Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A robust method of recognizing multi-font rotated characters

This work presents a new robust recognition method for rotated character images. We first construct an eigen sub-space for each category using the covariance matrix calculated from a sufficient number of rotated patterns averaged by several fonts. Next, we can obtain a locus by projecting their rotated characters onto the eigen subspace and interpolating between their projected points. An unknown character is also projected onto the eigen sub-space of each category. Then, verification is carried out by calculating the distance between the projected point of the unknown character and the locus. In our experiment, we obtained quite good results for three fonts of 26 capital letters of the English alphabet.
A new direct shear testing apparatus for the examination of the velocity- and time-dependent friction

There are contacting surfaces in all mechanisms moving on each other. Between these surfaces friction occurs, because of this we have to take the friction in all cases into consideration during design. Nevertheless in certain cases the description of the friction process is very difficult; because it depends on multiple number of parameters. In case of polymers, granular materials or in geology the velocity- and time dependent friction have great importance. In this paper, development of a direct shear testing apparatus to examine the velocity- and time-dependent friction is proposed. This shear apparatus is attached to the INSTRON 5581 type universal material testing machine and suitable for shearing with different (very low) velocities and on different loads. With our new apparatus creep and relaxation tests can be made, so the velocity- and time- dependent friction can be better understood.
Parsimonious variational-Bayes mixture aggregation with a Poisson prior

This paper addresses merging of Gaussian mixture models, which answers growing needs in e.g. distributed pattern recognition. We propose a probabilistic model over the parameter set, that extends the weighted bipartite matching problem to our mixture aggregation task. We then derive a variational-Bayes associated estimation algorithm, that ensure low cost and parsimony, as confirmed by experimental results.
Clinical Competence in Echocardiography

I n 1998, the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association/American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine (ACC/AHA/ACP–ASIM) formed a Task Force on Clinical Competence to develop recommendations for attaining and maintaining the cognitive and technical skills necessary for the competent performance of a specific cardiovascular service, procedure, or technology. In 2002, this task force appointed a writing committee to revise the 1990 ACP/ACC/AHA Clinical Competence in Adult Echocardiography document (1). The writing committee consisted of recognized experts in echocardiography representing the ACC, AHA, ACP–ASIM, American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), Society of Pediatric Echocardiography (SOPE), and the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA). The writing committee developed a new ACC/AHA Clinical Competence Statement on Echocardiography. The statement has been approved for publication by the governing bodies of the ACC and the AHA (2,3), and endorsed by the ASE, SCA, and SOPE. With permission from the sponsoring organizations, the current article summarizes the ACC/ AHA/ACP–ASIM recommendations.
Tectonic Deformation Associated with the 1964 Alaska Earthquake

Alaska's Good Friday earthquake of 27 March 1964 was accompanied by vertical tectonic deformation over an area of 170,000 to 200,000 square kilometers in south-central Alaska. The deformation included two major northeast-trending zones of uplift and subsidence situated between the Aleutian Trench and the Aleutian Volcanic Arc; together they are 700 to 800 kilometers long and from 150 to 250 kilometers wide. The seaward zone is one in which uplift of as much as 10 meters on land and 15 meters on the sea floor has occurred as a result of both crustal warping and local faulting. Submarine uplift within this zone generated a train of seismic sea waves with half-wave amplitudes of more than 7 meters along the coast near the source. The adjacent zone to the northwest is one of subsidence that averages about 1 meter and attains a measured maximum of 2.3 meters. A second zone of slight uplift may exist along all or part of the Aleutian and Alaska ranges northwest of the zone of subsidence.
Changing Times, Changing Society: Implications for Professionals in Deaf Education

Significant demographic shifts among school-aged deaf children in the United States have not mirrored similar shifts in the teaching force, which remains predominately White. The importance of exposing children from ethnically diverse minority backgrounds to role models who have firsthand knowledge and understanding of issues they face is discussed and the strategies needed to attract minority professionals into the field of deaf education are identified.
MOCARTS: A lightweight radiation transport simulator for easy handling of complex sensing geometries

In functional neuroimaging (fNIRS), elaborated sensing geometries pairing multiple light sources and detectors arranged over the tissue surface are needed. A variety of software tools for probing forward models of radiation transport in tissue exist, but their handling of sensing geometries and specification of complex tissue architectures is, most times, cumbersome. In this work, we introduce a lightweight simulator, Monte Carlo Radiation Transport Simulator (MOCARTS) that attends these demands for simplifying specification of tissue architectures and complex sensing geometries. An object-oriented architecture facilitates such goal. The simulator core is evolved from the Monte Carlo Multi-Layer (mcml) tool but extended to support multi-channel simulations. Verification against mcml yields negligible error (RMSE~4-10e-9) over a photon trajectory. Full simulations show concurrent validity of the proposed tool. Finally, the ability of the new software to simulate multi-channel sensing geometries and to define biological tissue models in an intuitive nested-hierarchy way are exemplified.
A detailed examination of the correlation between imports and failure-proneness of software components

