Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A synthetic database to assess segmentation algorithms

In this paper we describe a synthetic database composed of 273,452 handwritten touching digits pairs to assess segmentation algorithms. It contains several different kinds of touching and it was generated by connecting 2,000 images of isolated digits extracted from the NIST SD19. In order to get a better insight on the proposed database and establish some parameters for further comparisons, we carried out experiments using four state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms.
Advances in automatic tuberculosis detection in chest x-ray images

Tuberculosis (TB) is very dangerous and rapidly spread disease in the world. In the investigating cases for suspected tuberculosis (TB), chest radiography is not only the key techniques of diagnosis based on the medical imaging but also the diagnostic radiology. So, Computer aided diagnosis (CAD) has been popular and many researchers are interested in this research areas and different approaches have been proposed for the TB detection and lung decease classification. In this paper, the medical background history of TB decease in chest X-rays and a survey of the various approaches in TB detection and classification are presented. The literature in the related methods is surveyed papers in this research area until now 2014.
Pathogenesis and outcome of biliary atresia: current concepts.

Neonatal cholestatic disorders are a group of hepatobiliary diseases occurring within the first 3 months of life. Bile flow is impaired, and patients have conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, acholic stools, and hepatomegaly. Overall, 1 in 2,500 live births is affected with a neonatal cholestatic disorder (1). The two most common causes of neonatal cholestasis are biliary atresia and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis, accounting for up to 50% to 70% of cases. Other causes include a variety of neonatal infections (viral, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, bacterial), metabolic and genetic diseases, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestatic disorders (PFIC), paucity of interlobular bile duct disorders (e.g., Alagille syndrome), choledochal cyst, ischemia–reperfusion injury, association with parenteral nutrition administration, and other conditions (Table 1). Despite clinical improvement after the portoenterostomy procedure, approximately 70% to 80% of children with biliary atresia will eventually require liver transplantation; thus, biliary atresia alone accounts for almost 50% of all liver transplants performed in children (1). It should be noted that $77 million is spent each year in the United States on liver transplantation for children and the ensuing hospitalizations (2). This sum of money covers 0.2% of total health care expenditures related to children, even though these children represent 0.0006% of the total pediatric population. Importantly, this disproportionate expenditure for liver transplantation in children could be cut in half if improved therapies for biliary atresia were developed that could abrogate or further delay the need for liver transplantation. Remarkably, little is known about the etiopathogenesis of biliary atresia; consequently, there has been slow progress in developing improved therapies or preventative strategies during the past decade. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in the diagnosis and management of biliary atresia, examine the clinical outcome, describe the evolving theories of the etiology and pathogenesis of this disorder, and highlight gaps in our current knowledge.
The giant X-ray outbursts from nearby, non-active galaxies: tidal disruption flares?

One efficient method to probe the direct vicinity of SMBHs in nearby galaxies is to make use of the detection of flares from tidally disrupted stars (e.g., Lidskii & Ozernoi 1979, Rees 1988). The first few excellent candidates for the occurrence of this process in non-active galaxies have emerged recently. Here, we present a review of these observations, compare with variability in AGN, and discuss theoretical implications. We concentrate on the cases of NGC 5905 and RXJ1242-1119, and report results from a systematic search for further X-ray flares from a sample of >100 nearby galaxies.
The Gains from Trade Under Fixed Price Mechanisms

