Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Image reconstruction from noisy image streams

Reconstruction of images plays a very important role in image processing. In order to be able to process the image for further analysis, images should be free of noise or unwanted particles. In case of large sceneries, sometimes the camera is not able to capture the entire scene in one shot. This paper proposes an efficient algorithm for reconstruction of noisy images and stitching of the overlapping image streams in such a way that it appears to have had clicked by the same imaging device in one shot, thus achieving visual realism.
The two pathways to being an (un-)popular narcissist.

OBJECTIVE Narcissism affects social relationships from the very first interactions. The overall positivity of social impressions narcissists evoke is, however, unclear-with previous research reporting positive, negative, or null effects on popularity at short-term acquaintance. Here we postulate a dual-pathway model, which explains the effects of narcissism on (un-)popularity as the result of two opposing behavioral pathways: assertiveness and aggressiveness. METHOD In two studies, unacquainted German college students (N = 100; N = 68) met in groups of four to six persons and engaged in group discussions. Afterward, they provided ratings of each other's assertiveness, aggressiveness, and likeability. In Study 2, we additionally videotaped the sessions and assessed participants' actual behavior. RESULTS Results of both studies confirm our dual-pathway hypothesis: There was a "positive" and a "negative" path from targets' narcissism to being liked or not-dependent upon being seen as assertive or aggressive. Behavioral observations showed that expressive and dominant behaviors mediated the positive path, whereas arrogant and combative behaviors mediated the negative path. CONCLUSIONS Initial (un-)popularity of narcissists at early stages of interpersonal interactions depends on the behavioral pathway that is triggered in the given situational context.
Immersive analytics: Building virtual data worlds for collaborative decision support

Immersive analytics is an emerging research area that blends analytical reasoning with immersive virtual space to enhance collaborative decision support. The intent of this position paper is to stimulate discussion and cooperation toward maturing immersive analytics. An open innovation community to build immersive data worlds has been established at ImmersiveAnalytics.com, to serve as a bridge and catalyst between academia and corporate communities. The paper outlines the objectives for analytical reasoning and immersive data spaces, followed by suggestions for the design and architecture of data worlds. Finally, current work for building data worlds is described.
Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Group B Streptococci Isolated between 1992 and 1996 from Patients with Bacteremia or Meningitis

ABSTRACT In vitro testing of 229 group B streptococcal isolates from a variety of patients with invasive infections indicated uniform penicillin G susceptibility. However, 17 (7.4%) isolates were resistant to erythromycin and 8 (3.4%) were resistant to clindamycin. These results support the continued use of penicillin G as the drug of choice for the treatment and prevention of group B streptococcal disease.
Linear precoding in coordinated multicell systems with amplify-and-forward relaying

The paper studies the linear precoding problem in coordinated multicell MIMO half-duplex amplify-and-forward (AF) relay-aided systems. Based on the idea of the Blahut-Arimoto algorithm, an iterative algorithm is proposed to obtain a suboptimal solution of the non-convex weighted sum rate maximizing problem. The proposed method involves the following three steps in each iteration: updating the posterior conditional probability using the closed-form solution, updating the source precoding matrices through solving a simple quadratically constrained quadratic program (QCQP) problem and updating the relay precoding matrices one by one by an efficient bisection search method. This algorithm increases the weighted sum rate monotonically in each iteration until convergence. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
Auxiliary field in conformal gauge theory.

