Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereo-camera visual odometry for outdoor areas and in dark indoor environments

A major goal in the research and development area of navigation is to improve the accuracy and the integrity of navigational systems. Scientists and researchers in this field are working on increasing the performance of navigational algorithms while the sensors for navigation systems become smaller and cheaper. Nonetheless ring laser gyroscope (RLG) and fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) are navigational components of the high price segment. For ultra-low-cost navigation systems RLGs and FOGs are too expensive at the present time, so that predominantly MEMS IMUs (microelectromechanical system inertial measurement units) are integrated into such systems. Due to the strong drift of MEMS sensors, aiding sensors have to be used to guarantee the integrity of the system and to get a longterm stable navigation solution. To limit inertial navigation error in outdoor scenarios the usage of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is an opportunity to deal with this problem. However, it is obvious that the use of GNSS is constrained by the limited availability of satellite signals in urban canyons or indoor situations. Especially close to buildings, GNSS signals are not always available and the information of the satellite signal can be negatively impacted due to multipath and shading. This is why optical sensors like laser range finders or cameras are frequently used as aiding sensors in urban areas or inside buildings.
Enhanced production of interferon by temperature shift-down from 37 C to 25 C in rabbit cell cultures stimulated with Newcastle disease virus.

Preincubation of Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-infected RK13 cells at 37 C considerably enhanced subsequent interferon (IF) production at 25 C. The optimal length of this preincubation was about 7 to 9 hr. It was postulated that the intracellular events leading to IF production in NDV-induced cells might proceed in two distinct phases, early and late; the early phase to prepare the cells for IF synthesis proceeds only at 37 C whereas the late phase in which IF is readily synthesized occurs both at 37 C and at 25 C. Similar events seemed to occur in cultures of cells from in vivo induced rabbits. This concept was substantiated by experiments using actinomycin D and cycloheximide, which suggested that protein synthesis at 37 C during the first 7 hr was essential for subsequent IF production at 25 C. A prolonged preincubation at 37 C resulted in decreased IF production, suggesting that a putative regulatory protein might be synthesized at 37 C which could not be readily synthesized at 25 C.
Acellular Dermal Matrix–Assisted Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction and Capsular Contracture: A 13-Year Experience

Background: Use of acellular dermal matrix for implant-based breast reconstruction appears to be associated with a lower incidence of capsular contracture compared with standard reconstruction. The majority of acellular dermal matrix studies were, however, of short duration; thus, long-term incidence of capsular contracture with acellular dermal matrix use is unknown. Methods: Patients undergoing acellular dermal matrix–assisted breast reconstruction from December of 2001 to May of 2014 at two institutions were evaluated. Cumulative incidence of capsular contracture was determined by the performing surgeon. A retrospective chart review was performed on prospectively gathered data on patient-, breast-, surgery-, and implant-related characteristics that were analyzed as potential risk factors for the development of capsular contracture. Results: A total of 1584 breast reconstructions in 863 patients were performed. Mean follow-up of patients was 4.7 years; 45 percent of patients had greater than or equal to 5 years of follow-up. The cumulative incidence of capsular contracture was 0.8 percent. Smaller implant size (<400 ml) and postoperative radiotherapy were significantly associated with an increased risk of capsular contracture, but the incidence of capsular contracture was 1.9 percent in irradiated breasts. All capsular contractures developed within the first 2 years, with no new events with longer follow-up. Conclusions: In this long-term study, the cumulative incidence of capsular contracture with acellular dermal matrix–assisted reconstruction remains low, even in irradiated breasts. Capsular contracture appears to be an early event, and longer follow-up does not appear to increase the incidence, suggesting that acellular dermal matrix may truly mitigate the development of capsular contracture as opposed to delaying its occurrence. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.
Block QR decomposition and near-optimal ordering in intercell cooperative multiple-input multiple-output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

Here, the authors investigate dirty paper coding (DPC) in intercell cooperative multiple-input multiple-output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM). Based on the multidimensional structure of intercell cooperative MIMO-OFDM, the DPC model has been modified by introducing a block QR decomposition (BQRD) algorithm which transforms the multiuser channel to a block lower triangular structure. The overall error performance of the proposed BQRD-based DPC is dominated by the error performance of the last precoded user. To improve the last user's performance, it was, first, shown that, in a system with U active users, the channel gain matrix remains unchanged for any user acting as the last user among all (U−1)! possible permutations of the other users. Then, a greedy algorithm that directly computes U channel gain matrices and obtains a near-optimal precoding order for the last user is proposed. The proposed greedy ordering scheme reduces the computational complexity by a factor of U! /2 compared with the brute force search. Our simulation results confirm that the performance of the greedy ordering scheme approaches that of the brute force search. Furthermore, the authors show that the proposed BQRD-based DPC expands the multiuser rate region and increases the sum rate over block diagonalisation based zero forcing method.
Nutritional requirements of the corneal epithelium and anterior stroma: clinical findings.

