Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oligoquantization in low-rate lossy source coding

The theory of high rate lossy source coding is well developed both with respect to the practice of quantization and its fundamental rate distortion limits. But many modern compression systems for natural signals such as audio and images operate at lower rates, which are not covered by these theories. Often these systems are based on a signal transform followed by a nonlinear processing step that reduces the number of coefficients that are actually quantized. Both this nonlinearity and the non-Gaussianity of the involved signals rule out using the theory of (high rate) linear transform coding to analyze such compression algorithms. The lossy source coding theorem could be used, but it is not the right tool "to see what happens". Another way of getting a better understanding of these systems is to look at them as a form of nonlinear approximation of individual signals. While partly avoiding the need for statistical signal models that are hard to come by, this approach still relies on high rate results for the coefficient quantization. In this thesis we take a more information theoretic approach, whose main result is a new low-rate upper bound on the distortion rate function. In order to obtain that result, the problem had to be simplified substantially. To begin with, only i.i. d. memoryless sources with a mean square error distortion measure are considered. Instead of bounding the distortion rate function D(R) directly, we derive upper bounds on the optimum performance of a certain class of quantizers, which by definition upper bound also D(R). Inspired by the observation that many of those compression systems quantize only very few coefficients at low rates, we called this the class of oligoquantizers. In particular, if the coefficients have a peaked unimodal probability density, a simple magnitude thresholding operation is very effective at deciding which coefficients should be quantized. It turns out that peaked unimodal densities are also the most interesting ones, not just because they appear in many transform coding systems, but also because they have a D(R) behavior that is very different from a Gaussian. Thus the emphasis of this work will be on oligoquantization based on scalar thresholding. Actually we will show that the principle of oligoquantization does not generalize well to higher dimensions. On a more applied note, we analyze several models for sparse transform coefficients with the aid of the low rate bound. For the special case of sparse coefficient vectors and Hamming distortion measure, analytic expressions for R(D) are obtained. A high rate bound that complements its low rate counterpart is also derived. Finally, we show how these bounds can be computed directly from a set of source samples, without first estimating the underlying probability density. These empirical bounds can be a useful complement to the rate distortion function computed with Blahut's algorithm, since the latter is hard to use at very low or high rates.
Nitrate and Nitrite Are Transported by Different Specific Transport Systems and by a Bispecific Transporter in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii(*)

Nitrate transport mutants from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and strains derived from them upon transformation with plasmids containing the C. reinhardtii nar2/Nrt2;1 or nar2/Nrt2;2 genes have been used to study nitrate and nitrite transport systems. Mutants lacking nitrate assimilation clustered genes showed a high affinity nitrite transporter activity (system 3), which was subject to ammonium inhibition and appeared to be independent of a functional nar2 gene. Transformants carrying nar2/Nrt2;2 recovered a high affinity nitrate transporter activity (system 2) and showed nitrite transport activities with properties similar to those in nontransformed cells. Transformants carrying nar2/Nrt2;1 recovered high affinity nitrate transporter activity (system 1) together with a considerably enhanced nitrite transport activity. Nitrite transport mediated by system 1 was very sensitive to inhibition by nitrate at μM concentrations. Results strongly suggest that three nitrate assimilation related high affinity transport systems operate in C. reinhardtii: one specific for nitrite, a second one encoded by nar2/Nrt2;2 specific for nitrate, and another one encoded by nar2/Nrt2;1, which is bispecific for these two anions.
Prosodic expression of contrast in Williams syndrome

Williams syndrome (WS) is a unique genetic developmental disorder characterized by excessive social behaviour accompanied by exaggerated prosody. While past studies with off-line assessment of prosodic skills report significant delays in prosodic skills in individuals with WS as compared to typically developing controls, reports typically lack speech analysis. The current study, using a speech elicitation task, tests whether individuals with WS can express contrast with prosody and what phonetic cues they produce to signal contrast. The data from 10 WS and 10 chronological-age (CA) matched control participants demonstrate striking similarities in their use of duration and intensity to express contrast. However, F0 did not systematically mark contrast in the WS group. The present data confirm the sensitivity to words’ discourse status and the ability to mark contrast in WS, and suggest that the past low ratings of prosodic skills in WS may reflect the lack of reliable F0 cues.
Weak ε-nets and interval chains

