Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Image deblurring in the presence of salt-and-pepper noise

This work addresses image recovery problem in the presence of salt-and-pepper noise and image blur. The salt-and-pepper noise reviewed as the impulsive noise, in this paper, is modeled as a sparse signal because of its impulsiveness. To accurately reconstruct the clean image and the blur kernel, the framelet domains are exploited to sparsely represent the image and the blur kernel. From the reformulations conducted, a joint estimation is devised to simultaneously perform the image recovery, the salt-and-pepper noise suppression and the blur kernel estimation under a optimization framework. To solve the optimization problem, an efficient solver based on accelerated proximal gradient (APG) is developed to obtain the joint estimation solution. Numerical studies demonstrate the superior performance of the joint estimation algorithm compared with the state-of-the-art approaches in terms of both objective and subjective evaluation standards.
Leveraging nationwide health databases to strengthen research on risk factors.

R ecent meta-analyses demonstrate that individuals with hypertension are also more likely to have open-angle glaucoma (OAG), with a pooled relative risk of 1.16 [1] and an odds ratio of 1.22 [2]. However, the quality of evidence in available studies necessarily limits the quality of evidence provided by meta-analysis. In one of the two recent meta-analysis, only two out of 27 studies employed longitudinal designs, and in those two studies, the relative risk of OAG associated with hypertension was small (1.05) and not statistically significant [1]. Furthermore, in the two longitudinal studies, one had a small sample size of about 3000 with a 9-year follow-up [3], and the other had a large sample size of more than 2 million, but hypertension and OAG were based solely on insurance claimsdata and it had a shorter, 6-year follow-up [4]. In this issue of Journal of Hypertension, Rim et al. [5] report the results of a study testing whether hypertension is a risk factor for the development of OAG. They leveraged a nationwide database of results from a general health screen linked with a nationwide health insurance claims database to study the incidence of OAG in more than 200 000 adults over an 11-year follow-up. The study by Rim et al. [5] strengthens the current quality of evidence in critical ways. Due to the low prevalence of OAG, studies without a large sample size will have insufficient cases to yield precise estimates. Insurance claims databases provide the necessary sample sizes, yet are often limited by the quality of available information. Compared with health records, identification of hypertension from insurance claims yielded a sensitivity of 71–76%, depending on the algorithm used [6]. The study by Rim et al. [5] advances on the previous, large, longitudinal study [4] by linking insurance claims with health screening data to identify hypertension based on the prescription of antihypertensive medication or high blood pressure measurements, capturing those who
Basidiomycete‐specific PsCaMKL1 encoding a CaMK‐like protein kinase is required for full virulence of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs) are Ser/Thr protein kinases (PKs) that respond to changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ and play diverse roles in eukaryotes. In fungi, CAMKs are generally classified into four families CAMK1, CAMKL, RAD53 and CAMK-Unique. Among these, CAMKL constitutes the largest family. In some fungal plant pathogens, members of the CaMKL family have been shown to be responsible for pathogenesis. However, little is known about their role(s) in rust fungi. In this study, we functionally characterized a novel PK gene, PsCaMKL1, from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). PsCaMKL1 belongs to a group of PKs that is evolutionarily specific to basidiomyceteous fungi. PsCaMKL1 shows little intra-species polymorphism between Pst isolates. PsCaMKL1 transcripts are highly elevated at early infection stages, whereas gene expression is downregulated in barely germinated urediospores under KN93 treatment. Overexpression of PsCaMKL1 in fission yeast increased resistance to environmental stresses. Knock down of PsCaMKL1 using host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) reduced the virulence of Pst accompanied by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and a hypersensitive response. These results suggest that PsCaMKL1 is a novel pathogenicity factor that exerts it virulence function by regulating ROS production in wheat.
Scanning Probe Thermometry of Nanosystems