PURPOSE To monitor the health of the epithelium and the anterior stroma when porous membranes are implanted into the feline cornea and to determine membrane diffusivity characteristics needed to maintain corneal integrity. METHODS Filtration membranes in a range of effective pore sizes of less than 15 nm (groups 1 and 2, n = 11), 25 nm (group 3, n = 8), 50 nm (group 4, n = 16), and 100 nm (group 5, n = 15) were implanted into an interlamellar corneal pocket of the stroma. The implanted membranes ranged in thickness from 6 nm to 15 nm and were between 8 mm and 12 mm in diameter. Animals were monitored for clinical signs of intolerance to the implants. RESULTS At 1 month, thinning and ulceration had occurred in the epithelium and the anterior stroma of all animals in groups 1 and 2; epithelial changes, anterior stromal thinning, and ulceration had developed in 75% of animals of group 3; 50% of animals showed vascularization and only 7% showed epithelial degeneration in group 4; and local anterior stromal thinning was observed in 7% of animals in group 5, indicating clinical acceptance of the implanted membrane. In the long term (greater than 50 days), 30% and 73% of the group 4 and 5 corneas, respectively, were clinically quiet. Analysis of the failure times indicated an inverse relation between failure rate and pore size: less than 15 nm > 25 nm > 50 nm > 100 nm. The difference between the 100-nm and 50-nm membranes was significant (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS A corneal implant must have a porosity greater than that provided by 50-nm membranes. The 100-nm membranes used in this study establish the porosity needed to satisfy the nutritional requirements of the cornea.
GOQL, a graphical query language for object-oriented database systems

In this paper, we present GOQL (Graphical Object Query Language). GOQL provides a user-friendly graphical interface to support ad-hoc queries for object-oriented database applications. Such queries are translated into standard OQL queries. In this paper, we illustrate the use and expressiveness of GOQL using an example, and briefly survey similar work and developments in the market and in the literature.
Are Italy’s Public Finances Sustainable? The Role of Demographics, Productivity, and Labour Markets

In light of the uncertainty of the effects of population ageing on growth and fiscal variables, it is sensible to ask whether Italy’s public finances can achieve sustainability under the spending pressure exerted by future demographic and macroeconomic developments. The paper addresses this question by assessing long-term fiscal sustainability, following the commonlyagreed European methodology, under alternative scenarios considering a variety of issues that may have a bearing on Italy’s public finance conditions, namely, immigration, life expectancy, female labour participation, and productivity growth. Despite the different hypotheses captured by the alternative scenarios, the paper finds that projected debt-to-GDP ratios decrease over time, as long as fiscal consolidation is achieved in the near future. It also shows a one-shot debt-reduction strategy is not a credible substitute for a budgetary-adjustment strategy. The paper concludes Italy’s public finances are sustainable and can deal with future spending pressures resulting from the ageing population.
Prenatal exclusion of X‐linked hydrocephalus‐stenosis of the aqueduct of sylvius sequence using closely linked DNA markers

X‐linked hydrocephalus‐stenosis of the aqueduct of Sylvius sequence (H‐SAS, MIM number 307 000) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by hydrocephalus, macrocephaly, adducted thumbs, spasticity, mental retardation, and cerebral malformations. This regularly lethal condition is usually diagnosed at birth or prenatally by ultrasound, but hydrocephalus may be moderate or even undetectable on fetal ultrasound examination. Moreover, since heterozygous women are asymptomatic, carrier detection is at present impossible before the birth of an affected son. Therefore, mapping the H‐SAS locus to distal Xq (Xq28) was of primary importance for genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis. Here, we report prenatal exclusion of H‐SAS with a probability of 97.6 per cent in two male fetuses with a 50 per cent a priori risk of being affected using closely linked Xq28 DNA markers.
cAMP concentrations, cAMP dependent protein kinase activity, and phospholamban in non-failing and failing myocardium.

