LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Towards QoE-aware video streaming using SDN

Today's over the top (OTT) video service providers take advantage of content distribution networks (CDNs) and adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming where a video player adjusts resolutions based on end-to-end network conditions. Although the mechanisms are useful to improve user-perceived video quality, they do not resolve the root causes of congestion problems. To pinpoint a bottleneck and improve video quality-of-experience (QoE), we leverage a software-defined networking (SDN) platform from OTT video service provider's point of view. Our proposed SDN application is designed to monitor network conditions of streaming flow in real time and dynamically change routing paths using multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) traffic engineering (TE) to provide reliable video watching experience. We use an off-the-shelf SDN platform to show the feasibility of our approaches.
Multiple Beneficial Effects of Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND
Pulmonary arterial hypertension with systemic dysfunctions, including metabolic disorders and renal dysfunction, has a poor prognosis. However, it remains to be elucidated whether chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is also associated with systemic dysfunctions, and if so, whether balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) improves them.


METHODSANDRESULTS
Fifty-five consecutive patients who underwent BPA from March 2012 to December 2014 for systemic dysfunctions, including glycemic control, lipid profiles, renal and vascular function, and nutritional status were examined. The analyses were performed before and after BPA (mean, 3.5 sessions/patient) and changes in hemodynamic parameters were compared. The average follow-up period was 474±245 days. Baseline prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and advanced chronic kidney disease was 58, 7, 33 and 36%, respectively. BPA caused marked hemodynamic improvements in the CTEPH patients. Importantly, BPA also significantly improved dysglycemia (fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c and homeostatic assessment model of insulin resistance), renal (creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate) and vascular (cardio-ankle vascular index) functions and nutritional status (albumin, cholesterols, and body mass index). Importantly, there were positive correlations between the degrees of the hemodynamic improvements and those of other improvements.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that BPA may exert multiple beneficial effects in CTEPH patients, not only in terms of hemodynamics but also in other systemic functions, with positive correlations among them.
Vitamin D insufficiency in a multiethnic cohort of breast cancer survivors 1 – 3

Background: Little is known about vitamin D status in breast cancer survivors. This issue is important because vitamin D influences pathways related to carcinogenesis. Objective: The objective of this report was to describe and understand vitamin D status in a breast cancer survivor cohort. Design: Data are from the Health, Eating, Activity, and Lifestyle study. With the use of a cross-sectional design, we examined serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in 790 breast cancer survivors from western Washington state, New Mexico, and Los Angeles County. Cancer treatment data were obtained from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries and medical records. Fasting blood, anthropometry, and lifestyle habits were collected after diagnosis and treatment. We examined distributions of 25(OH)D by race-ethnicity, season, geography, and clinical characteristics. Multivariate regression tested associations between 25(OH)D and stage of disease. Results: Five hundred ninety-seven (75.6%) of the women had low serum 25(OH)D, suggesting vitamin D insufficiency or frank deficiency. The overall mean ( SD) was 24.8 10.4 ng/mL, but it was lower for African Americans (18.1 8.7 ng/mL) and Hispanics (22.1 9.2 ng/mL). Women with localized (n 424) or regional (n 182) breast cancer had lower serum 25(OH)D than did women with in situ disease (n 184) (P 0.05 and P 0.03, respectively). Multivariate regression models controlled for age, body mass index (in kg/m), race-ethnicity, geography, season, physical activity, diet, and cancer treatments showed that stage of disease independently predicted serum 25(OH)D (P 0.02). Conclusions: In these breast cancer survivors, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was high. Clinicians might consider monitoring vitamin D status in breast cancer patients, together with appropriate treatments, if necessary. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;88:
Provenance of lithogenic surface sediments and pathways of riverine suspended matter in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: evidence from 143Nd/144Nd and 87Sr/86Sr ratios

