Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eye-ball tracking system for motor-free control of mouse pointer

Recent trends and evolution in the domain of image processing have yielded to us several high quality feature detection algorithms. While the research in finding new algorithms is ever so rampant, there is a need for equal number of applications of such algorithms in order to realize their full potential and use for common man. This paper makes use of a mixture of Viola-Jones, Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) and Circular Hough transform algorithms for developing a robust eye ball tacking system for controlling the mouse pointer. The added feature in the system is representing clicks. One blink represents one click and two blinks in a short time span of time represent a double click. The paper also describes some other algorithms which were used but failed in tracking features. Since the computer dependence has increased so drastically in recent times this system proves to be of a direct advantage to people with motor disorders to efficiently browse through their files on the computer. Different algorithms have each a different forte. So instead of making one algorithm very complex to perform well on all parameters, making the best use of all these three algorithms really simplifies the task and yields a better performance than the individual three. The system was tested in different lighting conditions and distances from the screen and yielded an accuracy of close to 96% in efficiently tracking the iris which is very good considering that this is a real time implementation. The ultimate goal of the authors is to build a software package out of this system and distribute it open source; so simplicity in implementation has been the imperative concern to invoke a better user understanding of the algorithm.
Image analysis for precision metrology : Verifacition of micro machining systems and aerodynamic surfaces

The need for accurate measurements of long range low amplitude topographic structure of specular (glossy) surfaces has been increased in automotive and aircraft industries. Optical measurement techniques are the most successful techniques to measure different surface structures with high resolution and high accuracy and at high speed. However, for glossy, specular surfaces many commercial techniques based on surface scattering fail. Fringe Reflection Technique (FRT), mimicking the human observation process of specular surfaces, is then a robust and suitable solution for measuring these surfaces. In our research we are interested in measuring waviness in the micron range over cm long spatial wavelengths. The artefact investigated is a flat casted and painted composite surface. By using a simple and non-expensive FRT-setup, combined with image analysis algorithms high resolution data were obtained. The results match well with reference data obtained by a Coherix interferometer with height measures of some ten micrometers over waviness having a lateral structure of several cm.
BRAF-activated LncRNA functions as a tumor suppressor in papillary thyroid cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in cancer cell tumorigenesis, cell cycle control, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis and drug resistance. The BRAF-activated non-coding RNA (BANCR) functions as both an oncogene and a tumor suppressor. Here, we investigated BANCR's role in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) by assessing BANCR levels in PTC and matched normal thyroid epithelial tissues from 92 patients using qRT-PCR. We also used lentiviral vectors to establish PTC cell lines to investigate the effects of BANCR overexpression on cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Our results indicate BANCR levels are lower in PTC tumor tissues than control tissues. Decreased BANCR levels correlate with tumor size, the presence of multifocal lesions and advanced PTC stage. BANCR overexpression reduced PTC cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis, which inhibited metastasis. It also inactivated ERK1/2 and p38, and this effect was enhanced by treatment with the MEK inhibitor U0126. Finally, BANCR overexpression dramatically inhibited tumor growth from PTC cells in xenograft mouse models. These results suggest BANCR inhibits tumorigenesis in PTC and that BANCR levels may be used as a novel prognostic marker.
Gender differences in personal values of national and local Italian politicians, activists and voters

Theorists of politics of presence postulate that women elected to political office would still hold values similar to ordinary women and therefore represent them better than male politicians. Gender differences in personal values, which underline and give coherence to core political values, have been found among voters: males score higher on self-enhancement values (power and achievement) and females higher on self-transcendence values (universalism and benevolence). Our study aims to explore if gender differences in personal values are still present among activists, local and national politicians. We administer a shortened version of the Portrait Values Questionnaire to 233 Italian national politicians (46% females), 425 local politicians (56% females), 626 political activists (44% females), and 3249 ordinary citizens (49% females). Our results confirm only partially politics of presence theory: females at all levels of political involvement score higher in self-transcendent values that emphasise concern for the welfare of others, but no significant gender differences emerge for self-enhancement, which favour the pursuit of self-interest. Our findings support ethical struggles for more balanced gender representation: a higher proportion of women in politics could strengthen the political representation of self-transcendence values.
WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects: A Summary

