Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hyperspectral Signal Subspace Identification in the Presence of Rare Vectors and Signal-Dependent Noise

Orthogonal subspace projection (OSP) is a powerful tool for dimensionality reduction (DR) in hyperspectral images (HSIs). In the OSP approach, the basis of the signal subspace must be estimated from the data themselves. Such estimation task is referred to as signal subspace identification (SSI). Most of the SSI methods in the literature are based on the analysis of the data second-order statistics (SOS) and have two main drawbacks: 1) They do not take into account the rare signal components (or rare vectors), 2) they assume that noise is spatially stationary. Rare vectors are those signal components that are present in pixels scarcely represented in the image and linearly independent on the signal components characterizing the rest of the image pixels. SOS-based SSI algorithms estimate the signal subspace addressing mostly the background and ignoring the presence of the rare pixels. This may be detrimental for the performance of detection algorithms when DR is adopted as a pre-processing step in small target detection applications. In this paper, a new technique for SSI in HSIs is presented. The algorithm is developed to account for both the abundant and the rare signal components. The method is derived by assuming a signal-dependent model for the noise affecting the data. This makes the SSI algorithm particularly suitable for the processing of images acquired by new generation sensors where, due to the improved sensitivity of the electronic components, noise includes a signal-dependent term. Results on simulated data are discussed, and the comparison with a recently proposed technique based on the analysis of SOS is performed. Furthermore, the results obtained by applying the SSI algorithm to a real HSI affected by signal-dependent noise are presented and discussed.
A security-aware routing implementation for dynamic data protection in zone-based MPSoC

This work proposes a secure Network-on-Chip (NoC) approach, which enforces the encapsulation of sensitive traffic inside the asymmetrical security zones while using minimal and non-minimal paths. The NoC routing guarantees that the sensitive traffic communicates only through trusted nodes, which belong to a security zone. As the shape of the zones may change during operation, the sensitive traffic must be routed through low-risk paths. The experimental results show that this proposal can be an efficient and scalable alternative for enforcing the data protection inside a Multi-Processor System-on-Chip (MPSoC).
How reliable are lower-limb kinematics and kinetics during a drop vertical jump?

PURPOSE As drop vertical jumps (DVJ) are widely used as a screening task, the assessment of the reliability of lower-limb biomechanical parameters during DVJ is important. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the kinematic and kinetic peak values as well as of the waveforms for lower-limb parameters obtained with the Liverpool John Moores University biomechanical model (LJMU model) during performance of DVJ. METHODS The reliability was analyzed by calculating the intertrial (o(trial)), intersession (o(sess)), and intertherapist (o(ther)) errors of hip and knee joint parameters in a repeated-measures design including two therapists and a total of six sessions. RESULTS The results showed o(trial) that ranged from 1.1° to 3.5° for all peak kinematic parameters and from 3.6 to 12.9 N · m for all peak kinetic parameters. The o of the peak values ranged from 1.9° to 5.7° for all angles and from 5.4 to 19.8 N · m for the hip and knee joint moments in all planes. The o(sess) of the peak values ranged from 2.7° to 6.4° for all angles and from 5.8 to 22.4 N · m for all moments. Most of the kinematic and kinetic peak parameters had o(ther-trial) ≤ 2.0° and 4.3 N · m, respectively, suggesting a small extrinsic variability. Furthermore, the entire waveforms also showed a rather high o(trial) relative to other types of variability. CONCLUSIONS The present findings indicated that DVJ kinetics and kinematics show small extrinsic variability. The reported errors are useful for clinical interpretation processes of DVJ performance as screening task for injury risk and rehabilitation outcome taking into consideration the different types of measurement error over time.
Effect of Tryptophan and its Metabolites on Gastric Emptying of Liquid Meals in Dogs

Summary The effects of tryptophan and its metabolites were studied to determine whether the known inhibiting effect of tryptophan on emptying was due to local or systemic effects or due to tryptophan metabolites. In five dogs with chronic gastric fistulas, instillation of 300 ml of dl-kynurenine (5 mM), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5 mM), or 5-hydroxytryptamine (20 mM) into the gut did not slow gastric emptying. Furthermore, iv infusion of l-tryptophan (5, 20, 50 mM), dl-kynurenine (2, 5, 10 mM), 5-hydroxytryptamine (2 mM, 10 mM), and 3-indolepyruvic acid (2, 5, 10 mM) also did not slow gastric emptying. These studies indicate that tryptophan slows gastric emptying by exciting a receptor in the gut and not by a direct effect on the stomach or brain or via its major metabolites. This work was supported by Grant AM 15886 from the National Institutes of Health and Veterans Administration Research Funds.
Treatment of Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A North