In order to characterize the provenance of lithogenic surface sediments from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS), residual (leached) fraction of 34 surface samples have been analysed for their Nd/Nd and Sr/Sr isotope ratios. The sample locations bracket all important entrances of riverine suspended matter into the EMS as well as all sub-basins of the EMS. The combined analyses of these two isotope ratios provide a precise characterization of the lithogenic fraction of surface sediments and record their dilution towards the central sub-basins. We reconstruct provenance and possible pathways of riverine dispersal and current redistribution, assuming more or less homogenous isotopic signatures and flux rates of the eolian fraction over the EMS. Lithogenic sediments entering the Ionian Sea from the Calabrian Arc and the Adriatic Sea are characterized by high Sr/Sr isotope ratios and low eNd(0) values (average Sr/Sr = 0.718005 and eNd(0) = 11.06, n = 5). Aegean Sea terrigenous sediments show an average ratio of Sr/Sr = 0.713089 (n = 5) and values of eNd(0) = 7.89 (n = 5). The Aegean isotopic signature is traceable up to the southwest, south, and southeast of Crete. The sediment loads entering the EMS via the Aegean Sea are low and spread out mainly through the Strait of Casos (east of Crete). Surface sediments from the eastern Levantine Basin are marked by the highest eNd(0) values ( 3.3, n = 6) and lowest Sr/Sr isotope ratios (average 0.709541, n = 6), reflecting the predominant input of the Nile sediment. The influence of the Nile sediment is traceable up to the NE-trending, eastern flank of the Mediterranean Ridge. The characterization of the modern riverine dispersal and eolian flux, based on isotope data, may serve as a tool to reconstruct climate-coupled variations of lithogenic sediment input into the EMS. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Crystallization in Emulsions: A Thermo-Optical Method to Determine Single Crystallization Events in Droplet Clusters

Delivery systems with a solid dispersed phase can be produced in a melt emulsification process. For this, dispersed particles are melted, disrupted, and crystallized in a liquid continuous phase (melt emulsification). Different to bulk crystallization, droplets in oil-in-water emulsions show individual crystallization behavior, which differs from droplet to droplet. Therefore, emulsion droplets may form liquid, amorphous, and crystalline structures during the crystallization process. The resulting particle size, shape, and physical state influence the application properties of these colloidal systems and have to be known in formulation research. To characterize crystallization behavior of single droplets in micro emulsions (range 1 μm to several hundred μm), a direct thermo-optical method was developed. It allows simultaneous determination of size, size distribution, and morphology of single droplets within droplet clusters. As it is also possible to differentiate between liquid, amorphous, and crystalline structures, we introduce a crystallization index, CIi, in dispersions with a crystalline dispersed phase. Application of the thermo-optical approach on hexadecane-in-water model emulsion showed the ability of the method to detect single crystallization events of droplets within emulsion clusters, providing detailed information about crystallization processes in dispersions.
A Comparative Study of Crossover Operators for Genetic Algorithms to Solve the Job Shop Scheduling Problem

Genetic algorithms (GA) are wide class of global optimization methods. Many genetic algorithms have been applied to solve combinatorial optimization problems. One of the problems in using genetic algorithms is the choice of crossover operator. The aim of this paper is to show the influence of genetic crossover operators on the performance of a genetic algorithm. The GA is applied to the job shop scheduling problem (JSSP). To achieve this aim an experimental study of a set of crossover operators is presented. The experimental study is based on a decision support system (DSS). To compare the abilities of different crossover operators, the DSS was designed giving all the operators the same opportunities. The genetic crossover operators are tested on a set of standard instances taken from the literature. The makespan is the measure used to evaluate the genetic crossover operators. The main conclusion is that there is a crossover operator having the best average performance on a specific set of solved instances. Key-Words: Scheduling, Genetic Algorithms, Crossover Operators, Optimization, Operations Research, JSSP.
The prepuce.

