Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demo paper: Libdash - An open source software library for the MPEG-DASH standard

Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) is an ISO/IEC MPEG standard which enables the convenient and smooth transportation of multimedia data to heterogeneous end devices over networks with variable bandwidth conditions. This kind of streaming technology is mainly used with HTTP 1.0 and 1.1 respectively, which both have some drawbacks. Therefore, the IETF has started the development of HTTP 2.0, which is based on Google's SPDY proposal and already supported by several major companies, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Akamai, Mozilla and obviously Google. Furthermore, Content Centric Networking (CCN) is another novel approach for future networks that is considered as an revolutionary approach compared to HTTP 2.0. The CCN communication paradigm is completely different and does not rely on direct connections between hosts, it rather focuses on the content. This paper demonstrates DASH with HTTP 2.0/SPDY and CCN using our universal libdash library. Moreover, different mechanisms of DASH will be shown that can be used to provide on-demand and live content in an efficient and comfortable way.
Analysis of Temporal and Web Site References in History-related Tweets

Having good knowledge and comprehension of history is believed to be important for a variety of reasons. In this paper we report the initial results of a large scale exploratory analysis of history-focused references in microblogs based on 11-months long snapshot of Twitter data. The results of this study can be used for designing content recommendation systems and can help to improve time aware search applications.
Old Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter seifertii in Brazil Producing OXA-58

The genus Acinetobacter comprises several groups of closely related species, including the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex ([1][1]) and a number of hemolytic species ([2][2]). Currently, the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex comprises five validly named species,
Gastrointestinal Duplication Presenting as Neonatal Intestinal Obstruction: An Experience of 15 Years at Tertiary Care Centre

Background: Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) duplications are one of the rare congenital anomalies and can occur in any portion of the gastrointestinal tract but are more commonly encountered in small intestine. The duplication cysts cause symptoms like abdominal mass and intestinal obstruction requiring surgery or may remain asymptomatic. We are reporting our 15 years’ experience duplication cysts presenting in neonates. Methods: It is a retrospective study undertaken in the department of pediatric surgery between 2001 and 2015 for GIT duplications in neonates. Patients were analyzed for their antenatal diagnosis, age, sex, clinical diagnosis, investigatory approach, operative management and surgical outcomes. Results: Total number of neonates, diagnosed with gastrointestinal duplication in the last 15 years, was 17. Male to female ratio was 3.3:1. The most common location was found to be the ileum occurring in 71% of cases. Apart from ileum, 2 cases of duodenal and 1 case each of gastric, colonic and cecal duplication cyst were encountered. Majority cases presented with sub-acute intestinal obstruction and were managed successfully by resection and end to end anastomosis. Associated gut atresia was found in 4 cases while 1 case was found to be associated with perforation of gut. Conclusion: Gastrointestinal tract duplications often present with typical symptoms of gastrointestinal tract obstruction. Early diagnosis and management is required to prevent postoperative morbidity and mortality.
Seasonal and Regional Dynamics of M. ulcerans Transmission in Environmental Context: Deciphering the Role of Water Bugs as Hosts and Vectors

Background Buruli ulcer, the third mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis and leprosy, is caused by the environmental mycobacterium M. ulcerans. Various modes of transmission have been suspected for this disease, with no general consensus acceptance for any of them up to now. Since laboratory models demonstrated the ability of water bugs to transmit M. ulcerans, a particular attention is focused on the transmission of the bacilli by water bugs as hosts and vectors. However, it is only through detailed knowledge of the biodiversity and ecology of water bugs that the importance of this mode of transmission can be fully assessed. It is the objective of the work here to decipher the role of water bugs in M. ulcerans ecology and transmission, based on large-scale field studies. Methodology/Principal Findings The distribution of M. ulcerans-hosting water bugs was monitored on previously unprecedented time and space scales: a total of 7,407 water bugs, belonging to large number of different families, were collected over one year, in Buruli ulcer endemic and non endemic areas in central Cameroon. This study demonstrated the presence of M. ulcerans in insect saliva. In addition, the field results provided a full picture of the ecology of transmission in terms of biodiversity and detailed specification of seasonal and regional dynamics, with large temporal heterogeneity in the insect tissue colonization rate and detection of M. ulcerans only in water bug tissues collected in Buruli ulcer endemic areas. Conclusion/Significance The large-scale detection of bacilli in saliva of biting water bugs gives enhanced weight to their role in M. ulcerans transmission. On practical grounds, beyond the ecological interest, the results concerning seasonal and regional dynamics can provide an efficient tool in the hands of sanitary authorities to monitor environmental risks associated with Buruli ulcer.
A lightweight IPsec adaptation for small devices in IP-based mobile networks