Research has provided evidence that type usage in source files is correlated with the risk of failure of software components. Previous studies that investigated the correlation between type usage and component failure assigned equal blame to all the types imported by a component with a failure history, regardless of whether a type is used in the component, or associated to its failures. A failure-prone component may use a type, but it is not always the case that the use of this type has been responsible for any of its failures. To gain more insight about the correlation between type usage and component failure, we introduce the concept of a failure-associated type to represent the imported types referenced within methods fixed due to failures. We conducted two studies to investigate the tradeoffs between the equal-blame approach and the failure-associated type approach. Our results indicate that few of the types or packages imported by a failure-prone component are associated with its failures — less than 25% of the type imports, and less than 55% of the packages whose usage were reported to be highly correlated with failures by the equal-blame approach, were actually correlated with failures when we looked at the failure-associated types.
QSO-galaxy correlations induced by weak lensing in arbitrary Friedmann-Lemaître cosmologies

We calculate the angular cross-correlation function between background QSOs and fore­ ground galaxies induced by the weak lensing effect oflarge-scale structures. Results are given for arbitrary Friedmann-Lemaftre cosmologies. The non-linear growth of density perturba­ tions is included. Compared with the linear growth, the non-linear growth increases the correlation amplitude by about an order of magnitude in an Einstein-de Sitter universe, and by even more for lower 0 0, The dependence of the correlation amplitude on the cosmological parameters strongly depends on the normalization of the power spectrum. The QSO-galaxy cross-correlation function is most sensitive to density structures on scales in the range (1 - 1O)h-1 Mpc, where the normalization of the power spectrum to the observed cluster abundance appears most appropriate. In that case, the correlation strength changes by less than a factor of::52 when 0 0 varies between 0.3 and 1, quite independent of the value of 0A' For 0 0 ::5 0.3, the correlation strength increases with decreasing 0 0, and it scales approximately linearly with the Hubble constant h.
IVSS-2005-APS-05 Secure Protocol For Inter-Vehicle Communication Networks

Security is the main concern in wireless communications. Future vehicles may use wireless Inter-Vehicle Communication (IVC) networks to exchange data among each other. IVC networks provide drivers with updated information on traffic and road conditions for efficient and safe driving. The main challenges in designing secure IVC networks are vehicle authentication and data integrity. Vehicle authentication requires IVC networks to verify that the information is sent and received by trusted vehicles. Data integrity requires IVC networks to verify that the safety-critical information will be exchanged among vehicles without illegitimate changes to their contents. In this paper, we propose a secure protocol for IVC networks. The protocol is based on the public key cryptography. Our protocol provides mutual authentication of vehicles and data integrity to IVC networks. The paper presents a detailed description of our protocol and its feasibility study in terms of processing time and latency.
Establishing semantic closeness in an agent-based travel support system

Agent system that supports needs of travelers is a classic example of an application of personal agents. This paper re-evaluates assumptions behind the design and implementation of an agent-semantic travel support system (TSS) that was proposed in 2006. The goal is to modify these assumptions to match them with the current user-demands and adjust to the technological changes. On the basis of this analysis, the design of a new TSS is introduced. The key element of the proposed system is semantic matchmaking, which is used to establish, which travel services are to be suggested to the user (an in which order). Therefore, we describe in detail the proposed matchmaking algorithm and its implementation, and illustrate its work through selected examples.
In Subfertile Couple, Abdominal Fat Loss in Men Is Associated with Improvement of Sperm Quality and Pregnancy: A Case-Series

Background The impact of overweight among men of reproductive-age may affect fertility. Abdominal fat, more than body mass index, is an indicator of higher metabolic risk, which seems to be involved in decreasing sperm quality. This study aims to assess the relationship between abdominal fat and sperm DNA fragmentation and the effect of abdominal fat loss, among 6 men in subfertile couples. Methods Sperm DNA fragmentation, abdominal fat and metabolic and hormonal profiles were measured in the 6 men before and after dietary advices. Seminal oxidative stress and antioxidant markers were determined. Results After several months of a lifestyle program, all 6 men lost abdominal fat (patient 1: loss of 3 points of abdominal fat, patient 2: loss of 3 points, patient 3: loss of 2 points, patient 4: loss of 1 point, patient 5: loss of 4 points and patient 6: loss of 13 points). At the same time, their rate of sperm DNA fragmentation decreased: 9.5% vs 31%, 24% vs 43%, 18% vs 47%, 26.3% vs 66%, 25.4% vs 35% and 1.7% vs 25%. Also, an improvement in both metabolic (significant decrease in triglycerides and total cholesterol; p = 0.0139) and hormonal (significant increase in testosterone/oestradiol ratio; p = 0.0139) blood profiles was observed after following the lifestyle program. In seminal plasma, the amount of SOD2 has significantly increased (p = 0.0139) while in parallel carbonylated proteins have decreased. Furthermore, all spouses got pregnant. All pregnancies were brought to term. Conclusion This study shows specifically that sperm DNA fragmentation among men in subfertile couples could be affected by abdominal fat, but improvement of lifestyle factor may correct this alteration. The effect of specific abdominal fat loss on sperm quality needs further investigation. The reduction of oxidative stress may be a contributing factor.
Blockade of the Poliovirus-Induced Cytopathic Effect in Neural Cells by Monoclonal Antibody against Poliovirus or the Human Poliovirus Receptor

