Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Image Watermarking Using Structure Based Wavelet Tree Quantization

In this paper, we proposed a novel wavelet-tree based watermarking method by using structure-based quantization. First, we arrange wavelet-trees into super-trees. Secondly, the watermark bits are embedded into the super-trees by the proposed structure-based quantization method. According to these bits, the super-trees will be quantized into a significant structure. Compared to the unquantized super-tree, the quantized version has strong statistical character in energy distribution. Based on this character, the watermark bits could be extracted robustly from the attack of image distortion. The experimental results show that the proposed watermarking method performs well in JPEG compression and filtering (Gaussian filter, median filter and sharpen). In addition, it is also very robust to against the multiple watermark attack.
Effects of early corticosteroid treatment on magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography findings in giant cell arteritis.

OBJECTIVE To compare the impact of initial corticosteroid treatment on high-resolution MRI and colour-coded duplex sonography (CCDS) findings in patients with GCA (temporal). METHODS Sensitivity and specificity of CCDS and high-resolution contrast-enhanced MRI studies of 59 patients with suspected GCA were retrospectively analysed. Patients were grouped according to the duration of steroid treatment before imaging: 0-1 day, 2-4 days and >4 days. In 41 patients, imaging results were compared with findings of temporal artery biopsy (TAB). RESULTS Sixty-one per cent (36/59) of patients were diagnosed with GCA. TAB findings were positive in 59% (24/41). The compared results of TAB sensitivity of CCDS and MRI under steroid treatment of 0-1 day were 92% and 90%, 2-4 days 80% and 78% and >4 days 50% and 80%, respectively. The compared results of the final clinical diagnosis sensitivity of CCDS and MRI under steroid treatment of 0-1 day was 88% and 85%, 2-4 days 50% and 64% and >4 days 50% and 56%, respectively. CONCLUSION Sensitivity of a first-time CCDS or an MRI for detection of GCA rapidly decreases under corticosteroid treatment. Therefore imaging of patients with suspected GCA should be performed as soon as possible, preferably within the first days of treatment.
Investigating the Effects of Exploratory Semantic Search on the Use of a Museum Archive

Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in how new technologies can support the more effective use of online museum content. Two particularly relevant developments are exploratory search and semantic web technologies. Exploratory search tools support a more undirected and serendipitous interaction with the content. Semantic web technology, when applied in this context, allows the exploitation of metadata and ontologies to provide more intelligent support for user interaction. Bletchley Park Text is a museum web application supporting a semantic driven, exploratory approach to the search and navigation of digital museum resources. Bletchley Park Text uses semantics to organise selected content (i.e. stories) into a number of composite pages that illustrate conceptual patterns in the content, and from which the content itself can be accessed. The use made of Bletchley Park Text over an eight month period was analysed in order to understand the kinds of trajectories across the available resources that users could make with such a system. The results identified two distinct strategies of exploratory search. A risky strategy was characterised as incorporating: conceptual jumps between successive queries, a larger number of shorter queries and the use of the stories themselves to acclimatise to a new set of search results. A cautious strategy was characterised as incorporating: small conceptual shifts between queries, a smaller number of longer queries and the use of composite pages to acclimatise to a set of new search results. These findings have implications for the intelligent scaffolding of exploratory search.
InfluenceRank: An Efficient Social Influence Measurement for Millions of Users in Microblog

Microblog, as one of the most popular social networking services, plays an increasingly significant role in communication and information propagation. Among the numerous studies on social network, one critical problem is identifying the influencers (or opinion leaders) and quantifying the influence strength of each individual effectively. This paper focuses on the problem of measuring users' influence in microblog network. We define respectively, the social influence in terms of the ability of interactivity driven and the breadth of information dissemination in global network. With the analysis of the characteristics of interactive behaviors and the way of information spread, the principal factors indicating influence are explored, which include the quantity and quality of followers, the quality of tweets, the ratio of retweeting and the similarity of users' interests. Although so many metrics have been taken into account to measure influence in proposed User Relative Influence Measure Model and User Network Global Influence Model, our Influence Rank Algorithm to implement the models is only O(e) on time complexity. Finally, the experimental evaluations and comparisons with related algorithms on million-user-level dataset demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of Influence Rank Algorithm.
The MPEG-7 Multimedia Content Description Standard and the XML Schema Language

Web accessed multimedia applications have been widely adopted under enhanced requirements for fast searching, browsing and retrieval. Efficient multimedia data content description is a neccesary and critical issue towards which several solutions have been proposed. In the present paper, we focus on the MPEG-7 standard as an efficient multimedia content description tool. MPEG-7 is a newly introduced standard from the MPEG commitee and a brief description of the standard and its components is given here. MPEG7 Language-Schema as used towards efficient Audio/Visual content description is discussed more extensively. As decided by the MPEG-7 committee it the Description Definition Language (DDL) of the standard should be based on the XML Schema. The several extensions to this schema, necessary for satisfying the requirements of MPEG-7 are discussed, while other functionalities of the schema which seem not necessary under current specifications are also
Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis: A Review