We construct weak ε-nets of almost linear size for certain types of point sets. Specifically, for planar point sets in convex position we construct weak 1/<i>r</i>-nets of size <i>O(rα(r))</i>, where <i>α(r)</i> denotes the inverse Ackermann function. For point sets along the moment curve in ℝ<i><sup>d</sup></i> we construct weak 1/<i>r</i>-nets of size <i>r</i> · 2<sup>poly<i>(α(r))</i></sup>, where the degree of the polynomial in the exponent depends (quadratically) on <i>d. </i> Our constructions result from a reduction to a new problem, which we call <i>stabbing interval chains with j-tuples. </i> Given the range of integers <i>N</i> = [1,<i>n</i>], an interval chain of length <i>k</i> is a sequence of <i>k</i> consecutive, disjoint, nonempty intervals contained in <i>N. </i> A <i>j</i>-tuple &pmacr; is said to <i>stab</i> an interval chain <i>C = I<sub>1</sub> … I<sub>k</sub></i> if each <i>p<sub>i</sub></i> falls on a different interval of <i>C. </i> The problem is to construct a small-size family Z of <i>j</i>-tuples that stabs all <i>k</i>-interval chains in <i>N. </i> Let <i>z<sub>k</sub><sup>(j)</sup>(n)</i> denote the minimum size of such a family Z. We derive almost-tight upper and lower bounds for <i>z<sub>k</sub><sup>(j)</sup>(n)</i> for every fixed <i>j;</i> our bounds involve functions <i>α<sub>m</sub>(n)</i> of the inverse Ackermann hierarchy. Specifically, we show that for <i>j</i> = 3 we have <i>z<sub>k</sub><sup>(3)</sup>(n)</i> = Θ for all <i>k</i> ≥ 6. For each <i>j</i> ≥ 4 we construct a pair of functions <i>P'<sub>j</sub>(m), Q'<sub>j</sub>(m)</i>, almost equal asymptotically, such that <i>z(j)<sub>P'<sub>j</sub>(m)</sub>(n)=O(nα<sub>m</sub>(n))</i> and <i>z(j)<sub>Q'<sub>j</sub>(m)</sub>(n)=Ω(nα<sub>m</sub>(n))</i>.
An electrophile‐nucleophile interaction in metalloprotein structures

A new attractive interaction in metalloprotein structures, between the thiolate anion of a metal‐bound cysteine (acting as a nucleophile) and a carbonyl carbon of a peptide group (an electrophile), has been identified. From 82 cases extracted from 23 metalloprotein structures, the interacting S and C atoms are found to be at a distance of 3.2 (±2) Å, such that the angle S···C — O is 109° (±15°). Usually, the interacting atoms are from the same Cys residue, and to allow the S to interact with the carbonyl group the side‐chain and the main‐chain torsion angles deviate from those found in cysteines not bound by metals. There is a good correlation between the S···C distance and the angular deviation of the S···C vector from the normal to the peptide plane. Various data points may be envisaged to represent “snapshots” along the reaction coordinate for the intra‐residue attack of Cys S on the CO group.
On bias correction of summer monsoon precipitation over India from CORDEX‐SA simulations

In the present study, four different bias correction methods are assessed in improving the precipitation output from a set of two regional climate simulations for 1971–2005 period. The simulations come from Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment over South Asia (CORDEX‐SA). The bias correction methods applied here are linear scaling (Scaling), empirical quantile mapping (EQM), power transformation (PTR) and local intensity scaling (LOCI). All the bias correction techniques show skill in improving the model results, but there are clear differences in the degrees of success depending upon the characteristic of precipitation studies—like seasonal mean, seasonal extremes or inter‐annual variability. Most of the methods show equivalently high ability in correcting the seasonal mean precipitation values; however, there also exist residual biases which vary spatially over India. The largest reduction in bias was observed for the frequency of dry days and precipitation on very wet days, which are significantly altered after adjustment by EQM and PTR. It is found that distribution‐based EQM method is more skilful followed by PTR and LOCI in most of the cases including correction of frequency‐based indices (e.g., dry days number and inter‐annual variability).
Expression of NgBR Is Highly Associated with Estrogen Receptor Alpha and Survivin in Breast Cancer

NgBR is a type I receptor with a single transmembrane domain and was identified as a specific receptor for Nogo-B. Our recent findings demonstrated that NgBR binds farnesylated Ras and recruits Ras to the plasma membrane, which is a critical step required for the activation of Ras signaling in human breast cancer cells and tumorigenesis. Here, we first use immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR approaches to examine the expression patterns of Nogo-B and NgBR in both normal and breast tumor tissues. Then, we examine the relationship between NgBR expression and molecular subtypes of breast cancer, and the roles of NgBR in estrogen-dependent survivin signaling pathway. Results showed that NgBR and Nogo-B protein were detected in both normal and breast tumor tissues. However, the expression of Nogo-B and NgBR in breast tumor tissue was much stronger than in normal breast tissue. The statistical analysis demonstrated that NgBR is highly associated with ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. We also found that the expression of NgBR has a strong correlation with the expression of survivin, which is a well-known apoptosis inhibitor. The correlation between NgBR and survivin gene expression was further confirmed by real-time PCR. In vitro results also demonstrated that estradiol induces the expression of survivin in ER-positive T47D breast tumor cells but not in ER-negative MDA-MB-468 breast tumor cells. NgBR knockdown with siRNA abolishes estradiol-induced survivin expression in ER-positive T47D cells but not in ER-negative MDA-MB-468 cells. In addition, estradiol increases the expression of survivin and cell growth in ER-positive MCF-7 and T47D cells whereas knockdown of NgBR with siRNA reduces estradiol-induced survivin expression and cell growth. In summary, these results indicate that NgBR is a new molecular marker for breast cancer. The data suggest that the expression of NgBR may be essential in promoting ER-positive tumor cell proliferation via survivin induction in breast cancer.
Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in 5,072 Consecutive Cervical SurePath Samples Evaluated with the Roche Cobas HPV Real-Time PCR Assay