This thesis reports on the development of a thermal scanning probe microscope and methods for nanoscale thermometry. The instrument and the techniques are applied to quantify thermal transport across graphene layers, the temperature of nanoscopic hot spots in self-heated metal interconnects as well as local Joule and Peltier effects in indium arsenide (InAs) nanowires contacted by metal electrodes. The work is motivated by the lack of experimental tools and techniques to characterize thermal processes, such as the self-heating of transistors, in nanosystems. The design, the operation and the characterization of the pico-Watt-perKelvin thermal scanning probe microscope are illustrated and discussed. The performance of the microscope is first demonstrated in studies of thermal transport across graphene sheets of varying thickness. Thermal resistance modulations are quantified with sub-10 nm spatial resolution and sensitivity for the individual atomic layers. The quantification of nanoscopic temperature fields is enabled by the development of a technique termed scanning probe thermometry. Scanning probe thermometry is a two-path method inferring temperature by probing the total steady-state heat flux and a temporally modulated heat-flux signal between the scanning probe sensor and a sample simultaneously. The novel technique minimizes contact-geometry-related artifacts that so far limited the reliability of nanoscopic temperature measurements by scanning thermal microscopy. The method is applied to quantify self-heating of metal interconnects. Nanoscopic hot spots near 40 nm-wide lithographically defined defects are characterized with 30mK sample temperature resolution. The method is further extended by a dual-harmonic detection scheme to separate different thermophysical effects so far only observed as superposition in thermal scanning probe measurements. Advantageously, the technique is applied to directly image Joule heating and Peltier effects at the contacts of an InAs nanowire with 10 nm spatial and 85mK sample temperature resolution.
High Spatial Resolution Non-contact Measurement of Low Current Signal by Needle-Type GMR Probe

Miniaturization of electronic devices has making progress, resulting in smaller current flowing in extremely highdensity LSI (large scale integration) or PCB (printed circuit board). However, measurements of such low local current have still been confronted with many difficulties because of the limitation on size of relatively large and cumbersome typical current sensors, lead to detecting general signals of a wide area. In this research, we propose the novel micron size and high sensitivity needle-type GMR probe in applications of non-contact measuring low currents coming from area narrower than 10 m with small signal crosstalk such as PCB current measurement and low bio magnetic signal detection. Low current of hundreds μA in high-density PCB tracks of 4×10 m pitch was measured with the signal crosstalk less than 10% and 5×10 A of nerve signal model was possible to be detected by micron size GMR probe.
Utility of shear wave elastography to detect papillary thyroid carcinoma in thyroid nodules: efficacy of the standard deviation elasticity

Background/Aims The aim of this study was to address the role of the elasticity index as a possible predictive marker for detecting papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and quantitatively assess shear wave elastography (SWE) as a tool for differentiating PTC from benign thyroid nodules. Methods One hundred and nineteen patients with thyroid nodules undergoing SWE before ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and core needle biopsy were analyzed. The mean (EMean), minimum (EMin), maximum (EMax), and standard deviation (ESD) of SWE elasticity indices were measured. Results Among 105 nodules, 14 were PTC and 91 were benign. The EMean, EMin, and EMax values were significantly higher in PTCs than benign nodules (EMean 37.4 in PTC vs. 23.7 in benign nodules, p = 0.005; EMin 27.9 vs. 17.8, p = 0.034; EMax 46.7 vs. 31.5, p < 0.001). The EMean, EMin, and EMax were significantly associated with PTC with diagnostic odds ratios varying from 6.74 to 9.91, high specificities (86.4%, 86.4%, and 88.1%, respectively), and positive likelihood ratios (4.21, 3.69, and 4.82, respectively). The ESD values were significantly higher in PTC than in benign nodules (6.3 vs. 2.6, p < 0.001). ESD had the highest specificity (96.6%) when applied with a cut-off value of 6.5 kPa. It had a positive likelihood ratio of 14.75 and a diagnostic odds ratio of 28.50. Conclusions The shear elasticity index of ESD, with higher likelihood ratios for PTC, will probably identify nodules that have a high potential for malignancy. It may help to identify and select malignant nodules, while reducing unnecessary fine needle aspiration and core needle biopsies of benign nodules.
Surface fatigue life and failure characteristics of EX-53, CBS 1000M, and AISI 9310 gear materials

