How Image Degradations Affect Deep CNN-based Face Recognition?

Face recognition approaches that are based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) have been dominating the field. The performance improvements they have provided in the so called in-the-wild datasets are significant, however, their performance under image quality degradations have not been assessed, yet. This is particularly important, since in real-world face recognition applications, images may contain various kinds of degradations due to motion blur, noise, compression artifacts, color distortions, and occlusion. In this work, we have addressed this problem and analyzed the influence of these image degradations on the performance of deep CNN-based face recognition approaches using the standard LFW closed-set identification protocol. We have evaluated three popular deep CNN models, namely, the AlexNet, VGG-Face, and GoogLeNet. Results have indicated that blur, noise, and occlusion cause a significant decrease in performance, while deep CNN models are found to be robust to distortions, such as color distortions and change in color balance.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Economic Impacts of Korea-Turkey FTA

The trade volume and diversity of the products traded between Korea and Turkey have been increasing since early 2000s. On top of this, the enthusiasm of the countries in exploring new opportunities led them to start the negotiations on signing a free trade agreement in 2010. The process was finalized in 2012. The agreement foresees that all of the trade tariffs on industrial products and most of the tariffs on agricultural products will be removed in seven and ten years, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first one that investigates possible economic impacts of this agreement on Korean and Turkish economies. It employs a computable general equilibrium model and uses the Global Trade Analysis Project database. It finds that the agreement will benefit both parties in terms of GDP and export. In particular, total gains of Korea and Turkey would be as high as 0.129 and 0.054 percent of their respective GDPs. Finally, the exports of Korea might increase by up to 0.139 percent where that of Turkey might increase by 0.164 percent

Economic Impacts of Korea-Turkey FTA

The trade volume and diversity of the products traded between Korea and Turkey have been increasing since early 2000s. On top of this, the enthusiasm of the countries in exploring new opportunities led them to start the negotiations on signing a free trade agreement in 2010. The process was finalized in 2012. The agreement foresees that all of the trade tariffs on industrial products and most of the tariffs on agricultural products will be removed in seven and ten years, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first one that investigates possible economic impacts of this agreement on Korean and Turkish economies. It employs a computable general equilibrium model and uses the Global Trade Analysis Project database. It finds that the agreement will benefit both parties in terms of GDP and export. In particular, total gains of Korea and Turkey would be as high as 0.129 and 0.054 percent of their respective GDPs. Finally, the exports of Korea might increase by up to 0.139 percent where that of Turkey might increase by 0.164 percent

Archaeogenomic analysis of the first steps of Neolithization in Anatolia and the Aegean

The Neolithic transition in west Eurasia occurred in two main steps: the gradual development of sedentism and plant cultivation in the Near East and the subsequent spread of Neolithic cultures into the Aegean and across Europe after 7000 cal BCE. Here, we use published ancient genomes to investigate gene flow events in west Eurasia during the Neolithic transition. We confirm that the Early Neolithic central Anatolians in the ninth millennium BCE were probably descendants of local hunter-gatherers, rather than immigrants from the Levant or Iran. We further study the emergence of post-7000 cal BCE north Aegean Neolithic communities. Although Aegean farmers have frequently been assumed to be colonists originating from either central Anatolia or from the Levant, our findings raise alternative possibilities: north Aegean Neolithic populations may have been the product of multiple westward migrations, including south Anatolian emigrants, or they may have been descendants of local Aegean Mesolithic groups who adopted farming. These scenarios are consistent with the diversity of material cultures among Aegean Neolithic communities and the inheritance of local forager know-how. The demographic and cultural dynamics behind the earliest spread of Neolithic culture in the Aegean could therefore be distinct from the subsequent Neolithization of mainland Europe.WoSScopu

The genetic history of Scandinavia from the Roman Iron Age to the present

The authors acknowledge support from the National Genomics Infrastructure in Stockholm funded by Science for Life Laboratory, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Swedish Research Council, and SNIC/Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science for assistance with massively parallel sequencing and access to the UPPMAX computational infrastructure. We used resources from projects SNIC 2022/23-132, SNIC 2022/22-117, SNIC 2022/23-163, SNIC 2022/22-299, and SNIC 2021-2-17. This research was supported by the Swedish Research Council project ID 2019-00849_VR and ATLAS (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond). Part of the modern dataset was supported by a research grant from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), grant number 16/RC/3948, and co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund and by FutureNeuro industry partners.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Determination of obesity, stunting, and nutritional habits in disabled children and adolescents

KILINC, FATMA/0000-0001-8297-958XWOS: 000446210800020Objective: This study was conducted to determine obesity, stunting and nutritional habits in children and adolescents with disabilities. Methods: The study was carried out in 612 disabled children and adolescents in a 2-19 age group enrolled in 8 special education practice and rehabilitation institutions in Kirikkale city center in Turkey. The general characteristics and eating habits of the participants were examined and body mass indexes (BMI) were calculated (n=527) to determine obesity and stunting. Results: Of the participants (n=612), 39.2% were female and 60.8% were male, of whom 39.4% were mentally disabled, 37.1% were physically disabled, 12.3% were mentally and physically disabled, and 11.3% were suffering other types of disabilities (speech disorders, learning disability, etc.). Of the participants (n=527), 18.8% were overweight and 17.8% were obese. The rate of overweight (Male:18.5%, Female:19.2%) and obesity (Male:19.1%, Female:15.9%) was higher in males compared to females (p>0.05). The correlation between BMI classification and disability type, disability level, and income level was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The rate of stunting was 24.5%, which was lower in males compared to females (Male: 20.4%, Female: 30.8%) (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between height-for-age classifications and the type of disability (p>0.05); however, the difference between disability level and income level was significant (p<0.05). It was observed that 50.0% of the participants had eating problems and 45.5% had the habit of skipping breakfasts. Conclusion: In this study, it was observed that overweight, obesity, and stunting are very high in disabled children and adolescents. This field warrants further research

