Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Verification Methods for Indoor Image Matching

This paper reports on experiments for indoor image-based location recognition. The basic method makes use of three stages: visual bag-of-words for ranking, a voting method, and a final verification method, if the voting method does not produce a consensus. Such a tiered approach is necessary when there are several visually similar locations in the image database, such as often occurs in office buildings. Three experiments are reported here. In the first, three common term-weighting schemes are compared: ntf, ntfidf and BM25. Surprisingly ntf, the simplest scheme, is shown to be as accurate as BM25, and both are better than ntfidf. These results are surprising because BM25 has been experimentally shown to be one of the best weighting schemes for document information retrieval over many years, and ntfidf has been the preferred weighting scheme for visual BoW in most other image retrieval work. In the second experiment, two verification methods are compared: one based on the fundamental matrix, and one based on a simpler homography computation. Again, surprisingly, the simpler and more efficient homography based method is shown to perform as well as the fundamental matrix method despite the fact that the fundamental matrix method is more physically plausible. The overall system achieves a recognition rate of approximately 80% with a wrong match rate of only 2% (no decision on 18%) on a very challenging office building data set. In the third experiment, the system is evaluated on the same office building dataset with more than one query image. A significant improvement is observed in localisation performance and the overall system achieves a recognition rate of 96% with only two wrong image matches.
Margin clearance and outcome in resected pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE Current adjuvant therapies for pancreatic cancer (PC) are inconsistently used and only modestly effective. Because a high proportion of patients who undergo resection for PC likely harbor occult metastatic disease, any adjuvant trials assessing therapies such as radiotherapy directed at locoregional disease are significantly underpowered. Stratification based on the probability (and volume) of residual locoregional disease could play an important role in the design of future clinical trials assessing adjuvant radiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS We assessed the relationships between margin involvement, the proximity to operative resection margins and outcome in a cohort of 365 patients who underwent operative resection for PC. RESULTS Microscopic involvement of a resection margin by tumor was associated with a poor prognosis. Stratifying the minimum clearance of resection margins by 0.5-mm increments demonstrated that although median survival was no different to clear margins based on these definitions, it was not until the resection margin was clear by more than 1.5 mm that optimal long-term survival was achieved. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that a margin clearance of more than 1.5 mm is important for long-term survival in a subgroup of patients. More aggressive therapeutic approaches that target locoregional disease such as radiotherapy may be beneficial in patients with close surgical margins. Stratification of patients for entry onto future clinical trials based on this criterion may identify those patients who benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy.
The accelerated phase of Chediak‐Higashi syndrome. An expression of the virus‐associated hemophagocytic syndrome?

The clinical and pathologic findings of four patients with Chediak‐Higashi syndrome in the accelerated phase were studied in order to clarify the nature of this enigmatic process. Fever, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and cytopenias were present in every patient. All cases demonstrated extensive parenchymal infiltrates in many organs composed of benign‐appearing histiocytes manifesting hemophagocytosis accompanied by lymphocytes and plasma cells. Studies in one patient suggested a viral etiology with the findings of a low blood lymphocyte OKT4 to OKT8 ratio, acquired loss of lymphocyte response to mitogens, the presence of Epstein‐Barr virus genome in the mononuclear cells of lymph node, blood, and bone marrow, and possible clinical responses to acyclovir. It is concluded that the accelerated phase of Chediak‐Higashi syndrome may be the clinicopathologic expression of the virus‐associated hemophagocytic syndrome.
Perceptions of gastroenterology fellows regarding ERCP competency and training.

BACKGROUND The adequacy of ERCP training in the United States may be suboptimal because many training programs do not provide fellows with the exposure to the procedures necessary to achieve competence. METHODS A short survey questionnaire, which assesses the training program, the personal ERCP experience, the perceptions regarding training adequacy, and the post-training practice plans, was sent to all fellows graduating from gastroenterology training programs. RESULTS Graduating fellows performed a median of 140 ERCPs and 35 sphincterotomies during training, with an associated median comfort level for independently performing sphincterotomy of 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. The median estimated success rate for independent free cannulation was 75%. Based on nonparametric correlation and regression analysis, 180 ERCPs would be necessary to achieve a free cannulation rate of 80% and 69 sphincterotomies to achieve a comfort level of 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Thirty-six percent of fellows achieved the number of procedures and cannulation success determined by this study to indicate procedural competence. Sixty-four percent of fellows did not achieve procedural competence and 33% reported inadequate ERCP training. Nevertheless, 91% of fellows expected to perform unsupervised ERCP after training. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study are consistent with those of previously published studies demonstrating that 160 to 200 ERCP procedures are necessary to achieve competence to perform ERCP. The majority of graduating fellows do not achieve an acceptable success rate during training, yet still intend to perform ERCP after training.
2-Methoxyestradiol: A 17β-Estradiol Metabolite With Gender-Independent Therapeutic Potential.

