Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Motion-compensated video compression using variable length Huffman coding

This paper presents the video compression techniques used for the processing of image sequences which are based on time based video. The temporal redundancies among the images are used for efficient code motion. Here, a simple method to increase the accuracy of most interframe predictions is to account for the frame-to-frame motion of objects. Using an interframe predictor, the compression has been increased to 2.085. In linear predictive coding and variable length Huffman coding, the compression is loss less and due to the fact that the entropy of the resulting prediction residuals is lowers than the entropy of the frame.
TIR1/AFB-Aux/IAA auxin perception mediates rapid cell wall acidification and growth of Arabidopsis hypocotyls

Despite being composed of immobile cells, plants reorient along directional stimuli. The hormone auxin is redistributed in stimulated organs leading to differential growth and bending. Auxin application triggers rapid cell wall acidification and elongation of aerial organs of plants, but the molecular players mediating these effects are still controversial. Here we use genetically-encoded pH and auxin signaling sensors, pharmacological and genetic manipulations available for Arabidopsis etiolated hypocotyls to clarify how auxin is perceived and the downstream growth executed. We show that auxin-induced acidification occurs by local activation of H+-ATPases, which in the context of gravity response is restricted to the lower organ side. This auxin-stimulated acidification and growth require TIR1/AFB-Aux/IAA nuclear auxin perception. In addition, auxin-induced gene transcription and specifically SAUR proteins are crucial downstream mediators of this growth. Our study provides strong experimental support for the acid growth theory and clarified the contribution of the upstream auxin perception mechanisms. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.19048. 001
Synaptic encoding of temporal contiguity

Often we need to perform tasks in an environment that changes stochastically. In these situations it is important to learn the statistics of sequences of events in order to predict the future and the outcome of our actions. The statistical description of many of these sequences can be reduced to the set of probabilities that a particular event follows another event (temporal contiguity). Under these conditions, it is important to encode and store in our memory these transition probabilities. Here we show that for a large class of synaptic plasticity models, the distribution of synaptic strengths encodes transitions probabilities. Specifically, when the synaptic dynamics depend on pairs of contiguous events and the synapses can remember multiple instances of the transitions, then the average synaptic weights are a monotonic function of the transition probabilities. The synaptic weights converge to the distribution encoding the probabilities also when the correlations between consecutive synaptic modifications are considered. We studied how this distribution depends on the number of synaptic states for a specific model of a multi-state synapse with hard bounds. In the case of bistable synapses, the average synaptic weights are a smooth function of the transition probabilities and the accuracy of the encoding depends on the learning rate. As the number of synaptic states increases, the average synaptic weights become a step function of the transition probabilities. We finally show that the information stored in the synaptic weights can be read out by a simple rate-based neural network. Our study shows that synapses encode transition probabilities under general assumptions and this indicates that temporal contiguity is likely to be encoded and harnessed in almost every neural circuit in the brain.
Influence of Watershed Runoff on Nutrient Dynamics in a Southern California Salt Marsh

The effect of freshwater runoff on nutrient loading and dynamics was studied in Carpinteria Salt Marsh, a typically small (93 ha) southern California, U.S.A. , estuary adjoining a watershed supporting extensive agricultural and urban development. Concentrations of dissolved nitrate, but not ammonium or phosphate, were elevated in stream flow and perched groundwater in the watershed, relative to marsh surface waters. Loading of nitrate and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) from the watershed, but not ammonium or phosphate, increased as a function of stream discharge. Estimates of net nutrient exchange over selected tidal cycles suggested that the marsh exported nitrate, ammonium and PON to the Santa Barbara Channel. Nitrate and PON were advected from the watershed through the marsh while ammonium was produced within the marsh and exported. The availability of imported nitrogen for primary production may be limited by marsh tidal elevation as most nitrogen inputs are throughput to the Santa Barbara Channel.
A novel parallel interference cancellation scheme for OFDM in time-varying underwater acoustic channels

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems are sensitive to channel variations caused by motility, which introduce inter-carrier interference (ICI). In this paper, a novel parallel interference cancellation (PIC) scheme is proposed to deal with ICI for OFDM in time-varying underwater acoustic channels (UWAC). The key idea is to estimate and remove ICI from the received signal before equalization in each iterative process. Meanwhile, ICI estimation, is achieved via time-varying channel estimation based on a piece-wise linear model where time-variations information is extracted from adjacent symbols. Moreover, PIC method is introduced to further refine the performance of channel estimation and equalization. Avoiding inversion of channel gain matrix, the proposed scheme has the best performance-complexity tradeoff compared with the existing methods. Simulation results demonstrate its good performances of ICI mitigation, bit error rate (BER), and robustness against UWAC.
Surviving Mousepox Infection Requires the Complement System

