Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
International Conference on Intelligent and Advanced Systems 2007 Wavelet-based Skin Segmentation for Detecting Occluded Arms in Human Body Pose Modelling System

The task of correctly tracking the body parts is one of the crucial problems in the human body pose modelling. Various factors need to be investigated as the variety of body poses is unlimited and the visual appearance varies according to the environment. The human body can be composed into several parts such as the head, torso, arms and legs. The arms can be considered as the most challenging body part to be tracked since it tends to move fast and usually occluded within other body parts. This paper addresses the problem of extracting the arms which are occluded in the torso part. A wavelet-based skin segmentation method is applied to detect the skin region. The segmentation procedure is performed using six different colour spaces namely the RGB, rgb, HSI, TSL, SCT and CIELAB. The segmentation performances are evaluated on colour component basis. The aim of this paper is to determine the best colour components that are suitable for this segmentation procedure. I. INTRODUCTION Human body pose modelling has been an active and growing research area in the last few decades. One of the important goals of the modelling is to infer the movement of the body parts. This is an essential task for various applications such as motion analysis for dance choreography and sport video footage, person tracking for surveillance system and gesture identification for user interface domain. The human pose modelling can be generally categorized into three approaches. They are 2D approaches without explicit shape models, 2D approaches with explicit shape models and 3D approaches. In 2D approaches, the methodology consists of model construction, tracking the body segments based on prior knowledge and the projection of human body in an image plane [1]. The human body can be divided into many parts such as the head, torso, arms and legs. These parts are modelled either by a blobs or planar patches as discussed in [2-4]. The arms can be considered as the most challenging body part to be tracked since it tends to move farther, more rapidly and more often than the other body parts [5]. Moreover, the arms are usually occluded in the head and the torso regions. Edges, colour, texture, shape and motion are
Body fat, energy balance and estradiol levels: a study based on hormonal profiles from complete menstrual cycles.

BACKGROUND Female fecundity is regulated by nutritional status. Although widely cited, this hypothesis is not strongly supported by empirical data from non-obese, healthy women of reproductive age. METHODS Healthy, reproductive aged women (n = 141) from Southern Poland collected daily morning saliva samples for one complete menstrual cycle. Levels of 17-beta-estradiol were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Anthropometric measurements, including body fat percentage, were taken randomly with respect to phase of the menstrual cycle. Energy balance was specified based on changes in body fat percentage from the beginning to the end of the observation period. RESULTS Women with very low and high body fat had significantly lower levels of E2 compared with women with low and average body fat. In women of very low to average body fat, a 10% increase in body fat was associated with a 5-7 pmol/l increase in estradiol levels. The association between fat percentage and E2 was even stronger in women with positive energy balance, who also showed significant differences between body fat groups in estradiol profiles across whole the menstrual cycle. No such relationship was found in women with negative energy balance. CONCLUSIONS In healthy women, we found a non-linear association between body fat and estradiol levels. Both very low and high body fat was associated with decreased estradiol levels. The relationship between estradiol and body fat was strongly influenced by women's energy balance.
FLAIR Vascular Hyperintensity is a Surrogate of Collateral Flow and Leukoaraiosis in Patients With Acute Stroke Due to Proximal Artery Occlusion

Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) vascular hyperintensity (FVH) is a novel radiographic marker detected in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients, which is linked to slow blood flow and potentially salvageable brain tissue. Poor leptomeningeal collateral status in AIS patients with proximal artery occlusion (PAO) is associated with larger final infarct and worse clinical outcomes, which are also affected by severity of white matter hyperintensity (WMH). We sought to evaluate FVH utility as a marker of acute collateral vessel status and its association with WMH burden in AIS patients.
High-flow oxygen therapy in acute respiratory failure.

OBJECTIVE To compare the comfort of oxygen therapy via high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) versus via conventional face mask in patients with acute respiratory failure. Acute respiratory failure was defined as blood oxygen saturation < 96% while receiving a fraction of inspired oxygen > or = 0.50 via face mask. METHODS Oxygen was first humidified with a bubble humidifier and delivered via face mask for 30 min, and then via HFNC with heated humidifier for another 30 min. At the end of each 30-min period we asked the patient to evaluate dyspnea, mouth dryness, and overall comfort, on a visual analog scale of 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest). The results are expressed as median and interquartile range values. RESULTS We included 20 patients, with a median age of 57 (40-70) years. The total gas flow administered was higher with the HFNC than with the face mask (30 [21.3-38.7] L/min vs 15 [12-20] L/min, P < .001). The HFNC was associated with less dyspnea (3.8 [1.3-5.8] vs 6.8 [4.1-7.9], P = .001) and mouth dryness (5 [2.3-7] vs 9.5 [8-10], P < .001), and was more comfortable (9 [8-10]) versus 5 [2.3-6.8], P < . 001). HFNC was associated with higher P(aO(2)) (127 [83-191] mm Hg vs 77 [64-88] mm Hg, P = .002) and lower respiratory rate (21 [18-27] breaths/min vs 28 [25-32] breaths/min, P < .001), but no difference in P(aCO(2)). CONCLUSIONS HFNC was better tolerated and more comfortable than face mask. HFNC was associated with better oxygenation and lower respiratory rate. HFNC could have an important role in the treatment of patients with acute respiratory failure.
Gender in the 21st century : Caribbean perspectives, visions and possibilities

