Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Color transfer for underwater dehazing and depth estimation

Imaging in the underwater environment suffers from color degradation and poor visibility since the light spectrum is selectively absorbed and scattered by water and floating particles. In this paper we introduce a simple but effective underwater dehazing approach that builds on an original color transfer strategy to align the color statistics of a hazy input to the ones of a reference image, also captured underwater, but with neglectable water attenuation. As an original specificity, our proposed color transfer approach is designed to promote the preservation of salient regions, as well as of the details obtained by subtracting from the input an edge-preserving smoothed version of itself. The color-transferred input is then restored by inverting a simplified version of the McGlamery underwater image formation model, using the conventional Dark Channel Prior to estimate the transmission map and the back-scattered light parameter involved in the model. We demonstrate that our color transfer step is crucial for a good transmission estimation but mostly for underwater dehazing where other specialized techniques fail. Extensive qualitative and quantitative results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach to estimate the transmission, including for cases where traditional specialized techniques fail, and to improve the image quality.
A case of prenatal isolated talipes and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome—an important chromosomal disorder missed by noninvasive prenatal screening

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China Correspondence Ka Wang Cheung, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China. Email: kelvincheung82@hotmail.com
Quantum Chemistry and Chemometrics Applied to Conformational Analysis

Molecular structure plays a special role in science. Knowledge of the atomic arrangement is essential in order to be able to elucidate chemical properties and processes. The first advances in determining molecular structure occurred in nineteenth century. Around 1812, Jean-Baptiste Biot, a French physicist, discovered optical activity by observing polarized light shifting when crossing a quartz crystal. He observed that the light was displaced to the right in some cases and to the left in others. The conclusion was that rotation of polarized light by quartz is an inherent property of the crystal. Interested in the phenomenon, Biot noticed in further studies that similar effects were found when polarized light passed through certain liquids such as natural oils (lemon extract and laurel), alcoholic solutions of camphor, some sugars and tartaric acid. (Drayer, 1993; Cintas, 2007; Gal, 2011) Biot’s observations were very important in laying foundation for the concept of optical activity.
Representative pixels compression algorithm using graph signal processing for colorization-based image coding

This paper deals with the colorization-based image coding algorithm. In this algorithm, a color image is compressed by encoding its luminance image by standard coding method such as JPEG coding and by storing several color pixels called as representative pixels (RPs). In decoding phase, a color image is restored from luminance image and color information of RPs using the image colorization technique. While previous studies have achieved a high coding performance, the compression method of RPs has not been considered because the positions of RPs are inhomogeneous. In order to improve the image coding performance, this paper proposes the RPs compression algorithm using the graph Fourier transform. Numerical results show that proposed algorithm achieves better performance than JPEG2000 coding.
Merging Conceptual Modeling and Law for Legally Compliant Information Systems Design--A Framework-Based Research Agenda

Legal regulations play an important role in the design of information systems and their related organizational systems. A legal assessment subsequent to the system's development can demand expensive modifications or even the need for replacing existing systems. Legal infringements and resulting disputes can permanently damage an organizations image. To avoid these problems, we argue for the consideration of relevant legal regulations as early as the design phase of systems development. Conceptual modeling has proven to be an optimal instrument for system designers. In this paper, we propose a framework-based research agenda for the improvement of conceptual modeling for the explication and communication of legal requirements. We then show exemplary how the framework can be used by researchers to classify existing research results or to derive new research questions in the field of designing legally compliant information systems.
Resource-Efficient Object-Recognition Coprocessor With Parallel Processing of Multiple Scan Windows in 65-nm CMOS

Object recognition offers a more general implementation for vision-based applications. This paper reports a resource-efficient recognition coprocessor with embedded cell-based simplified speeded up robust feature descriptor extraction unit and parallel scan-window (SW) recognition engine, applicable for various mobile scenarios and image sensor types. The feature extraction circuitry with pixel-based pipelined architecture describes the target objects among complex backgrounds, only relying on the pixel frequency from the image sensor. A cell-based SW algorithm enables parallelized recognition in multiple SWs and compatibility to different image sizes. The proposed hardware-friendly object-recognition coprocessor was implemented in 65-nm Silicon on thin BOX CMOS technology with 1.26 mm2 core area and can operate down to low supply voltage of 0.5 V. For video graphics array image sizes, the energy efficiency is determined as $910~\mu \text{J}$ per frame at 200 MHz and 1-V supply voltage. The coprocessor’s classification performance is demonstrated for pedestrian and car detection.
Adaptive orthogonal frequency division multiplexing simulation for under water communication

