Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A semantic subspace learning method to exploit relevance feedback log data for image retrieval

Conventional content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems with the Euclidean distance metric in a high-dimensional visual feature space usually cannot achieve satisfactory performance due to the semantic gap. Relevance feedback (RF) has been introduced as a powerful tool to involve the user in the system to improve the performance of CBIR. Despite the success, an on-line learning task can be tedious and boring for the user. Various schemes have been proposed to exploit the RF log data to further enhance the performance of CBIR. In this paper, we propose a semantic subspace learning (SSL) method to exploit the RF log data with contextual information for an image retrieval task. Different from conventional subspace learning approaches, our method can directly learn a semantic concept subspace from the RF log data with contextual information without using any class label information. We show that the performance of the image retrieval task can be significantly improved in the low-dimensional semantic concept subspace. Extensive experiments on a real-world image database demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in improving the performance of CBIR by exploiting the RF log data.
A Resonant MEMS Accelerometer With 56ng Bias Stability and 98ng/Hz1/2 Noise Floor

This letter presents a high-performance resonant MEMS accelerometer comprising of a single force-sensitive vibrating beam element sandwiched between two inertial masses. The accelerometer demonstrates a noise floor of 98 ng/Hz1/2 and a bias stability of 56 ng under ambient conditions, corresponding to a frequency noise floor of 0.77 ppb/Hz1/2 and a frequency bias stability of 0.43 ppb. These are the best results achieved for a MEMS accelerometer employing the resonant sensing paradigm to-date. [2018-0255]
[Acute myeloid leukemia MO: clinical and laboratory characteristics].

BACKGROUND A recent update of FAB classification has included a myeloid leukemia subtype with a minimal degree of differentiation, that has been denominated LMA-MO. AIM To report the clinical, morphological and immunophenotypic features of patients with LMA-MO. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eight patients, out of 368, with acute myeloid leukemia that were studied in the Hematology Laboratory of a public hospital in Santiago, were classified as LMA-MO. RESULTS Blast cell morphology was undifferentiated or of subtype FAB-L2 lymphoblastic leukemia with medium sized blasts, agranular basophilic cytoplasm, reticular nuclear chromatin and a prominent nucleolus. Cytochemical staining was negative for peroxidase and esterases, immunophenotyping showed the expression of one or more myeloid antigens (CD13, CD33) and was negative for lymphoid antigens. Immunocytochemical expression of myeloperoxidase was positive in the three cases where it was performed. Only one patient achieved complete remission and is free of disease after 36 months of follow up. All other patients died without obtaining remission, six shortly after the onset and one 12 months after. CONCLUSIONS The diagnosis of LMA-MO is essential considering its dismal prognosis.
An Analysis of Noise-aware Features in Combination with the Size and Diversity of Training Data for DNN-based Speech Enhancement

In this work, the generalization of speech enhancement algorithms based on deep neural networks (DNNs) for training datasets that differ in size and diversity is analyzed. For this, we compare noise aware training (NAT) features and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) based noise aware training (SNR-NAT) features. NAT appends an estimate of the noise power spectral density (PSD) to a noisy periodogram input feature, whereas SNR-NAT uses the noise PSD for normalization. We show that the Hu noise corpus (limited size) and the CHiME 3 noise corpus (limited diversity) may result in DNNs which do not generalize well to unseen noises. We construct a large and diverse dataset from freely available data and show that it helps DNNs to generalize. However, we also show that with SNR-NAT features, the trained models are more robust even if a small or less diverse training set is employed. Using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), we demonstrate that using SNR-NAT both the features and the resulting internal representation of the DNN are less dependent on the background noise which facilitates the generalization to unseen noise types.
Early experience with pay-for-performance: from concept to practice.

CONTEXT The adoption of pay-for-performance mechanisms for quality improvement is growing rapidly. Although there is intense interest in and optimism about pay-for-performance programs, there is little published research on pay-for-performance in health care. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a prototypical physician pay-for-performance program on quality of care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We evaluated a natural experiment with pay-for-performance using administrative reports of physician group quality from a large health plan for an intervention group (California physician groups) and a contemporaneous comparison group (Pacific Northwest physician groups). Quality improvement reports were included from October 2001 through April 2004 issued to approximately 300 large physician organizations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Three process measures of clinical quality: cervical cancer screening, mammography, and hemoglobin A1c testing. RESULTS Improvements in clinical quality scores were as follows: for cervical cancer screening, 5.3% for California vs 1.7% for Pacific Northwest; for mammography, 1.9% vs 0.2%; and for hemoglobin A1c, 2.1% vs 2.1%. Compared with physician groups in the Pacific Northwest, the California network demonstrated greater quality improvement after the pay-for-performance intervention only in cervical cancer screening (a 3.6% difference in improvement [P = .02]). In total, the plan awarded 3.4 million dollars (27% of the amount set aside) in bonus payments between July 2003 and April 2004, the first year of the program. For all 3 measures, physician groups with baseline performance at or above the performance threshold for receipt of a bonus improved the least but garnered the largest share of the bonus payments. CONCLUSION Paying clinicians to reach a common, fixed performance target may produce little gain in quality for the money spent and will largely reward those with higher performance at baseline.
Comparison of Methods for Correction of Mortality Estimates for Loss to Follow-Up after ART Initiation: A Case of the Infectious Diseases Institute, Uganda

