RICH AND EFFICIENT VISUAL DATA REPRESENTATION

Increasing the size of training data in many computer vision tasks has shown to be very effective. Using large scale image datasets (e.g. ImageNet) with simple learning techniques (e.g. linear classifiers) one can achieve state-of-the-art performance in object recognition compared to sophisticated learning techniques on smaller image sets. Semantic search on visual data has become very popular. There are billions of images on the internet and the number is increasing every day. Dealing with large scale image sets is intense per se. They take a significant amount of memory that makes it impossible to process the images with complex algorithms on single CPU machines. Finding an efficient image representation can be a key to attack this problem. A representation being efficient is not enough for image understanding. It should be comprehensive and rich in carrying semantic information. In this proposal we develop an approach to computing binary codes that provide a rich and efficient image representation. We demonstrate several tasks in which binary features can be very effective. We show how binary features can speed up large scale image classification. We present learning techniques to learn the binary features from supervised image set (With different types of semantic supervision; class labels, textual descriptions). We propose several problems that are very important in finding and using efficient image representation.

Betalain rich functional extract with reduced salts and nitrate content from red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) using membrane separation technology

An initial laboratory-scale evaluation of separation characteristics of membranes with nominal molecular weight cut-offs (NMWCO) ranging from 30 kD down to 0.5 kD indicated effective separation of betalains in the 0.5 kD region. Subsequent pilot-level trials using 1 kD, loose reverse osmosis (LRO) and reverse osmosis (RO) spiral-wound membranes showed LRO membrane to be very efficient with up to 96% salt and 47% other dissolved solids removed while retaining majority of the pigment (∼98%) in the betalain rich extract (BRE). The total betalain content in the BRE increased up to 46%, the highest recovery reported so far at pilot scale level. Interestingly, more than 95% of the nitrates were removed from the BRE after the three diafiltrations. These studies indicate that membrane technology is the most efficient technique to produce BRE with highly reduced amounts of salts and nitrate content.

Antiangiogenic potential of yogurts added with extracts rich in apigenin derivatives

Angiogenesis is a biological process through which there is the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting ones [I]. However, in pathological cases, the abnormal growth of new blood vessels promotes the development of various diseases including cancer [2) through the production of atypically large amounts of angiogenesis factors, e.g. the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [3]. The plant secondary metabolites have been the subject of several studies to evaluate their benefits to human health. In particular, the phenolic compounds have high potential for use in the food industry, including the development of functional foods. Among these, apigenin has been associated with chemopreventive effects related to cancer [4]. In fact, chemoprevention is a present-day concept and contemplates the use of medicines, biological compounds or nutrients as an intervention strategy of cancer prevention. In this work, an Arenaria montana L hydroethanolic extract was prepared and after characterization by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS showed to be rich in apigenin derivatives. Furthermore, it exhibited ability to inhibit the phosphorylation of VEGFR-2 (vascular endothelium growth factor receptor) through an enzymatic assay. However, for the major protection of bioactive compounds, the extract was microencapsulated by an atomization/coagulation technique with alginate as the matrix material. Posteriorly, the hydroethanolic extract, in free and microencapsulated forms, was incorporated in yogurts in order to develop a novel chemopreventer food in relation to the angiogenesis process. The functionalized yogurts with A. montana extracts (free and microencapsulated) showed a nutritional value similar to the used control (yogurt without extract); however, the samples enriched with extracts revealed added-value regarding the VEGFR-2 phosphorylation inhibition ability. This effect was more effectively preserved over time in the samples functionalized with the protected extract. Overall, this work contributes to the valorization of plants rich in flavonoids, exploring its antiangiogenic potential with VEGFR-2 as target. Moreover, the atomization/coagulation technique allowed the production of viable microspheres enriched with the plant extract. The microspheres were effectively incorporated into yogurts, protecting the extract thus envisaging the development of novel functional foods with chemopreventive effects.

Comparative study of bioactive potential of Fueniculum vulgare Mill. and Matricaria recutita L. phenolic rich extracts to functionalize cottage chesse