This paper addresses the problem of securely communicating between a resource limited mobile device and a remote content provider server in mobile commerce applications over IP-based mobile networks. We present a communication protocol, based on the IPsec protocol, that provides confidentiality and authentication of the packets exchanged. We propose to use a key distribution center (KDC), which can be easily deployed in the target network, to securely establish a shared secret between two parties before the IPsec key exchange step. This approach limits the number of expensive public key based operations to a minimum and thus improves the overall performance of the protocol. To make the protocol lightweight while not sacrificing the protection power of the original IPsec, we carefully select a set of necessary features. We demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed protocol by implementing the protocol in Java and showing some reasonable performance data
Recovered and continuous memories of childhood sexual abuse: A quantitative and qualitative analysis

This study is an in-depth examination of women who reported childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Among a non-clinical sample of 26 women, ages 22 65, 11 reported they had always remembered CSA (continuous memories) and 15 reported they had forgotten CSA for some period of their lives (delayed memories). Participants completed a questionnaire which included demographics, abuse history, therapy history, symptom checklists, Family Functioning Scale, Dissociative Experiences Scale, and the Adult Sexual Victimization Scale, and were then interviewed. Eighty-six percent of women with delayed, and 46% with continuous, memories reported corroboration. Only one woman reported a therapist was the first to raise the possibility of abuse . Quantitative comparisons revealed that women with delayed memories were younger at the time of their abuse and more closely related to their abusers. Family functioning and dissociative experiences were not significantly different, due to small n and high variability, but there was a trend towards more negative but ritualistic family patterns and greater dissociative tendencies among the women with delayed memories. In qualitative interviews, women with delayed memories reported that they had had more positive or ambivalent relationships with their abusers, and had, as children, disclosed their abuse less frequently than those with continuous memories; when they did disclose, they were disbelieved. While disclosures among women with continuous memories led to mixed reactions, at least one person had believed them. Recovered memories were described as generally fragmented and isolated, as physical or affective sensations, or disconnected visual flashes, qualities which did not change with therapy . Women with continuous memories described their memories as clear and visual, and were more able to give a sequential narrative of abuse incidents. All women reported some distress attributed to the sexual abuse, including suicidality, which had been more pervasive and severe for women with delayed memorie s. Results expand upon previou s data, and support suggestions that young children may forget trauma. Results supported Jennifer Freyd 's betrayal trauma theory, which posits that children who are dependent upon their abuser -betrayer are more likely to deny the abusive part of their lives, as a strategy for emotional and physical survival.
Very early detection of RET proto‐oncogene mutation is crucial for preventive thyroidectomy in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 children

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2) is an inherited disease caused by germline mutations in the RET proto‐oncogene, and is responsible for the development of endocrine neoplasia. Its prognosis is dependent on the appearance and spread of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Relatives at risk can be identified before clinical or biochemical signs of the disease become evident.
Increased Po2 alters the bioelectric properties of fetal distal lung epithelium.

At birth the lung must efficiently clear the liquid from its air spaces and permanently convert from a fluid-secreting to a fluid-absorbing organ. When primary cultures of rat fetal distal lung epithelium (FDLE) grown on permeable supports were switched from a fetal (3%) to a postnatal (21%) oxygen environment, there was an increase in epithelial permeability as reflected by a dose-dependent decline in transepithelial resistance (Rt) 4 h later (3% = 239 +/- 19 omega.cm2; 21% = 170 +/- 28 omega.cm2; 50% = 98 +/- 20 omega.cm2; P < 0.05). The effect was transient, since monolayers initially maintained at 3% and switched to these higher oxygen concentrations subsequently had Rt values comparable to the 3% group at 48 h (3% = 153 +/- 17 omega.cm2; 21% = 181 +/- 19 omega.cm2; 50% = 192 +/- 21 omega.cm2; P = NS). Changes in Rt were associated with expected changes in the histological appearance of the interepithelial tight junctions, but intracellular actin content and distribution remained constant. Amiloride-sensitive equivalent short-circuit current increased within 18 h, with further increases after 48 h of exposure to postnatal oxygen concentrations. Ion substitution experiments suggested diminished FDLE Cl transport and increased Na transport. The amount of FDLE-alpha, -beta, and -gamma rat epithelial Na channel mRNA increased within 48 h of increasing the ambient oxygen concentration. These results suggest that the physiological increase in alveolar Po2 at birth is, at least in part, responsible for distal lung's permanent switch from Cl secretion to Na absorption at birth.
International Europhysics Conference on Hep

