Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expressive face recognition and synthesis

Facial expression interpretation, recognition and analysis is a key issue in visual communication and man to machine interaction. In this paper, we present a technique for extracting appearance parameters from a natural image or video sequence, which allow reproduction of natural looking expressive synthetic faces. This technique was used to perform face synthesis and tracking in video sequences as well as facial expression recognition and control.
Pediatricians and gay and lesbian youth.

The Epidemiology of Adolescent Homosexuality PREVALENCE Sexual orientation refers to an individual9s pattern of physical and emotional arousal toward other persons. It is not synonymous with gender identity (the knowledge of being male or female) or gender role (outward expression of maleness or femaleness). Gender identity and gender role generally are defined by anatomic and chromosomal gender in both heterosexual and homosexual individuals. Sexual orientation also is not synonymous with sexual activity; many homosexual individuals, especially during adolescence, participate in heterosexual behavior and relationships,1,2 and many adults who identify themselves as heterosexual report homosexual activity during adolescence.3-5 It is difficult to know with certainty the number of people who identify themselves as exclusively or predominantly homosexual. It is more difficult still to estimate the number who have questions about their sexual orientation during adolescence because of the well-known fluidity and complexity of sexual attractions and activities during this period. The original Kinsey study of sexuality reported that from puberty to age 20, 28% of boys and 17% of girls had one or more homosexual experiences. The same survey reported that 37% of adults have had homosexual experiences and that 10% consider themselves to be predominantly homosexual.3,4 In a somewhat more recent cross-sectional study of 13- to 19-year-olds, 11% of boys and 6% of girls reported at least one homosexual experience, with 17% of boys aged 16 to 19 reporting such activities.6
SIS : A System for Sequential Circuit Synthesis Electronics Research Laboratory Memorandum

SIS is an interactive tool for synthesis and optimization of sequential circuits. Given a state transition table, a signal transition graph, or a logic-level description of a sequential circuit, it produces an optimized net-list in the target technology while preserving the sequential input-output behavior. Many different programs and algorithms have been integrated into SIS, allowing the user to choose among a variety of techniques at each stage of the process. It is built on top of MISII [5] and includes all (combinational) optimization techniques therein as well as many enhancements. SIS serves as both a framework within which various algorithms can be tested and compared, and as a tool for automatic synthesis and optimization of sequential circuits. This paper provides an overview of SIS. The first part contains descriptions of the input specification, STG (state transition graph) manipulation, new logic optimization and verification algorithms, ASTG (asynchronous signal transition graph) manipulation, and synthesis for PGA’s (programmable gate arrays). The second part contains a tutorial example illustrating the design process using SIS.
Role Of Oxidative Stress In The Protective Effects Of Zingiber Zerumbet Smith Ethyl- Acetate Extract Against Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity In Sprague-Dawley Rats

Zingiber zerumbet is known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet rhizome against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups consisted of control, 750 mg/kg paracetamol, 400 mg/kg Z. zerumbet extract, paracetamol plus 200 mg/kg Z. zerumbet extract and paracetamol plus 400 mg/kg Z. zerumbet extract. Paracetamol were administered orally for seven days concurrent with Z. zerumbet extract intraperitoneally. Administration of ethyl acetate Z. zerumbet extract at doses of 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg protected paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity as evidenced by significantly reduced (p<0.05) activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Treatment with Z. zerumbet at similar doses were also able to significantly increased (p<0.05) the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in liver homogenate. The increment of malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl in liver homogenate were significantly inhibited (p<0.05) by administration of ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet. Administration of Z. zerumbet at the dose of 400 mg/kg were found showed better hepatoprotective effects as compared to 200 mg/kg. In conclusion ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet have the potential in preventing paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity and this hepatoprotective effects was probably mediated through the reduction in oxidative stress.
Experimental retinal vein occlusion: effect of acetazolamide and carbogen (95% O2/5% CO2) on preretinal PO2.

