Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A robust and real-time texture analysis system using a distributed workstation cluster

This paper presents a parallel approach to the development of a real-time system for recognition of textured objects. In order to find an efficient and effective approach to identify and localize objects in textured images invariant of translation, rotation and scale changes and occlusion, we propose a new method which involves dynamic texture feature extraction and hierarchical image matching. Based on our previous work, we extend the concept of interesting points and develop a dynamic detection procedure on texture energy image which is in conjunction with Laws' texture energy concept and our mask tuning scheme. The search for the best fit between two objects in terms of Hausdorff distance is guided through an interesting point pyramid from coarse level to fine level. In addition, unlike current approaches which mostly rely on specialized multiprocessor architectures for fast processing, we use a distributed workstation cluster to support parallelism, which provides a different approach to real-time computing and is applicable to many classes of tasks.
Metric performance in similar blocks search and their use in collaborative 3D filtering of grayscale images

Similar blocks (patches) search plays an important role in image processing. However, there are many factors making this search problematic and leading to errors. Noise in images that arises due to bad acquisition conditions or other sources is one of the main factors. Performance of similar patch search might make worse dramatically if noise level is high and/or if noise is not additive, white and Gaussian. In this paper, we consider the influence of similarity metrics (distances) on search performance. We demonstrate that robustness of similarity metrics is a crucial issue for performance of similarity search. Two models of additive noise are used: AWGN and spatially correlated noise with a wide set of noise standard deviations. To investigate metric performance, five test images are used for artificially inserted group of identical blocks. Metric effectiveness evaluation is carried out for nine different metric (including several unconventional ones) in three domains (one spatial and two spectral). It is shown that conventional Euclidian metric might be not the best choice which depends upon noise properties and data processing domain. After establishing the best metrics, they are exploited within non-local image denoising, namely the BM3D filter. This filter is applied to intensity images of the database TID2008. It is demonstrated that the use of more robust metrics instead of classical ones (Euclidean) in BM3D filter allows improving similar block search and, as a result, provides better results of image denoising for the case of spatially correlated noise.
Approaches to Manual Ventilation

Manual ventilation is a basic skill that involves airway assessment, maneuvers to open the airway, and application of simple and complex airway support devices and effective positive-pressure ventilation using a bag and mask. An important part of manual ventilation is recognizing its success and when it is difficult or impossible and a higher level of support is necessary to sustain life. Careful airway assessment will help clinicians identify what and when the next step needs to be taken. Often simple airway maneuvers such as the head tilt/chin lift and jaw thrust can achieve a patent airway. Appropriate use of airway adjuncts can further aid the clinician in situations in which airway maneuvers may not be sufficient. Bag-mask ventilation (BMV) plays a vital role in effective manual ventilation, improving both oxygenation and ventilation as well as buying time while preparations are made for endotracheal intubation. There are, however, situations in which BMV may be difficult or impossible. Anticipation and early recognition of these situations allows clinicians to quickly make adjustments to the method of BMV or to employ a more advanced intervention to avoid delays in establishing adequate oxygenation and ventilation.
Lasting Syndrome of Depression Produced by Reduction in Serotonin Uptake during Postnatal Development: Evidence from Sleep, Stress, and Behavior

Dysfunction of the serotonin system is implicated in sleep and emotional disorders. To test whether these impairments could arise during development, we studied the impact of early-life, transient versus genetic, permanent alterations of serotonin reuptake on sleep–wakefulness patterns, depression-related behavior, and associated physiological features. Here, we show that female mice treated neonatally with a highly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, escitalopram, exhibited signs of depression in the form of sleep anomalies, anhedonia, increased helplessness reversed by chronic antidepressant treatment, enhanced response to acute stress, and increased serotoninergic autoinhibitory feedback. This syndrome was not reproduced by treatment in naive adults but resembled the phenotype of mutant mice lacking the serotonin transporter, except that these exhibited decreased serotonin autoreceptor sensitivity and additional anxiety-like behavior. Thus, alteration of serotonin reuptake during development, whether induced by external or genetic factors, causes a depressive syndrome lasting into adulthood. Such early-life impairments might predispose individuals to sleep and/or mood disorders.
Functional gamma‐secretase inhibitors reduce beta‐amyloid peptide levels in brain