For more than two decades, feminist activists in the Caribbean have been researching, teaching, writing and collaborating with organisations and groups at all levels to improve the status of women, and to protect and advance their rights. This volume, Gender in the 21st Century , commemorates the pioneering work of feminists, scholars and activists by reflecting on some of the major issues which have engaged them and influenced their scholarship and work since the early 1980s. It also addresses issues at the cutting edge of Gender and Development Studies, adopting a strong policy focus for treating current social and gender inequity. Finally, the volume looks to the future and speculates on the place of gender in the academy, as well as its outreach, and provides a unique opportunity to explore, with highly respected and renowned scholars, aspects of the present state of Gender Studies and prospects for the future of this dynamic area of scholarship.
Serendipitous Personalized Ranking for Top-N Recommendation

Serendipitous recommendation has benefitted both e-retailers and users. It tends to suggest items which are both unexpected and useful to users. These items are not only profitable to the retailers but also surprisingly suitable to consumers' tastes. However, due to the imbalance in observed data for popular and tail items, existing collaborative filtering methods fail to give satisfactory serendipitous recommendations. To solve this problem, we propose a simple and effective method, called serendipitous personalized ranking. The experimental results demonstrate that our method significantly improves both accuracy and serendipity for top-N recommendation compared to traditional personalized ranking methods in various settings.
All eyes on code: Using call graphs for WSN software optimization

Efficient code is essential for Wireless Sensor Networks. Limited computational resources and low memory capacities require a disciplined and provident programming style. However, optimizing code requires tools to provide a deep insight into where the code may have potential for improvement. In this paper we present a way of generating call graphs of software for standard Wireless Sensor Nodes. We execute the software on the actual nodes to collect profiling information and visualize this data on a PC-based host system. The call graphs are enriched with information about function execution time, execution count and visualize the call chain of the program to allow the programmer to identify room for optimization.
Aqueductal Stroke Volume: Comparisons with Intracranial Pressure Scores in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Phase-contrast MR imaging was performed in 21 patients with probable idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. Patients were selected for shunting on the basis of pathologically increased intracranial pressure pulsatility. Patients with shunts were offered a second MR imaging after 12 months. Ventricular volume and transverse aqueductal area were calculated. No correlations between aqueductal stroke volume and preoperative scores of mean intracranial pressure or mean wave amplitudes were observed. Aqueductal stroke volume does not reflect intracranial pressure pulsatility or symptom score, but rather aqueduct area and ventricular volume. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Aqueductal stroke volume from phase-contrast MR imaging has been proposed for predicting shunt response in normal pressure hydrocephalus. However, this biomarker has remained controversial in use and has a lack of validation with invasive intracranial monitoring. We studied how aqueductal stroke volume compares with intracranial pressure scores in the presurgical work-up and clinical score, ventricular volume, and aqueduct area and assessed the patient's response to shunting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phase-contrast MR imaging was performed in 21 patients with probable idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. Patients were selected for shunting on the basis of pathologically increased intracranial pressure pulsatility. Patients with shunts were offered a second MR imaging after 12 months. Ventricular volume and transverse aqueductal area were calculated, as well as clinical symptom score. RESULTS: No correlations between aqueductal stroke volume and preoperative scores of mean intracranial pressure or mean wave amplitudes were observed. Preoperative aqueductal stroke volume was not different between patients with shunts and conservatively treated patients (P = .69) but was correlated with ventricular volume (R = 0.60, P = .004) and aqueductal area (R = 0.58, P = .006) but not with the severity or duration of clinical symptoms. After shunting, aqueductal stroke volume (P = .006) and ventricular volume (P = .002) were reduced. A clinical improvement was seen in 16 of 17 patients who had shunts (94%). CONCLUSIONS: Aqueductal stroke volume does not reflect intracranial pressure pulsatility or symptom score, but rather aqueduct area and ventricular volume. The results do not support the use of aqueductal stroke volume for selecting patients for shunting.
Competition between recently potentiated synaptic inputs reveals a winner-take-all phase of synaptic tagging and capture

