Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a comprehensive model for predicting the quality of individual visual experience

Recently, a lot of effort has been devoted to estimating the Quality of Visual Experience (QoVE) in order to optimize video delivery to the user. For many decades, existing objective metrics mainly focused on estimating the perceived quality of a video, i.e., the extent to which artifacts due to e.g. compression disrupt the appearance of the video. Other aspects of the visual experience, such as enjoyment of the video content, were, however, neglected. In addition, typically Mean Opinion Scores were targeted, deeming the prediction of individual quality preferences too hard of a problem. In this paper, we propose a paradigm shift, and evaluate the opportunity of predicting individual QoVE preferences, in terms of video enjoyment as well as perceived quality. To do so, we explore the potential of features of different nature to be predictive for a user’s specific experience with a video. We consider thus not only features related to the perceptual characteristics of a video, but also to its affective content. Furthermore, we also integrate in our framework the information about the user and use context. The results show that effective feature combinations can be identified to estimate the QoVE from the perspective of both the enjoyment and perceived quality.
part-time work, Wages and Productivity :Evidence from Matched panel data

Using detailed matched employer-employee panel data for Belgium over the period 19992006, the authors investigate the relationship between working time, wages and productivity. More precisely, they are among the first to examine how changes in the proportions of short and long part-time workers affect the productivity of firms (measured by the value-added per hour worked) and to test for the presence of productivity-wage gaps. Their findings, controlled for a large range of individual and firm characteristics and robust to various econometric issues (including time-invariant unobserved firm heterogeneity, endogeneity and state dependence), suggest that long part-time workers are significantly more productive than short part-time and full-time workers. Their results further indicate that average hourly wages within firms do not significantly depend on the incidence of part-time jobs. Overall, this leads to the conclusion that short part-time workers are paid at their marginal productivity while long part-time workers appear to be “underpaid”.
The effect of gastric secretion on gastric physiology and emptying in the fasted and fed state assessed by magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract Conventional measurement of gastric secretion is invasive and cannot assess the intra‐gastric distribution of gastric contents or the effects of secretion on gastric function. This study assessed the effect of gastric secretion on gastric volume responses and emptying (GE) using a validated fast T1 mapping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. Twelve healthy participants were studied in the fasted state and after 200 kcal Gadolinium‐DOTA labelled glucose meal during intravenous infusion of pentagastrin or placebo in double‐blind, randomized order. Total gastric volume (TGV) and gastric content volume (GCV) was assessed by MRI volume scans and secretion by fast T1 mapping. Data was described by the κ‐coefficient (volume change after meal ingestion), by GE half time (T50) and maximal GE rate (GERmax) derived all from a GE model. Pentagastrin increased GCV and TGV compared to placebo [κ(GCV):1.6 ± 0.1 vs 0.6 ± 0.1; κ(TGV): 1.6 ± 0.1 vs 0.7 ± 0.1; P < 0.001]. T1 maps revealed a secretion layer above the meal, the volume of which was associated with κ (R2 = 83%, P < 0.001). TGV and GCV change were similar in both conditions (κ; P = ns). T50 was higher for pentagastrin than for placebo (84 ± 7 vs 56 ± 4min, P < 0.001); however, GERmax was similar (5.9 ± 0.6 vs 4.9 ± 0.4 mL min−1, P = ns). This study shows volume and distribution of gastric secretion can be quantified in‐vivo by non‐invasive MRI T1 mapping. Increased GCV drove TGV accommodation without evidence of a direct effect of pentagastrin or excess acid on gastric function. Secretion increases GCV thus prolongs GE as assessed by T50; however, GE rate is unchanged.
Injury switches melatonin production source from endocrine (pineal) to paracrine (phagocytes) – melatonin in human colostrum and colostrum phagocytes