The Myerson—Satterthwaite Theorem (1983) demonstrates that information must interfere with efficient exchange when a buyer and seller have independently distributed private information and there is a nontrivial exchange problem. I bound the losses associated with private information based on a simple characteristic for of the distributions. When the median of the seller's cost is less than the median of the buyer's value, the maximal loss is one half of the full information gains from trade. As a fraction of the possible gains from trade, the losses tend to be greatest precisely when seller is likely to have high costs, and thus when the overall gains from trade are small.
New perspectives in signaling mediated by receptors coupled to stimulatory G protein: the emerging significance of cAMP eﬄux and extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) linked to stimulatory G (Gs) proteins (GsPCRs) mediate increases in intracellular cyclic AMP as consequence of activation of nine adenylyl cyclases , which differ considerably in their cellular distribution and activation mechanisms. Once produced, cyclic AMP may act via distinct intracellular signaling effectors such as protein kinase A and the exchange proteins activated by cAMP (Epacs). More recently, attention has been focused on the eﬄux of cAMP through a specific transport system named multidrug resistance proteins that belongs to the ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily. Outside the cell, cAMP is metabolized into adenosine, which is able to activate four distinct subtypes of adenosine receptors, members of the GPCR family: A1, A2A, A2B, and A3. Taking into account that this phenomenon occurs in numerous cell types, as consequence of GsPCR activation and increment in intracellular cAMP levels, in this review, we will discuss the impact of cAMP eﬄux and the extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway on the regulation of GsPCR-induced cell response.
PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and targeted therapy for glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is the most common malignant glioma of all the brain tumors and currently effective treatment options are still lacking. GBM is frequently accompanied with overexpression and/or mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which subsequently leads to activation of many downstream signal pathways such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/rapamycin-sensitive mTOR-complex (mTOR) pathway. Here we explored the reason why inhibition of the pathway may serve as a compelling therapeutic target for the disease, and provided an update data of EFGR and PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors in clinical trials.
Approximate Regularization Paths for ` 2-loss Support Vector Machines

We consider approximate regularization paths for kernel methods and in particular `2-loss Support Vector Machines (SVMs). We provide a simple and efficient framework for maintaining an εapproximate solution (and a corresponding ε-coreset) along the entire regularization path. We prove correctness and also practical efficiency our method. Unlike previous algorithms our algorithm does not need any matrix inversion and solely relies on first order information. For the first time this makes it practical to investigate the solution path for larger problems. In particular, we show that a solution has to be updated at most O(1/ε) many times along the solution path in order keep the approximation guarantee. This also implies that we can do both training and cross-validation over the entire solution path using only O(n/ε) many kernel evaluations. We also apply our method to multiple kernel learning, to find the best convex combination of two kernels for a `2-loss SVM with respect to cross-validation.
Urban Land Use Change in Chengdu City Using Satellite Data

Land use change is a major issue in global environment change and is especially significant in rapidly developing urban regions of China was being witnessed. With its economic development, population growth, and urbanization in Chengdu, capital of the western province of Sichuan, China, have experienced a dramatic land use change over the past 30 years. Assessment on urban land use change is essential for policy makers to support sustainable development. In this paper, urban land use change in Chengdu using Landsat TM/ETM+images (2000-2008) based on RS and GIS is discussed. The result shows that the spatiotemporal change of urban land use was significant, the conversion between cultivated land and built-up land was intensive, more and more agriculture land was converted to non-agriculture land, therefore, urban area expands was very fast. It is also noted that decrease area of cultivated land was 12.025×104hm2, increase area of built-up land was 6.195×104hm2 over the past 8 years resulting in large scale urban land use. The information of urban land use change based on RS and GIS is very useful to urban government and urban planners.
Bacterial Catabolism of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP)