Background In sub-Saharan Africa, a large proportion of HIV positive patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are lost to follow-up, some of whom are dead. The objective of this study was to validate methods used to correct mortality estimates for loss-to-follow-up using a cohort with complete death ascertainment. Methods Routinely collected data from HIV patients initiating first line antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) (Routine Cohort) was used. Three methods to estimate mortality after initiation were: 1) standard Kaplan-Meier estimation (uncorrected method) that uses passively observed data; 2) double-sampling methods by Frangakis and Rubin (F&R) where deaths obtained from patient tracing studies are given a higher weight than those passively ascertained; 3) Nomogram proposed by Egger et al. Corrected mortality estimates in the Routine Cohort, were compared with the estimates from the IDI research observational cohort (Research Cohort), which was used as the “gold-standard”. Results We included 5,633 patients from the Routine Cohort and 559 from the Research Cohort. Uncorrected mortality estimates (95% confidence interval [1]) in the Routine Cohort at 1, 2 and 3 years were 5.5% (4.9%–6.3%), 6.6% (5.9%–7.5%) and 7.4% (6.5%–8.5%), respectively. The F&R corrected estimates at 1, 2 and 3 years were 11.2% (5.8%–21.2%), 15.8% (9.9%–24.8%) and 18.5% (12.3% –27.2%) respectively. The estimates obtained from the Research Cohort were 15.6% (12.8%–18.9%), 17.5% (14.6%–21.0%) and 19.0% (15.3%–21.9%) at 1, 2 and 3 years respectively. Using the nomogram method in the Routine Cohort, the corrected programme-level mortality estimate in year 1 was 11.9% (8.0%–15.7%). Conclusion Mortality adjustments provided by the F&R and nomogram methods are adequate and should be employed to correct mortality for loss-to-follow-up in large HIV care centres in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Efficient pulling motion of a two-link robot arm near singular configuration

This paper discusses the advantages of singular configurations of a two-link robot arm in achieving tasks of pulling or lifting a heavy object. Optimal base location and arm motion for minimizing the joint torques are examined by numerical simulations, and the base location where the robot arm is near a singular configuration at the start time of task is optimal. It is shown analytically that joint torques can supply energy to the system composed of the robot arm and the object efficiently near singular configurations of the arm. The energy supply rates at two singular configurations are derived based on the equations of motion of the system.
Online Modeling for Combined Cement Grinding System via Extreme Learning Machine

In order to use the method based on model to study the accurate control of cement combined grinding system, and improve its automatic control level, this paper proposes a extreme learning machine (ELM) online modeling method for combined cement grinding system. First of all, this paper analyzes the process of combined grinding system, based on the analysis of the process, we know that the speed of circulating fan and the current of out mill grinding have a strong correlation, and are suitable for input and output of Combined Cement Grinding System; Secondly, use the mean filter to preprocess the data collected in the field; And then, use the method of extreme learning machine established the online modeling of cement combined grinding which use circulation fan speed as inputs, and out mill grinding hoist current as output; Finally the simulation shows that the method is effective.
Exploring the Landscape of Cybercrime

This document gives an overview over current research within the security group at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, and attempts to describe the future research roadmap of the group. This roadmap is structured around the landscape of cyber crime with its three main groups of actors (attackers, users and investigators) and their main activities and deficits: attack and evasion for attackers, awareness and education for victims, evidence extraction and analysis for investigators.
Titania Nanoparticles as Modified Photocatalysts: A Review on Design and Development

The notable progress in the field of nano-science and nano-technology addresses many environmental and energy applications. Among these, photocatalysis applications have received remarkable attention, where the TiO2 photocatalyst has great potential to play a role in the field of photocatalysis for fuel production and environmental remediation. The present review article deals with the considerable progress in the modification and development of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to improve visible light photocatalytic activity. Graphical abstract
A novel mutant allele uncouples brassinosteroid-dependent and independent functions of BRI1

