Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial Frequency Analysis Of Three-Dimensional Vision

The concept of spatial frequency has been a useful tool in evaluating two-dimensional imaging systems. In three-dimensional imaging the spatial frequency concept must be applied to the disparity function as well as to the luminance function. Sensitivity functions of human observers to various combinations of luminance and disparity spatial frequencies have been obtained. Taken together, these constitute a three-dimensional transfer function which should be useful in optimizing stereo display systems.
Observation requirements for the second generation EUMETSAT polar system visible/infrared imager

The EUMETSAT Polar System Second Generation (EPS-SG) will continue operational meteorological measurements from polar orbiting satellites in the mid-morning orbit in the 2020 timeframe. The Metop Second Generation (Metop- SG) satellites will carry a payload which is primarily dedicated to operational meteorology and climate monitoring. A core mission within this payload is an optical imager required to meet the imagery user needs for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), Nowcasting (NWC) and climate applications. As NWP progresses towards operation on higher spatial resolution grids, improved representation of atmospheric processes encompassing the whole Earth system will be required, hence the availability of observations of clouds and aerosols as well as surface parameters will play an increasing role in a skilful weather forecast. Imagery data will also be very important in NWC applications, particularly in polar regions where space-borne imagery from geostationary satellites is not available. The EPS-SG Visible/Infrared Imaging mission (VII) follows on from an important list of predecessors such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the Moderate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS). The VII mission is planned to be implemented by the METimage instrument, developed by Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR). METimage is a cross-purpose medium resolution, multi-spectral optical imager, measuring the optical spectrum of radiation emitted and reflected by the Earth from a low-altitude sun synchronous orbit over a minimum swath width of 2800 km. The spectral and radiometric performances and space-time resolution introduce novel observing capabilities that will enhance the observation potential compared to current operational optical imagers. These enhanced capabilities along with the evolution of the VII observation requirements are discussed.
16°C Rapid Temperature Variation in Central Greenland 70,000 Years Ago

Variations in the29N2/28N2 ratio of air bubbles trapped in polar ice cores and their relation to variations of the 18O/16O of the ice allow past surface temperature variations and ice age–gas age differences to be determined. High-resolution measurements of29N2/28N2 in Dansgaard-Oeschger event 19 (around 70,000 years before the present) in ice from Central Greenland show that at the beginning of the event, the ice age–gas age difference was 1090 ± 100 years. With the use of a combined firn densification, temperature, and gas diffusion model, the δ18Oice-temperature coefficient α was determined to be 0.42 ± 0.05 per mil per kelvin. This coefficient implies a mean surface temperature change of 16.0 kelvin (between 14.3 and 18.1 kelvin), which differs substantially from values derived from borehole temperatures and modern spatial δ18Oice–surface temperature correlations.
Portable holoscopic 3D camera adaptor for Raspberry Pi

Holoscopic 3D imaging (also known as Integral imaging) is a promising technique for capturing full colour spatial images using a single aperture holoscopic 3D camera. It mimics fly's eye technique with a microlens array, which will view the scene at a slightly different angle to its adjacent lens that records three-dimensional information onto two-dimensional surface. To date, holoscopic 3D camera adaptors are designed and prototyped for a large scale SLR cameras. This paper proposes an innovative design solution for prototyping a holoscopic 3D camera adaptor for Raspberry Pi, which is a credit-card-sized single board computer. This proposed method extends utilisation of holoscopic 3D imaging and enables the expansion of the technology for various trends applications such as security, medical, entertainment, inspection, autonomous and robotics systems where 3D depth sensing and measurement are concern.
Curcumin and Diabetes: A Systematic Review

