Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMAGERIE CEREBRALE DE LA RESOLUTION D'UNE TACHE NUMERIQUE ADAPTEE DE PIAGET CHEZ LE JEUNE UNE ADULTE. Mesures comportementales, hémodynamiques (IRMf) et électrophysiologiques (EEG).

Jean Piaget estimait que l'enfant de 7-8 ans devient "conservant" car il comprend que deux rangees de jetons ont le meme nombre, meme si leur correspondance perceptive est rompue en ecartant ou en resserrant les jetons de l'une d'elles. L'interference visuo-spatiale est alors surmontee en inhibant la strategie "longueur=nombre". La these soutenue ici est qu'il resterait dans le cerveau adulte des traces de ce stade du developpement cognitif. Nous avons des lors etudie en imagerie cerebrale une adaptation de la tâche de Piaget chez de jeunes adultes. Apres un etat de l'art sur les competences numeriques au cours du developpement cognitif, les bases neurales de l'inhibition cognitive et du traitement numerique, deux contributions experimentales sont exposees. Une premiere etude en potentiels evoques montre que l'inhibition de l'interference nombre/longueur, comparee a une situation controle de covariation, induit des ondes electrophysiologiques specifiques N2 et P3 et, chez les memes sujets examines ensuite en IRMf, des aires heteromodales posterieures. Une seconde etude uniquement en IRMf (donc sans session prealable) met egalement en evidence le role du cortex cingulaire anterieur droit, connu pour etre implique dans le controle inhibiteur (gestion de conflits, detection d'erreurs). Des aires parietales bilaterales de comptage et de manipulation mentale/spatiale sont aussi recrutees. La reaction du cerveau adulte face a une tâche cognitive dans laquelle il s'est trompe pendant un stade de son developpement confirme ainsi que les biais perceptifs de l'enfance ne sont jamais completement surmontes ou, pour le moins, que leur inhibition a toujours un cout neurocognitif.
An interactive system for recognizing hand drawn UML diagrams

Diagrams are widely used by software engineers to capture the structure and organization of software systems. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a commonly-used notation for such diagrams. We have designed and implemented a system for the on-line recognition of hand drawn UML diagrams. Input comes from an electronic whiteboard, a mouse, or a data tablet. A sophisticated segmentation algorithm groups pen strokes into symbols, coping with drawing inaccuracies that are common in hand drawn input. The system is organized around a retargetable kernel which provides a general front end for on-line recognition of any iconic notation. The kernel is extended with UML specific enhancements to segmentation, as well as UML specific glyph recognizers. A simple and intuitive graphical user interface allows the user to correct segmentation and recognition errors. Relatively messy freehand UML drawings are interpreted properly.
Automatic Spectral-Rule-Based Preliminary Classification of Radiometrically Calibrated SPOT-4/-5/IRS, AVHRR/MSG, AATSR, IKONOS/QuickBird/OrbView/GeoEye, and DMC/SPOT-1/-2 Imagery—Part I: System Design and Implementation

To date, the automatic or semiautomatic transformation of huge amounts of multisource multiresolution spaceborne imagery into information still remains far below reasonable expectations. The original contribution of this paper to existing knowledge on the development of operational automatic remote sensing image understanding systems (RS-IUSs) is fourfold. First, existing RS-IUS architectures are critically revised. In this review section, the two-stage stratified hierarchical RS-IUS model, originally proposed by Shackelford and Davis, is identified as a subclass of the parent class of multiagent hybrid systems for RS image understanding, which is potentially superior to the two-stage segment-based RS-IUS architecture that is currently considered the state-of-the-art in commercial RS image-processing software toolboxes. Second, this paper highlights the degree of novelty of an operational automatic near-real-time well-posed model-driven application-independent per-pixel Landsat-like spectral-rule-based decision-tree classifier (LSRC) recently presented in RS literature. Third, five original downscaled implementations of the LSRC system are proposed to be input with a multispectral image whose spectral resolution overlaps with, but is inferior to, Landsat's. These five downscaled LSRC implementations are identified as the Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre-like SRC, the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer-like SRC, the Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer-like SRC, the IKONOS-like SRC, and the Disaster Monitoring Constellation-like SRC, respectively. LSRC, together with its five downscaled implementations, called the integrated SRC system of systems, is eligible for use as the automatic pixel-based preliminary classification first stage of a two-stage stratified hierarchical RS-IUS instantiation. Fourth, to sustain the feasibility of the new downscaled LSRC implementations, a novel vegetation spectral index is introduced and discussed. In Part II of this paper, experimental results are presented and discussed for the entire SRC family of classifiers.
Effectiveness of an Online Caring Curriculum in Enhancing Nurses' Caring Behavior.

