Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Receiver Sender Packet Transmission Packet Reception Video Decoder Video Quality Prediction Network Video Quality Reinforcement Learning Video Streaming Session Noise Filter Video Encoder Present Video Frames Video Quality Predicted Bitrate Selection QARC Future Time Feedback Message

Real-time video streaming is now one of the main applications in all network environments. Due to the fluctuation of throughput under various network conditions, how to choose a proper bitrate adaptively has become an upcoming and interestingly issue. To tackle this problem, most adaptive bitrate control methods have been proposed to provide high video bitrates instead of video qualities. Nevertheless, we notice that there exists a trade-off between sending bitrate and video quality, which motivates us to focus on how to get a balance between them. In this paper, we propose QARC (video Quality Awareness Rate Control), a rate control algorithm that aims to have a higher perceptual video quality with possibly lower sending rate and transmission latency. Starting from scratch, QARC uses deep reinforcement learning(DRL) algorithm to train a neural network to select future bitrates based on previously observed network status and past video frames. To overcome the “state explosion problem”, we design a neural network to predict future perceptual video quality as a vector for taking the place of the raw picture in the DRLś inputs. We evaluate QARC over a trace-driven emulation, outperforming existing approach with improvements in average video quality of 18% 25% and decreases in average latency with 23% -45%. Meanwhile, Comparing QARC with offline optimal high bitrate method on various network conditions also yields a solid result.
Impact of the duct static pressure reset control strategy on the energy consumption by the HVAC system

This article addresses different duct static pressure control strategies which could be implemented in variable air volume air-conditioning systems (VAV). Two pressure reset control strategies are compared to the commonly used control solution based on the “Constant static pressure” method. First pressure reset control strategy, known as PID Control, uses signals from VAV boxes controllers to reset duct static pressure in a way that one of the VAV dampers is maintained almost entirely open. Second strategy decreases static pressure setpoint until an adjustable number of pressure requests occur. As a response to the certain amount of requests, static pressure setpoint is increased. This strategy is called Trim & Respond. Both static pressure reset control strategies described in this paper are considered to have more significant potential for energy savings than the “Constant static pressure” method. In order to validate this potential, several simulations for different control strategies were carried out and the obtained results are compared and analysed. The theoretical limit of the energy savings - set of the optimal control actions, was estimated with Nelder-Mead algorithm and also presented in this article. General description of the static pressure control strategies "Constant static pressure", PID Control and Trim & Respond is given.
Salt Intake and Immunity

Increased salt intake has been associated with cardiovascular disease,1 and it has been suggested that reductions in dietary salt could substantially reduce cardiovascular events and medical costs and, therefore, should be a public health target.2 The relationship between salt intake and cardiovascular diseases involves the complex interplay of several factors that include age, sex, the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone and kallikrein–kinin systems, sympathetic nervous system activity, endothelial function, and redox balance.3 In addition, it is now recognized that the immune system plays an active role in the development and progression of hypertension, and salt intake not only drives hemodynamic changes but is also associated with changes in the immune responses. Here we review the evidence that indicates that salt intake modulates immune function and salt-driven proinflammatory reactivity induces vascular endothelial dysfunction, immune cell activation, and cytokine secretion, all of which are central characteristics of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Endothelial dysfunction is one of the central characteristics of hypertension and is associated with overexpression of leukocyte adhesion molecules and local inflammation. In spontaneously hypertensive rats, overexpression of ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1), MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein-1), and macrophage adhesion ligand-1 (a cell-surface protein expressed in most leukocytes) has been demonstrated in association with increased monocyte endothelial adhesiveness. These findings play a role in end-organ damage.4–7 Takahashi et al4 studied changes in leukocyte adhesiveness induced by sodium intake in Dahl salt–sensitive rats. They examined adhesion of leukocytes to retinal vessels using acridine orange fluoroscopy and scanning laser ophthalmoscope and followed the expression of adhesion molecules in the kidney. After only 3 days of a diet with 8% NaCl, before hypertension developed, leukocyte adhesion was increased in association with increments in mRNA synthesis of MCP-1 and ICAM-1 in the kidney. Anti-CD18 antibodies inhibited these early effects of high salt intake and …
Enhanced Glucose Control Following Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Does Not Require a β-Cell Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor

Bariatric surgeries, including vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), resolve diabetes in 40–50% of patients. Studies examining the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect have centered on the role of the insulinotropic glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), in great part because of the ∼10-fold rise in its circulating levels after surgery. However, there is currently debate over the role of direct β-cell signaling by GLP-1 to mediate improved glucose tolerance following surgery. In order to assess the importance of β-cell GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) for improving glucose control after VSG, a mouse model of this procedure was developed and combined with a genetically modified mouse line allowing an inducible, β-cell–specific Glp1r knockdown (Glp1rβ-cell-ko). Mice with VSG lost ∼20% of body weight over 30 days compared with sham-operated controls and had a ∼60% improvement in glucose tolerance. Isolated islets from VSG mice had significantly greater insulin responses to glucose than controls. Glp1r knockdown in β-cells caused glucose intolerance in diet-induced obese mice compared with obese controls, but VSG improved glycemic profiles to similar levels during oral and intraperitoneal glucose challenges in Glp1rβ-cell-ko and Glp1rWT mice. Therefore, even though the β-cell GLP-1R seems to be important for maintaining glucose tolerance in obese mice, in these experiments it is dispensable for the improvement in glucose tolerance after VSG. Moreover, the metabolic physiology activated by VSG can overcome the deficits in glucose regulation caused by lack of β-cell GLP-1 signaling in obesity.
Establishment of Cytokines Quantitative PCR Methods and Its Application in Anaphylaxis Study of Houttuynia Cordata Injection

We design specific primers, according to the four kinds of important macaque cytokines, based on macaque β-action genes, then extract total RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of macaques, and trascriptase cDNA reversely after establishing real-time quantitative PCR, and test the relative expression amount of several kinds of important cytokines during the hypersensitive process. The testing method of quantitative PCR in this experiment is highly sensitive, all cytokines are up to 102 copies/μL and highly reproducible, the intraassay and interassay coefficients of variation are less than 6%. The method applied to the sensitive reaction experiment on cytokines induced by houttuynia cordata turns out that the cytokines relative expression of houttuynia cordata distillate with low dose group and high dose group is significantly higher than that of saline group (P > 0.01). Meanwhile, significantly increased IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 and decreased IFN-γ are found in both group A and group B after houttuynia injection (P > 0.05).
Corrigendum: Effectiveness of interventions to prevent pre-frailty and frailty progression in older adults: a systematic review.

Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra, Portugal Centre for Evidence Based Practice: a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence, Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing (ARCHA), Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom, Department of Economics, Management and Industrial Engineering, University of Aveiro, Averio, Portugal, Geriatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy, Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Universitat de Valência, Valência, Spain, Roessingh Research and Development, Enschede, The Netherlands, and IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
HIPPOCAMPAL VOLUME CHANGES IN PATIENTS WITH MOOD DISORDERS

Due to the neurotoxic effect caused by high levels of cortisol, studies suggest that stress and certain psychiatric disorders, such as mood disorders, have influences under the hippocampus, causing a decrease in volume and consequent memory changes. Objective: evaluating the relationship between hippocampal volume in patients with mood disorders under therapy. Methodology: followed the PRISMA protocol for systematic reviews. Pubmed, Cochraine and Scielo databases were searched by terms "Hippocampus", "Mood Disorders" and "MRI", and variants in other languages, in human, from January 2011 to September 2016. The individual quality of the articles was analyzed using the Cochraine modified scale for clinical trials and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality scale for observational studies. All studies showed reduction of hippocampal volume in depressive patients. Change in hippocampal volume is not related to the use of antidepressant. Particularly the sub-region of the subculum is more reduced, without lateralizations. Significant relationship between stress and right hippocampal reduction. The findings seem to point out: a common pathway of hippocampus reduction, mediated by stress, explaining memory deficits due to depression, where the cortisol pathway seems to act; alteration in the prefrontal cortex; reduction in the subiculum related to inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, corroborating the hypothesis of cortisol. Conclusion: the papers suggest: association between global hippocampal atrophy with mood disorders; reduction of hippocampal subiculum; refractoriness to clinical treatment among patients with lower hippocampal volume.
Fast Langevin based algorithm for MCMC in high dimensions

We introduce new Gaussian proposals to improve the efficiency of the standard Hastings-Metropolis algorithm in Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, used for the sampling from a target distribution in large dimension $d$. The improved complexity is $\mathcal{O}(d^{1/5})$ compared to the complexity $\mathcal{O}(d^{1/3})$ of the standard approach. We prove an asymptotic diffusion limit theorem and show that the relative efficiency of the algorithm can be characterised by its overall acceptance rate (with asymptotical value 0.704), independently of the target distribution. Numerical experiments confirm our theoretical findings.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Population genomic data reveal genes related to important traits of quail

