Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tile based panoramic streaming using shifted IDR representations

Panoramic streaming enables users to interactively navigate through high-spatial resolution videos and create an immersive and personalized user experience. Since transmission of high-resolution videos in desirable quality is not feasible given the limited throughput of access and home network links, our work is based on tile-based streaming, where only a spatial subset of the video is transmitted. In this paper, we propose a highly responsive DASH client algorithm that allows users to rapidly change the set of downloaded tiles. The high responsiveness is achieved by using small buffers, which are usually very sensitive to variations of throughput and instantaneous media bitrate and are therefore prone to playback interruptions. The proposed rate adaptation algorithm for DASH, in combination with a peak bitrate reducing RAP configuration referred to as shifted IDRs, outperforms the state of the art rate adaptation algorithms. Experiments report a decreased number of playback interruptions and quality changes while maintaining the average video quality.
Using the Health and Retirement Study for Disability Policy Research: A Review

Abstract The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a preeminent data source for research related to the experiences of workers nearing retirement, including the large share of those workers who experience a health shock or disability onset after age 50. In this article, we highlight key information collected from HRS respondents that benefits disability policy research and the body of knowledge that has resulted from this information. Our main goal is to identify from this research experience potential improvements in data collection and documentation that would further strengthen the HRS as a data source for disability policy researchers.
Personal votes, electoral competitiveness of parties, and legislative representation in Taiwan under SNTV

Abstract We advance the literature on electoral institutions and legislative representation by investigating legislators’ position taking strategies in Taiwan under the single non-transferable voting period. Existing research largely assumes that representatives elected from the same electoral rule behave similarly. We challenge this conventional understanding by arguing that legislators in multi-member districts (MMDs) tend to move toward the extreme direction from the party line if they come from districts where their party is less competitive. This pattern of legislative representation allows them to appeal to partisan voters, as lowering one's partisan profile can be too costly in such districts. On the contrary, those who are elected from strong partisan districts are expected to deviate from the party toward the moderate direction. Given a solid partisan foundation in these districts, these legislators may target voters across party lines. Our analysis covering the entire period of MMD elections after Taiwan's democratization (1992–2008) provides robust empirical evidence to our theoretical claim. Our findings, therefore, shed lights for future studies on the intertwining nature between electoral systems, district level factors, and legislative representation.
OSNR Monitoring for RZ-DQPSK Systems Using Half-Symbol Delay-Tap Sampling Technique

