Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A SAR Image Classification Method Based on Dempster-Shafer Theory and Markov Context with Parametric and Kernel Method Estimation

With the raise of resolution of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image, it is an urgent need to give a precise classification or interpretation of every scene in the high-resolution SAR images. Aiming at solving this problem, our work concentrates on two aspects: finding a more precise statistic model for SAR images, and proposing a novel classification method to provide a more precise classification or interpretation for high-resolution SAR images. Our approach is divided into three main steps, which build the whole image classification gradually: (1) Model finding and pre-classification step. First in this step, we introduce a non-parametric probability density estimate based on kernel method to describe the SAR image. Then two classification methods based on Markov Random Filed (MRF) model with determinate parametric probability distribution and non-parametric density estimate are respectively adopted to form a pre-classification of the high-resolution SAR images. (2) Fusion Step. We fuse the two pre-classification results by the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory in an unsupervised way, in order to eliminate the ambiguity between the pre-classification results. In our case, a decision rule, which maximizes the brief function over all hypotheses, is adopted. (3) Verification and regularization step. In this step, the classification results are verified and a novel iterated maximum selecting approach is proposed to control the fragments and modify the errors of the classification. Experimental results on real SAR images show that, the novel proposed method can provide a more precise classification to every scene of the high-resolution SAR image and illustrate rather an impressive performance.
Both P-glycoprotein Nucleotide-binding Sites Are Catalytically Active (*)

The technique of vanadate trapping of nucleotide was used to study catalytic sites of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) in plasma membranes from multidrug-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cells. Vanadate trapping of Mg- or Co-8-azido-nucleotide (1 mol/mol of Pgp) caused complete inhibition of Pgp ATPase activity, with reactivation rates at 37°C of 1.4 × 10-3 s−1 (t1/2 = 8 min) or 3.3 × 10−4 s−1 (t1/2 = 35 min), respectively. UV irradiation of the inhibited Pgp yielded permanent inactivation of ATPase activity and specific photolabeling of Pgp. Mild trypsin digestion showed that the two nucleotide sites were labeled in equal proportion. The results show that both nucleotide sites in Pgp are capable of nucleotide hydrolysis, that vanadate trapping of nucleotide at either site completely prevents hydrolysis at both sites, and that vanadate trapping of nucleotide in the N- or C-terminal nucleotide sites occurs non-selectively. A minimal scheme is presented to explain inhibition by vanadate trapping of nucleotide and to describe the normal catalytic pathway. The inhibited Pgp·Mg-nucleotide·vanadate complex is probably an analog of the catalytic transition state, implying that when one nucleotide site assumes the catalytic transition state conformation the other site cannot do so and suggesting that the two sites may alternate in catalysis.
Real-time adaptive clutter rejection filtering in color flow imaging using power method iterations

We propose a new algorithm for real-time, adaptive-clutter-rejection filtering in ultrasound color flow imaging (CFI) and related techniques. The algorithm is based on regression filtering using eigenvectors of the signal correlation matrix as a basis for representing clutter, a method that previously has been considered too computationally demanding for real-time processing in general CFI applications. The data acquisition and processing scheme introduced allows for a more localized sampling of the clutter statistics and, therefore, an improved clutter attenuation for lower filter orders. By using the iterative power method technique, the dominant eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of the correlation matrix can be estimated efficiently, rendering real-time operation feasible on desktop computers. A new adaptive filter order algorithm is proposed that successfully estimates the proper dimension of the clutter basis, previously one of the major drawbacks of this clutter-rejection technique. The filter algorithm performance and computational demands has been compared to that of conventional clutter filters. Examples have been included which confirms that, by adapting the clutter-rejection filter to estimates of the clutter-signal statistics, improved attenuation of the clutter signal can be achieved in normal as well as more excessive cases of tissue movement and acceleration
Fgfr1 regulates development through the combinatorial use of signaling proteins

Brewer et al. engineered an allelic series of knock-in point mutations designed to disrupt Fgfr1 signaling functions individually and in combination. They found that, in addition to Frs2, Crk proteins and Plcγ also contribute to Erk1/2 activation. Disruption of all known signaling functions diminished Erk1/2 and Plcγ activation but did not recapitulate the peri-implantation Fgfr1-null phenotype.
Anxiety and depression after stroke: a 5 year follow-up

