Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integration of Deep Learning and Industrial Computer Vision Library for Motorcycle and Vehicle License Plate Recognition

The license plate recognition is widely used in daily life. Basically, the license plate recognition process is divided into two phases: detection and recognition. Most of the previous studies are simply use conventional pattern recognition techniques or deep learning. Therefore, the industrial computer vision library (Euresys Open eVision) and deep learning are integrated to fulfill license plate recognition and presented in this paper. The proposed approach is divided into three phases: the first phase is to apply deep learning to detect the license plate in the image with a complicated background. The second phase is the license plate correction. A perspective transformation is used to correct the angle of the license plate. Finally, optical character recognition (OCR) is used to recognize the license plate. According to the experimental results, the accuracy of the proposed approach can reach 96.7% with an average identification time of 63.4ms. It shows that the proposed approach is feasible in a practical environment.
Applying Virtual Reality to Design the Game-based System for Rehabilitation of Artificial Hip

With the continuous popularization and maturity of the artificial hip replacement technology, clinically, doctors and patients often only pay attention to relevant matters before and during surgery. They lack understanding and guidance for rehabilitation training after surgery, which causes joint dislocation and other adverse effects. In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has begun to utilize in the rehabilitation of patients. The technology itself has three characteristics of immersion, imagination, and interaction, and it is reusable, portable, and low-risk factors. This study applied VR to design the game-based system for rehabilitation. For the patient's lower limbs after the second week of surgery, "joint activity," "muscle endurance," and "balance function," training will be performed by the optimal angle range and the correlation between the weight of muscle endurance, to establish various indicators in the rehabilitation system, to allow the process to experience scene changes in a safer, non-hazardous environment, and to help restore the ability to walk and social dynamic balance progress. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of serious games into medical rehabilitation, to develop the game-based virtual rehabilitation system and platform, to improve the patient's willingness to recover, finally to make the training process no longer boring.
The Role of Membrane Capacitance in Cardiac Impulse Conduction: An Optogenetic Study With Non-excitable Cells Coupled to Cardiomyocytes

Non-excitable cells (NECs) such as cardiac myofibroblasts that are electrotonically coupled to cardiomyocytes affect conduction velocity (θ) by representing a capacitive load (CL: increased membrane to be charged) and a resistive load (RL: partial depolarization of coupled cardiomyocytes). In this study, we untangled the relative contributions of both loading modalities to NEC-dependent arrhythmogenic conduction slowing. Discrimination between CL and RL was achieved by reversibly removing the RL component by light activation of the halorhodopsin-based hyperpolarizing membrane voltage actuator eNpHR3.0-eYFP (enhanced yellow fluorescent protein) expressed in communication-competent fibroblast-like NIH3T3 cells (3T3HR cells) that served as a model of coupled NECs. Experiments were conducted with strands of neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes coated at increasing densities with 3T3HR cells. Impulse conduction along preparations stimulated at 2.5 Hz was assessed with multielectrode arrays. The relative density of 3T3HR cells was determined by dividing the area showing eYFP fluorescence by the area covered with cardiomyocytes [coverage factor (CF)]. Compared to cardiomyocytes, 3T3HR cells exhibited a depolarized membrane potential (−34 mV) that was shifted to −104 mV during activation of halorhodopsin. Without illumination, 3T3HR cells slowed θ along the preparations from ∼330 mm/s (control cardiomyocyte strands) to ∼100 mm/s (CF = ∼0.6). Illumination of the preparation increased the electrogram amplitudes and induced partial recovery of θ at CF > 0.3. Computer simulations demonstrated that the θ deficit observed during illumination was attributable in full to the CL represented by coupled 3T3HR cells with θ showing a power-law relationship to capacitance with an exponent of −0.78 (simulations) and −0.99 (experiments). The relative contribution of CL and RL to conduction slowing changed as a function of CF with CL dominating at CF ≤ ∼0.3, both mechanisms being equally important at CF = ∼0.5, and RL dominating over CL at CF > 0.5. The finding that RL did not affect θ at CFs ≤ 0.3 is explained by the circumstance that, at the respective moderate levels of cardiomyocyte depolarization, supernormal conduction stabilized propagation. The findings provide experimental estimates for the dependence of θ on membrane capacitance in general and suggest that the myocardium can absorb moderate numbers of electrotonically coupled NECs without showing substantial alterations of θ.
A Functional Clock Within the Main Morning and Evening Neurons of D. melanogaster Is Not Sufficient for Wild-Type Locomotor Activity Under Changing Day Length

