Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Introduction to the Special Issue: Bisexual Health: Unpacking the Paradox

Although bisexuality has often been subsumed under the label of “homosexuality” and, for a number of reasons, bisexuality remains rather secretive, the recent documentation of the mental and physical health discrepancies that exist between bisexually-identified men/women and their counterparts has triggered an upsurge in research focused on bisexual populations (Boehmer, 2002; Dodge & Sandfort, 2007; Kaestle & Ivory, 2012). As such, health concerns continue to drive a large portion of the research on bisexual populations. Although research focused directly on the needs of bisexual men and women is a welcome addition to the literature, the emphasis on health disparities has the potential to perpetuate a problematized view of bisexuality. The stigmatization of bisexual men and women may be further amplified by research which evaluates bisexual populations against comparatively ‘healthy’ heterosexual populations.
Passive Loop Filter Assistance for CTSDMs

This brief presents a power reduction technique for continuous time sigma–delta modulators (CTSDMs). The approach consists of two elements. First, a passive low-pass filter is added in front of the modulator’s loop filter to reduce the high frequency components in the loop. As a result, the slew rate requirements of the opamps can be greatly reduced which allows a significant power saving. Unfortunately, the insertion of this low-pass filter also changes the modulator’s loop gain, and hence affects the noise transfer functions (NTFs) and signal transfer functions (STFs), in an undesired way. Therefore, the second proposed element consists of inserting a compensation branch which is such that the original loop gain, NTF and STF are restored. Thanks to this, our power saving technique is completely transparent on the system level such that all established techniques and toolboxes for CTSDM design can still be used. The technique is especially suited for one-bit CTSDMs, where the amount of high-frequency components in the loop is excessive. To showcase the technique, a self-oscillating sigma–delta modulator (which is a dedicated type of one-bit CTSDM) was implemented in a 65-nm CMOS process. It achieves a peak signal to noise and distortion ratio of 63 dB over a 20-MHz bandwidth at a power consumption of 1.7 mW while occupying a very small chip area of only 0.009 mm2.
Improvements in Speaker Diarization System

This paper describes an automatic speaker diarization system for natural, multi-speaker meeting conversations using one central microphone. It is based on the ICSI-SRI Fall 2004 diarization system (Wooters et al., 2004), but it has a number of significant modifications. The new system is robust to different acoustic environments it requires neither pre-training models nor development sets to initialize the parameters. It determines the model complexity automatically. It adapts the segment model from a Universal Background Model (UBM), and uses the cross-likelihood ratio (CLR) instead of the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) for merging. Finally it uses an intra-cluster/inter-cluster ratio as the stopping criterion. Altogether this reduces the speaker diarization error rate from 25.36% to 21.37% compared to the baseline system (Wooters et al., 2004).
Simulation of Cardiac Arrhythmias Using a 2D Heterogeneous Whole Heart Model

Simulation studies of cardiac arrhythmias at the whole heart level with electrocardiogram (ECG) gives an understanding of how the underlying cell and tissue level changes manifest as rhythm disturbances in the ECG. We present a 2D whole heart model (WHM2D) which can accommodate variations at the cellular level and can generate the ECG waveform. It is shown that, by varying cellular-level parameters like the gap junction conductance (GJC), excitability, action potential duration (APD) and frequency of oscillations of the auto-rhythmic cell in WHM2D a large variety of cardiac arrhythmias can be generated including sinus tachycardia, sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, sinus pause, junctional rhythm, Wolf Parkinson White syndrome and all types of AV conduction blocks. WHM2D includes key components of the electrical conduction system of the heart like the SA (Sino atrial) node cells, fast conducting intranodal pathways, slow conducting atriovenctricular (AV) node, bundle of His cells, Purkinje network, atrial, and ventricular myocardial cells. SA nodal cells, AV nodal cells, bundle of His cells, and Purkinje cells are represented by the Fitzhugh-Nagumo (FN) model which is a reduced model of the Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model. The atrial and ventricular myocardial cells are modeled by the Aliev-Panfilov (AP) two-variable model proposed for cardiac excitation. WHM2D can prove to be a valuable clinical tool for understanding cardiac arrhythmias.
Semi-automatic generation of recommendation processes and their GUIs

Creating and optimizing content- and dialogue-based recommendation processes and their GUIs (graphical user interfaces) manually is expensive and slow. Changes in the environment may also be found too late or even be overlooked by humans. We show how to generate such processes and their GUIs semi-automatically by using knowledge derived from unstructured data such as customer feedback on products on the Web. Our approach covers the whole lifecycle from knowledge discovery through text mining techniques to the use of this knowledge for semi-automatic generation of recommendation processes and their user interfaces as well as their comparison in real-world use within the e-commerce domain through A/B-variant tests. These tests indicate that our approach can lead to better results as well as less manual effort.
Synthesis of ZSM-5 Zeolite Using Bayat Natural Zeolite as Silica and Alumina Source

