Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Viewpoint-independent Action Recognition Method using Depth Image

In this paper we propose action recognition methods that use depth images for recognizing action independently on the viewpoints. We propose a method for reducing the amount of influence from changes in orientation of the people being observed, while suppressing the required quantity of training samples for dealing with the viewpoint changes between when learning and when recognizing. We first create the three-view drawings expansion by virtually changing the viewpoints within a predetermined range from the training samples when learning, and learn the weak classifier candidates respective to each viewpoint for discriminating the action categories. Then, we learn a strong classifier from these weak classifier candidates and limited number of training samples that is suitable for the viewpoint during recognition. Furthermore, we propose a method for accepting cases when the camera is too close to the people and some part of their body, i.e., an arm or leg, become visually deficient because it protrudes outside the given viewing angle in order to enlarge the region coverage for the action recognition. In this method, arbitrary motion features that are outside a given viewing angle are compensated for before discriminating the action categories by using a regression estimate that is based on a correlation between the motion features of the body parts outside the viewing angle and that of full body images. The experimental results showed that the action categories could be successfully recognized using the proposed methods even under influences from some changes in orientation or visual deficits of the people, when compared to conventional action recognition methods.
Backstepping attitude control for hypersonic gliding vehicle based on a robust dynamic inversion approach

A novel nonlinear attitude control method is proposed for hypersonic gliding vehicle by using a robust dynamic inversion control approach. The special objective of this control scheme is to deal with the parameter perturbations, high uncertainties and strong couplings during the flight of hypersonic gliding vehicle. According to the attitude motion equations of unpowered hypersonic gliding vehicle, a nonlinear model facing to attitude controller design is established. With regard to a class of nonlinear system, a robust dynamic inversion control is proposed and then applied to the hypersonic gliding vehicle attitude control by using backstepping approach. The stability conditions of hypersonic gliding vehicle attitude control system are obtained by means of Lyapunov function method. Simulation results show that the chosen hypersonic gliding vehicle plant using the proposed control scheme possesses better tracking performances, with respect to rapidity, accuracy and stability, compared to another backstepping control scheme based on traditional dynamic inversion control. Furthermore, it also has stronger robustness against system uncertainties.
Evidence for airway surface dehydration as the initiating event in CF airway disease

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease reflects persistent bacterial infection of airway lumens. Several hypotheses have been advanced to link mutations in the CFTR gene to the failure of the CF lung to defend itself against bacterial infection. Amongst the most productive hypotheses at present is the ‘‘low airway surface liquid (ASL) volume’’ or ‘‘dehydration’’ hypothesis. This hypothesis predicts that airway surface dehydration produces the mucus adhesion, inflammation, and bacterial biofilm formation characteristic of CF. Clinical trials of inhaled hypertonic saline have demonstrated therapeutic benefit of manoeuvres designed to rehydrate CF airway surfaces.
Stimulation of renin secretion by the phosphodiesterase IV inhibitor rolipram.

It is now generally accepted that the renin secretory response to beta adrenoceptor stimulation is mediated by increased formation of cAMP in the juxtaglomerular cells. It is also known that renin secretion is increased when cAMP metabolism is decreased by phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as theophylline, but it is not known which isoforms of phosphodiesterase are involved. In the present study, we investigated the effect on renin secretion of the phosphodiesterase IV inhibitor rolipram in conscious rabbits. The i.v. administration of rolipram in a dose of 25 microgram/kg followed by infusion at 5 microgram/kg/min in eight rabbits increased mean arterial pressure from 82 +/- 5 to 93 +/- 6 mm Hg (P<.05), decreased HR from 242 +/- 7 to 204 +/- 10 bpm (P<.05) and increased plasma renin activity (PRA) from 6.9 +/- 1.3 to 29.0 +/- 4.2 ng/ml/2 h (P<.01). In a second series of experiments, i.v. infusion of isoproterenol at 0.05 microgram/kg/min increased PRA from 4.1 +/- 0.9 to 9.9 +/- 1.2 ng/ml/2 h (P<.01). Administration of rolipram again increased PRA, and infusion of isoproterenol in the presence of rolipram increased PRA from 30.2 +/- 7.0 to 58.9 +/- 12.6 ng/ml/2 h (P<.01), an increase significantly greater (P<.05) than that produced by isoproterenol alone. Rolipram also prolonged the PRA and HR responses to isoproterenol. These results demonstrate that inhibition of phosphodiesterase IV increases renin secretion and potentiates the renin secretory response to beta adrenoceptor stimulation, thus providing evidence for a role of phosphodiesterase IV in the regulation of renin secretion.
Characteristics of a new meningococcal serogroup B vaccine, bivalent rLP2086 (MenB-FHbp; Trumenba®)