To update the current state of evidence and assess its quality, we conducted a systematic review on the effects of environmental noise exposure on the cardio-metabolic systems as input for the new WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European Region. We identified 600 references relating to studies on effects of noise from road, rail and air traffic, and wind turbines on the cardio-metabolic system, published between January 2000 and August 2015. Only 61 studies, investigating different end points, included information enabling estimation of exposure response relationships. These studies were used for meta-analyses, and assessments of the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). A majority of the studies concerned traffic noise and hypertension, but most were cross-sectional and suffering from a high risk of bias. The most comprehensive evidence was available for road traffic noise and Ischeamic Heart Diseases (IHD). Combining the results of 7 longitudinal studies revealed a Relative Risk (RR) of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01–1.15) per 10 dB (LDEN) for the association between road traffic noise and the incidence of IHD. We rated the quality of this evidence as high. Only a few studies reported on the association between transportation noise and stroke, diabetes, and/or obesity. The quality of evidence for these associations was rated from moderate to very low, depending on transportation noise source and outcome. For a comprehensive assessment of the impact of noise exposure on the cardiovascular and metabolic system, we need more and better quality evidence, primarily based on longitudinal studies.
Faecal haemoglobin and faecal calprotectin as indicators of bowel disease in patients presenting to primary care with bowel symptoms

Objective In primary care, assessing which patients with bowel symptoms harbour significant disease (cancer, higher-risk adenoma or IBD) is difficult. We studied the diagnostic accuracies of faecal haemoglobin (FHb) and faecal calprotectin (FC) in a cohort of symptomatic patients. Design From October 2013 to March 2014, general practitioners were prompted to request FHb and FC when referring patients with bowel symptoms to secondary care. Faecal samples were analysed for haemoglobin (EIKEN OC-Sensor io) and calprotectin (BÜHLMANN Calprotectin ELISA). Patients triaged to endoscopy were investigated within 6 weeks. All clinicians and endoscopists were blind to the faecal test results. The diagnostic accuracies of FHb and FC for identification of significant bowel disease were assessed. Results 1043 patients returned samples. FHb was detectable in 57.6% (median 0.4 µg/g, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.8; range 0–200). FC at 50 µg/g or above was present in 60.0%. 755 patients (54.6% women, median age 64 years (range 16–90, IQR 52–73)) returned samples and completed colonic investigations. 103 patients had significant bowel disease; the negative predictive values of FHb for colorectal cancer, higher-risk adenoma and IBD were 100%, 97.8% and 98.4%, respectively. Using cut-offs of detectable FHb and/or 200 µg/g FC detected two further cases of IBD, one higher-risk adenoma and no additional cancers. Conclusions In primary care, undetectable FHb is a good ‘rule-out’ test for significant bowel disease and could guide who requires investigation.
Mechanisms that prevent catastrophic interactions between paternal chromosomes and the oocyte meiotic spindle

ABSTRACT Meiosis produces haploid gametes by accurately reducing chromosome ploidy through one round of DNA replication and two subsequent rounds of chromosome segregation and cell division. The cell divisions of female meiosis are highly asymmetric and give rise to a large egg and two very small polar bodies that do not contribute to development. These asymmetric divisions are driven by meiotic spindles that are small relative to the size of the egg and have one pole juxtaposed against the cell cortex to promote polar body extrusion. An additional unique feature of female meiosis is that fertilization occurs before extrusion of the second polar body in nearly all animal species. Thus sperm-derived chromosomes are present in the egg during female meiosis. Here, we explore the idea that the asymmetry of female meiosis spatially separates the sperm from the meiotic spindle to prevent detrimental interactions between the spindle and the paternal chromosomes.
Dissociation of sustained attention from central executive functions: local activity and interregional connectivity in the theta range

Human brain oscillatory activity was analysed in the electroencephalographic theta frequency range (4–7 Hz) while subjects executed complex sequential finger movements with varying task difficulty and memory load. Local frontal‐midline theta activity was associated with the general level of cognitive demand, with the highest amplitudes in the most demanding condition. Using low‐resolution electromagnetic tomography analysis (LORETA), this theta activity was localized in the anterior cingulate gyrus including the cingulate motor area. These results suggest that local theta activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus represents correlates of an attentional system that allocate cognitive resources. In addition, interregional connectivity in the theta frequency range was modulated by memory‐related executive functions independently of task difficulty. Connectivity analyses revealed a more distributed long‐range network including frontal and parietal cortices during execution of novel compared with well‐trained finger movement sequences. Thus, these results are compatible with a model in which theta long‐range coupling indicates integration of sensory information into executive control components of complex motor behaviour.
Oxidative stress may modify zinc protoporphyrin/heme ratio in hematofluorometry