A major challenge for all organisms that live in temperate and subpolar regions is to adapt physiology and activity to different photoperiods. A long-standing model assumes that there are morning (M) and evening (E) oscillators with different photoreceptive properties that couple to dawn and dusk, respectively, and by this way adjust activity to the different photoperiods. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, M and E oscillators have been localized to specific circadian clock neurons in the brain. Here, we investigate under different photoperiods the activity pattern of flies expressing the clock protein PERIOD (PER) only in subsets of M and E oscillators. We found that all fly lines that expressed PER only in subsets of the clock neurons had difficulties to track the morning and evening in a wild-type manner. The lack of the E oscillators advanced M activity under short days, whereas the lack of the M oscillators delayed E activity under the same conditions. In addition, we found that flies expressing PER only in subsets of clock neurons showed higher activity levels at certain times of day or night, suggesting that M and E clock neurons might inhibit activity at specific moments throughout the 24 h. Altogether, we show that the proper interaction between all clock cells is important for adapting the flies’ activity to different photoperiods and discuss our findings in the light of the current literature.
Modulator-Dependent RBPs Changes Alternative Splicing Outcomes in Kidney Cancer

Alternative splicing alterations can contribute to human disease. The ability of an RNA-binding protein to regulate alternative splicing outcomes can be modulated by a variety of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. In this study, we use a computational framework to investigate the roles of certain genes, termed modulators, on changing RBPs’ effect on splicing regulation. A total of 1,040,254 modulator-mediated RBP-splicing interactions were identified, including 137 RBPs, 4,309 splicing events and 2,905 modulator candidates from TCGA-KIRC RNA sequencing data. Modulators function categories were defined according to the correlation changes between RBPs expression and their targets splicing outcomes. QKI, as one of the RBPs influencing the most splicing events, attracted our attention in this study: 2,014 changing triplets were identified, including 1,101 modulators and 187 splicing events. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that QKI splicing targets were enriched in tight junction pathway, endocytosis and MAPK signaling pathways, all of which are highly associated with cancer development and progression. This is the first instance of a comprehensive study on how alternative splicing outcomes changes are associated with different expression level of certain proteins, even though they were regulated by the same RBP. Our work may provide a novel view on understanding alternative splicing mechanisms in kidney cancer.
Evidence of Competition between Honey Bees and Hylaeus anthracinus (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), an Endangered Hawaiian Yellow-Faced Bee

Abstract: European honey bees (Apis mellifera) were first introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1800s, and are now ubiquitous across the state in both managed and feral colonies. Though they play an important role in pollination services for native plants and agricultural crops, the competitive impacts they may have on native bees are not well understood. We assessed bee interactions on the preferred floral resources of Hylaeus anthracinus at the Ka Iwi State Scenic Shoreline on O‘ahu, including Heliotropium foertherianum, Scaevola taccada, and Myoporum sandwicense. Bee visitation frequency and duration were documented and analyzed in one-hour increments from 08:00–13:00 totaling 90 hours of video recordings of the focal plants. Honey bee visitation frequency to H. foertherianum peaked at 11:00, and corresponded with a significant reduction in H. anthracinus visitation that resulted in a bimodal activity distribution for H. anthracinus. Feeding duration of H. anthracinus was significantly reduced when visiting H. foertherianum flowers following a honey bee, but unchanged when visiting after conspecifics. Honey bee feeding duration was unaltered by the species of the previous visitor, indicating that deterrence of H. anthracinus to flowers may not be the result of nectar exploitation. S. taccada and M. sandwicense received low overall bee visitation, prohibiting further analyses. We conclude that the presence of honey bees on a preferred foraging resource results in a temporal niche partitioning of H. anthracinus indicative of interference competition, possibly the result of interspecific chemical cues. Future honey bee management considerations are discussed.
How Do We Make Sure Everybody in the World Has Access to Medicines?