When the full conformal algebra is gauged there arises a gauge field for inverse translations in addition to the usual translational gauge field. By considering every scale-invariant action constructible from the curvatures of the conformal group and the metric, we show that when the gauge field of the usual translations is identified as the vierbein, the gauge field of inverse translations may always be eliminated by its own field equation. After this elimination, every torsion-free, scale-invariant action reduces to a linear combination of the square of the conformal curvature tensor {ital C}{sub {alpha}{beta}{mu}{nu}} and the square of the Weyl field strength {ital C}{sub {alpha}{beta}}.
Deprivation of dietary nucleotides decreases protein synthesis in the liver and small intestine in rats.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Dietary nucleotides are reported to influence the growth and functioning of the liver and small intestine. The aim of this study was to examine the mechanism by which nucleotides exert their effects in these tissues by assessing protein synthesis activity and related parameters in the presence or absence of dietary nucleotides. METHODS Rats were fed a purified diet with or without nucleotides for 10 days. Fractional protein synthesis rate, RNA and DNA concentrations, polysome size distribution, and number of ribosomes were assessed. RESULTS Fractional protein synthesis rates of the liver and small intestine were lower in the nucleotide-deprived group than in the control group. In the liver, RNA concentration was also lower in the nucleotide-deprived group, but values in the small intestine were similar in the two groups. In the liver, deprivation of nucleotides resulted in a reduction in the number of ribosomes and in polysome breakdown. Protein and DNA concentrations did not vary in the liver; however, the concentration of DNA was lower in the small intestine of the nucleotide-deprived group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Dietary nucleotides can modulate protein synthesis in the liver and small intestine as a result of tissue-specific nucleic acid changes.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval Summary: Brentuximab Vedotin for the Treatment of Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma or Relapsed Systemic Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes the accelerated approval of brentuximab vedotin for patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (sALCL). FDA analyzed the results of two single-arm trials, enrolling 102 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and 58 patients with sALCL. Both trials had primary endpoints of objective response rate (ORR) and key secondary endpoints of response duration and complete response (CR) rate. For patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, ORR was 73% (95% CI, 65–83%); median response duration was 6.7 months, and CR was 32% (95% CI, 23–42%). For patients with sALCL, ORR was 86% (95% CI, 77–95%), median response duration was 12.6 months, and CR was 57% (95% CI, 44–70%). The most common adverse reactions were neutropenia, peripheral sensory neuropathy, fatigue, nausea, anemia, upper respiratory infection, diarrhea, pyrexia, rash, thrombocytopenia, cough, and vomiting. FDA granted accelerated approval of brentuximab vedotin for the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or after failure of at least two prior multiagent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and for the treatment of patients with sALCL after failure of at least one prior multiagent chemotherapy regimen. Clin Cancer Res; 18(21); 5845–9. ©2012 AACR.
Application of FISK, an Invasiveness Screening Tool for Non‐Native Freshwater Fishes, in the Murray‐Darling Basin (Southeastern Australia)

The Fish Invasiveness Scoring Kit (FISK) is currently one of the most popular pre‐screening tools for freshwater fishes. A recent upgrade has ensured its wider climatic relevance to countries with subtropical regions. This enhancement is of particular importance to Australia, which encompasses tropical, arid, and temperate zones, and where the introduction of non‐native fish species poses a significant risk to biodiversity. In this study, 55 fish species previously evaluated in a U.K.‐based calibration of FISK are reassessed for their potential invasiveness in the Murray‐Darling Basin (MDB; southeastern Australia), the continent's largest catchment encompassing arid and temperate climates. Approximately half of the species were classed as “medium risk” and the other half as “high risk,” and the ≥19 threshold previously identified from the calibration study was confirmed. The three highest scoring species (common carp Cyprinus carpio carpio, goldfish Carassius auratus, and eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki) were those already present and invasive in the area, whereas nearly half of the tropical and subtropical species had lower scores compared to U.K. assessments, possibly because of climate change predictions of drier conditions across the MDB. There were some discordances between FISK and two Australian‐based assessment protocols, one of which is qualitative and the other represents a simplified version of FISK. Notably, the Australian origins of FISK should provide for an additional reason for further applications of the tool in other RA areas (i.e., drainage basins) of the continent, ultimately encouraging adoption as the country's reference screening tool for management and conservation purposes.
The value of participation in virtual consumer communities on brand loyalty

Purpose – To examine the effects of consumers' lurking and posting behaviors in virtual consumer communities on specific brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approach – An online survey of a virtual community of Apple computer users was conducted to test a model of involvement, participation, loyalty, trust, and attitudes toward the brand exist in messages within the community.Findings – The causes and effects of lurking and posting differed. Lurking contributed to brand loyalty more than posting did, and the primary purpose of lurking was to look for information regarding product function/performance, instead of satisfying consumers' affective needs.Research limitations/implications – As a result of the limitations in a computer mediated communication environment, virtual consumer communities should be perceived as an arena for weak‐tied strangers to communicate for word‐of‐mouth (WOM) behavior, rather than as a brand community.Practical implications – Although negative messages in a community can hurt brand.
Strengths of character, orientations to happiness, and life satisfaction

Why are certain character strengths more associated with life satisfaction than others? A sample of US adults (N = 12,439) completed online surveys in English measuring character strengths, orientations to happiness (engagement, pleasure, and meaning), and life satisfaction, and a sample of Swiss adults (N = 445) completed paper-and-pencil versions of the same surveys in German. In both samples, the character strengths most highly linked to life satisfaction included love, hope, curiosity, and zest. Gratitude was among the most robust predictors of life satisfaction in the US sample, whereas perseverance was among the most robust predictors in the Swiss sample. In both samples, the strengths of character most associated with life satisfaction were associated with orientations to pleasure, to engagement, and to meaning, implying that the most fulfilling character strengths are those that make possible a full life.
Cyberbullying: An overrated phenomenon?