ABSTRACT Neisseria meningitidis is a common cause of bacterial meningitis, often leading to permanent sequelae or death. N. meningitidis is classified into serogroups based on the composition of the bacterial capsular polysaccharide; the 6 major disease-causing serogroups are designated A, B, C, W, X, and Y. Four of the 6 disease-causing serogroups (A, C, Y, and W) can be effectively prevented with available quadrivalent capsular polysaccharide protein conjugate vaccines; however, capsular polysaccharide conjugate vaccines are not effective against meningococcal serogroup B (MnB). There is no vaccine available for serogroup X. The public health need for an effective serogroup B vaccine is evident, as MnB is the most common cause of meningococcal disease in the United States and is responsible for almost half of all cases in persons aged 17 to 22 years. In fact, serogroup B meningococci were responsible for the recent meningococcal disease outbreaks on college campuses. However, development of a suitable serogroup B vaccine has been challenging, as serogroup B polysaccharide-based vaccines were found to be poorly immunogenic. Vaccine development for MnB focused on identifying potential outer membrane protein targets that elicit broadly protective immune responses across strains from the vast number of proteins that exist on the bacterial surface. Human factor H binding protein (fHBP; also known as LP2086), a conserved surface-exposed bacterial lipoprotein, was identified as a promising vaccine candidate. Two recombinant protein-based serogroup B vaccines that contain fHBP have been successfully developed and licensed in the United States under an accelerated approval process: bivalent rLP2086 (MenB-FHbp; Trumenba®) and 4CMenB (MenB-4 C; Bexsero®). This review will focus on bivalent rLP2086 only, including vaccine components, mechanism of action, and potential coverage across serogroup B strains in the United States.
A New Approach to Design Flexible Magnetic Active Shielding

The shielding of low-frequency magnetic fields from “sensible” domains (e.g., in hospital areas or in control rooms in industrial environments) is usually achieved using ferromagnetic walls (passive shielding) or suitably designed coils, fed with appropriate currents (active shielding). Anyway, when disturbing fields are not known in advance, and weight or cost issues prevent passive shielding, general-purpose active shielding coils could be used, provided that their design is flexible enough to counteract a large class of fields and an adequate disturbing field detection system is present. This paper proposes a procedure able to perform the active shielding for a large class of disturbing fields. The procedure includes an identification step through a suitable measurement system and a current design step, based on the design of shimming coils specialized to cancel single “eigenfunctions” of the Laplace operator in the sensible domain.
Antibody to the alpha4 integrin decreases infarct size in transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inflammation, a process that involves neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, contributes to cerebral ischemic injury. Blockade of neutrophil adhesion to endothelium improves outcome after experimental stroke. In this study we sought to assess the contribution of lymphocytes and monocytes to ischemic brain injury. METHODS Male Lewis rats underwent 3 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 45 hours of reperfusion. Two hours after the onset of ischemia, one group of animals received an intraperitoneal injection of antibodies to the alpha(4) integrin (n=16); another group was injected with an isotype control antibody (n=11). Neurological examination, body temperature, and body weight were assessed at different time points after stroke. Animals were killed 48 hours after the onset of ischemia for determination of infarct volume and leukocyte counts. RESULTS There were no significant differences in body temperature or weight at any time. Neurological scores (deficits) were significantly less in animals treated with anti-alpha(4) antibodies at 24 (2.0+/-1.2 versus 3. 0+/-0.4; P:=0.006) and 48 (2.0+/-1.2 versus 3.0+/-0.8; P:=0.011) hours after ischemia. Peripheral blood leukocyte counts were significantly higher in anti-alpha(4)-treated animals (6.8+/-2.2 x 10(9) versus 2.9+/-1.9 x 10(9); P:=0.001) and revealed a lymphocyte/monocyte predominance (86.0+/-16.2% versus 71.0+/-15.6%; P:=0.008). Infarct volume was significantly less in animals treated with antibodies to alpha(4) (120.1+/-51.21 versus 173.7+/-42.29 mm(3); P:=0.012). CONCLUSIONS These data support a role for lymphocytes and monocytes in cerebral ischemic injury and show that blockade of alpha(4), even when instituted after the onset of ischemia, can improve neurological outcome and decrease infarct volume.
THE ACUTE TOXICITY OF TANNIC ACID ADMINISTERED INTRAGASTRICALLY.

