Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic clustering for skin detection in YCbCr colour space

This paper presents a new approach for skin detection in colour images. The method is based on the building of a dynamic clustering in the YCbCr colour space, taking into account the illumination conditions of the examined image. The results of a comparative evaluation on a publicly available database, show that the proposed method outperforms well known rule based static methods, both in qualitative and quantitative terms.
METABOLISM OF STYRENE OXIDE TO STYRENE GLYCOL IN ENRICHED MOUSE CLARA-CELL PREPARATIONS

Styrene is a widely used chemical that has been shown to cause lung tumors in mice but not in rats. Styrene toxicity appears to be related to its bioactivation to styrene oxide, and this occurs almost exclusively in Clara cells. An important pathway in the detoxification of styrene oxide is via epoxide hydrolase to yield styrene glycol. When mouse Clara cells were incubated with racemic styrene oxide, R-styrene glycol was the predominant metabolite, giving an R/S ratio of 3.6. When the pure styrene oxide enantiomers were used as substrates, the corresponding styrene glycols were the predominant but not exclusive metabolites. Activity was slightly higher with the S-styrene oxide than with the R-styrene oxide. Addition of reduced glutathione to the incubation medium resulted in an increase in epoxide hydrolase activity, perhaps by decreasing oxidative stress. Mouse Clara cells thus show the capacity for detoxifying styrene oxide.
The effect of cortisone in experimental mouse typhoid.

THE administration of cortisone enhances infections caused by a wide variety of microbial pathogens in several species of experimental animals. This effect is readily demonstrated in acute infection with staphylococci (Thomas, 1952), or pneumococci (White and Marshall, 1951), but also occurs in chronic diseases such as brucellosis (Abernathy, 1951) and tuberculosis (Hart and Rees, 1950; Lurie, Zappasodi, Danneberg and Swartz, 1951). Relatively indolent infections caused by organisms which are either not natural pathogens for the animal employed or which are introduced by unnatural routes may also be enhanced by cortisone, e.g. rabbit infections caused by Salmonella typhi, (Lurie, Zappasodi, Danneberg and Swartz, 1951), streptococci (Mogabgab and Thomas, 1950, 1952), and Treponema pallidum, (Tumer and Hollander, 1950). Experimental infections with polioviruses (Schwartzman, 1950) or influenza viruses (Kalter, Stuart and Tepperman, 1950) are similarly enhanced, and the outcome of experimental malaria may also be influenced by cortisone (Kass, Geiman, Ingbor, Ley, Harris and Finland, 1951). There is no evidence of any direct effect of cortisone on the properties of infective agents (Kass and Finland, 1953) and the wide range of host-parasite relationships affected by the hormone suggests an activity against some fundamental aspect of host defence mechanisms. Many of the different biological and pharmacological effects of cortisone have been investigated from this point of view and the extensive literature has been fully reviewed by Thomas (1953, 1954, 1955). Most of the evidence is in favour of the view of Halpem and his colleagues (Halpern, Benacerraf and Biozzi, 1953; Biozzi, Benacerraf and Halpern, 1953; Benacerraf, Halpem, Biozzi and Benos, 1954) that enhancement of infection by cortisone is largely attributable to reticulo-endothelial dysfunction. Although the introduction of cortisone into an experimental model infection may not help in defining what factors host-resistance depend upon, it can be justified as a means of determining the ability of different strains of a bacterial species to multiply in vivo when host reactions are suppressed, and as a method of comparing the degree or stability of host-resistance at different stages in the disease. Previous investigations in experimental mouse typhoid (Hobson, 1956, 1957a) have shown that survivors of infection with virulent strains of Salmonella typhimurium commonly achieve an equilibrium in which moderate numbers of the infecting bacteria persist in the tissues but fail to cause late relapse of overt disease. This stable carrier state has been attributed to host defence factors
Performance Of The Viterbi Decoder For Dvb-t In Rayleigh Fading Channels

