Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extending the range of facial types

We describe, in case study form, techniques to extend the range of facial types and movement using a parametric facial animation system originally developed to model and control synthetic 3D faces limited to a normal range of human shape and motion. These techniques have allowed us to create a single authoring system that can create and animate a wide range of facial types that range from realistic, stylized, cartoon-like, or a combination thereof, all from the same control system. Additionally we describe image processing and 3D deformation tools that allow for a greater range of facial types and facial animation output.
The Role of Relational Binding in Item Memory: Evidence from Face Recognition in a Case of Developmental Amnesia

Current theories state that the hippocampus is responsible for the formation of memory representations regarding relations, whereas extrahippocampal cortical regions support representations for single items. However, findings of impaired item memory in hippocampal amnesics suggest a more nuanced role for the hippocampus in item memory. The hippocampus may be necessary when the item elements need to be bound within and across episodes to form a lasting representation that can be used flexibly. The current investigation was designed to test this hypothesis in face recognition. H.C. , an individual who developed with a compromised hippocampal system, and control participants incidentally studied individual faces that either varied in presentation viewpoint across study repetitions or remained in a fixed viewpoint across the study repetitions. Eye movements were recorded during encoding and participants then completed a surprise recognition memory test. H.C. demonstrated altered face viewing during encoding. Although the overall number of fixations made by H.C. was not significantly different from that of controls, the distribution of her viewing was primarily directed to the eye region. Critically, H.C. was significantly impaired in her ability to subsequently recognize faces studied from variable viewpoints, but demonstrated spared performance in recognizing faces she encoded from a fixed viewpoint, implicating a relationship between eye movement behavior in the service of a hippocampal binding function. These findings suggest that a compromised hippocampal system disrupts the ability to bind item features within and across study repetitions, ultimately disrupting recognition when it requires access to flexible relational representations.
Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Carriage and Its Antibiotic Resistance Profiles in Tibetan School Children in Southwest China

Objectives: To describe the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nasal carriage as well as its antibiotic resistance patterns among Tibetan healthy school children in Songpan County in Southwest China. Methods: Nasal swabs of both anterior nares were collected from healthy school children. The identification of S. aureus was based on the colony morphology, biochemical tests and the results of Slidex Staph Plus kit. The antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates were determined according to standard methods. Isolated strains were tested with the polymerase chain reaction assays to detect the mecA gene. Results: 673 Tibetan healthy children were included in this study, and S. aureus was detected in 16 of 673 nasal samples (2.4%). The resistance of isolated strains to penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and gentamicin was 87.5% (14/16), 56.2% (9/16), 12.5% (2/16), and 18.8% (3/16), respectively. No strains were resistant to cefoxitin or vancomycin, and mecA gene was not detected within these isolates. Conclusion: The methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) as well as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage rate seemed to be very low among healthy school children in the Tibet Plateau.
Surface passivation of MSM photodetectors made on GaAsN epitaxial layers

In this paper application of Si3N4, AlN and polyimide to passivate GaAsN/GaAs MSM photodetectors is presented. The MSM structures were made on the undoped GaAsN epitaxial layers in which concentration of nitrogen was varied from 1.0 to 2.6 %. The dark and illuminated I-V characteristics of the devices are presented. Comparison of the dark current value and photoresponse obtained, for selected wavelengths in visible and IR range, from the MSM devices with different passivation layers is provided. Measurements of the dark current and photoresponse in the unpassivated and passivated MSM structures allowed to estimate relation between the bulk and surface components of the dark current. Therefore crystal quality of the epitaxial layers grown in different process conditions could be compared.
Hybrid stereo imaging including a light field and a regular camera

Light field imaging involves capturing both angular and spatial distribution of light; it enables new capabilities, such as post-capture digital refocusing, perspective shift, and depth estimation. Micro-lens array (MLA) based light field cameras provide a cost-effective approach to light field imaging. The two major issues with MLA based light field cameras are low spatial resolution and narrow baseline, which limits the depth range and accuracy. In this paper, we present a hybrid stereo imaging system that includes a light field camera and a regular camera. The hybrid system addresses both the spatial resolution and narrow baseline issues of the MLA based light field cameras while preserving all the light field capabilities.
Taming the Infinite Chase: Query Answering under Expressive Relational Constraints

The chase algorithm is a fundamental tool for query evaluation and for testing query containment under tuple-generating dependencies (TGDs) and equality-generating dependencies (EGDs). So far, most of the research on this topic has focused on cases where the chase procedure terminates. This paper introduces expressive classes of TGDs defined via syntactic restrictions: guarded TGDs (GTGDs) and weakly guarded sets of TGDs (WGT-GDs). For these classes, the chase procedure is not guaranteed to terminate and thus may have an infinite outcome. Nevertheless, we prove that the problems of conjunctive-query answering and query containment under such TGDs are decidable. We provide decision procedures and tight complexity bounds for these problems. Then we show how EGDs can be incorporated into our results by providing conditions under which EGDs do not harmfully interact with TGDs and do not affect the decidability and complexity of query answering. We show applications of the aforesaid classes of constraints to the problem of answering conjunctive queries in F-Logic Lite, an object-oriented ontology language, and in some tractable Description Logics.
Membrane fusion activity of influenza virus.