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an asynchronous half-symbol delay-tap sampling technique for in-band optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitoring in 38-Gb/s return-to-zero differential quadrature phase-shift-keying systems. The proposed technique enables simple analytical models for the statistics of a signal pulse which avoids system calibration prior to OSNR monitoring. A monitoring range of 11-23 dB has been demonstrated experimentally. Furthermore, the proposed technique also extends the range of calibration-based OSNR monitoring techniques to 5-34 dB.
A shuttle vector series for precise genetic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Shuttle vectors allow for an efficient transfer of recombinant DNA into yeast cells and are widely used in fundamental research and biotechnology. While available shuttle vectors are applicable in many experimental settings, their use in quantitative biology is hampered by insufficient copy number control. Moreover, they often have practical constraints, such as limited modularity and few unique restriction sites. We constructed the pRG shuttle vector series, consisting of single‐ and multi‐copy integrative, centromeric and episomal plasmids with marker genes for the selection in all commonly used auxotrophic yeast strains. The vectors feature a modular design and a large number of unique restriction sites, enabling an efficient exchange of every vector part and expansion of the series. Integration into the host genome is achieved using a double‐crossover recombination mechanism, resulting in stable single‐ and multi‐copy modifications. As centromeric and episomal plasmids give rise to a heterogeneous cell population, an analysis of their copy number distribution and loss behaviour was performed. Overall, the shuttle vector series supports the efficient cloning of genes and their maintenance in yeast cells with improved copy number control. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Establishment of beta-hydroxy fatty acids as chemical marker molecules for bacterial endotoxin by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Selected ion-monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for detection of beta-hydroxy fatty acids as an independent assay for the presence or absence of endotoxin in materials claimed to induce nonspecific activation of Limulus amoebocyte lysate. To this end, suspensions of gram-negative and -positive bacteria, one fungal species, cerebrospinal fluid, and hollow-fiber hemodialyzer rinses were assayed for endotoxin by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay. Good qualitative agreement was shown for both methods when suspensions of test organisms were assayed. Two false-negative results were obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry assays of cerebrospinal fluid and were shown to be a result of insufficient endotoxin in the cerebrospinal fluid specimens for detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hemodialyzer rinses were Limulus assay positive; however, no beta-hydroxy fatty acids were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These data were compared with data obtained from USP rabbit pyrogen tests of the rinse materials (nonpyrogenic) and chemical characterization of the Limulus assay-reactive rinses, which showed the rinses to be cellulosic in nature. It is suggested that beta-hydroxy fatty acids, as assayed by selected ion-monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, be used as chemical marker molecules for the presence or absence of endotoxin in materials reported to cause nonspecific activation of Limulus amoebocyte lysate.
Evidence for lipid peroxidation in obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is associated with an increased rate of cardiovascular morbidity, which has been suggested to be related to oxidative stress. The present study investigated the concentration of lipid peroxidation biomarkers in patients with OSA in comparison with nonapneic controls and the effects of treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) on these biomarkers. DESIGN In Experiment 1, morning plasma levels of the oxidative-stress biomarkers, thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) and peroxides (PD), and of the antioxidant protective enzyme paraxonase-1 (PON1), were measured in OSA patients with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD) and in nonapneic controls after an overnight fasting. The concentrations of the biomarkers were compared between patients and controls and were correlated with respiratory disturbance index (RDI). In Experiment 2, TBARS and PD were measured at hourly intervals during sleep in sleep-apnea patients before and after nCPAP treatment as well as in controls. PATIENTS In the first experiment, 114 consecutive patients with sleep apnea, 55 without (+OSA/-CVD) and 59 with CVD (+OSA/+CVD), and 30 nonapneic controls were investigated. Nine patients and 6 controls participated in Experiment 2. Five of the patients were also studied 9.3 +/- 3.9 months after nCPAP treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Morning levels of TBARS and PD were found to be significantly higher in both groups of OSA patients than in controls. The PON1 was lower in +OSA/+CVD patients than in controls and +OSA/-CVD patients, but the difference between the 2 OSA groups bordered on statistical significance. The concentrations of TBARS and PD were significantly positively correlated with RDI (.43, P < .0001 and .36, P < .0002, respectively), while a negative correlation was found between RDI and PON1 activity (-.24, P < .01). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that RDI was an independent significant predictor of all 3 lipid-peroxidation biomarkers. In the second experiment, nocturnal levels of TBARS and PD were significantly higher in sleep-apnea patients than in controls and were significantly lowered by nCPAP treatment. CONCLUSIONS These results support the existence of an increased state of oxidative stress in OSA and its possible involvement in cardiovascular morbidity.
Portfolio risk decomposition through pair-copula models

ABSTRACT In this work, we applied pair-copula models to estimate the market risk of a portfolio composed by future contracts. Pair-copula models (also known as vine copulas) have received much attention mainly because of their flexibility to reproduce various patterns of correlations and tail dependence, and we assessed how different pair-copula specifications change the risk estimation and decomposition of the chosen portfolio. We conclude that even though the backtesting results are nearly the same, different pair-copula models change the risk decomposition of a portfolio.
A parallel VLSI floorplanning algorithm using corner block list topological representation

Floorplanning is a critical phase in the physical design of VLSI circuits and has been acknowledged as a computation-intensive process. As a result, several research efforts have been undertaken to parallelize the algorithm. While previous work has been focused on slicing the floorplan, we present a parallel algorithm for a non-slicing floorplan using corner block list (CBL) topological representation. A parallel interconnection cost calculation algorithm with load balancing strategy is initiated in order to speed up the especially time consuming wire length calculation in floorplanning. A multiple Markov chains strategy is also embedded in our algorithm. The experimental results obtained from the tests on MCNC benchmarks indicate considerable speedup and preserved floorplanning quality.
An Optimal Power Allocation Algorithm in Distributed Sensing

We propose a optimal power allocation algorithm for Distributed Sensing networks under the assumption of a group of sensors observe the same quantity in independent additive observation noises with possibly different variances. Each node computes a local statistic and communicates it to the fusion center over rayleigh fading wireless channels. At the fusion, the linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) is used. Sensor networks in which energy is a limited resource, our goal is to minimize the distortion under certain power constraints. In this paper, for a given power constraints, equal power transmission strategy and the optimal power allocation strategy is considered. In the later, we first discuss the problem with only a sum power constraint, and then discuss the general case with both sum and individual power constraints. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of our results through numerical examples. Result shows that the optimal distributed estimation algorithm for homogeneous sensor networks achieves the power gain by turning off sensors that with bad channels and bad observation quality.
The therapeutic uses of chromatin-modifying agents

