Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental validation of the structure factor model on tissue-mimicking phantoms with high scatterer concentrations

Quantitative ultrasound technique is based on a frequency-based analysis of the signals backscattered from biological tissues. This technique aims to estimate the size and concentration of scatterers in order to diagnose and monitor diseases, such as cancer. The Gaussian Model (GM) and Faran Model (FM) have been used for many years but are limited to dilute scattering medium, whereas the scatterers can be densely packed (for example the cells in cancer). A model adapted to dense medium is the Structure Factor model (SFM) used in blood characterization. However, the most often used SFM version is the Percus Yevick model (PYM) using the low frequency limit of the structure factor called the Percus Yevick packing factor. The aim of this work is to compare the aforementioned scattering models with measured backscatter coefficients (BSCs) on tissue-mimicking phantoms. The tissue-mimicking phantoms consisted of polyamide microspheres (mean radius 6 μm) in water suspension. The phantoms had identical scatterer sizes with an impedance contrast of 58% (versus 42% in cell nuclei) but have different scatterer volume fractions ranging from 1 to 25%. Ultrasonic backscatter measurements were made for frequencies from 6 MHz to 22 MHz. Good agreement was shown between the measured frequency dependent BSCs and those predicted with the SFM. Figure 3 shows the measured BSC amplitude in the frequency bandwidth from 6 to 15 MHz versus the scatterer concentration. Also plotted are the theoretical BSC amplitude computed with the FM, PYM and SFM. Excellent agreement was obtained at a low volume fraction of 1% and 2.5% for all models. The FM (and the PYM, respectively) overestimated the BSC amplitude for volume fraction >;5% (and for larger volume fraction >;12.5%). Most of tissues, such as cancer, need to be characterized as dense scattering media. For large scatterer volume fraction, the experimental BSCs agreed with predictions using the SFM in frequency dependence and scattering magnitude.
Automated Multimodal Volume Registration based on Supervised 3D Anatomical Landmark Detection

: We propose a new method for automatic 3D multimodal registration based on anatomical landmark detection. Landmark detectors are learned independantly in the two imaging modalities using Extremely Randomized Trees and multi-resolution voxel windows. A least-squares ﬁtting algorithm is then used for rigid registration based on the landmark positions as predicted by these detectors in the two imaging modalities. Experiments are carried out with this method on a dataset of pelvis CT and CBCT scans related to 45 patients. On this dataset, our fully automatic approach yields results very competitive with respect to a manually assisted state-of-the-art rigid registration algorithm.
Test case generation for concurrent systems using UML activity diagram

Concurrency problems, such as deadlocks, should be identified before the design process begins. This is very difficult as larger and more complex concurrent systems are being developed. Here we propose an approach, based on the analysis of Unified Modelling Language (UML) that represents the behavioural properties of the system. In this work, we have presented an approach for generating a minimum test suite with maximum coverage. It builds an Input/Output Activity Diagram (IOAD) using UML activity diagram which helps to remove deadlock and reduce complexity in solving complex concurrent systems. It is also user friendly and generates effective test cases.
Enteroaggregative, Shiga Toxin-ProducingEscherichia coli O111:H2 Associated with an Outbreak of Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O111:H2 strains from an outbreak of hemolytic-uremic syndrome showed aggregative adhesion to HEp-2 cells and harbored large plasmids which hybridized with the enteroaggregative E. coli probe PCVD432. These strains present a novel combination of virulence factors and might be as pathogenic to humans as the classic enterohemorrhagic E. coli.
Modélisation de la Structure Complexe des Faits et des Mesures