Significance Our findings will refine the existing concept of a simple, linear phase model of memory in terms of temporal constraints on associative memory formation. We provide evidence for an in-between situation in which a “winner-take-all” process shapes the process of stable long-term memory storage. We show that when the temporal persistence of plasticity is enabled on one pathway by virtue of the availability of proteins from another earlier or later event, potentiation of a further third pathway around the same time may trigger sufficient competition to prevent persistent potentiation on all pathways. This mimics the daily situation of hippocampal neurons, which have to cope with the learning of new events under conditions of competition that can threaten stabilization. Canonical models suggest that mechanisms of long-term memory consist of a synapse-specific, protein synthesis-independent induction phase (changes in synaptic weights/temporary tagging of such synapses) and, within adjacent dendritic compartments, a protein synthesis-dependent distribution phase that may accompany or immediately precede induction and whose protein products enable consolidation through synaptic capture. We now report that this distribution phase is competitive in a “winner-take-all” fashion when synapses potentiated at induction compete with each other for plasticity-related proteins. This finding highlights the importance of synaptic competition in creating stable long-lasting memory in neural networks without disruption.
Bio-logging science: sensing beyond the boundaries

Bio-logging has emerged as a tool in animal biology much as genomics has emerged as a tool in the study of cellular and organ function. Bio-logging is certain to increase in its importance and to influence the way we study events and processes that are beyond the usual boundaries of perception and that are remote from the observer. It is pro- viding insights into the behaviour and function of organisms in environments that are hostile to the observer and in natural situations. In terms of the way that data are collected it has much in common with remote sensing and Earth observation. This includes post hoc analy- sis and interpretation of extensive data sets involving a low diversity of measured variables. Owing to the sparseness of data sets, practitioners need to develop better methods of apply- ing the data to models of the organisms being studied. Although increasing technological sophistication is leading to collection of a greater diversity of variables, this also brings com- plications of interpreting multi-dimension data sets. It appears that technology currently con- strains the type of biological questions that can be addressed but there is a danger that tech- nological advancement could result in a loss of focus on hypothesis testing. There is evidence that the discipline of bio-logging is developing a substructure within which specialist teams of modellers, theoretical and field biologists, and engineers collaborate to address complex biological questions.
Nine-Year Follow-Up of Intacs Implantation for Keratoconus

Purpose: To present a case of nine- year bilateral Intacs (Addition Technology, Inc, Fremont, California, USA) implantation for early stage keratoconus. Methods: A 25-year-old male underwent bilateral Intacs implantation for the management of keratoconus and hardcontact-lens intolerance (stage 1) in 1999. Results: Nine years postoperatively, spherical equivalent refraction changed from preoperative -0.75 and -2.25 to +0.75 and –1.25 for the right and the left eye, respectively. UCVA was improved from 20/50 to 20/25 in the right and from 20/200 to 20/32 in the left eye. BSCVA of 20/20 in the right eye maintained stable in comparison with the Pre-Intacs BSCVA, while BSCVA was improved from 20/25 to 20/20 in the fellow eye. No early or late complications were observed. Conclusions: Nine years after bilateral Intacs implantation for the management of early stage keratoconus, there was a significant improvement and postoperative stability in patient’s visual acuity. No long-term, sight-threatening complications were identified during follow-up.
Influence of choice on motivation to learn for students with autism: Effect on student interest, writing achievement, latency, and behavior

Improving learning outcomes and increasing motivation to learn for students with autism is a growing concern for educators today. While schools strive to fully include students with autism in general education classrooms, the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder continues to rise, increasing the need for effective interventions that educators can easily implement in their classrooms. This pilot study investigates the influence of choice on a second grade student with autism and his motivation to write. His teacher’s perception on the use and effectiveness of choice in her classroom is also examined. Using a single-subject baseline design, the variable of choice showed increased student interest and decreased latency to begin writing tasks. Teacher interviews supported the findings that student choice improved interest and learning outcomes for the student with autism; ease of implementation and increased classroom enthusiasm were noted.
Knowledge Management and Organizational Performance - A KM Implementation Framework in Indian Context