In contrast to genetic aberrations, epigenetic aberrations can be reversed by the use of histone acetyltransferase (HAT), histone deacetylase (HDAC), SIRT, or histone methyltransferase (HMT) inhibitors. A well-known HDACi, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, has been recently approved for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma, and a number of HDACi are in clinical trials as anticancer drugs. In addition, HDACi could be useful in antimalarial and antifungal therapies and can reactivate the HIV-1 expression in latent cellular reservoirs, thus suggesting the use in a combination therapy with highly active antiretroviral therapy. HDACi have also been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects through inhibition of cytokines and key transcription factors, and to ameliorate the phenotypes in animal models of neurological disorders. HDACi can also reactivate the γ-globin gene for the treatment of β-thalassaemia, and recently were shown to relieve morphological and functional effects of muscular dystrophia. Dysfunction of HAT enzymes is also often associated with several diseases, including cancer; thus, the HATi can represent new chemical entities for the development of new drugs. Only a few HMTi have been described to date, but these small molecules could be a useful scaffold to discovering new highly active and enzyme-selective compounds to develop as therapeutics.
Preservice Social Studies Teachers’ Opinions Regarding History Education

In Turkey, preservice social studies teachers take history education courses such as Revolution History and Kemalism I-II, Ancient History and Civilization, Pre-Islamic Turkish History and Culture, History of Turkish Education, History of Medieval Age, Ottoman History and Civilization I-II, New and Contemporary History, Contemporary World History, and History of Turkish Republic I-II during their undergraduate education. The purpose of this study was to reveal preservice social studies teachers’ opinions regarding how these courses were taught. Within this scope, their perceptions of how these courses were taught and their opinions regarding how history courses should be taught were tried to be determined. The participants of this study involved 125 third and fourth-year undergraduates studying social studies education of a faculty of education at a state university. One of the qualitative research designs, phenomenology was used in this study. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. During the interviews, the participants were asked to respond three questions: “What is instruction? ”, “How are history courses taught in your department? ”, and “how should the history courses be taught? ” The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis technique. Direct quotations were used and the emerging themes were presented under some categories in Findings section.
ECG triggering and gating for ultrasonic small animal imaging

Echocardiography (ECG) is routinely used in the clinical diagnosis of cardiac function. The anatomy of the mouse is similar to that of the human, and thus murine ECG has become an effective tool for the assessment of small animal models of human cardiac diseases. Unfortunately, clinical ultrasonic imaging systems are not suitable for murine cardiac imaging due to their limited spatial and temporal resolutions. Murine ECG requires a spatial resolution better than 100 mum, which mandates the use of high-frequency, ultrasonic imaging (i.e., > 20 MHz). High-frequency transducer arrays currently are not available, and so such systems use the mechanical scanning of a single-element transducer for which the frame rate is insufficient for directly monitoring the rapid beating of a mouse heart, and thus retrospective image reconstruction is necessary. This paper presents a high-frequency, ultrasonic imaging system for murine cardiac imaging. Two scanning methods have been developed. One is based on ECG triggering arid is called the block scanning mode, in which the murine cardiac images from the isovolumic contraction and isovolumic relaxation phases are retrospectively reconstructed within a relatively short data acquisition time using the ECG R-wave as the trigger to the imaging system. The other method is the line scanning mode based on ECG gating, in which both ECG and ultrasound scan lines are continuously acquired over a longer time, enabling images during the entire cardiac cycle to be obtained. It is demonstrated here that the effective frame rate is determined by the pulse repetition frequency and can be up to 2 kHz in the presented system
Primary and Secondary Osteoporosis' Incidence of Subsequent Vertebral Compression Fractures After Kyphoplasty