The LD(50) +/- S.E. of tannic acid given orally to albino rats was found to be 2.26+/-0.083 g. per kg. body weight, which is higher than its apparent LD(50) when given per rectum. The immediate cause of death was respiratory failure preceded by convulsions when death occurred early and by hypothermic cachexia when death was delayed. Death was associated with a progressively developing hepatic necrosis and nephritis and a temporary acute gastroenteritis. It was accompanied by loss of weight and edema in many organs, evidence of stimulation of the spleen, adrenal cortex and testes, and atrophy of the thymus. Recovery in survivors was associated with a temporary increase in weight of the spleen and testes and persistence of loss of weight in the adrenal, pyloric stomach, and skin.
Proliferation of green Paramecium bursaria: A vision through flow cytometry

INTRODUCTION In the nature, the ciliate, Paramecium bursaria, exists as a green Paramecium because each protist cell carries in its cytoplasm several hundreds of unicellular green algae. These symbiotic algae synchronously proliferate with the host (P. bursaria), an indispensable condition for preserving stability of the host-symbiont relationship. Propagation of symbiotic algae in P. bursaria appears to be host’s cell-cycle dependent. They have been found to much more actively propagate in dividing host cells (when cytoplasmic streaming in host cells is arrested) than in resting ones (1). Before this finding published in 2007, we, by means of flow cytometry, have observed that the chlorophyll content distribution of asynchronously growing exsymbiotic algae (i.e., algae that cultured separately from the host) was unimodal, whereas the chlorophyll content distribution of algae that are contained by asynchronously growing protist cells was bimodal (Fig. 1). Although this observation has been described in 2000 (3), we, however, were unable to fully interpret the bimodality in the chlorophyll content distribution of algae in proliferating host cells. Based on the aforementioned finding, [the algae propagate much more actively in dividing host cells than in resting ones (1)], we propose that the first peak of the chlorophyll content distribution mainly corresponds to the algae in resting host cells (Peak no. 1; Fig. 1), whereas the second peak mainly corresponds to the algae in dividing ones (Peak no. 2; Fig. 1). In resting P. bursaria, algae may have retarded proliferation due to space restriction. There is the well-known fact that at the high culture density condition (when there are lack of space, lack of light, and accumulation of inhibitory waste products) chlorophyll synthesis in algae may be suppressed. Therefore, it does not seem surprising that the majority of algae in resting host cells contain less chlorophyll compared with the majority of algae in dividing ones (Peak no. 1 vs. Peak no. 2; Fig. 1). Note that the value of the mode of chlorophyll content distribution of algae in dividing host cells (Peak no. 2; Fig. 1) is almost the same as the value of the mode of chlorophyll content distribution of asynchronously growing algae (dashed line; Fig. 1), when their growth was not or less inhibited by cell density. Thus, the idea that the chlorophyll content distribution of symbiotic algae may vary depending upon cell cycle of P. bursaria could be used for the assessment of host’s proliferation.
The Bayesian Inference Method and Its Application to Reliability Problems