Washed red blood cells (RBCs), supplemented or non‐supplemented with sodium azide (to inhibit catalase activity), were exposed to different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide as well as ascorbic acid. Strikingly, catalase within RBCs protected the cells against exogenic hydrogen peroxide even at millimolar concentrations. However, the activity of the erythrocytic catalase failed to protect the RBCs when they were exposed to an oxidative burst of stimulated polymorphonuclear cells (PMNCs) in the presence of several reactive species in addition to peroxide. Oxyhemoglobin, with an excess of hydrogen peroxide, formed oxidized hemoglobin species and caused protein denaturation as well as the rise of heme degradation products which was suspected to falsify zinc protoporphyrin/heme (ZPP/heme) ratio as assessed by hematofluorometry. Our experiments may thus imply that the non‐fluorescent hemoglobin background can be modified by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and this can lead to a spurious ZPP/heme ratio. We discuss this phenomenon with respect to ZPP quantification in clinical practice.
Relationship between serum bilirubin and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between serum bilirubin and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS Carotid artery ultrasonography was performed in 198 patients (104 males, average age of 65.6+/-7.1 years) with hypertension. Serum levels of bilirubin and C-reactive proteins (CRP) were measured at the same time. RESULTS Carotid atherosclerosis was detected in 133 patients, 87 of them had carotid artery plaque. The prevalence of stroke (20.3%) and myocardial infarction (13.5%) in the atherosclerosis group was higher than in the non-atherosclerosis group (9.2% and 6.2%, respectively, p<0.05). The average total serum bilirubin in the atherosclerosis group was lower than in the non-atherosclerosis group (12.8+/-1.3 vs 16.8+/-1.5 micromol/L, p<0.01), whereas the average serum of CRP was higher (4.1+/-1.1 vs 2.3+/-0.7 mg/L, p<0.01). After adjusting other factors such as age, total cholesterol, diabetes and systolic blood pressure, total serum bilirubin was negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis in women and men, with odds ratios of 0.49 (95% CI, 0.28 to 0.71; p<0.01) and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.80; p<0.01). Serum CRP was positively correlated to carotid atherosclerosis, with odds ratios of 1.76 (95% CI, 1.36 to 2.04; p<0.01) in women and 1.95 (95% CI, 1.46 to 2.82; p<0.01) in men. CONCLUSION Carotid atherosclerosis was associated with a high prevalence of stroke or myocardial infarction in hypertensive patients. Serum bilirubin was negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
A survey of security challenges in cloud computing

The cloud is an attractive technology which led, in record time, to an unprecedented fascination. It is currently one of the busiest areas of research in IT, because of its flexibility, robustness and ability to significantly reduce the costs of services to users on the internet. Moreover, cloud stores all customer data in data centers scattered around the world. Therefore, security has become a paramount concern that prevents many companies to adopt its services. Users are supposed to store their data, some of which are typically confidential or personal, therefore, we are very attentive to data integrity and confidentiality during transfer to a cloud server. This research paper aims to develop an analysis on the various security risks involved in cloud computing.
Cross‐cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Paediatric Throat Disorders Outcome Test (T‐14)

The Paediatric Throat Disorders Outcome Test (T‐14) is a disease‐specific questionnaire that parents are requested to complete; it aimed to assess the quality of life related to tonsil and adenoid disease or its treatment in children with throat disorders. The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish adaptation of the T‐14, thus allowing comparison across studies and facilitating international multicentre projects.
A Review of Oil Spill Remote Sensing

The technical aspects of oil spill remote sensing are examined and the practical uses and drawbacks of each technology are given with a focus on unfolding technology. The use of visible techniques is ubiquitous, but limited to certain observational conditions and simple applications. Infrared cameras offer some potential as oil spill sensors but have several limitations. Both techniques, although limited in capability, are widely used because of their increasing economy. The laser fluorosensor uniquely detects oil on substrates that include shoreline, water, soil, plants, ice, and snow. New commercial units have come out in the last few years. Radar detects calm areas on water and thus oil on water, because oil will reduce capillary waves on a water surface given moderate winds. Radar provides a unique option for wide area surveillance, all day or night and rainy/cloudy weather. Satellite-carried radars with their frequent overpass and high spatial resolution make these day–night and all-weather sensors essential for delineating both large spills and monitoring ship and platform oil discharges. Most strategic oil spill mapping is now being carried out using radar. Slick thickness measurements have been sought for many years. The operative technique at this time is the passive microwave. New techniques for calibration and verification have made these instruments more reliable.
Semiconductor Nanocrystals: From Basic Principles To Applications

1. Photonic Applications of Semiconductor-Doped Glasses. - 2. Auger Processes in Nanosize Semiconductor Crystals. - 3. Carrier Dynamics, Optical Nonlinearities, and Optical Gain in Nanocrystal Quantum Dots. - 4. Novel Device Applications of Stranski-Krastanov Quantum Dots. - 5. Porous Silicon as an Open Dielectric Nanostructure. - 6. Nanocrystalline Silicon-Silicon Dioxide Superlattices: Structural and Optical Properties. - 7. Quantum Dot Photonic Crystals.
FuzzyDP: Fuzzy-based big data publishing against inquiry attacks