Catalytic pyrolysis is a promising thermochemical conversion route for lignocellulosic biomass that produces chemicals and fuels compatible with current, petrochemical infrastructure. Catalytic modifications to pyrolysis bio-oils are geared towards the elimination and substitution of oxygen and oxygen-containing functionalities in addition to increasing the hydrogen to carbon ratio of the final products. Recent progress has focused on both hydrodeoxygenation and hydrogenation of bio-oil using a variety of metal catalysts and the production of aromatics from bio-oil using cracking zeolites. Research is currently focused on developing multi-functional catalysts used in situ that benefit from the advantages of both hydrodeoxygenation and zeolite cracking. Development of robust, highly selective catalysts will help achieve the goal of producing drop-in fuels and petrochemical commodities from wood and other lignocellulosic biomass streams. The current paper will examine these developments by means of a review of existing literature.
Two-level Pipelining of Systolic Array Graphics Engines

In a systolic array, the maximum operating speed is determined by the most complex operation performed. In a systolic army graphics engine, capable of generating high quality images, one has to perform complex operations at a very high speed. We propose to use pipelined functional units in systolic army graphics engines as they can perform complex operations at high speeds. Due to time-varying discontinuities of operations performed by systolic army graphics engines, introduction of pipelined functional units is a complex problem. In this paper we present a methodology which solves this problem by a graphtheoretic approach. Furthermore, we characttTize the architectures which can be improved by pipelined functional units.
Acoustic noise and functional magnetic resonance imaging: Current strategies and future prospects

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become the method of choice for studying the neural correlates of cognitive tasks. Nevertheless, the scanner produces acoustic noise during the image acquisition process, which is a problem in the study of auditory pathway and language generally. The scanner acoustic noise not only produces activation in brain regions involved in auditory processing, but also interferes with the stimulus presentation. Several strategies can be used to address this problem, including modifications of hardware and software. Although reduction of the source of the acoustic noise would be ideal, substantial hardware modifications to the current base of installed MRI systems would be required. Therefore, the most common strategy employed to minimize the problem involves software modifications. In this work we consider three main types of acquisitions: compressed, partially silent, and silent. For each implementation, paradigms using block and event‐related designs are assessed. We also provide new data, using a silent event‐related (SER) design, which demonstrate higher blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) response to a simple auditory cue when compared to a conventional image acquisition. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2002;16:497–510. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Predicting Effort and Errors for Embedded Software Development Projects 2. Software Project Management and Issues 3. Software Development Processes and Selection of Data 3.1 Data Sets for Creating Models

Recently, growth in the information industry has caused a wide range of uses for information devices, and the associated need for more complex embedded software, that provides these devices with the latest performance and function enhancements (Hirayama (2004); Nakamoto et al. (1997)). Consequently, it is increasingly important for embedded software-development corporations to ascertain how to develop software efficiently, whilst guaranteeing delivery time and quality, and keeping development low costs (Boehm (1976); Tamaru (2004); Watanabe (2004)). Hence, companies and divisions involved in the development of such software are focusing on various types of improvement, particularly process improvement. Predicting effort requirements of new projects and guaranteeing quality of software are especially important, because the prediction relates directly to costs, while the quality reflects on the reliability of the corporation Komiyama (2003); N. (2004); Nakashima (2004); Ogasawara & Kojima (2003); Takagi (2003). In the field of embedded software, development techniques, management techniques, tools, testing techniques, reuse techniques, real-time operating systems and so on, have already been studied. However, there is little research on the relationship between the scale of the development and the number of errors, based of data accumulated from past projects. As a result, previously we described the prediction of the total scale using multiple regression analysis (Iwata et al. (2006b); Nakashima et al. (2006)) and collaborative filtering (Iwata et al. (2006a)). In this Chapter we therefore, propose a method for creating effort and errors prediction model using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for complementing missing values (Iwata et al. (2006a)). The proposed method calculates the amount of effort and the number of errors by the following 3 steps. The first step, the similarity between the complementary project data, which include missing values, and the complete project data is calculated. Next, applies collaborative filtering using the method Tsunoda et al. (Tsunoda et al. (2005)) to complement missing values in the data and thus produce sufficient amount of data. In the final step, the prediction target project effort (or errors) is calculated Applying an Artificial Neural Network to Predicting Effort and Errors for Embedded Software Development Projects 13
Influence of Environmental Factors on the Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Content and Profile of Alexandrium catenella (Dinophyceae) Isolated from the Mediterranean Sea

