Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3D Video Billboard Clouds

3D video billboard clouds reconstruct and represent a dynamic three‐dimensional scene using displacement‐mapped billboards. They consist of geometric proxy planes augmented with detailed displacement maps and combine the generality of geometry‐based 3D video with the regularization properties of image‐based 3D video. 3D video billboards are an image‐based representation placed in the disparity space of the acquisition cameras and thus provide a regular sampling of the scene with a uniform error model. We propose a general geometry filtering framework which generates time‐coherent models and removes reconstruction and quantization noise as well as calibration errors. This replaces the complex and time‐consuming sub‐pixel matching process in stereo reconstruction with a bilateral filter. Rendering is performed using a GPU‐accelerated algorithm which generates consistent view‐dependent geometry and textures for each individual frame. In addition, we present a semi‐automatic approach for modeling dynamic three‐dimensional scenes with a set of multiple 3D video billboards clouds.
Social and Psychological Issues in Patients with Epilepsy

1.3 Results A high number of patients with epilepsy have depressive illness and psychosis. They also have higher rate of suicidal attempts or ideation. They also have negative social skills and impaired coping mechanisms. Unemployment and higher anxiety states are more frequent for women with epilepsy as compared to men with epilepsy. Female patients have more difficulty finding life partners and have higher rate of divorce compared with males. Women with epilepsy rarely use constructive coping methods, and thus have poor psychosocial status and adjustment within the family and society.
Impact of Smoking and Smoking Cessation on Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Participants

Smoking is associated with increased arterial stiffness. However, the impact of smoking cessation on arterial stiffness remains unknown. We investigated the effect of smoking cessation on arterial stiffness. Healthy participants (n = 209) were divided into nonsmoking (NSm, n = 96), quit smoking (QSm, n = 61), and maintained smoking groups (MSm, n = 52). Arterial stiffness indexes (ankle–brachial index [ABI] and brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity [baPWV]) were assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months. Baseline, arterial stiffness was significantly higher in the MSm and QSm groups than in the NSm group (P < .001). In the QSm group, there was significant difference in ABI between baseline and 12 months (P = .03). No significant differences were shown in baPWV. Both ABI and baPWV were similar between QSm and MSm group at 12 months. However, there was significant difference between QSm and NSm groups (P < .001). This study shows that 12 months of smoking cessation is associated with improved arterial stiffness.
Regulation of the angiotensin AT1 receptor by hypercholesterolaemia

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On the input design for kernel-based regularized LTI system identification: Power-constrained inputs

This paper considers the input design of kernelbased regularization methods for LTI system identification. We first derive the Bayesian mean squared error matrix under the Bayesian perspective, and then use some typical scalar measures (e.g., the A-optimality, D-optimality, and E-optimality) as optimization criteria for the input design problem. Instead of directly solving the nonconvex optimization problem, we propose a two-step procedure. The first step is to solve a convex optimization and the second one is to determine the inverse image of a quadratic map. Both of these two steps can be solved efficiently by the proposed method and hence all the globally optimal inputs are found. In particular, we show that for some kernels, the optimal input under the D-optimality has an explicit expression.
The Interactive Effect of Gender on the Effectiveness of Contigency Management and Cognitive Self Instruction on Bullying Behaviour of Secondary Students in Nigeria

Bullying constitutes a significant threat to the mental, social and physical wellbeing of school children. As an old phenomenon and worldwide problem, it has defied several efforts to curb it. This study examined the interactive effect of gender on the effectiveness of contigency management and cognitive self -instruction on bullying behaviour of secondary students in Nigeria. The population for the study consisted of bullies in public secondary schools in Ogun state. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select three schools and purposive sampling was used to select the participants. The study adopted a 3x2 pre-test and post test experimental research design consisting of two treatment groups and one control group. Adolescent Peer Relation Inventory (APRI) was the instrument used for data collection and a total number of one hundred and fourteen students participated. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyse the two hypotheses formulated at the 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed a significant effect of cognitive self-instruction, contingency management and control on bullying behaviour (F2, 101 = 6.444: p<0.05). Also gender, (F(2,101) = . 041; p > 0.05) did not affect the effectiveness of contigency management and cognitive self -instruction on bullying behaviour of secondary students in Nigeria. Based on these findings, it was recommended that psychologists, counsellors, parents, teachers and social workers should use these treatment packages in controlling bullying behaviour among secondary schools students. Also . the government should sponsor seminars/workshops for school counsellors and educational psychologists on how to use cognitive self-instruction and contingency management techniques in controlling bullying behaviour.
A Novel Role for GADD45β as a Mediator of MMP-13 Gene Expression during Chondrocyte Terminal Differentiation*

The growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45β (GADD45β) gene product has been implicated in the stress response, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Here we demonstrated the unexpected expression of GADD45β in the embryonic growth plate and uncovered its novel role as an essential mediator of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) expression during terminal chondrocyte differentiation. We identified GADD45β as a prominent early response gene induced by bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) through a Smad1/Runx2-dependent pathway. Because this pathway is involved in skeletal development, we examined mouse embryonic growth plates, and we observed expression of Gadd45β mRNA coincident with Runx2 protein in pre-hypertrophic chondrocytes, whereas GADD45β protein was localized prominently in the nucleus in late stage hypertrophic chondrocytes where Mmp-13 mRNA was expressed. In Gadd45β-/- mouse embryos, defective mineralization and decreased bone growth accompanied deficient Mmp-13 and Col10a1 gene expression in the hypertrophic zone. Transduction of small interfering RNA-GADD45β in epiphyseal chondrocytes in vitro blocked terminal differentiation and the associated expression of Mmp-13 and Col10a1 mRNA in vitro. Finally, GADD45β stimulated MMP-13 promoter activity in chondrocytes through the JNK-mediated phosphorylation of JunD, partnered with Fra2, in synergy with Runx2. These observations indicated that GADD45β plays an essential role during chondrocyte terminal differentiation.
Spatial Localizations of Mam22 and Mam12 in the Magnetosomes of Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum

ABSTRACT Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum possesses intracellular magnetite particles with a chain-like structure, termed magnetosomes. The bacterium expresses 22-kDa and 12-kDa magnetosome-associated proteins, termed Mam22 (MamA) and Mam12 (MamC), respectively. In this study, we investigated the structure of the purified magnetosomes with transmission electron microscopic techniques and found that the magnetosomes consisted of four compartments, i.e., magnetite crystal, magnetosomal membrane, interparticle connection, and magnetosomal matrix. Furthermore, we determined the precise localizations of Mam22 and Mam12 using immunogold staining of the purified magnetosomes and ultrathin sections of the bacterial cells. Interestingly, most Mam22 existed in the magnetosomal matrix, whereas Mam12 was strictly localized in the magnetosomal membrane. Moreover, the recombinant Mam22 was attached to the magnetosomal matrix of the Mam22-deficient magnetosomes prepared by alkaline treatment, such as 0.1 M Caps-NaOH buffer (pH 11.0). The spatial localization of the magnetosome-associated proteins in the magnetosomal chain provides useful information to elucidate the functional roles of these proteins.
Noninvasive Estimation of Arterial CO2 From End-Tidal CO2 in Mechanically Ventilated Children: The GRAeDIENT Pilot Study*

Objectives: The aim of our pilot study was to develop a model to better predict Paco2 in mechanically ventilated children using noninvasive parameters including volumetric capnography. Design: Prospective clinical pilot study. Setting: Level III PICU. Patients: Sixty-five mechanically ventilated children. Interventions: None. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective clinical pilot study that included all children admitted to the PICU (< 18 yr; weight, > 3 kg; mechanically ventilated, > 6 hr; with an arterial line). A predictive model for PaCO2 was developed using linear multivariable regression. Among the data collected in PICU patients, candidate predictors of PaCO2 were defined by a panel of experts and included end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide, ventilation parameters, and data resulting from the analysis of volumetric capnogram recorded 5 minutes before an arterial blood gas. Children with tidal volume less than 30 mL were excluded because of technical limits. Results: A total of 65 children (43 boys, 65%) (65 [21–150] mo old) were analyzed. By linear multivariable regression, the best model included the mean airway pressure, end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide, FIO2, and the capnographic index with an R2 equal to 0.90, p value less than 0.001. After correction, 95% (n = 62) of children had an estimated PaCO2 at ± 5 mm Hg. Conclusion: Our model developed provides an accurate estimation of the PaCO2 using end-tidal CO2 and noninvasive variables. Studies are needed to validate the equation in PICUs.
Computing Persistent Homology of Flag Complexes via Strong Collapses

In this article, we focus on the problem of computing Persistent Homology of a flag tower, i.e. a sequence of flag complexes connected by simplicial maps. We show that if we restrict the class of simplicial complexes to flag complexes, we can achieve decisive improvement in terms of time and space complexities with respect to previous work. We show that strong collapses of flag complexes can be computed in time O(k^2 v^2) where v is the number of vertices of the complex and k is the maximal degree of its graph. Moreover we can strong collapse a flag complex knowing only its 1-skeleton and the resulting complex is also a flag complex. When we strong collapse the complexes in a flag tower, we obtain a reduced sequence that is also a flag tower we call the core flag tower. We then convert the core flag tower to an equivalent filtration to compute its PH. Here again, we only use the 1-skeletons of the complexes. The resulting method is simple and extremely efficient.
Limited parsing of notational text visit notes: ad-hoc vs. NLP approaches

