Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Organizing Network Services

There is a proliferation of application-level servers that offer enhanced network services beyond the simple packet forwarding provided by the underlying network infrastructure. Examples of such servers range from Web server mirrors, Web caches, Web page distilling proxies, video transcoders, and application-level multicast routers, to application-level load-adaptive multipath routers. A fundamental question arising from the deployment of such servers is where to place them within a network. This paper explores technical issues related to the creation of an infrastructure to allow self-organization of network service placement based on observed demand for each service. In so doing, we propose a framework, called Sortie, whereby services are allocated on network nodes based on a set of very simple rules independently executed by each node. The distributed nature of allocation decisions ensures the scalability of the framework. We also present simulation results confirming the stability and efficiency of the proposed framework. Keywords— Network services, self-organization, demandtriggered
Real-time Online Singing Voice Separation from Monaural Recordings Using Robust Low-rank Modeling

Separating the leading vocals from the musical accompaniment is a challenging task that appears naturally in several music processing applications. Robust principal component analysis (RPCA) has been recently employed to this problem producing very successful results. The method decomposes the signal into a low-rank component corresponding to the accompaniment with its repetitive structure, and a sparse component corresponding to the voice with its quasiharmonic structure. In this paper we first introduce a non-negative variant of RPCA, termed as robust lowrank non-negative matrix factorization (RNMF). This new framework better suits audio applications. We then propose two efficient feed-forward architectures that approximate the RPCA and RNMF with low latency and a fraction of the complexity of the original optimization method. These approximants allow incorporating elements of unsupervised, semi- and fullysupervised learning into the RPCA and RNMF frameworks. Our basic implementation shows several orders of magnitude speedup compared to the exact solvers with no performance degradation, and allows online and faster-than-real-time processing. Evaluation on the MIR-1K dataset demonstrates state-of-the-art performance.
Impaired Autophagy and Defective T Cell Homeostasis in Mice with T Cell-Specific Deletion of Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1

Autophagy plays a central role in maintaining T cell homeostasis. Our previous study has shown that hepatocyte-specific deficiency of receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) leads to lipid accumulation in the liver, accompanied by impaired autophagy, but its in vivo role in T cells remains unclear. Here, we report that mice with T cell-specific deletion of RACK1 exhibit normal intrathymic development of conventional T cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells but reduced numbers of peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Such defects are cell intrinsic with impaired mitochondrial clearance, increased sensitivity to cell death, and decreased proliferation that could be explained by impaired autophagy. Furthermore, RACK1 is essential for invariant natural T cell development. In vivo, T cell-specific loss of RACK1 dampens concanavalin A-induced acute liver injury. Our data suggest that RACK1 is a key regulator of T cell homeostasis.
Genome‐scale metabolic representation of Amycolatopsis balhimycina

Infection caused by methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an increasing societal problem. Typically, glycopeptide antibiotics are used in the treatment of these infections. The most comprehensively studied glycopeptide antibiotic biosynthetic pathway is that of balhimycin biosynthesis in Amycolatopsis balhimycina. The balhimycin yield obtained by A. balhimycina is, however, low and there is therefore a need to improve balhimycin production. In this study, we performed genome sequencing, assembly and annotation analysis of A. balhimycina and further used these annotated data to reconstruct a genome‐scale metabolic model for the organism. Here we generated an almost complete A. balhimycina genome sequence comprising 10,562,587 base pairs assembled into 2,153 contigs. The high GC‐genome (∼69%) includes 8,585 open reading frames (ORFs). We used our integrative toolbox called SEQTOR for functional annotation and then integrated annotated data with biochemical and physiological information available for this organism to reconstruct a genome‐scale metabolic model of A. balhimycina. The resulting metabolic model contains 583 ORFs as protein encoding genes (7% of the predicted 8,585 ORFs), 407 EC numbers, 647 metabolites and 1,363 metabolic reactions. During the analysis of the metabolic model, linear, quadratic and evolutionary programming algorithms using flux balance analysis (FBA), minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA), and OptGene, respectively were applied as well as phenotypic behavior and improved balhimycin production were simulated. The A. balhimycina model shows a good agreement between in silico data and experimental data and also identifies key reactions associated with increased balhimycin production. The reconstruction of the genome‐scale metabolic model of A. balhimycina serves as a basis for physiological characterization. The model allows a rational design of engineering strategies for increasing balhimycin production in A. balhimycina and glycopeptide production in general. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:1798–1807. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex Differences in Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis in a Broad Spectrum of Patients With Heart Failure: Results of the Candesartan in Heart failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and morbidity (CHARM) Program