We present the results of a search for ν µ → ν e neutrino oscillations in the NOMAD experiment at CERN. The experiment looked for the appearance of ν e in a predominantly ν µ wide-band neutrino beam at the CERN SPS. No evidence for oscillations was found. The 90% confidence limits obtained are ∆m 2 < 0.4 eV 2 for maximal mixing and sin 2 (2θ) < 1.2×10 −3 for large ∆m 2 , excluding the LSND allowed region of oscillation parameters with ∆m 2 10 eV 2 .
Modelling the static and dynamic responses of total heat production of broiler chickens to step changes in air temperature and light intensity

1. The objective of this work was to explore the possibilities of modelling the static and dynamic responses of total heat production of broiler chickens to step changes in temperature and light intensity (light-dark alterations) using compact dynamic model structures. 2. Seventy-seven experiments were performed in an open-circuit respiration chamber to measure the dynamic response of heat production to step variations in temperature and light (on/off). The animal responses were modelled using transfer function model structures. 3. It was demonstrated that the complex process of the dynamic response of heat production of broiler chickens to step changes in air temperature and light-dark alterations can be modelled assuming 1st order dynamics. The coefficient of determination between measured and simulated heat production was on average 0.83 for responses to air temperature and 0.93 for responses to light-dark alterations.
An Extracellular Protease of Streptococcus gordonii Hydrolyzes Type IV Collagen and Collagen Analogues

ABSTRACT Streptococcus gordonii is a frequent cause of infective bacterial endocarditis, but its mechanisms of virulence are not well defined. In this study, streptococcal proteases were recovered from spent chemically defined medium (CDM) and fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and by ion-exchange and gel filtration column chromatography. Three proteases were distinguished by their different solubilities in ammonium sulfate and their specificities for synthetic peptides. One of the enzymes cleaved collagen analogs Gly-Pro 4-methoxy-β-naphthylamide, 2-furanacryloyl-Leu-Gly-Pro-Ala (FALGPA), and p-phenylazobenzyloxycarbonyl-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-Arg (pZ-peptide) and was released from the streptococci while complexed to peptidoglycan fragments. Treatment of this protease with mutanolysin reduced its 180- to 200-kDa mass to 98 kDa without loss of enzymatic activity. The purified protease cleaved bovine gelatin, human placental type IV collagen, and the Aα chain of fibrinogen but not albumin, fibronectin, laminin, or myosin. Enzyme activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, indicating that it is a serine-type protease. Maximum production of the 98-kDa protease occurred during growth of S. gordonii CH1 in CDM containing 0.075% total amino acids at pH 7.0 with minimal aeration. Higher initial concentrations of amino acids prevented the release of the protease without reducing cell-associated enzyme levels, and the addition of an amino acid mixture to an actively secreting culture stopped further enzyme release. The purified protease was stored frozen at −20°C for several months or heated at 50°C for 10 min without loss of activity. These data indicate that S. gordonii produces an extracellular gelatinase/type IV collagenase during growth in medium containing minimal concentrations of free amino acids. Thus, the extracellular enzyme is a potential virulence factor in the amino acid-stringent, thrombotic, valvular lesions of bacterial endocarditis.
Super self-aligned double-gate (SSDG) MOSFETs utilizing oxidation rate difference and selective epitaxy

We propose a new super self-aligned double-gate MOSFET structure to implement "ideal" double-gate CMOS devices. Only one gate mask is used to define both top and bottom gates, so a perfectly aligned gate structure is obtained. Oxidation rate difference and selective epitaxy are utilized and the process sequence is explained briefly. Device simulation results for the structure show high current level and good GIDL characteristics. Good experimental results are obtained in the key process steps to fabricate the structure.
A Framework for P2P Botnet Detection Using SVM

Botnets are the most serious network security threat bothering cyber security researchers around the globe. In this paper, we propose a proactive botnet detection framework using Support Vector Machine (SVM) to identify P2P botnets based on payload independent statistical features. Our investigation is based on the assumption that there exists significant difference between flow feature values of P2P botnet traffic and that of normal web traffic. However, we don't see a significant difference among flow feature values of normal web traffic and that of normal P2P traffic. Therefore, we combined normal web traffic and normal P2P traffic for the purpose of binary classification. Furthermore, we tried to evaluate the optimum SVM model that provides the best classification of P2P botnet data. Our optimized method yields approximately 99.01% accuracy for unbiased training and testing samples with a False Positive rate of 0.11 and 0.003 for bot and normal data flows respectively.
Characterization of Antibody Responses Elicited by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Primary Isolate Trimeric and Monomeric Envelope Glycoproteins in Selected Adjuvants