BACKGROUND A hospital in Taiwan implemented a framework of caring in clinical practice. After the pilot study, the current study was conducted to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. METHOD One hundred four nurses from two hospitals were recruited for the intervention (n = 50) and comparison (n = 54) groups in a mixed-method, quasi-experimental pre- and postintervention design. Audiovisual materials based on the authentic caring and uncaring experiences of nurses and patients were created as the curriculum content. Role modeling and reflective practice were used as learning strategies. Both groups of nurses and patients completed a pre- and postintervention evaluation of nurse caring behaviors, using the SHARE (Sense patients' needs before they ask, Help patients out, Acknowledge patients' feelings, Respect the dignity and privacy of patients, Explain what is happening) caring behavior measurement. A focus group interview was conducted. RESULTS The intervention group exhibited higher frequency of caring behavior than the comparison group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Authentic experiences, reflective practice, and online videos were effective teaching strategies in enhancing nurse caring behavior in an online continuing education program.
microRNA expression alteration after arsenic trioxide treatment in HepG‐2 cells

Background and Aim: More and more microRNA (miRNA) are found to be involved in tumor genesis and progress. Arsenic trioxide has been an effective chemotherapeutic drug in cancer therapy for many years. In this study, we aimed to find the miRNA involved in the mechanisms of arsenic trioxide treatment in cancer therapy.
Effects of a low-salt diet on flow-mediated dilatation in humans.

BACKGROUND The effect of salt reduction on vascular function, assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), is unknown. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to compare the effects of a low-salt (LS; 50 mmol Na/d) diet with those of a usual-salt (US; 150 mmol Na/d) diet on FMD. DESIGN This was a randomized crossover design in which 29 overweight and obese normotensive men and women followed an LS diet and a US diet for 2 wk. Both diets had similar potassium and saturated fat contents and were designed to ensure weight stability. After each intervention, FMD, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, and blood pressure were measured. RESULTS FMD was significantly greater (P = 0.001) with the LS diet (4.89 +/- 2.42%) than with the US diet (3.37 +/- 2.10%), systolic blood pressure was significantly (P = 0.02) lower with the LS diet (112 +/- 11 mm Hg) than with the US diet (117 +/- 13 mm Hg), and 24-h sodium excretion was significantly lower (P = 0.0001) with the LS diet (64.1 +/- 41.3 mmol) than with the US diet (156.3 +/- 56.7 mmol). There was no correlation between change in FMD and change in 24-h sodium excretion or change in blood pressure. No significant changes in augmentation index or pulse wave velocity were observed. CONCLUSIONS Salt reduction improves endothelium-dependant vasodilation in normotensive subjects independently of the changes in measured resting clinic blood pressure. These findings suggest additional cardioprotective effects of salt reduction beyond blood pressure reduction. The trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (unique identifier: ANZCTR12607000381482; http://www.anzctr.org.au/trial_view.aspx? ID=82159).
Link Quality Estimation : A Case Study for On-line Supervised Learning in Wireless Sensor Networks

We focus on the implementation issues of on-line, batch supervised learning in computationally limited devices. As a case study, we consider the use of such techniques for link quality estimation. We compare three strategies for the on-line selection of the data samples to be kept in memory and used for learning. Results suggest that strategies that keep balanced the set of training samples in terms of ranges of target values provide better accuracy and faster convergence.
The efficacy of isotretinoin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles in comparison to Isotrex® on acne treatment

Topical retinoids are considered as the first line therapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris, but they are associated with cutaneous irritation. In this study, isotretinoin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles(IT-SLN) were prepared to treat the mild to moderate acne. Also using IT-SLN would minimize IT adverse effects in comparison to commercial product, Isotrex®. This study was conducted to prepare and characterize IT-SLN and assessing the efficiency of IT-SLN comparing to Isotrex® acne. IT-SLN was prepared using hot high pressure homogenization method. IT-SLN contained 0.05% IT in 5% of lipid phase (Glyceryl monostearate- GMS) and tween 80 (2.5 % w/v) was used as surfactant in the aqueous phase. IT-SLN was characterized by particle size analyzing, differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy. Encapsulation efficacy was also obtained using spectrophotometry. The efficacy of IT-SLN was evaluated in a randomized, single-blind, parallel-group study and compared with Isotrex®. Forty patients encountered in the study and divided in two groups. Treatment regimen was once-nightly topical administration accompanied with topical administration of clindamycin 2% solution twice a day for 8 weeks. The particle size of IT-SLN was around 60 nm with PDI of 0.4 and zeta potential was about -40 mV. Encapsulation efficacy of IT in SLN in crystalline form was 84±0.21%. IT-SLN produced significantly better treatment than Isotrex® in both non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions according to its recovery percent after 8 weeks. Also IT-SLN gained better global assessment scores. Our results showed that IT-SLN had higher efficacy than Isotrex® to clear non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions.
HCI, Solidarity Movements and the Solidarity Economy