Of all people living on the planet today, there are an estimated 2 billion who do not have access to essential medicines and vaccines. Most of them live in developing countries. While scientific breakthroughs are leading to the development of new medicines to treat or cure many diseases, these fail to reach everyone who needs them. Even medicines that have been known for a long time are hard to get a hold of in certain parts of the world! This is called the access-to-medicine issue. In this article, we will explore four distinct approaches where pharmaceutical companies can improve their efforts on this issue, namely: availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability.
Atractylenolide I Induces Apoptosis and Suppresses Glycolysis by Blocking the JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and is associated with a poor clinical outcome and survival. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic agents for CRC is imperative. Atractylenolide I (AT-I) is a sesquiterpenoid lactone derivative of Rhizoma Atractylodis macrocephalae that exhibits diverse biological activities, including anti-cancer activities. However, the effects and potential mechanism of AT-I in CRC have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to examine the anti-cancer properties of AT-I and the associated functional mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. We found that AT-I treatment significantly suppressed the viability of CRC cell lines and inhibited colony formation, but to a lesser extent in NCM460 cells. Annexin V/PI staining showed that AT-I induced apoptosis in CRC cells, accompanied by increased caspase-3 and PARP-1 cleavage, enhanced expression of Bax, and reduced expression of Bcl-2. Furthermore, AT-I blocked cell glycolysis by inhibiting both glucose uptake and lactate production in CRC cells, and specifically downregulated the expression of the rate-limiting glycolytic enzyme HK2. In contrast, it had no discernable effects on the glycolytic enzymes PFK and PKM2. A mechanistic study revealed that AT-1 negatively regulates STAT3 phosphorylation through direct interaction with JAK2, thereby inhibiting its activation. Moreover, restoring the expression of STAT3 reversed the effect of AT-I on apoptosis and glycolysis in CRC cells. In vivo results revealed that AT-I significantly suppressed tumor growth in HCT116-xenografted mice. Collectively, our findings indicate that the anti-cancer activity of AT-I in CRC is associated with the induction of apoptosis and suppression of glycolysis in CRC cells, via the disruption of JAK2/STAT3 signaling. Our preliminary experimental data indicate that AT-I may have applications as a promising candidate for the treatment of CRC.
Chylothorax in a Case of Accelerated Silicosis with Pulmonary Silicoproteinosis: A Unique Association

A 32-year-old gentleman, a worker in a cement-manufacturing facility with suspected silica-induced lung disease presented with acutely worsening Type 1 respiratory failure. With a negative work-up for infectious causes and no further revelations on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or endobronchial biopsy, it was a transbronchial biopsy that ultimately led us to a diagnosis of silicoproteinosis with accelerated silicosis. Interestingly, the patient had a pleural effusion which on thoracentesis showed chylous fluid-the first reported case of chylothorax in association with silicosis.
Emergency Airway Management: A Look into the Practice, Rate of Success, and Adverse Events of 94 Endotracheal Intubations