This paper describes the extraction of structured data relevant to glaucoma diagnosis and progression from visit notes typed as "notational text" by ophthalmologists during patient encounters. We compared two text processing systems: a limited pattern matching system called GDP (Glaucoma Dedicated Parser) and MedLEE, a proven natural language processing system which is in routine use encoding findings from chest radiograph and mammogram reports at the New York-Presbyterian hospital's Columbia-Presbyterian Center. We also evaluated the use of GDP as a preprocessor program to transform notational text into constructions recognizable by MedLEE. These systems have been evaluated according to their recall and precision in the particular task of processing a corpus of "notational text" documents to extract information related to glaucoma disease.
Rotational ablation assisted angioplasty of an obstructed aortopulmonary collateral artery

A 15 month old baby girl with pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect, and multiple aortopulmonary collateral arteries underwent rotational ablation assisted balloon angioplasty of a severely stenosed collateral artery that had previously proved undilatable using a high pressure non-compliant balloon angioplasty catheter. It is postulated that the rotablation debulked a fibrotic stricture within the artery to facilitate effective balloon dilatation. Rotational ablation assisted angioplasty may have a role to play in congenital stenotic lesions that are “undilatable”.
Shewanella gelidii sp. nov., isolated from the red algae Gelidium amansii, and emended description of Shewanella waksmanii.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, straight or slightly curved rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, facultatively anaerobic bacterium with a single polar flagellum, designated RZB5-4T, was isolated from a sample of the red algae Gelidium amansii collected from the coastal region of Rizhao, PR China (119.625° E 35.517° N). The organism grew optimally between 24 and 28 °C, at pH 7.0 and in the presence of 2-3 % (w/v) NaCl. The strain required seawater or artificial seawater for growth, and NaCl alone did not support growth. Strain RZB5-4T contained C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c, C16 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0 as the dominant fatty acids. The respiratory quinones detected in strain RZB5-4T were ubiquinone 7, ubiquinone 8, menaquinone 7 and methylmenaquinone 7. The polar lipids of strain RZB5-4T comprised phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, one unidentified glycolipid, one unidentified phospholipid and one unknown lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain RZB5-4T was 47 mol %. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and gyrase B (gyrB) gene sequences showed that strain RZB5-4T belonged to the genus Shewanella, clustering with Shewanella waksmanii ATCC BAA-643T. Strain RZB5-4T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value (96.6 %) and the highest gyrB gene sequence similarity value (80.7 %), respectively, to S. waksmanii ATCC BAA-643T. On the basis of polyphasic analyses, strain RZB5-4T represents a novel species of the genus Shewanella, for which the name Shewanella gelidii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RZB5-4T (=JCM 30804T=KCTC 42663T=MCCC 1K00697T).
Vortex index identification and unidirectional propagation in Kagome photonic crystals

Abstract Vortex field in photonic metamaterials has been revealed in recent years, which provides an extra degree of freedom to control the behavior of electromagnetic waves, such as the unidirectional propagation in topological metamaterials and orbital angular momentum multiplexing in optical fibers. Achieving topologically protected unidirectionality needs an external source either with a vortex index of m = ±1 (i.e. 2πm phase winding around phase singularity) or with a spin index of ±1 (i.e. right- or left-handed circular polarization). However, it is still an open question on the relationship between higher-order (|m | > 1) vortex field and topological metamaterials. Here, we study the excitation of valley bulk states by a source with a higher-order vortex index in Kagome photonic crystals. The selection rule for the excitation of valley bulk states is derived and can be applied to predict the selective excitation of valley bulk states by a source with a higher-order vortex index. Interestingly, we find that the Fourier spectrum and the averaged Fourier spectrum of the Ez component enable us to identify the vortex index of the source. Besides, it is shown that the unidirectional edge states can be excited by a source with a vortex index of 1 or 2 in a straight or 120° detour waveguide. Our work paves the way for the demonstration of the selection rule and may have potential applications in optical mode identification.
European Epidemiologic Registry of Cystic Fibrosis (ERCF): Comparison of major disease manifestations between patients with different classes of mutations

Summary. By August 1997, 11,749 patients with cystic fibrosis had been enrolled in the European Epidemiologic Registry of Cystic Fibrosis (ERCF). Genotype analysis had been performed on 8,963 (76%) of these patients, and the majority had one or two identifiable mutations. Patients with known mutations were classified according to the type of mutation (Classes I‐V), and were grouped according to the class of mutation on both chromosomes. This resulted in six subgroups, including all patients homozygous for Class I (I/I, n = 72), for Class II (II/II, n = 5,020), and for Class III mutations, (III/III, n = 23). Since there were only 23 patients homozygous for Class III mutations, a fourth group was made up of patients who were compound heterozygous for a Class II and III mutation (II/III, n = 265). There were only five patients homozygous for Class IV mutations, and consequently a fifth group was made up of all patients carrying at least one Class IV mutation, regardless of the nature of the mutation on the other chromosome (IV/any, n = 187). None were homozygous for Class V mutations; consequently, a sixth group consisted of patients carrying at least one Class V mutation (V/any, n = 22).
China's “Tidal Wave” of Migrant Labor: What Can we Learn from Mexican Undocumented Migration to the United States? 1

