Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Painterly animation using video semantics and feature correspondence

We present an interactive system that stylizes an input video into a painterly animation. The system consists of two phases. The first is an Video Parsing phase that extracts and labels semantic objects with different material properties (skin, hair, cloth, and so on) in the video, and then establishes robust correspondence between frames for discriminative image features inside each object. The second Painterly Rendering phase performs the stylization based on the video semantics and feature correspondence. Compared to the previous work, the proposed method advances painterly animation in three aspects: Firstly, we render artistic painterly styles using a rich set of example-based brush strokes. These strokes, placed in multiple layers and passes, are automatically selected according to the video semantics. Secondly, we warp brush strokes according to global object deformations, so that the strokes appear to be tightly attached to the object surfaces. Thirdly, we propose a series of novel teniques to reduce the scintillation effects. Results applying our system to several video clips show that it produces expressive oil painting animations.
Carotid Artery Stenting: A Single Center “Real World” Experience

Background Percutaneous carotid artery stenting (CAS) became a widely used procedure in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. However its role compared to carotid endarterectomy (CAD) remains questioned. We analysed the safety of carotid artery stenting program of a prospective CAS register program of a tertiary teaching hospital. Method Between July 2003 and December 2010, 208 patients underwent CAS procedure. Baseline, procedural and follow-up data were prospectively collected. Primary peri-interventional outcome was defined as 30-day major adverse events (MAE), including death, stroke or myocardial infarction, and mid- to long-term follow-up outcome included ipsilateral stroke, myocardial infarction or death. Secondary outcome was restenosis rate ≥50% per lesion. Results Unilateral carotid artery interventions were performed in 186 patients. In 22 patients CAS was performed bilaterally as stages procedures. The 30-day MAE rate was 1.9% consisting of two contralateral strokes and two ipsilateral stroke. Mean clinically follow-up was 22 months. Mid- to long-term MAE was 8.1% with 6.3% (n = 13) deaths, 1.9% (n = 4) myocardial infarctions and 0.9% (n = 2) ipsilateral stroke. The restenosis rate ≥50% per lesion was 4.3% at a mean follow-up of 22 months. Target lesion revascularization was performed in one patient, because of restenosis at 9 months follow-up after first CAS. Conclusion Implementation of a carotid artery stenting program at a tertiary, teaching hospital is a safe method for treatment of carotid artery stenosis. The adverse event rate during mid-to-long-term follow-up suggests an appropriate patient selection.
Characterization of the Field-Dependent Permittivity of Nonlinear Ferroelectric Films Using Tunable Coplanar Lines

This letter demonstrates a scheme to characterize very precisely the field-dependent permittivity of nonlinear ferroelectric films using inhomogeneously tuned coplanar transmission lines. For the characterization, tunable coplanar waveguides on a screen-printed Ba0.6Sr0. 4TiO3 (BST) thick film are realized and measured at radiofrequencies to determine the geometry-dependent tunability of the capacitance per unit length C'. To characterize the nonlinear tunability of the BST-thick film, these C'-values are compared with capacitance values simulated by the finite-difference time-domain method. Avoiding numerical instabilities of the iterative extraction procedure, the convergence of the extracted tunability is validated by three distinct geometries on the same BST substrate. The extracted tunability of the BST-thick film is 67% for an electric field-strength of 20V/mum. The precise knowledge of the field-dependent permittivity enables a distinct tunability optimization of frequency-agile radio frequency devices based on nonlinear ferroelectric films
A new measurement of an indirect measure of condom use and its relationships with barriers

Abstract One of the challenges facing researchers in the domain of human immunodeficiency virus prevention is the assessment of condom use in an unbiased self-reported manner. The current study presents the development and preliminary validation of an indirect condom use test (I-CUTE), designed to assess condom use tendencies and to overcome self-report biases. Two samples were included using correlational designs. In sample 1, 88 students from European university completed the I-CUTE with questionnaires of condom use barriers, social desirability, and condom use negotiation self-efficacy. In sample 2, 212 students from sub-Saharan universities completed the I-CUTE with questionnaires of condom use barriers and knowledge. The I-CUTE included 17 pictures of human figures in relation to condom use, where participants had to choose one of the four a-priori given sentences reflecting the figures’ thoughts. This represented a semi-projective, yet standardized test. In sample 1, I-CUTE scores were inversely related to barriers, positively correlated with condom use negotiation self-efficacy and unrelated to social desirability. In sample 2, I-CUTE scores were inversely related to barriers and unrelated to knowledge scores. In a multiple regression, condom use barriers had a unique contribution to explaining variance in I-CUTE scores, beyond the contribution of background variables and knowledge. These results support the preliminary reliability and validity of the I-CUTE tool in a variety of cultures, and reveal its lack of bias by social desirability and the importance of condom use barriers in condom use tendencies.
Exploiting id knowledge for tag identification in rfid networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of identifying a set of objects in an RFID network. We propose a query tree based protocol to reduce the number of transmission collisions. The key idea of our protocol is to take advantage of the (partial) knowledge about the set of tags to be identified: in particular, their approximated number, and above all their distribution. More specifically, we show how much gain in performance can be achieved by having information about the set of IDs to be identified. Such information can be obtained from statistical data, or from other features, depending on the application. Of course, a perfect knowledge makes useless the identification process: the aim of this work is to show how query tree protocols improve, by taking into account of the information about the tags. Simulation results show that our approach performs better than classical query tree protocols [1], in terms of number of queries needed to identify all tags, which is a commonly used metric, strictly related to delay. Moreover, our approach out performs also Aloha-based protocols that for their randomized nature, are independent from the IDs distributions: in such protocols, tags randomly choose a slot in which transmit, that is equivalent to "re-naming" the IDs, so they do not take any advantage from the knowledge of the original ID distribution.
When Culture does not matter: Experimental Evidence from Coalition Formation Ultimatum Games in Austria and Japan