Laboratory experiments were designed to study the toxin content and profile of the Alexandrium catenella strain ACT03 (isolated from Thau Lagoon, French Mediterranean) in response to abiotic environmental factors under nutrient-replete conditions. This dinoflagellate can produce various paralytic shellfish toxins with concentrations ranging from 2.9 to 50.3 fmol/cell. The toxin profile was characterized by carbamate toxins (GTX3, GTX4 and GTX5) and N-sulfocarbamoyl toxins (C1, C2, C3 and C4). C2 dominated at 12–18 °C, but only for salinities ranging from 10 to 25 psu, whereas GTX5 became dominant at temperatures ranging from 21 to 30 °C at almost all salinities. There was no significant variation in the cellular toxin amount from 18 °C to 27 °C for salinities ranging between 30 and 40 psu. At salinities of 10 to 25 psu, the toxin concentrations always remained below 20 fmol/cell. Toxin content was stable for irradiance ranging from 10 to 70 μmol photons/m2/s then slightly increased. Overall, the toxin profile was more stable than the toxin content (fmol/cell), except for temperature and/or salinity values different from those recorded during Alexandrium blooms in Thau Lagoon.
A simple detection scheme of LSB steganography based on statistics of image difference signal

We propose a simple steganalytic scheme for least significant bit embedding. The new method is based on statistics of image difference signal, and enables us to estimate the relative message length with such a high accuracy as Sample Pairs Analysis. Experimental results show that our method detects a stego Work which is missed by Sample Pairs Analysis, and vice versa. This implies that a combination of several steganalytic techniques should be used to reduce the missing rate. We believe our method is one of useful tools for LSB steganalysis.
HIGH-RESOLUTION ABUNDANCE ANALYSIS OF TWO INDIVIDUAL STARS OF THE BULGE GLOBULAR CLUSTER NGC 6553

A detailed abundance analysis of 2 giants of the metal-rich bulge globular cluster NGC 6553 was carried out us- ing high resolution ´ echelle spectra obtained at the ESO 3.6m telescope. The temperature calibration of metal-rich cool giants needs high quality photometric data. We have obtained JK photometry at ESO and VI photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope for NGC 6553. The main purpose of this analysis consists in the determination of elemental abundance ratios for this key bulge cluster, as a basis for the fundamental calibration of metal-rich populations. The present analysis provides a metallicity (Fe/H) = 0.550. 2 which, combined to overabundances relative to Fe of several elements, results in an overall metallicity Z Z.
Visualizing Geospatial Information Uncertainty: What We Know and What We Need to Know

Developing reliable methods for representing and managing information uncertainty remains a persistent and relevant challenge to GIScience. Information uncertainty is an intricate idea, and recent examinations of this concept have generated many perspectives on its representation and visualization, with perspectives emerging from a wide range of disciplines and application contexts. In this paper, we review and assess progress toward visual tools and methods to help analysts manage and understand information uncertainty. Specifically, we report on efforts to conceptualize uncertainty, decision making with uncertainty, frameworks for representing uncertainty, visual representation and user control of displays of information uncertainty, and evaluative efforts to assess the use and usability of visual displays of uncertainty. We conclude by identifying seven key research challenges in visualizing information uncertainty, particularly as it applies to decision making and analysis.
Growth Laws in Cancer: Implications for Radiotherapy

Abstract Castorina, P., Deisboeck, T. S. , Gabriele, P. and Guiot, C. Growth Laws in Cancer: Implications for Radiotherapy. Radiat. Res. 168, 349–356 (2007). Comparing the conventional Gompertz tumor growth law (GL) with the “Universal” law (UL), which has recently been proposed and applied to cancer, we have investigated the implications of the growth laws for various radiotherapy regimens. According to the GL, the surviving tumor cell fraction could be reduced ad libitum, independent of the initial tumor mass, simply by increasing the number of treatments. In contrast, if tumor growth dynamics follows the Universal scaling law, there is a lower limit of the surviving fraction that cannot be reduced further regardless of the total number of treatments. This finding can explain the so-called tumor size effect and re-emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis because it implies that radiotherapy may be successful provided that the tumor mass at treatment onset is rather small. Taken together with our previous work, the implications of these findings include revisiting standard radiotherapy regimens and treatment protocols overall.
Genetic Deletion of NR3A Accelerates Glutamatergic Synapse Maturation

