Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fusing Object Context to Detect Functional Area for Cognitive Robots

A cognitive robot usually needs to perform multiple tasks in practice and needs to locate the desired area for each task. Since deep learning has achieved substantial progress in image recognition, to solve this area detection problem, it is straightforward to label a functional area (affordance) image dataset and apply a well-trained deep-model-based classifier on all the potential image regions. However, annotating the functional area is time consuming and the requirement of large amount of training data limits the application scope. We observe that the functional area are usually related to the surrounding object context. In this work, we propose to use the existing object detection dataset and employ the object context as effective prior to improve the performance without additional annotated data. In particular, we formulate a two-stream network that fuses the object-related and functionality-related feature for functional area detection. The whole system is formulated in an end-to-end manner and easy to implement with current object detection framework. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed network outperforms current method by almost 20% in terms of precision and recall.
Physiology and Pathophysiology in Ultra-Marathon Running

In this overview, we summarize the findings of the literature with regards to physiology and pathophysiology of ultra-marathon running. The number of ultra-marathon races and the number of official finishers considerably increased in the last decades especially due to the increased number of female and age-group runners. A typical ultra-marathoner is male, married, well-educated, and ~45 years old. Female ultra-marathoners account for ~20% of the total number of finishers. Ultra-marathoners are older and have a larger weekly training volume, but run more slowly during training compared to marathoners. Previous experience (e.g., number of finishes in ultra-marathon races and personal best marathon time) is the most important predictor variable for a successful ultra-marathon performance followed by specific anthropometric (e.g., low body mass index, BMI, and low body fat) and training (e.g., high volume and running speed during training) characteristics. Women are slower than men, but the sex difference in performance decreased in recent years to ~10–20% depending upon the length of the ultra-marathon. The fastest ultra-marathon race times are generally achieved at the age of 35–45 years or older for both women and men, and the age of peak performance increases with increasing race distance or duration. An ultra-marathon leads to an energy deficit resulting in a reduction of both body fat and skeletal muscle mass. An ultra-marathon in combination with other risk factors, such as extreme weather conditions (either heat or cold) or the country where the race is held, can lead to exercise-associated hyponatremia. An ultra-marathon can also lead to changes in biomarkers indicating a pathological process in specific organs or organ systems such as skeletal muscles, heart, liver, kidney, immune and endocrine system. These changes are usually temporary, depending on intensity and duration of the performance, and usually normalize after the race. In longer ultra-marathons, ~50–60% of the participants experience musculoskeletal problems. The most common injuries in ultra-marathoners involve the lower limb, such as the ankle and the knee. An ultra-marathon can lead to an increase in creatine-kinase to values of 100,000–200,000 U/l depending upon the fitness level of the athlete and the length of the race. Furthermore, an ultra-marathon can lead to changes in the heart as shown by changes in cardiac biomarkers, electro- and echocardiography. Ultra-marathoners often suffer from digestive problems and gastrointestinal bleeding after an ultra-marathon is not uncommon. Liver enzymes can also considerably increase during an ultra-marathon. An ultra-marathon often leads to a temporary reduction in renal function. Ultra-marathoners often suffer from upper respiratory infections after an ultra-marathon. Considering the increased number of participants in ultra-marathons, the findings of the present review would have practical applications for a large number of sports scientists and sports medicine practitioners working in this field.
An effective technique for calibrating the intrinsic parameters of a vascular C-arm from a planar target

The real time recovery of the projection geometry is a fundamental issue in interventional navigation applications (e.g. guide wire reconstruction, medical augmented reality). In most works, the intrinsic parameters are supposed to be constant and the extrinsic parameters (C-arm motion) are deduced either from the orientation sensors of the C-arm or from other additional sensors (eg. optical and/or electro-magnetic sensors). However, due to the weight of the X-ray tube and the C-arm, the system is undergoing deformations which induce variations of the intrinsic parameters as a function of the C-arm orientation. In our approach, we propose to measure the effects of the mechanical deformations onto the intrinsic parameters in a calibration procedure. Robust calibration methods exist (the gold standard is the multi-image calibration) but they are time consuming and too tedious to set up in a clinical context. For these reasons, we developed an original and easy to use method, based on a planar calibration target, which aims at measuring with a high level of accuracy the variation of the intrinsic parameters on a vascular C-arm. The precision of the planar-based method was evaluated by the mean of error propagation using techniques described in.8 It appeared that the precision of the intrinsic parameters are comparable to the one obtained from the multi-image calibration method. The planar-based method was also successfully used to assess to behavior of the C-arm with respect to the C-arm orientations. Results showed a clear variation of the principal point when the LAO/RAO orientation was changed. In contrast, the intrinsic parameters do not change during a cranio-caudal C-arm motion.
Investigation on fast recovery congestion control algorithms for IEEE 802.11e based wireless mesh networks

