gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Characterization of geometric distortions attacks in robust watermarking (2004)

Robust image watermarking algorithms have been proposed as methods for discouraging illicit copying and distribution of copyright material. Having robustness to pixels modifications in mind, many watermarking designers use techniques coming from the communications domain such as spread spectrum to embed hidden information, be it in the spatial or in the transform domain. There exist numerous attacks dedicated to make watermarking algorithms inefficient that degrade images by geometric distortions. One solution to counter them is to add synchronization information. In this paper we present an analysis of this type of distortions and we propose a metric to estimate the distortion undergone by an image. This metric is content independent, invariant to global translation, rotation and scaling, which can be considered as non-meaningful transformations. To demonstrate the relevance of this metric, we compare some of its results with the subjective degradation of the image produced by the Stirmark software.
Abstract 6100: Chemotherapy reduces TGF-beta signaling triggered by blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis (2022)

Abstract Combination of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with chemotherapy is becoming more commonly used for the treatment of various cancer types, including advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in patients who have PD-L1 positive tumors, among others. Although chemotherapy-ICB modalities have been shown to improve clinical responses over those observed with ICB alone, long-term disease control is achieved only in a small subset of patients. To provide a rational basis for combination therapy, and to potentially develop more effective approaches, in this study we investigated the impact of chemotherapy on the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the context of PD-1/PD-L1 axis blockade. ICB refractory murine models were utilized, including the TNBC 4T1 model and the Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) model. Following treatments with anti-PD-L1, docetaxel, or the combination anti-PD-L1 plus docetaxel, tumors were collected 4 days after the last treatment to evaluate early changes in the TME. Analyses included the characterization of tumor immune infiltrates via flow cytometry, RNA expression profiling via RT-PCR, RNA in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry for detection of immune infiltrates, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and phospho-Smad2 signaling. RNA analysis of 4T1 and LLC tumors revealed a significant upregulation of several transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) downstream target genes in the anti-PD-L1 monotherapy group. This increase was associated with enhanced expression of TGF-beta in the TME, as determined by RNA in situ hybridization, together with enhanced TGF-beta signaling denoted by increased expression of phospho-Smad2. Tumors treated with anti-PD-L1 monotherapy also exhibited increased numbers of alpha-smooth muscle actin positive fibroblasts in the TME. The effects observed with anti-PD-L1 as a monotherapy were not observed in tumors treated with docetaxel monotherapy or in those treated with the combination docetaxel plus anti-PD-L1 therapy, suggesting that upregulation of immunosuppressive TGF-beta signaling in the TME could be prevented by the addition of chemotherapy. Ongoing and future studies are aimed at understanding the mechanisms involved in the upregulation of TGF-beta signaling in the TME in response to anti-PD-L1 therapy in non-responsive tumors, the effect of various chemotherapies in this phenomenon, and the study of additional tumor models for optimization of chemotherapy-ICB modalities. Citation Format: Masafumi Iida, Lucas A Horn, Haiyan Qin, Kristen Fousek, Jeffrey Schlom, Claudia Palena. Chemotherapy reduces TGF-beta signaling triggered by blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 6100.
Approaches for containerized scientific workflows in cloud environments with applications in life science (2018)

Containers are gaining popularity in life science research as they encompass all dependencies of provisioned tools and simplifies software installations for end users, as well as offering a form of isolation between processes. Scientific workflows are ideal to chain containers into data analysis pipelines to sustain reproducible science. In this manuscript we review the different approaches to use containers inside the workflow tools Nextflow, Galaxy, Pachyderm, Luigi, and SciPipe when deployed in cloud environments. A particular focus is placed on the workflow tool’s interaction with the Kubernetes container orchestration framework.
Immunohistochemical Study of Mitosis-regulatory Proteins in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (2018)