OBJECTIVE Several signal transduction defects such as a reduction of myocardial cAMP formation and an altered intracellular Ca2+ handling have been observed in the failing human myocardium. The aim of the study was to obtain data on changes beyond cAMP formation involving cAMP dependent protein kinase and its substrates. METHODS cAMP dependent protein kinase activity and cAMP concentrations were measured in the particulate and soluble fraction of failing human hearts (ischaemic, and dilated cardiomyopathy) and non-failing donor hearts. Phospholamban was quantified by cAMP dependent phosphorylation using 32P-ATP as substrate and on western blots using a monoclonal antibody. RESULTS cAMP concentrations were reduced in the particulate fraction in both ischaemic and dilated cardiomyopathy and in the soluble fraction in dilated cardiomyopathy, but there was no difference in cAMP dependent protein kinase activity. Both phospholamban levels and cAMP dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban were similar in non-failing myocardium and in both ischaemic and dilated cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that the reduction of cAMP formation is the predominant alteration in heart failure, but cAMP dependent protein kinase and phospholamban are evidently unchanged.
Murein biosynthesis and O-acetylation of N-acetylmuramic acid during the cell-division cycle of Proteus mirabilis.

The murein of Proteus mirabilis is unique with respect to the O-acetylation of part of its N-acetylmuramic acid residues. Working with synchronized cells and providing radioactive N-acetylglucosamine with the medium, the murein was pulse-labelled in vivo for 10-min periods at different times of the cell cycle. After isolation of murein and enzymatic cleavage with endo-N, O-diacetylmuramidase from Chalaropsis, the distribution of radioactivity between uncrosslinked murein subunits (monomers) and the peptide-crossliitked dimers was analyzed. The following results were obtained. 1Murein synthesized at different times during the cell cycle did not show significant variation regarding the degree of crosslinkage and the degree of O-acetylation. However, the degree of O-acetylation of pulse-labelled murein was found to be about sevenfold lower than that of murein from continuously labelled asynchronous cultures. 2A pulse-chase experiment revealed that only non-O-acetylated murein subunits were incorporated into the growing murein sacculus, part of which became O-acetylated subsequently. Since a certain amount of newly incorporated subunits was lost during the chase, which reappeared in the sacculus about one generation later, limited murein turnover during the cell cycle became evident. 3The degree of crosslinkage of both the O-acetylated as well as the non-O-acetylated newly synthesized murein increased during subsequent growth. 4The labelled peptide-crosslinked dimers were cleaved by an endopeptidase isolated from P. mirabilis. The distribution of radioactivity between the resulting non-O-acetylated and O-acetylated monomers indicated that most of the mono-O-acetylated dimer fraction carried radioactivity exclusively in the non-O-acetylated subunit which was not O-acetylated during subsequent murein biosynthesis. 5Since only a small portion of the labelled mono-O-acetylated dimer fraction carried radioactivity in both subunits, and only at specific times of murein biosynthesis, it was concluded that thin portion of the labelled mono-O-acetylated dimer fraction represented an intermediate in the O-acetylation process.From these results a defined sequence of steps of murein biosynthesis is proposed.
SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF NOVEL 6- SUBSTITUTED BENZIMIDAZOLE-2-CARBAMATES AS POTENTIAL ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS

Objective : The aim of the present work was to synthesize and characterize a series of 6- substituted benzimidazole-2-carbamic acid derivatives and evaluate them for antimicrobial activity. Methods : A novel series of 6-substituted benzimidazole-2-carbamic acid derivatives (6a-f) were synthesized by reacting substituted benzyl chlorides (2a-c) with 4-hydroxy -2- nitro aniline (3) in the presence of anhydrous K 2 CO 3 in acetone. The series of 4-benzyl oxy -2-nitro anilines (4a-c) thus obtained were reduced with Raney nickel as catalyst. The 4-substituted-1, 2-phenylene diamines were then reacted with 1, 3- bis (alkoxy carbonyl)-S-methyl isothiourea (5a-b) to yield the final compounds (6a-f). The structures of synthesized compounds were established by 1 H NMR and mass spectroscopy. The synthesized compounds were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activity against five pathogenic bacterial strains and two pathogenic fungal strains. Results: All compounds showed moderate to good antibacterial and antifungal activity and were nearly effective as the standard antibacterial and antifungal drugs used for comparison. The exhibited good activity against gram negative bacterial strains like K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa as well as against fungal strain C. albicans . Conclusion: The 6-substituted benzimidazole-2-carbamates. compounds synthesized and evaluated for pharmacological activity are promising as antimicrobial agents and are amenable for further optimization.
Randomized controlled effectiveness trial of executive function intervention for children on the autism spectrum.