Converging lines of evidence implicate the beta‐amyloid peptide (Aβ) as causative in Alzheimer's disease. We describe a novel class of compounds that reduce Aβ production by functionally inhibiting γ‐secretase, the activity responsible for the carboxy‐terminal cleavage required for Aβ production. These molecules are active in both 293 HEK cells and neuronal cultures, and exert their effect upon Aβ production without affecting protein secretion, most notably in the secreted forms of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Oral administration of one of these compounds, N‐[N‐(3,5‐difluorophenacetyl)‐l‐alanyl]‐S‐phenylglycine t‐butyl ester, to mice transgenic for human APPV717F reduces brain levels of Aβ in a dose‐dependent manner within 3 h. These studies represent the first demonstration of a reduction of brain Aβin vivo. Development of such novel functional γ‐secretase inhibitors will enable a clinical examination of the Aβ hypothesis that Aβ peptide drives the neuropathology observed in Alzheimer's disease.
Antitumor Agents: Extravasation, Management, and Surgical Treatment

We discuss our experience with antineoplastic drug extravasation. Between December 1988 and December 1990, 40 patients with cytostatic extravasation with lesions of varying seriousness were observed. In these patients, whenever possible, depending on the amount of time that elapsed since the accident and on the severity of the lesion, conservative therapy was done. The procedure consisted of local injection of a considerable amount of saline solution (20–90 ml, depending on the site of extravasation) and topical occlusive applications of corticosteroids locally. In all patients this was sufficient to avoid tissue necrosis. Treatment of a few patients deviated from these procedures because surgery was performed that ranged from the simple excision of infiltrated tissue to a more complex procedure of free flaps. On the basis of our experience, we discuss the role of early surgery when preventive measures and drug therapy are insufficient because of drug effects at the tissue level. In this series we did not perform early surgery.
In vivo hyperglycemia and its effect on Glut-1 expression in the embryonic heart.

BACKGROUND Maternal diabetes exposes embryos to periods of hyperglycemia. Glucose is important for normal cardiogenesis, and Glut-1 is the predominant glucose transporter in the embryo. METHODS Pregnant mice were exposed to 6 or 12 hr hyperglycemia during organogenesis using intraperitoneal (IP) injections of D-glucose on gestational day (GD) 9.5 (plug = GD 0.5). Embryos were examined for morphology and total cardiac protein, and embryonic hearts were evaluated for Glut-1 protein and mRNA expression immediately after treatment (GD 9.75, GD 10.0), as well as on GD 10.5 and GD 12.5. RESULTS IP glucose injections were effective in producing sustained maternal hyperglycemia. Maternal hyperglycemia for 6 or 12 hr on GD 9.5, followed by normoglycemia, produced a decrease in overall size and total cardiac protein in embryos evaluated on GD 10.5 but no difference on GD 12.5. Cardiac Glut-1 expression was immediately upregulated in embryos exposed to 6 or 12 hr maternal hyperglycemia. On GD 10.5, cardiac Glut-1 expression was not different in embryos exposed to maternal hyperglycemia for 6 hr but was downregulated in embryos exposed for 12 hr. On GD 12.5, cardiac Glut-1 expression in embryos exposed to maternal hyperglycemia on GD 9.5 for 6 or 12 hr, followed by normoglycemia, was not different from controls. The temporal pattern was the same for Glut-1 protein and mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS Hyperglycemia-induced alterations in Glut-1 expression likely interfere with balance of glucose available to the embryonic heart that may affect cardiac morphogenesis.
Cloning of the two pyruvate kinase isoenzyme structural genes from Escherichia coli: the relative roles of these enzymes in pyruvate biosynthesis