Purpose: The aim was to document the prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depression 5 years after stroke, across four European centres. Method: A cohort of 220 stroke patients was assessed at 2, 4 and 6 months and 5 years after stroke. Patients were assessed on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and measures of motor function and independence in activities of daily living. Results: At 5 years, the prevalence of anxiety was 29% and depression 33%, with no significant differences between centres. The severity of anxiety and depression increased significantly between 6 months and 5 years. Higher anxiety at 6 months and centre were significantly associated with anxiety at 5 years, but not measures of functional recovery. Higher depression scores at 6 months, older age and centre, but not measures of functional recovery, were associated with depression at 5 years. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression were more frequent at 5 years after stroke than at 6 months. There were significant differences between four European centres in the severity of anxiety and depression. Although the main determinant of anxiety or depression scores at 5 years was the level of anxiety or depression at 6 months, this accounted for little of the variance. Centre was also a significant predictor of mood at 5 years. There needs to be greater recognition of the development of mood disorders late after stroke and evaluation of variation in management policies across centres. Implications for Rehabilitation Depression and anxiety persisted up to 5 years after stroke in about a third of patients. Variation in the rates of anxiety and depression between different European centres suggest management policies rather than stroke related factors may determine their persistence. The effect of variations in stroke management policies should be investigated. Patients’ mood should be monitored over time in order to detect those with late onset mood disorders after stroke.
Analysis of the complete hepatitis B virus genome in patients with genotype C chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C and the basic core promoter (BCP) mutations were reported to be associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study the full sequences of HBV genomes were analyzed in order to find the other predictors of HCC development. We determined the full sequences of HBV genomes in 24 genotype C carriers who developed HCC (HCC group) at the beginning of follow‐up and at the time of HCC diagnosis, and 20 patients who did not develop HCC (non‐HCC group) served as a control. The number of nucleotide and amino acid substitutions in most regions was higher in the HCC group than in the non‐HCC group, and the following substitutions and deletions were found more frequently in the HCC group than in the non‐HCC group: G1317A and T1341C/A/G in the X promoter region were detected in 13 and six of the HCC cases, four and none of the non‐HCC cases, respectively; and pre‐S2 deletion was detected in eight HCC and none of the non‐HCC cases. Compared with the wild type X promoter, the mutant type X promoters, M1 (G1317A), M2 (T1341C), and M4 (T1341G) showed increases in activity of 2.3, 3.8, and 1.4 times, respectively, in HepG2 cells. Substitutions and deletion of nucleotides of the HBV genome, especially the pre‐S2 deletion and G1317A and T1341C/A/G mutations may be useful markers for predicting the development of HCC. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 1921–1929)
Beyond the Echo-Chamber: State Investments and Student Outcomes in U.S. Elementary and Secondary Education

abstract:The goal of this article is to explore the heterogeneity of state investments in elementary and secondary education over the period from 1993 to 2013, evaluating both the level of funding over time and the extent to which funding is targeted to districts serving high-poverty populations. This paper then explores a) whether those levels and distributions of funding lead to changes in the levels and distributions of staffing across school districts by student needs, and b) whether the cross-state heterogeneity of funding and staffing resources is associated with heterogeneity of student outcomes. We find a) that states with greater overall investment in education and with more intensive staffing per pupil tend across the board to have higher outcomes for low-income students, and b) progressiveness of spending and staffing are consistently, positively associated with outcomes for low-income students. Additionally, states with more progressively distributed staffing have smaller achievement gaps across the board, and states with higher overall levels of staffing have smaller achievement gaps in 4th grade. Finally, increases in staffing levels are associated with higher achievement levels for low-income students’ in 4th grade reading and 4th and 8th grade math. Higher levels of staffing are also associated with reductions in achievement gaps and improvements to disparities in achievement across schools. Increased spending levels are associated with higher levels of low-income student achievement in 4th grade reading and 4th and 8th grade math and increased spending progressiveness associated with reductions in 4th grade achievement gaps. In other words, even short-run, minimally lagged changes in resource levels and distributions appear to influence student achievement, as measured by NAEP.
Identification of Genetic Determinants for the Hemolytic Activity of Streptococcus agalactiae by ISS1Transposition

ABSTRACT Streptococcus agalactiae is a poorly transformable bacterium and studies of molecular mechanisms are difficult due to the limitations of genetic tools. Employing the novel pGh9:ISS1transposition vector we generated plasmid-based mutant libraries ofS. agalactiae strains O90R and AC475 by random chromosomal integration. A screen for mutants with a nonhemolytic phenotype on sheep blood agar led to the identification of a genetic locus harboring several genes that are essential for the hemolytic function and pigment production of S. agalactiae. Nucleotide sequence analysis of nonhemolytic mutants revealed that four mutants had distinct insertion sites in a single genetic locus of 7 kb that was subsequently designated cyl. Eight different open reading frames were identified: cylX, cylD, cylG,acpC, cylZ, cylA, cylB, and cylE, coding for predicted proteins with molecular masses of 11, 33, 26, 11, 15, 35, 32, and 78 kDa, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by cylAharbors a conserved ATP-binding cassette (ABC) motif, and the predicted proteins encoded by cylA and cylB have significant similarities to the nucleotide binding and transmembrane proteins of typical ABC transporter systems. Transcription analysis by reverse transcription-PCR suggests that cylX tocylE are part of an operon. The requirement ofacpC and cylZABE for hemolysin production ofS. agalactiae was confirmed either by targeted mutagenesis with the vector pGh5, complementation studies with pAT28, or analysis of insertion elements in naturally occurring nonhemolytic mutants.
Impacts of Religious Beliefs on Environmental Indicators: Is Christianity More Aggressive Than Other Religions?