PURPOSE To evaluate the variations of preretinal oxygen partial pressure (Po(2)) in normal and in ischemic postexperimental branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) areas, during normoxia, hyperoxia (100% O(2)), and carbogen (95% O(2), 5% CO(2)) breathing before and after intravenous injection of acetazolamide. METHODS Preretinal Po(2) measurements were obtained in intervascular retinal areas, distant from the retinal vessels of 13 anesthetized mini-pigs with oxygen-sensitive microelectrodes (10 microm tip diameter) introduced through the vitreous cavity by a micromanipulator. The microelectrode tip was placed <50 microm from the vitreoretinal interface in the preretinal vitreous. Po(2) was measured continuously for 10 minutes under systemic normoxia, hyperoxia, and carbogen breathing. A BRVO was induced with an argon green laser, and oxygen measurements were repeated under normoxia, hyperoxia, and carbogen breathing, before and after intravenous injection of acetazolamide (500 mg bolus). RESULTS In hyperoxia, a moderate nonsignificant preretinal Po(2) increase in both normal (DeltaPo(2) = 2.20 +/- 4.16 mm Hg; n = 25) and ischemic retinas (DeltaPo(2) = 4.30 +/- 3.57 mm Hg; n = 16) was measured in spite of a substantial increase in systemic Pao(2). Carbogen breathing induced a significant increase in systemic Paco(2) and a higher systemic Pao(2) than hyperoxia. Furthermore, it significantly increased the preretinal Po(2) in normal areas (DeltaPo(2) = 19.37 +/- 16.41 mm Hg; n = 26), and in ischemic areas (DeltaPo(2) = 14.94 +/- 8.53 mm Hg; n = 14). Intravenous acetazolamide did not affect the preretinal Po(2). Acetazolamide induced an increase of the preretinal Po(2) to a greater extent when it was associated with carbogen breathing (DeltaPo(2) = 15.15 +/- 9.15 mm Hg; n = 7) than when it was combined with hyperoxia (DeltaPo(2) = 6.96 +/- 4.49 mm Hg; n = 7). CONCLUSIONS Carbogen breathing significantly increased preretinal Po(2) in normal and in ischemic postexperimental BRVO areas of mini-pigs. The concomitant use of acetazolamide injection and carbogen breathing or hyperoxia could restore an appropriate oxygenation of BRVO areas.
Representation theory for high-rate multiple-antenna code design

Multiple antennas can greatly increase the data rate and reliability of a wireless communication link in a fading environment, but the practical success of using multiple antennas depends crucially on our ability to design high-rate space-time constellations with low encoding and decoding complexity. It has been shown that full transmitter diversity, where the constellation is a set of unitary matrices whose differences have nonzero determinant, is a desirable property for good performance. We use the powerful theory of fixed-point-free groups and their representations to design high-rate constellations with full diversity. Furthermore, we thereby classify all full-diversity constellations that form a group, for all rates and numbers of transmitter antennas. The group structure makes the constellations especially suitable for differential modulation and low-complexity decoding algorithms. The classification also reveals that the number of different group structures with full diversity is very limited when the number of transmitter antennas is large and odd. We, therefore, also consider extensions of the constellation designs to nongroups. We conclude by showing that many of our designed constellations perform excellently on both simulated and real wireless channels.
+ Heterogeneity and Instability within FOXP3 Regulatory Population Uncovers Functional Single-Cell Analysis of the Human T