Context: Endotracheal intubation in the critically unwell is a life-saving procedure, frequently performed in the emergency department (ED). The 4th National Audit Project (NAP4) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Difficult Airway Society, however, highlighted the deficiencies that could have led to serious harm. In direct response to NAP4, a 2018 guideline was published on the management of intubations in critically ill adults. Aims: This study describes the current practice of endotracheal intubation, in comparison to the published 2018 guideline. Settings and Design: A retrospective observational study in an ED of a district general hospital in Greater London. Subjects and Methods: Adult attendances from September 1, 2017, to September 1, 2018 (> 18 years old) fulfilling the search criteria were reviewed, producing 1553 case notes. These cases were individually reviewed by the authors. Statistical Analysis Used: Mann–Whitney U-test. Results: There were 94 intubations, male to female ratio 1.8:1. The most common indication was for airway protection (n = 35), followed by respiratory failure (n = 23). There were 31 first-pass intubation successes. Intensivists performed most of the intubations (n = 66), followed by anesthetists (n = 13), and ED physicians (n = 10), but with no significant difference between the response rates of ED and external physicians (P = 0.0477). Propofol was the induction drug of choice (n = 37), with rocuronium the paralyzing agent of choice (n = 42). Altogether, there were eight complications reported. Conclusions: This study provides an overview of the intubation practices in a single-center ED. Non-ED physicians perform the majority of intubations, with a variety of induction and paralyzing agents being used. It adds to the growing call for better standardization and provision of care to patients with a deteriorating airway and the continued auditing of practice.
Efficacy of Topical Timolol versus Saline in Chronic Venous Ulcers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Chronic venous ulcers sometimes fail to heal in spite of adequate treatment. Nonhealing is possibly because of chronic activation of β-2 adrenergic receptor (B2-AR) in the keratinocytes by endogenously generated catecholamines, which inhibits keratinocyte migration. Blocking of B2-AR using β-blockers has been reported to promote wound healing through keratinocyte migration, angiogenesis, and fibroblast migration. Topical timolol, a B2-AR antagonist, is used to promote wound healing. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of topical timolol versus saline in chronic venous leg ulcers and to compare the mean reduction in ulcer area at the end of 4 weeks. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients were randomized into two groups. Patients in Group 1 were treated with one drop of 0.5% topical timolol every alternate days for 4 weeks. Ulcer margins were measured and ulcer area calculated every week for 4 weeks. Similar dressing and measurement were carried out for patients with saline for 4 weeks. Healing rate was assessed by the percentage of reduction of ulcer area of both groups at week 4. Results: The mean reduction in the ulcer size in timolol group was 86.80%, and in saline group 43.82% at the end of 4 weeks. Conclusion: Topical timolol is an easy, noninvasive therapy that can be recommended for chronic ulcer.
WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL APPROACH TO IMPROVING HAND HYGIENE COMPLIANCE ?

Recent findings Hand hygiene compliance is an accepted measure of quality and safety in many countries. The evidence for the efficacy of hand hygiene in directly reducing rates of hospital-acquired infections has strengthened in recent years, particularly in terms of reduced rates of staphylococcal sepsis. Defining the key components of effective implementation strategies and the ideal method(s) of assessing hand hygiene compliance are dependent on a range of factors associated with the healthcare system. Although patient isolation continues to be an important strategy, particularly in outbreaks, it also has some limitations and can be associated with negative effects. Recent detailed molecular epidemiology studies of key healthcareacquired pathogens have questioned the true efficacy of isolation, alone as an effective method for the routine prevention of disease transmission.
Insulin analogues

Insulin analogues have been developed to provide more physiologic insulin replacement after subcutaneous injection than human insulin. Lispro insulin, the first rapid-acting insulin, was approved in 1996 for the treatment of diabetes. More recently insulin aspart, a similar analogue, has become available. The two are of significant advantage in many patients with diabetes and produce reductions in postprandial hyperglycemia as well as in hypoglycemic risk. Insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin analogue, first marketed in Europe in 2000. It provides a peakless profile of activity with 24-hour action. Glargine reduces nocturnal hypoglycemia with more consistent and greater control of fasting glucose than available intermediate-acting insulins. The availability of insulin analogues designed to produce novel patterns of activity provides new options for the treatment of diabetes to normalize glycemia and minimize the risk of hypoglycemia.
Tissue Flap Preconditioning with Adipose Derived Stem Cells and Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment: A Guinea Pig Model