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, has been used for the treatment of diabetes in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine. The active component of turmeric, curcumin, has caught attention as a potential treatment for diabetes and its complications primarily because it is a relatively safe and inexpensive drug that reduces glycemia and hyperlipidemia in rodent models of diabetes. Here, we review the recent literature on the applications of curcumin for glycemia and diabetes-related liver disorders, adipocyte dysfunction, neuropathy, nephropathy, vascular diseases, pancreatic disorders, and other complications, and we also discuss its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The applications of additional curcuminoid compounds for diabetes prevention and treatment are also included in this paper. Finally, we mention the approaches that are currently being sought to generate a “super curcumin” through improvement of the bioavailability to bring this promising natural product to the forefront of diabetes therapeutics.
Kinetics of Phenol Degradation in an Anaerobic Fixed‐Biofilm Process

A mathematical model was developed to describe phenol degradation in an anaerobic fixed‐biofilm process. The model incorporates the mechanisms of diffusive mass transport and Monod kinetics. The model was solved using a combination of the orthogonal collocation method and Gear's method. A pilot‐scale column reactor was used to verify the model. Batch kinetic tests were conducted independently to determine the biokinetic parameters used in the model, while shear loss and initial thickness of biofilm were assumed so that the model simulated the substrate concentration results well. The removal efficiency for phenol was approximately 98.5% at a steady‐state condition. The model accurately described the effluent substrate concentrations and the sequence of biodegradation in the reactor. The model simulations are in agreement with the experimental results. The approaches presented in this paper could be used to design full‐scale anaerobic fixed‐biofilm reactor systems for the biodegradation of phenolic substrates.
Parameters of diffusional kurtosis imaging for the diagnosis of acute cerebral infarction in different brain regions

Diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) is a new type diffusion-weighted sequence which measures the non-Gaussianity of water diffusion. The present study aimed to investigate whether the parameters of DKI could distinguish between differences in water molecule diffusion in various brain regions under the conditions of acute infarction and to identify the optimal DKI parameter for locating ischemic lesions in each brain region. A total of 28 patients with acute ischemic stroke in different brain regions were recruited for the present study. The relative values of DKI parameters were selected as major assessment indices, and the homogeneity of background image and contrast of adjacent structures were used as minor assessment indices. According to the brain region involved in three DKI parametric maps, including mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (Ka) and radial kurtosis (Kr), 112 groups of regions of interest were outlined in the following regions: Corpus callosum (n=17); corona radiata (n=26); thalamus (n=21); subcortical white matter (n=24); and cerebral cortex (n=24). For ischemic lesions in the corpus callosum and corona radiata, significant increases in relative Ka were detected, as compared with the other parameters (P<0.05). For ischemic lesions in the thalamus, subcortical white matter and cerebral cortices, an increase in the three parameters was detected, however this difference was not significant. Minor assessment indices demonstrated that Ka lacked tissue contrast and the background of Kr was heterogeneous; thus, MK was the superior assessment parameter for ischemic lesions in these regions. In conclusion, Ka is better suited for the diagnosis of acute ischemic lesions in highly anisotropic brain regions, such as the corpus callosum and corona radiate. MK may be appropriate for the lesions in low anisotropic or isotropic brain regions, such as the thalamus, subcortical white matter and cerebral cortices.
Mitofusin 1 and 2 play distinct roles in mitochondrial fusion reactions via GTPase activity

The mammalian homologues of yeast and Drosophila Fzo, mitofusin (Mfn) 1 and 2, are both essential for mitochondrial fusion and maintenance of mitochondrial morphology. Though the GTPase domain is required for Mfn protein function, the molecular mechanisms of the GTPase-dependent reaction as well as the functional division of the two Mfn proteins are unknown. To examine the function of Mfn proteins, tethering of mitochondrial membranes was measured in vitro by fluorescence microscopy using green fluorescence protein- or red fluorescent protein-tagged and Mfn1-expressing mitochondria, or by immunoprecipitation using mitochondria harboring HA- or FLAG-tagged Mfn proteins. These experiments revealed that Mfn1-harboring mitochondria were efficiently tethered in a GTP-dependent manner, whereas Mfn2-harboring mitochondria were tethered with only low efficiency. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation followed by co-immunoprecipitation revealed that Mfn1 produced oligomerized ∼250 kDa and ∼450 kDa complexes in a GTP-dependent manner. The ∼450 kDa complex contained oligomerized Mfn1 from distinct apposing membranes (docking complex), whereas the ∼250 kDa complex was composed of Mfn1 present on the same membrane or in the membrane-solubilized state (cis complex). These results were also confirmed using blue-native PAGE. Mfn1 exhibited higher activity for this reaction than Mfn2. Purified recombinant Mfn1 exhibited ∼eightfold higher GTPase activity than Mfn2. These findings indicate that the two Mfn proteins have distinct activities, and suggest that Mfn1 is mainly responsible for GTP-dependent membrane tethering.
Spatial and temporal variations in surface water nitrate concentrations in a mixed land use catchment under humid temperate climatic conditions