Abstract: A large number of data show that melatonin has immunomodulatory properties and is produced by immunocompetent cells; also, some evidence suggests a ‘feedback’ of the activated immune system on the pineal gland. In this paper, we studied immune–pineal interactions in colostrum obtained from healthy puerperae and mothers with mastitis taking into account that, (a) melatonin levels in milk reflects pineal activity and (b) colostrum quiescent mononuclear and polymorphonuclear phagocytes from healthy mothers in culture are adequate for evaluating the ability of immunocompetent cells to produce melatonin. Here we compared the diurnal and nocturnal melatonin levels in colostrum from healthy puerperae and mothers with mastitis; this is a unique noninvasive model for determining pineal activity in the proinflammatory phase of a defense response. In addition, we determined the ‘in vitro’ production of melatonin by colostrum immunocompetent cells stimulated by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli or zymosan. Suppression of nocturnal melatonin rise in mothers with mastitis was highly correlated with increased tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) secretion. This result, interpreted taking into account the presence of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B in pineal gland, suggest that the proinflammatory cytokine can inhibit nocturnal pineal melatonin production. On the other hand, stimulated, but not quiescent, immunocompetent cells secreted in the colostrum produced melatonin in vitro. In addition, this production ceases after bacteria killing. These results suggest that during the response to an injury the production of melatonin can be transiently shifted from an endocrine (pineal) to a paracrine (immunocompetent cells) source.
Evaluation of Symptoms and Alexithymia in Psychiatric Patients: A Naturalistic Longitudinal Study in a Day Hospital

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a time-limited (10 months), combined individual and group treatment in a Day Hospital (DH) setting. Participants (N = 73) completed measures of general symptoms and alexithymia. We hypothesized improvements in these symptoms at the end of the overall therapeutic treatment. Results showed significant improvement in ability to identify and describe emotions and feelings, and in general symptoms. Differences in age and personality disorders were found at the end of the treatment: younger patients had less difficulty in identifying emotions, and psychotic patients have higher difficulty to describe feelings compared to patients with personality disorders. Furthermore, patients with schizophrenia had lower pathological symptoms compared to patients with mood disorders. This naturalistic longitudinal study demonstrates that DH treatments in group setting increase the patient‘s ability to symbolize and to connect their symptoms to thought and emotions.
Alpha Particles Induce Different F Values in Monocellular Layers of Settled and Attached Human Lymphocytes

There is rapidly increasing information on the issue of three-dimensional nuclear architecture, according to which chromosomes are organized in localized territories and chromosome arms in exclusive domains within a given territory. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of different cell exposure conditions on cytogenetic damage induced by high-LET radiation. To this end the yield ratio of dicentrics to centric rings (F value) induced by 241Am &agr; particles was analyzed in monolayer cultures of human lymphocytes that were either settled or attached to foils, simulating a rounded or spread out cellular geometry, respectively. Monolayers were exposed in special irradiation chambers to 0.1 and 1.0 Gy and subsequently analyzed for chromosome aberrations. Independent of these different dose levels, significantly different F values of 10.07 ± 1.73 and 4.27 ± 0.44 have been determined in attached and settled lymphocytes, respectively. Since the diameter of nuclei vertically traversed by &agr; particles in attached cells is about one-half that in settled cells, these F values support the postulate that proximity effects regarding the chromatin geometry in flattened or spherical human lymphocytes influence the formation of high-LET radiation-induced dicentrics and centric rings. A comparison with our earlier data sets obtained for both in vitro and in vivo exposure of human lymphocytes to &agr; particles or 137Cs &ggr; rays supports the notion that the F value depends on the radiation quality when investigations are confined to spherical human lymphocytes. Thus the F value should not be ruled out as a practical chromosomal “fingerprint” for past exposure to high-LET radiation.
Heuristics for finding a maximum number of disjoint bounded paths

We consider the following problem: Given an integer k and a network G with two distinct vertices s and t, find a maximum number of vertex disjoint paths from s to t of length bounded by k. In a recent work [9] it was shown that for length greater than four this problem is NP-hard. In this paper we present a polynomial heuristic algorithm for the problem for general length. The algorithm is proved to give optimal solution for length less than five. Experiments show very good results for the algorithm.
Longitudinal distribution and seasonality of macroalgae in a subtropical stream impacted by organic pollution Distribuição longitudinal e sazonalidade de macroalgas em um riacho subtropical impactado por poluição orgânica