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a metabolite produced primarily by marine phytoplankton and is the main precursor to the climatically important gas dimethylsulfide (DMS). DMS is released upon bacterial catabolism of DMSP, but it is not the only possible fate of DMSP sulfur. An alternative demethylation/demethiolation pathway results in the eventual release of methanethiol, a highly reactive volatile sulfur compound that contributes little to the atmospheric sulfur flux. The activity of these pathways control the natural flux of sulfur released to the atmosphere. Although these biochemical pathways and the factors that regulate them are of great interest, they are poorly understood. Only recently have some of the genes and pathways responsible for DMSP catabolism been elucidated. Thus far, six different enzymes have been identified that catalyze the cleavage of DMSP, resulting in the release of DMS. In addition, five of these enzymes appear to produce acrylate, while one produces 3-hydroxypropionate. In contrast, only one enzyme, designated DmdA, has been identified that catalyzes the demethylation reaction producing methylmercaptopropionate (MMPA). The metabolism of MMPA is performed by a series of three coenzyme-A mediated reactions catalyzed by DmdB, DmdC, and DmdD. Interestingly, Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique, a member of the SAR11 clade of Alphaproteobacteria that is highly abundant in marine surface waters, possessed functional DmdA, DmdB, and DmdC enzymes. Microbially mediated transformations of both DMS and methanethiol are also possible, although many of the biochemical and molecular genetic details are still unknown. This review will focus on the recent discoveries in the biochemical pathways that mineralize and assimilate DMSP carbon and sulfur, as well as the areas for which a comprehensive understanding is still lacking.
Why life should flash before one ' s eyes : episodic memory and a hypothesis arising from the recognition-primed decision model

The English expression "I saw my entire life flash before my eyes" has counterparts in a large number of different cultures and languages. This expression refers to a phenomenon in which, when facing a dangerous, unexpected situation, would bring distinct, different, fragments of memory from different phases of one's life to one's mind. While at first it may seem to be an almost certain impossibility, as such a phenomenon does not seem to confer any evolutionary advantage to those who would go through such a seemingly random process, we propose that there is a sound basis in cognitive psychology to expect such phenomenon to be true. We present a hypothesis, based on the recognition-primed decision model, which may bring a plausible explanation to the reported phenomena of "life flashing before one's eyes". To our knowledge, this phenomenon has not been properly addressed in the literature, and it is our hope that readers may find our hypothesis cogent.
Space‐based observations of megacity carbon dioxide

Urban areas now house more than half the world's population, and are estimated to contribute over 70% of global energy‐related CO2emissions. Many cities have emission reduction policies in place, but lack objective, observation‐based methods for verifying their outcomes. Here we demonstrate the potential of satellite‐borne instruments to provide accurate global monitoring of megacity CO2 emissions using GOSAT observations of column averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction (XCO2) collected over Los Angeles and Mumbai. By differencing observations over the megacity with those in nearby background, we observe robust, statistically significant XCO2 enhancements of 3.2 ± 1.5 ppm for Los Angeles and 2.4 ± 1.2 ppm for Mumbai, and find these enhancements can be exploited to track anthropogenic emission trends over time. We estimate that XCO2 changes as small as 0.7 ppm in Los Angeles, corresponding to a 22% change in emissions, could be detected with GOSAT at the 95% confidence level.
Bus Routes Design and Optimization via Taxi Data Analytics

Public bus services are often planned in the context of urban planning. For a city with efficient and extensive network of public transportation system like Singapore, enhancing the existing coverage of bus service to meet the dynamic mobility needs of the population requires data mining approach. Specifically, frequent taxi rides between two locations at a period of time may suggest possible poor coverage of public transport service, if not lacking of the public transport service. In this paper, we describe a proof of concept effort to discover this weakness and its improvement in public transportation system via mining of taxi ride dataset. We cluster taxi rides dataset to determine some popular taxi rides in Singapore. From the clustered taxi rides, we filter and select only the clusters whose commuting via existing public transport are tortuous if not unreachable door-to-door. Based on the discovered travel pattern, we propose new bus routes that serve the passengers of these clusters. We formulate the bus planning problem as an optimization of directed cycle graph, and present it's preliminary solution and results. We showcase our idea in the case of Singapore.
COMPUTER-AIDED TESTING: ASSESSMENT OF AUTOMATIC ITEM GENERATION TO CREATE MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