Plants depend on an array of cell surface receptors to integrate extracellular signals with developmental programs. One of the best-studied receptors is BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1), which upon binding of its hormone ligands forms a complex with shape-complimentary co-receptors and initiates a signal transduction cascade leading to a wide range of responses. BR biosynthetic and receptor mutants have similar growth defects on the macroscopic level, which had initially led to the assumption of a largely linear signalling pathway. However, recent evidence suggests that BR signalling is interconnected with a number of other pathways through a variety of different mechanisms. We recently described that feedback information from the cell wall is integrated at the level of the receptor complex through interaction with RLP44. Moreover, BRI1 is required for a second function of RLP44, the control of procambial cell fate. Here, we report on a BRI1 mutant, bri1cnu4, which differentially affects canonical BR signalling and RLP44 function in the vasculature. While BR signalling is only mildly impaired, bri1cnu4 mutants show ectopic xylem in the position of procambium. Mechanistically, this is explained by an increased association of RLP44 and the mutated BRI1 protein, which prevents the former from acting in vascular cell fate maintenance. Consistent with this, the mild BR response phenotype of bri1cnu4 is a recessive trait, whereas the RLP44-mediated xylem phenotype is semi-dominant. Our results highlight the complexity of plant plasma membrane receptor function and provide a tool to dissect BR signalling-related roles of BRI1 from its non-canonical functions. One sentence summary A novel mutant allows to dissect brassinosteroid signalling related and non-canonical functions of the receptor-like kinase BRI1.
Impact of indels on the flanking regions in structural domains.

Amino acid substitution and insertions/deletions (indels) are two common events in protein evolution; however, current knowledge on indels is limited. In this study, we investigated the effects of indels on the flanking regions in protein structure superfamilies. Comprehensive analysis of structural classification of proteins superfamilies revealed that indels lead to a series of changes in the flanking regions, including the following: 1) structural shift in the tertiary structure, with a first-order exponential decay relation between structural shift and the distance to indels, 2) instability of the secondary structure elements in which parts of the α helix and β sheet are destroyed, and 3) an increase in the amino acid substitution rate of the primary structure and the nonsimilar amino acid substitution rate. In general, these quality changes are due to the combined effects of the "regional-inherent effect," "indel-accompanied effect," and "indel-following effect. " Furthermore, these quality changes reflect changes in selective pressure. Indels are more likely to be preserved in regions with low selective pressure, and indels can further reduce the selective pressure on the flanking regions. These findings improve our understanding of the role of indels in protein evolution.
Finite Element Analysis of Bone Stress for Miniscrew Implant Proximal to Root Under Occlusal Force and Implant Loading

AbstractBecause of the narrow interradicular spaces and varying oral anatomies of individual patients, there is a very high risk of root proximity during the mini implants inserting. The authors hypothesized that normal occlusal loading and implant loading affected the stability of miniscrew implants placed in proximity or contact with the adjacent root. The authors implemented finite element analysis (FEA) to examine the effectiveness of root proximity and root contact. Stress distribution in the bone was assessed at different degrees of root proximity by generating 4 finite element models: the implant touches the root surface, the implant was embedded in the periodontal membrane, the implant touches the periodontal surface, and the implant touches nothing. Finite element analysis was then carried out with simulations of 2 loading conditions for each model: condition A, involving only tooth loading and condition B, involving both tooth and implant loading. Under loading condition A, the maximum stress on the bone for the implant touching the root was the distinctly higher than that for the other models. For loading condition B, peak stress areas for the implant touching the root were the area around the neck of the mini implant and the point of the mini implant touches the root. The results of this study suggest that normal occlusal loading and implant loading contribute to the instability of the mini implant when the mini implant touches the root.
Geosynchronous SAR Focusing With Atmospheric Phase Screen Retrieval and Compensation

In this paper, a geosynchronous synthetic aperture radar (SAR) (GEOSAR) mission for atmospheric phase screen (APS) retrieval using a long coherent integration of pulses is analyzed. The nearly fixed position of the geosynchronous platforms makes GEOSAR systems suitable for continuous monitoring applications. However, using moderate transmitted powers and antenna sizes, very long integration times up to hours are required. In GEOSAR, the two-way propagation of radar signals can decorrelate significantly due to atmospheric changes during the long data take, resulting in an APS which can cause image defocusing and artifacts. In this paper, the APS effects are analyzed, and an APS correction algorithm from short-term periodic acquisitions (subapertures) of the whole long-term GEOSAR synthetic aperture is described. The results obtained from the APS retrieval algorithm in a simulated GEOSAR acquisition affected by atmospheric decorrelation are presented. Finally, an experimental test of the APS algorithm performance with a long-integration ground-based SAR acquisition is shown.
Age- and Serogroup-Related Differences in Observed Durations of Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Penicillin-Resistant Pneumococci