The Transmission Control Protocol forms the backbone of data communication networks the world over. While TCP congestion control protocols operate efficiently over wired networks, their performance in wireless networks leaves a great deal to be desired. Wireless networks are prone to random packet drops for a myriad of reasons apart from network congestion, such as poor channel characteristics, high BER, the hidden node problem and the number of hops between source and destination. This paper aims to perform a comparison of the congestion control schemes of two TCP variants: Reno and New Reno, in a wireless mesh network and analyze the throughput, propagation delay, number of segments retransmitted and number of duplicate acknowledgements received for four different node densities. The behaviour of TCP in wireless networks is observed and plausible justifications attempted. Overall, TCP New Reno shows 40% higher throughput and 25% lower delay as compared to TCP Reno.
NIGHTs-WATCH: a cache-based side-channel intrusion detector using hardware performance counters

This paper presents a novel run-time detection mechanism, called NIGHTs-WATCH, for access-driven cache-based Side-Channel Attacks (SCAs). It comprises of multiple machine learning models, which use real-time data from hardware performance counters for detection. We perform experiments with two state-of-the-art SCAs (Flush+Reload and Flush+Flush) to demonstrate the detection capability and effectiveness of NIGHTs-WATCH. we provide experimental evaluation using realistic system load conditions and analyze results on detection accuracy, speed, system-wide performance overhead and confusion matrix for used models. Our results show detection accuracy of 99.51%, 99.50% and 99.44% for F+R attack in case of no, average and full load conditions, respectively, with performance overhead of < 2% at the highest detection speed, i.e., within 1% completion of a single RSA encryption round. In case of Flush+Flush, our results show 99.97%, 98.74% and 95.20% detection accuracy for no load, average load and full load conditions, respectively, with performance overhead of < 2% at the highest detection speed, i.e., within 12.5% completion of 400 AES encryption rounds needed to complete the attack. NIGHTs-WATCH shows considerably high detection efficiency under variable system load conditions.
Research on a Novel MEMS Sensor for Spatial DC Electric Field Measurements in an Ion Flows Field

Thus far, despite the development of electric field sensors (EFSs) such as field mills, optoelectronic EFSs and microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based EFSs, no sensor can accurately measure an electric field in space due to the existence of space charge and the influence of charge attachment. To measure a spatial synthetic electric field in an ion flow field, a double potential independent differential EFS based on MEMS is proposed. Compared with other EFSs, this method has the advantages of independent potential (without grounding) and the ability to support the measurement of the synthetic ion flow electric field in space. First, to analyse the charge distribution after the sensor is involved exposed to an electric field, a simulation model was constructed. Then, given the redistribution of the spatial electric field in space and the influence of the surface charge on the sensor, the quantitative relationship between the electric field to be measured and that measured by the proposed sensor was obtained. To improve the performance of the EFS, a set of synthetic field strength sensor calibration systems that consider spatial ion flow injection was established. Furthermore, the parameter λ, which is related to the relative position of the differential chips, was determined. Finally, a series of comparative experiments indicated that the differential EFS highlighted in the present study exhibits good linearity and accuracy.
DIVERGT screening procedure predicts general cognitive functioning in adult long‐term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A PETALE study

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. Because of major improvements in treatment protocols, the survival rate now exceeds 80%. However, ALL treatments can cause long‐term neurocognitive sequelae, which negatively impact academic achievement and quality of life. Therefore, cognitive sequelae need to be carefully evaluated. The DIVERGT is a battery of tests proposed as a screening tool, sensitive to executive function impairments in children and adolescent cancer survivors. Our study aimed at verifying the predictive value of the DIVERGT on general cognitive functioning in adult long‐term survivors of ALL.
Designing a 100 [aF/nm] capacitive transducer

The mechanical part of inertial sensors can be designed to have a large mechanical sensitivity, but also requires the transduction mechanism which translates this displacement. The overall system resolution in mechanical inertial sensors is dictated by the noise contribution of each stage and the magnitude of each sensitivity, see also Figure 1. Maximizing the capacitive sensitivity, results in suppression of noise in the electronics domain. This work focuses on the design and realization of a mechanical to electrical transduction using a capacitive readout scheme. Design considerations and measures are taken to maximize the latter are considered and illustrated using FEM simulations. A capacitive transducer showing a sensitivity of 100 [aF/nm] was designed and realized, by exploiting the large displacement behavior of the inertial sensor which was considered.
Fuzzy rule-based approach to segment the menisci regions from MR images