Abstract Introduction: Computer-aided testing is an alternative to traditional paper-and-pen tests. Despite the fact that computer-based examination methods are well-established in academic centres, continuous monitoring of their quality is still needed. In the academic year 2013/14, doctoral degree students of the Medical Faculty at Medical University of Warsaw (MUW) took part in the " Reliability in research " course for the first time conducted in the form of blended-learning. To be awarded a credit for the course, the students were supposed to pass a final test of the e-learning course that was made available on the Moodle platform. Aim of study: Evaluation of usefulness of automatically generated computer-interactive multiple choice test for assessment of achievements of blended-learning students. Materials and Methods: A total of 96 PhD students, including 45 first year (25 physicians) and 51 second year (24 physicians) students of a doctoral degree course. It was assumed that both groups of students are comparable and may constitute control groups for each other. The e-learning test results comprised a total of 43 multiple-choice questions (four options to choose from) and were subgrouped into the following categories: (1)
Deformation from symmetry and multiplicity of solutions in non-homogeneous problems

A general theorem on the multiplicity of critical points for non-invariant deformations of symmetric functionals is established, using a method introduced by Bolle [5]. This result is used to find conditions sufficient for the existence of multiple solutions of semi-linear elliptic partial differential equations of the form $-\Delta u = p(x, u) + f(\theta, x, u)\quad $ on $\Omega$ $u = 0\quad$ on $\partial \Omega$ where $p(x, \cdot)$ is odd and $f$ is a perturbative term. An application of this result is the problem $-\Delta u = \lambda |u|^{q-1}u + |u|^{p-1}u + f\quad$ on $\Omega$ $u = u_0\quad$ on $\partial \Omega$ where $\Omega$ is a smooth, bounded, open subset of $\mathbf R^n (n \geq 3), \lambda > 0, 1\leq q < p, f \in C(\bar \Omega, \mathbf R)$ and $u_0\in C^2(\partial \Omega, \mathbf R)$. It is proven that this equation has an infinite number of solutions for $p < \frac{n+1}{n-1}$ and that for any sub-critical $p$ i.e., $p < \frac{n+2}{n-2}$, there are as many solutions as we like, provided $||f||_{frac{p+1}{p}}$ and $||u_0||_{p+1}$ are small enough.
Large-Scale Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration in Chesapeake Bay: Status Report, 2003-2006

Abstract : In 2003, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chesapeake Bay Office began a comprehensive research effort to restore submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Chesapeake Bay region. The effort employed an agricultural approach to restore under-water grasses by using seeds to produce new plants and mechanical equipment to plant seeds and harvest. Since this research initiative began, an average of 33 acres/yr of SAV has been planted in the Chesapeake Bay, compared to an average rate of 9 acres/yr during the previous 21 years (1983 2003). New techniques and equipment developed as part of this research have introduced the capability to collect and disperse millions of eelgrass seeds. These results demonstrate these programs success in developing tools and techniques necessary to plant SAV at scales unattainable with technologies existing only a few years ago.
Recitoire: a tool for qualitative surveys involving citizens in urban planning projects

The difficulty to involve citizens into projects that influence or transform their experience of the urban space is underlined by public authorities and professionals such as urban planners. The implication of citizens in the existing modes of consultation (public meeting, opinions polls) is often limited and not representative. New solutions for facilitating citizens' involvement in both the diagnosis and the construction of the city need to be found. We propose here a prototype called Recitoire, as a support for qualitative surveys involving citizens in urban planning projects. Using a mobile application, a data collect is performed which includes the path followed by a citizen (her/his trace is kept) and the different kinds of media files she/he produces all along the path to illustrate her/his feelings and impressions on a given thematic - chosen for the survey by urban planners. A server application centralizes the collected data and offers an interface for both their exploration and their exploitation by the actors of the urban project.
Bundle-Branch Block Morphology and Other Predictors of Outcome After Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Medicare Patients

