Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Motion compensated compression of computer animation frames

This paper presents a new lossless compression algorithmfor computer animation image sequences. The algorithm uses transformation information available in the animation script andﬂoatingpointdepthandobjectnumberinformationstored at each pixel to perform highly accurate motion prediction with very low computation. The geometric data, i.e., the depth and object number, is very efﬁciently compressed us-ing motion prediction and a new technique called direction coding, typically to 1 to 2 bits per pixel. The geometric data is also useful in z-buffer image compositing and this new compression algorithm offers a very low storage overhead method for saving the information needed for z-buffer image compositing. The overall compression ratio of the new al-gorithm, including the geometric data overhead, is compared to conventional spatial linear prediction compression and is shown to be consistently better, by a factor of 1.4 or more, even with large frame-to-frame motion.
Bidirectional parsing of TAG without heads

We present a bottom-up bidirectional parser for Tree Adjoining Grammars that is an extension of the parser defined by De Vreught and Honig for Context Free Grammars. Although this parser does not improve the complexity of the parsers defined in the literature, it presents several characteristics that can be of interest for practical parsing of natural languages.
Preemptive Analgesia in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract: In pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, subhepatic administration of bupivacaine immediately after the creation of pneumoperitoneum has been shown to be more effective than administration before the withdrawal of the trocars. We aimed to investigate the effect of intraperitoneal bupivacaine administration to the subhepatic area before the creation of the pneumoperitoneum. Eighty patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia were included in a prospective, randomized study. Patients received 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine in the subhepatic area just after intubation, before pneumoperitoneum (group 1), immediately after the creation of the pneumoperitoneum (group 2), just before the removal of the trocars (group 3), or received no local anesthetic (group 4). The degree of the postoperative pain was assessed at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after the surgery. The consumption of analgesics (diclofenac sodium) was also recorded. The pain scores and analgesic consumption did not differ among groups 1, 3, and 4. The pain scores of group 2 were lower at each time point compared to the other groups (P < 0.001). Postoperative analgesic consumption in group 2 was reduced compared to the other groups (23.4 ± 35.9 mg vs. 80.0 ± 66.3 mg, P = 0.005 [group 1], 69.6 ± 62.2 mg, P = 0.026 [group 3], and 70.0 ± 59.9 mg, P = 0.022 [group 4]). The subhepatic infiltration of 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine offers good postoperative analgesia when applied just after the creation of the pneumoperitoneum, not before the pneumoperitoneum or after the termination of the pneumoperitoneum.
Verifying Completeness of Relational Query Answers from Online Servers

The number of successful attacks on the Internet shows that it is very difficult to guarantee the security of online servers over extended periods of time. A breached server that is not detected in time may return incorrect query answers to users. In this article, we introduce authentication schemes for users to verify that their query answers from an online server are complete (i.e., no qualifying tuples are omitted) and authentic (i.e., all the result values are legitimate). We introduce a scheme that supports range selection, projection as well as primary key-foreign key join queries on relational databases. We also present authentication schemes for single- and multi-attribute range aggregate queries. The schemes complement access control mechanisms that rewrite queries dynamically, and are computationally secure. We have implemented the proposed schemes, and experiment results showed that they are practical and feasible schemes with low overheads.
Design, modeling and simulation of the human lower extremity exoskeleton

The human lower extremity exoskeleton (HLEE) conceived and designed to provide human the ability to carry heavy loads on his back with minimal effort over type of rugged terrain, which integrated human-robotic system under the control of the human. Based on bionics, HLEE structure was analyzed and designed. Mathematical models of human typical gait were built. The Virtual prototype of the human and the Lower Extremity Exoskeleton were produced using Pro/e three-dimensional modeling software and ADAMS kinematic modeling package. Trajectory of human motion was programmed using the cubic spline interpolation. The accuracy and the assumptions feasibility of the model were proven by simulation.
endometriosis : a case control study with Brazilians 2 indicates increased susceptibility for the allele-1154 A and a protective effect for the 3 haplotype