From controlling of underwater vehicles to data acquisition in underwater sensor networks, underwater communication is a vital aspect in a wide range of underwater applications. The environmental condition of conductivity of sea water results in attenuation of electromagnetic signals and hence sound waves at low frequencies are currently used for large distances. This paper attempts to use adaptive Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) theory to design and develop an underwater acoustic modem. The design intention is to maximize the throughput of the system while meeting average bit error rate target. The iterative design and simulation of adaptive OFDM algorithm is covered in the paper.
Self-assembly of gold nanowires along carbon nanotubes for ultrahigh-aspect-ratio hybrids

We report a novel approach for the assembly of one-dimensional hybrid nanostructures that consist of gold nanowires with ultrahigh aspect ratios (L/d > 500) self-assembled along the axes of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The micrometer-long hybrid nanowires exhibit high electrical conductivity and can be easily microcontact-printed onto various substrates in a patterned form, suggesting that these hybrids have considerable potential as interconnects for nanoelectronic applications.
SURF features based classifiers for mammogram classification

Breast cancer became second major reason for cancerous deaths in women. Computer-aided diagnosis of mammogram images is essential for primeval identification of cancer. Authors use SURF (Speeded-Up Robust Features) local descriptors to obtain feature vector and different classifier for mammogram classification. SURF features extracted from mammogram images are high in dimension, and very large in number. So, PreARM [1] algorithm is used to optimize SURF features. Optimized SURF feature vectors and the class of training mammograms form the transaction database, and then it is given to Apriori algorithm to mine association rules. Authors use ESAR [2] algorithm to get optimized and strong rules. Mammogram classification is carried out using the filtered and strong association rules. Proposed scheme is tested on standard MIAS and DDSM data set. Algorithms performance is measured with respect to area under ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve and classification accuracy. Results of associative classifier are compared with classification using SURF descriptor and distance measure and random forest method. Experimental results reveal that SURF outperforms other methods with regard to distinctiveness, repeatability, and robustness. SURF is computed and compared much faster by maintaining its performance. For SURF based associative classifier, accuracy values for MIAS and DDSM database are 92.3076% and 96.875% respectively, and area under ROC curve values for MIAS and DDSM database are 0.9535 and 0.9221.
Inactive Gingipains from P. gingivalis Selectively Skews T Cells toward a Th17 Phenotype in an IL-6 Dependent Manner

Gingipain cysteine proteases are considered key virulence factors of Porphyromonas gingivalis. They significantly influence antibacterial and homeostatic functions of macrophages, neutrophils, the complement system, and cytokine networks. Recent data indicate the role of P. gingivalis in T cell differentiation; however, the involvement of gingipains in this process remains elusive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of danger signals triggered by the gingipains on the generation of Th17 cells, which play a key role in protection against bacterial diseases but may cause chronic inflammation and bone resorption. To this end we compared the effects of the wild-type strain of P. gingivalis (W83) with its isogenic mutant devoid of gingipain activity (ΔKΔRAB), and bacterial cells pretreated with a highly-specific inhibitor of gingipains activity (KYTs). Antigen presenting cells (APCs), both professional (dendritic cells), and non-professional (gingival keratinocytes), exposed to viable bacteria expressed high amounts of cytokines (IL-6, IL-21, IL-23). These cytokines are reported to either stimulate or balance the Th17-dependent immune response. Surprisingly, cells infected with P. gingivalis devoid of gingipain activity showed increased levels of all tested cytokines compared to bacteria with fully active enzymes. The effect was dependent on both the reduction of cytokine proteolysis and the lack of cross-talk with other bacterial virulence factors, including LPS and fimbriae that induce de novo synthesis of cytokines. The profile of lymphocyte T differentiation from naive T cells showed enhanced generation of Th17 in response to bacteria with inactive gingipains. Moreover, we found that gingipain-dependent induction of Th17 cells was highly specific, since other T cell-subsets remained unchanged. Finally, inhibition of IL-6 signaling in dendritic cells led to a significant depletion of the Th17 population. Cumulatively, this study revealed a previously undisclosed role of gingipain activity in the process of Th17 differentiation reliant on blocking signaling through IL-6. Since inactivation of gingipains accelerates the skewing of T cells toward Th17 cells, which are detrimental in periodontitis, IL-6 signaling may serve as an attractive target for treatment of the disease.
Objective physical activity measurement in the osteoarthritis initiative: Are guidelines being met?