ABSTRACT The poliovirus (PV)-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) was blocked in neural cells but not in HeLa cells by the addition of monoclonal antibody (MAb) against PV or the human PV receptor (CD155) 2 h postinfection (hpi). Since each MAb has the ability to block viral infection, no CPE in PV-infected neural cells appeared to result from the blockade of multiple rounds of viral replication. Pulse-labeling experiments revealed that virus-specific protein synthesis proceeded 5 hpi with or without MAbs. However, in contrast to the results obtained without MAbs, virus-specific protein synthesis with MAbs was not detected 7 hpi. Shutoff of host translation was also not observed in the presence of MAbs. Western blot analysis showed that 2Apro, the viral protein which mediates the cleavage of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4G, was still present 11 hpi. However, intact eIF4G appeared 11 hpi. An immunocytochemical study indicated that 2Apro was detected only in the nucleus 11 hpi. These results suggest that neural cells possess protective response mechanisms against PV infection as follows: (i) upon PV infection, neural cells produce a factor(s) to suppress PV internal ribosome entry site activity by 7 hpi, (ii) a factor which supports cap-dependent translation for eIF4G may exist in infected cells when no intact eIF4G is detected, and (iii) the remaining 2Apro is not effective in cleaving eIF4G because it is imported into the nucleus by 11 hpi.
Marrying safety with privacy: A holistic solution for location privacy in VANETs

Existing privacy measures often conflict with the requirements of future vehicular networks. First and foremost, in attempting to achieve local privacy, they interfere with the primary purpose of vehicular networks: to improve road safety. Other solutions undermine accountability or introduce too high overhead to be of practical use. For this reason, proper privacy protection is disregarded in many field experiments, proposals, and standardization documents. In this paper, we take a structured approach to deriving a holistic solution for location privacy protection in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs): Under reasonable assumptions about an adversary's capability, local privacy is neither required nor can it be achieved without compromising traffic safety. Our approach is therefore based on synchronized time-slotted pseudonym pools and the local announcing of pseudonym changes. By this, we overcome the privacy-safety problem while at the same time increasing privacy for all users. Our system is fully compatible with the requirements of vehicular networks and current standardization efforts.
VALIDATION OF BONE GRAFTS IN PERIODONTAL THERAPY-A REVIEW -

Background: Bone grafts are widely used in the treatment of periodontal osseous defects. However, many are unfamiliar with their preparation, exact mechanism of action and processing as well as their use as safe and effective graft materials in periodontal therapy. Also, the clinical benefits of this therapeutic practice require further clarification through a proper review. Aim: The purpose of this review is to access the efficacy of bone replacement grafts in proving demonstrable clinical improvements in periodontal osseous defects. Methods: Data Sources: A literature search was conducted on several medical databases. For study inclusion, all studies that used bone graft in the treatment of periodontal osseous defects were included. Around 80 relevant articles were selected for this review. Results: A large body of evidence clearly indicates that grafts consistently lead to better bone fill than non grafted controls. As more is learned about the biologic process of periodontal regeneration, new graft materials are expected to make the task of periodontal regeneration even more predictable. Conclusion: Bone replacement grafts (BRG) are widely used in the treatment of periodontal osseous defects. Our review of literature strongly suggests better bone fill, gain in clinical attachment level and reduced probing depths with the use of various grafts as compared to non grafted sites. However, the clinical benefits of this therapeutic practice require further clarification through a systematic review of randomized controlled studies.
A Common Case of Jekyll and Hyde: The Synergistic Effect of Using Divided Source Training Data for Feature Augmentation