New commercially available Human Papillomavirus (HPV) assays need to be evaluated in a variety of cervical screening settings. Cobas HPV Test (cobas) is a real-time PCR-based assay allowing for separate detection of HPV genotypes 16 and 18 and a bulk of 12 other high-risk genotypes. The aim of the present study, Horizon, was to assess the prevalence of high-risk HPV infections in an area with a high background risk of cervical cancer, where women aged 23–65 years are targeted for cervical screening. We collected 6,258 consecutive cervical samples from the largest cervical screening laboratory in Denmark serving the whole of Copenhagen. All samples were stored in SurePath media. In total, 5,072 samples were tested with cobas, Hybrid Capture 2 High Risk HPV DNA test (HC2) and liquid-based cytology. Of these, 27% tested positive on cobas. This proportion decreased by age, being 43% in women aged 23–29 years and 10% in women aged 60–65 years. HC2 assay was positive in 20% of samples, and cytology was abnormal (≥ atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance) for 7% samples. When only samples without recent abnormalities were taken into account, 24% tested positive on cobas, 19% on HC2, and 5% had abnormal cytology. The proportion of positive cobas samples was higher than in the ATHENA trial. The age-standardized cobas positivity vs. cytology abnormality was 3.9 in our study and 1.7 in ATHENA. If in Copenhagen the presently used cytology would be replaced by cobas in women above age 30 years, an extra 11% of women would based on historical data be expected to have a positive cobas test without an underlying cervical intraepithelial lesion grade 3 or worse. Countries with a high prevalence of HPV infections should therefore proceed to primary HPV-based cervical screening with caution.
Morphological and Functional Assessment of Carotid Plaques Have Similar Predictive Accuracy for Coronary Artery Disease

Background and Purpose— Microwave radiometry allows noninvasive in vivo measuring of internal temperature of tissues reflecting inflammation. In the present study, we evaluated the predictive accuracy of this method for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods— Consecutive patients (n=287) scheduled for coronary angiography were included in the study. In carotid arteries of both groups, the following measurements were performed: (1) intima-media thickness (IMTmax) and (2) temperature measurements by microwave radiometry (&Dgr;Tmax). C-statistic and net reclassification improvement were used to compare the prediction ability of the markers IMTmax and &Dgr;Tmax for the presence of CAD and multivessel CAD. Results— Of 287 patients, 239 had stenoses ≥50% (CAD group), and 48 did not have significant stenoses (NO-CAD group). &Dgr;Tmax was an independent predictor for the presence of CAD and multivessel CAD, showing similar predictive accuracy to intima-media thickness, as assessed by c-statistic and net reclassification improvement. Conclusions— Local inflammatory activation, as detected by microwave radiometry, has similar predictive accuracy to intima-media thickness for the presence and extent of CAD.
Tactile object class and internal state recognition for mobile manipulation

Tactile information is valuable in determining properties of objects that are inaccessible from visual perception. In this work, we present a tactile perception strategy that allows any mobile robot with tactile sensors in its gripper to measure a set of generic tactile features while grasping an object. We propose a hybrid velocity-force controller, that grasps an object safely and reveals at the same time its deformation properties. As an application, we show that a robot can use these features to distinguish the open/closed and fill state of bottles and cans - purely from tactile sensing - from a small training set. To prove that this is a hard recognition problem, we also conducted a comperative study with 17 human test subjects. We found that the recognition rate of the human subjects were comparable to our robotic gripper.
Seismic Evidence for a Paleoslab in the D" Layer Residing Adjacent to the Southeastern Edge of the Perm Anomaly