See related article, pp 1104–1112 Observational studies in humans and experimental studies in animals provide evidence that estrogens protect postmenopausal women against cardiovascular disease.1 However, results from randomized clinical trials do not support this contention.1 The reason(s) for the disparity in the outcome remains unclear and unresolved. Multiple factors, including type of estrogen used, interaction with progesterone, age of subjects, the status of vascular disease, and the timing of treatment, have been hypothesized to contribute to lack of protective actions in the clinical trials.1,2 On the basis of the conventional mechanism, major focus has been directed toward the role of estrogen receptors in mediating cardiovascular effects of estrogen, and much less attention placed on the contribution, consequence, and importance of estrogen metabolism in defining the protective actions of estrogen, particularly, 17β-estradiol. In this issue Pingili et al3 demonstrate that 2-methoxyestradiol, an endogenous 17β-estradiol metabolite, attenuates angiotensin II–induced hypertension and renal dysfunction in intact male and ovariectomized female CYP1B1+/+ mice.3 Previously, using CYP1B1−/− mice and pharmacological CYP1B1 inhibitor, their team demonstrated that conversion of endogenous 17β-estradiol to 2-methoxyestradiol is essential for counteracting angiotensin II–induced hypertension and end-organ damage (renal and cardiovascular) in female mice.4 Collectively, their findings provide credence to the original hypothesis that 2-methoxyestradiol mediates the protective actions of 17β-estradiol on cardiovascular and renal system.2 Aromatase metabolizes testosterone to 17β-estradiol, whereas multiple CYP450-isoforms (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, and CYP3A4) convert 17β-estradiol to several metabolites.5 The CYP1B1 isozyme is largely extrahepatic and dynamically expressed …
Why the monopolist does not deviate from the symmetric equilibrium in a Model with Good-Specific Subsistence Points

In this note, we investigate whether the monopolist has an incentive to deviate from the symmetric equilibrium in a model with good-specific subsistence points (Ravn, SchmittGrohé, and Uribe, forthcoming). This question is of interest because under good-specific subsistence points the demand function faced by each individual monopolist features an additive, perfectly price inelastic term. Thus, all other things equal, the monopolist has an incentive to set an infinite price. In this note, we argue that an infinite price is indeed suboptimal. Moreover, we show that any finite deviation from the symmetric equilibrium price is suboptimal. We note that a perfectly price inelastic term also arises in the demand functions associated with preferences displaying deep habits as in Ravn, Schmitt-Grohé, and Uribe (2006). For analytical convenience, we focus on a discrete variety space.
Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome Promotes Elastogenesis and Facilitates Recovery from Simulated Childbirth Injury

Vaginal delivery is a risk factor for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) home to injured organs and can facilitate repair. The goal of this study was to determine if MSCs home to pelvic organs after simulated childbirth injury and facilitate recovery from SUI via paracrine factors. Three experiments were performed. Eighteen female rats received vaginal distension (VD) or sham VD and labeled intravenous (IV) MSCs to investigate if MSCs home to the pelvic organs. Whole-organ imaging and immunofluorescence were performed 1 week later. Thirty-four female rats received VD and IV MSCs, VD and IV saline, or sham VD and IV saline to investigate if MSCs accelerate recovery of continence. Twenty-nine female rats received VD and periurethral concentrated conditioned media (CCM), VD and periurethral control media, or sham VD and periurethral control media to investigate if factors secreted by MSCs accelerate recovery from VD. Urethral histology and function were assessed 1 week later. Significantly more MSCs were observed in the urethra, vagina, and spleen after VD compared to sham VD. Continence as measured by leak point pressure (LPP) was significantly reduced after VD in rats treated with saline or control media compared to sham VD but not in those given MSCs or CCM. External urethral sphincter (EUS) function as measured by electromyography (EMG) was not improved with MSCs or CCM. Rats treated with MSCs or CCM demonstrated an increase in elastin fibers near the EUS and urethral smooth muscle more similar to that of sham-injured animals than rats treated with saline or control media. MSCs homed to the urethra and vagina and facilitated recovery of continence most likely via secretion of paracrine factors. Both MSCs and CCM have promise as novel noninvasive therapies for SUI.
Treatment Strategies in Osteochondral Defects of the Talar Dome: a Systematic Review