cultures are diBcult to define, but include rites of Introduction passage, blood sacrifices and cultural markings [4]. Ritualistic, childhood genital surgery has become popuThe prepuce is a common anatomical structure of the male [1] and female [2] external genitalia of all human lar in the last several thousand years, making the prepuce the most vilified normal anatomical structure and non-human primates; it has been present in primates for at least 65 million years, and is likely to of the human body. Rather than acknowledging the prepuce as normal anatomy, some contemporary physbe over 100 million years old, based on its commonality as an anatomical feature in mammals [3]. Certain icians consider the penile [5] and clitoral prepuce (or clitoral hood) [6,7] to be dangerous and unhealthy. cultures have excised the prepuce from children to conform to societal standards, while other cultures However, before theoretical justifications for circumcision can be considered, a complete understanding of accept the complete external genitalia as normal (Fig. 1). The motives for circumcision in preliterate the normal anatomy and function of the prepuce is required. This paper reviews the embryology, anatomy and function of the prepuce.
From high-level deep neural models to FPGAs

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) are compute-intensive learning models with growing applicability in a wide range of domains. FPGAs are an attractive choice for DNNs since they offer a programmable substrate for acceleration and are becoming available across different market segments. However, obtaining both performance and energy efficiency with FPGAs is a laborious task even for expert hardware designers. Furthermore, the large memory footprint of DNNs, coupled with the FPGAs' limited on-chip storage makes DNN acceleration using FPGAs more challenging. This work tackles these challenges by devising DnnWeaver, a framework that automatically generates a synthesizable accelerator for a given (DNN, FPGA) pair from a high-level specification in Caffe [1]. To achieve large benefits while preserving automation, DNNWEAVER generates accelerators using hand-optimized design templates. First, DnnWeaver translates a given high-level DNN specification to its novel ISA that represents a macro dataflow graph of the DNN. The DnnWeaver compiler is equipped with our optimization algorithm that tiles, schedules, and batches DNN operations to maximize data reuse and best utilize target FPGA's memory and other resources. The final result is a custom synthesizable accelerator that best matches the needs of the DNN while providing high performance and efficiency gains for the target FPGA. We use DnnWeaver to generate accelerators for a set of eight different DNN models and three different FPGAs, Xilinx Zynq, Altera Stratix V, and Altera Arria 10. We use hardware measurements to compare the generated accelerators to both multicore CPUs (ARM Cortex A15 and Xeon E3) and many-core GPUs (Tegra K1, GTX 650Ti, and Tesla K40). In comparison, the generated accelerators deliver superior performance and efficiency without requiring the programmers to participate in the arduous task of hardware design.
XeF2 as a ligand to a metal center, an interesting field of noble gas chemistry

Abstract This paper presents a brief overview of the coordination chemistry with XeF 2 as a ligand to metal centers. A systematic review of the compounds according to their oxidation state is given. Compounds with the metal in the oxidation state II represent the largest group with the highest structural variety and therefore a comparison of compounds with a similar ionic radius is presented. Single-crystal data of recently prepared mercury compounds with the composition [Hg(XeF 2 ) 5 ](AF 6 ) 2 (A = P, As, Sb) are included. All three compounds are structurally related with bridging XeF 2 molecules connecting the mercury atoms into chains.
Moderators of Varenicline Treatment Effects in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial for Alcohol Dependence: An Exploratory Analysis.

OBJECTIVES
To explore whether varenicline (Chantix) showed more efficacy in treating certain subgroups of patients. In a recent multisite trial, varenicline was shown to be effective in reducing drinking in alcohol-dependent patients, both smokers and nonsmokers. Given the heterogeneity among alcohol-dependent patients, secondary analyses were conducted to determine whether certain subgroups responded more favorably than others to treatment with varenicline.


METHODS
Data were drawn from a phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multisite 13-week trial of varenicline in alcohol-dependent patients (Litten et al., 2013). Seventeen moderator variables were selected for exploratory testing on the basis of theoretical and scientific interest.