The Perm Anomaly, which seismologically resembles the large low‐shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) in the lowermost mantle under Africa and the South Pacific, but is considerably smaller, has been identified beneath Eurasia. Numerical simulations have indicated that the LLSVPs dynamically interact with subducted slabs in D", producing strong deformation near the edges of the LLSVPs. The existence of deformation has been corroborated by seismic anisotropic observations in the D" layer nearby the borders of the slow anomalies such as the Perm Anomaly (Long & Lynner, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065506; Thomas & Kendall, 2002, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246X.2002.01760.x). The existence of paleoslabs, however, has rarely been reported. Our purpose of this study, therefore, is to detect fast anomalies associated with paleoslabs near the edges of the Perm Anomaly. Here we find evidence of the existence of the D" discontinuity at a height above the core‐mantle boundary of 250 km with a +3% shear wave velocity increase; it is located adjacent to the southeastern edge of the Perm Anomaly, which is most likely due to a phase transition from perovskite to postperovskite in conjunction with the presence of slab remnants, by analyzing the Scd (the lower mantle triplication) phases recorded at stations in southeastern Europe. The existence of fast anomaly in the D" region (likely due to accumulation of a paleoslab) is further confirmed by analyzing differential traveltime residuals of SKS versus SKKS and SKKKS measured at stations in North America. The subducted slab—probably attributed to the Central China slab—at the base of the mantle may play a role in influencing the shape and location of the Perm Anomaly.
Moyamoya Disease in Europeans

Background and Purpose— We describe the clinical, diagnostic, and outcome features of a cohort of white patients with idiopathic moyamoya disease treated in a German institution. Methods— Our cohort included 21 white patients with moyamoya disease. Clinical and diagnostic features were obtained by retrospective chart review; follow-up information and outcome were obtained prospectively. We used the Kaplan–Meier methods to estimate stroke risk by treatment status. Results— The mean age at onset of symptoms was 31 years. The female predominance was 4.25:1. In our cohort, the initial symptom was a cerebral ischemic event in all patients. There was no patient with a hemorrhage at onset; only one patient experienced subarachnoidal hemorrhage in the further course of disease. The Kaplan–Meier risk for recurrent stroke was very high after the first ischemic event and smaller after angiographic diagnosis. The 5-year-Kaplan–Meier risk of recurrent stroke was 80.95% after the first ischemic event for all patients. Most subsequent ischemic events appeared in the first 2 years after symptom onset. Eleven patients (52.3%) underwent neurosurgical revascularizing procedures. After surgery, the Kaplan–Meier risk of perioperative or subsequent stroke was 27.27% within the first month and was stable thereafter. Conclusion— Clinical features and course of moyamoya disease of whites analyzed in this German study are comparable to American results. Moyamoya disease in whites differs clearly from Asian moyamoya disease in timing of onset of vasculopathy and lower rate of hemorrhages.
Investigation of evolutionary optimization methods of TSK fuzzy model for real estate appraisal

Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy model to assist with real estate appraisals is described and optimized using evolutionary algorithms. Two approaches were compared in the paper. The first one consisted in learning the rule base and the second one in combining learning the rule base and tuning the membership functions in one process. Moreover two model variants with three and five triangular and trapezoidal membership functions describing each input variable were tested. Several TSK fuzzy models comprising different number of input variables were evaluated using the MATLAB. The evolutionary algorithms were based on Pittsburgh approach with the real coded chromosomes of constant length comprising whole rule base or both the rule base and all parameters of all membership functions. The experiments were conducted using training and testing sets prepared on the basis of actual 150 sales transactions made in one of Polish cities and located in a residential section. The results obtained were not decisive and further research in this area is needed.
The combined influence of hardiness and cohesion on mental health in a military peacekeeping mission: A prospective study

A large number of studies have shown that hardiness and cohesion are associated with mental health in a military context. However, most of them are presented without controlling for baseline mental health symptoms, which is their most significant source of error. The present study investigates the combined effect of hardiness and cohesion in a prospective design, controlling for baseline levels of symptoms among Norwegian personnel serving in a peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. Multivariate regression analyses were performed in which self‐reported mental health complaints were regressed on our explanatory variables. Our findings suggest that both cohesion and hardiness contributed to increased stress resiliency, as measured by a lower level of reported mental health complaints. Our baseline measure of mental health accounted for a larger proportion of the variance than our other predictors. A significant interaction between cohesion and hardiness suggested a combined effect, over and above the individual contributions of the predictors. For individuals who scored high on hardiness, cohesion levels did not influence levels of mental health complaints. Individuals who scored low on hardiness, on the other hand, reported lower levels of mental health complaints when cohesion levels were high.
Initial Assessment of Patients Without Cognitive Failure Admitted in Palliative Care

Aim: To develop a screening tool that was short, not time consuming but able to detect the patients’ main problems at admission. Methods: A list of 106 symptoms/problems derived from a review of the literature was created and shortened using a Delphi process. Results: Thirteen experts scored each item with a numeric rating scale of 0 to 10 for relevance. After 3 rounds, the list was shortened to 14 items: general question—what bothers you the most? symptoms/problems—pain, lack of appetite, vomiting, tiredness/fatigue, nausea, constipation, shortness of breath, depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping; activity (dressing, washing, etc); support from family/friends; and well-being. Conclusion: The final tool is short and seems to include the relevant items that would make it useful for clinical practice.