The financial crisis and austerity politics in Europe has had a devastating impact on public services, social security and vulnerable populations. Greek civil society responded quickly by establishing solidarity structures aimed at helping vulnerable citizens to meet their basic needs and empower them to co-create an anti-austerity movement. While digital technology and social media played an important role in the initiation of the movement, it has a negligible role in the movement's on-going practices. Through embedded work with several solidarity structures in Greece, we have begun to understand the "solidarity economy" (SE) as an experiment in direct democracy and self-organization. Working with a range of solidarity structures we are developing a vision for a "Solidarity HCI" committed to designing to support personal, social and institutional transformation through processes of agonistic pluralism and contestation, where the aims and objectives of the SE are continuously re-formulated and put into practice.
A new semi-supervised classification strategy combining active learning and spectral unmixing of hyperspectral data

Hyperspectral remote sensing allows for the detailed analysis of the surface of the Earth by providing high-dimensional images with hundreds of spectral bands. Hyperspectral image classification plays a significant role in hyperspectral image analysis and has been a very active research area in the last few years. In the context of hyperspectral image classification, supervised techniques (which have achieved wide acceptance) must address a difficult task due to the unbalance between the high dimensionality of the data and the limited availability of labeled training samples in real analysis scenarios. While the collection of labeled samples is generally difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, unlabeled samples can be generated in a much easier way. Semi-supervised learning offers an effective solution that can take advantage of both unlabeled and a small amount of labeled samples. Spectral unmixing is another widely used technique in hyperspectral image analysis, developed to retrieve pure spectral components and determine their abundance fractions in mixed pixels. In this work, we propose a method to perform semi-supervised hyperspectral image classification by combining the information retrieved with spectral unmixing and classification. Two kinds of samples that are highly mixed in nature are automatically selected, aiming at finding the most informative unlabeled samples. One kind is given by the samples minimizing the distance between the first two most probable classes by calculating the difference between the two highest abundances. Another kind is given by the samples minimizing the distance between the most probable class and the least probable class, obtained by calculating the difference between the highest and lowest abundances. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated using a real hyperspectral data set collected by the airborne visible infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) over the Indian Pines region in Northwestern Indiana. In the paper, techniques for efficient implementation of the considered technique in high performance computing architectures are also discussed.
A novel technique to improve template security for biometric recognition

This paper presents one of the new fusion methods for multimodal biometric recognition to improve biometric template security. In this methodology, the process involves embedding finger vein into the hand vein image. Here the necessary features are extracted from the preprocessed images and subsequently, we embed the binary finger vein into hand vein by the use of embedded fusion. Finally the matching score is found out with the help of neural network. The proposed technique is tested on the standard data bases of finger vein and hand vein. This method provides lower false acceptance rate and false rejection rate when compared with other techniques, indicating the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Protective role of vitamins A, C, and E against the genotoxic damage induced by aflatoxin B1 in cultured human lymphocytes

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamins A, C, and E against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on blood cultures in relation to induction of sister chromatid exchange (SCE). The results indicated genotoxic and mutagenic damage in cultured human lymphocytes exposed to AFB1. The results showed that 5 μM concentration of AFB1 increased SCE. When vitamins A, C, and E were added to AFB1, the frequency of SCE decreased. These results suggest that vitamins A, C, and E could effectively inhibit AFB1-induced SCE, which may partially responsible for its mutagenic effect of AFB1. Besides, the protective effect of vitamins A, C, and E against AFB1 was increased in a dose-dependent manner (i.e., as the doses increased, their protective effects also increased). There was a significant decrease in the SCE frequency in AFB1-treated group compared with the groups receiving AFB1 and also vitamins A, C, and E. The most effective concentration was 100 microM vitamin C, and the lowest effective concentration was 0.5 microM vitamin A. Vitamin C has the most effective concentration of 100 μM, and vitamin A has the lowest effective concentration of 0.5 μM. The order of the decreasing effect of the SCE frequency of vitamins was as follows: vitamin C > vitamin E > vitamin A.
Drug Market Reconstitution after Hurricane Katrina: Lessons for Local Drug Abuse Control Initiatives

Hurricane Katrina accomplished what no law enforcement initiative could ever achieve: It completely eradicated the New Orleans drug market. However, Katrina did little to eliminate the demand for drugs. This article documents the process of the drug market reconstitution that occurred 2005–2008 based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with predominately low-income drug users and sellers. Before Katrina, the drug market was largely characterized by socially-bonded participants involved with corporate style distribution. After Katrina, a violent freelance market emerged. The conclusion draws recommendations for law enforcement for dealing with drug markets after a major disaster.
[Lactic acidosis treated with thiamine. 3 cases].