We present the performance of the Viterbi decoder using the soft decision method for the European digital video broadcasting for terrestrial (DVB-T) specification in Rayleigh fading channels. We investigate the bit error rate (BER) performance of the Viterbi decoder for hard and soft decisions in terms of the decoding depth and the number of allocated bits for the soft decision. We also consider the decoder performance in the Doppler shift. The simulation results show that the Viterbi decoder with 5-bit decision and the decoding depth of 55 is a sub-optimum decoder.
Work and marital status in relation to depressive symptoms and social support among women with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND Work and marital status have been shown to be associated with health outcome in women. However, the effect of employment and marriage on psychosocial functioning has been studied predominantly in healthy subjects. We investigated whether work and marital status are associated with depressive symptoms, social support, and daily stress behavior in women with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS Data of 105 women with CAD and of working age were analyzed. General linear models were used to determine the association between work and marital status and depressive symptoms, social support, and daily stress behavior. RESULTS Women who were working at the time of measurement had lower levels of depressive symptoms (7.0 +/- 1.2 vs. 12.1 +/- 0.9, p < 0.01) and higher levels of social support (21.6 +/- 1.0 vs. 18.9 +/- 0.7, p = 0.03) than the nonworking women, whereas marital status was not related to any of the outcome variables. Results were similar after adjusting for potential confounders, that is, age, education, self-reported health, and risk factors for CAD. There was no significant interaction between marital status and working status on depressive symptoms, social support, or daily stress behavior. CONCLUSIONS In women with CAD, all <65 years of age, after a cardiac event, patients working had lower levels of depressive symptoms and a better social integration than those not working, regardless of reason for being nonemployed. Daily stress behavior, depression, and social support did not differ between cohabiting and not cohabiting women. Future interventions should take into consideration that women with CAD who are unemployed may have a higher risk for depression and social isolation and, therefore, poor clinical outcomes.
Tunable Emission in THz Quantum Cascade Lasers

The technological solutions and optical configurations employed to tune the emission frequency of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) operating in the Terahertz range are reviewed. The gain spectrum of THz QCLs can be engineered by quantum design to be broadband over a range even larger than 1 THz, or, alternatively, to be electrically tunable, for instance exploiting the Stark shift of the lasing transition. Fabry-Perot lasers can then display very ample multimode spectra, but wide, though discontinuous and unpredictable, tunability through mode hopping can also be achieved. For reliable and repeatable single-mode tuning, QCL emitters based on external cavities can be realized using either a movable mirror to control the cavity length or a rotating grating for wavelength dependent feedback. First-order and second-order distributed feedback (DFB) THz QCLs also provide stable single-mode emission, whose frequency can be tuned by temperature and current, though usually on a more limited range of only a few GHz. It has been recently shown, however, that second-order THz DFB lasers can be coupled to an external microcavity, exploiting the anti-crossing of the respective eigenfrequencies to achieve wider tuning ranges by mechanically changing the size of the external microcavity. As an alternative, if fabricated in a narrow (~λ/3) ridge configuration, double-metal THz DFB lasers represent an ideal device where to manipulate the lateral size of the lasing mode via electro-mechanical components. In this way, a new and robust method for wide and continuous tuning of the laser emission has been recently demonstrated, displaying a record large bandwidth of over 330 GHz.
Toward Domotic Appliances Control through a Self-paced P300-based BCI

During recent years there has been a growing interest in Brain Computer Interface (BCI) systems as an alternative means of interaction with the external world for people with severe motor disabilities. The use of the P300 event-related potentials as control feature allows users to choose between various options (letters or icons) requiring a very short calibration phase. The aim of this work is to improve performances and flexibility of P300 based BCIs. An efficient BCI system should be able to understand user's intentions from the ongoing EEG, abstaining from doing a selection when the user is engaged in a different activity, and changing its speed of selection depending on current user's attention level. Our self-paced system addresses all these issues representing an important step beyond the classical synchronous P300 BCI that forces the user in a continuous control task. Experimentation has been performed on 10 healthy volunteers acting on a BCI-controlled domestic environment in order to demonstrate the potential usability of BCI systems in everyday life. Results show that the self-paced BCI increases information transfer rate with respect to the synchronous one, being very robust, at the same time, in avoiding false negatives when the user is not engaged in a control task.
An Assessment of the Size of Sella Turcica Among Adult Nigerians Resident in Lagos

One of the clinical significance of the sella turcica is the empty sella syndrome which is the condition of a shrunken or flattened pituitary gland; hence a familiarity with the sella turcica anatomy and radiological appearance is of great importance. The present study investigated the normal dimensions of the sella turcica and the relationship with gender and age in adult Nigerians resident in Lagos, using computed tomographs of patients who underwent CT head examination. This was carried out to determine if the dimensions of sella turcica vary with age, gender and race; this is with a view to providing normal, standard reference for the indigenous population in Nigeria. This study assessed: the length, the depth and the antero-posterior diameter of the sella turcica; 297 samples were obtained and analyzed using SPSS Windows Version 14.0. T- test was used for the statistical analysis and values obtained were expressed as mean±S.E. M. and P value ˂ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed the mean length of 9.81±0.094mm; the mean antero-posterior diameter of 11.37±0.090mm and the mean depth of 8.49±0.08mm. It was also observed that neither the age group nor the gender of the patients is a determinant of the sella turcica dimensions. Furthermore, the males tend to have slightly larger sella turcica dimensions than the females and the values from the present study are lower than those reported in Caucasian studies. The size of pituitary gland can be roughly estimated from the dimensions of sella turcica obtained from radiological methods in pathological conditions since disease conditions of the “master gland” ultimately affect the size of the sella turcica.
Exercise‐induced brachial artery vasodilation: The role of free radicals

Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, we sought to document the ability of an oral antioxidant cocktail (Vitamins C, E and α‐lipoic acid) to reduce circulating free radicals and employed Doppler ultrasound to examine the consequence of an anti‐oxidant mediated reduction in oxidative stress on exercise‐induced vasodilation. A total of 25 young (18–31 yrs) healthy male subjects partook in these studies. EPR spectroscopy revealed a reduction in circulating free radicals following antioxidant administration at rest (.≈98%) and as a consequence of exercise (.≈85%). Plasma total antioxidant capacity and Vitamin C both increased following the ingestion of the antioxidant cocktail, while Vitamin E levels were not influenced by the ingestion of the antioxidants. Brachial artery vasodilation during sub‐maximal forearm handgrip exercise was greater with the placebo (7.4 ± 1.8 %) than with the antioxidant cocktail (2.3 ± 0.7 %). These data document the efficacy of an oral antioxidant cocktail in reducing free radicals and suggest that in a healthy state the aggressive disruption of the delicate balance between pro and antioxidant forces, can negatively impact vascular function. These findings implicate an exercise‐induced reliance upon pro‐oxidant stimulated vasodilation, thereby revealing an important and positive vascular role for free radicals.
Three photon excited band edge and trap emission of CdS semiconductor nanocrystals

We report on three-photon excited band edge and trap emission of CdS semiconductor nanocrystals. While the band edge emission intensity clearly shows a cubic dependence on excitation intensity, demonstrating three-photon absorption process, the trap emission does not exhibit such a cubic dependence. A simple theoretical model based on the assumption that there exist a limited number of trap states in nanocrystals shows good agreement with the experiment, suggesting that the number of trap states play an important role in their emission intensity dependence of multiphoton excitation. The three-photon absorption cross section of CdS nanocrystals is measured to be ∼10−79 cm6 s2 photon−2, which is three to four orders of magnitude higher than those of the previously reported common UV fluorescent dyes.
Reducing self-stigma in substance abuse through acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, manual development, and pilot outcomes

Little is known about the assessment and treatment of self-stigma in substance abusing populations. This article describes the development of an acceptance based treatment (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy–ACT) for self-stigma in individuals in treatment for substance use disorder. We report initial outcomes from a study with 88 participants in a residential treatment program. The treatment involves 6 h of a group workshop focused on mindfulness, acceptance, and values work in relation to self-stigma. Preliminary outcomes showed medium to large effects across a number of variables at post-treatment. Results were as expected with one potential process of change, experiential avoidance, but results with other potential mediators were mixed.
Assessing Voice User Interfaces: The vassist system prototype

This paper reports on the results of the first lab trials evaluating the vAssist (Voice Controlled Assistive Care and Communication Services for the Home) system prototype with Italian users. vAssist is an European Project aiming to provide specific voice controlled home care and communication services for elderly. An important vAssist objective is a multilingual Voice User Interface (VUI) in three different languages: Italian, French and German. Lab trials were foreseen in these three different countries to assess the vAssist VUI prototype on realistic user expectations and requirements. The assessment was made letting 43 Italian elderly interact with the VUI prototype in 4-5 defined scenarios, exploiting a Wizard-of-Oz (WoZ) paradigm and administering to them three questionnaires aimed to measure their perception of the system's usability, learnability and intuitivity. Qualitative and quantitative scores suggested that VUIs are very powerful communication interfaces and were greatly appreciated because of the simplification they provide in the elder everyday use of technological products, such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers.
Current strategies for the prevention of angina in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Purpose of review Angina pectoris affects at least 6.6 million people in the US and approximately 400 000 new cases of stable angina occur each year. Angina may be one of the first signs of ischemic heart disease, although it is likely not causally related to the likelihood of plaque rupture leading to an acute coronary syndrome. Modalities for treatment of angina should be used maximally to improve quality of life and decrease cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The current recommended pharmacologic and invasive approaches, as well as novel therapies, are reviewed. Recent findings Antiischemic agents, including beta-blockers, nitrates and calcium channel blockers, remain the mainstay in the prevention of angina. Revascularization via percutaneous interventions or coronary bypass surgery are appropriate in specific cases or when medical treatment fails. Noninvasive treatment options for refractory angina, metabolic agents, and vasodilator therapies are adding to the armamentarium to prevent and treat angina. Summary A multifaceted approach is optimal to address the prevention of angina. Once angina is recognized, there are many modalities that lessen the incidence of daily life-induced and exercise-induced angina and ischemia. Angina management is best addressed by pharmacologic and lifestyle interventions.
Treatment of lupus nephritis and primary glomerulonephritis with enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium.