Interplay among Drosophila transcription factors Ets21c, Fos and Ftz-F1 drives JNK-mediated tumor malignancy

Cancer initiation and maintenance of the transformed cell state depend on altered cellular signaling and aberrant activities of transcription factors (TFs) that drive pathological gene expression in response to cooperating genetic lesions. Deciphering the roles of interacting TFs is therefore central to understanding carcinogenesis and for designing cancer therapies. Here, we use an unbiased genomic approach to define a TF network that triggers an abnormal gene expression program promoting malignancy of clonal tumors, generated in Drosophila imaginal disc epithelium by gain of oncogenic Ras (RasV12) and loss of the tumor suppressor Scribble (scrib1). We show that malignant transformation of the rasV12scrib1 tumors requires TFs of distinct families, namely the bZIP protein Fos, the ETS-domain factor Ets21c and the nuclear receptor Ftz-F1, all acting downstream of Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK). Depleting any of the three TFs improves viability of tumor-bearing larvae, and this positive effect can be enhanced further by their combined removal. Although both Fos and Ftz-F1 synergistically contribute to rasV12scrib1 tumor invasiveness, only Fos is required for JNK-induced differentiation defects and Matrix metalloprotease (MMP1) upregulation. In contrast, the Fos-dimerizing partner Jun is dispensable for JNK to exert its effects in rasV12scrib1 tumors. Interestingly, Ets21c and Ftz-F1 are transcriptionally induced in these tumors in a JNK- and Fos-dependent manner, thereby demonstrating a hierarchy within the tripartite TF network, with Fos acting as the most upstream JNK effector. Of the three TFs, only Ets21c can efficiently substitute for loss of polarity and cooperate with RasV12 in inducing malignant clones that, like rasV12scrib1 tumors, invade other tissues and overexpress MMP1 and the Drosophila insulin-like peptide 8 (Dilp8). While rasV12ets21c tumors require JNK for invasiveness, the JNK activity is dispensable for their growth. In conclusion, our study delineates both unique and overlapping functions of distinct TFs that cooperatively promote aberrant expression of target genes, leading to malignant tumor phenotypes

Evaluation of obesity in university students with neck circumference and determination of emotional appetite

KILINC, FATMA/0000-0001-8297-958XWOS: 000470862800012Objective: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate obesity in university students with neck circumference and other anthropometric measurements and to determine their emotional appetite. Method: The study was conducted within the scope of Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Kirikkale University in June-December 2017 in June-December 2017 term and 4873 students were reached. A questionnaire consisting of descriptive information and emotional appetite scale was applied to students and their obesity status were determined by taking anthropometric measurements. Results: Students consist of 56.3% females and 43.7% males. Mean body mass index (BMI) is 23.62 +/- 3.03 kg/m(2) in males and 21.66 +/- 3.08 kg/m(2) in females (p<0.001). Mean neck circumference is 37.50 +/- 2.49 cm in males and 32.18 +/- 3.51 cm in females (p<0.001). According to student's BMI, 18.5% are overweight and obese, to neck circumference 36.6% are obese, and to waist circumference 22.4% are in the risk and high-risk group. 65.8% of males and 19.4% of females are obese according to neck circumference (p<0.001). Waist circumference/height ratio of males is 0.478 +/- 0.054 while that of females is 0.452 +/- 0.053. Central obesity was observed in 30.2% of males and 16.3% of females (p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between body weight, BMI, waist circumference, wrist circumference, waist/height ratio and neck circumference. Emotional appetite status of students and values of total positive scores are different from others in at least one of BMI groups (chi(2) =14.503; p=0.002). Total positive scores of thin students are higher than those who are overweight and obese (p<0.001). Total score in negative emotions/conditions is high in students who are obese according to neck circumference (Z=4.539; p<0.001). In negative and positive emotions/conditions, median score of total emotional appetite scale of males is higher than that of females (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to neck circumference, it is determined that obesity more common in males than females, males' appetites increase more than females' in positive and negative situations, and overweight and obese students exhibit more eating behaviour when they experience negative emotions

The relationship between sleep duration, sleep quality and dietary intake in adults

KILINC, FATMA/0000-0001-8297-958X; Karaismailoglu, Eda/0000-0003-3085-7809WOS: 000494785800001To determine the relationship of specific macro- and micro-nutrients and food groups with sleep duration and sleep quality in adults. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 2446 adults aged between 20 and 64 years in Turkey. The participants' socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and dietary intake (24-h recall) were taken. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality. In the study, 48.9% of the participants were male and 51.1% were female, with an average age of 38.7 +/- 12.70 years. Total protein, meat, and processed meat product consumption rates of long sleepers were found to be lower than those of normal sleepers (p < 0.05). Saturated fat intake of short sleepers was higher than that of long sleepers (p < 0.018). Participants with good sleep quality were found to consume higher carbohydrate, fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin E, thiamine, vitamin B-6, total folate, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron compared to those with poor sleep quality (p < 0.05). When examined in terms of food groups, fruit consumption was higher in individuals with good sleep quality compared to those with poor sleep quality (p < 0.05). In this study, some macro- and micro-nutrients of the diet were found correlated with sleep duration and quality. Mechanisms mediating the relationship between sleep duration and dietary intake are multi-factorial. Because of the differences in appetite-related hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin, and hedonic factors, future studies will benefit from assessing sleep duration/quality and dietary intake