Background: Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ), a recently domesticated poultry species, is important not only as an agricultural product, but also as a model bird species for genetic research. However, most of the biological questions concerning genomics, phylogenetics, and genetics of some important economic traits have not been answered. It is thus necessary to complete a high-quality genome sequence as well as a series of comparative genomics, evolution, and functional studies. Results: Here, we present a quail genome assembly spanning 1.04 Gb with 86.63% of sequences anchored to 30 chromosomes (28 autosomes and 2 sex chromosomes Z/W). Our genomic data have resolved the long-term debate of phylogeny among Perdicinae (Japanese quail), Meleagridinae (turkey), and Phasianinae (chicken). Comparative genomics and functional genomic data found that four candidate genes involved in early maturation had experienced positive selection, and one of them encodes follicle stimulating hormone beta ( FSH β ), which is correlated with different FSH β levels in quail and chicken. We re-sequenced 31 quails (10 wild, 11 egg-type, and 10 meat-type) and identified 18 and 26 candidate selective sweep regions in the egg-type and meat-type lines, respectively. That only one of them is shared between egg-type and meat-type lines suggests that they were subject to an independent selection. We also detected a haplotype on chromosome Z, which was closely linked with maroon/yellow plumage in quail using population resequencing and a genome-wide association study. This haplotype block will be useful for quail breeding programs. Conclusions: This study provided a high-quality quail reference genome, identified quail-specific genes, and resolved quail phylogeny. We have identified genes related to quail early maturation and a marker for plumage color, which is significant for quail breeding. These results will facilitate biological discovery in quails and help us elucidate the evolutionary processes within the Phasianidae family. (trans-posable elements) against the RepBase library v20.04 [74] to detect known repeats. A custom TE library was then constructed using RepeatModeller v1.0. 8 and LTR FINDER v1.0. 6 [75] for de novo detection of repeats. Tandem Repeat Finder v4.0. 7 [76] was also used to predict tandem repeats. Final results of TE detection were integrated using in-house scripts.
Transparent, Flexible, and Strong 2,3-Dialdehyde Cellulose Films with High Oxygen Barrier Properties

2,3-Dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) of a high degree of oxidation (92% relative to AGU units) prepared by oxidation of microcrystalline cellulose with sodium periodate (48 °C, 19 h) is soluble in hot water. Solution casting, slow air drying, hot pressing, and reinforcement by cellulose nanocrystals afforded films (∼100 μm thickness) that feature intriguing properties: they have very smooth surfaces (SEM), are highly flexible, and have good light transmittance for both the visible and near-infrared range (89–91%), high tensile strength (81–122 MPa), and modulus of elasticity (3.4–4.0 GPa) depending on hydration state and respective water content. The extraordinarily low oxygen permeation of <0.005 cm3 μm m–2 day–1 kPa–1 (50% RH) and <0.03 cm3 μm m–2 day–1 kPa–1 (80% RH) can be regarded as a particularly interesting feature of DAC films. The unusually high initial contact angle of about 67° revealed a rather low hydrophilicity compared to other oxidatively modified or unmodified cellulosic materials which is most likely the result of inter- and intramolecular hemiacetal and hemialdal formation during drying and pressing.
Diversification of Bacterial Community Composition along a Temperature Gradient at a Thermal

To better understand the biogeography and relationship between temperature and community structure within microbial mats, the bacterial diversity of mats at a slightly alkaline, sulfide-containing hot spring was explored. Microbial mats that developed at temperatures between 75–52°C were collected from an area of approximately 1 m in Nakabusa, Nagano, Japan. Bacterial 16S rRNA genes from these samples were examined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone library analysis. T-RFLP profiles revealed 66 unique fragments (T-RFs). Based on total T-RFs observed in environmental profiles and clone libraries, a temperature effect on diversity was determined, with complexity in the community increasing as temperature decreased. The T-RF pattern indicated four distinct community assemblages related to temperature. Members of the Aquificales and particularly the sulfuroxidizing bacterium Sulfurihydrogenibium were present at all temperatures and were the dominant component of mats taken at 75–67°C. Sulfide oxidation, which persisted throughout the temperature gradient, was the presumed dominant pathway of primary production above 67°C. As temperature decreased, successive additions of anoxygenic and oxygenic phototrophs increased primary productivity, allowing for diversification of the community.
A Paradigm Shift in Water Quality Governance in a Transitional Context: A Critical Study about the Empowerment of Local Governance in Georgia

The management of water quality is an important part of natural resource governance. Assurance of water quality therefore requires formulation of the regulatory framework and institutional process. Water quality-related problems and their management are mainly recognized as local responsibilities in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The politics of environmental policy-making should consider the political economic dynamics and socio-ecological patterns. Decentralization by providing more power to the local level and moving to a new spatial management system that is based on water basins are the two strong entreaties in the new water governance paradigm. Transitional countries facing rapid institutional adjustment, restructuring of regulations, and political-economic changes are encountering these demands internally and externally in their policy formulations. In this context, this study critically examines the case of Georgia, a transitional country. In particular, the focus is on how local governance entities can be empowered and what obstacles water quality governance encounters in Georgia. Qualitative research design is the main research method implemented in this study. The key findings from the research analysis are as follows: the existing regulations and governance system do not facilitate the active engagement of local entities in water quality governance. The application of new water polices may fail again if a top-down governance model is put in place that only creates a narrow space for local governance entities to effectively govern water quality.
Effects of smoking on thiol/disulfide homeostasis.