In this paper, the authors examine whether the more environmental-aggressive attitude of Christianity suggested by Lynn White (1967) could be sustained based on environmental indicators. The religious beliefs were obtained from a World database on religious practices, and the environmental variables from the Environmental Performance Index. Several controlling factors were generated to decouple the influence of religious traditions from other external variables, such as economic wealth or governance. The analysis was done worldwide at country level and for the African continent at provincial level. The results of our analysis demonstrate opposite trends to White’s conclusions, since Christian territories, both at country and provincial level, had better environmental indicators than territories dominated by other religious traditions, particularly compared to Muslim-dominant areas. Religious practice showed little explanatory power regarding environmental performance for all religions, although Christianity showed a higher positive correlation. Environmental performance of countries in all religious traditions showed a strong dependence from other controlling factors, particularly the human development index and the per capita income.
The Nuclease Activity of the Yeast Dna2 Protein, Which Is Related to the RecB-like Nucleases, Is Essential in Vivo *

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dna2 protein is required for DNA replication and repair and is associated with multiple biochemical activities: DNA-dependent ATPase, DNA helicase, and DNA nuclease. To investigate which of these activities is important for the cellular functions of Dna2, we have identified separation of function mutations that selectively inactivate the helicase or nuclease. We describe the effect of six such mutations on ATPase, helicase, and nuclease after purification of the mutant proteins from yeast or baculovirus-infected insect cells. A mutation in the Walker A box in the C-terminal third of the protein affects helicase and ATPase but not nuclease; a mutation in the N-terminal domain (amino acid 504) affects ATPase, helicase, and nuclease. Two mutations in the N-terminal domain abolish nuclease but do not reduce helicase activity (amino acids 657 and 675) and identify the putative nuclease active site. Two mutations immediately adjacent to the proposed nuclease active site (amino acids 640 and 693) impair nuclease activity in the absence of ATP but completely abolish nuclease activity in the presence of ATP. These results suggest that, although the Dna2 helicase and nuclease activities can be independently affected by some mutations, the two activities appear to interact, and the nuclease activity is regulated in a complex manner by ATP. Physiological analysis shows that both ATPase and nuclease are important for the essential function of DNA2 in DNA replication and for its role in double-strand break repair. Four of the nuclease mutants are not only loss of function mutations but also exhibit a dominant negative phenotype.
Making Their Stories Matter: A Community-Engaged Research Evaluation of Service User and Service Provider Experiences of a Coordinated Response to Violence against Women and Children

Making Their Stories Matter: A Community-Engaged Research Evaluation of Service User and Service Provider Experiences of a Coordinated Response to Violence against Women and Children Carolynn Mazzei Advisor: Dr. Mavis Morton December 2016 Committee Member: Dr. Jeji Varghese Coordinated community responses (CCR) to violence against women have experienced many successes in bringing together service providers from different sectors under the shared goal of providing collaborative services to abused women and their children. This research contributes to CCR literature by assessing what service providers and service users in a small Ontario community identify as the functions of effective responses to abused women and children. Guided by feminist theory, this study prioritizes the importance of women’s voices in the research and the results are grounded in an appreciation for their lived experiences. The use of social psychological and educational leadership theories, including Relational Coordination Theory and the Social Change Model also explore the importance of relationships among service providers and service users under a CCR model. This study features face-to-face qualitative interviews with forty-one participants, including seven violence-specific/direct service providers, ten broader service providers and twenty-four women who have experienced abuse and accessed services within the last three years. This research adds to a gap in the literature that suggests while members of DVCCs are conscious of their conduct with abused women, this does not always transfer to other service providers within their sectors, and therefore ongoing knowledge transfers can widen the net of service providers that learn about CCR values and protocols. The overall findings reinforce previous findings that commitments to CCR models are not static, and service providers should make a conscious effort to revisit the goals of their protocols; manage differences of opinion/conflicts; recognize and address one’s inherent biases; and understand the complexities of violence against women including system and structural barriers.
Spurious tone free digital delta-sigma modulator design for DC inputs