BACKGROUND Unstuck and On Target (UOT) is an executive function (EF) intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) targeting insistence on sameness, flexibility, goal-setting, and planning through a cognitive-behavioral program of self-regulatory scripts, guided/faded practice, and visual/verbal cueing. UOT is contextually-based because it is implemented in school and at home, the contexts in which a child uses EF skills. METHODS To evaluate the effectiveness of UOT compared with a social skills intervention (SS), 3rd-5th graders with ASD (mean IQ = 108; UOT n = 47; SS n = 20) received interventions delivered by school staff in small group sessions. Students were matched for gender, age, race, IQ, ASD symptomotolgy, medication status, and parents' education. Interventions were matched for 'dose' of intervention and training. Measures of pre-post change included classroom observations, parent/teacher report, and direct child measures of problem-solving, EF, and social skills. Schools were randomized and evaluators, but not parents or teachers, were blinded to intervention type. RESULTS Interventions were administered with high fidelity. Children in both groups improved with intervention, but mean change scores from pre- to postintervention indicated significantly greater improvements for UOT than SS groups in: problem-solving, flexibility, and planning/organizing. Also, classroom observations revealed that participants in UOT made greater improvements than SS participants in their ability to follow rules, make transitions, and be flexible. Children in both groups made equivalent improvements in social skills. CONCLUSIONS These data support the effectiveness of the first contextually-based EF intervention for children with ASD. UOT improved classroom behavior, flexibility, and problem-solving in children with ASD. Individuals with variable background/training in ASD successfully implemented UOT in mainstream educational settings.
Occurrence and Diversity of Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Lagoons and Groundwater Underlying Two Swine Production Facilities

ABSTRACT In this study, we used PCR typing methods to assess the presence of tetracycline resistance determinants conferring ribosomal protection in waste lagoons and in groundwater underlying two swine farms. All eight classes of genes encoding this mechanism of resistance [tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W),tet(M), tetB(P), tet(S),tet(T), and otrA] were found in total DNA extracted from water of two lagoons. These determinants were found to be seeping into the underlying groundwater and could be detected as far as 250 m downstream from the lagoons. The identities and origin of these genes in groundwater were confirmed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and sequence analyses. Tetracycline-resistant bacterial isolates from groundwater harbored the tet(M) gene, which was not predominant in the environmental samples and was identical to tet(M) from the lagoons. The presence of this gene in some typical soil inhabitants suggests that the vector of antibiotic resistance gene dissemination is not limited to strains of gastrointestinal origin carrying the gene but can be mobilized into the indigenous soil microbiota. This study demonstrated thattet genes occur in the environment as a direct result of agriculture and suggested that groundwater may be a potential source of antibiotic resistance in the food chain.
Pattern recognition of Twitter users using semantic topic modelling

This research work tries to understand the “interest” of the users of Twitter, where we define the interest as the maximum number of tweets a user has posted on a single topic. The discovery of top interest of for each Twitter user can have a variety of applications at Twitter including user recommendation with same interests and advertiser tagging. It would also result in a rich user experience. Although the discovery of finding similar users on Twitter is a well-studied problem, this work tries to achieve that result by building an interest matrix for each user from their tweets and thus including an important variable in finding similar users. This interest matrix is achieved using topic modelling. In real world, it is safe to assume that the more a person talks about something, the more they are interested about it. The algorithm tries to replicate the same assumption on Twitter where it tries to detect the parent topic of each tweet (e.g. sports, politics, science) of the user and then would segregate them as different interest.
National surveillance of asthma: United States, 2001-2010.

BACKGROUND Asthma is prevalent but treatable: adherence to evidence-based treatment lessens impairment and lowers the risk of future exacerbations. OBJECTIVE This report details recent trends in asthma prevalence, health care use, and mortality since 2001 and presents an overview of trends since 1980. METHODS Asthma prevalence estimates were obtained from the National Health Interview Survey (2001-2010). Physician office visit data were obtained from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, hospital outpatient department and emergency department (ED) visit data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, hospitalization data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey, and death data from the National Vital Statistics System (2001-2009). Two types of rates were calculated: population-based rates based on the total population and risk-based rates based on the population with asthma. RESULTS Current asthma prevalence increased from 2001 to 2010. There were no significant changes in rates for hospital outpatient department visits, ED visits, or hospitalizations, whereas risk-based rates for private physician office visits declined. Asthma death rates decreased from 2001 to 2009. Over the long term, asthma prevalence rose more slowly after 2001 than during 1980-1996, asthma hospitalizations declined since 1984 and deaths declined since 1999. Disparities by race and sex for adverse outcomes remained high despite these declines. CONCLUSION Since 2001, asthma prevalence increased, risk-based rates for visits to private physician offices and deaths declined, and risk-based rates for other types of ambulatory visits and for hospitalizations showed no clear trend.