Aim: This study was carried out to assess longitudinal and temporal distribution and the effects of organic pollution on macroalgal communities in a subtropical stream; Methods: The occurrence and percent cover of stream macroalgae were investigated during seasonal period in four sampling sites along the course of the Cascavel Stream, in Parana State, subtropical area of Brazil. Sampling sites were randomly chosen; however, their location in relation to urban organic pollution sources was taken into consideration. Besides, several stream variables usually related to organic pollution in aquatic ecosystems were measured; Results: Eleven macroalgal taxa were found during the samplings. Chlorophyta was the prevailing division (4 species or 36.3% of the total richness), followed by Cyanophyta and Rhodophyta (3 or 27.3%) and Heterokontophyta (1 or 9.1%). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant differences in species diversity, percent cover and diversity index among seasons or the sampling sites. In addition, species diversity was not correlated with any environmental variable in particular. On the other hand, the relative composition of the stream macroalgal communities showed wide spatial and temporal variation. Thus, Chlorophyta had higher values of richness and percent cover in sampling site with higher levels of organic pollution, while Rhodophyta was never found in this segment. Taking seasonality into consideration, Chlorophyta had higher values of percent cover in winter, but Rhodophyta and Cyanophyta in spring and fall, respectively; Conclusions: In general terms, in this study macroalgal community structures were slightly affected by organic pollution, mainly by increase in richness and percent cover of Chlorophyta associated with the absence of Rhodophyta in the most polluted sampling site. The analysis of the richness throughout the stretch of the stream showed that the highest values were found in the intermediate part, being partly in accordance with the RCC (River Continuum Concept).
Optimization of SCP production of Aspergillus niger using different fruit peels

An attempt was made to apply solid state fermentation for the production of single cell protein using fruit peels of Banana, orange and papaya peels respectively and their different combinations were used for optimization of single cell protein production of Aspergillus nige at different pH and incubation period. Substrate of fruit peel was used in different combination to maximize protein content in A.niger. 4th combination gave the best result of maximum production of 1.352 mg/ml of protein on 8 days of incubation and at pH 7 which is directly related to maximum fungal growth.
Comparison of two methods of reconstruction for primary malignant tumors at the knee: A sequential cohort study

The purpose of this study was to compare the complications and functional outcome associated with the use of an irradiated allograft‐implant composite or a bone‐ingrowth modular tumor prosthesis for replacement of the knee joint after resection of a bone sarcoma from the distal femur or proximal tibia.
Efficiency of pitfall traps and snap traps in small terrestrial mammals depends on their diet composition

We compared the monitoring of small terrestrial mammals among forest stands by pitfalls and snap traps. The captures took place in the Czech Republic in the Moravskoslezske Beskydy Mts. (2007? 2012) on 16 plots in adult beech and spruce stands between 910 and 1220 m a.s. l. In total, 14 species of small mammals were captured (12 in the snap traps and 10 in the pitfalls). Snap traps captured the broader species spectrum and they were more successful in capturing larger species of small terrestrial mammals consuming a higher proportion of plant food (mice, and in particular voles). The pitfalls were more effective in capturing smaller species with a predominance of animal food (shrews). To cover the widest species spectrum of small mammals, it is appropriate to use both types of traps. To observe the functional diversity of the community in terms of food composition, it is sufficient to use snap traps.
The Structures, Functions, and Evolution of Sm-like Archaeal Proteins (SmAPs)