Abstract : Statistical inference is the activity of characterizing the parameters of mathematical models by utilizing available sampling data. This report discusses as a specific motivation the modeling of reliability problems and deals only with inference while avoiding the larger area of decision theory. The classical and Bayesian approaches to evaluating the parameter of the familiar exponential reliability model are compared. Classically, model parameters are unknown constants which can be estimated. From the Bayesian viewpoint model parameters are treated as distributed random variables. As is also ture of the classical maximum likelihood method, the determining or informational impact of the sampling data is represented completely by the likelihood function. Operationally, Bayesian inference involves applying Bayes theorem, a celecbrated consequence of conditional probability theory. The relevant probability background is developed and Bayes theorem derives. Bayesian inference has the very appealing capacity to incorporate previous information as well as current sampling inputs. Classical results are reproduced in the limiting forms of this involving noninformative prior distributions. Several application examples are discussed illustrating the use of both continuously and discretely distributed data and in one case emphasizing numerical methods.
Role of iron in the pathogenesis of Vibrio vulnificus infections

Infections with Vibrio vulnificus resulting in septicemia and high mortality have been correlated with pre-existing liver disease and hemochromatosis. As these conditions are associated with impaired iron metabolism and as iron availability in the host has been implicated in the pathogenicity of a number of bacterial infections, the role of iron as a possible factor in the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus was examined. Injection of mice with iron resulted in a lowering of the 50% lethal dose from 10(6) to 1.1 cells and in a reduction in the time of death postinfection. Elevated serum iron levels were also produced by damaging livers with injections of CCl4. The inoculum size required to kill these mice was directly correlated with serum iron levels. Since the portal of infection of this organism may be ingestion of contaminated seafood, the effects of iron upon orally induced infection were also studied. The effects of adding iron, transferrin, or Desferal (an iron chelate) upon the growth of V. vulnificus in human and rabbit sera were also examined. Iron appeared to be the limiting factor in the ability of this organism to survive or grow in mammalian sera. These results, both in vitro and in vivo, provided strong evidence that iron may play a major role in the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus.
O-Methyl cyclolaudenol

The title compound (systematic name: 3-methoxy-24-methyl-9,19-cyclolanost-25-ene), C32H54O, is a triterpenoid which has been isolated from Skimmia laureola. The three six-membered rings adopt chair, slightly distorted half-chair and distorted boat conformations, and the five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation. All the rings are trans fused.
Pulmonary function abnormalities in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

The occurrence of lung disorders has been investigated in 102 patiens with inflammatore bowel disease, by means of pulmonary function testing, chest radiography and physical examination. Pulmonary function tests were abnormal in approximately 50 per cent patients and 25 per cent of patients had a reduced lung transfer factor. Radiological abnormalities compatible with fibrosing alveolitis were identified in six patients. There was no apparent correlation between these abnormalities and bowel disease sitse and activity, concurrent drug administration or the presence or absence of circulating immune complexes and autoantibodies.
A novel ground bounce reduction technique using four step power gating

The power gating is a technique to reduce leakage power in standby mode by using Sleep switch. In power gating, the circuit suffers the ground bouncing due to the switching of the Sleep Transistor from standby mode to active mode. In this paper, we have presented a four step power gating technique for further reducing the Ground/Power bouncing. This technique not only controls the bouncing but also controls the wake-up time and transition energy overheads in transition period. To control the wakeup time, pre-boosting and post-boosting current technique is applied by using two MOS transistors, limiting the discharge current and voltage swing in noise limiting stage. Application of proposed technique reduces 73% and 20% bounce noise as compared to conventional power gating and three step power gating techniques respectively. Simulations are carried out using 4-bit Ripple Carry Adder as low Vth logic circuit in Cadence Virtuoso simulation environment and UMC 0. 18μm technology.
Correlates of noncompliance among renal transplant recipients.