RESULTS
Of the 17 moderator variables assessed, 4 were statistically significant, including cigarettes per day reduction, treatment drinking goal, years drinking regularly, and age of the patient. Two other variables—the type of adverse events experienced by patients and the severity of alcohol-related consequences—seemed to moderate the varenicline treatment effect at borderline statistical significance. Individuals who reduced the number of cigarettes per day experienced a significant effect from varenicline in reducing drinking, whereas those who did not change or who increased their number of cigarettes observed no beneficial effect. Reviewing the moderators related to severity, varenicline seemed to have greater efficacy than placebo among less severely dependent patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Varenicline seems to be more efficacious in certain subgroups, particularly in those who reduced their smoking and in the "less severe" patient. Additional studies are warranted to confirm the results of these exploratory analyses.
Health outcomes following treatment for 6 months with once daily tiotropium compared with twice daily salmeterol in patients with COPD.

Background: A study was undertaken to record exacerbations and health resource use in patients with COPD during 6 months of treatment with tiotropium, salmeterol, or matching placebos. Methods: Patients with COPD were enrolled in two 6-month randomised, placebo controlled, double blind, double dummy studies of tiotropium 18 μg once daily via HandiHaler or salmeterol 50 μg twice daily via a metered dose inhaler. The two trials were combined for analysis of heath outcomes consisting of exacerbations, health resource use, dyspnoea (assessed by the transitional dyspnoea index, TDI), health related quality of life (assessed by St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, SGRQ), and spirometry. Results: 1207 patients participated in the study (tiotropium 402, salmeterol 405, placebo 400). Compared with placebo, tiotropium but not salmeterol was associated with a significant delay in the time to onset of the first exacerbation. Fewer COPD exacerbations/patient year occurred in the tiotropium group (1.07) than in the placebo group (1.49, p<0.05); the salmeterol group (1.23 events/year) did not differ from placebo. The tiotropium group had 0.10 hospital admissions per patient year for COPD exacerbations compared with 0.17 for salmeterol and 0.15 for placebo (not statistically different). For all causes (respiratory and non-respiratory) tiotropium, but not salmeterol, was associated with fewer hospital admissions while both groups had fewer days in hospital than the placebo group. The number of days during which patients were unable to perform their usual daily activities was lowest in the tiotropium group (tiotropium 8.3 (0.8), salmeterol 11.1 (0.8), placebo 10.9 (0.8), p<0.05). SGRQ total score improved by 4.2 (0.7), 2.8 (0.7) and 1.5 (0.7) units during the 6 month trial for the tiotropium, salmeterol and placebo groups, respectively (p<0.01 tiotropium v placebo). Compared with placebo, TDI focal score improved in both the tiotropium group (1.1 (0.3) units, p<0.001) and the salmeterol group (0.7 (0.3) units, p<0.05). Evaluation of morning pre-dose FEV1, peak FEV1 and mean FEV1 (0–3 hours) showed that tiotropium was superior to salmeterol while both active drugs were more effective than placebo. Conclusions: Exacerbations of COPD and health resource usage were positively affected by daily treatment with tiotropium. With the exception of the number of hospital days associated with all causes, salmeterol twice daily resulted in no significant changes compared with placebo. Tiotropium also improved health related quality of life, dyspnoea, and lung function in patients with COPD.
Learning features and segments from waveforms : a statistical model of early phonological acquisition

of the Dissertation Learning Features and Segments from Waveforms: A Statistical Model of Early Phonological Acquisition
Increased waist circumference is independently associated with hypothyroidism in Mexican Americans: replicative evidence from two large, population-based studies

BACKGROUND
Mexican Americans are at an increased risk of both thyroid dysfunction and metabolic syndrome (MS). Thus it is conceivable that some components of the MS may be associated with the risk of thyroid dysfunction in these individuals. Our objective was to investigate and replicate the potential association of MS traits with thyroid dysfunction in Mexican Americans.