Sm proteins were discovered nearly 20 years ago as a group of small antigenic proteins ($\approx$ 90-120 residues). Since then, an extensive amount of biochemical and genetic data have illuminated the crucial roles of these proteins in forming ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes that are used in RNA processing, e.g., spliceosomal removal of introns from pre-mRNAs. Spliceosomes are large macromolecular machines that are comparable to ribosomes in size and complexity, and are composed of uridine-rich small nuclear RNPs (U snRNPs). Various sets of seven different Sm proteins form the cores of most snRNPs. Despite their importance, very little is known about the atomic-resolution structure of snRNPs or their Sm cores. As a first step towards a high-resolution image of snRNPs and their hierarchic assembly, we have determined the crystal structures of archaeal homologs of Sm proteins, which we term Sm-like archaeal proteins (SmAPs).
Observations and impacts of transported Canadian wildfire smoke on ozone and aerosol air quality in the Maryland region on June 9–12, 2015

ABSTRACT Canadian wildfire smoke impacted air quality across the northern Mid-Atlantic (MA) of the United States during June 9–12, 2015. A multiday exceedance of the new 2015 70-ppb National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone (O3) followed, resulting in Maryland being incompliant with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) revised 2015 O3 NAAQS. Surface in situ, balloon-borne, and remote sensing observations monitored the impact of the wildfire smoke at Maryland air quality monitoring sites. At peak smoke concentrations in Maryland, wildfire-attributable volatile organic compounds (VOCs) more than doubled, while non-NOx oxides of nitrogen (NOz) tripled, suggesting long range transport of NOx within the smoke plume. Peak daily average PM2.5 was 32.5 µg m−3 with large fractions coming from black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC), with a synonymous increase in carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations. Measurements indicate that smoke tracers at the surface were spatially and temporally correlated with maximum 8-hr O3 concentrations in the MA, all which peaked on June 11. Despite initial smoke arrival late on June 9, 2015, O3 production was inhibited due to ultraviolet (UV) light attenuation, lower temperatures, and nonoptimal surface layer composition. Comparison of Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model surface O3 forecasts to observations suggests 14 ppb additional O3 due to smoke influences in northern Maryland. Despite polluted conditions, observations of a nocturnal low-level jet (NLLJ) and Chesapeake Bay Breeze (BB) were associated with decreases in O3 in this case. While infrequent in the MA, wildfire smoke may be an increasing fractional contribution to high-O3 days, particularly in light of increased wildfire frequency in a changing climate, lower regional emissions, and tighter air quality standards. Implications: The presented event demonstrates how a single wildfire event associated with an ozone exceedance of the NAAQS can prevent the Baltimore region from complying with lower ozone standards. This relatively new problem in Maryland is due to regional reductions in NOx emissions that led to record low numbers of ozone NAAQS violations in the last 3 years. This case demonstrates the need for adequate means to quantify and justify ozone impacts from wildfires, which can only be done through the use of observationally based models. The data presented may also improve future air quality forecast models.
‘Monsters don’t bother me anymore’ forensic mental health service users’ experiences of acceptance and commitment therapy for psychosis

ABSTRACT Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for psychosis (ACTp) is an approach that aims to change the relationship an individual with psychosis has with difficult thoughts, emotions and experiences. It promotes the use of acceptance, defusion, mindfulness and focussing on valued outcomes as opposed to struggling with psychotic experiences. This service evaluation project explored service users’ experiences and meanings of ACTp within a medium secure mental health service. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interviews with 10 male service users. Four main themes emerged from the data: ‘Recovery’, ‘Insight’, ‘Developing Skills’ and ‘Accessibility’. Overall, service users viewed their experience of ACTp positively and identified encouraging therapeutic outcomes. These findings suggest that ACTp is an approach that should be considered a therapeutic option within forensic mental health contexts. These outcomes were compared with previous research findings. Limitations of the study, clinical implications and ideas for future research have been discussed.
Long Term Ageing Effect on Physical and Shear Strength Characteristics of Oil Contaminated Sandy Soils of Al-Ahmadi Field in Kuwait