AIMS Mycophenolate mofetil is an effective therapy for lupus nephritis (LN) and other glomerulonephritis (GN). However, gastrointestinal (GI) complications can limit its use. Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) has been designed to reduce GI adverse events, but it has not been fully investigated in the treatment of GN. METHODS Patients with LN and primary GN who had received EC-MPS were studied for effects on renal function. RESULTS 30 subjects (17 LN, 13 primary GN) were studied. EC-MPS decreased proteinuria in both LN and GN. In LN, 16 patients had EC-MPS as induction therapy. Of these, 8 patients achieved complete remission (CR), 4 had partial remission (PR) and 1 improved renal function. In primary GN, CR was achieved in 4 out of 5 with minimal change disease, but only 1 did not relapse. PR was achieved in 1 of 4 patients with membranous glomerulopathy, 2 out of 2 patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and 1 out of 2 patients with IgA nephropathy. Infections, anemia and alopecia were observed, but no patient had GI side effects. CONCLUSIONS EC-MPS is effective in LN, but not as effective in primary GN. The risk of GI side effects appears to be low, but other side effects can still occur.
Patterns of expression of calcium binding proteins and neuronal nitric oxide synthase in different populations of hippocampal GABAergic neurons in mice

We examined the expression of calcium binding proteins parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR), and calbindin D28K (CB), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons of the mouse hippocampus, with particular reference to areal and dorsoventral differences. First, we estimated the colocalization of the calcium binding proteins and nNOS. GABAergic neurons containing both PV and nNOS, i.e., PV‐immunoreactive (‐IR)/nNOS‐IR neurons, were rare in Ammon's horn but frequent in the dentate gyrus (DG). CR‐IR/nNOS‐IR neurons and CB‐IR/nNOS‐IR neurons were frequent in Ammon's horn but rare in the DG. In the entire hippocampus, the percentage of CR‐IR neurons containing nNOS was significantly higher at the ventral level (44.3%) than at the dorsal level (17.0%). The percentage of CB‐IR neurons containing nNOS was also significantly higher at the ventral level (42.3%) than at the dorsal level (29.3%). Next, we estimated the numerical densities (NDs) of calcium binding protein‐containing GABAergic neurons. The ND of PV‐IR neurons was comparable at the dorsal (1.16 × 103/mm3) and ventral levels (1.23 × 103/mm3), respectively. The ND of CR‐IR neurons was less at the dorsal level (0.52 × 103/mm3) than at the ventral level (0.64 × 103/mm3). The ND of CB‐IR neurons was also less at the dorsal level (0.91 × 103/mm3) than at the ventral level (1.57 × 103/mm3). Overall, approximately half of the GABAergic neurons contained one of the three calcium binding proteins (45% at the dorsal level and 47% at the ventral level). These data establish a baseline for examining potential roles of GABAergic neurons in hippocampal network activity in mice. J. Comp. Neurol. 449:1–25, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Zoho cloud computing technology-based educational technology training, examination and certification of study on the design of the integration platform

With the update and development of internet technology combined with cloud computing technology, cloud computing assisted instructions form in education field. According to the teaching application requirements, this paper selected cloud computing aided teaching platform that support for collaborative learning, and established collaborative learning environment of cloud computing assisted instructions based on Zoho platform for application. Then it analyzed many relevant factors of collaborative learning taking Electronic Technology Course Design as example and discussed the application and limitation of cloud computing assisted instructions based on Zoho Wiki.
Dealing with performance requirements during the development of information systems

Performance goals for information systems are treated as a class of nonfunctional requirements (NFRs). A given model for representing NFRs is given to make provisions for: representing a variety of implementation alternatives; expressing performance goals (including responsiveness) in terms of performance and information system concepts; and organizing the process into layers corresponding to subsets of the language to be implemented. The application of the framework is illustrated by mapping the conceptual design of an information system to its implementation, while attempting to meet a set of goals such as 'achieve good time performance for authorizing credit card sales'. A tool is being developed to aid this process. <<ETX>>
Evaluation of usability and user experience regarding the gamification of educational systems

Gamification, which is the use of game techniques in contexts not related to games, has been increasingly used in the educational area to motivate and engage students. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the usability and the user experience of gamified educational systems. For this, a heuristic evaluation using the ergonomic criteria as guideline was conducted in 10 different gamified educational systems. From them, 4 systems with more problems were selected to perform usability testing in the laboratory and to fill out a questionnaire by participants. In the end, the usability and user experience problems found are discussed and a comparison between the evaluations of experts and users is performed.