Spur gear endurance tests and rolling-element surface fatigue tests are conducted to investigate EX-53 and CBS 1000M steels for use as advanced application gear materials, to determine their endurance characteristics, and to compare the results with the standard AISI 9310 gear material. The gear pitch diameter is 8.89 cm (3.50 in). Gear test conditions are an oil inlet temperature of 320 K (116 F), an oil outlet temperature of 350 K (170 F), a maximum Hertz stress of 1.71 GPa (248 ksi), and a speed of 10,000 rpm. Bench-type rolling-element fatigue tests are conducted at ambient temperature with a bar specimen speed of 12,500 rpm and a maximum Hertz stress of 4.83 GPa (700 ksi). The EX-53 test gears have a surface fatigue life of twice that of the AISI 9310 spur gears. The CBS 1000M test gears have a surface fatigue life of more than twice that of the AISI 9310 spur gears. However, the CBS 1000M gears experience a 30-percent tooth fracture failure which limits its use as a gear material. The rolling-contact fatigue lines of RC bar specimens of EX-53 and ASISI 9310 are approximately equal. However, the CBS 1000M RC specimens have a surface fatigue life of about 50 percent that of the AISI 9310.
Optimal Transport with Proximal Splitting

This article reviews the use of first order convex optimization schemes to solve the discretized dynamic optimal transport problem, initially proposed by Benamou and Brenier. We develop a staggered grid discretization that is well adapted to the computation of the $L^2$ optimal transport geodesic between distributions defined on a uniform spatial grid. We show how proximal splitting schemes can be used to solve the resulting large scale convex optimization problem. A specific instantiation of this method on a centered grid corresponds to the initial algorithm developed by Benamou and Brenier. We also show how more general cost functions can be taken into account and how to extend the method to perform optimal transport on a Riemannian manifold.
Utilizing quad-trees for efficient design space exploration with partial assignment evaluation

Recently, it has been shown that constraint-based symbolic solving techniques offer an efficient way for deciding binding and routing options in order to obtain a feasible system level implementation. In combination with various background theories, a feasibility analysis of the resulting system may already be performed on partial solutions. That is, infeasible subsets of mapping and routing options can be pruned early in the decision process, which fastens the solving accordingly. However, allowing a proper design space exploration including multi-objective optimization also requires an efficient structure for storing and managing non-dominated solutions. In this work, we propose and study the usage of the Quad-Tree data structure in the context of partial assignment evaluation during system synthesis. Out experiments show that unnecessary dominance checks can be avoided, which indicates a preference of Quad-Trees over a commonly used list-based implementation for large combinatorial optimization problems.
WATTLE SIZE IS CORRELATED WITH MALE TERRITORIAL RANK IN JUVENILE RING-NECKED PHEASANTS

Abstract We used morphological measurements and behavioral observations to investigate the relationship between male ornaments and male social rank during the breeding season in a free-ranging population of one-year-old Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). The sample was of birds of the same age class to avoid the confounding effect of age differences. Tail length, used by females in mate choice, and tarsal spur length, used by males as a weapon in fights, were not correlated with male rank, whereas the size of the wattle was the most important trait. This combined with recent studies showing that wattle size reliably indicates male testosterone levels at the beginning of the breeding season suggest that, among males, wattle size may be used as a signal of aggression level, and body condition. El Tamaño de las Carúnculas Está Correlacionado con el Rango Territorial de los Machos en Faisanes Phasianus colchicus Juveniles Resumen. Utilizamos medidas morfológicas y observaciones de comportamiento para investigar la relación entre los ornamentos de los machos y el rango social de éstos durante la época reproductiva en una población silvestre de faisanes Phasianus colchicus de un año de edad. La muestra consistió de aves de la misma clase de edad para evitar el efecto de diferencias entre edades. La longitud de la cola (utilizada por las hembras en la selección de pareja) y la longitud de la espuela tarsal (utilizada por los machos como un arma en enfrentamientos) no se correlacionaron con el rango de los machos, mientras que el tamaño de la carúncula fue el caracter más importante. En combinación con estudios recientes que muestran que el tamaño de la carúncula indica confiablemente los niveles de testosterona en los machos al inicio de la época reproductiva, esto sugiere que el tamaño de la carúncula podría ser usado como una señal de niveles de agresión y condición corporal entre los machos.
LLMS adaptive beamforming algorithm implemented with finite precision