We report the cloning of the pykA and pykF genes from Escherichia coli, which code for the two pyruvate kinase isoenzymes (ATP:pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferases; EC 2.7.1.40) in this microorganism. These genes were insertionally inactivated with antibiotic resistance markers and utilized to interrupt one or both pyk genes in the E. coli chromosome. With these constructions, we were able to study the role of these isoenzymes in pyruvate biosynthesis.
The Four-Function Model of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Nonsuicidal self-injury is receiving increasing attention in empirical and clinical realms. Indeed, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders designated nonsuicidal self-injury as a condition that requires further study, which signals possible future official adoption. Despite growing interest in this perplexing phenomenon, much remains unknown about why nonsuicidal self-injury occurs, including fundamental features of its etiology and underlying mechanisms. In addition, no evidence-based interventions that directly target this maladaptive behavior currently exist. The recently developed, empirically supported four-function model posits that nonsuicidal self-injury is maintained by four distinct reinforcement processes. In this review, we used the four-function model to guide the understanding of important unanswered questions and suggest much-needed studies for future research in the field of self-injury.
Conservation and Innovation of APOBEC3A Restriction Functions during Primate Evolution.

LINE-1 (long interspersed element-1) retroelements are the only active autonomous endogenous retroelements in human genomes. Their retrotransposition activity has created close to 50% of the current human genome. Due to the apparent costs of this proliferation, host genomes have evolved multiple mechanisms to curb LINE-1 retrotransposition. Here, we investigate the evolution and function of the LINE-1 restriction factor APOBEC3A, a member of the APOBEC3 cytidine deaminase gene family. We find that APOBEC3A genes have evolved rapidly under diversifying selection in primates, suggesting changes in APOBEC3A have been recurrently selected in a host-pathogen "arms race. " Nonetheless, in contrast to previous reports, we find that the LINE-1 restriction activity of APOBEC3A proteins has been strictly conserved throughout simian primate evolution in spite of its pervasive diversifying selection. Based on these results, we conclude that LINE-1s have not driven the rapid evolution of APOBEC3A in primates. In contrast to this conserved LINE-1 restriction, we find that a subset of primate APOBEC3A genes have enhanced antiviral restriction. We trace this gain of antiviral restriction in APOBEC3A to the common ancestor of a subset of Old World monkeys. Thus, APOBEC3A has not only maintained its LINE-1 restriction ability, but also evolved a gain of antiviral specificity against other pathogens. Our findings suggest that while APOBEC3A has evolved to restrict additional pathogens, only those adaptive amino acid changes that leave LINE-1 restriction unperturbed have been tolerated.
Myopia Progression Is Specified by a Double Exponential Growth Function

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how well a modified Gompertz double exponential growth function delineates the diverse courses of myopia progression found in individual eyes. The function is: R = Re+ Rc(0.07295)a(x−to) where the spherical equivalent refractive error at a given age R equals the initial refractive error (Re) plus the overall refractive change (Rc) times a double exponential function with the base (0.07295) representing the proportion of Rc that occurs when maximum acceleration is reached, a is a curvature coefficient, to is the age of onset and x is age. Methods. This function was fit to longitudinal refractive data (spherical equivalents) for both eyes of 36 myopic children. The fits were required to meet a stringent set of criteria, including fitting transitions in and out of myopia progression and having no systematic errors or arbitrary constants. Results. Correlation between values on the refractive function and corresponding data of individual eyes is high (mean r = 0.973 ± 0.020), the sum of squares between the data and function is low, and all other criteria are met. The rates of refractive change and acceleration were derivable from this function. It has been shown that, if peak acceleration rate is used as a criterion for the onset of myopia progression, then myopization onset starts a year earlier (mean = 8.93 years) than when a -0.50-D onset criterion is used (mean = 9.93 years), and it usually starts before the spherical equivalent reaches zero (mean R = +0.09 D). Age of onset is highly correlated with the duration of myopia progression (r = 0.693), which in turn is correlated with the amount of myopia achieved (r = 0.443). Conclusions. We demonstrate that the double exponential function delineates the dynamics of myopia progression onset, offset, and the derivatives that describe the mechanisms underlying the growth process that causes myopia and have explained the advantages of this function. The function can be used to more accurately portray the course of individual subject’s myopic progression.
Reconnaissance d'Emotions: un point de vue interaction multimodale