A simple assay is described to monitor fusion between fowl plague virus (FPV, an avian influenza A virus) and liposomes which allows the simultaneous quantitation of both lytic and non‐lytic fusion events. As in fusion between viruses and the plasma membrane and in FPV‐induced cell‐cell fusion, the reaction only occurs at pH 5.5 or below, and it is fast, highly efficient, and essentially non‐lytic when fresh virus and liposomes are used. The fusion occurs over a broad temperature range, and has no requirement for divalent cations. The fusion factor of influenza virus is a hemagglutinin (HA) spike which protrudes from the virus membrane and which is also responsible for virus binding to the host cell. The finding that fusion occurs as efficiently with liposomes containing or lacking virus receptor structures, further emphasizes the remarkable division of labor in the HA molecule: the receptor‐binding sites are located in the globular HA1 domains and the fusion activation peptide is found at the N‐terminal of HA2 in the stem region of the protein. The mechanism of fusion is discussed in terms of the three‐dimensional structure of the HA and the conformational change which the protein undergoes at the fusion pH optimum.
Nonparametric Estimation of Multivariate Elliptic Densities via Finite Mixture Sieves

This paper considers the class of p-dimensional elliptic distributions (p>=1) satisfying the consistency property (Kano, 1994) [23] and within this general framework presents a two-stage nonparametric estimator for the Lebesgue density based on Gaussian mixture sieves. Under the on-line Exponentiated Gradient (EG) algorithm of Helmbold et al. (1997) [20] and without restricting the mixing measure to have compact support, the estimator produces estimates converging uniformly in probability to the true elliptic density at a rate that is independent of the dimension of the problem, hence circumventing the familiar curse of dimensionality inherent to many semiparametric estimators. The rate performance of our estimator depends on the tail behaviour of the underlying mixing density (and hence that of the data) rather than smoothness properties. In fact, our method achieves a rate of at least O"p(n^-^1^/^4), provided only some positive moment exists. When further moments exists, the rate improves reaching O"p(n^-^3^/^8) as the tails of the true density converge to those of a normal. Unlike the elliptic density estimator of Liebscher (2005) [25], our sieve estimator always yields an estimate that is a valid density, and is also attractive from a practical perspective as it accepts data as a stream, thus significantly reducing computational and storage requirements. Monte Carlo experimentation indicates encouraging finite sample performance over a range of elliptic densities. The estimator is also implemented in a binary classification task using the well-known Wisconsin breast cancer dataset.
Non-classical receptive field mediates switch in a sensory neuron ’ s frequency tuning

Fifteen replicates of each line were challenged by infiltration of three leaves with 10 4 colony-forming units per ml (D 600 ¼ 0.002) after 3 weeks of plant growth. After 5 days, leaf discs were removed, ground and plated on KB medium to determine the concentration of bacteria. The Arabidopsis thaliana RPM1 disease resistance gene product is a peripheral plasma membrane protein that is degraded coincident with the hypersensitive response. A disease resistance gene in Arabidopsis with specificity for two different pathogen avirulence genes. Identification of Pseudomonas syringae pathogens of Arabidopsis and a bacterial locus determining avirulence on both Arabidopsis and soybean.
“Islands of Divergence” in the Atlantic Cod Genome Represent Polymorphic Chromosomal Rearrangements

In several species genetic differentiation across environmental gradients or between geographically separate populations has been reported to center at “genomic islands of divergence,” resulting in heterogeneous differentiation patterns across genomes. Here, genomic regions of elevated divergence were observed on three chromosomes of the highly mobile fish Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) within geographically fine-scaled coastal areas. The “genomic islands” extended at least 5, 9.5, and 13 megabases on linkage groups 2, 7, and 12, respectively, and coincided with large blocks of linkage disequilibrium. For each of these three chromosomes, pairs of segregating, highly divergent alleles were identified, with little or no gene exchange between them. These patterns of recombination and divergence mirror genomic signatures previously described for large polymorphic inversions, which have been shown to repress recombination across extensive chromosomal segments. The lack of genetic exchange permits divergence between noninverted and inverted chromosomes in spite of gene flow. For the rearrangements on linkage groups 2 and 12, allelic frequency shifts between coastal and oceanic environments suggest a role in ecological adaptation, in agreement with recently reported associations between molecular variation within these genomic regions and temperature, oxygen, and salinity levels. Elevated genetic differentiation in these genomic regions has previously been described on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and we therefore suggest that these polymorphisms are involved in adaptive divergence across the species distributional range.
Type-theoretic Semantics for Transactional Concurrency