The aim of this study was to investigate the results of different treatment strategies for osteochondral defects (OCD) of the talus. Electronic databases from 1966 to July 1998 were systematically screened. Based on our inclusion criteria 32 studies describing the results of treatment strategies for OCD of the talus were included. No randomized clinical trials (RCT's) were identified. Fourteen studies described the results of excision alone, 11 the results of (EC), 14 the results of (ECD), 1 the results of cancellous bone grafting after EC, 1 the results of osteochondral transplantation and 3 the results of fixation. The average success rate of non-operative treatment (NT) was 45%. Comparison of different surgical procedures shows that the average highest success rate was reached by excision, curettage and drilling (ECD) (85%) followed by excision and curettage (EC) (78%) and excision alone (38%). Based on this systematic review we conclude that NT and excision alone are not to be recommended in treating talar OCD. Both EC and ECD have been shown to lead to a high percentage good/excellent results. However, due to great diversity in the articles and variability in treatment results, no definitive conclusions can be drawn. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are required to compare the outcome of these two surgical strategies for OCD of the talus.
A fast connected component algorithm based on hub contraction

Finding the connected components of an undirected network is a fundamental computational problem at the heart of many network applications and has been applied in many fields, such as communication network robustness and computer vision. This paper presents a new form of graph contraction referred to as the “hub contraction,” in which the node with the maximum degree is selected as the central node, after which this node and its immediate neighbors are combined to form a new central node. Based on the hub contraction principle, we propose a fast connected component algorithm, which exploits the existence of high-degree nodes to obtain the number and size of connected components. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm was verified by comparing it with other connected component algorithms within random networks and scale-free networks. The results showed the performance of our algorithm to be superior in terms of the processing time it requires, most notably when applied to scale-free networks.
Birth Weight and Family Resource Allocations: New Evidence from Twins

It is now widely recognized that birth endowments can have long-lasting effects on later-life outcomes. An intriguing question is how parents respond to shifts in child endowments. Some of the estimates in literaturemay be affected by small samples and unobservable mother-specific factors, limiting the power of policy implications. We exploit variation within twins to estimate the effect of birth weight on health investments in children. Using data from 68 developing countries, we find that lower birth weight babies receive less health care investments in infancy. These effects are larger for countries with higher infant mortality rates, lower life expectancy,and poorer sanitation facilities. Collectively, the findings suggest that parental behaviors contribute to amplify the baseline effects of birth endowments on long-run outcomes.
The Learning Process Focusing on Communication Arts Students' Public Relations Research

The purposes of this research were: 1) to study the learning process of communication arts students in a public relations research course, and 2) to study the essential factors in regard to supporting the learning process of PR research. Qualitative research methodology was employed consisting of 5 stages: 1) informing the students in order to motivate them to develop the research problem and title; 2) during the research workshop of the students, providing advice on PR Research; 3) auditing the research project workshop; 4) presenting the research results for each research project, and 5) analyzing the essential factors of the students’ PR research by checking with them in class. There were 22 students registered for the PR research class for the 2/2010 term. The results of this study were as follows: 1) the students developed the 6 PR research projects regarding the issue of evaluation of the PR project campaign and the PR media; 2) there were 4 steps in the learning process: 2.1) PR research project planning, 2.2) data collection and analysis of the data, 2.3) research reporting, and 2.4) presentation of the research; and 3) 3 essential factors were seen in the effective process of learning: the lecturer as a research counselor, the students as researcher, and the course description.
Prevalence of Pandemic Thermostable Direct Hemolysin-Producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 in Seafood and the Coastal Environment in Japan