41 Background: Endometriosis is regarded as a complex and heterogeneous disease in which 42 genetic and environmental factors contribute to the phenotype. The Vascular Endothelial Growth 43 Factor (VEGF) plays important roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The present study 44 was aimed at investigating the contribution of VEGF polymorphisms as risk factors for the 45 development of endometriosis. This is the first study to evaluate the combined influence of the 46 five most common VEGF polymorphisms. 47 Methods: This hospital-based genetic association study was conducted at two hospitals from the 48 Brazilian public health system, and comprised 294 Brazilian women submitted to laparoscopic or 49 laparotomy surgery: 182 patients had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis 50 (cases), whereas 112 had no evidence of the disease (controls). The VEGF polymorphisms were 51 determined by TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction. The odds ratio (OR) with their 95% 52 confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using an unconditional logistic regression model. 53 Results: Endometriosis patients and controls did not differ regarding age distribution, whereas 54 the body mass index was significantly lower in endometriosis patients, when compared with 55 controls (23.1 ± 3.9 versus 27.3 ± 5.9, P<0.001). The evaluation of gynecological symptoms, 56 including dysmenorrhea, non-cyclic chronic pelvic pain, dyspareunia and infertility, indicates 57 significantly higher prevalences among endometriosis cases. The variant allele -1154A was 58 significantly associated with endometriosis, either considering all cases (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 59 1.23–2.97), deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.16-2.90) or moderate and 60 severe endometriosis (stages III-IV) (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.21-3.19). No significant differences 61 were found in allele or genotype distributions of the –2578C>A, -460T>C, +405G>C and 62 +936C>T polymorphisms between endometriosis cases and controls. A total of six haplotypes 63
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome by an iMLS resistant M type 77 Streptococcus pyogenes in the Netherlands

An increasing number of group A streptococci (GAS) with constitutive or inducible resistance to macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B antibiotics (cMLS or iMLS phenotype) is observed in Europe, but MLS resistant GAS associated with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) has not been reported. We describe a patient admitted with STSS caused by an iMLS resistant T28 M77 Streptococcus pyogenes carrying the ermA [subclass TR] gene. A 2-y retrospective analysis among 701 nationwide collected GAS strains revealed an incidence of 3.1% of this M type 77 GAS. Analysis of 17 available M77 strains (12 T28 and 5 T13) indicated that 2 (12%) were MLS resistant due to the ermA [TR] gene. Both MLS resistant strains were cultured from blood and belonged to T28 serotype. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) showed that all M77 isolates belonged to sequence type 63. We conclude that 17 M77 GAS collected in the Netherlands in a 2-y period were associated with invasive disease and belonged to the same clonal complex. Since only 12% carried the ermA [TR] resistance gene, it is very likely that the gene has been acquired by horizontal transmission rather than from spread of a resistant circulating clone.
SVC Videoconferencing Call Adaptation and Bandwidth Usage in SDN Networks

Videoconferencing applications have strong latency requirements and consume large portions of a network's bandwidth. Current videoconferencing solutions are not efficiently implemented as they often rely on a central server and do not leverage network layering services. In this paper, we investigate the impact of using Scalable Video Coding and Software Defined Networking techniques on videoconferencing. Specifically we propose an algorithm capable of reducing the bandwidth consumed by videoconferencing using Software Defined Networking to compute and deploy multicast trees, as well as taking advantage of the Scalable Video Coding layering feature that allows to sacrifice video quality for usability purposes. We show that by smartly dropping video layers at specific locations in the network, the overall bandwidth usage by videoconferencing decreases, and in a separate capacity study we show that our solution allows networks to support more videoconferencing calls as compared to existing solutions.
False path identification algorithm framework for nonseparable controller-data path circuits

In order to achieve the less test generation complexity, design-for-testability (DFT) techniques are used which causes untestable paths to be testable. These testable path delays have no effect on circuit performance are called false paths. It has been contended that such false paths should not be detected for test generation to keep off the unnecessary decrease in production. This paper proposes an algorithm framework to deal with these false paths through identification for DFT test. Proposed framework uses an integrated functional RTL circuit, called assignment decision diagram (ADD) which target at structural-level. Identification is done by sensitizing, observability and propagation rules for unified functional RTL circuits. Proposed framework overcomes the limitation of several existing RTL based approaches, such as the need for explicit separation between controller and data path. The effectiveness of the framework algorithm is shown through lemma proof.
Ising models for networks of real neurons

Ising models with pairwise interactions are the least structured, or maximum-entropy, probability distributions that exactly reproduce measured pairwise correlations between spins. Here we use this equivalence to construct Ising models that describe the correlated spiking activity of populations of 40 neurons in the retina, and show that pairwise interactions account for observed higher-order correlations. By first finding a representative ensemble for observed networks we can create synthetic networks of 120 neurons, and find that with increasing size the networks operate closer to a critical point and start exhibiting collective behaviors reminiscent of spin glasses.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Development and Reliability of a Self-report Questionnaire to Examine Children's Perceptions of the Physical Activity Environment at Home and in the Neighbourhood