ABSTRACT Using data from an ongoing Swedish intervention project, the observed durations of nasopharyngeal carriage of penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae (PNSP) (MIC of penicillin G of ≥0.5 μg/ml) stratified by both pneumococcal serogroup and age of the carrier were compared. The means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by fitting a gamma distribution to the observed duration of carriage for each age and serogroup stratum. The mean observed duration of carriage for all cases was 37 days (95% CI, 35 to 38 days). Children below the age of 5 years carried PNSP for significantly longer periods (43 days; 95% CI, 41 to 45 days) compared with older individuals (25 days; 95% CI, 24 to 27 days). There were also differences within the group of cases below the age of 5 years, as the duration of carriage became significantly shorter for each increasing age step: <1, 1 to 2, and 3 to 4 years. In addition, patients <5 years of age carried serogroups 9 and 14 for significantly shorter periods than groups 6 and 23. Serogroup 9 was also carried for significantly shorter periods than group 19. For patients aged 5 years or older, no significant difference in carriage duration for different ages or serogroups could be noted. As young children have the longest duration of PNSP carriage, interventions aiming to reduce the prevalence in this group are of great importance. The results highlight the importance of taking both serogroup and age of the carriers into account when studying the dynamics of pneumococcal transmission in young children.
Prostate specific antigen. Current clinical application and future prospects.

BACKGROUND Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a glycoprotein produced by the prostate gland and its production can be enhanced in benign and malignant diseases. The introduction of PSA testing has greatly increased the detection of prostate cancer. However there is continuing controversy and confusion over the most appropriate application of the PSA test. METHODS PubMed and Web of Science databases were used to search original and review articles on the historical aspects, clinical utilization and possible future directions in PSA. CONCLUSIONS After its discovery, PSA was quickly established as an exquisitely sensitive tumor marker for prostate cancer detection, assessment of treatment responses and follow-up among patients with prostate cancer. Nevertheless, controversy exists about the proper threshold for recommending prostate biopsy. If this limit is lowered to improve the sensitivity even more, patients with low-risk prostate cancer would be subsequently detected. Post-treatment PSA levels can certainly provide valuable information about the effectiveness of the therapy given. Recently introduced ultrasensitive PSA detection techniques are offering new insight into the changes in serum PSA at very low concentrations. This has resulted in identification of valuable postoperative prognostic variables together with the possibility of earlier cancer relapse detection. The development of assays that may show superior sensitivity and specificity in prostate cancer diagnosis is focused on proteins possibly complexed with PSA and other potential markers detectable both in serum and urine. The goal of newly discovered prostate cancer biomarkers is greater cancer specificity in order to reduce the overdiagnosis, overtreatment and financial cost.
Different Techniques Used in Traffic Control System:An Introduction

Traffic jam turns out to be key crisis in these days. Traffic jam mainly occurs in urban areas. Due to traffic jam there are several problems arise such as increase in noise pollution, air pollution, accidents and delay in travel time etc. The present traffic signals deployed in all parts of the cities are not enough to solve above mentioned problems because these have specific pre-determined time for red and green signals. In this view various attempts were done for traffic lights to behave smartly based on density of vehicles on the road. Therefore many techniques have been used in traffic control systems. This paper summarizes different techniques of traffic control system that were used for the improvement of conventional traffic control system. Keywords—Manual traffic control; image processing; wireless technology; sensors; RF-transmitter and RF-receiver; IRIS
Early Experiences with Separate Caches for Private and Shared Data

Shared-memory architectures have become predominant in modern multi-core microprocessors in all market segments, from embedded to high performance computing. Correctness of these architectures is ensured by means of coherence protocols and consistency models. Performance and scalability of shared-memory systems is usually limited by the amount and size of the messages used to keep the memory subsystem coherent. Moreover, we believe that blindly keeping coherence for all memory accesses can be counterproductive, since it incurs in unnecessary overhead for data that will remain coherent after the access. Having this in mind, in this paper we propose the use of dedicated caches for private (+shared read-only) and shared data. The private cache (L1P) will be independent for each core while the shared cache (L1S) will be logically shared but physically distributed for all cores. This separation should allow us to simplify the coherence protocol, reduce the on-chip area requirements and reduce invalidation time with minimal impact on performance. The dedicated cache design requires a classification mechanism to detect private and shared data. In our evaluation we will use a classification mechanism that operates at the operating system (OS) level (page granularity). Results show two drawbacks to this approach: first, the selected classification mechanism has too many false positives, thus becoming an important limiting factor. Second, a traditional interconnection network is not optimal for accessing the L1S, and a custom network design is needed. These drawbacks lead to important performance degradation due to the additional latency when accessing the shared data.