The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of non- Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) recognizes more than 30 different subtypes of NHL. [1] The term aggressive NHL refers to those subtypes that grow rapidly (proliferation index > 40%) and would often be fatal within months without appropriate therapy. The most common subtype of aggressive NHL is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which will be the main focus of this review. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma accounts for approximately 30% to 40% of all newly diagnosed cases of NHL and more than 80% of aggressive lymphomas. [ 1] Prognosis Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma represents a heterogeneous entity. Multiple morphologic variants are recognized within the WHO classification, and patients exhibit a wide range of clinical presentations. The International Prognostic Index (IPI) remains the primary clinical tool used for predicting outcome for aggressive NHL. [2] Based on the number of negative prognostic features present at the time of diagnosis (age > 60 years, stage III/IV disease, elevated lactatedehydrogenase [LDH] level, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] performance status ≥ 2, more than one extranodal site of disease), the 5-year overall survival rate rangesfrom 26% to 73%. [2] Only about half of all presenting patients will be cured of their lymphoma. The clinical factors conferring poor prognosis are likely surrogate vari-ables for intrinsic molecular heterogeneity. Multiple molecular markers, such as overexpression of bcl-2 and bcl-6, have been shown to be predictive of outcome in DLBCL. [3] More recently, microarray gene expression studies have confirmed that biologically distinct subgroups exist within DLBCL, and can be correlated with outcome. [4-7] Alizadeh and colleagues demonstrated that at least two major subtypes can be
An Approach to Assess Ecological Risk for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Surface Water from Tianjin

Three approaches were applied and compared to evaluate additive toxic effects of eight PAHs to aquatic organisms in rivers in the Tianjin area. Although the toxicity of the studied PAH compounds did not significantly increase the risk to aquatic organisms, the results of all three approaches indicated that the additive effect of the eight PAHs was significantly stronger than any individual compound acting alone, which indicated the applicability of the approaches. Further, of the compounds studied, anthracene was the major contributor to the overall toxic effect of the mixture. The calculated geometric means of the hazard quotient for the additive effect varied from 0.00055 to 0.00062, compared to the hazard quotient of individual PAHs which ranged from 5.1 × 10−6 to 0.00053. The hazard quotient distribution geometric mean was 0.00058, with 95% of the quotient between 6.6 × 10−5 and 0.051. Overlapping areas varied from 0.00015 to 0.02 for individual PAHs and was 0.03 for additive toxicity.
Phage pattern-specific oxacillin-resistant and borderline oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in U.S. hospitals: epidemiological significance

For a 13-year period (1978 through 1990), oxacillin-resistant (MIC, greater than 4 micrograms/ml) Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) strains were collected from Clinical Center (National Institutes of Health) patients and patients from five other U.S. hospitals. From Clinical Center patients, 251 of 253 isolates (99%) were bacteriophage typed as phage group III. Five other hospitals contributed 203 ORSA strains, of which 188 (93%) were group III. The group III ORSA strains predominantly included a characteristic core pattern of phages, 7/47/53/54/75/77. For the low-level (borderline) oxacillin-resistant strains (MIC, 2 to 4 micrograms/ml), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination (Augmentin) testing disclosed 62 hyper-beta-lactamase producers, of which 59 (95%) were of a separate, distinct S. aureus strain, with the phage pattern 92/94/96/292/D-11 (group V). Thus, ORSA and hyper-beta-lactamase producing S. aureus are distinct epidemic strains.
Context data distribution with quality guarantees for Android-based mobile systems

In the last years, context awareness, namely the provisioning of the current execution context to the application level, has received an increasing attention up to becoming a core capability in next generation mobile scenarios. Context awareness intrinsically forces a continuous delivery of context data to resource-constrained mobile devices, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants, to allow application adaptation, and that can become too severe a constraint even for modern platforms (Android, iOS, etc.). This paper focuses on the realization of a context data distribution support for Android-based mobile phones with guaranteed quality levels on the context data delivery time. Android, notwithstanding its great potential, puts harsh constraints on the implementation of specific context distribution primitives, thus preventing the realization of a wide set of significant deployment scenarios. At this stage, we face that a large campaign of tests are necessary. We have collected main experimental results in a real testbed to highlight noteworthy details on the runtime performance obtainable with a real Android deployment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leukocyte migration test in subacute thyroiditis: hypothetical role of cell-mediated immunity.