The purpose of this study was to identify variables that are associated with noncompliance among adult renal transplant recipients, including demographic characteristics, transplant-related variables, and psychosocial factors. The measurement of noncompliance was improved by assessing noncompliant behaviors (i.e., noncompliance with medications and the follow-up regimen) prior to the onset of complications and/or graft loss and by measuring compliance as a continuous rather than dichotomous variable. Two-hundred-and-forty-one renal transplant recipients completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the anxiety and hostility subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors, the Coping Strategies Inventory, a measure of transplant-related stressors, and self-report measures of compliance with medications and the follow-up regimen. Approximately half of our sample reported at least some degree of noncompliance. Recipients who were younger, female, unmarried, retransplanted, and with lower incomes tended to be noncompliant with medications (all p's < 0.05). Recipients who were unmarried, low income, not insulin-dependent, and with a longer time since transplant tended to be noncompliant with the follow-up regimen. In addition, recipients who reported higher stress and more depression, who coped with stress by using avoidant coping strategies, and who believed that health outcomes are beyond their control were less compliant with both medications and follow-up (all p's < 0.05). Regression analyses revealed that stress was the strongest predictor of both medication and follow-up compliance.
Homozygous methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T mutation and male infertility.

To the Editor: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) catalyzes the reduction of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. The C677T in the gene that encodes MTHFR decreases the activity of the enzyme by 35 percent in persons who are heterozygous for the mutation and by 70 percent in those who are homozygous.1 The prevalence of the homozygous form is estimated to be between 5 percent and 10 percent. One study showed an increase in sperm count and motility after three months of treatment with folinic acid.2 By determining the frequency of the MTHFR C677T mutation, it may be possible to identify patients who have a .
Minor degree of hypohydration adversely influences cognition: a mediator analysis.

BACKGROUND Because the assumption that small changes in hydration status are readily compensated by homeostatic mechanisms has been little studied, the influence of hypohydration on cognition was examined. OBJECTIVES We assessed whether a loss of <1% of body mass due to hypohydration adversely influenced cognition, and examined the possible underlying mechanisms. DESIGN A total of 101 individuals were subjected to a temperature of 30°C for 4 h and randomly either did or did not consume 300 mL H2O during that period. Changes in body mass, urine osmolality, body temperature, and thirst were monitored. Episodic memory, focused attention, mood, and the perceived difficulty of tasks were measured on 3 occasions. The data were analyzed with the use of a regression-based approach whereby we looked for variables that mediated the influence of hypohydration on psychological functioning. RESULTS Drinking water improved memory and focused attention. In the short-term, thirst was associated with poorer memory. Later, a greater loss of body mass was associated with poorer memory and attention (mean loss: 0.72%). At 90 min, an increase in thirst was associated with a decline in subjective energy and increased anxiety and depression, effects that were reduced by drinking water. At 180 min, subjects found the tests easier if they had consumed water. CONCLUSIONS Drinking water was shown, for the first time to our knowledge, to benefit cognitive functioning when there was a loss of <1% body mass at levels that may occur during everyday living. Establishing the variables that generate optimal fluid consumption will help to tailor individual advice, particularly in clinical situations. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02671149.
PROXIMITY BASED PROFILE MATCHING FOR PATIENT

Making new connections according to personal preferences is a crucial service in mobile social networking, where an initiating user can find matching users within physical proximity of him/her. In existing systems for such services, usually all the users directly publish their complete profiles for others to search. However, in many applications, the users personal profiles may contain sensitive information that they do not want to make public. In this paper, we propose FindU, a set of privacy-preserving profile matching schemes for proximitybased mobile social networks. In FindU, an initiating user can find from a group of users the one whose profile best matches with his/her; to limit the risk of privacy exposure, only necessary and minimal information about the private attributes of the participating users is exchanged. Two increasing levels of user privacy are defined, with decreasing amounts of revealed profile informatin.