The purpose of this article is to place Chinese labor migration from agriculture within the context of the literature on labor mobility in developing countries by comparing it to undocumented Mexican migration to the United States. The similarities fall within three general areas: the migration process, the economic and social position of migrants at their destination, and the agrarian structure and process of agricultural development that has perpetuated circular migration. The last section of the article draws upon these similarities, as well as differences between the two countries, to generate predictions concerning the development of labor migration in China. A fifteen-car train arrived in Shanghai from the city of Fuyang in Anhui Province on February 14. On board were 2,850 laborers from outside the municipality, signaling the beginning of the spring labor influx. Of this group, most were between 20 and 30 years of age, and more than half had never left their home villages before. Most will stay in Shanghai, while others will head to Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Ningbo, and Changshou to seek work. The Shanghai Public Security Department already has prepared a number of vehicles to transport laborers to other places outside the city, and the Shanghai police have strengthened their forces to keep public order. (FBIS, 1994d)
Transient complexes of redox proteins: structural and dynamic details from NMR studies

Redox proteins participate in many metabolic routes, in particular those related to energy conversion. Protein–protein complexes of redox proteins are characterized by a weak affinity and a short lifetime. Two‐dimensional NMR spectroscopy has been applied to many redox protein complexes, providing a wealth of information about the process of complex formation, the nature of the interface and the dynamic properties of the complex. These studies have shown that some complexes are non‐specific and exist as a dynamic ensemble of orientations while in other complexes the proteins assume a single orientation. The binding interface in these complexes consists of a small hydrophobic patch for specificity, surrounded by polar, uncharged residues that may enhance dissociation, and, in most complexes, a ring or patch of charged residues that enhances the association by electrostatic interactions. The entry and exit port of the electrons is located within the hydrophobic interaction site, ensuring rapid electron transfer from one redox centre to the next. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of glycemic variability on the HbA1c level in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of glycemic variability on the HbA1c level in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS The 24-h glucose profiles were obtained using a continuous glucose monitoring system in 291 elderly male type 2 diabetic patients. The relationship between the glycemic variability and HbA1c level was assessed in these patients. RESULTS The mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) in patients with HbA1c ≥7.0% was significantly higher than in patients with HbA1c <7.0% (4.33±1.67 vs. 3.48±1.46 mmol/L, p<0.001). A simple (Pearson's) correlation analysis indicated that the MAGE was significantly correlated with the HbA1c (r=0.229, p<0.001). Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartile of the MAGE was associated with a significantly increased risk of having a HbA1c ≥7.0% after multiple adjustments (p (for trend) <0.001). CONCLUSION The glycemic variability had a significant influence on the HbA1c level in elderly male patients with T2DM. The present data suggests that patients with higher glycemic variability might have higher HbA1c levels.
Achieving Object Persistence In An Augmented Reality Indoor Environment

In this paper we present a system for achieving object persistence in Augmented Reality Indoors Environments. In AR systems based on the Augmented Reality toolkit without object persistence, virtual objects appear and disappear as the corresponding pattern gets in and out of the user’s field of view. Object persistence allows the environment to remember the relative position and orientation of virtual objects, making them appear more stable to the user. We describe object persistence as a series of transformations applied to the objects in a simple indoor environment. We then present the results of a quantitative experiment that shows how interactivity is improved by the use of object persistency.
Spinal release of tumour necrosis factor activates c-Jun N-terminal kinase and mediates inflammation-induced hypersensitivity

Mounting evidence points to individual contributions of tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF) and the c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) pathway to the induction and maintenance of various pain states. Here we explore the role of spinal TNF and JNK in carrageenan‐induced hypersensitivity. As links between TNF and JNK have been demonstrated in vitro, we investigated if TNF regulates spinal JNK activity in vivo.
The token grid: multidimensional media access for local and metropolitan networks

A token grid network in which media access is performed over a two-dimensional mesh is introduced. In the resulting system, each station is two-connected and has the same transmission hardware and small station latency as in a dual token ring. In the token grid, however, the total system throughput may be many factors larger than that which is possible in a dual token ring. This advantage increases with the normalized end-to-end propagation delay. In the results presented, the uniform load capacity of the token grid grows with the size of the network. In addition, the token grid can take advantage of communities-of-interest amongst the stations. It is possible to implement the system in such a way as to achieve robust operation in the presence of station and link failures. <<ETX>>