OBJECTIVE Osteoarthritis (OA) clinical practice guidelines identify a substantial therapeutic role for physical activity, but objective information about the physical activity of this population is lacking. The aim of this study was to objectively measure levels of physical activity in adults with knee OA and report the prevalence of meeting public health physical activity guidelines. METHODS Cross-sectional accelerometry data from 1,111 adults with radiographic knee OA (49-84 years old) participating in the Osteoarthritis Initiative accelerometry monitoring ancillary study were assessed for meeting the aerobic component of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (≥150 minutes/week moderate-to-vigorous-intensity activity lasting ≥10 minutes). Quantile regression was used to test median sex differences in physical activity levels. RESULTS Aerobic physical activity guidelines were met by 12.9% of men and 7.7% of women with knee OA. A substantial proportion of men and women (40.1% and 56.5%, respectively) were inactive, having done no moderate-to-vigorous activity that lasted 10 minutes or more during the 7 days. Although men engaged in significantly more moderate-to-vigorous activity (average daily minutes 20.7 versus 12.3), they also spent more time in no or very-low-intensity activity than women (average daily minutes 608.2 versus 585.8). CONCLUSION Despite substantial health benefits from physical activity, adults with knee OA were particularly inactive based on objective accelerometry monitoring. The proportions of men and women who met public health physical activity guidelines were substantially less than those previously reported based on self-reported activity in arthritis populations. These findings support intensified public health efforts to increase physical activity levels among people with knee OA.
Deep belief network based gaze tracker for auto-aiming system

This paper proposes a design of an auto-aiming system, which is capable of tracking a user's gaze automatically. The auto-aiming system is composed of an electric gun control system and a wearable gaze tracker. According to a user's gaze direction which is captured by the helmet camera, the gun can automatically aim an object which the user is looking at. The mapping model between the user's eye movement and the shooting direction of the gun is established by a Deep Belief Network (DBN). This DBN-based gaze tracking model allows the auto-aiming shooting system to aim the target timely and accurately. Finally, the experiment results demonstrate the proposed auto-aiming system for different users can achieve an average accuracy of 96%.
Plasma treatment of polyethersulfone membrane for benzene removal from water by air gap membrane distillation

ABSTRACT In order to obtain a durable cost-effective membrane for membrane distillation (MD) process, flat sheet polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were modified by an atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma generated using a dielectric barrier discharge in a mixture of argon and hexamethyldisiloxane as the organosilicon precursor. The surface properties of the plasma-modified membranes were characterized by water contact angle (CA), liquid entry pressure, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The water CA of the membrane was increased from 64° to 104° by depositing a Si(CH3)-rich thin layer. While the pristine PES membrane was not applicable in the MD process, the modified PES membrane could be applied for the first time in an air gap membrane distillation setup for the removal of benzene as a volatile organic compound from water. The experimental design using central composite design and response surface methodology was applied to study the effects of feed temperature, concentration, and flow rate as well as their binary interactions on the overall permeate flux and separation factor. The separation factor and permeation flux of the modified PES membrane at optimum conditions were comparable with those of commercial polytetrafluoroethylene membrane.
Autonomous Power Management in LVDC Microgrids Based on a Superimposed Frequency Droop

In this paper, a novel droop approach for autonomous power management in low voltage DC (LVDC) microgrids based on a master–slave concept is presented. Conventional voltage-based droop approaches suffer from poor power sharing due to line resistance effects on a virtual resistance, which is solved by introducing a communication system to increase the current sharing accuracy. In this paper, a virtual frequency is superimposed by the master units, and slave units determine their output power according to the corresponding frequency-based droop characteristics. Unlike the voltage-droop methods, the proposed virtual frequency-droop approach can be applied for proportional power management among the energy units and loads in the microgrid without utilizing any extra communication system. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is evaluated by simulations and further validated by experiments.
Risk Preferences and Predictions about Others: No Association with 2D:4D Ratio

Prenatal androgen exposure affects the brain development of the fetus which may facilitate certain behaviors and decision patterns in the later life. The ratio between the lengths of second and the fourth fingers (2D:4D) is a negative biomarker of the ratio between prenatal androgen and estrogen exposure and men typically have lower ratios than women. In line with the typical findings suggesting that women are more risk averse than men, several studies have also shown negative relationships between 2D:4D and risk taking although the evidence is not conclusive. Previous studies have also reported that both men and women believe women are more risk averse than men. In the current study, we re-test the relationship between 2D:4D and risk preferences in a German student sample and also investigate whether the 2D:4D ratio is associated with people’s perceptions about others’ risk preferences. Following an incentivized risk elicitation task, we asked all participants their predictions about (i) others’ responses (without sex specification), (ii) men’s responses, and (iii) women’s responses; then measured their 2D:4D ratios. In line with the previous findings, female participants in our sample were more risk averse. While both men and women underestimated other participants’ (non sex-specific) and women’s risky decisions on average, their predictions about men were accurate. We also found evidence for the false consensus effect, as risky choices are positively correlated with predictions about other participants’ risky choices. The 2D:4D ratio was not directly associated either with risk preferences or the predictions of other participants’ choices. An unexpected finding was that women with mid-range levels of 2D:4D estimated significantly larger sex differences in participants’ decisions. This finding needs further testing in future studies.
Surface Electrical Conductivity Measurement System with Micro-Four-Point Probes at Sub-Kelvin Temperature under High Magnetic Field in Ultrahigh Vacuum