This paper studies the influence of the use of finite wordlength on the operation of the LLMS adaptive beamforming algorithm. The convergence behavior of LLMS algorithm, based on the minimum mean square error (MSE), is analyzed for operation with finite precision. Computer simulation results verify that a wordlength of eight bits is sufficient for the LLMS algorithm to achieve performance close to that provided by full precision. Based on the simulation results, it is shown that the LLMS algorithm outperforms least mean square (LMS) in addition to other earlier algorithms, such as, modified robust variable step size (MRVSS) and constrained stability LMS (CSLMS).
All-Digital Phase Locked Loop (ADPLL) with an up-down counter using Simulink

The concept of an All Digital Phase Locked Loop (ADPLL) with an up-down counter is conceived and presented here. The phase error of a Phase Detector (PD) in a Digital PLL is delivered in bits. The proposed structure enlists an Up-Down Counter to convert this phase error into a suitable input for the Digitally Controlled Oscillator (DCO). This study is simulated using Simulink and the simulation results prove its viability.
TGF-β receptor I/II trafficking and signaling at primary cilia are inhibited by ceramide to attenuate cell migration and tumor metastasis

Ceramide forms complexes with Smad7 to inhibit cell migration–associated TGF-β–sonic hedgehog signaling in primary cilia. The good side of ceramides Ceramides are lipids that contribute to various cellular structures and functions. In the context of cancer, some ceramides, and the enzymes that produce them, contribute to tumor growth because they provide a critical component of the plasma membrane, enabling cells to divide. However, Gencer et al. found that certain long-chain ceramides synthesized by the enzyme CerS4 play a critical tumor suppressor role. C18- to C20-ceramides mediated the interaction between an inhibitory Smad protein and a TGF-β receptor complex, thus blocking subsequent cross-talk activation of the sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway in tumor cells’ primary cilia, a region of the cell that coordinates motility. Depleting CerS4 in tumor cells increased the incidence of distant metastases from mammary tumors in mice. The disruption of TGF-β–Shh cross-talk by CerS4 may also prevent the development of the hair loss disorder alopecia. Both the TGF-β and Shh pathways are challenging to target pharmacologically; these findings suggest that some ceramides may have therapeutic potential against these pathways in various disorders. Signaling by the transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) receptors I and II (TβRI/II) and the primary cilia-localized sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway promote cell migration and, consequently, tumor metastasis. In contrast, the sphingolipid ceramide inhibits cell proliferation and tumor metastasis. We investigated whether ceramide metabolism inhibited TβRI/II trafficking to primary cilia to attenuate cross-talk between TβRI/II and the Shh pathway. We found that ceramide synthase 4 (CerS4)–generated ceramide stabilized the association between TβRI and the inhibitory factor Smad7, which limited the trafficking of TβRI/II to primary cilia. Expression of a mutant TβRI that signals but does not interact with Smad7 prevented the CerS4-mediated inhibition of migration in various cancer cells. Genetic deletion or knockdown of CerS4 prevented the formation of the Smad7-TβRI inhibitory complex and increased the association between TβRI and the transporter Arl6 through a previously unknown cilia-targeting signal (Ala31Thr32Ala33Leu34Gln35) in TβRI. Mutating the cilia-targeting signal abolished the trafficking of TβRI to the primary cilia. Localization of TβRI to primary cilia activated a key mediator of Shh signaling, Smoothened (Smo), which stimulated cellular migration and invasion. TβRI-Smo cross-talk at the cilia in CerS4-deficient 4T1 mammary cancer cells induced liver metastasis from orthotopic allografts in both wild-type and CerS4-deficient mice, which was prevented by overexpression of Smad7 or knockdown of intraflagellar transport protein 88 (IFT88). Overall, these data reveal a ceramide-dependent mechanism that suppresses cell migration and invasion by restricting TβRI/II-Shh signaling selectively at the plasma membrane of the primary cilium.
Anrukinzumab, an anti-interleukin 13 monoclonal antibody, in active UC: efficacy and safety from a phase IIa randomised multicentre study

