimal travel time. Simulations show that the dominating factor for travel time of following a lane change curve is different for loose and hard curvature condition. Conclusions for fastest lane-change performed by unicycle could provide a reference for more complex and complete dynamic model of autonomous vehicle considering tire and friction forces.
Evidence from a large-scale meta-analysis indicates eczema reduces the incidence of glioma

We investigated the relationship between eczema and the risk of primary glioma. Relevant studies were selected through electronic searches of PubMed and EMBASE. A meta-analysis of 12 case-control studies and one cohort study was performed. A fixed effect model was applied to analyze 13 studies consisting of 10,897 glioma cases and 56,081 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the associations. The data demonstrate that eczema significantly reduces the risk of glioma (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.61–0.78, P < 0.001). Additional studies with larger patient cohorts are required to validate our findings.
Feasibility of online self-administered cognitive training in moderate–severe brain injury

Abstract Purpose: Cognitive environmental enrichment (C-EE) offers promise for offsetting neural decline that is observed in chronic moderate–severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Brain games are a delivery modality for C-EE that can be self-administered over the Internet without therapist oversight. To date, only one study has examined the feasibility of self-administered brain games in TBI, and the study focused predominantly on mild TBI. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study was to examine the feasibility of self-administered brain games in moderate–severe TBI. A secondary and related purpose was to examine the feasibility of remote monitoring of any C-EE-induced adverse symptoms with a self-administered evaluation tool. Method: Ten patients with moderate–severe TBI were asked to complete 12 weeks (60 min/day, five days/week) of online brain games with bi-weekly self-evaluation, intended to measure any adverse consequences of cognitive training (e.g., fatigue, eye strain). Results: There was modest weekly adherence (42.6% ± 4.4%, averaged across patients and weeks) and 70% patient retention; of the seven retained patients, six completed the self-evaluation questionnaire at least once/week for each week of the study. Conclusions: Even patients with moderate–severe TBI can complete a demanding, online C-EE intervention and a self-administered symptom evaluation tool with limited therapist oversight, though at daily rate closer to 30 than 60 min per day. Further self-administered C-EE research is underway in our lab, with more extensive environmental support. Implications for Rehabilitation Online brain games (which may serve as a rehabilitation paradigm that can help offset the neurodegeneration observed in chronic TBI) can be feasibly self-administered by moderate-to-severe TBI patients. Brain games are a promising therapy modality, as they can be accessed by all moderate-to-severe TBI patients irrespective of geographic location, clinic and/or therapist availability, or impairments that limit mobility and access to rehabilitation services. Future efficacy trials that examine the effect of brain games for offsetting neurodegeneration in moderate-to-severe TBI patients are warranted.
The Effect of Varying Bisphosphonate Treatment on Changes in Bone Microdamage in Osteoporotic Women

OF THESIS THE EFFECT OF VARYING BISPHOSPHONATE TREATMENT ON CHANGES IN BONE MICRODAMAGE IN OSTEOPOROTIC WOMEN Bisphosphonates (BPs) are used for the treatment of osteoporosis. This study evaluated changes in bone microdamage with BP treatment duration. Fifty-one iliac crest biopsies were obtained from Caucasian women, ages 41 to 87 years, who were previously diagnosed and treated for osteoporosis with oral BPs for 1-16 years duration. Patients diagnosed with any disease, drug, or substance abuse that may affect bone metabolism were excluded. Bone samples were sectioned, stained, and histologically examined using light and fluorescence microscopy. Bone area, number and length of microcracks were quantified. Following adjustment for age, BMD, BV/TV, trabecular thickness, and turnover, regression analysis revealed a relationship between microcrack density and treatment duration (p=0.018). No significant relationship was observed between microcrack length and treatment duration. This study provides novel data relating microdamage with varying BP treatment duration in human bone. Given information from other studies showing that microdamage amounts are related to changes in bone biomechanics, the BP treatment duration related changes in microdamage shown offer new information that may help optimize osteoporosis treatment.
Segmentation of Cell Membrane and Nucleus using Branches with Different Roles in Deep Neural Network