ABSTRACT We previously reported that soluble, stable YU2 gp140 trimeric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein immunogens could elicit improved breadth of neutralization against HIV-1 isolates compared to monomeric YU2 gp120 proteins. In this guinea pig immunization study, we sought to extend these data and determine if adjuvant could quantitatively or qualitatively alter the neutralizing response elicited by trimeric or monomeric immunogens. Consistent with our earlier studies, the YU2 gp140 immunogens elicited higher-titer neutralizing antibodies against homologous and heterologous isolates than those elicited by monomeric YU2 gp120. Additionally, the GlaxoSmithKline family of adjuvants AS01B, AS02A, and AS03 induced higher levels of neutralizing antibodies compared to emulsification of the same immunogens in Ribi adjuvant. Further analysis of vaccine sera indicated that homologous virus neutralization was not mediated by antibodies to the V3 loop, although V3 loop-directed neutralization could be detected for some heterologous isolates. In most gp120-inoculated animals, the homologous YU2 neutralization activity was inhibited by a peptide derived from the YU2 V1 loop, whereas the neutralizing activity elicited by YU2 gp140 trimers was much less sensitive to V1 peptide inhibition. Consistent with a less V1-focused antibody response, sera from the gp140-immunized animals more efficiently neutralized heterologous HIV-1 isolates, as determined by two distinct neutralization formats. Thus, there appear to be qualitative differences in the neutralizing antibody response elicited by YU2 gp140 compared to YU2 monomeric gp120. Further mapping analysis of more conserved regions of gp120/gp41 may be required to determine the neutralizing specificity elicited by the trimeric immunogens.
Biped Robot Walking using a Combination of Truncated Fourier Series and GALA (Genetic Algorithm parameters adaption using Learning Automata)

Controlling a biped robot with a high degree of freedom to achieve stable, straight and fast movement patterns is one of the most complex problems. With growing computational power of computer hardware, simulation of such robots in high resolution real time environment has become more applicable. This paper introduces a novel approach to Generate Bipedal gait for humanoid locomotion. In this scene, first we have used a modified Truncated Fourier Series (TFS) to generate angular trajectories, then to find the best angular trajectory we built an improved Genetic Algorithm (GA). One of the major difficulties of GAs is choosing appropriate values for mutation and crossover parameters. Hence, we present GALA (Genetic Algorithm parameters adaption using Learning Automata) to adjust these parameters by recruiting Learning Automata. As results show, my approach could generate better values for angular trajectories for biped walking, hence in my approach the robot could walk with high stability and faster than other approaches. Evaluations performed on Simulated NAO robot in RoboCup 3D soccer simulation environment.
Functional homogenization of flower visitor communities with urbanization

Abstract Land‐use intensification and resulting habitat loss are put forward as the main causes of flower visitor decline. However, the impact of urbanization, the prime driver of land‐use intensification in Europe, is poorly studied. In particular, our understanding of whether and how it affects the composition and functioning of flower visitor assemblages is scant, yet required to cope with increasing urbanization worldwide. Here, we use a nation‐wide dataset of plant‐flower visitor (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera) interactions sampled by citizen scientists following a standardized protocol to assess macroecological changes in richness and composition of flower visitor communities with urbanization. We measured the community composition by quantifying the relative occurrence of generalist and specialist flower visitors based on their specialisation on flowering plant families. We show that urbanization is associated with reduced flower visitor richness and a shift in community composition toward generalist insects, indicating a modification of the functional composition of communities. These results suggest that urbanization affects not only the richness of flower visitor assemblages but may also cause their large‐scale functional homogenization. Future research should focus on designing measures to reconcile urban development with flower visitor conservation.
RNA 3′ end signals of the S.pombe ura4 gene comprise a site determining and efficiency element.

We have defined sequences in the 3′ non‐coding region of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe ura4 gene that are required for efficient mRNA 3′ end formation. Three separate sequence elements have been identified. Two of these are site determining elements which specify alternative sites of polyadenylation [the major poly(A) site and a minor downstream poly(A) site]. The third sequence, located downstream of both poly(A) sites, functions as an efficiency element that enhances utilization of either polyadenylation site. By employing sensitive RT‐PCR analysis, we demonstrate that although low levels of transcripts are detected up to the efficiency element, none is detected beyond this point. The downstream site determining element and efficiency element have both been delineated to specific 16 nt sequences which we show are together sufficient for ura4 mRNA 3′ end formation. We have further characterized the interaction between these two elements and show that the efficiency element behaves in a position‐independent, orientation‐dependent manner, but cannot form 3′ ends independently of the site determining element. Surprisingly, we find that the efficiency element can be functionally replaced by a second copy of either site determining element. We present a model for the mechanism of RNA 3′ end formation of the ura4 gene and note that this bipartite structure for a poly(A) signal in S.pombe may be related to the AAUAAA and downstream GU‐rich sequences of poly(A) signals in mammalian genes.