Decision support system (DSS) goal is to help decision-makers. They are modeled mainly in a multdimiensional way, that means activity analysis subjects, called facts, with their measures are represented as the center of a star with dimensions and their parameters around. Several models have been devoted to DSS representation, but they handle only relationships between dimensions and their parameters. Recently, some relationships between facts have been analyzed. Relationships between measures indicate correlations through a given activity because they represent properties of this activity. However, there is no work on these relationships. Therefore, we model facts and measures such as relationships between these concepts. We define a UML-based model because it allows a representation related and adapted to DSS terminology and it is well-known by a large amount of designers.
Emancipación política de 1898 e influencia del protestantismo en Cuba y Puerto Rico

Poca atencion se ha prestado a los actores religiosos protestantes en las islas caribenas bajo dominio espanol durante el siglo XIX. Sin embargo, para entonces, la cuestion religiosa fue un punto clave de los conflictos ideologicos tanto en Cuba y Puerto Rico como en el resto de America Latina. Los ritmos de difusion y las modalidades de accion de las sociedades protestantes fueron similares en toda la region latinoamericana. Fueron condicionados por la relacion privilegiada que el Estado espanol tejio con la Iglesia catolica durante la colonia y luego por el conflicto creciente entre liberalismo y catolicismo intransigente ultramontano, cuya ideologia se inspiro en una lectura unilateral de la Quanta Cura, de 1864, y del Syllabus, tambien de 1864. Existio una misma condena a toda «herejia protestante» hasta la abolicion de la Inquisicion al principio del siglo XIX. A partir de las Independencias, los nuevos estados-nacion buscaron prolongar el regalismo borbonico en materia religiosa; tanto los regimenes politicos conservadores como los liberales moderados impusieron el catolicismo como religion del Estado. De esta manera, durante la primera mitad del siglo XIX, solo se observo la presencia de protestantes extranjeros residentes, organizados a veces en pequenas congregaciones al amparo de clausulas anadidas a los tratados comerciales asegurando la practica religiosa privada para los subditos extranjeros. Por lo tanto, hubo que esperar el triunfo de los ejercitos liberales y la adopcion de constituciones amparando la libertad de asociacion y de manera correlativa la libertad de culto, a partir de los anos de 1860, para permitir progresivamente la lenta difusion de las sociedades protestantes entre las poblaciones latinoamericanas (Bastian, 1994).
Remote Ischemic Preconditioning: Current Knowledge, Unresolved Questions, and Future Priorities

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is the phenomenon whereby brief episodes of ischemia–reperfusion applied in distant tissues or organs render the myocardium resistant to a subsequent sustained episode of ischemia. Reduction of infarct size with RIPC has been documented in response to (i) brief antecedent ischemia in a remote coronary vascular bed (intra-cardiac protection); (ii) collection and transfer of coronary effluent from perconditioning “donor” hearts to naive “receptor” hearts (inter-cardiac protection); (iii) brief ischemia applied in skeletal muscle, mesentery, and other organs (interorgan protection); and (iv) remote nociception (“remote PC of trauma”). Moreover, the paradigm has expanded to encompass temporal modifications in the application of the remote stimulus (remote perconditioning and remote postconditioning). Progress has also been made in translating the concept of RIPC to patients undergoing planned ischemic events: evidence for attenuation of cardiac enzyme release with RIPC has been reported after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery. However, despite these advances in characterization and clinical application, the mechanisms of RIPC—most notably, the means by which the protective stimulus is communicated to the heart—remain poorly defined and, in all likelihood, are model dependent.
Fetal microchimerism in Hashimoto's thyroiditis: a quantitative approach.