Glutamatergic synapse maturation is critically dependent upon activation of NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs); however, the contributions of NR3A subunit-containing NMDARs to this process have only begun to be considered. Here we characterized the expression of NR3A in the developing mouse forebrain and examined the consequences of NR3A deletion on excitatory synapse maturation. We found that NR3A is expressed in many subcellular compartments, and during early development, NR3A subunits are particularly concentrated in the postsynaptic density (PSD). NR3A levels dramatically decline with age and are no longer enriched at PSDs in juveniles and adults. Genetic deletion of NR3A accelerates glutamatergic synaptic transmission, as measured by AMPAR-mediated postsynaptic currents recorded in hippocampal CA1. Consistent with the functional observations, we observed that the deletion of NR3A accelerated the expression of the glutamate receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and GluR1 in the PSD in postnatal day (P) 8 mice. These data support the idea that glutamate receptors concentrate at synapses earlier in NR3A-knockout (NR3A-KO) mice. The precocious maturation of both AMPAR function and glutamate receptor expression are transient in NR3A-KO mice, as AMPAR currents and glutamate receptor protein levels are similar in NR3A-KO and wildtype mice by P16, an age when endogenous NR3A levels are normally declining. Taken together, our data support a model whereby NR3A negatively regulates the developmental stabilization of glutamate receptors involved in excitatory neurotransmission, synaptogenesis, and spine growth.
Genetic Disruption of Myostatin Reduces the Development of Proatherogenic Dyslipidemia and Atherogenic Lesions In Ldlr Null Mice

OBJECTIVE Insulin-resistant states, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, contribute substantially to accelerated atherogenesis. Null mutations of myostatin (Mstn) are associated with increased muscle mass and decreased fat mass. In this study, we determined whether Mstn disruption could prevent the development of insulin resistance, proatherogenic dyslipidemia, and atherogenesis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS C57BL/6 Ldlr−/− mice were cross-bred with C57BL/6 Mstn−/− mice for >10 generations to generate Mstn−/−/Ldlr−/− double-knockout mice. The effects of high-fat/high-cholesterol diet on body composition, plasma lipids, systemic and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity, hepatic steatosis, as well as aortic atheromatous lesion were characterized in Mstn−/−/Ldlr−/− mice in comparison with control Mstn+/+/Ldlr−/− mice. RESULTS Compared with Mstn+/+/Ldlr−/− controls, Mstn−/−/ Ldlr−/− mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity, and had greatly improved insulin sensitivity, as indicated by 42% higher glucose infusion rate and 90% greater muscle [3H]-2-deoxyglucose uptake during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Mstn−/−/Ldlr−/− mice were protected against diet-induced hepatic steatosis and had 56% higher rate of hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation than controls. Mstn−/−/Ldlr−/− mice also had 36% lower VLDL secretion rate and were protected against diet-induced dyslipidemia, as indicated by 30–60% lower VLDL and LDL cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triglycerides. Magnetic resonance angiography and en face analyses demonstrated 41% reduction in aortic atheromatous lesions in Ldlr−/− mice with Mstn deletion. CONCLUSIONS Inactivation of Mstn protects against the development of insulin resistance, proatherogenic dyslipidemia, and aortic atherogenesis in Ldlr−/− mice. Myostatin may be a useful target for drug development for prevention and treatment of obesity and its associated type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Prognostic significance of spontaneous echocardiographic contrast detected by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the era of harmonic imaging

Introduction Echocardiographic diagnosis of spontaneous intracardiac contrast is the reflection of interactions between erythrocytes and plasma proteins. Underlying conditions are associated with low blood flow velocities in the heart. We sought to determine whether spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) detected in the era of widespread use of harmonic imaging still reflects poor prognosis and risk of thromboembolism. Material and methods We retrospectively analyzed the database of a tertiary cardiology centre echocardiographic laboratory and identified 60 patients with SEC, but without solid intracardiac structures, and subsequently selected 60 sex- and age-matched controls without SEC. Data regarding baseline characteristics, treatment and clinical course during follow-up (median: 33.5 months; 95% CI: 24.79–40) were gained based on hospital and out-patient clinic documentation and telephone interviews. The clinical end-points included: all-cause death, cardiovascular death, stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), pulmonary embolism, peripheral embolism and composite thromboembolic end-point. Results We observed that in the whole study group (p = 0.0016) and in the subgroup evaluated by TTE (p = 0.005) SEC predicted higher mortality. In the group assessed by TEE, SEC correlated with higher probability of stroke or TIA (p = 0.04). By multivariate analysis, in all patients SEC was a predictor of cardiovascular death (OR = 7.63; p = 0.008) and its localization in the left atrium independently predisposed to thromboembolism (OR = 10.15; p = 0.012). Furthermore, left ventricular SEC detected by TTE also emerged as an independent determinant of higher mortality (OR = 5.26; p = 0.015). Conclusions Despite a lower threshold of detection using harmonic imaging SEC is still a risk factor of poor prognosis, especially when observed on transthoracic examination.