Analysis of emotion recognition is a young but maturing research field, for which there is an emerging need for engineering models and in particular design models. Addressing these engineering challenges of emotion recognition, we reuse and adapt results from the research field of multimodal interaction, since the expression of an emotion is intrinsically multimodal. In this paper, we refine the definition of an interaction modality for the case of passive emotion recognition. We also study the combination of modalities by applying the CARE properties. We highlight the benefits of our design model for emotion recognition.
Essential and toxic elements in commercial baby food on the Spanish and Serbian market

ABSTRACT About 10 heavy elements were determined in 90 samples of baby food collected from Spanish and Serbian market. The results indicated that iron, manganese and copper were most frequently detected. Tin was the predominant toxic element in both Spanish and Serbian samples, with occurrence frequencies of 12.5% and 10.0%, respectively. Element intake for Spanish and Serbian infants were estimated and compared with the recommended reference values, for the majority of elements being lower than one. However, iron and manganese intake through consumption of infant/follow-on formulas were assessed to be higher than the respective daily intakes. Particular attention should be paid to the exposure of infants who consume porridges made of vegetables and fish or chicken, because they may ingest certain elements, particularly arsenic and lead, at levels that exceed the reference toxicological values. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to classify and distinguish the different types of baby food.
Surface diffusion and phase transition on the Ge(111) surface studied by scanning tunneling microscopy.

The formation of disordered regions is observed on the Ge(111)c2×8 surface, at temperatures in the range 150-350 o C. The disorder occurs by the diffusion of surface adatoms in the (011) directions. The disordered regions form at domain boundaries, and grow continuously with temperature until the entire surface becomes disordered at 300 o C. We argue that this phase transition is an example of premelting in two dimensions, i.e., «edge melting»
Lactobacilli and other lactic acid-related bacteria in the mucosal proximal gastrointestinal tract of pigs: a review of ecology for two derivative approaches for isolation of novel species

This chapter reviews some ecological aspects of the gut microbiota of pigs, with particular emphasis on indigenous lactobacilli and other lactic acid related bacteria (LARB) in the mucosal microhabitats of the stomach and jejunum. It depicts the way these bacteria make their living in the digestive and interdigestive proximal gastrointestinal tract and how oxygen as an omnipresent physicochemical environmental factor determines their mucosal niches. Overall, the chapter outlines the theoretical background of two new approaches for isolation of novel species of mucosa associated lactobacilli and LARB.
Detection of sleep apnea using sub-frame based temporal variation of energy in beta band in EEG

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that affects one's breathing during sleep. A large number of people all over the world are suffering from this disease. Electroencephalogram (EEG) provides electrical activity of the brain signal that enables physicians to diagnose and monitor sleep apnea events. In this paper, an efficient scheme for classifying apnea and non-apnea events of an apnea patient is proposed based on temporal variation of Beta band energy in a frame of EEG data. Unlike conventional approaches, instead of extracting features from the whole frame at a time, a given test frame of EEG signal is divided into overlapping sub-frames and spectral characteristics are extracted from each pre-processed sub-frame. By investigating the spectro-temporal characteristics of all the traditional frequency bands of EEG signal, it is found that the temporal variation of spectral energy in Beta band plays the dominant role in classifying apnea and non-apnea events. Statistical features are extracted from the temporal pattern of Beta band energy and are used in K nearest neighborhood classifier. Extensive experimentation is carried out on several apnea patients with various apnea indices and a very satisfactory apnea detection performance is achieved in comparison to that obtained by some existing methods.
[Risk factors for suicide attempt among college students at Central South University].