METHODS
We conducted association testing for 18 MS traits in two large studies on Mexican Americans - the San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-10. A total of 907 participants from 42 families in SAFHS and 1633 unrelated participants from NHANES 2007-10 were included in this study. The outcome measures were prevalence of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid function index (TFI) - a measure of thyroid function. For the SAFHS, we used polygenic regression analyses with multiple covariates to test associations in setting of family studies. For the NHANES 2007-10, we corrected for the survey design variables as needed for association analyses in survey data. In both datasets, we corrected for age, sex and their linear and quadratic interactions.


RESULTS
TFI was an accurate indicator of clinical thyroid status (area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve to detect clinical hypothyroidism, 0.98) in both SAFHS and NHANES 2007-10. Of the 18 MS traits, waist circumference (WC) showed the most consistent association with TFI in both studies independently of age, sex and body mass index (BMI). In the SAFHS and NHANES 2007-10 datasets, each standard deviation increase in WC was associated with 0.13 (p < 0.001) and 0.11 (p < 0.001) unit increase in the TFI, respectively. In a series of polygenic and linear regression models, central obesity (defined as WC ≥ 102 cm in men and ≥88 cm in women) was associated with clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism independent of age, sex, BMI and type 2 diabetes in both datasets. Estimated prevalence of hypothyroidism was consistently high in those with central obesity, especially below 45y of age.


CONCLUSIONS
WC independently associates with increased risk of thyroid dysfunction. Use of WC to identify Mexican American subjects at high risk of thyroid dysfunction should be investigated in future studies.
Wegener’s Granulomatosis with Peripheral Eosinophilia in a Young Adult Patient

Wegener’s granulomatosis is a rare autoimmue disease with multi-system involvement that manifests as granulomatous vasculitic lesions, mainly involving the upper respiratory tract, lower respiratory tract and kidney. We present a case in a young adult male patient presenting with complaints of epistaxis, cough and hemoptysis who was diagnosed as Wegener’s granulomatosiswith peripheral eosinophilia on the basis of chest x-ray and CT Chest and pathological confirmation by high level of serum cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody.
Age Constraints on Second-Language Acquisition

This study evaluated the critical period hypothesis for second language (L2) acquisition. The participants were 240 native speakers of Korean who differed according to age of arrival (AOA) in the United States (1 to 23 years), but were all experienced in English (mean length of residence 5 15 years). The native Korean participants’ pronunciation of English was evaluated by having listeners rate their sentences for overall degree of foreign accent; knowledge of English morphosyntax was evaluated using a 144-item grammaticality judgment test. As AOA increased, the foreign accents grew stronger, and the grammaticality judgment test scores decreased steadily. However, unlike the case for the foreign accent ratings, the effect of AOA on the grammaticality judgment test scores became nonsignificant when variables confounded with AOA were controlled. This suggested that the observed decrease in morphosyntax scores was not the result of passing a maturationally defined critical period. Additional analyses showed that the score for sentences testing knowledge of rule based, generalizable aspects of English morphosyntax varied as a function of how much education the Korean participants had received in the United States. The scores for sentences testing lexically based aspects of English morphosyntax, on the other hand, depended on how much the Koreans used English. © 1999 Academic Press
How physical activity can work?

This review examines how physical activity can work for health during childhood and adolescence. Special emphasis is put on weight control and prevention of obesity-related morbidity. Both low sedentary and high exercise activities contribute to increased energy expenditure, improved weight control and prevention of obesity. Exercise, if intensity is at least moderate, has also a positive effect on fat distribution by decreasing the proportion of abdominal or visceral fat. The prevalence of clustered (multiple) cardiovascular risk factors is lower in children and adolescents, who are physically active or fit. However, the risks of obesity are greater than those from being sedentary, i.e., high physical activity reduces, but does not totally offset risks related to obesity. Good health in youth is easily lost by an unhealthy lifestyle in adulthood. An additional benefit of childhood physical activity is that it increases the likelihood of physical activity later in adulthood.