This paper reports the results of a cross-country comparison between Austria andJapan for an experimental 3-personcoalition formation ultimatum game. The experimental design allows thecomparison with respect to three decisions. (i)The coalition decision, (ii) proposers' demand behavior in 2- and 3-personultimatum subgames, and (iii) theresponders' behavior in these subgames. In contrast to other cross-culturalstudies in experimental bargainingenvironments we can not find any (significant) difference in behavior betweensubjects in Austria and Japan. Weattribute the behavioral similarities mainly to a subtle focal point andresponder competition effect, which wipe outpossible cultural differences. Our conclusion is that even in environments -like bargaining - where cultural differencesmay play a prominent role the show-up of these differences is highly sensitiveto the exact context in which people act.
Metabolic Dysfunction Under Reduced Estrogen Levels: Looking to Exercise for Prevention

Loss of estrogen function leads to the development of metabolic dysfunction that spans numerous tissues. In this review, we explore the concept that estrogens are critical for defining metabolic function in adipose and hepatic tissues and also the possibility that exercise training should be considered a substitute for estrogen replacement therapy in women with impairments in estrogen levels.
A Design for Explaining Intelligent Agents

Explanation is an important capability for usable intelligent systems, including intelligent agents and cognitive models embedded within simulations and other decision support systems. Explanation facilities help users understand how and why an intelligent system possesses a given structure and set of behaviors. Prior research has resulted in a number of approaches to providing explanation capabilities and identified some significant challenges. We describe a design that can be reused to create intelligent agents capable of explaining themselves. The design includes ways to provide ontological, mechanistic, and operational explanations. These designs inscribe lessons learned from prior research and provide guidance for incorporating explanation facilities into intelligent systems. Our design is derived from both prior research on explanation tool design and from the empirical study reported here on the questions users ask when working with an intelligent system. We demonstrate the use of these designs through examples implemented using the Herbal high-level cognitive modeling language. These designs can help build better agents—they support creating more usable and more affordable intelligent agents by encapsulating prior knowledge about how to generate explanations in concise representations that can be instantiated or adapted by agent developers.
Resting-State Subjective Experience and EEG Biomarkers Are Associated with Sleep-Onset Latency

Difficulties initiating sleep are common in several disorders, including insomnia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These disorders are prevalent, bearing significant societal and financial costs which require the consideration of new treatment strategies and a better understanding of the physiological and cognitive processes surrounding the time of preparing for sleep or falling asleep. Here, we search for neuro-cognitive associations in the resting state and examine their relevance for predicting sleep-onset latency using multi-level mixed models. Multiple EEG recordings were obtained from healthy male participants (N = 13) during a series of 5 min eyes-closed resting-state trials (in total, n = 223) followed by a period–varying in length up to 30 min–that either allowed subjects to transition into sleep (“sleep trials,” nsleep = 144) or was ended while they were still awake (“wake trials,” nwake = 79). After both eyes-closed rest, sleep and wake trials, subjective experience was assessed using the Amsterdam Resting-State Questionnaire (ARSQ). Our data revealed multiple associations between eyes-closed rest alpha and theta oscillations and ARSQ-dimensions Discontinuity of Mind, Self, Theory of Mind, Planning, and Sleepiness. The sleep trials showed that the transition toward the first sleep stage exclusively affected subjective experiences related to Theory of Mind, Planning, and Sleepiness. Importantly, sleep-onset latency was negatively associated both with eyes-closed rest ratings on the ARSQ dimension of Sleepiness and with the long-range temporal correlations of parietal theta oscillations derived by detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). These results could be relevant to the development of personalized tools that help evaluate the success of falling asleep based on measures of resting-state cognition and EEG biomarkers.
Improving Synthesis of Compressor Trees on FPGAs via Integer Linear Programming

