Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Benchmarking desktop and mobile handwriting across COTS devices: The e-BioSign biometric database

This paper describes the design, acquisition process and baseline evaluation of the new e-BioSign database, which includes dynamic signature and handwriting information. Data is acquired from 5 different COTS devices: three Wacom devices (STU-500, STU-530 and DTU-1031) specifically designed to capture dynamic signatures and handwriting, and two general purpose tablets (Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Samsung ATIV 7). For the two Samsung tablets, data is collected using both pen stylus and also the finger in order to study the performance of signature verification in a mobile scenario. Data was collected in two sessions for 65 subjects, and includes dynamic information of the signature, the full name and alpha numeric sequences. Skilled forgeries were also performed for signatures and full names. We also report a benchmark evaluation based on e-BioSign for person verification under three different real scenarios: 1) intra-device, 2) inter-device, and 3) mixed writing-tool. We have experimented the proposed benchmark using the main existing approaches for signature verification: feature- and time functions-based. As a result, new insights into the problem of signature biometrics in sensor-interoperable scenarios have been obtained, namely: the importance of specific methods for dealing with device interoperability, and the necessity of a deeper analysis on signatures acquired using the finger as the writing tool. This e-BioSign public database allows the research community to: 1) further analyse and develop signature verification systems in realistic scenarios, and 2) investigate towards a better understanding of the nature of the human handwriting when captured using electronic COTS devices in realistic conditions.
MR angiography of the pedal arteries with gadobenate dimeglumine, a contrast agent with increased relaxivity, and comparison with selective intraarterial DSA

To compare gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd‐BOPTA)–enhanced MR angiography (i.e., contrast‐enhanced MRA [CE‐MRA]) of the pedal vasculature with selective digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).
Clinical Results of Perftoran Application: Present and Future

Clinical experience of Perftoran (commercial drug of low concentrated perfluorocheminal emulsion) applications is presented in some statistical data and in brief analysis of clinical trials and following clinical studies described in the Russian scientific literature. Observed data allow us to suppose that Perftoran facilitates oxygen delivery together with remaining red blood cells at blood replacements and will have more wider area for application than just a blood substitute. Its infusion alleviates symptoms of ischemia at different types of occlusion vessels disease, improves grafting in plastic surgery, diminishes inflammation and prevents rejection of transplants, activates detoxication functions of liver, inhibits retro-virus infection development. Local PF applications is able to accelerate wounds and ulcers healing.
Hepatic tumor detection in ultrasound images

Hepatic tumors are tumors that grows on or in the liver. They are classified into benign and malignant tumors. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most frequent malignant tumor in the liver. Ultrasound is the first line investigation carried out by the physician for any abnormalities in the liver. The only golden standard for detection of liver tumor is needle biopsy, but it is invasive and causes secondary infection and bleeding at that site. In this work we present a non invasive method for detection of hepatic tumors based on ultrasound images and classification is done to differentiate the tumors in the liver. The proposed method consist of three stages namely segmentation, feature extraction and classification. In the first stage the ultrasound image containing the tumor is segmented using Fuzzy C means clustering algorithm. In the second stage gray level co-occurrence matrix features are extracted from the segmented image and Haralick texture features are extracted. In the third stage consist of training the extracted features using SVM and classification is done for normal and abnormal image. The Fuzzy C means clustering combined with SVM outperforms the other classifiers with a sensitivity of 98%.
A New Age of Demand-Based Pricing: An Examination of Dynamic Ticket Pricing and Secondary Market Prices in Major League Baseball

In 2010, the San Francisco Giants became the first professional team to implement a comprehensive demand-based ticket pricing strategy called dynamic ticket pricing (DTP). In an effort to understand DTP as a price setting strategy, the current investigation explored Giants’ ticket prices during the 2010 season. First, the relationship between fixed ticket prices, dynamic ticket prices, and secondary market ticket prices for comparable seats were examined. In addition, seat location and price changes over time were examined to identify potential effects on ticket price in the primary and secondary market. Giants’ ticket price data were collected for various games throughout the 2010 season. A purposive selection of 12 games, which included (N = 1,316) ticket price observations, were chosen in an effort to include a multitude of game settings. Two ANOVA models were developed to examine price differences based on pricing structure, market, section, and time. Findings showed significant differences between fi.
Autonomic resource contention‐aware scheduling

The complexity of computing systems introduces a few issues and challenges such as poor performance and high energy consumption. In this paper, we first define and model resource contention metric for high performance computing workloads as a performance metric in scheduling algorithms and systems at the highest level of resource management stack to address the main issues in computing systems. Second, we propose a novel autonomic resource contention‐aware scheduling approach architected on various layers of the resource management stack. We establish the relationship between distributed resource management layers in order to optimize resource contention metric. The simulation results confirm the novelty of our approach.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phylogeny and systematics of the anamorphic, entomopathogenic genus Beauveria