Poxviruses subvert the host immune response by producing immunomodulatory proteins, including a complement regulatory protein. Ectromelia virus provides a mouse model for smallpox where the virus and the host's immune response have co-evolved. Using this model, our study investigated the role of the complement system during a poxvirus infection. By multiple inoculation routes, ectromelia virus caused increased mortality by 7 to 10 days post-infection in C57BL/6 mice that lack C3, the central component of the complement cascade. In C3−/− mice, ectromelia virus disseminated earlier to target organs and generated higher peak titers compared to the congenic controls. Also, increased hepatic inflammation and necrosis correlated with these higher tissue titers and likely contributed to the morbidity in the C3−/− mice. In vitro, the complement system in naïve C57BL/6 mouse sera neutralized ectromelia virus, primarily through the recognition of the virion by natural antibody and activation of the classical and alternative pathways. Sera deficient in classical or alternative pathway components or antibody had reduced ability to neutralize viral particles, which likely contributed to increased viral dissemination and disease severity in vivo. The increased mortality of C4−/− or Factor B−/− mice also indicates that these two pathways of complement activation are required for survival. In summary, the complement system acts in the first few minutes, hours, and days to control this poxviral infection until the adaptive immune response can react, and loss of this system results in lethal infection.
A Semantic Orientation Distinction Method for Opinion Mining in Tibetan Language

Opinion mining of social network is shown significant and indispensable status in hot topic, public-opinion poll, knowledge acquiring and recommended goods fields, which is the fundamental work for natural language processing. This paper proposes a systematic approach to determine sentiment orientation of the subjective Tibetan sentences by combining the sentiment dictionary and the statistical method, and considers different context environment to improve the algorithm adaptability. We test our approach on a bilingual corpus crawled from bilingual website and perform manual evaluation extracted from Tibetan corpora and the experimental results demonstrate good performance on Tibetan language.
Model predictive control allocation - Design and experimental results on a thermal management system

In this paper, we consider the challenge of controlling an overactuated engine thermal management system where two actuators, with different dynamic authorities and saturation limits, are used to obtain tight temperature regulation. We propose a modular control strategy that combines model predictive control allocation (MPCA) with the concepts of model reference control to design an inner loop controller that closely matches a dynamic specification for the inner loop input-output performance while addressing actuator dynamics and saturation constraints. We present the design and implementation strategy and illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution through real-time simulation and experimental results.
Review of soil water models with respect to savanna hydrology

Effective management leading towards sustainable rangeland production in arid and semi-arid regions will stem from effective soil water management (Snyman, 1998) and comprehension of the hydrological properties of the soil in relation to pastoralism (Sharma, 1998). However, in such areas, there is great complexity of interaction between the soil, climate and vegetation. Highly variable climates can give rise to extended dry periods in which the majority of rain that does fall is lost to surface evaporation (e.g., Opperman et al., 1977 cited in Bate et al., 1982; Walker & Langridge, 1996).
An abstract machine for tabled execution of fixed-order stratified logic programs

SLG resolution uses tabling to evaluate nonfloundering normal logic pr ograms according to the well-founded semantics. The SLG-WAM, which forms the engine of the XSB system, can compute in-memory recursive queries an order of magnitute faster than current deductive databases. At the same time, the SLG-WAM tightly intergrates Prolog code with tabled SLG code, and executes Prolog code with minimal overhead compared to the WAM. As a result, the SLG-WAM brings to logic programming important termination and complexity properties of deductive databases. This article describes the architecture of the SLG-WAM for a powerful class of programs, the class of fixed-order dynamically stratified programs. We offer a detailed description of the algorithms, data structures, and instructions that the SLG-WAM adds to the WAM, and a performance analysis of engine overhead due to the extensions.
Acoustic Wave Trapping in One-Dimensional Axisymmetric Arrays

Summary The existence of acoustic, Rayleigh-Bloch modes in the vicinity of a one-dimensional periodic array of rigid, axisymmetric structures is established with the use of a variational principle. Axisymmetric modes at frequencies below the cut-o frequency are shown to exist for all piecewise smooth structures and non-axisymmetric modes are found for a class of structures whose radial dimension is suciently large compared to the structure spacing. The theory is illustrated with numerical calculations of the wave numbers of Rayleigh-Bloch modes for an array of circular plates. An integral equation for the acoustic wave-eld in the neighbourhood of such an array is obtained and solved with the use of a Galerkin technique, which builds in the singularity in the derivative of the eld at the rim of the plate.
Learning click models via probit bayesian inference