Zeolite ZSM-5 has been successfully synthesized from natural zeolite Bayat without further purification. The silica and alumina source are taken from the natural zeolite through submolten depolimerization method. Ludox 40% was used as additional silica source to reach Si/Al ratio of 32 in the starting gel and tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) was used as a structure directing agent (SDA). Synthesis was carried out hydrothermally with aging and crystallization temperature at 150°C. The as-synthesized zeolite was characterized with XRD, FTIR and SEM-EDX. The XRD patterns of the resulted synthesis showed diffraction peaks at 2θ = 7.9°-8.8° (doublet peaks) and diffraction peaks at 2θ = 22°-25° (triplet peaks) which are characteristic for ZSM-5 structure. The SEM image showed that the ZSM-5 zeolite from Bayat natural zeolite had morphology of hexagonal crystalls with some debris of impurities. The elemental analysis using EDX gave Si/Al molar ratio of 18.5.
The dimensions of the T lymphocyte glycoprotein leukosialin and identification of linear protein epitopes that can be modified by glycosylation.

Leukosialin (CD43) is a major glycoprotein of T lymphocytes whose extracellular domain of 224 amino acids contains on average one O‐linked carbohydrate unit per three amino acids. This suggests an unfolded structure for the extracellular domain which has now been established to extend to a length of 45 nm by transmission electron microscopy following low angle rotary shadowing. The antigenicity of rat leukosialin has been studied using nine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) whose binding is differentially affected by the cell type on which leukosialin is expressed and by the removal of sialic acid. From these observations it appears that the epitopes are affected by glycosylation, yet seven of the nine MAbs reacted clearly with the extracellular domain of leukosialian expressed in an unglycosylated form in Escherichia coli. The MAbs showing this positive reaction included three of the four antibodies whose epitopes were affected by neuraminidase treatment of leukosialin. It thus appears that linear protein epitopes are recognized and that some of these can be modified in the native structure by glycosylation. The positions of the antigenic determinants have been mapped by expressing fusion proteins of different lengths and the identity of one epitope was proven by the binding of two MAbs to an octapeptide expressed as a fusion protein. For three MAbs, the location of epitopes in the native protein was confirmed by electron microscopy of shadowed leukosialin–Fab complexes. Overall it is concluded that leukosialin is a major component at the periphery of the T lymphocyte and that despite its high level of glycosylation, protein determinants are exposed that could be ligands in cell interactions.
Mediator‐induced activation of xanthine oxidase in endothelial cells

Rat pulmonary artery endothelial cells incubated with human serum that has been complement‐activated by addition of cobra venom factor reveal a pronounced conversion of xanthine dehydrogenase to xanthine oxidase. This process requires the availability of the fifth component of complement (C5) but not the presence of other components (C2 and C6‐C9). The phenomenon can be reproduced by addition to endothelial cells of purified human recombinant C5a but not C5a desArg or C3a. The enzyme conversion process is relatively rapid (occurring within 5‐10 min), requires the presence of intact endothelial cells, and does not require protein synthesis. Similar effects on endothelial cells have been obtained with human recombinant tumor necrosis factor a and the chemotactic peptide N‐formyl‐Met‐Leu‐Phe. In contrast, bradykinin, recombinant human interleukin 1β, and phorbol ester lack this biological activity. These findings suggest novel effects of inflammatory mediators on endothelial cells. — Friedl, H. P.; Till, G. O. ; Ryan, U. S. ; Ward, P. A. Mediator‐induced activation of xanthine oxidase in endothelial cells. FASEB J. 3: 2512‐2518; 1989.
Real-time Hand Gesture Recognition on Unmodified Wearable Devices

We present a machine learning technique for recognizing discrete gestures and estimating continuous 3D hand position for mobile interaction. Our multi-stage random forest pipeline jointly classifies hand shapes and regresses metric depth of the hand from a single RGB camera. Our technique runs in real time on unmodified mobile devices, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and smartglasses, complementing existing interaction paradigms with in-air gestures.
Behavioral Inhibition Sensitivity and Emotional Response Suppression: A Laboratory Test Among Adolescents in a Fear-Relevant Paradigm