Feature augmentation is a well-known method for domain adaptation and has been shown to be effective when tested on several NLP tasks (Daume III, 2007). However, a limitation of the method is that it requires labeled data from the target domain and very often such data is unavailable. In this paper, we propose to use training data selection to divide the source domain training data into two parts, pseudo target data (the selected part) and source data (the unselected part), and then apply feature augmentation on the two parts of the training data. This approach has two advantages: first, feature augmentation can be applied even when there is no labeled data from the target domain; second, the approach can take advantage of all the training data including the part that is not selected by training data selection. We evaluate the approach on Chinese word segmentation and part-of-speech tagging and show that it outperforms the baseline where no feature augmentation is applied.
Renal Responses to Long-Term Carotid Baroreflex Activation Therapy in Patients With Drug-Resistant Hypertension

Carotid baroreflex activation has been demonstrated to provide enduring reductions in arterial blood pressure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term therapy on renal function. A total of 322 patients were enrolled in the Rheos Pivotal Trial. Group 1 consisted of 236 patients who started baroreflex activation therapy 1 month after device implantation, whereas in the 86 patients from group 2 the device was activated 6 months later. Serum creatinine and urine albumin/creatinine ratio were collected at screening (before device activation), and at months 6 and 12. Multilevel statistical analyses were adjusted for various covariables. Serum creatinine increased from 78 to 84 &mgr;mol/L, and glomerular filtration rate decreased from 92 to 87 mL/min per 1.73 m2 in group 1 at month 6 (P<0.05). These values did not change any further after 12 months of therapy. Patients with highest glomerular filtration rate showed the greatest decrease in glomerular filtration. Group 2 showed the same trends as group 1 even before device activation at month 6. Systolic blood pressure reduction seemed to be significantly related to the change in glomerular filtration rate in both groups. Albumin/creatinine ratio did not change in both groups during follow-up. In conclusion, baroreflex activation therapy in hypertensive patients is associated with an initial mild decrease in glomerular filtration rate, which may be considered as a normal hemodynamic response to the drop in blood pressure. Long-term treatment does not result in further decrease in renal function, indicating baroreflex activation as a safe and effective therapy.
The Angular Momentum Constraint on Climate Sensitivity and Downward Influence in the Middle Atmosphere

It is shown that under reasonable assumptions, conservation of angular momentum provides a strong constraint on gravity wave drag feedbacks to radiative perturbations in the middle atmosphere. In the time mean, radiatively induced temperature perturbations above a given altitude z cannot induce changes in zonal mean wind and temperature below z through feedbacks in gravity wave drag alone (assuming an unchanged gravity wave source spectrum). Thus, despite the many uncertainties in the parameterization of gravity wave drag, the role of gravity wave drag in middle-atmosphere climate perturbations may be much more limited than its role in climate itself. This constraint limits the possibilities for downward influence from the mesosphere. In order for a gravity wave drag parameterization to respect the momentum constraint and avoid spurious downward influence, any nonzero parameterized momentum flux at a model lid must be deposited within the model domain, and there must be no zonal mean sponge layer. Examples are provided of how violation of these conditions leads to spurious downward influence. For planetary waves, the momentum constraint does not prohibit downward influence, but it limits the mechanisms by which it can occur: in the time mean, downward influence from a radiative perturbation can only arise through changes in reflection and meridional propagation properties of planetary waves.
metabolicMine: an integrated genomics, genetics and proteomics data warehouse for common metabolic disease research

Common metabolic and endocrine diseases such as diabetes affect millions of people worldwide and have a major health impact, frequently leading to complications and mortality. In a search for better prevention and treatment, there is ongoing research into the underlying molecular and genetic bases of these complex human diseases, as well as into the links with risk factors such as obesity. Although an increasing number of relevant genomic and proteomic data sets have become available, the quantity and diversity of the data make their efficient exploitation challenging. Here, we present metabolicMine, a data warehouse with a specific focus on the genomics, genetics and proteomics of common metabolic diseases. Developed in collaboration with leading UK metabolic disease groups, metabolicMine integrates data sets from a range of experiments and model organisms alongside tools for exploring them. The current version brings together information covering genes, proteins, orthologues, interactions, gene expression, pathways, ontologies, diseases, genome-wide association studies and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Although the emphasis is on human data, key data sets from mouse and rat are included. These are complemented by interoperation with the RatMine rat genomics database, with a corresponding mouse version under development by the Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) group. The web interface contains a number of features including keyword search, a library of Search Forms, the QueryBuilder and list analysis tools. This provides researchers with many different ways to analyse, view and flexibly export data. Programming interfaces and automatic code generation in several languages are supported, and many of the features of the web interface are available through web services. The combination of diverse data sets integrated with analysis tools and a powerful query system makes metabolicMine a valuable research resource. The web interface makes it accessible to first-time users, whereas the Application Programming Interface (API) and web services provide convenient data access and tools for bioinformaticians. metabolicMine is freely available online at http://www.metabolicmine. org Database URL: http://www.metabolicmine. org