Beauveria is a cosmopolitan anamorphic genus of arthropod pathogens that includes the agronomically important species, B. bassiana and B. brongniartii, which are used as mycoinsecticides for the biological control of pest insects. Recent phylogenetic evidence demonstrates that Beauveria is monophyletic within the Cordycipitaceae (Hypocreales), and both B. bassiana and B. brongniartii have been linked developmentally and phylogenetically to Cordyceps species. Despite recent interest in the genetic diversity and molecular ecology of Beauveria, particularly as it relates to their role as pathogens of insects in natural and agricultural environments, the genus has not received critical taxonomic review for several decades. A multilocus phylogeny of Beauveria based on partial sequences of RPB1, RPB2, TEF and the nuclear intergenic region, Bloc, is presented and used to assess diversity within the genus and to evaluate species concepts and their taxonomic status. B. bassiana and B. brongniartii, both which represent species complexes and which heretofore have lacked type specimens, are redescribed and types are proposed. In addition six new species are described including B. varroae and B. kipukae, which form a biphyletic, morphologically cryptic sister lineage to B. bassiana, B. pseudobassiana, which also is morphologically similar to but phylogenetically distant from B. bassiana, B. asiatica and B. australis, which are sister lineages to B. brongniartii, and B. sungii, an Asian species that is linked to an undetermined species of Cordyceps. The combination B. amorpha is validly published and an epitype is designated.
Platelet transfusions in children: results of a randomized, prospective, crossover trial of plasma removal and a prospective audit of WBC reduction

BACKGROUND : Febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTRs) complicate 2 to 37 percent of platelet transfusions in adults, but the incidence of such reactions in children is not known. The effectiveness of plasma reduction after storage and WBC reduction of platelet concentrates before storage was studied in pediatric recipients of platelet transfusions.
Reduced expression of the growth hormone and type 1 insulin‐like growth factor receptors in human somatotroph tumours and an analysis of possible mutations of the growth hormone receptor

objective Clinical acromegaly is characterized by elevated GH secretion in the presence of high circulating IGF‐I levels. We hypothesized that the physiological IGF‐I/GH negative feedback loop may be reset in somatotroph adenomas, specifically in terms of the level of expression of these receptors or mutations of the GH receptor (GH‐R) in such tumours.
Ecotoxicological responses of the mayfly Baetis tricaudatus to dietary and waterborne cadmium: Implications for toxicity testing

Trace metals readily accumulated by stream periphyton may enter aquatic food chains through grazer ingestion. Hence, experiments were conducted to determine the ecotoxicological responses of the grazing mayfly Baetis tricaudatus to dietary cadmium. Short‐term feeding experiments indicated that B. tricaudatus nymphs did not initially avoid grazing on cadmium‐contaminated diatom mats. During a partial life‐cycle experiment, 4 and 10 μg/g of dietary cadmium significantly inhibited grazing, whereas 10 μg/g significantly inhibited growth. Feeding inhibition was the likely mechanism that inhibited growth (i.e., through reduced energy intake). Conversely, when exposed to waterborne cadmium using lethal toxicity test procedures, B. tricaudatus nymphs were relatively tolerant (96‐h median lethal concentration, 1,611 μg/L). Thus, sublethal responses to dietary exposure appeared to be more sensitive than lethal responses to waterborne exposure. Because adult mayfly fecundity is a function of nymph size at emergence, dietary cadmium exposure could increase the extinction probability within mayfly populations. The present study highlights the importance of dietary exposure routes in determining the ecotoxicological responses of an organism to a contaminant. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the advantage of evaluating a combination of ecologically relevant, lethal and sublethal endpoints in laboratory methods used to generate data for ecological risk assessment and regulation.
A randomized trial of aspirin to prevent colorectal adenomas in patients with previous colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND Experimental studies in animals and observational studies in humans suggest that regular aspirin use may decrease the risk of colorectal adenomas, the precursors to most colorectal cancers. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial to determine the effect of aspirin on the incidence of colorectal adenomas. We randomly assigned 635 patients with previous colorectal cancer to receive either 325 mg of aspirin per day or placebo. We determined the proportion of patients with adenomas, the number of recurrent adenomas, and the time to the development of adenoma between randomization and subsequent colonoscopic examinations. Relative risks were adjusted for age, sex, cancer stage, the number of colonoscopic examinations, and the time to a first colonoscopy. The study was terminated early by an independent data and safety monitoring board when statistically significant results were reported during a planned interim analysis. RESULTS A total of 517 randomized patients had at least one colonoscopic examination a median of 12.8 months after randomization. One or more adenomas were found in 17 percent of patients in the aspirin group and 27 percent of patients in the placebo group (P=0.004). The mean (+/-SD) number of adenomas was lower in the aspirin group than the placebo group (0.30+/-0.87 vs. 0.49+/-0.99, P=0.003 by the Wilcoxon test). The adjusted relative risk of any recurrent adenoma in the aspirin group, as compared with the placebo group, was 0.65 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.46 to 0.91). The time to the detection of a first adenoma was longer in the aspirin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio for the detection of a new polyp, 0.64; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.43 to 0.94; P=0.022). CONCLUSIONS Daily use of aspirin is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of colorectal adenomas in patients with previous colorectal cancer.
Re-expression of the intermediate filament nestin in reactive astrocytes