There has been a paucity of data employing the leukocyte migration test (LMT) in regard to the role of cellmediated immunity (CMI) in subacute thyroiditis (ST). This has induced us toinvestigate the presence of CMI against subcellular components of human thyroid cells in patients with ST. These subcellular components obtained by the ultracentrifugation method in sucrose discontinuous gradient are: 1) cell membranes, 2) microsomes, 3) membrane-bound ribosomes, 4) mitochondria, and 5) nuclei. Moreover, a crude thyroid extract (CTE) was also used. These subcellular components have been verified by electron microscopy. The LMT technique of Soborg and Bendixen was performed in 22 patients manifesting positive thyroid autoantibody titers in the antithyroglobulin and/or antimicrosomal procedures in the course of their disorder as well as in 10 euthyroid students (volunteers). Different antigenic fractions were tested at the following concentrations [expressed as protein concentration (micrograms per ml) in 1 ml .
Arterial blood pressure and heart rate regulation in shock state

Purpose of reviewCirculatory shock is a complicated problem that carries a high risk of complications and mortality for critically ill patients. The heart rate and blood pressure targets to which a patient in shock should be resuscitated remain a challenge to intensivists. Recent findingsWhile the ideal blood pressure and heart rate in circulatory shock are still not definitive, recent studies have begun to refine these targets. A recent trial comparing a mean arterial pressure target of 80–85 mmHg with a target of 65–70 mmHg showed no difference in mortality, with a decreased need for renal replacement therapy in patients with pre-existing hypertension based on subgroup analysis. Regulation of heart rate was defined by a trial demonstrating that heart rate control in patients with severe sepsis on high-dose norepinephrine with esmolol titration did not result in additional adverse events. SummaryThe ideal target blood pressure in the resuscitation of circulatory shock is variable and likely depends on prior blood pressure. Heart rate regulation with &bgr;-blockade appears to be safe in selected patients when accompanied by adequate resuscitation and monitoring.
Efficiency of bycatch reduction devices in small otter trawls used in the Florida shrimp fishery

Two bycatch reduction devices (BRDs)—the extended mesh funnel (EMF) and the Florida fisheye (FFE)—were evaluated in otter trawls with net mouth circumferences of 14 m, 17 m, and 20 m and total net areas of 45 m2. Each test net was towed 20 times in parallel with a control net that had the same dimensions and configuration but no BRD. Both BRDs were tested at night during fall 1996 and winter 1997 in Tampa Bay, Florida. Usually, the bycatch was composed principally of finfish (44 species were captured); horseshoe crabs and blue crabs seasonally predominated in some trawls. Ten finfish species composed 92% of the total finfish catch; commercially or recreationally valuable species accounted for 7% of the catch. Mean finfish size in the BRD-equipped nets was usually slightly smaller than that in the control nets. Compared with the corresponding control nets, both biomass and number of finfish were almost always less in the BRD-equipped nets but neither shrimp number nor biomass were significantly reduced. The differences in proportions of both shrimp and finfish catch between the BRD-equipped and control nets varied between seasons and among net sizes, and differences in finfish catch were specific for each BRD type and season. In winter, shrimp catch was highest and size range of shrimp was greater than in fall. Season-specific differences in shrimp catch among the BRD types occurred only in the 14-m, EMF nets. Finfish bycatch species composition was also highly seasonal; each species was captured mainly during only one season. However, regardless of the finfish composition, the shrimp catch was relatively constant. In part as a result of this study, the State of Florida now requires the use of BRDs in state waters.
Beyond a bottle of liquid: pesticide dependence in transitional rural China

Pesticide dependence is a major threat to food safety and local environment. Although numerous studies have explored different causes of pesticide dependence, few have examined how pesticides are locked into agricultural modernisation and rural transformation. Based on a case study of a Chinese village, this paper demonstrates how agricultural modernisation trajectory and rural changes have perpetuated the use of pesticides as necessities in agriculture as well as for farmers' livelihoods. Modern technologies, such as hybrid rice, conservation tillage, changes in crop structure, and reduction of intercropping all contribute highly towards pesticide dependence. The household responsibility system in China has provided the institutional foundation for increased pesticide use. Rural transformations driven by livelihoods diversification have created conducive social spaces for pesticide application. To step out of pesticide dependence, promotion of genetic diversity in agriculture, a reassessment of locational suitability of conservation tillage, institutional strengthening and the promotion of integrated pest management methods are suggested.
Hemi-Cube Ray-Tracing: A Method for Generating Soft Shadows