OBJECTIVE Cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for many diseases. This study aimed to evaluate whether cigarette smoking is associated with changes in the thiol/disulfide homeostasis (TDH), a novel biomarker of systemic oxidative stress. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eighty-four smokers and 86 non-smoking healthy volunteers were enrolled. Serum native thiol, disulfide and total thiol levels, disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, and native thiol/total thiol ratios were analyzed using a new colorimetric method. Carbon monoxide (CO) levels were measured by a piCO smokerlyzer instrument. RESULTS The native, total, and native/total thiol levels of smoking patients were significantly lower (p<0.001 for each), and disulfide, disulfide/native thiol, and disulfide/total thiol levels were significantly higher in smokers than the healthy controls (p<0.001 for each). The CO levels of all study participants were negatively correlated with native thiol (r= -0.627, p<0.001), total thiol (r= -0.569, p<0.001), native thiol/total thiol (r= -0.515, p<0.001), and positively correlated with disulfide (r=0.398, p<0.001), disulfide/native thiol (r=0.515, p<0.001) and disulfide/total thiol (r=0.515, p<0.001) levels. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this investigation is the first in the literature that investigated TDH in cigarette smokers. Our results show that cigarette smoking may lead to oxidative stress and TDH shifts through disulfide side compared to the healthy group. Further studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm our results for showing the changes in TDH to contribute to the clinical practice.
Childbirth experiences of women living with HIV: a neglected event in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission care continuum.

In 2013, the WHO released new prevention of motherto-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV guidelines, known as Option Bþ, to promote lifelong access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV (WLHIV) [1]. As of 2017, all countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have adopted the Option Bþ guidelines into their PMTCT programs, drastically expanding access to ART. Since 2011, the number of WLHIV covered by ART in SSA has risen from 3.7 million (29.2% of eligible women) to 8.7 million (61.7% of eligible women) in 2016 [2]. Expanded access to ART via PMTCT programs has the potential to reshape the HIV landscape by promoting the long-term health of mothers, preventing vertical transmission of the virus, and mitigating the spread of HIV to sexual partners [1].
Data Storage and Maintenance Challenges: The Case of Advanced Metering Infrastructure Systems

In today’s digital age, massive amounts of data are steadily being generated from various sources, such as smart-phones and social media. Smart-Grids are among the fields that are currently experiencing a burst in the data being generated, in part due to the recent investments in Advanced Metering Infrastructure Systems. In this paper, we present a benchmark between MySQL and MongoDB, when used to store and maintain the data that results from Advanced Metering Infrastructure Systems deployments. Our results show that MongoDB clearly outperforms MySQL for reading operations but at a cost of a much larger database size. As such, when deploying such systems, developers should be aware of this important trade-off that may greatly affect the overall experience.
University of Birmingham A phase transition in the evolution of bootstrap percolation processes on preferential attachment graphs

The theme of this paper is the analysis of bootstrap percolation processes on random graphs generated by preferential attachment. This is a class of infection processes where vertices have two states: they are either infected or susceptible . At each round every susceptible vertex which has at least r ≥ 2 infected neighbours becomes infected and remains so forever. Assume that initially a ( t ) vertices are randomly infected, where t is the total number of vertices of the graph. Suppose also that r < m , where 2 m is the average degree. We determine a critical function a c ( t ) such that when a ( t ) (cid:29) a c ( t ), complete infection occurs with high probability as t → ∞ , but when a ( t ) (cid:28) a c ( t ), then with high probability the process evolves only for a bounded number of rounds and the ﬁnal set of infected vertices is asymptotically equal to a ( t ). This paper studies the evolution of a bootstrap percolation process on random graphs that have been generated through preferential attachment and generalise the classical Barab´asi-Albert model. For r < m , where 2 m is the average degree, we determine a critical function a c ( t ) such that when the size a ( t ) of the initial set “crosses” a c ( t ) the evolution of the bootstrap percolation process with activation threshold r changes abruptly from almost no evolution to full infection. The critical function satisﬁes a c ( t ) = o ( t ), which implies that a sublinear initial infection leads to full infection. Our results are somewhat less tight for r = 2. It would be interesting to ﬁnd out whether the sharpness of the threshold that we deduced for r ≥ 3 also holds in this case. Also, the critical window itself for the case r = 2 has not been explored in the present work. Furthermore, it would be to determine the number of rounds until the complete infection of all vertices in the supercritical case.