The intermediate filament nestin is highly expressed in multipotential stem cells of the developing central nervous system (CNS). During neuro- and gliogenesis, nestin is replaced by cell type-specific intermediate filaments, e.g. neurofilaments and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In this study, we demonstrate that nestin expression is re-induced in reactive astrocytes in the lesioned adult brain. Following ischaemic and mechanical lesioning, a strong and sustained expression of nestin was noted in GFAP-positive cells surrounding the lesion site. Lesion experiments in transgenic mice carrying the lacZ gene under control of regulatory sequences from the nestin gene suggested that the upregulation of nestin in reactive astrocytes is mediated via the same sequences that control nestin expression during CNS development. These observations and recent data on the co-expression of glial and neuronal marker antigens in reactive astrocytes point to a close relationship between proliferating astrocytes and neuroepithelial precursor cells.
Research on the control strategy of VSC based HVDC system supplying passive network

In this paper, the transient mathematical model for the VSC-HVDC system in d-q synchronous reference frame is developed and its controllers are designed. A decoupled controller based on input-output variable feedback linearization is adopted in the rectifier, which uses a voltage vector corresponding to the system voltage and can control the active and reactive power separately. A constant AC voltage controller is used in the inverter, which is based on the steady state mathematical model of the converter. Simulation tests realized by PSCAD/EMTDC are performed to verify the effectiveness of the controllers under different operating conditions. The results show that the controllers can be applied in real systems with its simple, robust and high performance.
LOW WATER PERMEABILITY MEASUREMENTS OF CLAY SAMPLE . CONTRIBUTION OF STEADY STATE METHOD COMPARED TO TRANSIENT METHODS

Very low permeability geomaterials (order of nanoDarcy (10 m)), such as clays rocks, are studied for many industrial applications such as production from unconventional reserves of oil and gas, CO2 geological storage and deep geological disposal of high-level long-lived nuclear wastes. For these last two applications, clay efficiency as barrier relies mainly on their very low permeability. Laboratory measurement of low permeability to water (below 100nD (10 m)) remains a technical challenge. Some authors [1] argue that steady state methods are irrelevant due to the time required to stabilize water fluxes in such low permeability media. Most of the authors (e.g. [2]) measuring low permeabilities use a transient technique called pulse decay. This study aims to compare objectively these different types of permeability tests performed on a single clay sample. For the steady state method, a high precision pump was used to impose a pressure gradient and to measure the small resulting water flow rate at steady state. We show that with a suitable set-up, the steady state method enables to measure a very low permeability of 0.8 nD (8 10 m) in a period of three days. For a comparable duration, the pulse decay test, most commonly used for such low permeability measurements, provides only an average estimate of the permeability. Permeability measurements by pulse decay require to perform simulations to interpret the pressure relaxation signals. Many uncertainties remain such as the determination of the reservoirs storage factor, micro leakage effect, or the determination of the initial pulse pressure. All these uncertainties have a very significant impact on the determination of sample permeability and specific storage. Opposite to the wide-spread idea that transient techniques are required to measure very low permeability, we show that direct steady state measurement of water permeability with suitable equipments can be much faster and more accurate than measurement by pulse decay, especially in very low permeability porous media. In fact, low compressibilities of water and clay result in fast propagation of pressure wave and it cannot be argued that steady state conditions are not reachable in a reasonable amount of time.
Inhibition of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase by flavonoids. II.