We propose a segmentation method of cell membrane and nucleus by integrating branches with different roles in a deep neural network. When we use the U-net for segmentation of cell membrane and nucleus, the accuracy is not sufficient. It may be difficult to classify multi-classes by only one network. Thus, we designed a deep network with multiple branches that have different roles. We give each branch a role which segments only cell membrane or nucleus or background, and probability map is generated at each branch. Finally, the generated probability maps by three branches are fed into the convolution layer to improve the accuracy. The final convolutional layer calculates the posterior probability by integrating the probability maps of three branches. Experimental results show that our method improved the segmentation accuracy in comparison with
Nanoindentation study and quantitative backscattered electron imaging of Human cortical bone

Bone fracture is a burden for health care and especially for individuals suffering the consequences of fracture. Osteoporosis reduces bone mass and increases the likelihood of fracture as it causes bone thinning and increases porosity. The understanding of Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT), a clinical tool used in bone health diagnosis to assess bone quality, requires an evaluation of bone mineral content (BMC) and porosity distribution across the cortex. This new analysis is introduced in this work. Cortical bone quality depends on three factors: material properties, B M C and degree of porosity. Two key techniques were used to characterize bone structure and properties. Nanoindentation equipped with continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) allows depthdependence measurement of material properties (elastic and viscoelastic). Quantitative Backscattered Electron Imaging (qBSEi) is a microscopy technique capable of quantifying the B M C and the porosity of bone tissue. Seventeen human cortical tibiae specimens, ranging from 67 to 88 years old, were used in this study. The results on nanoindentation and qBSEi and their correlation to pQCT data will be presented along with a statistical analysis. The material properties of bone were intrinsically dependent on measurement conditions and water content had an important role in bone mechanics. Moistening bone reduced the elastic modulus and hardness and increased its viscoelasticity. The elastic modulus of bone increased with increasing B M C . In the bone microstructure, interstitial bone was more mineralized than osteonal bone, and thus had higher elastic modulus. The elastic modulus of
Carbon Nanotube-Poly(vinylalcohol) Nanocomposite Film Devices: Applications for Femtosecond Fiber Laser Mode Lockers and Optical Amplifier Noise Suppressors

We fabricated single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)/poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite freestanding films and examined their application in devices in which the saturable absorption of SWNTs at near-infrared optical telecommunication wavelengths can be utilized. In a passively mode-locked fiber laser, we integrated a 30-µm-thick SWNT/PVA film into a fiber connection adaptor with the film sandwiched by a pair of fiber ferrules. A ring fiber laser with a SWNT/PVA saturable absorber was operated very easily in the mode-locked short-pulse mode with a pulse width of about 500 fs. Reproducible stable device performance was confirmed. In examining noise suppression for optical amplifiers, mixed light of semiconductor amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source and 370 fs laser pulses was passed through a 100-µm-thick SWNT/PVA film. The transmission loss of the femtosecond pulse light was smaller than that of the ASE light. This proved that the SWNT/PVA film has the ability to suppress ASE noise.
Diversity Dynamics in Nymphalidae Butterflies: Effect of Phylogenetic Uncertainty on Diversification Rate Shift Estimates