This study examined behavioral inhibition sensitivity and emotional suppression in a fear-relevant slide-viewing paradigm among adolescents (n = 95). After controlling for state anxiety, behavioral inhibition sensitivity significantly predicted subjective anxiety and the valence and control dimensions of emotional responding but was not associated with arousal-based indexes of distress. Contrary to prediction, emotional suppression did not affect emotional or psychophysiological responsiveness. These results are discussed in relation to vulnerability to anxiety-related distress among adolescents.
Preoperative Positron Emission Tomography for Node-Positive Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objectives Surgery is the primary treatment modality for node-positive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with no distant disease (HNcSCC-M0). The role of preoperative positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan for these patients is unclear. We compared preoperative PET/CT with final histopathology among patients undergoing lymphadenectomy and/or parotidectomy for HNcSCC-M0. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Single Australian center. Subjects and Methods Investigation included disease parameters and preoperative CT and PET/CT findings of 64 patients with node-positive HNcSCC without distant metastatic disease. Fisher’s exact test was used to test for a difference in the proportion of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia between the false- and true-negative PET/CT subgroups. Results Of 64 patients who underwent PET/CT prior to surgery for node-positive HNcSCC-M0, 56 underwent a neck dissection and 30, a parotidectomy. Of these, 13 neck dissections and 2 parotidectomies were performed in the absence of FDG-avid (18F-fludeoxyglucose) nodes in these nodal fields. The PET/CT positive predictive value of the neck was 91.1%. The negative predictive values in the neck and parotid regions were 60%. Of the false-negative subgroup, 66.7% had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, compared with 11.1% of the true-negative subgroup (P = .09). Based on PET/CT findings, surgical plans according to preoperative CT were changed for 6.25% of patients. Conclusion Use of PET/CT for surgical candidates with node-positive HNcSCC-M0 has high specificity and positive predictive value with relatively low sensitivity and negative predictive value. A statistical trend toward a higher rate of chronic lymphocytic leukemia among patients with false-negative results is suggested.
Effect of geolocation database update algorithms to the use of TV white spaces

According to the European Electronic Communications Committee a practical approach for constructing a cognitive radio network operating in TV white spaces is based on geolocation databases. The practical communication rates achievable for the secondary users and the interference caused to the primary system are fundamentally limited by the information the database has on the geographical distribution of spectrum occupation, and how this information is used to assign transmission power limits to white space devices. In this work we present practical methods for improving the accuracy of the geolocation databases by simulating spectrum sensing samples obtained in a cellular-type white space system operating within the primary TV network area. Furthermore, we analyze the effect of the considered methods on the secondary system throughput and intereference levels on the primary system.
Tracking based depth-guided video inpainting

In this paper, we propose a novel technique of tracking based video inpainting using depth information. Depth information obtained from the structure of motion is refined by extended proposed voting based algorithm. The refined depth map is used to extract moving foreground object from tracked moving object then replaces it into other video frame using integrated color and depth information based video inpainting. We compared the color based video inpainting with integrated color and depth information based video inpainting. Our proposed method acquaints special effect by including tracking and depth information to video inpainting. Inclusion of depth information increases the quality of inpainted video. Finally, we present experimental results of depth refinement and video inpainting for molecular video sequences captured with static camera with moving objects.
Large-field 3D imaging using an array of gradually-changed FOV cameras

Large-field image stitching and 3D reconstruction are two hot topics in computer vision. Generally, only a small amount of overlapped area is required in large-field image stitching. On the other hand, cameras usually share almost the same field of view for multi-view 3D reconstruction, which guarantees enough overlapped areas to calculate 3D information of the target scene. To realize the two purposes using a single imaging device simultaneously, we propose a novel structure design of camera array, which combines multiple cameras with gradually-changed field of view. Based on the proposed camera array, we can firstly calculate the depth of points in 3D space, then a panoramic image with large field of view can be generated in consideration of the depth information. A prototype imaging system based on the novel camera-array structure is realized, and then real-scene imaging experiments are implemented to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of our method.
Regime shifts and heterogeneous trends in malaria time series from Western Kenya Highlands

SUMMARY Large malaria epidemics in the East African highlands during the mid and late 1990s kindled a stream of research on the role that global warming might have on malaria transmission. Most of the inferences using temporal information have been derived from a malaria incidence time series from Kericho. Here, we report a detailed analysis of 5 monthly time series, between 15 and 41 years long, from West Kenya encompassing an altitudinal gradient along Lake Victoria basin. We found decreasing, but heterogeneous, malaria trends since the late 1980s at low altitudes (<1600 m), and the early 2000s at high altitudes (>1600 m). Regime shifts were present in 3 of the series and were synchronous in the 2 time series from high altitudes. At low altitude, regime shifts were associated with a shift from increasing to decreasing malaria transmission, as well as a decrease in variability. At higher altitudes, regime shifts reflected an increase in malaria transmission variability. The heterogeneity in malaria trends probably reflects the multitude of factors that can drive malaria transmission and highlights the need for both spatially and temporally fine-grained data to make sound inferences about the impacts of climate change and control/elimination interventions on malaria transmission.
Encapsulated nanoepigallocatechin-3-gallate and elemental selenium nanoparticles as paradigms for nanochemoprevention