Multi-input addition is an important operation for many DSP and video processing applications. On FPGAs, multi-input addition has traditionally been implemented using trees of carry-propagate adders. This approach has been used because the traditional lookup table (LUT) structure of FPGAs is not amenable to compressor trees, which are used to implement multi-input addition and parallel multiplication in ASIC technology. In prior work, we developed a greedy heuristic method to map compressor trees onto the general logic of an FPGA using a component called generalized parallel counter (GPC). Although this technique reduced the combinational delay of our circuits, when synthesized onto Altera Stratix-II FPGAs, by 27% on average; however, the area was increased by an average 11%. To further reduce the delay and limit the increase in area, we have developed a new solution to the mapping problem based on integer linear programming. This new approach reduced the delay of the compressor tree by 32% on average and reduced the area by 3% compared to an adder tree.
First report of scuticociliatosis caused by Uronema sp. in ornamental reef fish imported into Brazil.

Scuticociliatosis, which is caused by an opportunistic ciliate protozoan, is responsible for significant economic losses in marine ornamental fish. This study reports the occurrence of Uronema sp. , which was found to be parasitizing three species of marine reef fish imported into Brazil and maintained in quarantine: Vanderbilt's Chromis (Chromis vanderbilti), blue-green damselfish (Chromis viridis), and sea goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis). During the quarantine period, some fish presented with behavioral disorders and hemorrhages and ulcerative lesions on the body surface. Histopathological analysis showed hemorrhages, inflammation comprising mononuclear and granular cells in the skeletal muscle, and necrosis of the skin and the secondary lamellae of the gills, and parasites were also observed in the renal capsule. The absence of transboundary measures available to prevent the occurrence of ornamental fish diseases is also discussed.
Portfolio Optimization with Spectral Measures of Risk

We study Spectral Measures of Risk from the perspective of portfolio optimization. We derive exact results which extend to general Spectral Measures M_phi the Pflug--Rockafellar--Uryasev methodology for the minimization of alpha--Expected Shortfall. The minimization problem of a spectral measure is shown to be equivalent to the minimization of a suitable function which contains additional parameters, but displays analytical properties (piecewise linearity and convexity in all arguments, absence of sorting subroutines) which allow for efficient minimization procedures. In doing so we also reveal a new picture where the classical risk--reward problem a la Markowitz (minimizing risks with constrained returns or maximizing returns with constrained risks) is shown to coincide to the unconstrained optimization of a single suitable spectral measure. In other words, minimizing a spectral measure turns out to be already an optimization process itself, where risk minimization and returns maximization cannot be disentangled from each other.
Reading Acquisition, Cognitive and Visual Development, and Self-esteem in Four Children with Cerebral Visual Impairment

During a longitudinal in-depth study of the reading acquisition and cognitive and visual development of four children with cerebral visual impairment, the children's visual acuity improved, but their full-scale IQs declined, mostly because of difficulties in abstract thinking, visual cognitive organization, and extremely low processing speed. The children had little interest in reading, but all acquired reading and writing abilities in different media.
Use of antiretroviral therapy and risk of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in HIV-positive persons

Objectives:Although several antiretroviral drugs, including the d-drugs stavudine (d4T) and didanosine (ddI), may cause biomarker-defined hepatotoxicity, their association with clinically defined end-stage liver disease (ESLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. Design:Prospective cohort study. Methods:Data collection on adverse events of anti-HIV drugs study (D:A:D) participants were followed until the first of ESLD (variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome or liver transplantation), HCC (histology or &agr;-fetoprotein along with imaging), death, 6 months after last visit or 1 February 2014. Associations between ESLD/HCC and cumulative use of individual antiretrovirals were investigated using Poisson regression adjusting for potential confounders. Results:During a median follow-up of 8.4 years, 319 ESLD/HCC cases occurred [incidence 1.01/1000 person-years (95% confidence interval 0.90–1.12)] with a 1-year mortality rate of 62.6%. After adjustment, cumulative (per 5 years) exposure to d4T [relative rate 1.46 (95% confidence interval 1.20–1.77)], ddI [1.32 (1.07–1.63)], tenofovir [TDF, 1.46 (1.11–1.93)] and (fos)amprenavir [APV; 1.47 (1.01–2.15)] was associated with increased ESLD/HCC rates. Longer exposure to emtricitabine [0.51 (0.32–0.83)] and nevirapine [0.76 (0.58–0.98)] were associated with lower ESLD/HCC rates. The ddI/d4T-associated increased ESLD/HCC rate only started to decline 6 years after cessation. Conclusion:Cumulative use of d4T, ddI, TDF and APV were independently associated with increased ESLD/HCC rates, and intensified monitoring of liver function should hence be considered among all individuals exposed for longer time periods. The use of d-drugs should furthermore be avoided, where there are alternatives available, and focus should be put on those with longer-term d-drugs exposure who remain at increased ESLD/HCC risk. The unexpected, and viral hepatitis-independent, TDF association calls for further investigations.
An Indel Polymorphism in the MtnA 3' Untranslated Region Is Associated with Gene Expression Variation and Local Adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster

Insertions and deletions (indels) are a major source of genetic variation within species and may result in functional changes to coding or regulatory sequences. In this study we report that an indel polymorphism in the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of the metallothionein gene MtnA is associated with gene expression variation in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. A derived allele of MtnA with a 49-bp deletion in the 3' UTR segregates at high frequency in populations outside of sub-Saharan Africa. The frequency of the deletion increases with latitude across multiple continents and approaches 100% in northern Europe. Flies with the deletion have more than 4-fold higher MtnA expression than flies with the ancestral sequence. Using reporter gene constructs in transgenic flies, we show that the 3' UTR deletion significantly contributes to the observed expression difference. Population genetic analyses uncovered signatures of a selective sweep in the MtnA region within populations from northern Europe. We also find that the 3’ UTR deletion is associated with increased oxidative stress tolerance. These results suggest that the 3' UTR deletion has been a target of selection for its ability to confer increased levels of MtnA expression in northern European populations, likely due to a local adaptive advantage of increased oxidative stress tolerance.
Formulation in Psychology and Psychotherapy: Making sense of people’s problems (2nd Edition)

L. Johnstone and R. Dallos, Introduction to Formulation. R. Dudley and W. Kuyken, Formulation in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. R. Leiper, Psychodynamic formulation: A prince betrayed and disinherited. R. Dallos and J. Stedmon, Systemic Formulation: Mapping the family dance. D. Harper and D. Spellman, Social constructionist formulation: Telling a different story. J. Miller and L. McClelland, Social inequalities formulation: mad, bad and dangerous to know. R. Dallos, J. Wright, J. Stedmon, and L. Johnstone, Integrative Formulation. R. Dallos, Integrative Formulation: CAT and ANT. L. Johnstone, Controversies and Debates about Formulation.
Impaired Role Functioning and Treatment Rates for Mental Disorders and Chronic Physical Disorders in Metropolitan China

Objectives: To compare impairments in role functioning and treatment rate of mental disorders and chronic physical disorders in the general population of metropolitan China. Method: Face-to-face household interviews of 5201 people aged 18 to 70 years in Beijing and Shanghai were conducted from November 2001 to February 2002, using a multistage household probability sampling method. The World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) was used for assessing sociodemographic characteristics, diagnoses, and treatment. The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) was used to measure disorder-specific role impairment. Results: Respondents generally attributed greater impairment to mental disorders than to chronic physical disorders, although there were some variations among specific disorders. This general pattern was supported by within-person comparison of impairment associated with a mental disorder versus any chronic physical disorder. Depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobia were the most impairing mental disorders. Diabetes, headaches, and asthma were the most impairing physical disorders. Comorbid mental and physical disorders were associated with more severe impairment. A much lower percentage of respondents with mental disorders (3.0%) than chronic physical disorders (42.8%) received treatment in the previous 12 months. Conclusion: Common mental disorders were associated with greater impairment than chronic physical disorders but were markedly undertreated. They warrant prioritization in the allocation of healthcare resources in China. DALYs = Disability Adjusted Life Years; WMH = World Mental Health Survey Initiative; DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition; CIDI = Composite International Diagnostic Interview; SDS = Sheehan Disability Scale.
Collaborative Partitioning for Coreference Resolution

This paper presents a collaborative partitioning algorithm—a novel ensemble-based approach to coreference resolution. Starting from the all-singleton partition, we search for a solution close to the ensemble’s outputs in terms of a task-specific similarity measure. Our approach assumes a loose integration of individual components of the ensemble and can therefore combine arbitrary coreference resolvers, regardless of their models. Our experiments on the CoNLL dataset show that collaborative partitioning yields results superior to those attained by the individual components, for ensembles of both strong and weak systems. Moreover, by applying the collaborative partitioning algorithm on top of three state-of-the-art resolvers, we obtain the best coreference performance reported so far in the literature (MELA v08 score of 64.47).
Somatostatin suppresses secretin and pancreatic exocrine secretion

Somatostatin, a hypothalamic peptide, suppresses hydrochloric acid-stimulated release of secretin, pancreatic flow rate, and bicarbonate and protein secretion in fasted, conscious dogs. It also reduces nonstimulated pancreatic exocrine secretion but does not affect basal secretin concentrations. Suppression of HCl-stimulated secretin release is complete, whereas pancreatic flow rate and bicarbonate and protein secretions are only partially inhibited. The action of somatostatin is rapid in onset and quickly reversible.