OBJECTIVE Fetal microchimerism (MCH) has been implicated in the etiology of autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis. The goal of the study was to reliably estimate the number of fetal engrafted cells and to further investigate factors influencing the development of MCH. METHODS Quantitative real-time PCR amplification using Y-chromosome specific (DYS14) and autosomal (beta-globin) loci was performed on thyroid gland specimens. Furthermore, we compared the distribution of ABO and rhesus systems in mothers with and without blood MCH in relation to the blood groups of the children. RESULTS MCH was detected in eight of 21 Hashimoto patients in a frequency range of 15 to 4900 male cells per 100,000 total cells (median 97 cells), but in none of 17 healthy thyroid glands. In a third group, consisting of 18 nodular goiters, only one sample was positive (182 male cells/100,000 total cells). No woman who had not had a prior pregnancy with a male fetus showed MCH. Mothers both with and without MCH showed the same rate of mother/child incompatibilities for the ABO and rhesus systems. CONCLUSIONS The percentage of microchimeric cells varies to a great extent in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and this phenomenon can occur in nodular goiter in rare instances, but it appears to be absent from normal thyroid glands. Nevertheless, the biological significance of MCH remains unclear. Moreover, we have concluded that the tested blood group systems (as opposed to their role in graft vs host disease after transplantations) have no effect on fetal MCH.
Threshold voltage of thin-film Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFET's

The charge coupling between the front and back gates of thin-film silicon-on-insulator (SOI: e.g,, recrystallized Si on SiO2) MOSFET's is analyzed, and closed-form expressions for the threshold voltage under all possible steady-state conditions are derived. The expressions clearly show the dependence of the linear-region channel conductance on the back-gate bias and on the device parameters, including those of the back silicon-insulator interface. The analysis is supported by current-voltage measurements of laser-recrystallized SOI MOSFET's. The results suggest how the back-gate bias may be used to optimize the performance of the SOI MOSFET in particular applications.
System capacity of wideband OFDM communications over fading channels without channel knowledge

Assuming PSK modulation, we derive the system capacity of pulse-shaped orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communications over time-frequency selective fading channels in the absence of channel state information at the transmitter and the receiver. We show that capacity tends to zero in the large bandwidth limit and quantify the impact of spread and shape of the scattering function on finite bandwidth capacity
The influence of head and neck position on kinematics of the back in riding horses at the walk and trot.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY A common opinion among riders and in the literature is that the positioning of the head and neck influences the back of the horse, but this has not yet been measured objectively. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of head and neck position on the kinematics of the back in riding horses. METHODS Eight Warmblood riding horses in regular work were studied on a treadmill at walk and trot with the head and neck in 3 different predetermined positions achieved by side reins attached to the bit and to an anticast roller. The 3-dimensional movement of the thoracolumbar spine was measured from the position of skin-fixed markers recorded by infrared videocameras. RESULTS Head and neck position influenced the movements of the back, especially at the walk. When the head was fixed in a high position at the walk, the flexion-extension movement and lateral bending of the lumbar back, as well as the axial rotation, were significantly reduced when compared to movements with the head free or in a low position. At walk, head and neck position also significantly influenced stride length, which was shortest with the head in a high position. At trot, the stride length was independent of head position. CONCLUSIONS Restricting and restraining the position and movement of the head and neck alters the movement of the back and stride characteristics. With the head and neck in a high position stride length and flexion and extension of the caudal back were significantly reduced. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE Use of side reins in training and rehabilitation programmes should be used with an understanding of the possible effects on the horse's back.
An update on the pharmacological management of female sexual dysfunction

Introduction: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a global health issue, with as many as 12% of women over 18 years old reporting sexual difficulties associated with distress. It is a multifaceted problem with psychological and biological causes. Affected women tend to have an impaired quality of life, a decreased level of well-being and relationship issues. Hence there is a need for management options for affected women. Areas covered: This paper focuses on current pharmacological options for the treatment of FSD, particularly estrogens and androgens, which have been extensively studied. Some investigational drugs are also described, including the centrally acting agents such as flibanserin and bupropion, and intravaginal DHEA and testosterone, which may be useful as an alternative for women with specific conditions, such as breast cancer survivors. Expert opinion: Although approval for the use of testosterone for treatment of FSD is limited to some European countries and restricted to surgically menopausal women, there is extensive off-label use for this purpose. No other product has yet achieved regulatory approval for treatment of FSD. Completion of studies of nonhormonal FSD therapies and safety studies of testosterone may result in regulatory approval of such products for the treatment of FSD in the near future.
Supplier Collaboration and New Product Performance: A Contingency Model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a contingency model to examine how technological capacity, promotion capacity, and technological substitution affect the supplier collaboration‐new product performance relationship.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses data from a Government survey of technological innovation. A total of 201 machinery/electronics equipment manufacturing firms in Taiwan comprise the sample. A Tobit regression analysis is adopted to analyze the data.Findings – It is found that technological capacity and promotion capacity enhance the effect of supplier collaboration on new product performance. Technological substitution mitigates the relationship between supplier collaboration and new product performance.Research limitations/implications – The sample of this study just focuses on machinery/electronics equipment manufacturing firms. The new insights of this study imply that by failing to consider the contingency roles of technological capacity, promotion capacity, and.
Developing a low-cost driving simulator and the physical components effect on validity SW 10 master