The expression of aurora kinase B is associated with differentiation, progression and the aggressiveness of GEP-NENs. In the context of tumor progression, aurora B is strongly associated with markers of the mitosis regulatory network, survivin, FOXM1 and Ki-67. A shift of the intracellular localization of aurora B might be useful for the subclassification of intermediate-grade intestinal NET and NEC (20%<Ki-67<55%), since detailed Ki-67-based guidelines only exist for the pancreatic tumors. Most importantly, nuclear abundance of aurora B was found to be strictly limited to high-grade tumors, which is important for the consideration of aurora inhibitors for therapy of NENs.
In vivo horizontal oncogenesis by a human tumor in nude mice. (1982)

A human mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary was propagated in nude mice. After cryopreservation of the 3rd-passage xenograft for 4 years, subsequent in vivo transplants showed the emergence of two distinct populations, one resembling the original human adenocarcinoma and the other resembling a spindle-cell sarcoma. These two tumor cell populations were confirmed to be human and murine, respectively, by cytogenetic study, and the epithelial tumor cells were further shown to be of human origin by immunoperoxidase staining of blood group A antigen. Separation of the two tumor cell populations in vitro permitted the independent propagation of the human and murine tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The murine sarcoma was also capable of growth in ordinary BALB/c mice. These results indicate that human cancer cells can induce malignancy in adjacent, putatively normal, cells of nude mice in vivo.
Patch-Based Difference-in-Level Detection with Segmented Ground Mask (2023)

Difference-in-level detection in outdoor scenes has various possible applications, including walking assistance for blind people, robot walking assistance, and mapping the hazards of factory premises. It is difficult to detect all outdoor differences in level, such as RGB or RGB-D images, not only including road curbs, which are often targeted for detection in automated driving, but also differences in level on factory premises and sidewalks, because the pattern of outdoor differences in level is abundant and complex. This paper proposes a novel method for detecting differences in level from RGB-D images with segmented ground masks. First, image patches of differences in level were extracted from outdoor images to create the dataset. The change in the normal vector of the contour part on the detected plane is used to generate image patches of the difference in level, but this method strongly depends on the accuracy of planar detection, and it detects only some differences in level. Then, we created the dataset, consisting of image patches and including the extracted differences in level. The dataset is used for training a deep learning model for detecting differences in level in outdoor images without limitations. In addition, because the purpose of this paper is to detect differences in level in outdoor walking areas, regions in the image other than the target areas were excluded by the segmented ground mask. For the performance evaluation, we implemented our algorithm using a modern smartphone with a high-performance depth camera. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the results from various inputs, such as RGB, depth, grayscale, normal, and combinations of them, were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated, and Blender was used to generate synthetic test images for a quantitative evaluation of the difference in level. We confirm that the suggested method successfully detects various types of differences in level in outdoor images, even in complex scenes.
WE-A-17A-03: Catheter Digitization in High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy with the Assistance of An Electromagnetic (EM) Tracking System (2014)

Purpose: To investigate the use of a system using EM tracking, postprocessing and error-detection algorithms for measuring brachytherapy catheter locations and for detecting errors and resolving uncertainties in treatment-planning catheter digitization. Methods: An EM tracker was used to localize 13 catheters in a clinical surface applicator (A) and 15 catheters inserted into a phantom (B). Two pairs of catheters in (B) crossed paths at a distance <2 mm, producing an undistinguishable catheter artifact in that location. EM data was post-processed for noise reduction and reformatted to provide the dwell location configuration. CT-based digitization was automatically extracted from the brachytherapy plan DICOM files (CT). EM dwell digitization error was characterized in terms of the average and maximum distance between corresponding EM and CT dwells per catheter. The error detection rate (detected errors / all errors) was calculated for 3 types of errors: swap of two catheter numbers; incorrect catheter number identification superior to the closest position between two catheters (mix); and catheter-tip shift. Results: The averages ± 1 standard deviation of the average and maximum registration error per catheter were 1.9±0.7 mm and 3.0±1.1 mm for (A) and 1.6±0.6 mm and 2.7±0.8 mm for (B). The error detection rate was 100% (A and B) for swap errors, mix errors, and shift >4.5 mm (A) and >5.5 mm (B); errors were detected for shifts on average >2.0 mm (A) and >2.4 mm (B). Both mix errors associated with undistinguishable catheter artifacts were detected and at least one of the involved catheters was identified. Conclusion: We demonstrated the use of an EM tracking system for localization of brachytherapy catheters, detection of digitization errors and resolution of undistinguishable catheter artifacts. Automatic digitization may be possible with a registration between the imaging and the EM frame of reference. Research funded by the Kaye Family Award 2012
Retinoschisin Is a Peripheral Membrane Protein with Affinity for Anionic Phospholipids and Affected by Divalent Cations (2007)