Study Design. Retrospective review of prospective database. Objectives. Define the incidence of adjacent and remote fractures after kyphoplasty vertebral augmentation, and identify vulnerable subpopulations at increased risks. Summary of Background Data. Painful osteoporotic compression fractures can be effectively treated with methyl methacrylate vertebral augmentation, but the effect of intervention on the generation of future remote and adjacent fractures has not been identified. No paper has analyzed the association of long-term steroid use to subsequent compression fractures. Methods. A total of 175 patients were treated for compression fractures, from October 1999 to November 2001, 60 patients were excluded due to insufficient follow-up (less than 3 months) or malignancy related fracture. The remaining 115 patients' charts and radiographs were then individually analyzed. New fractures were identified based on changes from baseline imaging studies (Table 1). Demographic information, vertebral levels treated, adjacent fractures, and remote fractures underwent statistical analyzed (P < 0.05). Table 1. Patient Demographics Results. A total of 225 vertebral bodies were treated in 115 patients using the kyphoplasty technique; of those, 26 patients developed 34 subsequent compression fractures. The mean follow-up was 11 months (range, 3–33 months). The incidence of subsequent fracture per procedure per kyphoplasty was 15.1% (34 of 225), overall incidence per patient was 22.6% (26 of 115). There were 80 patients with primary osteoporosis and 35 patients with secondary steroid-induced osteoporosis. These populations were similar in terms of demographics, single or multiple sites, along with two or three adjacent levels treated. Seventeen of the 26 (65%) patients with subsequent fracture had secondary steroid-induced osteoporosis, while only 9 of the 26 (35%) patients had primary osteoporosis. Therefore, the incidence of post-kyphoplasty VCF in the primary osteoporotic patient was 11.25% (9 of 80) and the incidence in the steroid-induced osteoporotic patient was 48.6% (17 of 35). This increased fracture rate in the steroid-dependent patients was significant (P < 0.0001), along with adjacent fractures (12 of 19 on steroids, P = 0.0009), and remote fractures (7 of 9 on steroids, P = 0.027). Conclusions. Steroid-induced compression fractures appear to have an increased incidence of subsequent fractures after the kyphoplasty procedure. The kyphoplasty protocol with concurrent medical osteoporotic regimen does not appear to increase, and may serve to reduce, the incidence of remote and adjacent fractures for primary osteoporotic fractures.
Structural Property Losses from Tornadoes in Florida

AbstractProperty losses from tornadoes in Florida are estimated by combining a 1-km spatial grid of structural values from the Department of Revenue’s 2014 cadastral database with historical tornado events since 1950. There are 91 180 grid cells in the state with at least some structural value. Total and residential structural values total $942 billion and $619 billion, respectively. Over the period 1950 through 2015 there were 3233 individual tornado reports in the state with a peak frequency during June. The property value exposed to tornadoes is estimated using a geometric model for the path. Annual statewide total and residential structural property exposure to tornadoes is estimated at $171 million and $103 million, respectively. Property exposure to tornadoes peaks in February. A regression model quantifies the relationship between actual losses since 2007 and exposures. A doubling of the residential exposure increases actual recorded losses by 26% since 2007, and a doubling of nonresidential exposu.
Phase II study of CHOP-GR therapy for advanced-stage follicular lymphoma

Recently, the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) regimen plus rituximab (R-CHOP) have been used widely to treat patients with follicular lymphoma. We investigated a fixed scheme of combination chemotherapy protocol including CHOP, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and rituximab (CHOP-GR) for patients with advanced-stage grade 1 or grade 2 follicular lymphoma in a phase II clinical trial, assessing enhancement of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of rituximab by G-CSF. Twenty-one untreated patients received two courses of CHOP chemotherapy followed by four courses of CHOP-GR, including G-CSF (s.c.) on days 11 – 14 and rituximab on day 15. Overall response rate was 76% (16 of 21 patients). Two patients, one with no response and subsequent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and one with progressive disease, died of lymphoma. One patient refused to continue therapy, whereas two were rediagnosed and no longer met histologic criteria; these three patients were classified as nonresponders. After a median observation time of 23 months, the 19 histologically assessable patients showed a 2-year progression-free survival rate of 82%, whereas 2-year overall survival was 95%. Fifteen patients (79%) continued in remission during this median follow-up period. Of seven patients with initial bulky mass, five responded to therapy. The most frequent adverse events were leukocytopenia (100%) and neutropenia (100%), followed in turn by alopetia (94%) and nausea/vomiting (79%). Of 11 patients examined for bcl-2 translocation in peripheral blood or marrow by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), four were positive, whereas three of the four had complete remissions and converted to PCR negativity after therapy. According to short-term observation, CHOP-GR is a safe and effective therapy for patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma.
Activation Tagging Using the En-I Maize Transposon System in Arabidopsis

A method for the generation of stable activation tag inserts was developed in Arabidopsis using the maize (Zea mays)En-I transposon system. The method employs greenhouse selectable marker genes that are useful to efficiently generate large populations of insertions. A population of about 8,300 independent stable activation tag inserts has been produced. Greenhouse-based screens for mutants in a group of plants containing about 2,900 insertions revealed about 31 dominant mutants, suggesting a dominant mutant frequency of about 1%. From the first batch of about 400 stable insertions screened in the greenhouse, four gain-in-function, dominant activation-tagged, morphological mutants were identified. A novel gain-in-function mutant calledthread is described, in which the target gene belongs to the same family as the YUCCA flavin-mono-oxygenase that was identified by T-DNA activation tagging. The high frequency of identified gain-in-function mutants in the population suggests that theEn-I system described here is an efficient strategy to saturate plant genomes with activation tag inserts. Because only a small number of primary transformants are required to generate an activation tag population, the En-I system appears to be an attractive alternative to study plant species where the present transformation methods have low efficiencies.