Injuries of the menisci are one of the most common internal derangement of the knee. To examine them with noninvasive, we propose an automated segmentation method of the menisci region from MR image. The method is composed of two steps based on fuzzy logic. First, we segment the cartilage region by thresholding of the intensity. We then extract the candidate region of the menisci as the region between the cartilages. Second, we segment the menisci voxels from the candidate region based on fuzzy if-then rules obtained from knowledge of location and intensity. We applied our method to five MR data sets. Three of them are the normal knees and the others are with some injuries. Quantitative evaluation by a physician shows that this method can successfully segment the menisci for the all. The generated visualizations will help medical doctor to diagnose the menisci with noninvasive.
Intelligently Assisting Human-Guided Quadcopter Photography

Drones are a versatile platform for both amateur and professional photographers, enabling them to capture photos that are impossible to shoot with ground-based cameras. However, when guided by inexperienced pilots, they have a high incidence of collisions, crashes, and poorly framed photographs. This paper presents an intelligent user interface for photographing objects that is robust against navigation errors and reliably collects high quality photographs. By retaining the human in the loop, our system is faster and more selective than purely autonomous UAVs that employ simple coverage algorithms. The intelligent user interface operates in multiple modes, allowing the user to either directly control the quadcopter or fly in a semi-autonomous mode around a target object in the environment. To evaluate the interface, users completed a data set collection task in which they were asked to photograph objects from multiple views. Our sketchbased control paradigm facilitated task completion, reduced crashes, and was favorably reviewed by the participants.
Betaine Attenuates Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats via Inhibiting Inflammatory Response

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance, leading to right ventricular failure and death. Recent studies have suggested that chronic inflammatory processes are involved in the pathogenesis of PAH. Several studies have demonstrated that betaine possesses outstanding anti-inflammatory effects. However, whether betaine exerts protective effects on PAH by inhibiting inflammatory responses in the lungs needs to be explored. To test our hypothesis, we aimed to investigate the effects of betaine on monocrotaline-induced PAH in rats and attempted to further clarify the possible mechanisms. Methods: PAH was induced by monocrotaline (50 mg/kg) and oral administration of betaine (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day). The mean pulmonary arterial pressure, right ventricular systolic pressure, and right ventricle hypertrophy index were used to evaluate the development of PAH. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson staining were performed to measure the extents of vascular remodeling and proliferation in fibrous tissue. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were also detected by immunohistochemical staining. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were assessed by Western blot. Results: This study showed that betaine improved the abnormalities in right ventricular systolic pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, right ventricle hypertrophy index, and pulmonary arterial remodeling induced by monocrotaline compared with the PAH group. The levels of MCP-1 and ET-1 also decreased. Western blot indicated that the protein expression levels of NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1β significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that betaine attenuated PAH through its anti-inflammatory effects. Hence, the present data may offer novel targets and promising pharmacological perspectives for treating monocrotaline-induced PAH.
Establishment and application of real-time PCR-based methods to study the epidemiology of Fusarium Head Blight

15 Background . 15 Results . 15 Conclusions . 15 Background . 15 Results and discussion . 17 Optimization of DNA extraction and PCR conditions. 17 Duplex PCR with SYBR Green I and melting curve analysis . 18 Data processing . 20 Analysis of field samples . 21 Conclusions. 21 Methods. 21 Fungal cultures . 21 DNA isolation from pure fungal cultures grown in liquid media . 22 Isolation of fungi from wheat rachides . 22 DNA Extraction from plant material. 22
The Function of Thioredoxin-Binding Protein-2 (TBP-2) in Different Diseases

Thioredoxin-binding protein-2 (TBP-2) has an important role in the redox system, but it plays a different role in many different diseases (e.g., various cancers, diabetes mellitus (DM), cardiovascular disease, and cataracts) by influencing cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, autophagy, and metabolism. Distinct transcription factors (TFs) stimulated by different factors combine with binding sites or proteins to upregulate or downregulate TBP-2 expression, in order to respond to the change in the internal environment. Most research disclosed that the main function of TBP-2 is associating with thioredoxin (Trx) to inhibit the antioxidant capacity of Trx. Furthermore, the TBP-2 located in tissues, whether normal or abnormal, has the ability to cause the dysfunctioning of cells and even death through different pathways, such as shortening the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis or autophagy. Through these studies, we found that TBP-2 promoted the development of diseases which are involved in inflammatory and oxidative damage. To a certain extent, we believe that there is some hidden connection between the biological functions which TBP-2 participates in and some distinct diseases. This review presents only a summary of the roles that TBP-2 plays in cancer, DM, cataracts, and so on, as well as its universal mechanisms. Further investigations are needed for the cell signaling pathways of the effects caused by TBP-2. A greater understanding of the mechanisms of TBP-2 could produce potential new targets for the treatment of diseases, including cancer and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cataracts.
The Impact of Vouchers on the Use and Quality of Health Goods and Services in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