Privacy issues are confronting rapidly increasing challenges in this big data era. There is an increasing trend that more adversaries and hackers are aiming at individual privacy with updated technology, which leads to financial loss and safety issues. We have an observation that existing models, for example, classic differential privacy, provide certain privacy protection to statistical databases with unsatisfying data utility. Motivated by this, we propose FuzzyDP model using fuzzy logic with e-differential privacy, which is the early work using fuzzy logic to cluster datasets in differential privacy. By fuzzifying the datasets into clusters, we can reduce the global sensitivity and therefore control the noise in a satisfying level. In this way, the proposed model achieves better data utility than classic laplace mechanism, while maintains the same privacy level. Our solid theoretical analysis and extensive experiments prove the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Mechanisms of degradation of concrete by external sulfate ions under laboratory and field conditions

The durability of concrete is a major challenge for the construction, which devotes one third to one half of its annual investment to building maintenance. The lack of field data regarding concrete durability, especially in the case of exposure to sulfate ions ("sulfate attack") makes it difficult to determine the appropriate test methods and performance criteria. Additionally, the increased use of blended concretes (cement with mineral admixtures) suffers from a lack of experience regarding their long-term performance. Most results for sulfate resistance are derived from accelerated laboratory tests where performance criteria are based only on macroscopic properties, especially expansion. To fill this gap and better understand the mechanisms of sulfate attack under real conditions, a parallel study of laboratory micro-concrete and field concrete samples under sulfate exposure was undertaken, focussing on microstructural changes in addition to the typical macroscopic characterisation. Four exposure regimes were designed in the laboratory: full immersion (traditional test in "ponding"), pH-control, semi-immersion and wet/dry cycles. Pure Portland blends and slag blends with high level of slag replacement (70 wt.-%) were investigated. The exposure regime has been found to play a main role in the damage process. In ponding conditions, the damage process takes place three stages characterised by a first period of induction, followed by surface damage that finally extends to the bulk of the material. Paradoxically, the w/c-ratio does not seem to have much impact on the ionic transport phenomena but might be more decisive in the microstructure mechanical strength against local stresses. The slag blends, considered as sulfate resistant in ponding exposure, revealed bad performance under wet/dry cycles. This behaviour was attributed to poor proper physical resistance of the slag hydrates to the applied drying. Field observations tend to confirm the laboratory results and validate the test settings. It has been underlined that a direct relationship between the damage (e.g.; cracking/expansion) and the phase assemblage was not evident. However, the study highlights that sulfate combination with the hydrates of cement (e.g.; C-S-H) and to those of slag was found to play a role in the initiation of expansion, which would be initiated either by a swelling of the hydrates or by the precipitation of fine ettringite when the saturation level in sulfate of the hydrates has been reached.
Interpreting plenoptic images as multi-view sequences for improved compression

Over the last decade, advancements in optical devices have made it possible for new novel image acquisition technologies to appear. Angular information for each spatial point is acquired in addition to the spatial information of the scene that enables 3D scene reconstruction and various post-processing effects. Current generation of plenoptic cameras spatially multiplex the angular information, which implies an increase in image resolution to retain the level of spatial information gathered by conventional cameras. In this work, the resulting plenoptic image is interpreted as a multi-view sequence that is efficiently compressed using the multi-view extension of high efficiency video coding (MV-HEVC). A novel two-dimensional weighted prediction and rate allocation scheme is proposed to adopt the HEVC compression structure to the plenoptic image properties. The proposed coding approach is a response to ICIP 2017 Grand Challenge: Light field Image Coding. The proposed scheme outperforms all ICME-contestants, and improves on the JPEG-anchor of ICME with an average PSNR gain of 7.5 dB and the HEVC-anchor of ICIP 2017 Grand Challenge with an average PSNR gain of 2.4 dB.
Preferences for the Return of Individual Results From Research on Pediatric Biobank Samples

Discussions about disclosing individual genetic research results include calls to consider participants’ preferences. In this study, parents of Boston Children’s Hospital patients set preferences for disclosure based on disease preventability and severity, and could exclude mental health, developmental, childhood degenerative, and adult-onset disorders. Participants reviewed hypothetical reports and reset preferences, if desired. Among 661 participants who initially wanted all results (64%), 1% reset preferences. Among 336 participants who initially excluded at least one category (36%), 38% reset preferences. Participants who reset preferences added 0.9 categories, on average; and their mean satisfaction on 0 to 10 scales increased from 4.7 to 7.2 (p < .001). Only 2% reduced the number of categories they wanted disclosed. Findings demonstrate the benefits of providing examples of preference options and the tendency of participants to want results disclosed. Findings also suggest that preference-setting models that do not provide specific examples of results could underestimate participants’ desires for information.