Recent advances in click models have positioned them as an effective approach to the improvement of interpreting click data, and some typical works include UBM, DBN, CCM, etc. After formulating the knowledge of user search behavior into a set of model assumptions, each click model developed an inference method to estimate its parameters. The inference method plays a critical role in terms of accuracy in interpreting clicks, and we observe that different inference methods for a click model can lead to significant accuracy differences. In this paper, we propose a novel Bayesian inference approach for click models. This approach regards click model under a unified framework, which has the following characteristics and advantages: 1. This approach can be widely applied to existing click models, and we demonstrate how to infer DBN, CCM and UBM through it. This novel inference method is based on the Bayesian framework which is more flexible in characterizing the uncertainty in clicks and brings higher generalization abilities. As a result, it not only excels in the inference methods originally developed in click models, but also provides a valid comparison among different models; 2. In contrast to the previous click models, which are exclusively designed for the position-bias, this approach is capable of capturing more sophisticated information such as BM25 and PageRank score into click models. This makes these models interpret click-through data more accurately. Experimental results illustrate that the click models integrated with more information can achieve significantly better performance on click perplexity and search ranking; 3. Because of the incremental nature of the Bayesian learning, this approach is scalable to process large scale and constantly growing log data.
Inter-Cell Interference in Noncooperative TDD Large Scale Antenna Systems

In this paper we study the performance of cellular networks when their base stations have an unlimited number of antennas. In previous work, the asymptotic behavior of the signal to interference plus nose ratio (SINR) was obtained. We revisit these results by deriving the rigorous expression for the SINR of both downlink and uplink in the scenario of infinite number of antennas. We show that the contamination of the channel estimates happens whenever a pilot sequence is received at a base station simultaneously with non-orthogonal signals coming from other users. We propose a method to avoid such simultaneous transmissions from adjacent cells, thus significantly decreasing interference. We also investigate the effects of power allocation in this interference-limited scenario, and show that it results in gains of over 15dB in the signal to interference ratio for the scenario simulated here. The combination of these two techniques results in rate gains of about 18 times in our simulations.
Incremental processing and indexing for (k, e)-anonymisation

The emerging of the internet-based services poses a privacy threat to the individuals. Data transformation to meet a privacy standard becomes a requirement for typical data processing for the services. k, e-anonymisation is one of the most promising data transformation approaches, since it can provide high-accuracy aggregate query results. Though, the computational cost of the algorithm providing optimal solutions for such approach is not very high, i.e., On². In certain environments, the data to be processed can be appended at any time. In this paper, we address an efficiency issue of the incremental privacy preservation using k, e-anonymisation approach. The impact of the increment is observed theoretically. We propose an incremental algorithm based on such observation. The algorithm can replace the quadratic-complexity processing by a linear function on some part of the dataset, while the optimal results are guaranteed. Additionally, a few indexes are proposed to further improve the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. The experiments have been conducted to validate our work. From the results, it can be seen that the proposed work is highly efficient comparing with the non-incremental algorithm and an approximation algorithm.
Characterizing objectionable image content (pornography and nude images) of specific Web segments: Chile as a case study

In this paper we perform a characterization of the objectionable image content (pornography and nude images) of the Chilean Web (.cl domain). This characterization is based on a novel objectionable image filtering system that detects porno and nude images. In an automated process we examine all . cl Web sites, and download a large number of the available images. Then, we analyze the images' contents and we detect human-skin blobs. Afterwards, special features are derived from these skin blobs (size, orientation, position, solidity, eccentricity, etc.). Finally, a statistical classifier is employed for classifying the images in three classes: normal, porno and nude. In addition to these, we characterize the three classes by their faces content. We present statistics of use to anyone concerned with the objectionable image content of the Web in Chile. We believe that the described methodology can be employed for carrying out similar studies in other segments of the Web, and also for the automatic discovering of new pornographic sites.
Multiple robot manipulators' cooperative compliant manipulation on dynamical environments