OBJECTIVE To understand the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation among college students and to provide a scientific basis for promoting psychological health and suicide prevention. METHODS 623 college students at Central South University were selected using stratified cluster sampling and administered a suicide ideation questionnaire, a Symptom Check List (SCL-90), an Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC), a Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and a questionnaire about background information. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors for suicide ideation. RESULTS One year prior to our investigation, 14.6% of respondents had suicide ideation, 2.5% had made a specific suicide plan, and 1.8% had made a suicide attempt. The main risk factors for suicide ideation were dissatisfaction with the selected major of study, limited social support, recent negative life events and depressive tendency. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of suicide ideation among these college students was high. Appropriate measures focusing on the risk factors identified in this study should be urgently developed to prevent suicides in college students.
A new method for the preparation and some properties of staphylococcal delta-haemolysin.

SUMMARY: Staphylococcal delta-haemolysin is soluble and stable in chloroform + methanol (2:1, v/v). It distributes mainly in the lower phase of chloroform + methanol + water (10:5:3, by vol.) under neutral conditions, but almost entirely in the upper phase in the presence of acid, and was purified by cyclic transfer from one phase to the other. The final product gave a single peak on ultracentrifugation but was polydisperse, and on polyacrylamide gel showed a second faint band. It is very soluble in water being a simple protein of moderate molecular weight containing no lipid and, at most, only traces of phosphorus and carbohydrate. It does not contain tyrosine, arginine, proline or cystine. Though stable over a wide range of pH, in dilute solution it is rapidly adsorbed to glass and other surfaces, which makes accurate assay difficult. Haemolytic activity is low; 1 mg. contains 250 to 300 Haemolytic Units (HU) per ml.
La fouille de graphes dans les bases de données réactionnelles au service de la synthèse en chimie organique

La synthese en chimie organique consiste a concevoir de nouvelles molecules a partir de reactifs et de reactions. Les experts de la synthese s'appuient sur de tres grandes bases de donnees de reactions qu'ils consultent a travers des procedures d'interrogation standard. Un processus de decouverte de nouvelles reactions leur permettrait de mettre au point de nouveaux procedes de synthese. Cet article presente une modelisation des reactions par des graphes et introduit une methode de fouille de ces graphes de reaction qui permet de faire emerger des motifs generiques utiles a la prediction de nouvelles reactions. Enfin l'article fait le point sur l'etat actuel de ce travail de recherche en presentant le modele general dans lequel s'integrera un nouvel algorithme de fouille de reactions chimiques.
A Study on Diabetes Mellitus among Cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Ahmedabad -

Introduction: Tuberculosis and Diabetes mellitus are two public health problems which not only often coexist but have serious implications on each other.DM has an impact on symptomatology,radiological manifestation,diagnosis,and management of TB.TB has significant impact on DM,causing unmasking of DM and poor control because of stress or because of drug treatment for TB.Present study attempts to asseses this coexistence with regard to the age predisposition,sex preponderance, duration and glycemic control of diabetes and the radiological manifestation. Methodology: 84 patients presenting to Pulmonary Medicine Department Smt N.H. L Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad who were suffering from both Tuberculosis and Diabetes mellitus, were studied. Various parameters considered included age, sex, history of diabetes with regard to the duration and glycemic control and radiological presentations. Results: It was found that majority were males(52 /84). The age group most commonly involved was the 40-60 year group (64 /84). Majority had their diabetes diagnosed before diagnosis of tuberculosis (48 /84), 19 had diagnosis after TB diagnosis . Out of these 48 diagnosed diabetes,9 had controlled diabetes whereas 39 had uncontrolled diabetes.26 patients had the typical radiological lesions while 58 had atypical radiological manifestation with either patchy opacity or cavitations fanning out from hilar region, lower lobe involvement and multi lobe involvement. Conclusion: TB and DM often coexist together and adversely affect eachother.Both need to be managed properly in order to achieve favorable treatment outcome.