Synthetic additives used in a wide variety of food products have been associated to some toxic effects. This conducted to an increasing interest of consumers for natural additives, including food preservers [1]. Many aromatic herbs have been used to prepare bioactive extracts with benefits to the consumer's health. Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (fennel) and Matricaria recutita L. (chamomile) are examples of popular herbs rich in phenolic compounds with documented antioxidant and antimicrobial properties [2,3]. The present work confirms the antioxidant (DPPH scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition) and antimicrobial (against bacteria such as Bacillus cereus and Salmonella Typhimurium and fungi such as Aspergillus niger, A. versicolor and PenicilliumfimicuJosum) activities of fennel and chamomile extracts, obtained by decoction. The chemical characterization of the extracts, performed by HPLC-DAD-ESIIMS, revealed the presence of five flavonoids (mainly qercetin-3-0- glucoside) and twelve phenolic acids (mainly 5-0-caffeolyquinic acid) for fennel extract and the presence of nine flavonoids (mainly luteolin-0-glucuronide) and ten phenolic acids (mainly di-caffeoyl-2,7- anhydro-3-deoxy-2-octulopyranosonic acid) for chamomile extract. Due to their high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, both extracts were then incorporated (at DPPH scavenging activity EC25 value: 0.35 mg/mL and 0.165 mg/mL for fennel and chamomile, respectively) in cottage cheeses (prepared by Queijos Casa Matias Lda) as natural additives with two objectives: to increase the shelf-life of the cottage cheeses and to provide bioactive properties to the final products. The results showed that the use of these natural extracts did not alter significantly the nutritional characteristics of the cottage cheese in comparison with control samples (cottage cheese without extracts), but improved its antioxidant potential (more evident in the samples with chamomile extract). After 14 days of storage, only the control samples showed signs of degradation. Overall, the present study highlights the preservation potential of fennel and chamomile extracts in cottage cheeses, improving also their bioactivity.

A map of that part of Georgia occupied by the Cherokee Indians, taken from an actual survey made during the present year 1831, in pursuance of an act of the general assembly of the state : this interesting tract of country contains four millions three hundred & sixty six thousand five hundred & fifty four acres, many rich gold mines & many delightful situations & though in some parts mountainous, some of the richest land belonging to the state /

Relief shown by hachures.

Using autologous platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of complex fistulas

Objective: This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of autologous fibrin gel rich in platelet growth factors for the treatment of complex perianal fistulas. Material and methods: Prospective epidemiological study. Patients with complex perianal fistula or perianal fistula mere alteration of continence are included. identification of both holes and the journey, curettage of it and instillation of Vivostat PRF® in the way it is done to observe excess material by OFE. The variables analyzed were: age, sex, use of prior Seton clinic prevalent type of fistula, postoperative complications, fistula closure and impaired quality of life using the SF-36 test (v2). Results: From January 2011 to May 2013 have involved 23 patients, 12 men and 11 women, with an average age of 49 years and a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Two dropped out. 17 patients had low transsphincteric fistulas, 2 and 2 high transsphincteric intersphincteric with impaired continence. The most common symptom is the discharge. Twelve patients had a loose seton (62%), of which nine cured. Of all the patients we have operated the success rate is 62%. No patient developed incontinence after treatment. Only two reported a worse quality of life after surgery. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that there is a clear benefit to the use of Vivostat PRF® as a treatment for complex perianal fistulas. It is a highly reproducible technique with acceptable results and does not produce impairment of continence.

Measurement of picosecond lifetimes in neutron-rich Xe isotopes

Background: Lifetimes of nuclear excited states in fission fragments have been studied in the past following isotope separation, thus giving access mainly to the fragments' daughters and only to long-lived isomeric states in the primary fragments. For the first time now, short-lived excited states in the primary fragments, produced in neutron-induced prompt fission of U-235 and Pu-241, were studied within the EXILL&FATIMA campaign at the intense neutron-beam facility of the Institute Laue-Langevin in Grenoble. Purpose: We aim to investigate the quadrupole collective properties of neutron-rich even-even Xe-138,Xe-140,Xe-142 isotopes lying between the double shell closure N = 82 and Z = 50 and a deformed region with octupole collectivity. Method: The gamma rays emitted from the excited fragments were detected with a mixed array consisting of 8 HPGe EXOGAM Clover detectors (EXILL) and 16 LaBr3(Ce) fast scintillators (FATIMA). The detector system has the unique ability to select the interesting fragment making use of the high resolution of the HPGe detectors and determine subnanosecond lifetimes using the fast scintillators. For the analysis the generalized centroid difference method was used. Results: We show that quadrupole collectivity increases smoothly with increasing neutron number above the closed N = 82 neutron shell. Our measurements are complemented by state-of-the-art theory calculations based on shell-model descriptions. Conclusions: The observed smooth increase in quadrupole collectivity is similar to the evolution seen in the measured masses of the xenon isotopic chain and is well reproduced by theory. This behavior is in contrast to higher Z even-even nuclei where abrupt change in deformation occurs around N = 90.

Evaluation of biomaterials with and without platelet-rich plasma: a histometric study using beagle dogs

Aim: To compare the alveolar bone repair process using biomaterial in dogs with and without the incorporation of platelet-rich plasma. Methods: Six beagles were used. Bilateral extractions of the three mandibular premolars were performed. Bio-Gen® was applied in the first alveolus, the clot was maintained in the second alveolus and Genox® was applied to the third alveolus. PRP was added to all alveoli on the left side only. The dogs were submitted to euthanasia after 30, 60 and 90 days and submitted to histological analysis for the determination of mean area of new bone formation. Tukey’s post test was used in the statistical analysis. Results: Significant increase in bone formation occurred in Bio-Gen® + PRP when compared with the other groups at 30 and 90 days. In the evaluation at 60 days, no statistically significant differences among the groups were found. Conclusions: The Bio-Gen® biomaterial led to the best bone repair and the combination of platelet-rich plasma accelerated the repair process.