The paper argues that several claims about cyberbullying made in the media and elsewhere are greatly exaggerated and have little empirical scientific support. Contradicting these claims, it turns out that cyberbullying, when studied in proper context, is a low-prevalence phenomenon, which has not increased over time and has not created many “new” victims and bullies, that is, children and youth who are not also involved in some form of traditional bullying. These conclusions are based on two quite large samples of students, one from the USA and one from Norway, both of which have time series data for periods of four or five years. It is further argued that the issue of possible negative effects of cyberbullying has not received much serious research attention and a couple of strategies for such research are suggested together with some methodological recommendations. Finally, it is generally recommended that schools direct most of their anti-bullying efforts to counteracting traditional bullying, combined with an important system-level strategy that is likely to reduce the already low prevalence of cyberbullying.
The inophyllums, novel inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase isolated from the Malaysian tree, Calophyllum inophyllum Linn.

As part of a search for novel inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, the acetone extract of the giant African snail, Achatina fulica, was shown to be active. Fractionation of the extract yielded inophyllums A, B, C, and E and calophyllolide (1a, 2a, 3a, 3b, and 6), previously isolated from Calophyllum inophyllum Linn. , a known source of nutrition for A. fulica. From a methanol/methylene chloride extract of C. inophyllum, the same natural products in considerably greater yield were isolated in addition to a novel enantiomer of soulattrolide (4), inophyllum P (2b), and two other novel compounds, inophyllums G-1 (7) and G-2 (8). The absolute stereochemistry of inophyllum A (1a) was determined to be 10(R), 11(S), 12(S) from a single-crystal X-ray analysis of its 4-bromobenzoate derivative, and the relative stereochemistries of the other inophyllums isolated from C. inophyllum were established by a comparison of their 1H NMR NOE values and coupling constants to those of inophyllum A (1a). Inophyllums B and P (2a and 2b) inhibited HIV reverse transcriptase with IC50 values of 38 and 130 nM, respectively, and both were active against HIV-1 in cell culture (IC50 of 1.4 and 1.6 microM). Closely related inophyllums A, C, D, and E, including calophyllic acids, were significantly less active or totally inactive, indicating certain structural requirements in the chromanol ring. Altogether, 11 compounds of the inophyllum class were isolated from C. inophyllum and are described together with the SAR of these novel anti-HIV compounds.
Impact of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Plant: A Critical Review

An increasing need of nanotechnology in various industries may cause a huge environment dispersion of nanoparticles in coming years. A concern about nanoparticles interaction with flora and fauna is raised due to a growing load of it in the environment. In recent years, several investigators have shown impact of nanoparticles on plant growth and their accumulation in food source. This review examines the research performed in the last decade to show how metal and metal oxide nanoparticles are influencing the plant metabolism. We addressed here, the impact of nanoparticle on plant in relation to its size, concentration, and exposure methodology. Based on the available reports, we proposed oxidative burst as a general mechanism through which the toxic effects of nanoparticles are spread in plants. This review summarizes the current understanding and the future possibilities of plant-nanoparticle research.
Charles Darwin’s Debt to the Romantics

The thesis examines the principal works of Charles Darwin to determine whether there is any evidence of Romantic concepts in his writings and whether, therefore, he owes a debt to the Romantics such as Alexander von Humboldt and Goethe. The first two chapters of the thesis trace the influence of Alexander von Humboldt (1769 – 1859) on Charles Darwin (1809-1882). There are frequent references to Humboldt in Darwin’s works. Humboldt’s Romantic concepts of Nature, expressed in his Personal Narrative [1807 – 1834] and in his later Cosmos [1845], are compared to Darwin’s concepts of Nature in his On the Origin of Species [1859, first edition]. An analysis of Humboldt shows him firmly within the German Romantic school of thought with influences from Schelling and Goethe, especially concerning the concept of Mind. Humboldt’s method of analysing Nature aesthetically had a profound effect on Darwin’s own imaginative view of Nature. Further analysis of this method, coupled with Goethe’s ‘Genetic Method’ of moving between the particular and the infinite when seeing the ‘leaf’ and ‘vertebrae’ archetypes, shows strong evidence of the influence of the German Romantics on the development of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. In analysing the Romantic concept of a ‘One Reality Nature’, the thesis shows that Darwin’s evidence of a common progenitor provides a moral imperative for treating all races as equal in terms of their origins and their potential for development. In Chapter Three the origins of morality are seen by Darwin as having been generated by natural instincts rather than having come from a Creator. This is examined with reference to Darwin’s The Descent of Man [1871; 1879, second edition] within the moral and cultural context of the Victorian era in which he lived. The final Chapter Four compares The Voyage of the Beagle [1839, first edition] to Darwin’s later works to see if there are differences between his earlier and later forms of Romanticism and how easily they sit alongside Darwin the Victorian. The thesis concludes that essentially Darwin’s Romantic theme of wonder and enchantment is the same for both his early and later years. However, Darwin’s Romanticism has moved from an anthropocentric view with Man as its centre to an anthropomorphic view in which Man is seen as part of Nature but not at its centre. Darwin’s self-expression in his writing has also moved from a subjective form of poetry developed through his personal experience of Nature, to a more objective form of poetic science in which Darwin is able to step back from the science he creates. Finally, the Conclusion suggests that there is sufficient evidence in Darwin’s works to claim that he can be regarded as a Romantic materialist. This is evidenced by his view that Mind and Man’s morality have been developed by Nature’s laws out of matter. It is also evidenced by Darwin’s own mental methods of discovery through his own form of imagination and poetry, sharing some of the themes of the English Romantic poets such as Wordsworth and Tennyson.
Adaptability of majority carrier concentration permanence assumption in modelling of the p-n junction-based semiconductor devices