We have constructed an ultrahigh vacuum system in which surface conductivity is measured in situ by microfour-point probe method down to 0.8 K, combined with conventional surface preparation/analysis capability. In order to reduce the data scattering due to changes of the probe spacing, we have employed a dual configuration method in which the combinations with current/voltage probes are switched. The surface-state superconductivity of Si(111)- √ 7 × √ 3-In surface superstructure was confirmed with the critical temperature of 2.8 K. The critical magnetic field was 0.3-0.4 T in the surface-normal direction. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2012. 400]
Cheating and resistance to cheating in natural populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens

Bacteria perform cooperative behaviors that are exploitable by noncooperative cheats, and cheats frequently arise and coexist with cooperators in laboratory microcosms. However, evidence of competitive dynamics between cooperators and cheats in nature remains limited. Using the production of pyoverdine, an iron‐scavenging molecule, and natural soil populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens, we found that (1) nonproducers are present in the population; (2) they co‐occur (<1cm3) with pyoverdine producers; (3) they retain functional pyoverdine receptors; and (4) they can use the pyoverdine of on average 52% of producers. This suggests nonproducers can potentially act as social cheats in soil: utilizing the pyoverdine of others while producing little or none themselves. However, we found considerable variation in the extent to which nonproducers can exploit producers, as some isolates appear to produce exclusive forms of pyoverdine or kill nonproducers with toxins. We examined the consequences of this variation using theoretical modeling. We found variance in exploitability leads to some cheats gaining increased fitness benefits and others decreased benefits. However, the absolute gain in fitness from high exploitation is lower than the drop in fitness from low exploitation, decreasing the mean fitness of cheats and subsequently lowering the proportion of cheats maintained in the population. Our results suggest that although cooperator‐cheat dynamics can occur in soil, a range of mechanisms can prevent nonproducers from exploiting producers.
Coronary artery disease in decompensated patients undergoing liver transplantation evaluation

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT). However, the current literature is limited by sampling bias and nondefinitive assessment of CAD. The current study examines the prevalence of CAD via per protocol coronary angiography and its relationship to etiology of liver disease in patients undergoing liver transplantation evaluation (LTE). Data on 228 patients were prospectively collected who had coronary angiography as part of LTE between 2011 and 2014. Coronary angiography was done in all patients age ≥50 years or with CAD risk factors. CAD was defined as any coronary artery stenosis, whereas stenosis ≥ 70% in distribution of 1 or 3 major coronary arteries was considered as single‐ or triple‐vessel disease. CAD was detected in 36.8% of patients, with the highest prevalence among nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients with cirrhosis (52.8%). Prevalence of single‐vessel disease was higher among patients with NASH compared with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcoholic cirrhosis (15.1% versus 4.6% versus 6.6%; P = 0.02). Similarly, patients with NASH were more likely to have triple‐vessel disease when compared with HCV and alcoholic cirrhosis (9.4% versus 0.9% versus 0%; P = 0.001). While adjusting for traditional risk factors for CAD, only NASH as etiology of liver disease remained significantly associated with CAD. Complications from diagnostic coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention were low (2.6%). In conclusion, patients undergoing LTE have a high prevalence of CAD, which varies widely depending on etiology of liver cirrhosis. The procedural complications from coronary angiography are low. Liver Transplantation 24 333–342 2018 AASLD.
Neutron Diffraction and Finite‐Element Analysis of Thermal Residual Stresses on Diffusion‐Bonded Silicon Carbide‐Molybdenum Joints

Various approaches can be used to minimize residual stresses in ceramic-metal joining, such as a refractory-metal interlayer in a hot-pressed joint. Nonetheless, it is still necessary to characterize the stresses at and near the interface between the interlayer and the ceramic, as a function of the hot-pressing parameters. This study combines two techniques to assess the stress distribution of hot-pressed silicon carbide-molybdenum joints: neutron diffraction and finite-element (FEM) analysis. The results demonstrate that the joining temperature greatly influences the final stress distribution, and that significant stress accommodation is achieved by controlling the cooling rate of the diffusion couples. FEM analysis provides a broad view of stress distribution profiles, whereas experimental stress values that are obtained via neutron diffraction allow a better assessment of the effects of parameters that are not easily reproduced using a mathematical model.