Serious environmental damage was caused to Kuwait when more than 600 oil wells were set alight following the 1991 Gulf War, leading to hydrocarbon contamination and a series of ‘oil lakes’ being created in the desert. The effects of these highly damaging actions are still detectable today, 27 years later. The main contribution of this paper is that the effects on the behavior of physical and shear strength properties of the Al-Ahmadi field sand brought about via the long-term ageing influence of hydrocarbon contamination will be explored, using the methodology of comparing contaminated and non-contaminated soil samples. For the purpose of this paper, nine samples, from more than 28 years’ oil contaminated site, were subject to both physical and shear strength tests alongside hydrocarbon analysis using Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) testing. The results of these tests showed a notable increase in both the mean values of fines particles (from 7.8% to 11.8%) and of gravel particles (from 5.8% to 27.8%). These results clearly illustrate that the overall effect of the change in soil gradation was a poorer one. A reduction in strength was also observed in these tests, which possibly related to accumulation of particles within the soil layer leading to poorer grain size and to ageing effect that increase asphalting lead to weak bonding between particles.
Induction of Activity-Dependent LTD Requires Muscarinic Receptor Activation in Medial Prefrontal Cortex

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) forms part of a neural circuit involved in the formation of lasting associations between objects and places. Cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain innervate the mPFC and may modulate synaptic processes required for the formation of object-in-place memories. To investigate whether acetylcholine regulates synaptic function in the rat mPFC, whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were made from pyramidal neurons in layer V. Bath application of the cholinergic agonist carbachol caused a potent and long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic responses that was blocked by the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine and was mimicked, in part, by the M1 receptor agonists McN-A-343 or AF102B. Furthermore, inhibition of PKC blocked carbachol-mediated LTD. We next determined the requirements for activity-dependent LTD in the prefrontal cortex. Synaptic stimulation that was subthreshold for producing LTD did, however, result in LTD when acetylcholine levels were enhanced by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase or when delivered in the presence of the M1-selective positive allosteric modulator BQCA. Increasing the levels of synaptic stimulation resulted in M1 receptor-dependent LTD without the need for pharmacological manipulation of acetylcholine levels. These results show that synaptic stimulation of muscarinic receptors alone can be critical for plastic changes in excitatory synaptic transmission in the mPFC. In turn, these muscarinic mediated events may be important in the formation of object-in-place memories. A loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons is a classic hallmark of Alzheimer's dementia and our results provide a potential explanation for the loss of memory associated with the disease.
LncFunNet: an integrated computational framework for identification of functional long noncoding RNAs in mouse skeletal muscle cells

Abstract Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of diverse cellular processes. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing have allowed for an unprecedented discovery of novel lncRNAs. To identify functional lncRNAs from thousands of candidates for further functional validation is still a challenging task. Here, we present a novel computational framework, lncFunNet (lncRNA Functional inference through integrated Network) that integrates ChIP-seq, CLIP-seq and RNA-seq data to predict, prioritize and annotate lncRNA functions. In mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), using lncFunNet we not only recovered most of the functional lncRNAs known to maintain mESC pluripotency but also predicted a plethora of novel functional lncRNAs. Similarly, in mouse myoblast C2C12 cells, applying lncFunNet led to prediction of reservoirs of functional lncRNAs in both proliferating myoblasts (MBs) and differentiating myotubes (MTs). Further analyses demonstrated that these lncRNAs are frequently bound by key transcription factors, interact with miRNAs and constitute key nodes in biological network motifs. Further experimentations validated their dynamic expression profiles and functionality during myoblast differentiation. Collectively, our studies demonstrate the use of lncFunNet to annotate and identify functional lncRNAs in a given biological system.
Exact Solutions and Bifurcations of a Modulated Equation in a Discrete Nonlinear Electrical Transmission Line (I)

In this paper, we consider a model which is a modulated equation in a discrete nonlinear electrical transmission line. By investigating the dynamical behavior and bifurcations of solutions of the planar dynamical systems, we derive all explicit exact parametric representations of solutions (including smooth solitary wave solutions, smooth periodic wave solutions, peakons, compactons, periodic cusp wave solutions, etc.) under different parameter conditions.