Background— Clinical trials of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) have enrolled a select group of patients, with few patients in subgroups such as right bundle-branch block (RBBB). Analysis of population-based outcomes provides a method to identify real-world predictors of CRT outcomes. Methods and Results— Medicare Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Registry (2005 to 2006) data were merged with patient outcomes data. Cox proportional-hazards models assessed death and death/heart failure hospitalization outcomes in patients with CRT and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (CRT-D). The 14 946 registry patients with CRT-D (median follow-up, 40 months) had 1-year, 3-year, and overall mortality rates of 12%, 32%, and 37%, respectively. New York Heart Association class IV heart failure status (1-year hazard ratio [HR], 2.23; 3-year HR, 1.98; P<0.001) and age ≥80 years (1-year HR, 1.74; 3-year HR, 1.75; P<0.001) were associated with increased mortality both early and late after CRT-D. RBBB (1-year HR, 1.44; 3-year HR, 1.37; P<0.001) and ischemic cardiomyopathy (1-year HR, 1.39; 3-year HR, 1.44; P<0.001) were the next strongest adjusted predictors of both early and late mortality. RBBB and ischemic cardiomyopathy together had twice the adjusted hazard for death (HR, 1.99; P<0.001) as left BBB and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. QRS duration of at least 150 ms predicted more favorable outcomes in left BBB but had no impact in RBBB. A secondary analysis showed lower hazards for CRT-D compared with standard implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in left BBB compared with RBBB. Conclusions— In Medicare patients, RBBB, ischemic cardiomyopathy, New York Heart Association class IV status, and advanced age were powerful adjusted predictors of poor outcome after CRT-D. Real-world mortality rates 3 to 4 years after CRT-D appear higher than previously recognized.
Fibronectin and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in normal human brain and anaplastic human gliomas.

Abstract The expression of fibronectin (FN), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein with adhesive and opsonic properties, was examined in normal and neoplastic human central nervous system tissues. In both normal adult and fetal brain, FN expression, as detected by immunohistochemistry, was restricted to the vasculature. Neurons and glia did not stain. FN expression in nine of 10 gliomas examined was qualitatively similar to that in normal fetal and adult brain in that it was confined to the blood vessels. Nevertheless, in one case, there was interstitial expression of FN. Four tumors exhibited varying degrees of fibroblastic overgrowth in which cells containing FN were detected. Frozen sections of eight athymic mouse-borne anaplastic human gliomas were stained simultaneously by a double-label fluorescein-rhodamine fluorescence technique for both FN and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a glial and glioma marker. Seven of eight tumors expressed FN, seven of eight expressed GFAP, and six of eight expressed both. FN was detected as fine fibrils and specks between cells while GFAP presented as a homogeneous intracellular fluorescence. In many areas of the tumors, groups of cells expressed both FN and GFAP. Eleven human glioma-derived cell lines were examined for both FN and GFAP expression. In two cell lines, there were cells which contained both GFAP and FN simultaneously. Athymic mouse-borne tumors were developed by the injection of an FN-producing glioma-derived cell line into athymic mice. Human FN plasma levels were monitored, and some tumors larger than 1.0 g produced FN which was detectable in the plasma, thereby demonstrating that tumor-produced FN can be shed from human glioma-derived cells in sufficient amounts to be detectable in the bloodstream. These data show that FN expression in anaplastic human gliomas is seen with the greatest frequency in athymic mouse-borne tumors; GFAP-positive cultured cells are also capable of FN expression. The original tumors rarely express detectable amounts of FN. The biological basis for this heterogeneity of FN expression rests in the nature of the individual tissue studied, its cellular environment (i.e., in vivo or in vitro), and its status with regard to neoplasia.
Spreading of Malware Dynamically in Peer To Peer Network

In this paper, we formulate an analytical model to characterize the spread of malware in decentralized, Gnutella type peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and study the dynamics associated with the spread of malware. Using a compartmental model, we derive the system parameters or network conditions under which the P2P network may reach a malware free equilibrium. The model also evaluates the effect of control strategies like node quarantine on stifling the spread of malware. The model is then extended to consider the impact of P2P networks on the malware spread in networks of smart cell phones. Keywords—Malware propagation, peer-to-peer networks, Internet worms and viruses.