Natural FOXP3 + CD4 + CD25 High regulatory T cells are critical in immunological self-tolerance. Their characterization in humans is hindered by the failure to discriminate these cells from activated effector T cells in inﬂammation. To explore the relationship between FOXP3 expression and regulatory function at the clonal level, we used a single-cell cloning strategy of CD25-expressing CD4 + T cell subsets from healthy human donors. Our approach unveils a functional heterogeneity nested within CD4 + CD25 High FOXP3 + T cells, and typically not revealed by conventional bulk assays. Whereas most cells display the canonical regulatory T (T REG ) cell characteristics, a signiﬁcant proportion of FOXP3 + T cells is compromised in its suppressive function, despite the maintenance of other phenotypic and functional regulatory T hallmark features. In addition, these nonsuppressive FOXP3 + T cells preferentially emerge from the CD45RO + memory pool, and arise as a consequence of a rapid downregulation of FOXP3 expression upon T cell reactivation. Surprisingly, these dysfunctional T REG cells with unstable FOXP3 expression do not manifest overt plasticity in terms of inﬂammatory cytokine secretion. These results open a path to an extensive study of the functional heterogeneity of CD4 + CD25 High FOXP3 + T REG cells and warrant caution in the sole use of FOXP3 as a clinical marker for monitoring of immune regulation in humans. The Journal of Immunology , 2011, 186: 000–000.
Exploring Population Genetic Models With Recombination Using Efficient Forward-Time Simulations

We present an exact forward-in-time algorithm that can efficiently simulate the evolution of a finite population under the Wright–Fisher model. We used simulations based on this algorithm to verify the accuracy of the ancestral recombination graph approximation by comparing it to the exact Wright–Fisher scenario. We find that the recombination graph is generally a very good approximation for models with complete outcrossing, whereas, for models with self-fertilization, the approximation becomes slightly inexact for some combinations of selfing and recombination parameters.
EVALUATION OF ROOT AND LEAF OF ABUTILON THEOPHRASTI MEDIK FOR ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY

ABSTRACT The investigation was aimed to carry out the antifungal activities of the methanol and aqueous extracts of Abutilon theophrasti against four fungal strains (Microsporum gypseum, Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp.). Antifungal activity of the extracts was determined by the disc diffusion method against various fungi with soubred dextrose agar as media. Methanolic extracts of A. theophrasti showed promising antifungal activity compared to aqueous extracts against selected fungal species. Methanolic extract of leaf displayed the highest activity with zone of inhibition 14 mm against Penicillium spp. which were totally concentration dependent; however, a poor activity was seen in aqueous extracts. Methanolic extracts of root displayed good antifungal activity, while as no activity was seen in aqueous extracts of root. The results obtained in the study show that methanolic leaf extracts possess phytoconstituents with potent antifungal activity. Keywords: Abutilon, Methanol, Rhizopus, Penicillium.
Plate fixation of tibial shaft fractures. A survey of 181 injuries.

1. One hundred and eighty-one fractures of the tibial shaft were treated by rigid fixation using conventional plates. 2. Comparison is made with series of fractures treated by the closed method. 3. The incidence of non-union, or delayed union requiring a long period of plaster immobilisation, was found to be less with the open method of treatment. 4. Plating was also found to give better functional results with a shorter period of disability except in severe open fractures. 5. Plating is a valuable method of treatment for tibial fractures in the elderly.
Comparison of stability characterisations for networked control systems

This paper presents linear matrix inequalities for stability analysis for networked control systems (NCSs) that incorporates various network phenomena: time-varying sampling intervals, packet dropouts and time-varying delays that may be both smaller and larger than the sampling interval. The problem is approached from a discrete-time modelling perspective. A comparison is made between the use of Parameter Dependent Lyapunov functions and Lyapunov-Krasovskii functions for stability analysis. Examples illustrate the developed theory.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports Fundamental Disagreement

We use the term structure of disagreement of professional forecasters to document a novel set of facts: (1) forecasters disagree at all horizons, including the long run; (2) the term structure of disagreement differs markedly across variables: it is downward sloping for real output growth, relatively flat for inflation, and upward sloping for the federal funds rate; (3) disagreement is time-varying at all horizons, including the long run. These new facts present a challenge to benchmark models of expectation formation based on informational frictions. We show that these models require two additional ingredients to match the entire term structure of disagreement: First, agents must disentangle low-frequency shifts in the fundamentals of the economy from short-term fluctuations. Second, agents must take into account the dynamic interactions between variables when forming forecasts. While models enriched with these features capture the observed term structure of disagreement irrespective of the source of the informational friction, they fall short at explaining the time variance of disagreement at mediumand long-term horizons. We also use the term structure of disagreement to analyze the monetary policy rule perceived by professional forecasters and show that it features a high degree of interest-rate smoothing and time variation in the intercept.
Hybrid documents ease text corpus analysis for literary scholars