Background— We wished to test previous hypotheses that sex-related differences in mortality and morbidity may be due to differences in the cause of heart failure or in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by comparing fatal and nonfatal outcomes in women and men with heart failure and a broad spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction. Methods and Results— We compared outcomes in 2400 women and 5199 men randomized in the Candesartan in Heart failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and morbidity (CHARM) program using multivariable regression analyses. A total of 1188 women (50%) had a low LVEF (≤0.40), and 1212 had a preserved LVEF (>0.40). Among the men, 3388 (65%) had a low LVEF, and 1811 had a preserved LVEF. A total of 1216 women (51%) and 3465 men (67%) had an ischemic cause of their heart failure. All-cause mortality was 21.5% in women and 25.3% in men (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.86; P<0.001). Fewer women (30.4%) than men (33.3%) experienced cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization (adjusted HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.91; P<0.001). The risks of sudden death (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.85) and death due to worsening heart failure (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.89) were reduced to a comparable extent. The adjusted risk of cardiovascular hospitalization was also lower in women (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.95), mainly because of a reduced risk of heart failure hospitalization (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.97). Women had a lower risk of death irrespective of cause of heart failure or LVEF. Conclusions— Among patients with heart failure, women have lower risks of most fatal and nonfatal outcomes that are not explained, as previously suggested, by LVEF or origin of the heart failure.
Emotional reactivity to daily life stress in psychosis.

BACKGROUND The vulnerability-stress model of psychotic disorders describes, in essence, an interaction between personal vulnerability and environmental stressors. The present study investigated this interaction and studied emotional reactivity to daily life stress as a vulnerability marker for psychotic illness. METHODS Patients with psychotic illness (n = 42), their first-degree relatives (n = 47), and control subjects (n = 49) were studied with the Experience Sampling Method (a structured diary technique assessing thoughts, current context, and mood in daily life) to assess (1) appraised subjective stress of daily events and smaller disturbances in daily life and (2) emotional reactivity conceptualized as changes in both negative affect and positive affect. RESULTS Multilevel regression analyses showed that an increase in subjective stress was associated with an increase in negative affect and a decrease in positive affect in all groups. However, the groups differed quantitatively in their pattern of reactions to stress. Patients with psychotic illness reacted with more intense emotions to subjective appraisals of stress in daily life than control subjects. The decrease in positive affect in the relatives was similar to that of the patients, while the increase in negative affect in this group was intermediary to that of patients and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS Higher levels of familial risk for psychosis were associated with higher levels of emotional reactivity to daily life stress in a dose-response fashion. Subtle alterations in the way persons interact with their environment may constitute part of the vulnerability for psychotic illness.
Dyslipidemias and Elevated Cardiovascular Risk on Lopinavir-Based Antiretroviral Therapy in Cambodia

Background Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) is widely used in Cambodia with high efficacy but scarce data exist on long-term metabolic toxicity. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional and retrospective study evaluating metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk in Cambodian patients on LPV/r-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) for > 1 year followed in Calmette Hospital, Phnom Penh. Data collected included cardiovascular risk factors, fasting blood lipids and glucose, and retrospective collection of bioclinical data. We estimated the 10-year risks of coronary heart disease with the Framingham, Ramathibodi-Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Rama-EGAT), and the Data Collection on Adverse Effects of Anti-HIV Drugs (D:A:D) risk equations. We identified patients with LDL above targets defined by the French expert group on HIV and by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Disease Society of America and the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (IDSA-AACTG). Results Of 115 patients enrolled—mean age 40.9 years, 69.2% male, mean time on LPV/r 3.8 years—40 (34.8%) had hypercholesterolemia (> 2.40 g/L), and 69 (60.0%) had low HDL cholesterol (< 0.40 g/L). Twelve (10.5%), 28 (24%) and 9 (7.7%) patients had a 10-year risk of coronary heart disease ≥ 10% according to the Framingham, D:A:D, and Rama-EGAT score, respectively. Fifty one (44.4%) and 36 (31.3%) patients had not reached their LDL target according to IDSA-AACTG and French recommendations, respectively. Conclusion Prevalence of dyslipidemia was high in this cohort of HIV-infected Cambodian patients on LPV/r. Roughly one third had high LDL levels requiring specific intervention.
Fluid intake during wheelchair exercise in the heat: effects of localized cooling garments.