We propose a dependent type theory that integrates programming, specifications, and reasoning about higher-order concurre nt programs with shared transactional memory. The design builds upon our previous work on Hoare Type Theory (HTT), which we extend with types that correspond to Hoare-style specificatio ns for transactions. The types track shared and local state of the p rocess separately, and enforce that shared state always satisfies a given invariant, except at specific critical sections which appear t o execute atomically. Atomic sections may violate the invariant, but must restore it upon exit. HTT follows Separation Logic in providing tight specifications of space requirements. As a logic, we argue that HTT is sound and compositional. As a programming language, we define its operational semantics and show adequacy with respect to specifications.
Measurement of Ozone in the Printing Process

To monitoring the ozone concentration in the atmosphere of the printing process, a compact ozone monitor was developed. The compact ozone monitor is consisting of a low pressure mercury capillary lamp and semiconductor photo detectors and one single (28cm) optical cell. The second UV-detector was introduced to improve the resolution and stability of the instrument. The ozone monitor with compact size and simple structure features good linearity, repeatability, and very good selectivity.
Implementation of Improved Gaussian Filter Algorithm for Retinal Fundus Images

Gaussian filter has an important role in edge detection. In this paper, a new methodology for edge detection using Gaussian second order derivative filters is proposed. Channel separation for Retinal Colour Fundus image is used followed by Gaussian filter. The performance of our proposed method has been assessed on 23 images representing the publicly available dataset; High-Resolution Fundus (HRF) Image Database.
When pain and hunger collide; psychological influences on differences in brain activity during physiological and non‐physiological gastric distension

Functional neuroimaging has been used extensively in conjunction with gastric balloon distension in an attempt to unravel the relationship between the brain, regulation of hunger, satiety, and food intake tolerance. A number of researchers have also adopted a more physiological approach using intra‐gastric administration of a liquid meal which has revealed different brain responses to gastric balloon distension. These differences are important as they question the utility and relevance of non‐physiological models such as gastric balloon distension, especially when investigating mechanisms of feeding behavior such as satiety. However, an assessment of the relevance of physiological versus non‐physiological gastric distension has been problematic due to differences in distension volumes between studies. In this issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Geeraerts et al. compare brain activity during volume matched nutrient gastric distension and balloon distension in healthy volunteers. Gastric balloon distension activated the ‘visceral pain neuromatrix’. This network of brain regions was deactivated during nutrient infusion, supporting the notion that brain activity during physiological versus non‐physiological distension is indeed different. The authors suggest deactivation of the pain neuromatrix during nutrient infusion serves as a prerequisite for tolerance of normal meal volumes in health.
Joint Distributions of Arbitrary Variables Made Easy

We propose a simple framework for studying certain distributions of variables beyond time-frequency and time-scale. When applicable, our results turn the theory of joint distributions of arbitrary variables into an easy exercise of coordinate transformation. While straightforward, the method can generate many distributions previously attainable only by the general construction of Cohen, including distributions of time versus inverse frequency, time versus Mellin transform (scale), and time versus chirp. In addition to providing insight into these new signal analysis tools, warp-based distributions have efficient implementations for potential use in applications.
OPTIMAL REINSURANCE AND DIVIDEND DISTRIBUTION POLICIES IN THE CRAMÉR‐LUNDBERG MODEL

We consider that the reserve of an insurance company follows a Cramér‐Lundberg process. The management has the possibility of controlling the risk by means of reinsurance. Our aim is to find a dynamic choice of both the reinsurance policy and the dividend distribution strategy that maximizes the cumulative expected discounted dividend payouts. We study the usual cases of excess‐of‐loss and proportional reinsurance as well as the family of all possible reinsurance contracts. We characterize the optimal value function as the smallest viscosity solution of the associated Hamilton‐Jacobi‐Bellman equation and we prove that there exists an optimal band strategy. We also describe the optimal value function for small initial reserves.
The role of growth hormone in male infertility

Zeev Shoham', Yaron Zalel' and Howard S. Jacobst clear effect of G H on Leydig cell function (Kulin & Santen, 'Department of Obstetrics and Gyneclogy, Kaplan 1976) and that pubertal maturation of the testis is Hospital, Rehovot (Affiliated with the Hebrew University, determined by G H as well as gonadotrophins (Tanner & Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel) and Whitehouse, 1975), and that Leydig cell function is tUniversity College London Medical School, Middlesex diminished in some G H deficient individuals (Rivarola Hospital, Cobbold Laboratories, London W1N BAA, UK el al., 1972; Zachmann, 1972) the hypothesis was suggested of an additional role of G H in spermatogenesis. (Received 4 October 1993; returned lor revision 30 November 7993; finally revised 22 December 1993; accepted 73 January 1994)
Assessing iPSC reprogramming methods for their suitability in translational medicine