Objective Interleukin 13 (IL-13) is thought to play a key role as an effector cytokine in UC. Anrukinzumab, a humanised antibody that inhibits human IL-13, was evaluated for the treatment of UC. Design In a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients with active UC (Mayo score ≥4 and <10) were randomised to anrukinzumab 200, 400 or 600 mg or placebo. Patients received five intravenous administrations over 14 weeks. The primary endpoint was fold change from baseline in faecal calprotectin (FC) at Week 14. Secondary endpoints included safety, pharmacokinetics and IL-13 levels. Results The modified intention-to-treat population included 84 patients (21 patients/arm). Fold change of FC from baseline at Week 14 was not significantly different for any treatment groups compared with the placebo. The study had a high dropout rate, in part, related to lack of efficacy. The exploratory comparisons of each dose were not significantly different from placebo in terms of change from baseline in total Mayo score, clinical response, clinical remission and proportion of subjects with mucosal healing. An increase in serum total IL-13 (free and bound to anrukinzumab) was observed for all anrukinzumab groups but not with placebo. This suggests significant binding of anrukinzumab to IL-13. The safety profile was not different between the anrukinzumab and placebo groups. Conclusions A statistically significant therapeutic effect of anrukinzumab could not be demonstrated in patients with active UC in spite of binding of anrukinzumab to IL-13. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01284062.
Occurrence of De Quervain's Thyroiditis after Resolution of Hypercortisolism following Pasireotide Treatment for Cushing's Disease and Surgery for an Adrenocortical Adenoma: Report of Two Cases

Objective: An increased prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity has been observed after successful treatment of Cushing's syndrome. On the other hand, De Quervain's thyroiditis (DQT), in which autoimmunity is not a pathogenetic contributor, has not been reported during recovery from Cushing's syndrome. We describe 2 female patients with DQT coinciding with the resolution of hypercortisolism after treatment of Cushing's syndrome/disease. Methods: The first patient had been diagnosed with Cushing's disease due to a corticotroph pituitary microadenoma, declined neurosurgery, and was receiving pharmacological treatment with pasireotide. Her hypercortisolism was optimally controlled with a minimum dose. The second patient had undergone unilateral adrenalectomy due to a cortisol-secreting adenoma and was on tapering doses of hydrocortisone due to a suppressed corticotroph axis. Both patients presented with clinical, functional, and imaging features of DQT at a time when their endogenous glucocorticoid levels were very low. Results: Oral glucocorticoid treatment was administered in both cases, resulting in prompt recovery. Conclusions: The incidence of DQT following the resolution of hypercortisolism, either medical or surgical, has not been previously described. The exact pathogenetic mechanism can only be speculated on. Perhaps the relative or absolute glucocorticoid deficiency after effective treatment of hypercortisolism alters immunologic responses and renders patients more vulnerable to thyrolytic processes.
Detection of surface breaking on cylinder material using surface acoustic wave generated by scanning laser source

Laser ultrasonics, a nondestructive test method (NDT), is more and more applied in industrial fields such as crack detection in metal and nonmetallic materials, and size measurement and welded joint examination. According to the thermoelastic theory, a finite element model for laser-generated surface waves on the elastic cylinder material is built and an experimental installation using laser interferometer as the ultrasonic wave receiver is set up to verify the numerical results. By changing the relative distance between the laser source and the surface notch in the computation, the scanning procedure is simulated. The corresponding varieties of amplitudes of the surface waves, which propagate circumferentially on the cylinder material, are presented and the physical mechanisms are analyzed. The influence of the depth of the surface notch is also discussed. The results demonstrate the SLS technique can be applied to detect tiny crack whose depth is smaller than the wavelength of the SAW.