We present a study that explores how literary scholars interact with physical and digital documents in their daily work. Motivated by findings from this study, we propose refactoring the working environment of our target audience to improve the integration of digital material into established paper-centric processes. This is largely facilitated through the use of hybrid documents, i.e., cross-modal compound documents that employ a printed book for rich, tangible interaction in tandem with a digital component for matching interactive augmentation on a digital workbench. The results from two user studies in which we evaluated increasingly detailed prototypes demonstrate that this design offers better support for central workflows in literary studies than currently prevalent approaches.
Result-Driven Exploration of Simulation Parameter Spaces for Visual Effects Design

Graphics artists commonly employ physically-based simulation for the generation of effects such as smoke, explosions, and similar phenomena. The task of finding the correct parameters for a desired result, however, is difficult and time-consuming as current tools provide little to no guidance. In this paper, we present a new approach for the visual exploration of such parameter spaces. Given a three-dimensional scene description, we utilize sampling and spatio-temporal clustering techniques to generate a concise overview of the achievable variations and their temporal evolution. Our visualization system then allows the user to explore the simulation space in a goal-oriented manner. Animation sequences with a set of desired characteristics can be composed using a novel search-by-example approach and interactive direct volume rendering is employed to provide instant visual feedback.
Measuring Complex Problem-Solving in Jordan: Feasibility, Construct Validity and Behaviour Pattern Analyses

This study investigates the role of strategic exploration and diﬀerent problem-solving and test-taking behaviours in CPS success, using logﬁle data to visualize and quantify students’ problem-solving behaviour on ten CPS problems with diﬀerent levels of diﬃculty and characteristics. Additionally, in the present study, we go beyond the limits of most studies that focus on students’ problem-solving behaviour pattern analyses in European cultures and education systems to examine Arabic students’ CPS behaviour. Results show that students in the Arabic school system interpret CPS problems the same way. That is, we conﬁrmed the two-dimensional model of CPS, indicating the processes of knowledge acquisition and knowledge application as separate dimensions during the problem-solving process. Large diﬀerences were identiﬁed in the test-taking behaviour of students in terms of the eﬃcacy of their exploration strategy. We identiﬁed four latent classes based on the students’ exploration strategy behaviour.
Factors involved in the control of cerebral blood flow

Most previous knowledge of the cerebral circulation was based on the measurement of blood flow in the carotid arteries (Rein, 1929) or pial blood vessels (Forbes, 1928), or on the measurement of total brain blood flow by clearance methods (Kety & Schmidt, 1945) or radioactive methods (Nylin & Blomer, 1955). Very little is known about the control of deep cerebral blood vessels. In the present work blood flow changes were recorded in the substance of the frontal lobes by means of 'internal calorimetry'. This is a development of the heated thermocouple method (Gibbs, 1933), which was originally applied qualitatively to brain blood flow studies by Schmidt & Pierson (1934). In its present form, the technique gives a record of thermal conductivity, which in other organs has been shown to be a linear function of blood flow (Grayson, 1952). The first object of the present work, therefore, was to demonstrate the validity of the method for the brain. The second object was to use it first to determine the importance of neural factors and adrenaline in the control of deep cerebral blood flow, and secondly to investigate the adaptations which take place in the intracerebral circulation during changing blood pressure.
Preventive Evolutionary Medicine of Cancers