Liver injury from ampicillin-induced intestinal microbiota distresses in rats fed carbohydrate- and protein-rich diets

Purpose: To investigate the effect of ampicillin on rat intestinal microflora and liver in the presence of high carbohydrate and protein diets. Methods: Male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. The first group served as the control, the second group was treated with ampicillin (50 mg/kg for 3 weeks) and fed with a standard diet, while the third and fourth groups were treated with the same dose of ampicillin and fed with acarbohydrateand protein-rich diets, respectively, to observe the effect of diet on gut flora and liver. Fecal specimens were collected and used for qualitative determination of gut microbiota composition. Serum hepatospecific markers (AST, ALT and ALP) were estimated. The antioxidant status of liver tissues was estimated for GSH, MDA, GST, LDH and vitamin C l, in addition to sodium and potassium. Results: Administration of orogastric dose of ampicillin for 3 weeks induced inhibition of E.coli, yeasts, total anaerobes, and anaerobic lactobacilli with new growth of P. vulgaris and K. pneumonia. The levels of serum AST, ALT and ALP showed significant (p ˂ 0.05) increase to 163, 112.38 and 115.35 %, respectively in ampicillin-treated animals, compared to control. Also significant (p ˂ 0.05) increase in lipid peroxidation (120 %) and LDH (111 %) coupled with significant (p ˂ 0.05) decrease in glutathione (74.57 %), vitamin C (63.49 %) and glutathione S-transferase (41.51 %) were observed in ampicillintreated groups. No significant variation (p ˂ 0.05) in sodium and potassium levels were found between control and the treated group after 3 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: These results confirm that extended ampicillin therapy disrupts gut flora, which results in liver injury; hence, overuse of antibiotics should be avoid.

Limnology of Macrobrachium amazonicum grow-out ponds subject to high inflow of nutrient-rich water and different stocking and harvest management

We evaluated the water characteristics and particle sedimentation in Macrobrachium amazonicum (Heller 1862) grow-out ponds supplied with a high inflow of nutrient-rich water. Prawns were subject to different stocking and harvesting strategies: upper-graded juveniles, lower-graded juveniles, non-graded juveniles + selective harvesting and traditional farming (non-grading juveniles and total harvest only). Dissolved oxygen, afternoon N-ammonia and N-nitrate and soluble orthophosphate were lower in the ponds in comparison with inflow water through the rearing cycle. Ponds stocked with the upper population fraction of graded prawns showed higher turbidity, total suspended solids and total Kjeldahl nitrogen than the remaining treatments. An increase in the chemical oxygen demand:biochemical oxygen demand ratio from inlet (4.9) to pond (7.1-8.0) waters indicated a non-readily biodegradable fraction enhancement in ponds. The sedimentation mean rate ranged from 0.08 to 0.16 mm day(-1) and sediment contained >80% of organic matter. The major factors affecting pond ecosystem dynamic were the organic load (due to primary production and feed addition) and bioturbation caused by stocking larger animals. Data suggest that M. amazonicum grow-out in ponds subjected to a high inflow of nutrient-rich water produce changes in the water properties, huge accumulation of organic sediment at the pond bottom and non-readily biodegradable material in the water column. However, the water quality remains suitable for aquaculture purposes. Therefore, nutrient-rich waters, when available, may represent a source of unpaid nutrients, which may be incorporated into economically valued biomass if managed properly.

Prediction of a superhard carbon-rich C-N compound comparable to diamond

Until now, it has been a challenge both in experiment and in theory to design new superhard materials with high hardness values that are comparable to that of diamond. Here, by using first-principles calculations, we have introduced two new phases for a carbon-rich C-N compound with stoichiometry C3N, which is predicted to be energetically stable or metastable with respect to graphite and solid N2 at ambient pressure. It is found that C3N has a layered structure containing graphitic layers sandwiched with freely rotated N2 molecules. The layer-structured C3N is calculated to transform into a three-dimensional C2221 structure at 9 GPa with sp3-hybridized C atoms and sp2-hybridized N atoms. Phonon dispersion and elastic constant calculations reveal the dynamical and mechanical stability of the C2221 phase of C3N at ambient pressure. Significantly, first-principles ideal strength calculations indicate that the C2221 phase of C3N is a superhard material with an estimated Vickers hardness (∼76 GPa) comparable to that of diamond (60-120 GPa). The present results shed strong light on designing new superhard materials in the C-N system.

Mathematically-rich interactions in early childhood centres

 This study investigated children’s engagement in mathematically-rich interactions in early childhood centres. While mathematically-rich interactions were found to be occurring with regular frequency, educators sometimes had difficulty identifying mathematical concepts in their planning. These findings may be used to inform the content of pre- and in-service early childhood education courses.