1 Executive Summary 2 1. Background 6 1.1 Aims and rationale for current review 6 1.2 Definitional and conceptual issues 6 1.3 Policy and research background 11 2. Methods 14 2.1 User involvement 14 2.2 Identifying and describing studies 14 2.3 Methods for synthesis 18 2.4 Deriving conclusions and implications 21 3. Search Results 23 3.1 Studies included from searching and screening 23 3.2 Details of included studies 25 4. Synthesis Results 30 4.1 Further details of studies and outcomes included in the synthesis 30 4.2 Synthesis of evidence findings 39 4.3 Sensitivity analyses 42 4.4 Summary of synthesis findings 43 5. Discussion 44 5.1 Implications of findings 44 5.2 Strengths of the research approach 45 5.3 Limitations of the research approach 45 6. Conclusions and Recommendations 47 6.1 Conclusions from the synthesis 47 6.2 Areas for further analysis and future research 47 References 49 Appendices 55 Appendix 1.1: Authorship 55 Appendix 2.1: Inclusion and exclusion criteria 56 Appendix 2.2: Search strategy for electronic databases 58 Appendix 2.3: Journals hand-searched 61 Appendix 2.4: Supplemental search terms 62 Appendix 2.5: Key experts contacted to review obtained information 65 Appendix 2.6 Data Extraction Form 66 Appendix 2.7: Coding tool, Confidence in Findings Assessment (CFA) 67 Appendix 2.8: Decision tree for making conclusions regarding outcome categories 70 Appendix 3.1: Voucher programmes with quantitative evaluation data included in the review 71
Cold atmospheric plasma treatment of melanoma and glioblastoma cancer cells

In this paper, two types of melanoma and glioblastoma cancer cell lines are treated with cold atmospheric plasma to assess the effect of several parameters on the cell viability. The cell viability decreases with treatment duration and time until analysis in all cell lines with varying sensitivity. The majority of dead cells stains both AnnexinV (AnnV) and propidium iodide, indicating that the plasma-treated non-viable cells are mostly late apoptotic or necrotic. Genetic mutations might be involved in the response to plasma. Comparing the effects of two gas mixtures, as well as indirect plasma-activated medium versus direct treatment, gives different results per cell line. In conclusion, this study confirms the potential of plasma for cancer therapy and emphasizes the influence of experimental parameters on therapeutic outcome.
Assessing Strategies Against Gambiense Sleeping Sickness Through Mathematical Modeling

Abstract Background Control of gambiense sleeping sickness relies predominantly on passive and active screening of people, followed by treatment. Methods Mathematical modeling explores the potential of 3 complementary interventions in high- and low-transmission settings. Results Intervention strategies that included vector control are predicted to halt transmission most quickly. Targeted active screening, with better and more focused coverage, and enhanced passive surveillance, with improved access to diagnosis and treatment, are both estimated to avert many new infections but, when used alone, are unlikely to halt transmission before 2030 in high-risk settings. Conclusions There was general model consensus in the ranking of the 3 complementary interventions studied, although with discrepancies between the quantitative predictions due to differing epidemiological assumptions within the models. While these predictions provide generic insights into improving control, the most effective strategy in any situation depends on the specific epidemiology in the region and the associated costs.
Non‐blocking two‐phase commit using blockchain

The two‐phase commit (2PC) protocol has long been known to have a provably inevitable vulnerability to blocking or non‐progress amidst server crashes, even when the distributed database system guarantees the most demanding timing‐related or “synchrony” requirements. Our aim here is to eliminate this vulnerability by using a blockchain for coordinating 2PC execution. We present the impossibilities, the possibilities, the cost, and the trade‐offs in this blockchain‐based approach to blocking‐free management of distributed transactions. We prove that a non‐blocking and blockchain‐coordinated 2PC protocol can exist only if both the blockchain and distributed database systems meet synchrony requirements; otherwise, although blocking remains eliminated, transactions can unnecessarily abort. We present a blockchain‐coordinated 2PC protocol and provide rigorous arguments for its correctness under the synchrony requirements. We then implement this protocol on the Ethereum Testnet and demonstrate, through our experiments, that the monetary cost of executing smart contracts is quite small, that the protocol performance slows down when using a public blockchain like Ethereum, and that even major violations of synchrony requirements lead only to relatively small increases in unnecessary aborts. We thus identify a trade‐off between improving protocol performance and admitting a risk that transactions could occasionally abort unnecessarily.