Streamwater nitrate (NO―3) concentrations along the main stream and at the outlet of several subcatchments within the 114\3 km2 Zwalm watershed in Flanders, Belgium, have been monitored regularly since 1991. Land use within the Zwalm catchment is predominantly agricultural, with forested regions in the south and urban concentrations in the north-east of the catchment. Streamwater NO―3 concentrations increased with increases in stream discharge rates, but in general, discharge rate explained only about 30% of the variation in NO―3 concentrations. The low R2 values were attributed to the observed anticlockwise hysteresis in the NO―3 concentration – discharge relationship and to differences in NO―3 concentrations between both seasonal flow and various flow regimes, with winter flow explaining 51% of the variation in NO―3 concentrations, whereas summer flow explained only 28% of the variation. A hypothesis was formulated in which flow regime accounts for the seasonal variation in NO―3 export, postulating that the catchment seasonally alternates between two hydrological stages. The first stage occurs during wet winter periods, when the catchment drains as a single source area, whereas the second stage occurs during dry summer periods, when the groundwater store disconnects into separate subcatchments. This causes NO―3 concentration peaks to be more delayed during summer storm events compared with winter storm events. Regarding flow regimes, differences between high and low flow conditions and between increasing and stable/decreasing flow were not as pronounced a differences between seasons. In contrast to the estimation of NO―3 concentrations, discharge was a strong predictor (R2= 0\71) of the NO―3 flux within the tributaries of the Zwalm catchment. The NO―3 concentrations in the main stream increased with decreasing elevation, whereas the seasonal concentration patterns along the main channel were similar to those observed at the outlet. NO―3 concentrations varied considerably among catchments and showed a high variability over time, although in general, the variation in NO―3 concentration was higher between catchments than within catchments. The impact of land use is clearly reflected in the streamwater NO―3 concentrations, although NO―3 concentration patterns were also affected by topography and, to a lesser extent, by soil type. A gradual increase in NO―3 concentrations at the outlet of the Zwalm catchment could be observed throughout the 1991 – 1998 study period, providing evidence for the general trends of increase in Flanders, which are attributed to the intensification of agricultural activities. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolving parsimonious networks by mixing activation functions

Neuroevolution methods evolve the weights of a neural network, and in some cases the topology, but little work has been done to analyze the effect of evolving the activation functions of individual nodes on network size, an important factor when training networks with a small number of samples. In this work we extend the neuroevolution algorithm NEAT to evolve the activation function of neurons in addition to the topology and weights of the network. The size and performance of networks produced using NEAT with uniform activation in all nodes, or homogenous networks, is compared to networks which contain a mixture of activation functions, or heterogenous networks. For a number of regression and classification benchmarks it is shown that, (1) qualitatively different activation functions lead to different results in homogeneous networks, (2) the heterogeneous version of NEAT is able to select well performing activation functions, (3) the produced heterogeneous networks are significantly smaller than homogeneous networks.
Identification and management of psychosocial problems by preventive child health care.