RS in intact retina is a peripheral membrane protein. Although distributed over the two membrane faces, RS is associated primarily with the outer leaflet of the inner segment plasma membrane through anionic phospholipids and divalent cations. RS's localization in photoreceptors and its biochemical properties suggest a functional role locally, at the site of secretion and membrane adhesion, in maintaining the photoreceptor inner segment stability and architecture.
From Motion to Photons in 80 Microseconds: Towards Minimal Latency for Virtual and Augmented Reality (2016)

We describe an augmented reality, optical see-through display based on a DMD chip with an extremely fast (16 kHz) binary update rate. We combine the techniques of post-rendering 2-D offsets and just-in-time tracking updates with a novel modulation technique for turning binary pixels into perceived gray scale. These processing elements, implemented in an FPGA, are physically mounted along with the optical display elements in a head tracked rig through which users view synthetic imagery superimposed on their real environment. The combination of mechanical tracking at near-zero latency with reconfigurable display processing has given us a measured average of 80 µs of end-to-end latency (from head motion to change in photons from the display) and also a versatile test platform for extremely-low-latency display systems. We have used it to examine the trade-offs between image quality and cost (i.e. power and logical complexity) and have found that quality can be maintained with a fairly simple display modulation scheme.
Design of a divide-by-N asynchronous odd-number counter with 50/50 duty cycle (1974)

Methods of designing an asynchronous divide-by-N odd-number counter with 50/50 duty-cycle output are presented. The counter can be implemented by an EXCLUSIVE OR gate associated with a divide-by-(N + 1)/2 counter and a flip-flop, or by the combination of EXCLUSIVE OR gates and flip-flops.
Atomic Layer Deposition of AlF3 Using Trimethylaluminum and Hydrogen Fluoride (2015)

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) of AlF3 was demonstrated using trimethylaluminum (TMA) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). The HF source was HF-pyridine. In situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements were used to study AlF3 ALD. The AlF3 ALD film growth was examined at temperatures from 75 to 300 °C. Both the TMA and HF reactions displayed self-limiting behavior. The maximum mass gain per cycle (MGPC) of 44 ng/(cm2 cycle) for AlF3 ALD occurred at 100 °C. The MGPC values decreased at higher temperatures. The MGPC values were negative at T > 250 °C when TMA and HF were able to etch the AlF3 films. Film thicknesses were also determined using ex situ X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. The AlF3 ALD growth rate determined by the ex situ analysis was 1.43 Å/cycle at 100 °C. These ex situ measurements were in excellent agreement with the in situ QCM measurements. FTIR analysis monitored the growth of infrared absorbance from Al–F stretching vibrations at 500–900 cm–1 during AlF3 ALD. In addition, absorption peaks were observed that were consistent with AlF(CH3)2 and HF species on the surface after the TMA and HF exposures, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) measurements revealed that the deposited films were nearly stoichiometric AlF3 with an oxygen impurity of only ∼2 at %. AlF3 ALD may be useful for a number of applications such as ultraviolet optical films, protective coatings for the electrodes of Li ion batteries, and Lewis acid catalytic films.
Towards a better measure of business proximity (2014)

