Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic matching of optical and SAR imagery through shape property

Automatic matching of optical and SAR images could be challenging due to the significant non-linear intensity differences caused by radiometric variations among such images. To address this problem, this paper utilize the Shape Property to detect the correspondences between images. A new shape descriptor is first built on the basis of the local self-similarity descriptor. Then, the normalized correlation coefficient of the descriptor is used as the similarity metric (named DLSS), which represents the shape similarity among images. Finally, a template-matching strategy is applied to achieve the correspondences between images. The proposed method has been evaluated with four pairs of optical and SAR images. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust to non-linear intensity differences, and improves the matching performance compared with the state-of-the-art methods.
SCOUT : A Fast Monte-Carlo Modeling Tool of Scintillation Camera Output

We have developed a Monte-Carlo photon-tracking and readout simulator called SCOUT to study the stochastic behavior of signals output from a simplified rectangular scintillation-camera design. SCOUT models the salient processes affecting signal generation, transport, and readout. Presently, we compare output signal statistics from SCOUT to experimental results for both a discrete and a monolithic camera. We also benchmark the speed of this simulation tool and compare it to existing simulation tools. We find this modeling tool to be relatively fast and predictive of experimental results. Depending on the modeled camera geometry, we found SCOUT to be 4 to 140 times faster than other modeling tools.
Comparison of T-cell responses in self-limiting versus progressive visceral Leishmania donovani infections in golden hamsters

Leishmania donovani infection in golden hamsters was studied as a model for human kala-azar. After intradermal inoculation of L. donovani amastigotes, hamsters developed positive skin reactions (delayed-type hypersensitivity [DTH]) to parasite antigens and lymphoid cells from these hamsters proliferated to parasite antigens in vitro and transferred DTH reactivity to normal recipients. In contrast, hamsters infected by the intracardial route developed progressive visceral infections and failed to respond to skin test antigens. Spleen cells, lymph node cells, and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from these hamsters were unresponsive to parasite antigens in vitro, and spleen cells failed to transfer DTH to normal recipients. Spleen cells, but not PBLs, displayed depressed responses to T-cell mitogens and also suppressed the proliferative response of cells from hamsters inoculated intradermally. Removal of adherent cells restored the capacity of spleen cells, but not PBLs, to respond to parasite antigens. The nonadherent population of these spleen cells also transferred DTH to normal recipients. The adherent suppressor cells, which have the characteristics of macrophages, appear to be localized to the spleen and are apparently not responsible for the failure of peripheral lymphoid cells to respond to antigen. These studies suggest that hamsters with visceral infections develop a population of antigen-reactive cells and that in the absence of suppression these cells may express functional activities, including the capacity to elicit DTH responses.
Effect of Interferon and Interferon Inducers on Infections with a Nonviral Intracellular Microorganism, Rickettsia akari

The effect of mouse interferon (IF) on the multiplication of Rickettsia akari in homologous (L-929) cell cultures and the effect of IF inducers on R. akari infection in mice were investigated. There was a reduction in the proportion of cells containing rickettsiae in IF-treated cultures and in the yield of rickettsiae from these cultures, as compared with those from infected cultures without IF. Trypsin treatment and heating for 1 hr at 65 C destroyed this antirickettsial activity of the IF preparation, whereas ultracentrifugation (105,000 × g for 90 min) and acidification at pH 2.0 did not affect it. There was no evidence that mouse IF inactivated R. akari directly, nor did it have an inhibitory effect on multiplication of R. akari in heterologous chick embryo cell or monkey kidney cell cultures. Susceptibility of R. akari to the action of IF was about 16 times less than that of Chlamydia trachomatis and 256 times less than the susceptibility of vesicular stomatitis virus. Mice were not protected from infection with R. akari by intraperitoneal injection with IF inducers, Newcastle disease virus (108.3 plaque-forming units/0.2 ml) or polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidylic acid complex (poly I:C, 200 μg/0.2 ml), within 24 hr before or 24 hr after intraperitoneal challenge. The yields of R. akari harvested from the spleens, livers, and peritoneal washings of infected mice treated with IF inducers were similar to those of infected control mice. Titers of IF in peritoneal washings of treated mice, taken 6 hr after administration of Newcastle disease virus or 9 hr after injection of poly I:C, were 1,024 or 320 units/ml, respectively.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION

In this paper, I propose to deal with two aspects of the question under discussion: first, to analyze in some detail the available statistical evidence regarding the effects of collective bargaining on the functional distribution of income' and, second, to indicate what I consider to be two or three of the major theoretical implications of the empirical evidence. There have been a number of studies made within the past few years analyzing the factors affecting the share of income going to labor.2 Virtually all of these studies have dealt with the problem in the aggregate; that is, in terms of total wages (or wages and salaries) as a proportion of total national income. The use of such aggregate data for the purpose of evaluating the influence of collective bargaining, however, is clearly subject to at least three serious objections. Perhaps the most basic stems from the fact that total labor income includes a very much broader category of income recipients than organized labor. So far as the United States is concerned, probably well above half of "employee compensation" represents income received by nonunion production workers, secretarial and professional groups, and corporate management. A second problem arises from the fact that aggregate figures may be affected, not only by changes in the distribution of income within firms or industries, but also by changes over time in the importance of different industries in the economy. Finally, over-all figures often include important economic units, such as government, whose activities and motivations are not meaningful for the problem at hand. In order to obtain a closer evalution of the influence of collective
Method for three-dimensional measurement of dynamic deformable surfaces

Abstract. This paper presents a method to measure dynamic deformable three-dimensional (3-D) surfaces from a calibrated stereo image sequence. This proposed method adopts a patch-based expansion technique that performs 3-D measuring and tracking by computing the motion and disparity independently. Compared with traditional expansion techniques, the proposed expansion technique always spreads from the most reliable region, which makes the measurement more accurate and dense. The performance is evaluated on simulated experiments, and the effectiveness is demonstrated by different real surfaces.
Antitrypanosomal Tetranotriterpenoids from Toona ciliata roots

Antitrypanosomal Tetranotriterpenoids from Toona ciliata roots *Mercy Githua1, Ahmed Hassanali2, Joseph Keriko1, Patrick Kareru1 Grace Murilla3, Mary Ndungu1 and Gathu Nyagah1 Department of Chemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), P.O Box 62000-00200 Nairobi, Kenya. International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya. Tyrpanosomiasis Research Center (TRC), P.O Box 362, Kikuyu, Kenya *Corresponding author: Telephone: +254 0721 350 685 Fax: +254 67-52164 e-mail: githuamercy@yahoo.co.uk
Sequential investments with stage-specific risks and drifts

We provide a generalized analytical methodology for evaluating a real sequential investment opportunity, which does not rely on a multivariate distribution function, but which allows for stage-specific risks and drifts. This model may be a useful capital budgeting and valuation tool for exploration and development projects, where risks change over the stages. We construct a stage threshold pattern whereby the final stage threshold exceeds the early stage threshold due to drift differentials between the project values at the various stages, value volatility differences, and correlation differentials, implying a rich menu of parameter values that may be suitable for a variety of projects. Governments seeking to motivate early final stage investments might lower final stage project volatility or specify project value decline over time, unless prospective owners are willing to pay the real option value (ROV) for concessions. In contrast, concession owners, more interested in ROV than thresholds that motivate early investments, may welcome final stage value escalation, or guarantees that reduce the correlation between project value and construction cost.
Multivariate analysis of solar city economics: impact of energy prices, policy, finance, and cost on urban photovoltaic power plant implementation

Previous research suggests that the potential for city‐scale photovoltaic (PV) applications is substantial across the globe. Successful implementation of ‘solar city’ options will depend on the strategic application of finance mechanisms, solar energy soft cost policies, and other policy tools, as well as the grid price of electricity. Capital markets recently have embraced the roll‐out of new financial instruments, including ‘green bonds,’ which could be incorporated into solar city project design to attract large investments at a low cost. A multivariate analysis method is employed to consider solar city possibilities for six cities: Amsterdam, London, Munich, New York, Seoul, and Tokyo. A Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to capture the probabilistic nature of uncertainties in the parameters and their relative importance to the financial viability of a solar city project. The analysis finds that solar city implementation strategies can be practical under a broad range of circumstances. WIREs Energy Environ 2017, 6:e241. doi: 10.1002/wene.241
Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and electromagnetic fields in relation to the risk of thyroid cancer in Sweden.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to ascertain the risk of thyroid cancer in relation to occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELFMF) in a cohort representative of Sweden's gainfully employed population. METHODS A historical cohort of 2 992 166 gainfully employed Swedish male and female workers was followed up from 1971 through 1989. Exposure to ELFMF and ionizing radiation was assessed using three job exposure matrices based on industrial branch or occupational codes. Relative risks (RR) for male and female workers, adjusted for age and geographic area, were computed using log-linear Poisson models. RESULTS Occupational ELFMF exposure showed no effect on the risk of thyroid cancer in the study. However, female workers exposed to high intensities of ionizing radiation registered a marked excess risk (RR 1.85, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.02-3.35]. This trend was not in evidence among the men. CONCLUSIONS While the study confirms the etiologic role of ionizing radiation, with a higher incidence of thyroid cancer being recorded for the most-exposed female workers, our results do not support the possibility of occupational exposure to ELFMF being a risk factor for the development of thyroid cancer.
Motion Perception in Patients with Idiopathic Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction

We measured vestibular perceptual thresholds in patients with idiopathic bilateral vestibulopathy to assess the distribution of peripheral vestibular damage in this disorder. Thresholds were measured with standard psychometric techniques in 4 patients and compared with thresholds in normal subjects and patients with completely absent peripheral vestibular function. Motion paradigms included yaw rotation (testing the lateral canals), interaural translation (testing the utricles), superior-inferior translation (testing the saccules), and roll tilt (testing the vertical semicircular canals and the otolith organs). We found that perceptual thresholds were abnormally elevated in the patients with idiopathic bilateral vestibulopathy for yaw rotation at all frequencies and for interaural translation at only the lower frequencies. Thresholds were normal for the other 2 motion paradigms. The results demonstrate that the distribution of vestibular dysfunction in this disorder is not uniform but, rather, can affect lateral canal and utricular thresholds while relatively sparing vertical canal and saccular function.
Analysis of ripple effects on frequency response characteristics of boost converter

In this paper we clarify for the boost converter that the ripple effect is not ignorable for the frequency response, and reveal that it causes the unexpected characteristics where either the phase lag or the phase lead appears depending on the shape of the ramp generator. Eventually the phase margin for the stability drastically changes depending on the slope direction (normal or reverse) of the ramp generator even in the same circuit configuration. For these ripple effects we propose the general analysis model and analyze them on the frequency response characteristics by applying the state-space averaging technique. As the result we identify that the ripple effects are caused mainly by the variation of the slope and average of the ripple, and reveal that the boost converter has the asymmetry characteristic for the slope direction of the ramp generator and there is more advantage for the stability in case of the reverse slope direction than in case of the normal slope direction. The proposed analysis method can also treat the compensation circuit in the control circuit and is validated by the experiments and simulations.
Monkey superior colliculus represents rapid eye movements in a two-dimensional motor map.

1. Although the eye has three rotational degrees of freedom, eye positions, during fixations, saccades, and smooth pursuit, with the head stationary and upright, are constrained to a plane by Listing's law. We investigated whether Listing's law for rapid eye movements is implemented at the level of the deeper layers of the superior colliculus (SC). 2. In three alert rhesus monkeys we tested whether the saccadic motor map of the SC is two dimensional, representing oculocentric target vectors (the vector or V-model), or three dimensional, representing the coordinates of the rotation of the eye from initial to final position (the quaternion or Q-model). 3. Monkeys made spontaneous saccadic eye movements both in the light and in the dark. They were also rotated about various axes to evoke quick phases of vestibular nystagmus, which have three degrees of freedom. Eye positions were measured in three dimensions with the magnetic search coil technique. 4. While the monkey made spontaneous eye movements, we electrically stimulated the deeper layers of the SC and elicited saccades from a wide range of initial positions. According to the Q-model, the torsional component of eye position after stimulation should be uniquely related to saccade onset position. However, stimulation at 110 sites induced no eye torsion, in line with the prediction of the V-model. 5. Activity of saccade-related burst neurons in the deeper layers of the SC was analyzed during rapid eye movements in three dimensions. No systematic eye-position dependence of the movement fields, as predicted by the Q-model, could be detected for these cells. Instead, the data fitted closely the predictions made by the V-model. 6. In two monkeys, both SC were reversibly inactivated by symmetrical bilateral injections of muscimol. The frequency of spontaneous saccades in the light decreased dramatically. Although the remaining spontaneous saccades were slow, Listing's law was still obeyed, both during fixations and saccadic gaze shifts. In the dark, vestibularly elicited fast phases of nystagmus could still be generated in three dimensions. Although the fastest quick phases of horizontal and vertical nystagmus were slower by about a factor of 1.5, those of torsional quick phases were unaffected. 7. On the basis of the electrical stimulation data and the properties revealed by the movement field analysis, we conclude that the collicular motor map is two dimensional. The reversible inactivation results suggest that the SC is not the site where three-dimensional fast phases of vestibular nystagmus are generated. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Compliance with Antimicrobial Therapy for Buruli Ulcer

We read with great interest the study by Philips et al. ([1][1]) reporting on successful outcomes of the combination of streptomycin and rifampin for 2 weeks, followed by clarithromycin and rifampin for 6 weeks, in the treatment of Buruli ulcer (BU). Currently, drug treatment for BU consists of 8
Creatinine kinase kinetics studied by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance in a canine model of chronic hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