OBJECTIVES To assess the degree to which physicians and nurses working in preventive child health care (child health professionals [CHPs]) identify and manage psychosocial problems in children, and to determine its association with parent-reported behavioral and emotional problems, sociodemographic factors, and general and mental health history of children. DESIGN The CHPs examined the child and interviewed parents and child during their routine health assessments. The parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist. SETTING Nineteen child health care services across the Netherlands, serving nearly all school-aged children routinely. SUBJECTS Of 4970 children aged 5 through 15 years, eligible for a routine health assessment, 4480 (90.1%) participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Identification and management of psychosocial problems by CHPs. RESULTS In 25% of all children, CHPs identified 1 or more psychosocial problems. One in 5 identified children were referred for further diagnosis and treatment. Identification of psychosocial problems and subsequent referral were 6 times more likely in children with serious parent-reported problem behavior according to the Child Behavior Checklist total problem score (8% of total sample). However, CHPs identified no psychosocial problems in 43% of these children and therefore undertook no action. Other child factors associated with CHPs' identification and referral were past treatment for psychosocial problems, life events, and academic problems. After adjustment for these, sociodemographic characteristics did not predict referral. CONCLUSIONS The CHPs identify psychosocial problems in school-aged children frequently and undertake actions for most of them. Screening for psychosocial problems may be a promising option to reduce these problems, but accurate identification should be enhanced.
Gynecologic surveillance of women on tamoxifen.

PURPOSE To determine the gynecologic surveillance practices of Connecticut physicians regarding asymptomatic, postmenopausal women receiving tamoxifen for breast cancer management prior to and following a National Cancer Institute (NCI) directive recommending ongoing study and annual pelvic examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS An anonymous survey of 110 Connecticut medical oncologists, and 306 gynecologists was completed. RESULTS Sixty-three of 110 (57.3%) medical oncologists and 134 of 306 (43.8%) gynecologists responded to the survey. Prior to the NCI directive, 51 (81.0%) of the medical oncologists referred patients for annual gynecologic surveillance. A pelvic examination and Papanicolaou smear were anticipated. Following the NCI directive, 29 (46.0%) routinely expected an endometrial biopsy and 17 (27.0%) expected a pelvic ultrasound evaluation. Prior to the directive, 96 (71.6%) gynecologists recommended annual gynecologic surveillance and 35 (26.1%) recommended it semiannually. Following the directive, semiannual evaluation was recommended by 52 (38.8%). Prior to the directive, 11 gynecologists (8.2%) recommended annual endometrial biopsies and 21 (15.7%) pelvic ultrasound examinations. Following the directive these recommendations increased to 24.6% and 59.7% respectively. If the endometrium was 5-8 mm in maximum thickness by ultrasound evaluation, 54.4% of gynecologists recommended endometrial sampling. CONCLUSION Women receiving tamoxifen are now undergoing increased gynecologic surveillance. A rationale for annual evaluation of asymptomatic postmenopausal patients based on endometrial thickening by ultrasound examination is presented.
Improving Sprint Performance in Soccer: Effectiveness of Jump Squat and Olympic Push Press Exercises

Training at the optimum power load (OPL) is an effective way to improve neuromuscular abilities of highly trained athletes. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of training using the jump squat (JS) or Olympic push-press (OPP) exercises at the OPL during a short-term preseason on speed-power related abilities in high-level under-20 soccer players. The players were divided into two training groups: JS group (JSG) and OPP group (OPPG). Both groups undertook 12 power-oriented sessions, using solely JS or OPP exercises. Pre- and post-6 weeks of training, athletes performed squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), sprinting speed (5, 10, 20 and 30 m), change of direction (COD) and speed tests. To calculate the transfer effect coefficient (TEC) between JS and MPP OPP and the speed in 5, 10, 20, and 30 m, the ratio between the result gain (effect size [ES]) in the untrained exercise and result gain in the trained exercise was calculated. Magnitude based inference and ES were used to test the meaningful effects. The TEC between JS and VEL 5, 10, 20, and 30 m ranged from 0.77 to 1.29, while the only TEC which could be calculated between OPP and VEL 5 was rather low (0.2). In addition, the training effects of JS on jumping and speed related abilities were superior (ES ranging from small to large) to those caused by OPP (trivial ES). To conclude, the JS exercise is superior to the OPP for improving speed-power abilities in elite young soccer players.
Subtypes of vagal afferent C‐fibres in guinea‐pig lungs