In this article, we propose a new measure of firms' dyadic business proximity. Specifically, we analyze the unstructured texts that describe firms' businesses using the natural language processing technique of topic modeling, and develop a novel business proximity measure based on the output. When compared with the existent methods, our approach provides finer granularity on quantifying firms' similarity in the spaces of product, market, and technology. We then show our measure's effectiveness through an empirical analysis using a unique dataset of recent mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. high technology industry. Building upon the literature, our model relates the likelihood of matching of two firms in a merger or acquisition transaction to their business proximity and other characteristics. We particularly employ a class of statistical network analysis methods called exponential random graph models to accommodate the relational nature of the data.
A phase I study of DNIB0600A, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting NaPi2b, in patients (pts) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (OC). (2014)

2504 Background: NaPi2b (SLC34A2) is a multi-transmembrane, sodium-dependent phosphate transporter expressed in ~70% non-squamous NSCLC and ~90% OC. DNIB0600A is an ADC consisting of a humanized IgG1 anti-NaPi2b monoclonal antibody conjugated to an anti-mitotic agent MMAE that shows anti-proliferative activity in xenograft models . Methods: This study evaluated safety and activity of DNIB0600A (0.2-2.8 mg/kg) given by intravenous infusion every 3 weeks (q3w) to pts with NSCLC or platinum-resistant OC. A traditional 3+3 design was used for dose escalation followed by expansion at the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 2.4 mg/kg in patients with NSCLC and OC. Tumor NaPi2b expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in archival tissue. Results: As of 10 Dec 2013, 73 pts have enrolled (43 NSCLC; 30 OC), median age 62 (range 39-85), PS 0-1, median number of prior regimens 3 (1-10) in NSCLC, and 5 (1-12) in OC. Pts received a median of 4 (range 1-28) cycles of DNIB0600A. One pt experienced a DLT (Grade 3 dyspnea) at 1.8 mg/kg; no additional DLTs occurred through the maximally administered dose of 2.8 mg/kg. The most common related AEs (all grades) were fatigue (55%), nausea (40%), peripheral neuropathy (36%), decreased appetite (34%), vomiting (26%), and alopecia (19%). Related Grade 3/4 adverse events included neutropenia (8%), anemia, peripheral neuropathy, and pneumonia (each 3%), dehydration, dyspnea, fatigue, hyperglycemia, hyperkalemia, hypertensions, transaminitis, and URI (each 1%)— only dyspnea led to study treatment discontinuation. At the RP2D of 2.4 mg/kg q3w, 7/17 (41%) of IHC 2/3+ pts with OC had confirmed PRs (DoR range 1.4+ to 9.4+ months). In NSCLC, 2/21 (10%) of IHC 2/3+ pts had confirmed PRs (DoR 4.3 and 4.8 months), and 5/21 (24%) had unconfirmed PRs for best response. No pt with an IHC Score of 0 showed clinical response by RECIST criteria. + : censored. Conclusions: DNIB0600A administered q3w has an encouraging safety profile and evidence of anti-tumor activity in both OC and NSCLC. These data support Phase 2 development in OC with further clinical evaluation of DNIB0600A in NSCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT01375842.
Thin film silicon emitters for crystalline silicon solar cells, epitaxial, amorphous or microcrystalline? A simulation study (2002)

The performance of solar cells which consist of thin-film silicon emitters of the type epi-Si(n), a-Si(n)/a-Si(i) or µc-Si(n)/a-Si(i) grown on a high quality p-type silicon wafer, is investigated by numerical computer simulation. The influence of the emitter/wafer interface state density, of the front contact surface recombination velocity and of the front contact barrier height on the IV-characteristics of the solar cells is examined. It is shown that applying a TCO as a front contact material, severe degradation of the solar cell performance is to be expected in case of an epi(n) and an a-Si(n)/a-Si(i) emitter due to emitter depletion and reduction of the internal field within the c-Si absorber. It is shown that a µc-Si(n)/a-Si(i) emitter offers some advantages: (1) The cell is almost insensitive to the TCO/emitter contact, and (2) its higher doping efficiency leads to higher short circuit currents and to a better suppression of the emitter/wafer interface recombination.
Cells of the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis. Synovial fibroblasts (2007)