The discovery of the ability to induce somatic cells to a pluripotent state through the overexpression of specific transcription factors has the potential to transform the ways in which pharmaceutical agents and cellular transplantation therapies are developed. Proper utilization of the technology to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) requires that researchers select the appropriate reprogramming method for generating iPSCs so that the resulting iPSCs can be transitioned towards clinical applications effectively. This article reviews all of the currently available reprogramming techniques with a focus on critiquing them on the basis of their utility in translational medicine. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3061‐3068, 2012. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Practice-Based Evidence in Community Guide Systematic Reviews

Objectives To assess the relative contributions and quality of practice-based evidence (PBE) and research-based evidence (RBE) in The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). Methods We developed operational definitions for PBE and RBE in which the main distinguishing feature was whether allocation of participants to intervention and comparison conditions was under the control of researchers (RBE) or not (PBE). We conceptualized a continuum between RBE and PBE. We then categorized 3656 studies in 202 reviews completed since The Community Guide began in 1996. Results Fifty-four percent of studies were PBE and 46% RBE. Community-based and policy reviews had more PBE. Health care system and programmatic reviews had more RBE. The majority of both PBE and RBE studies were of high quality according to Community Guide scoring methods. Conclusions The inclusion of substantial PBE in Community Guide reviews suggests that evidence of adequate rigor to inform practice is being produced. This should increase stakeholders' confidence that The Community Guide provides recommendations with real-world relevance. Limitations in some PBE studies suggest a need for strengthening practice-relevant designs and external validity reporting standards.
Biologia Plantarum Xx (x): Xxx-xxx, 20xx Picea Asperata Pioneer and Fibrous Roots Have Different Physiological Mechanisms in Response to Soil Freeze-thaw in Spring

About 70 % of the total land area in the world are affected by soil freeze and thaw (FT) cycles. Root is the first organ of plant to sense soil environment and it is unclear how it copes with the soil FT. Based on the different functions of first-order pioneer and fibrous roots in woody plants, we hypothesize that pioneer and fibrous roots respond differently. The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber using Picea asperata seedlings. We designed the FT based on field observation data. The physiological responses in fibrous and pioneer roots were examined. Fibrous roots had higher root vitality and N content, whereas pioneer roots exhibited higher total nonstructural saccharide content. The accumulation of O 2-under FT treatment were similar in the two types of roots. Pioneer roots showed higher osmolyte (especially proline) content, whereas fibrous roots had higher peroxidase activity. The present study confirmed that fibrous roots have stronger metabolism ability, whereas pioneer roots are the key storage organs. FT in the temperature range from-5 to 5 °C are mild and do not cause serious injury to roots. Pioneer roots have higher tolerance to soil FT in spring than fibrous roots. The roots have different strategies to FT: fibrous roots increase the antioxidant system, whereas pioneer roots accumulate more osmolytes. Such knowledge can help us to understand how roots of woody plants cope with soil FT.
Automatic fault location for data structures

Specification-based data structure verification is a powerful debugging technique. In this work we combine specification-based data structure verification with automatic detection of faulty program statements that corrupt data structures. The user specifies the consistency constraints for dynamic data structures as relationships among the nodes of a memory graph. Our system detects constraint violations to identify corrupted data structures during program execution and then automatically locates faulty code responsible for data structure corruption. Our approach offers two main advantages: (1) a highly precise automatic fault location method, and (2) a simple specification language. We employ incremental constraint checking for time efficient constraint matching and fault location. On average, while Tarantula statistical debugging technique narrows the fault to 10 statements, our technique narrows it to ≈ 4 statements.
An Efficient Biological Sequence Compression Technique Using LUT And Repeat In The Sequence

Data compression plays an important role to deal with high volumes of DNA sequences in the field of Bioinformatics. Again data compression techniques directly affect the alignment of DNA sequences. So the time needed to decompress a compressed sequence has to be given equal priorities as with compression ratio. This article contains first introduction then a brief review of different biological sequence compression after that my proposed work then our two improved Biological sequence compression algorithms after that result followed by conclusion and discussion, future scope and finally references. These algorithms gain a very good compression factor with higher saving percentage and less time for compression and decompression than the previous Biological Sequence compression algorithms. Keywords: Hash map table, Tandem repeats, compression factor, compression time, saving percentage, compression, decompression process.