This master thesis deals with the question: What is important when developing and validating a driving simulator? First we deal with the question: What are the challenges and problems of developing a low-cost driving simulator? This concerns finding which possibilities you have when developing a driving simulator, and testing the simulator in order to find the main problems with it. We also deal with the question: How do the different physical components of a driving simulator affect the validity? This concerns developing test scenarios in order to test the relative validity of physical components based on different dependent variables. Authors Kasper Guldbrand, Rene Bach Gustafson Meta Pages: 34, Number printed: 4, Finished: June 16, 2011 The content of this report is available for free, but publication (with source) may only occur with agreement from the authors.
A Real-Time Human Detection System for Video

This work presents a real-time human detection system for VGA (Video Graphics Array, 640 × 480) video, which well suits visual surveillance applications. To achieve high running speed and accuracy, firstly we design multiple fast scalar feature types on the gradient channels, and experimentally identify that NOGCF (Normalized Oriented Gradient Channel Feature) has better performance with Gentle AdaBoost in cascaded classifiers. A confidence measure for cascaded classifiers is developed and utilized in the subsequent tracking stage. Secondly, we propose to use speedup techniques including a detector pyramid for multi-scale detection and channel compression for integral channel calculation respectively. Thirdly, by integrating the detector’s discrete detected humans and continuous detection confidence map, we employ a two-layer tracking by detection algorithm for further speedup and accuracy improvement. Compared with other methods, experiments show the system is significantly faster with 20 fps running speed in VGA video and has better accuracy as well. key words: human detection, human tracking, real-time detection, normalized oriented gradient channel feature
Differential Expression and Sequence Conservation of the Anaplasma marginale msp2 Gene Superfamily Outer Membrane Proteins

ABSTRACT Bacterial pathogens in the genera Anaplasma and Ehrlichia encode a protein superfamily, pfam01617, which includes the predominant outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of each species, major surface protein 2 (MSP2) and MSP3 of Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum MSP2 (p44), Ehrlichia chaffeensis p28-OMP, Ehrlichia canis p30, and Ehrlichia ruminantium MAP1, and has been shown to be involved in both antigenic variation within the mammalian host and differential expression between the mammalian and arthropod hosts. Recently, complete sequencing of the A. marginale genome has identified an expanded set of genes, designated omp1-14, encoding new members of this superfamily. Transcriptional analysis indicated that, with the exception of the three smallest open reading frames, omp2, omp3, and omp6, these superfamily genes are transcribed in A. marginale-infected erythrocytes, tick midgut and salivary glands, and the IDE8 tick cell line. OMPs 1, 4, 7 to 9, and 11 were confirmed to be expressed as proteins by A. marginale within infected erythrocytes, with expression being either markedly lower (OMPs 1, 4, and 7 to 9) or absent (OMP11) in infected tick cells, which reflected regulation at the transcript level. Although the pfam01617 superfamily includes the antigenically variable MSP2 and MSP3 surface proteins, analysis of the omp1-14 sequences throughout a cycle of acute and persistent infection in the mammalian host and tick transmission reveals a high degree of conservation, an observation supported by sequence comparisons between the St. Maries strain and Florida strain genomes.
Efficiency map of a Switched Reluctance Motor using Finite Element Method in vehicular applications