The equations, which relate the boundary concentrations of majority carriers with the voltage drop across the p-n junction, have been derived. The derivation is carried out on the basis of the Boltzmann relations and charge quasi-neutrality conditions. The obtained equations allow us to investigate the adaptability of the majority carrier concentration permanence assumption in modeling of the p-n junction-based semiconductor devices. The particular silicon p-n junctions have been analyzed using derived equations.
A Cautionary Note on the Use of Matching to Estimate Causal Effects: An Empirical Example Comparing Matching Estimates to an Experimental Benchmark

In recent years, social scientists have increasingly turned to matching as a method for drawing causal inferences from observational data. Matching compares those who receive a treatment to those with similar background attributes who do not receive a treatment. Researchers who use matching frequently tout its ability to reduce bias, particularly when applied to data sets that contain extensive background information. Drawing on a randomized voter mobilization experiment, the authors compare estimates generated by matching to an experimental benchmark. The enormous sample size enables the authors to exactly match each treated subject to 40 untreated subjects. Matching greatly exaggerates the effectiveness of pre-election phone calls encouraging voter participation. Moreover, it can produce nonsensical results: Matching suggests that another pre-election phone call that encouraged people to wear their seat belts also generated huge increases in voter turnout. This illustration suggests that caution is warranted when applying matching estimators to observational data, particularly when one is uncertain about the potential for biased inference.
A Leaky Wave Antenna Design Based on Half-mode Substrate Integrated Waveguide Technology for X Band Applications

A new type of leaky-wave antenna (LWA) using half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) as the base structure is proposed in this paper. The structure consists of an array of slot, antenna designed to operate in X band applications from 8 to 12 GHz. HMSIW preserves nearly all the advantages of SIW whereas its size is nearly reduced by half. The antenna radiates one main beam that can be steered from the backward to the forward direction by changing frequency.
dnaB125, a dnaB nonsense mutation

A temperature-sensitive dnaB mutation, dnaB125, was shown to be a suppressed amber mutation. The effects of inserting different amino acids at the mutated site via amber suppressors were examined for both Escherichia coli and bacteriophage gamma growth. In addition, the dnaB125 amber allele was shown to be different from the previously described dnaB amber allele, dnaB266. The extent of residual deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis observed in a supF(Ts) dnaB125 strain at high temperature revealed that the dnaB protein was present in excess and that deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis could continue for several generation equivalents without further production of dnaB protein.
Arylamine-substituted hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes: facile synthesis and their potential applications as "coaxial" hole-transport materials.

The hole story: using a new synthetic concept the title hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes (HBCs) were synthesized with high atom economy. The coaxial arrangement of the HBCs and arylamines allowed a "double-cable" hole transport (see picture), that is, transport through the central core (white) and the outer shell (green).
Hawkeye: Open source framework for field surveillance

This paper introduces a generic framework for field surveillance using consumer rotorcrafts and ground vehicles. Building such an autonomous system comes with two key challenges in persistent perception and obstacle avoidance. We begin with explaining two core algorithms to solve the challenges: an auto-landing algorithm that enables a quadrotor to land on a moving ground vehicle at a speed of 6.00 m/s, and an obstacle avoidance algorithm that ensures the safety of the quadrotor during searching process. On the basis of these algorithms, the architecture and infrastructure of Hawkeye framework are presented as well. Hawkeye is designed to be a generic platform with extensibility that allows integration of other domain applications. We demonstrate the potential of Hawkeye framework in a simulated agriculture monitoring mission and report its performance at the end of the paper.
Modélisation de la Densité du Flux Solaire Global de la Ville de Gabès

Disposant des donnees meteorologiques de l'annee 1997 pour la ville de Gabes (Tunisie), un modele de calcul de la densite du flux global solaire pour cette ville a ete elabore. Il tient compte de la nebulosite N, du quantum des jours de l'annee q ainsi que du temps t et est de la forme GH = A(N). B(q). C(t) . Les resultats experimentaux et theoriques obtenus par l'utilisation du modele sus-elabore presentent une bonne concordance. Enfin ce modele a ete compare a celui de (.)