Of 3 alcoholic patients with severe lactic acidosis, one had shoshin beriberi; the second--a beer drinker--presented with convulsions associated with hyponatraemia and complicated by rhabdomyolysis and was not thiamine-deficient; the third patient had convulsions associated with Korsakoff's syndrome and was thiamine-deficient. In all three patients treatment with thiamine administered alone corrected the lactic acidosis within less than 4 hours. In patient 1, this result was obtained after symptomatic treatment of shock and lactic acidosis had failed and more than 24 hours before the haemodynamic disorders were corrected. In patient 2, who had no haemodynamic nor haematosis disorders, the lactic acidosis was corrected within 2 hours, i.e. more than 24 hours before neurological improvement developed. In patient 3, the lactic acidosis was also corrected within 2 hours. These results suggest that thiamine should figure among the treatments of lactic acidosis in alcoholic patients. Since thiamine alone is capable of correcting severe lactic acidosis, at least in some of these patients, it deserves to be tried in other types of lactic acidosis.
Changes in Breast Density Reporting Patterns of Radiologists After Publication of the 5th Edition BI-RADS Guidelines: A Single Institution Experience.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to determine the impact of 5th edition BI-RADS breast density assessment guidelines on density reporting patterns in our clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS PenRad reporting system was used to collect mammographic breast density data reported by five radiologists: 16,907 density assignments using 5th edition BI-RADS guidelines were compared with 19,066 density assessments using 4th edition guidelines. Changes in the density assessment pattern were noted between the 4th and 5th edition guidelines, and agreement in density distribution was compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient. A chi-square analysis was conducted for each reader to examine the change in the proportion of dense versus nondense assignments and on each category type to examine specific changes in proportion of density assignments from the 4th to the 5th edition. All reported p values are two-sided, and statistical significance was considered at the p < 0.001 threshold. RESULTS Using the 5th edition, there was an overall 5.0% decrease in fatty assessments (p < 0.001), 2.8% increase in scattered densities (p < 0.001), 2.6% increase in heterogeneously dense (p < 0.001), and 0.4% decrease in extremely dense assessments (p = 0.15). Comparing the dense with nondense categories, there was a 2.3% overall increase in the dense assessments (p < 0.001) using 5th edition guidelines, mainly in the heterogeneously dense category. Two radiologists showed increased dense assessments (p < 0.001) using the 5th edition, and three radiologists showed no change (p = 0.39, 0.67, and 0.76). CONCLUSION There was an overall increase in the dense assessments using the 5th edition, but individual radiologists in our clinical practice showed a variable adaptation to new guidelines.
Factors Affecting The Differentiation Of Small Granular Chromaffin (SGC) Cells Of The Mouse Adrenal Medulla

SGC cells have been suggested as being intermediate cell types between chromaffin cells and sympathetic neurons. At the EM level , in gluteraldehyde /osmium tetroxide fixed material , the characteristic features of SGC cells in the mouse are : 1. the presence of small chromaffin granules of variable electron density , 2. the occurance of synaptic -type vesicles ( STV). 3. a high nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio and 4. a relatively well developed rough endop lasmic reticulum . SGC cells tend to lie peripherally in the adrenal medulla , adjacent to noradrenaline storing (NA) cells and may send processes between adjacent chromaffin and cortical cells (into the X -zone in young mice). Recent observations on the post-natal development of SGC cells have shown that SGC cells appear to achieve their greatest complement of secretory granules including STV at the time when X -zone of the mouse shows maximal development. Thereafter the size of aggregates of STV and number of secretory granules decrease and STV are few in number or apparently absent in SGC cells of post –pubertal animals 9 or more weeks old. However, STV reappear following post –pubertal castration as a secondary X -zone develops and decline in number following parenteral testosterone proprionate which precipitates the disappearance of the X -zone. This effect may be due to either a direct effect of testosterone on the adrenal medulla and/or to its effect on the hypothalamus -pituitary leading to a reduction in output of luteinising hormone (LH) and /or degeneration of the X -zone.
Automatic Feature Learning Method for Detection of Retinal Landmarks

This paper presents an automatic deep learning method for location detection of important retinal landmarks, the fovea and optic disc (OD) in digital fundus retinal images with the potential for use in an automated screening and grading system. The proposed method is based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) and does not depend the visual appearance or anatomical features of the retinal landmarks. It comprises convolution, max-pooling, fully connected and dropout layers as well as an output layer. The CNN is trained using an existing dataset images along with their annotated locations of the foveal and OD centres. Performance of the network is evaluated using Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The developed feature learning-based approach presents promising system for retinal landmarks detection.
Germline variants in IKZF1, ARID5B, and CEBPE as risk factors for adult-onset acute lymphoblastic leukemia: an analysis from the GMALL study group

A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes IKZF1, ARID5B, CEBPE and CDKN2A have been implicated in the propensity to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in childhood (< 15 years of age)[1][1]–[4][2] but since the genetic background of adult and childhood ALL is