An ex vivo, vagally innervated, lung preparation was used to address the hypothesis that vagal C‐fibres comprise at least two distinct phenotypes. Histological and extracellular electrophysiological experiments revealed that vagal C‐fibres innervating the pulmonary system are derived from cell bodies situated in two distinct vagal sensory ganglia. The jugular (superior) ganglion neurones project C‐fibres to both the extrapulmonary airways (larynx, trachea and bronchus) and the lung parenchymal tissue. By contrast, C‐fibres from nodose (inferior) neurones innervate primarily structures within the lungs. Histologically, nodose neurones projecting lung C‐fibres were different from the jugular neurones in that they were significantly less likely to express neurokinins. The nerve terminals within the lungs of both nodose and jugular C‐fibres responded with action potential discharge to capsaicin and bradykinin application, but only the nodose C‐fibre population responded with action potential discharge to the P2X selective receptor agonist α,β‐methylene‐ATP. Whole cell patch clamp recording of capsaicin‐sensitive nodose and jugular ganglion neurones retrogradely labelled from the lung tissue revealed that, like the nerve terminals, lung specific nodose C‐fibre neurones express functional P2X receptors, whereas lung specific jugular C‐fibres do not. The data support the hypothesis that both neural crest‐derived neurones (jugular ganglia) and placode‐derived neurones (nodose ganglia) project C‐fibres in the vagus, and that these two C‐fibre populations represent distinct phenotypes.
Degradation in the fatigue strength of dentin by diamond bur preparations: Importance of cutting direction.

The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the degradation in fatigue strength of dentin by diamond bur preparations and to identify the importance of cutting direction. Three groups of coronal dentin specimens were prepared from unrestored third molars, including a flaw free "control," and two groups that received a diamond bur cutting treatment performed parallel or perpendicular to the specimen length. The specimens were subjected to static or cyclic flexural loading to failure and the results were compared with data for carbide bur cutting. Under static loading diamond bur cutting resulted in significantly lower flexure strength (p ≤ 0.05) than the control for both cutting directions (from 154 to ∼124 MPa). However, there was no significant difference in the strength between the control and carbide bur treated specimens. Similarly, the fatigue strength of the diamond bur treated specimens was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.0001) than that of the control for both cutting directions. Cutting in the perpendicular direction resulted in nearly 60% reduction to the endurance limit (from 44 to 19 MPa). Based on the results, diamond bur cutting of cavity preparations causes a reduction in the fatigue strength of dentin, regardless of the cutting direction. To maintain the durability of dentin, cavity preparations introduced using diamond burs must be performed with appropriate cutting direction and followed by a finishing pass.
Inflammation and Immunity : A Common Pathway in the Pathogenesis of Diseases That Affect All Levels of the Arterial Tree

It is no longer news that atherosclerosis is more than a mere cholesterol storage disease. Far from a passive accumulation of cholesterol debris on the artery wall, the atheroma teams with cellular and biochemical activity and communication networks are modulated by multiple risk factors. Among these intersecting networks, those that involve inflammation and immunity have emerged as a central hub for integrating the multiple pathways that drive atherogenesis and the complications of this disease. Recent reviews have recounted the early days of discovery of immune reactions in the atheromata and the participation of cytokines in inflammatory signaling and immunomodulation at work in the plaque. Many excellent compilations have covered this well-trodden turf. Indeed, these recent reviews contain catalogues of the multitude of players—cells and mediators implicated in immunopathogenesis of vascular diseases. Yet, contemporary laboratory approaches have enabled a continuing expansion and integration of knowledge on the details of how these individual players participate in the cellular and molecular systems or networks at work within vessels. The series of articles assembled in this collection aim to look forward and broaden the traditional focus of immunopathogenesis of arterial disease beyond atherosclerosis to encompass pathological processes in the entire arterial tree. We have Review