Switched reluctance motors (SRMs), which are simple and reliable motors, have attracted interest for electric vehicle propulsion systems. It is shown that an SRM offers a good performance at high acceleration and low speed driving conditions. Efficiency map of an electric motor is a very important characteristic specially when the motor is to be used in a wide range of speed and load variations, which is the case in electric propulsion systems. In this research, the efficiency map of an SRM is derived using a combination of the finite element method (FEM) and a mathematical model. This efficiency map has been used for different driving cycles to test the SRM performance as a vehicle propulsion motor.
Effectiveness of stress grading coatings on form wound stator coil groundwall insulation under fast rise time pulse voltages

In this paper, the effectiveness of stress grading coatings (SGCs) on form wound stator coil groundwall insulation under fast rise time pulses is analyzed. The combined performance of the stress grading coating and the semiconductive slot coating is studied under fast rise time transient voltages. During the rapid rise of voltage, the high stress moves from the stress grading coating to the semiconductive coating at the end of the slot. According to the results, it is evident that the design of both the stress grading and semiconductive slot coatings must be done together for effective stress relief. The use of materials with varistor behavior in the stress grading coating, combined with a high conductivity semiconductive slot coating, is analyzed as a solution to the high stress that develops at the slot end of form wound stator coil groundwall insulation of inverter fed drive (IFD) motors.
The Study and Application of Power Plant Planning based on Evolutionary Programming

An improved multi-group evolutionary programming is proposed and applied to power plant planning. The minimum total cost capacity expansion scheme is established to meet the nonlinear constraints of planning and operating. In this paper the planning objective costs take into account unnerved energy costs besides investment, operation and environment pollution costs. A novel bi-group evolutionary programming based on communication (BCEP) algorithm is proposed. In this algorithm, evolution of Cauchy operator and Gauss operator are parallel performed with different mutation strategies, and then the group can explore the solution space separately and search the local part in detail synchronously. Information is exchanged when sub-groups are reorganized. The result of experiment shows that the algorithm is effective. Then it is applied to program 10-year power plant planning in a certain province.
Experimental immunization of rats with a Streptococcus mutans 59-kilodalton glucan-binding protein protects against dental caries

Glucan-binding proteins (GBPs) are theoretically important in the molecular pathogenesis of dental caries caused by Streptococcus mutans. The present study evaluated the ability of antibody induced by the S. mutans 59-kDa GBP (GBP59) to affect dental caries caused by experimental infection with S. mutans in a rodent model. Groups of 20-day-old rats were injected twice at 9-day intervals subcutaneously in the salivary gland vicinity with GBP59, glucosyltransferase (GTF), or phosphate-buffered saline (sham injection), each incorporated in an adjuvant. Two weeks after the second injection, GBP59- and GTF-injected rats contained significant levels of salivary immunoglobulin A and serum immunoglobulin G antibody to the respective injected antigens. However, cross-reacting antibody to S. mutans GTF or GBP59 was not induced by the respective antigen. Rats were then orally infected with S. mutans. After 71 days of infection, GBP59- and GTF-injected groups had smaller numbers of S. mutans on their molar surfaces, compared with the sham-injected infected group. Total, sulcal, and smooth-surface molar caries in the GBP59- and GTF-immunized S. mutans-infected groups were each significantly lower (P < or = 0.003) than the respective measures of caries in the sham injected infected group. The results of this investigation demonstrate that immunization with S. mutans GBP59 induces an immune response in rats that can interfere with the accumulation of S. mutans and can reduce the level of dental caries caused by this cariogenic streptococcus. Furthermore, the protective immunity induced by either GBP59 or GTF appears to result from antibodies to independent epitopes since these two S. mutans components do not have a close antigenic relationship.