Background: Environmental factors are increasingly being implicated as key influences on children's physical activity. Few studies have comprehensively examined children's perceptions of their environment, and there is a paucity of literature on acceptable and reliable scales for measuring these. This study aimed to develop and test the acceptability and reliability of a scale which examined a broad range of environmental perceptions among children.
Changes in shell durability of common marine taxa through the Phanerozoic: evidence for biological rather than taphonomic drivers

Abstract Phanerozoic trends in shell and life habit traits linked to postmortem durability were evaluated for the most common fossil brachiopod, gastropod, and bivalve genera in order to test for changes in taphonomic bias. Using the Paleobiology Database, we tabulated occurrence frequencies of genera for 48 intervals of ∼11 Myr duration. The most frequently occurring genera, cumulatively representing 40% of occurrences in each time bin, were scored for intrinsic durability on the basis of shell size, reinforcement (ribs, folds, and spines), life habit, and mineralogy. Shell durability is positively correlated with the number of genera in a time bin, but durability traits exhibit different temporal patterns across higher taxa, with notable offsets in the timing of changes in these traits. We find no evidence for temporal decreases in durability that would indicate taphonomic bias at the Phanerozoic scale among commonly occurring genera. Also, all three groups show a remarkable stability in mean shell size through the Phanerozoic, an unlikely pattern if strong size-filtering taphonomic megabiases were affecting the fossil record of shelly faunas. Moreover, small shell sizes are attained in the early Paleozoic in brachiopods and in the latest Paleozoic in gastropods but are steady in bivalves; unreinforced shells are common to all groups across the entire Phanerozoic; organophosphatic and aragonitic shells dominate only the oldest and youngest time bins; and microstructures having high organic content are most common in the oldest time bins. In most cases, the timing of changes in durability-related traits is inconsistent with a late Mesozoic Marine Revolution. The post-Paleozoic increase in mean gastropod reinforcement occurs in the early Triassic, suggesting either an earlier appearance and expansion of durophagous predators or other drivers. Increases in shell durability hypothesized to be the result of increased predation in the late Mesozoic are not evident in the common genera examined here. Infaunal life habit does increase in the late Mesozoic, but it does not become more common than levels already attained during the Paleozoic, and only among bivalves does the elevated late Mesozoic level persist through the Holocene. These temporal patterns suggest control on the occurrence of durability-related traits by individual evolutionary histories rather than taphonomic megabiases. Our findings do not mean taphonomic biases are absent from the fossil record, but rather that their effects apparently have had little net effect on the relative occurrence of shell traits generally thought to confer higher preservation potential over long time scales.
Query range problem in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks with multiple users extracting data directly from nearby sensors have many potential applications. An important problem in such a network is how to allocate the multi-hop query range for each user such that a certain global optimality is achieved. We introduce this problem and show it is NP-complete in its generic form. Distributed heuristic is proposed and evaluated with simulations. Interesting behaviors of the network when optimized with different global objectives are observed from the simulation results.
Protective role of neuronal KATP channels in brain hypoxia

SUMMARY During severe arterial hypoxia leading to brain anoxia, most mammalian neurons undergo a massive depolarisation terminating in cell death. However, some neurons of the adult brain and most immature nervous structures tolerate extended periods of hypoxia–anoxia. An understanding of the mechanisms underlying this tolerance to oxygen depletion is pivotal for developing strategies to protect the brain from consequences of hypoxic-ischemic insults. ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels are good subjects for this study as they are activated by processes associated with energy deprivation and can counteract the terminal anoxic-ischemic neuronal depolarisation. This review summarises in vitro analyses on the role of KATP channels in hypoxia–anoxia in three distinct neuronal systems of rodents. In dorsal vagal neurons, blockade of KATP channels with sulfonylureas abolishes the hypoxic-anoxic hyperpolarisation. However, this does not affect the extreme tolerance of these neurons to oxygen depletion as evidenced by a moderate and sustained increase of intracellular Ca2+ (Cai). By contrast, a sulfonylurea-induced block of KATP channels shortens the delay of occurrence of a major Cai rise in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. In neurons of the neonatal medullary respiratory network, KATP channel blockers reverse the anoxic hyperpolarisation associated with slowing of respiratory frequency. This may constitute an adaptive mechanism for energy preservation. These studies demonstrate that KATP channels are an ubiquituous feature of mammalian neurons and may, indeed, play a protective role in brain hypoxia.
Tol2 transposon‐mediated enhancer trap to identify developmentally regulated zebrafish genes in vivo