Thirty-eight flavones obtained from Scutellaria baicalensis and ninety six related flavones were tested for inhibitory activity against adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase from beef heart. The most active inhibitor is 8-methoxy-5, 7, 2'-trihydroxyflavone from S. baicalensis. Its IC50 value is 0.6(× 10-5 M/l). The structure-activity relationships were investigated. a) O-Methylated flavones generally show lower inhibitory activity than the corresponding hydroxyflavones among the flavones having under four substituents. b) O-Methylated flavones generally show higher inhibitory activity than the corresponding hydroxyflavones in the flavones having over five substituents. (c) C-Glycosides are almost all poor inhibitors. (d) O-Glycosides are generally less potent than the corresponding flavones.
Effects of temperature and incubation period on production of fumonisin B1 by Fusarium moniliforme

The kinetics of the production of fumonisin B1 (FB1) by Fusarium moniliforme MRC 826 in corn cultures was investigated as a function of fungal growth at various incubation temperatures. The growth rate of F. moniliforme, as measured by ergosterol concentration, was higher at 25 degrees C than at 20 degrees C, reaching a stationary phase after 4 to 6 weeks in both cases. FB1 production commenced after 2 weeks during the active growth phase, continued to increase during the stationary phase, and decreased after 13 weeks. The overall maximal yield of FB1 (17.9 g/kg, dry weight) was obtained in corn cultures incubated at 20 degrees C for 13 weeks, but it was not significantly (P greater than 0.05) higher than the maximum yield (16.5 g/kg, dry weight) obtained at 25 degrees C after 11 weeks. However, a significantly (P less than 0.05) higher mean yield was detected at 25 degrees C (9.5 g/kg, dry weight) than at 20 degrees C (8.7 g/kg, dry weight). Production reached a plateau after 7 weeks of incubation at 25 degrees C or 9 weeks of incubation at 20 degrees C. The maximal production of FB1 at 30 degrees C was very low (0.6 g/kg, dry weight). FB1 was also found to be heat stable, as there was no reduction in the FB1 concentration after boiling culture material of F. moniliforme MRC 826.
Th1/Th2 lymphocyte polarization in asthma

Asthma is a complex inflammatory disease of the lung characterized by variable airflow obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammation. Inflammation in asthma consists of airway infiltration by mast cells, lymphocytes, and eosinophils. There is accumulating evidence that CD4+ lymphocytes with a Th2‐cytokine pattern play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of asthma. These cells orchestrate the recruitment and activation of the primary effector cells of the allergic response (mast cells and eosinophils), through the release of cytokines such as IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐13. Allergic inflammation is also implicated in airway epithelium changes, although the mechanisms by which inflammatory cells and, in particular, T cells interact with the epithelium are not completely clarified. This paper explores the role of T cells in the allergic inflammation of asthma.
Interpreting daily heart rate variability changes in collegiate female soccer players.

BACKGROUND Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective physiological marker that may be useful for monitoring training status in athletes. However, research aiming to interpret daily HRV changes in female athletes is limited. The objectives of this study were: 1) to assess daily HRV (i.e., log-transformed root mean square of successive R-R interval differences, lnRMSSD) trends both as a team and intra-individually in response to varying training load (TL); and 2) to determine relationships between lnRMSSD fluctuation (coefficient of variation, lnRMSSDcv) and psychometric and fitness parameters in collegiate female soccer players (N.=10). METHODS Ultra-short, Smartphone-derived lnRMSSD and psychometrics were evaluated daily throughout 2 consecutive weeks of high and low TL. After the training period, fitness parameters were assessed. RESULTS When compared to baseline, reductions in lnRMSSD ranged from unclear to very likely moderate during the high TL week (effect size ±90% confidence limits [ES±90% CL] =-0.21±0.74 to -0.64±0.78, respectively) while lnRMSSD reductions were unclear during the low TL week (ES±90% CL=-0.03±0.73 to -0.35±0.75, respectively). A large difference in TL between weeks was observed (ES±90% CL=1.37±0.80). Higher lnRMSSDcv was associated with greater perceived fatigue and lower fitness (r [upper and lower 90% CL]=-0.55 [-0.84, -0.003] large, -0.65 [-0.89, -0.15] large). CONCLUSIONS Athletes with lower fitness or higher perceived fatigue demonstrated greater reductions in lnRMSSD throughout training. This information can be useful when interpreting individual lnRMSSD responses throughout training for managing player fatigue.
Predictive control of 5-levels AC/DC converter with reduced number of calculations

This paper presents two predictive control methods with reduced number of calculations for five-level AC/DC rectifier. The first method is the simpler and required to calculate the value of cost function for only three converter voltage vectors. The second method is using two steps prediction horizon and required to calculate cost function for seven vectors in first step and for three vectors for second step. The proposed methods are compared with both one and two step standard model predictive control (MPC) methods. Simulation results confirm a good control quality of proposed methods.