For some time synovial fibroblasts have been regarded simply as innocent synovial cells, mainly responsible for synovial homeostasis. During the past decade, however, a body of evidence has accumulated illustrating that rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) are active drivers of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. Details regarding the intracellular signalling cascades that result in long-term activation and synthesis of proinflammatory molecules and matrix-degrading enzymes by RASFs have been analyzed. Molecular, cellular and animal studies have identified various interactions with other synovial and inflammatory cells. This expanded knowledge of the distinct role played by RASFs in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis has moved these fascinating cells to the fore, and work to identify targeted therapies to inhibit their joint destructive potential is underway.
Voiced-unvoiced-silence detection using the Itakura LPC distance measure (2005)

One of the most difficult problems in speech analysis is reliable discrimination among silence, unvoiced speech, and voiced speech which has been transmitted over a telephone line. Although several methods have been proposed for making this 3-level decision, these schemes have met with only modest success. In this paper a novel approach to the voiced-unvoiced-silence detection problem is proposed in which a spectral characterization of each of the 3 classes of signal is obtained during a training session, and an LPC distance metric and an energy distance are nonlinearly combined to make the final discrimination. This algorithm has been tested over conventional switched telephone lines, across a variety of speakers, and has been found to have an error rate of about 5%, with the majority of the errors (about 2/3) occurring at the boundaries between signal classes. The algorithm is currently being used in a speaker independent word recognition system.
Learning from Older Adults’ Use of Urban Parks in Hong Kong’s Low-income Areas (2022)

Spatial justice, specifically accessibility, Universal Design and the fulfilment of human rights for vulnerable groups are increasingly important issues in urban research and city-level agendas concerning public spaces. Although the development of older adult–friendly urban environments is part of the agenda to promote healthy ageing societies, public spaces (e.g., urban parks) often exclude those in the advanced age group in the community. This article aims to clarify the everyday activities of older adults in urban parks by focusing on the extreme case of Sham Shui Po. Sham Shui Po is a low-income, high-density and public space–scarce neighbourhood in Hong Kong, a city characterised by a rapidly ageing population and high socio-spatial inequality. Through on-site observations and notetaking, two small urban parks, namely the Nam Cheong Street Park (NCSA) and Tai Hung Tang Park (THTP), were studied. NCSA, located in a congested vehicular street median, is predominantly for social activities. It forms a part of the daily route of residents and inhabitants from different ethnicities. Unaccompanied older adults, with limited mobilities, regularly use NCSA to navigate the neighbourhood. THTP is a site for older adults to engage in physical activities and also accommodates large groups and caregivers. Defensive architecture and design layout may affect the group size in the parks, while sittable edges may directly contribute to the park use by older adults with physical impairment, particularly near street crossings. The findings from this extreme neighbourhood highlight the critical role of landscape infrastructure for healthy ageing societies. Read the full article in accessible html-format here.
Developing a framework and algorithm for scalability to evaluate the performance and throughput of CRM systems (2016)

AbstractScalability in hardware and/or software is an important factor for enhancing the performance of running processes as well as the throughput of the system of business organizations. This paper explores the need for scalability and issues related to extending the resources in order to ensure an improved and scaled-up Customer Relationship Management (CRM) architecture. The main contribution discussed in this paper is the proposal of a conceptual framework for measuring the process performance and throughput of the system beyond the selection of the type of scalability. Furthermore, this paper concerns the CRM system, as customer requests, their online transactions, and responses need a fast and efficient system. Taking into consideration all these factors, ultimately this paper proposed a customer-friendly framework for measuring the process performance and throughput of the system. Finally, the proposed framework’s steps are shown in an algorithm calculating process performance and throughput of th...