Knowledge Management (KM) is much more than just dissemination of knowledge. The real challenge organizations and decision makers face is conceptualizing the right approach to implement KM and developing strategies to manage the entire knowledge value chain. The purpose of this paper is to determine the state of KM implementation in Indian organizations. Literature survey, focus group discussion (FGD) and personal interviews are used for data collection. This paper reviews the existing KM frameworks and attempts to identify key dimensions. The sample comprised of Indian organizations which have either implemented KM or initiated the process of KM in their organizations. Convenience sampling is used to select the respondents. Transcripts prepared from FGD and personal interviews are subjected to content analysis. The paper reports the perceptions, views and experiences of senior executives. An attempt has been made to integrate the data collected into a framework to facilitate KM implementation. Although a number of empirical studies have been conducted in the past to study KM impact on performance, not many qualitative studies exist. The findings can help organizations to leverage knowledge in a structured manner to improve performance.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pili and Flagella Mediate Distinct Binding and Signaling Events at the Apical and Basolateral Surface of Airway Epithelium

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important opportunistic pathogen of man, exploits numerous factors for initial attachment to the host, an event required to establish bacterial infection. In this paper, we rigorously explore the role of two major bacterial adhesins, type IV pili (Tfp) and flagella, in bacterial adherence to distinct host receptors at the apical (AP) and basolateral (BL) surfaces of polarized lung epithelial cells and induction of subsequent host signaling and pathogenic events. Using an isogenic mutant of P. aeruginosa that lacks flagella or utilizing beads coated with purified Tfp, we establish that Tfp are necessary and sufficient for maximal binding to host N-glycans at the AP surface of polarized epithelium. In contrast, experiments utilizing a P. aeruginosa isogenic mutant that lacks Tfp or using beads coated with purified flagella demonstrate that flagella are necessary and sufficient for maximal binding to heparan sulfate (HS) chains of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) at the BL surface of polarized epithelium. Using two different cell-free systems, we demonstrate that Tfp-coated beads show highest binding affinity to complex N-glycan chains coated onto plastic plates and preferentially aggregate with beads coated with N-glycans, but not with single sugars or HS. In contrast, flagella-coated beads bind to or aggregate preferentially with HS or HSPGs, but demonstrate little binding to N-glycans. We further show that Tfp-mediated binding to host N-glycans results in activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway and bacterial entry at the AP surface. At the BL surface, flagella-mediated binding to HS activates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), adaptor protein Shc, and PI3K/Akt, and induces bacterial entry. Remarkably, flagella-coated beads alone can activate EGFR and Shc. Together, this work provides new insights into the intricate interactions between P. aeruginosa and lung epithelium that may be potentially useful in the development of novel treatments for P. aeruginosa infections.
Purification and characterization of the DNA polymerase alpha associated exonuclease: the RTH1 gene product.

We report here the purification and mechanistic characterization of a 5'-3' exonuclease associated with DNA polymerase alpha from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Earlier, we identified a 5' --> 3' exonuclease activity that copurified with yeast DNA polymerase alpha-primase in a multiprotein complex [Biswas, E. E. , et al. (1993) Biochemistry, 32, 3020-3027]. Peptide sequence analysis of the purified 47 kDa exonuclease was carried out, and the peptide sequence was found to be identical to the S. cerevisiae gene YKL510 encoded polypeptide, which is also known as yeast RAD2 homolog 1 or RTH1 nuclease. The native exonuclease also had strong flap endonuclease activity similar to that observed with RTH1 nuclease and homologous yeast (RAD2) and mammalian enzymes. During our studies, we have discovered certain unique features of the mechanism of action of the native RTH1 nuclease. Studies presented here indicated that the exonuclease had specific pause sites during its 5'-3' exonuclease nucleotide excision. These pause sites were easily detected with long (approximately 50 bp) oligonucleotide substrates during exonucleolytic excision by the formation of a discontinuous ladder of excision product. We have further analyzed the mechanism of generation of the pause sites, as they could occur through a number of different pathways. Alignment of the pause sites with the nucleotide sequence of the oligonucleotide substrate indicated that the pause sites were dependent on the nucleotide sequence. Our analysis revealed that RTH1 nuclease pauses predominantly at G:C rich sequences. With poly(dA):oligo(dT)50 as substrate, the exonucleolytic products formed a continuous ladder with no evidence of pausing. The G:C rich DNA sequences are thermodynamically more stable than the A:T rich sequences, which may be in part responsible for pausing of the RTH1 5' --> 3' exonuclease at these sites.
A computational approach to the covert and overt deployment of spatial attention

Popular computational models of visual attention tend to neglect the influence of saccadic eye movements whereas it has been shown that the primates perform on average three of them per seconds and that the neural substrate for the deployment of attention and the execution of an eye movement might considerably overlap. Here we propose a computational model in which the deployment of attention with or without a subsequent eye movement emerges from local, distributed and numerical computations.