Chemoprevention that impedes one or more steps in carcinogenesis, via long-term administration of naturally occurring or synthetic compounds, is widely considered to be a crucial strategy for cancer control. Selenium (Se) has chemopreventive effects, but its application is limited due to a low therapeutic index as shown in numerous animal experiments. In contrast to Se, which was known for its toxicity prior to the discovery of its beneficial effects, the natural compound epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) was originally considered to be nontoxic. Due to its preventive effects on many types of cancer in various animal models, EGCG has been regarded as a prime example of a promising chemopreventive agent without major toxicity concerns. However, very recently, evidence has accumulated showing that efficacious doses of EGCG used in health promotion may not be far from its toxic dose level. Therefore, both Se and EGCG need to be modified by novel pharmaceutical technologies to attain enhanced efficacy and/or reduced toxicity. Nanotechnology may be one of these technologies. In support of this hypothesis, the characteristics of polylactic acid and polyethylene glycol-encapsulated nano-EGCG and elemental Se nanoparticles dispersed by bovine serum albumin are reviewed in this article. Encapsulation of EGCG to form nano-EGCG leads to its enhanced stability in plasma and remarkably superior chemopreventive effects, with more than tenfold dose advantages in inducing apoptosis and inhibition of both angiogenesis and tumor growth. Se at nanoparticle size (“Nano-Se”), compared with Se compounds commonly used in dietary supplements, has significantly lower toxicity, without compromising its ability to upregulate selenoenzymes at nutritional levels and induce phase II enzymes at supranutritional levels.
Automatic Extraction of References to Future Events from News Articles Using Semantic and Morphological Information

In my doctoral dissertation I investigate patterns appearing in sentences referring to the future. Such patterns are useful in predicting future events. I base the study on a multiple newspaper corpora. I firstly perform a preliminary study to find out that the patterns appearing in future-reference sentences often consist of disjointed elements within a sentence. Such patterns are also usually semantically and grammatically consistent, although lexically variant. Therefore, I propose a method for automatic extraction of such patterns, applying both grammatical (morphological) and semantic information to represent sentences in morphosemantic structure, and then extract frequent patterns, including those with disjointed elements. Next, I perform a series of experiments, in which I firstly train fourteen classifier versions and compare them to choose the best one. Next, I compare my method to the state-of-the-art, and verify the final performance of the method on a new dataset. I conclude that the proposed method is capable to automatically classify future-reference sentences, significantly outperforming state-of-the-art, and reaching 76% of F-score.
Parallelizing general histogram application for CUDA architectures

Histogramming is a tool commonly used in data analysis. Although its serial version is simple to implement, providing an efficient and scalable way to parallelize it can be challenging. This especially holds in case of platforms that contain one or several massively parallel devices like CUDA-capable GPUs due to issues with domain decomposition, use of global memory and similar. In this paper we compare two approaches for implementing general purpose histogramming on GPUs. The first algorithm is based on private copies of bin counters stored in shared memory for each block of threads. The second one uses the Thrust library to sort the input elements and then to search for upper bounds according to bin widths. For both algorithms we analyze how the speedup over the sequential version depends on the size of input collection, number of bins, and the type and distribution of input elements. We also implement overlapping of data transfers between host CPU and CUDA device with kernel execution. For both algorithms we analyze the pros and cons in detail. For example, privatization strategy can be up to 2x faster than sort-search with realistic inputs, but can only support a limited number of bins. On the other hand, sort-search strategy has about 50% higher speedup than privatization when we use characters as input and can support unlimited number of bins. Finally, we perform an exploration to determine the optimal algorithm depending on the characteristics and values of input parameters.
An information-spectrum approach to large deviation theorems

In this paper we show a some new look at large deviation theorems from the viewpoint of the information-spectrum (IS) methods, which has been first exploited in information theory, and also demonstrate a new basic formula for the large deviation rate function in general, which is a pair of the lower and upper IS rate functions. In particular, we are interested in establishing the general large deviation rate functions that can be derivable as the Fenchel-Legendre transform of the cumulant generating function. The final goal is to show a necessary and sufficient condition for the rate function to be of Cram\'er-G\"artner-Ellis type.