This paper presents a new ray-tracing technique for generating soft shadows. The technique treats scenes consisting of light sources and opaque objects which are polygons or polyhedra of arbitrary shape and size. To determine the intensity at a point on a surface, the hemisphere is sampled extensively through the use of hemi-cubes. So-called item-buffer boxes, a combination of itembuffers and buffer boxes, are used to calculate ray intersections as well as to suppress image aliasing. Several methods for reducing aliasing caused by hemi-cubes are discussed. The uniform treatment of rays allows for a straightforward extension of the algorithm to produce fuzzy reflections. The success of the new technique depends on a fast implementation of a visible surface algorithm as provided by today’s high-end graphics workstations. The results are images of realistically illuminated synthetic environments.
Regulation of Mitochondrial NADP+-dependent Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Activity by Glutathionylation*

Recently, we demonstrated that the control of mitochondrial redox balance and oxidative damage is one of the primary functions of mitochondrial NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDPm). Because cysteine residue(s) in IDPm are susceptible to inactivation by a number of thiol-modifying reagents, we hypothesized that IDPm is likely a target for regulation by an oxidative mechanism, specifically glutathionylation. Oxidized glutathione led to enzyme inactivation with simultaneous formation of a mixed disulfide between glutathione and the cysteine residue(s) in IDPm, which was detected by immunoblotting with anti-GSH IgG. The inactivated IDPm was reactivated enzymatically by glutaredoxin2 in the presence of GSH, indicating that the inactivated form of IDPm is a glutathionyl mixed disulfide. Mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis further confirmed that glutathionylation occurs to a Cys269 of IDPm. The glutathionylated IDPm appeared to be significantly less susceptible than native protein to peptide fragmentation by reactive oxygen species and proteolytic digestion, suggesting that glutathionylation plays a protective role presumably through the structural alterations. HEK293 cells and intact respiring mitochondria treated with oxidants inducing GSH oxidation such as H2O2 or diamide showed a decrease in IDPm activity and the accumulation of glutathionylated enzyme. Using immunoprecipitation with anti-IDPm IgG and immunoblotting with anti-GSH IgG, we were also able to purify and positively identify glutathionylated IDPm from 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated mice, a model for Parkinson's disease. The results of the current study indicate that IDPm activity appears to be modulated through enzymatic glutathionylation and deglutathionylation during oxidative stress.
Gender and age at onset in schizophrenia: impact of family history.

OBJECTIVE The 1-year prevalence of schizophrenia was studied in a limited geographical area of Reunion Island (Indian Ocean) to assess the impact of family history of schizophrenia on the well-known association between gender and age at onset. METHOD The population of schizophrenic patients meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia (N = 663) was identified and divided according to the presence of another schizophrenic patient among the first- and second-degree relatives. RESULTS As previously reported, the median age at onset differed between the sexes: the males had an earlier onset (mean age = 27.8 years) than the females (31.5 years). Comparison of the ages at onset according to family history revealed that onset was later for female subjects with a negative family history than for the three other groups (i.e., males with or without a family history and females with a family history). No difference emerged in the comparison of the ages at onset of the males and females with a positive family history. CONCLUSIONS Comparison of schizophrenic patients with familial versus sporadic disorder confirms the absence of a gender effect for age at onset in the subgroup with familial disorder. This approach also demonstrates the existence of a subgroup composed of affected females having late onset and no family history of schizophrenia.
Effect of prolonged incubation of male rat whole pituitary or pituitary-hypothalamus complex with testosterone on release of gonadotrophin and prolactin in vitro.

Investigations were undertaken to study the effect of in vitro addition of testosterone (0.3 mM) on the release of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin (PRL) by pituitary-hypothalamus complex (PHC) or the whole pituitary (PI) incubated for 72 hr, with incubation media changed every 24 hr. PHC or PI were from adult intact or castrated (7 days post castration) rats. The tissues incubated with or without testosterone were further exposed to 0.1 nM luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) for 4 hr. Incubation media and the pituitary were analyzed for PRL and gonadotrophin content. While PHC from normal and castrated rats released increasing amounts of LH with diminishing amounts of FSH and PRL at different periods of incubation, PI showed a decrease in the amounts of gonadotrophin and PRL released. Co-incubation of PHC or PI of intact or castrated rats with testosterone stimulated the release of LH and FSH during the first or second-24 hr incubation but inhibited the release of PRL in all the three incubations of 24 hr each. The extent of PRL inhibition increased with increasing incubation period. Testosterone had no effect on LHRH induced release of PRL but inhibited LHRH induced release of LH and FSH by pituitaries from constructs of normal rats. Testosterone reduced intrapituitary contents of PRL and FSH of intact and castrated rats. The data are interpreted to suggest that hypothalamus is essential for the maintenance of functional pituitary in vitro and that intrinsic differences exist in mechanisms regulating the secretion of LH, FSH and PRL. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)