To determine whether cardiac hypertrophy secondary to chronic renovascular hypertension is associated with altered in vivo myocardial metabolism, phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance saturation transfer techniques were used to study creatine kinase (CK) kinetics in six chronically hypertensive dogs with moderate cardiac hypertrophy and eight control dogs. The forward rate constant of CK and the flux of phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate were determined in both groups of dogs before and during norepinephrine administration (1 microgram/kg per min), used to increase heart rate x systolic blood pressure (rate-pressure product), cardiac output and oxygen consumption. Baseline and norepinephrine-induced changes in rate-pressure product, cardiac output and oxygen consumption were similar in both groups of dogs, as were baseline forward rate constant and flux of phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate. However, the norepinephrine-induced changes in forward rate constant and flux were significantly less in hypertensive than in control dogs (p less than 0.05) even though changes in hemodynamic and functional variables were similar in both groups. These data demonstrate that moderate myocardial hypertrophy is associated with altered CK kinetics, which do not appear to affect the heart's ability for global mechanical recruitment at this stage in the hypertensive process. It is possible that the changes in myocardial enzyme kinetics may contribute to diastolic dysfunction previously reported in this model and may be a precursor for ultimate development of heart failure if hypertension is maintained for prolonged periods. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Expected Inflation and Forecast of Growth Rate in India

Under rapidly changing economic environment in India, economic decision makers at various levels are likely to consider reliable short term forecast of the growth rate of the economy as an important input. It is argued that a simple model with a few variables is likely to be more relevant and reliable for the purpose than elaborate complicated models with hundreds of equations and variables. Expected inflation rate and internal supply-shock are hypothesized to be crucial variables. Numerous alternative methods are tried to measure the expected inflation in India and final choice is made on the bases of certain criteria discussed in the paper. The growth forecasting performance of the model suggested in the paper is compared to the official estimates for the last two years The exploratory exercise carried out in the paper shows promise and potential.
Bone morphogenetic protein-7: an anti-fibrotic morphogenetic protein with therapeutic importance in renal disease

Bone morphogenetic proteins are members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily of cytokines and consist of a group of at least 15 morphogens involved in intracellular messaging through complex bone morphogenetic protein receptor mediated Smad signaling. Bone morphogenetic protein-7 knockout mice die shortly after birth due to uremia, demonstrating that this morphogenetic protein is essential for renal development. Recent investigations have characterized renal bone morphogenetic protein-7 receptors, shown exogenous bone morphogenetic protein-7 to prevent fibrogenesis associated with ureteral obstruction, indicated a loss of renal bone morphogenetic protein-7 associated with diabetic nephropathy, and an improvement in glomerular pathology in rodent streptozocin-induced diabetes with bone morphogenetic protein-7 treatment. In addition, this morphogenetic protein has been shown to reduce glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in a murine model of lupus nephritis as well as decrease the peritrabecular fibrosis associated with murine high turnover renal osteodystrophy. Finally, we review the effects of bone morphogenetic protein-7 on vascular calcification in an animal model, a potential complication of this therapy given its osseous morphogenetic effect.
Diagnostic Accuracy of a Defined Immunophenotypic and Molecular Genetic Approach for Peripheral T/NK-cell Lymphomas: A North American PTCL Study Group Project

The diagnosis of peripheral T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas (PTNKCL) is difficult with few standards for required ancillary studies. We evaluated a series of PTNKCLs using a tiered approach to immunohistochemistry and molecular genetic characterization to document diagnostic accuracy and clinical relevance. Seven hematopathologists reviewed 374 cases that included PTNKCL and non-PTNKCL cases to mimic diagnostic practice. Cases received tier 0, 1, and 2 diagnoses by 3 independent pathologists, on the basis of hematoxylin and eosin stains and progressive immunohistochemistry panels. A tier 2b diagnosis was rendered when gene rearrangement data were available, and a final consensus diagnosis was rendered after discussion of each case. Across all 374 cases, consensus agreement was 92.5%. For PTNKCLs, World Health Organization subclassification was possible in 16.5%, 37.1%, 82.8%, and 85.9% of individual reviewer diagnoses at tier 0, 1, 2, and 2b, respectively. Gene rearrangement contributed to a change in diagnosis in 51 of 647 (8%) individual reviews. Following this algorithm may provide prognostic information on the basis of individual marker expression in common PTNKCL types (CD4 in peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified and PD-1 in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma). This evidence-based approach to the diagnosis of PTNKCL informs practicing pathologists, clinical trial designers, and policy-makers regarding required ancillary studies.