BACKGROUND Wheelchair tennis players, competing in hot and humid environments, are faced with an increased risk of heat-related illness and impaired performance. This study examined the effects of head and neck cooling garments on perceptions of exertion (RPE), thermal sensation (TS), and water consumption during wheelchair exercise at 30.4 +/- 0.6 degrees C. METHODS Eight highly trained wheelchair tennis players (1 amputee and 7 spinal cord injured) completed two 60-min, intermittent sprint trials; once with cooling (COOL) and once without cooling (CON) in a balanced cross-over design. Players could drink water ad libitum at five predetermined intervals during each trial. Heart rate, blood lactate concentration, peak speed, TS, and RPE were recorded during the trials. Body mass and water consumption were measured before and after each trial. RESULTS Water consumption was lower in COOL compared with CON (700 +/- 393 mL vs. 1198 +/- 675 mL respectively; P = 0.042). Trends in data suggested lower RPE and TS under COOL conditions (N.S.). Total sweat losses ranged from 200 to 1300 mL; this equated to approximately 1% dehydration after water consumption had been accounted for when averaged across all trials. The ad libitum drinking volumes matched and, in some cases, were greater than the total sweat losses. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that there is a counterproductive effect of head and neck cooling garments on water consumption. However, despite consuming volumes of water at least equivalent to total sweat loss, changes in body mass suggest an incidence of mild dehydration during wheelchair tennis in the heat.
Sections on certain j=0 elliptic surfaces

Using some theory of (rational) elliptic surfaces plus elementary properties of a Mordell-Weil group regarded as module over the endomorphism ring of a (CM) elliptic curve, we present examples of such surfaces with j-invariant zero. In particular, a K3 example is given with the maximal possible rank 18, plus that many explicit independent sections on it. Several other high rank cases are discussed; for instance Shioda's example with rank 68.
Evidence for a trophic cascade on rocky reefs following sea star mass mortality in British Columbia

Echinoderm population collapses, driven by disease outbreaks and climatic events, may be important drivers of population dynamics, ecological shifts and biodiversity. The northeast Pacific recently experienced a mass mortality of sea stars. In Howe Sound, British Columbia, the sunflower star Pycnopodia helianthoides—a previously abundant predator of bottom-dwelling invertebrates—began to show signs of a wasting syndrome in early September 2013, and dense aggregations disappeared from many sites in a matter of weeks. Here, we assess changes in subtidal community composition by comparing the abundance of fish, invertebrates and macroalgae at 20 sites in Howe Sound before and after the 2013 sea star mortality to evaluate evidence for a trophic cascade. We observed changes in the abundance of several species after the sea star mortality, most notably a four-fold increase in the number of green sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, and a significant decline in kelp cover, which are together consistent with a trophic cascade. Qualitative data on the abundance of sunflower stars and green urchins from a citizen science database show that the patterns of echinoderm abundance detected at our study sites reflected wider local trends. The trophic cascade evident at the scale of Howe Sound was observed at half of the study sites. It remains unclear whether the urchin response was triggered directly, via a reduction in urchin mortality, or indirectly, via a shift in urchin distribution into areas previously occupied by the predatory sea stars. Understanding the ecological implications of sudden and extreme population declines may further elucidate the role of echinoderms in temperate seas, and provide insight into the resilience of marine ecosystems to biological disturbances.
Dissolved Organic Nitrogen Production and Consumption in Eastern Tropical South Pacific Surface Waters

Models of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) production and consumption indicate that marine DON is produced in the euphotic zone, especially in upwelling environments, and is consumed as it transits into more oligotrophic regions where it may support export production. However, evaluation of such models is data limited, and in particular, few measurements of DON concentration and/or nitrogen isotopic composition (“δ15N”) exist from the South Pacific. Here we present measurements of the concentration and δ15N of DON collected in the eastern tropical South Pacific during the austral summers of 2010 (El Niño) and 2011 (La Niña). The concentration and δ15N of DON from the eastern tropical South Pacific are broadly consistent with prior measurements elsewhere, that is, DON concentrations of 5 ± 1 μM and DON δ15N of 5 ± 1‰, but variations were associated with DON production and consumption. Specifically, surface ocean chlorophyll a concentrations were highly correlated with upper 50‐m DON stocks (r = 0.96), consistent with a photosynthetic source for DON. Additionally, upper 50‐m DON stocks and their δ15N were significantly negatively correlated (r = −0.84, p = 0.0006), indicating that DON was consumed in surface waters with an isotope effect of 5.5 ± 1.2‰. These results inform our understanding of the controls of DON distributions in the surface ocean and indicate that DON may support export production in nitrate‐poor surface waters, which may decouple new from gross production.
Separation of different order multiples based on focal transform and SRME