INTRODUCTION: Complex wound, soft tissue reconstruction and transplantation are inherently complicated by ischemia and reperfusion. Efforts at minimizing these deleterious effects involve meticulous design and minimizing the ischemic period. Adjunctive measures have included free microvascular transfer, supercharging, caspase inhibitors and free oxygen radical scavengers. In this study, we hoped to characterize the potential complementary effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) Therapy and Stem Cell (ADSC) delivery in flap preconditioning.
Diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT in solitary pulmonary nodules of non-smokers

ÖZ Amaç: Bu çalışmada, sigara içme öyküsü olmayan soliter pulmoner nodüllü hastalarda flor-18 florodeoksiglikoz pozitron emisyon tomografi/bilgisayarlı tomografinin (18F-FDG PET/BT) tanısal gücü araştırıldı. Ça­lış­ma­pla­nı:­Haziran 2009 Mart 2013 tarihleri arasında, sigara içme öyküsü olmayan, soliter pulmoner nodüllü olan, 18F-FDG PET/BT görüntülemesi yapılan toplam 38 hasta (25 kadın, 13 erkek; ort. yaş 63±14 yıl; dağılım 23-84 yıl) retrospektif olarak incelendi. Her hastanın tıbbi öyküsü alındı ve malignite tanısı tüm hastalarda ilk olarak bilgisayarlı tomografi ile kondu. Tanı, daha sonra histopatolojik analiz sonuçları veya en az iki yıllık takip sonuçları ile doğrulandı. Bul gu lar: Ortalama lezyon çapı 20±6 (dağılım 8-28) mm idi. On bir hastada, çoğunluğunda adenokarsinom olmak üzere (n=10) akciğer karsinomu var iken, 10 hastada FDG tutan tümör saptandı. 18F-FDG PET/BT’nin duyarlılığı, özgüllüğü ve doğruluğu, pozitif öngörü ve negatif öngörü değerleri sırasıyla %91, %63, %71, %50 ve %94 idi. Malignite tanısı konan hastaların tümü kadın ve ileri yaşta idi. Erkek hastalardan yalnız birinde malign nodül vardı. So­nuç:­ Çalışmamızda adenokarsinom baskın olmakla birlikte, sigara içmeyen soliter pulmoner nodüllü hastalarda 18F-FDG PET/BT’nin duyarlılığı ve negatif öngörü değeri yüksek bulundu. Anah­tar­söz­cük­ler: Bilgisayarlı tomografi; florodeoksiglikoz; sigara içmeyenler; positron emisyon tomografi; soliter pulmoner nodül. ABSTRACT Background:­ This study aims to investigate the diagnostic performance of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in patients with solitary pulmonary nodules without smoking history. Methods: A total of 38 patients (25 females, 13 males; mean age 63±14 years; range 23 to 84 years) with solitary pulmonary nodules without smoking history who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging between June 2009 and March 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Medical history was obtained from each patient, and malignancy was initially made by computed tomography in all patients. The diagnosis was further confirmed by either histopathological analysis results or at least two-year follow-up results. Results:­The mean lesion diameter was 20±6 (range 8 to 28) mm. Eleven patients had a lung carcinoma, predominantly an adenocarcinoma (n=10), while 10 patients were found to have a FDG-avid tumor. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive and negative predictive values of 18F-FDG PET/CT were 91%, 63%, 71%, 50%, and 94%, respectively. All patients diagnosed with malignancy were women with an advanced age. Only one of the male patients had a malignant nodule. Conclusion:­The sensitivity and negative predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/CT were found to be high in non-smoker patients with solitary pulmonary nodules, although adenocarcinomas were predominant in our study.