A method for spurious tone free delta sigma modulator design is presented. The method is based on an analysis of modulator state space orbits and it is applicable to digital modulators working with DC inputs. The modulator is designed to maintain very long controllable sequence lengths. This results in a smooth distribution of the quantization noise power and prevents it from concentrating into spurious tones. The sequence length is controlled by modulator scaling and applying initial conditions each time the DC input changes. A list of suitable initial conditions and corresponding sequence lengths is given for MASH and error feedback modulators. This method is extended further to a more flexible case in which reloading initial conditions is no longer necessary. It is shown that when modulator resolution is increased by one bit and initial conditions applied at startup, the modulator spontaneously enters very long orbits each time the DC input changes. In return for the small hardware increment, the spectrum remains smooth and is further decreased by 8 dB.
A longitudinal study of callosal atrophy and interhemispheric dysfunction in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES To determine if callosal atrophy and interhemispheric dysfunction can be detected in the early stages of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and to evaluate their progression in relation to the disability and evolution of lesions seen on magnetic resonance imaging during a 5-year period. METHODS We compared 30 patients who had clinically definite early-onset replasing-remitting MS and mild disability with control subjects. Regional and segmental callosal size and extent of white matter abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging, as well as performance on tasks exploring interhemispheric transfer of motor, auditory, and sensory information were assessed. Patients with MS were evaluated at baseline and after 5 years. Physical disability was determined at both times using the Expanded Disability Status Scale score. RESULTS Patients with MS were seen with significant callosal atrophy and functional impairment of interhemispheric transfer at baseline that worsened during the 5-year study. A significant correlation was found between the magnitude of disability and the severity of morphological and functional callosal involvement at baseline. This association persisted at year 5. Baseline clinical characteristics such as age and prestudy relapse rate were unrelated to callosal size or interhemispheric performance. However, the number of baseline T2-weighted lesions was correlated with callosal involvement and this relation persisted at year 5. CONCLUSION Patients who had relapsing-remitting MS in the early stages of the disease and mild disability had significant callosal involvement that progressed over time. The relationship between disability, T2-weighted lesions load, and degree of morphological and functional callosal impairment confirm the potential value of using callosal dysfunction as a surrogate marker of disease progression in MS.
A Novel Ex vivo Culture Model for Inflammatory Bone Destruction

Pathological alterations in the balance of bone metabolism are central to the progression of inflammatory bone diseases such as periodontal disease. We have developed and characterized a novel ex vivo murine mandible model of inflammatory bone destruction. Slices of mandible were cultured for 14 days in the presence or absence of P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pro-inflammatory cytokines. Following culture, cell viability and tissue histomorphometry were assessed with quantification of matrix proteins, resident osteoclasts, ligament cells, monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils. In the absence of inflammatory factors, culture viability, osteoclasts, and matrix components were maintained. LPS or TNFα stimulation demonstrated an increase in cellular proliferation, monocyte cells, osteoclast differentiation, and matrix degradation. Pathophysiological bone metabolism can be induced via exposure to LPS and direct influence of TNFα within the model despite the absence of systemic circulation, providing a model for inflammatory bone destruction and investigation of the effects of novel therapeutics.
Substance Use Disorder Comorbidity Among Inpatient Youths With Psychiatric Disorder

Objective: Substance abuse/dependence has been reported to show significant association with psychopathology, and is likely to influence the course and outcome of psychiatric illness. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of substance use disorders (other than alcohol) comorbidity among inpatient adolescents with severe Axis 1 psychiatric disorder. Method: A retrospective analysis of systematically collected data was carried out. The subjects were 16–18-year-old youths, admitted to an inpatient unit for severe psychiatric disorder. The data collection process utilized the DSM-IV criteria for diagnostic categorization of psychiatric disorder and substance use disorder. Demographic data, and data on suicide attempts were also collected. Results: Over a period of one year (March 2001–March 2002), 62 patients were admitted to the Christchurch Youth Inpatient Unit; 40 (64.5%) had a comorbid Substance Abuse Disorder (SAD) according to DSM-IV criteria and none had a Substance Dependence Disorder. The vast majority involved cannabis and stimulants. Sixty per cent of those with mood disorder, 63% of those with anxiety disorder and 80% of those with schizophrenia spectrum disorder had a comorbid SAD. Internalizing problems, especially mood disorders, predominated among those with SAD reflecting the Unit's admission criteria. There were no differences in attempted suicide rates between those with SAD and those without SAD, but those with SAD were more likely to have unstable accommodation/living arrangements than those without SAD. Conclusions: Our findings confirm previous reports suggestive of high rates of SAD comorbidity among youth with severe psychiatric illness. There are clinical and process implications for these findings particularly identification of substance use disorders and their treatment as well as resource availability and staff training.