The species rich butterfly family Nymphalidae has been used to study evolutionary interactions between plants and insects. Theories of insect-hostplant dynamics predict accelerated diversification due to key innovations. In evolutionary biology, analysis of maximum credibility trees in the software MEDUSA (modelling evolutionary diversity using stepwise AIC) is a popular method for estimation of shifts in diversification rates. We investigated whether phylogenetic uncertainty can produce different results by extending the method across a random sample of trees from the posterior distribution of a Bayesian run. Using the MultiMEDUSA approach, we found that phylogenetic uncertainty greatly affects diversification rate estimates. Different trees produced diversification rates ranging from high values to almost zero for the same clade, and both significant rate increase and decrease in some clades. Only four out of 18 significant shifts found on the maximum clade credibility tree were consistent across most of the sampled trees. Among these, we found accelerated diversification for Ithomiini butterflies. We used the binary speciation and extinction model (BiSSE) and found that a hostplant shift to Solanaceae is correlated with increased net diversification rates in Ithomiini, congruent with the diffuse cospeciation hypothesis. Our results show that taking phylogenetic uncertainty into account when estimating net diversification rate shifts is of great importance, as very different results can be obtained when using the maximum clade credibility tree and other trees from the posterior distribution.
PEAR: Prototyping Expressive Animated Robots - A Framework for Social Robot Prototyping

Social robots are transitioning from lab experiments to commercial products, creating new needs for proto-typing and design tools. In this paper, we present a framework to facilitate the prototyping of expressive animated robots. For this, we start by reviewing the design of existing social robots in order to define a set of basic components of social robots. We then show how to extend an existing 3D animation software to enable the animation of these components. By composing those basic components, robots of various morphologies can be prototyped and animated. We show the capabilities of the presented framework through 2 case studies.
Transdermal fentanyl for cancer pain: Trial sequential analysis of 3406 patients from 35 randomized controlled trials

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of transdermal fentanyl for the treatment of moderate or severe cancer-related pain. Materials and Methods: Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Chongqing Weipu and Wanfang Database were searched for relevant studies published prior to January 2015. Only randomized controlled trials on the use of the transdermal fentanyl patch for the treatment of cancer pain were selected. Two reviewers independently screened the studies and extracted data. The quality assessment of the studies included was based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 5.1.0). RevMan 5 (version 5.3) and Trial Sequential Analysis software (TSA, version 2.1, provided by Copenhagen Trial Unit, Denmark) were used for data analyses. Results: A total of 35 studies involving 3406 participants met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. There was no statistically significant difference with regard to the effectiveness of management for cancer pain between the use of transdermal fentanyl patch and oral morphine (risk ratio = 1.00, 95% confidence interval, 0.97–1.03, P > 0.05). TSA results demonstrated that the cumulative Z-score crossed its monitoring boundaries, and therefore, reliable conclusions had been drawn. Moreover compared with oral morphine, the use of transdermal fentanyl patch resulted in statistically significantly decreased incidence of constipation, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, and urinary retention. There was a significantly greater incidence of skin irritation in patients who used a transdermal fentanyl patch (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings from this study demonstrate that use of transdermal fentanyl for the management of moderate or severe cancer pain had more advantages compared to oral morphine.
An intelligent model for prediction of brucellosis

Malta fever or brucellosis is one of the most common diseases of humans and animals. Bacteria from Brucella family can infect most living creatures like cows, sheep, goats, humans, horses, dogs and the like. This disease is important because humans are constantly in contact with livestock or animal products such as dairy products, animal meat, etc. Data mining is the process of extracting hidden information or patterns and relationships in a large volume of data in one or more large databases. Such data can be used to increase revenue and reduce costs. By data mining techniques, it is possible to use prognostic models to detect livestock with brucellosis and to reduce the complications of the disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of prediction and diagnosis of livestock with brucellosis disease using neural network algorithm and decision tree. To perform this study, appropriate MATLAB software was used. Investigations indicated that the decision tree provided predictions with higher accuracy.
Use of Ecological Gestures in Soccer Games Running on Mobile Devices

The strong integration of “intelligent mobile devices” into modern societies offers a great potential for a wide spread distribution of mobile serious games. As in the case of Virtual Reality based systems, in order to be useful and efficient, these serious games need to be validated ecologically. In this context, this paper addresses the use of ecological interactions for a mobile serious game. We exploit a wearable insole in order to let users interact with a virtual soccer game via real-world soccer movements. We analyzed the concept of ecological interactions. The system used for recognition of ecological gestures is also detailed. A primary study showed that proposed system can be exploited for real time gesture recognition on a mobile device.