Metrics for Dataset Demographic Bias: A Case Study on Facial Expression Recognition.

Demographic biases in source datasets have been shown as one of the causes of unfairness and discrimination in the predictions of Machine Learning models. One of the most prominent types of demographic bias are statistical imbalances in the representation of demographic groups in the datasets. In this article, we study the measurement of these biases by reviewing the existing metrics, including those that can be borrowed from other disciplines.

Multispecies Bacterial Bio-Input: Tracking and Plant-Growth-Promoting Effect on Lettuce var. .

The use of multispecies bacterial bio-inputs is a promising strategy for sustainable crop production over the use of single-species inoculants. Studies of the use of multispecies bio-inputs in horticultural crops are scarce, not only on the growth-promoting effects of each bacterium within the formulation, but also on their compatibility and persistence in the root environment. In this work, we described that a multispecies bacterial bio-input made up of Az39, PAL-5, Pf-5 and sp.

Tracking and plant growth-promoting effect of Paraburkholderia tropica MTo-293 applied to Solanum lycopersicum.

Paraburkholderia tropica MTo-293 was applied as an experimental bio-input to Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) cv. Platense. Different plant growth systems and inoculation strategies were tested to evaluate P.

[Factors associated with the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in pregnant women and their newborns].

Background: The finding of hypovitaminosis in pregnancy D has prompted the debate about its supplementation. The objective of the study was to measure the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in mothers and newborns.

Methods: A one-year observational study was conducted including the measuring of vitamin D levels in mothers and in the umbilical cord blood of newborns.

High chymotrypsin-like activity in the plasma of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with bortezomib is predictive of a better response and longer PFS.

Proteasome inhibitors (PIs) such as bortezomib constitute an important part of the modern standard therapy for multiple myeloma (MM). In this study, we set out to assess whether proteasome concentration and chymotrypsin-like (ChT-L) activity could serve as potential biomarkers defining the likelihood of response to treatment with bortezomib, in order to identify patients who are more likely to respond to treatment with PI. We analysed proteasome concentration and ChT-L activity in the plasma of 78 patients with newly diagnosed MM during treatment with or without proteasome inhibitors.

The preliminary association study of ADIPOQ, RBP4, and BCMO1 variants with polycystic ovary syndrome and with biochemical characteristics in a cohort of Polish women.

Purpose: We aimed to elucidate the frequency of the SNPs in the ADIPOQ, RBP4 and BCMO1genes in a population of Caucasian Polish women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and to evaluate the possible associations between these variants and the susceptibility to PCOS. Additionally, the relationship of these polymorphisms to a clinical phenotype of this syndrome, and the concentrations of adipokines, were determined.

Materials/methods: Clinical and biochemical profiles, DNA isolation and genotyping, and adipokine assays were performed in 294 PCOS women and 78 controls.

The causes of thrombocytopenia after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Introduction: Even though thrombocytopenia following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been described, further investigation of this phenomenon is needed.

Aims: To determine which factors may explain the fall in platelet count that occurs after implantation of a TAVI device, including markers of platelet and blood coagulation activation.

Material And Methods: 32 patients without previous indications for dual antiplatelet therapy (mean age 78.

A new survival status prediction system for severe trauma patients based on a multiple classifier system.

Background And Objective: Severe trauma patients are those who have several injuries implying a death risk. Prediction systems consider the severity of these injuries to predict whether the patients are likely to survive or not. These systems allow one to objectively compare the quality of the emergency services of trauma centres across different hospitals.

Circulating endothelial mediators in human pancreatitis-associated lung injury.

Objectives: To investigate the role of endothelial cell mediators, E-selectin (ES), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), tissue factor (TF), and von Willebrand factor (vWF), in the early phase of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) complicated with respiratory failure [pancreatitis-associated lung injury (PALI)].

Patients And Methods: This study included 30 patients with SAP and 39 patients with PALI. Blood samples were taken from SAP and PALI patients on presenting to the hospital (day 1), and days 2, 3, 5, and 10.

Plasma Concentrations of Protein Z and Protein Z-Dependent Protease Inhibitor in Patients With Essential Thrombocythemia.

The pathological consequences of decreased protein Z (PZ) and/or Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) levels remain as yet unclear, despite a growing body of evidence which supports their involvement in an increased thrombotic risk. The purpose of the present study was 2-fold: to evaluate plasma concentrations of protein Z and ZPI in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and to determine their significance in thrombotic complications. The median (range) plasma concentrations of PZ in our patients with ET were lower, but not significantly, than in healthy individuals: PZ (1.

Assessment of proteasome concentration and chymotrypsin-like activity in plasma of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of many haematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma. Under conditions of rapid cell turnover and growth rate, proteasomes are returned into circulation. The measurement of their levels or activity could offer a new approach to diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of anticancer treatment in carcinoma patients.

Prognostic relevance of HSP70 antigen and antibody measurement in patients with acute myeloid leukemia of intermediate and unfavorable cytogenetic risk.