ABSTRACT Although thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH)-producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus has caused many infections in Asian countries, the United States, and other countries, it has been difficult to detect the same pathogen in seafoods and other environmental samples. In this study, we detected and enumerated tdh gene-positive V. parahaemolyticus in Japanese seafoods with a tdh-specific PCR method, a chromogenic agar medium, and a most-probable-number method. The tdh gene was detected in 33 of 329 seafood samples (10.0%). The number of tdh-positive V. parahaemolyticus ranged from <3 to 93/10 g. The incidence of tdh-positive V. parahaemolyticus tended to be high in samples contaminated with relatively high levels of total V. parahaemolyticus. TDH-producing strains of V. parahaemolyticus were isolated from 11 of 33 tdh-positive samples (short-necked clam, hen clam, and rock oyster). TDH-producing strains of V. parahaemolyticus were also isolated from the sediments of rivers near the coast in Japan. Representative strains of the seafood and sediment isolates were examined for the O:K serovar and by the PCR method specific to the pandemic clone and arbitrarily primed PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis techniques. The results indicated that most O3:K6 tdh-positive strains belonged to the pandemic O3:K6 clone and suggested that serovariation took place in the Japanese environment.
Micro-Credit for Micro-Enterprise: A Study of Women "Petty" Traders in Central Region, Ghana

This paper examines factors that constrain women petty traders' access to microcredit, and the innovative measures initiated to counter these constraints. This paper also addresses the impact of micro finance credit on poverty alleviation for women petty traders in Ghana. This paper is based on an aided questionnaire and in-depth interviews with women micro- entrepreneurs drawn from a convenience sample of 150 petty traders in the market towns of Cape Coast, Elimina, Mankessuim, Jukwa and Swedru, all in the central region. Three main constraints are identified - internal, socio-cultural and policy-induced - as being the key moderating influences on women petty traders' ability to access to micro-credit. Considering the sample size and research context, the generalisation of the findings may need to be applied with caution. However, this paper does identify similar findings in other studies in comparable contexts.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: an open challenge

The present review summarizes the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Through the evaluation of recent clinical and pre-clinical studies, different approaches are taken into account: from the allogeneic transplantation as remission consolidation strategy, to the most advanced targeted cell therapy approaches for relapse prevention. The entangled question of immunotherapy's evolving role in AML is also addressed, as new diagnostic tools provide better risk stratification, classic chemotherapy allows for higher survival rates and targeted drugs became available for children too. Moreover, the need for collaborative, prospective studies in this field is highlighted. Only through sound data it will be possible to compare and possibly integrate new therapies with conventional approaches, with the final aim of achieving a higher survival rate and a better quality of life for our patients.
Isolation of Herpes Simplex Virus Procapsids from Cells Infected with a Protease-Deficient Mutant Virus

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) capsid proteins assemble in vitro into spherical procapsids that differ markedly in structure and stability from mature polyhedral capsids but can be converted to the mature form. Circumstantial evidence suggests that assembly in vivo follows a similar pathway of procapsid assembly and maturation, a pathway that resembles those of double-stranded DNA bacteriophages. We have confirmed the above pathway by isolating procapsids from HSV-1-infected cells and characterizing their morphology, thermal sensitivity, and protein composition. Experiments were carried out with an HSV-1 mutant (m100) deficient in the maturational protease for which it was expected that procapsids—normally, short-lived intermediates—would accumulate in infected cells. Particles isolated from m100-infected cells were found to share the defining properties of procapsids assembled in vitro. For example, by electron microscopy, they were found to be spherical rather than polyhedral in shape, and they disassembled at 0°C, unlike mature capsids, which are stable at this temperature. A three-dimensional reconstruction computed at 18-Å resolution from cryoelectron micrographs showed m100 procapsids to be structurally indistinguishable from procapsids assembled in vitro. In both cases, their predominant components are the four essential capsid proteins: the major capsid protein (VP5), the scaffolding protein (pre-VP22a), and the triplex proteins (VP19C and VP23). VP26, a small, abundant but dispensable capsid protein, was not found associated withm100 procapsids, suggesting that it binds to capsids only after they have matured into the polyhedral form. Procapsids were also isolated from cells infected at the nonpermissive temperature with the HSV-1 mutant tsProt.A (a mutant with a thermoreversible lesion in the protease), and their identity as procapsids was confirmed by cryoelectron microscopy. This analysis revealed density on the inner surface of the procapsid scaffolding core that may correspond to the location of the maturational protease. Upon incubation at the permissive temperature, tsProt.A procapsids transformed into polyhedral, mature capsids, providing further confirmation of their status as precursors.