Evolutionary theory predicts that once an individual reaches an age of sufficiently low Darwinian fitness, (s)he will have reduced chances of keeping cancerous lesions in check. While we clearly need to better understand the emergence of precursor states and early malignancies as well as their mitigation by the microenvironment and tissue architecture, we argue that lifestyle changes and preventive therapies based in an evolutionary framework, applied to identified high‐risk populations before incipient neoplasms become clinically detectable and chemoresistant lineages emerge, are currently the most reliable way to control or eliminate early tumours. Specifically, the relatively low levels of (epi)genetic heterogeneity characteristic of many if not most incipient lesions will mean a relatively limited set of possible adaptive traits and associated costs compared to more advanced cancers, and thus a more complete and predictable understanding of treatment options and outcomes. We propose a conceptual model for preventive treatments and discuss the many associated challenges.
BantuLM: Enhancing Cross-Lingual Learning in the Bantu Language Family

This paper outlines methods for improving Bantu languages through the application of Natural Language Processing techniques. We trained a Large Language Model known as Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers for the understanding of 18 Bantu languages. More precisely, we pre-trained the model using an unsupervised corpus obtained using pseudo-labeling. This pre-training task aims to comprehend the latent structures of these languages owing to an attention mechanism that enables a deeper understanding of the context. We then conducted various experiments on ﬁve downstream tasks: Language Identiﬁcation, Sentiment Analysis, News Classiﬁcation, Named Entity Recognition and Text Summarization. Finally, we proposed to test the eﬀectiveness of using multilin-gualism in a few closely related languages instead of leveraging a vast amount of data and multiple languages that are not necessarily related. In fact, we conducted experiments on unseen languages belonging to the Bantu family and we found that the model demonstrates better ability understanding them due to their similarities to the languages used for pre-training.
UvA-DARE (

: We compute (cid:13)uctuations in the modular energy of the vacuum associated with a Rindler-wedge in AdS spacetime in the context of AdS/CFT. We discuss the possible e(cid:11)ect of these energy (cid:13)uctuations on the spacetime geometry, and on the traversal time of a light beam propagating from the boundary to the bulk and back
Direct interaction between Rsc6 and Rsc8/Swh3,two proteins that are conserved in SWI/SNF-related complexes.

The RSC complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is closely related to the SWI/SNF complex. Both complexes are involved in remodeling chromatin structure and they share conserved components. The RSC proteins Sth1, Rsc8/Swh3, Sfh1 and Rsc6 are homologs of the SWI/SNF proteins Swi2/Snf2, Swi3, Snf5 and Swp73 respectively. To investigate the RSC complex, we isolated a temperature-sensitive swh3 allele. A screen for multicopy suppressors yielded plasmids carrying the RSC6 and MAK31 loci. RSC6 also suppressed the formamide sensitivity of a strain with a C-terminal truncation of SWH3 . We show that Swh3 and Rsc6 fusion proteins interact in the two-hybrid system and that the swh3-ts mutation impairs this interaction. Finally, bacterially produced Swh3 and Rsc6 fusion proteins interact in vitro , supporting the genetic evidence for direct interaction between Swh3 and Rsc6 in vivo . We have previously shown that Swh3 also interacts with Sth1. These findings, together with the conservation of these proteins in the SWI/SNF complex and in mammalian SWI/SNF-related complexes, strongly suggest that these proteins form a structural core for the complex.
Prosodic structure affects the production and perception of voice-assimilated German fricatives

Prosodic structure has long been known to constrain phonological processes [1]. More recently, it has a lso been recognized as a source of fine-grained phonetic var iation of speech sounds. In particular, segments in domain-in itial position undergo prosodic strengthening [2, 3], whi ch also implies more resistance to coarticulation in higher prosodic domains [5]. The present study investigates the com bined effects of prosodic strengthening and assimilatory devoicing on word-initial fricatives in German, the functiona l implication of both processes for cues to the forti s-lenis contrast, and the influence of prosodic structure o n listeners’ compensation for assimilation. Results indicate that 1. Prosodic structure modulates duration and the degre e of assimilatory devoicing, 2. Phonological contrasts a re maintained by speakers, but differ in phonetic deta il across prosodic domains, and 3. Compensation for assimilation in perception is moderated by prosodic structure and l exical constraints.