Introduction: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are overexpressed in many types of cancers and are implicated in tumor cell proliferation, differentiation, invasion, metastasis, death, and recognition by the immune system. It has been postulated that the HSP70 protein can be used as a prognostic indicator of overall patient survival in many types of cancer including leukemia.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentrations of anti‑HSP70 antibody and its antigen in the peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as well as to assess the usefulness of this measurement.

Aggregation functions to combine RGB color channels in stereo matching.

In this paper we present a comparison study between different aggregation functions for the combination of RGB color channels in stereo matching problem. We introduce color information from images to the stereo matching algorithm by aggregating the similarities of the RGB channels which are calculated independently. We compare the accuracy of different stereo matching algorithms and aggregation functions.

Plasma concentration of protein Z and protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor in patients with haemophilia A.

The potential role of alterations in protein Z (PZ) concentrations in the pathogenesis of coagulation has been investigated in several studies which, however, yielded conflicting results. Protein Z deficiency may induce bleeding as well as prothrombotic tendencies and it might occur as an inherited disorder. The principal aim of the present study was to explore the concentration of protein Z and protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) in patients with haemophilia A.

Effect of iodinated low-osmolar contrast media on the hemostatic system after intraarterial and intravenous contrast administration.

Purpose: Some of the adverse clinical effects of intravascular radiological contrast agents include the interference of these contrast media with normal hemostatic processes. The aim of this report was to investigate in vivo whether a non-ionic iodinated contrast agent possess prothrombotic or anticoagulant properties.

Material And Methods: Hemostatic parameters: vWF (von Willebrand factor), F1+2 (prothrombin fragments 1+2), TAT (thrombin-antithrombin complexes), D-Dimer, β-TG (beta-thromboglobulin) were measured in a group of 35 patients.

Protein Z concentrations in patients with acute leukemia.

Protein Z (PZ) deficiency may induce bleeding as well as thrombosis. The aim of our study was to estimate the concentration of PZ in patients with acute leukemia. Plasma levels of PZ were determined in 76 patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia ([AML], n = 50; acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], n = 26) and 62 healthy participants.

The levels of sMUC-1 in patients with multiple myeloma.

Mucins have been shown to be aberrantly overexpressed in various diseases including cystic fibrosis, asthma, and cancer. Recent studies have uncovered the roles of these mucins in the pathogenesis of cancer. The presence of MUC-1 has also been detected on the cell surface of multiple myeloma (MM) cells in peripheral blood and showed direct correlation with tumor mass.

Interval-valued fuzzy sets applied to stereo matching of color images.

Stereo matching problem attempts to find corresponding locations between pairs of displaced images of the same scene. Correspondence estimation between pixels suffers from occlusions, noise, and bias. This paper introduces a novel approach to represent images by means of interval-valued fuzzy sets.

Colonization of sorghum and wheat by seed inoculation with Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus.

Colonization of sorghum and wheat after seed inoculation with Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus strains PAL 5 and UAP 5541/pRGS561 (containing the marker gene gusA) was studied by colony counting and microscopic observation of plant tissues. Inoculum levels as low as 10(2) CFU per seed were enough for root colonization and further spreading in aerial tissues. Rhizoplane colonization was around 7 log CFU g(-1) (fresh weight).

Glucose metabolism in batch and continuous cultures of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL 3.

Periplasmic glucose oxidation (by way of a pyrrolo-quinoline-quinone [PQQ]-linked glucose dehydrogenase [GDH]) was observed in continuous cultures of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus regardless of the carbon source (glucose or gluconate) and the nitrogen source (N(2) or NH(3)). Its synthesis was stimulated by conditions of high energetic demand (i.e.

Diving up to 60 m depth followed by decompression has no effect on pro-enzyme and total thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor antigen concentration.

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of two different hyperbaric exposures followed by decompression on thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) concentration and activity. The hyperbaric conditions correspond to diving to 30 and 60 m water depth. Thirty-four male divers were tested in decompression habitat LSH-200, with air as a breathing medium.

[Selected new atherosclerosis risk factors and markers of fibrinolysis in children and adolescents with obesity, hypertension and diabetes].

Unlabelled: In last years it has been proved that atherosclerosis risk factors are present in children and adolescents, and that already in their young age they are connected with anatomic, atherosclerosis changes in vessels. The aim of the study was to evaluate levels of selected new atherosclerosis risk factors (Lp(a), apo A-I, apo B, homocysteine, fibrinogen) and markers of fibrinolysis (t-PA and PAI-1) in children and adolescents with traditional risk factors (obesity, hypertension, diabetes).

Materials And Methods: The study group consisted of 285 children and adolescents aged 14.

New atherosclerosis risk factors in obese, hypertensive and diabetic children and adolescents.

Unlabelled: In the last few years it has been proved that risk factors for atherosclerosis are present in children and adolescents, and that already at this early age they are connected with anatomic, atheromatous changes in vessels. These changes can not be fully explained as occurring in young people exhibiting traditional risk factors for the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate levels of several new atherosclerosis risk factors (lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I), apolipoprotein B (Apo B), homocysteine (Hcy), fibrinogen (FB), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1)) in children and adolescents with traditional risk factors (obesity, hypertension, diabetes).