This paper discusses compliant manipulation of multiple robot manipulator's cooperative in a dynamical environment. Cooperative compliant manipulation requires the simultaneous control of both the object's position and the interaction forces between the robots and the object. It is shown that position-controlled manipulators can not perform this kind of task successfully. It is proved that, in order to avoid excessive pressing, the frequency bandwidth of the overall control systems including the manipulators and the object should be adjusted according to the object dynamics. A unified model-matching control approach is developed in which each autonomous robot uses its own position and interaction force information to adjust the system's frequency bandwidth and to maintain the internal force in a desired performance. The reference models of the object's position and the internal force are selected with respect to the object's dynamics, and the force feedback controllers are designed accordingly to realize the reference models. Simulation studies show the effectiveness of this control approach.
Peer Support and Pager Messaging to Promote Antiretroviral Modifying Therapy in Seattle: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective:To determine the relative efficacy of peer support and pager messaging strategies versus usual care to improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes among HIV-positive outpatients initiating or switching to a new highly active antiretroviral therapy regimen. Design:A 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial of a 3-month intervention with computer-assisted self-interviews and blood draws administered at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months. Methods:HIV-positive patients at a public HIV specialty clinic in Seattle, WA (N = 224) were randomly assigned to peer support, pager messaging, both strategies, or usual care. The main outcomes were adherence according to self-report and electronic drug monitoring, CD4 count, and HIV-1 RNA viral load. Results:Intent-to-treat analyses suggested the peer intervention was associated with greater self-reported adherence at immediate postintervention. However, these effects were not maintained at follow-up assessment; nor were there significant differences in biological outcomes. The pager intervention, on the other hand, was not associated with greater adherence but was associated with improved biological outcomes at postintervention that were sustained at follow-up. Conclusions:Analyses indicate the potential efficacy of peer support and pager messaging to promote antiretroviral adherence and biological outcomes, respectively. More potent strategies still are needed.
Intravaginal Administration of Fc-Fused IL7 Suppresses the Cervicovaginal Tumor by Recruiting HPV DNA Vaccine-Induced CD8 T Cells

Purpose: The induction of tissue-localized virus-specific CD8 T-cell response is essential for the development of an effective therapeutic vaccine against genital diseases, such as cervical cancer and genital herpes. Here, we aimed to elucidate the immunologic role of IL7 in the induction of mucosal cellular immunity. Experimental Design: IL7 was engineered through Fc fusion to enhance mucosal delivery across the genital epithelial barrier. The immunomodulatory role of IL7 was evaluated by monitoring the kinetics of various immune cells and measuring the expression of chemokines and cytokines after intravaginal administration of Fc-fused IL7 (IL7-Fc). The antitumor effects of intramuscular human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA vaccine or topical IL7-Fc alone or in a combinational regimen on mice survival were compared using a orthotopic cervical cancer model. Results: Intravaginal treatment of IL7-Fc, but not native IL7, induces upregulation of chemokines (CXCL10, CCL3, CCL4, and CCL5), cytokines (IFNγ, TNFα, IL6, and IL1β), and an adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) in the genital tract, leading to the recruitment of several leukocytes, including CD4, CD8, γδ T cells, and dendritic cells. Importantly, in this murine cervical cancer model, topical administration of IL7-Fc after intramuscular HPV DNA vaccination increases the number of HPV-specific CD8 T cells in the genital mucosa, but not in the spleen, leading to stronger antitumor activity than the HPV DNA vaccine alone. Conclusions: Our findings provide an important insight into the immunomodulatory role of IL7-Fc via topical application and the design of therapeutic vaccine regimen that induces effective genital–mucosal CD8 T-cell responses. Clin Cancer Res; 22(23); 5898–908. ©2016 AACR.
A transport layer for live streaming in a content delivery network

Streaming media on the Internet has experienced rapid growth over the last few years and will continue to increase in importance as broadband technologies and authoring tools continue to improve. As the Internet becomes an increasingly popular alternative to traditional communications media, Internet streaming will become a significant component of many content providers' communications strategies. Internet streaming, however, poses significant challenges for content providers, since it has significant distribution problems. Scalability, quality, reliability, and cost are all issues that have to be addressed in a successful streaming media offering. Streaming content delivery networks (streaming CDNs) attempt to provide solutions to the bottlenecks encountered by streaming applications on the Internet. However, only a small number of them has been deployed, and little is known about the internal organization of these systems. In this paper, we discuss the design choices made during the evolution of Akamai's CDN for streaming media. In particular, we look at the design choices made to ensure the network's scalability, quality of delivered content, and reliability while keeping costs low. Performance studies conducted on the evolving system indicate that our design scores highly on all of the above categories.