We have used the Tol2 transposable element to design and perform effective enhancer trapping in zebrafish. Modified transposon DNA and transposase RNA were delivered into zebrafish embryos by microinjection to produce heritable insertions in the zebrafish genome. The enhancer trap construct carries the EGFP gene controlled by a partial epithelial promoter from the keratin8 gene. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) is used as a marker to select F1 transgenic fish and as a reporter to trap enhancers. We have isolated 28 transgenic lines that were derived from the 37 GFP‐positive F0 founders and displayed various specific EGFP expression patterns in addition to basal expression from the modified keratin 8 promoter. Analyses of expression by whole‐mount RNA in situ hybridization demonstrated that these patterns could recapitulate the expression of the tagged genes to a variable extent and, therefore, confirmed that our construct worked effectively as an enhancer trap. Transgenic offspring from the 37 F0 EGFP‐positive founders have been genetically analyzed up to the F2 generation. Flanking sequences from 65 separate transposon insertion sites were identified by thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction. Injection of the transposase RNA into transgenic embryos induced remobilization of genomic Tol2 copies producing novel insertions including some in the germ line. The approach has great potential for developmental and anatomical studies of teleosts. Developmental Dynamics 231:449–459, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Cross-Talks with STAT3 Signaling to Regulate Survival of Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an essential pathway that regulates numerous cellular processes, including cell survival. The molecular mechanisms contributing to pro-survival Wnt signaling are mostly unknown. Signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (STATs) are a well-described family of transcription factors. STAT3 induces expression of anti-apoptotic genes in many tissues and is a downstream mediator of protective growth factors and cytokines. In this study, we investigated whether pro-survival Wnt signaling is mediated by STAT3. The Wnt3a ligand activated Wnt signaling in the retinal pigment epithelium ARPE-19 cell line and significantly increased the viability of cells exposed to oxidative stress. Furthermore, Wnt3a increased STAT3 activation and nuclear translocation, as measured by an antibody against phosphorylated STAT3. Reducing STAT3 levels with siRNA eliminated Wnt3a-dependent protection from oxidative stress. Together, these data demonstrate a previously unknown link between Wnt3a-mediated activation of STAT3 and cell survival, and indicate cross-talk between two important pro-survival signaling pathways.
CALIBRATION OF LOW-FREQUENCY, WIDE-FIELD RADIO INTERFEROMETERS USING DELAY/DELAY-RATE FILTERING

We present a filtering technique that can be applied to individual baselines of wide-bandwidth, wide-field interferometric data to geometrically select regions on the celestial sphere that contain primary calibration sources. The technique relies on the Fourier transformation of wide-band frequency spectra from a given baseline to obtain one-dimensional “delay images,” and then the transformation of a time-series of delay images to obtain two-dimensional “delay/delay-rate images. ” Source selection is possible in these images given appropriate combinations of baseline, bandwidth, integration time, and source location. Strong and persistent radio frequency interference (RFI) limits the effectiveness of this source selection owing to the removal of data by RFI excision algorithms. A one-dimensional, complex CLEAN algorithm has been developed to compensate for RFI-excision effects. This approach allows CLEANed, source-isolated data to be used to isolate bandpass and primary beam gain functions. These techniques are applied to data from the Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of Reionization as a demonstration of their value in calibrating a new generation of low-frequency radio interferometers with wide relative bandwidths and large fields of view.
Advances in Bulk Crystal Growth of AlN and GaN

Aluminum nitride (AlN) and gallium nitride (GaN) play an essential role in modern electronics, particularly in optoelectronics. Highly efficient light-emitting devices covering the ultraviolet to green spectral region are fabricated from these materials. Despite all efforts, the growth of large-size and high-quality AlN and GaN crystals for substrates, which are thermally and lattice-matched to the AlGaN-based device structures, is still in its infancy. This is due to the high equilibrium vapor pressure of nitrogen above these compounds, which requires growth techniques employing either the vapor phase or liquid solutions. The best commercially available GaN substrates show a high dislocation density of >10^5 per cm^2 and strong bowing with a radius of curvature smaller than 10 m. This article reviews current growth techniques that look promising and may become commercially viable.