Multiples that are reflected more than once beneath the surface are also real reflections from subsurface interfaces. They are typically characterised by smaller reflection angles, longer travel paths and wider illumination ranges than primaries. With the increase in reflected times at the surface, the orders of multiples included in the seismic data will increase. Multiples with higher orders will cover a larger area and contain more structural information. Therefore, if these high order multiples are utilised properly, subsurface structures will be better described. Since the wavefields of different order multiples are extraordinarily complex and research regarding the separation of different order multiples is sparse, conventional techniques for the processing of multiples cannot effectively deal with different order multiples. Considering that the focal transform can flexibly perform order reduction or elevation of multiples and the surface-related multiple elimination (SRME) can effectively separate primaries and multiples, a practical and novel method based on both the focal transform and SRME is proposed to separate different order multiples in this paper. Based on the theoretical derivation, a detailed workflow of the proposed method is provided. Taking full advantages of the focal transform (weighted cross-correlation) and SRME (weighted convolution), the proposed method can effectively separate different order multiples. Numerical examples further illustrate the feasibility and validity of the promising method. Considering that the focal transform can flexibly perform order reduction or elevation of multiples and surface-related multiple elimination (SRME) can effectively separate primaries and multiples, a practical and novel method based on both the focal transform and SRME is proposed to separate different order multiples in this paper.
Cell-Based Therapy for Silicosis

Silicosis is the most common pneumoconiosis globally, with higher prevalence and incidence in developing countries. To date, there is no effective treatment to halt or reverse the disease progression caused by silica-induced lung injury. Significant advances have to be made in order to reduce morbidity and mortality related to silicosis. In this review, we have highlighted the main mechanisms of action that cause lung damage by silica particles and summarized the data concerning the therapeutic promise of cell-based therapy for silicosis.
An Evaluation of a Vibro-Tactile Display Prototype for Physiological Monitoring

Visual displays and auditory alarms are used to convey information on physiological variables in an operating room. However, the exponential growth in the number of physiological variables and the high probability of false alarms has amplified demands on the clinician’s attention. We have extended existing tactile technology to improve situational awareness and produce a practical clinical advisory device. A vibro-tactile display, using two vibrating motors applied to the volar surface of the forearm, was compared to an auditory alarm in a simulated clinical environment. Compared with auditory alarms, the vibro-tactile alarm was as easy to learn and had a better identification rate when used alone or combined with the auditory alarm. Most users preferred the vibro-tactile alarm although the prototype caused some discomfort. Furthermore, a combined vibro-tactile and auditory alarm had reduced accuracy when compared with the vibro-tactile alarm alone. The vibro-tactile modality shows considerable promise for clinical practice but will require further clinical testing and refinement, especially with regard to user comfort.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project funded Coral restoration processes in the Gulf of Kachchh –A present scenario

Gujarat Ecology Commission (Forest and Environment Department, Government of Gujarat), 18/1, Udhyog Bhavan, Sector 11, Gandhinagar 382011, Gujarat, India Zoological Survey of India (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India), FPS Building, Indian Museum Complex, Kolkata 700016, West Bengal, India (Present address) Marine Aquarium Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India), Digha 721428, West Bengal, India Office of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Marine National Park, ‘Van Sankul’, Forest Colony, Jamnagar 361001, Gujarat, India
Comparison of isoflurane with sevoflurane for anesthesia induction and recovery in adult dogs.

OBJECTIVE To compare mask anesthesia induction and recovery characteristics between 2 inhalant anesthetic agents: isoflurane and sevoflurane. ANIMALS 16 clinically normal, young adult Beagles. PROCEDURE Using a cross-over design, dogs were randomly selected to receive sevoflurane or isoflurane via a face mask and a circle anesthetic system. Vaporizer setting concentrations were increased in stepwise, equal minimum alveolar concentrations (MAC) for each anesthetic until the vaporizer setting of 2.6% for isoflurane or 4.8% for sevoflurane (2 MAC) was reached. Concentration was kept constant until the dog had a negative tail clamp response and was intubated. End-tidal concentration was maintained at 1.8 to 2.0% or 3.3 to 3.8% for isoflurane or sevoflurane, respectively (1.4 to 1.6 MAC) for 30 minutes. Dogs were allowed to recover with only tail clamp stimulation until a positive response was obtained. Extubation was performed when a spontaneous swallow reflex was observed. Dogs were allowed to achieve sternal recumbency and stand unassisted without further stimulation. RESULTS Sevoflurane induction resulted in shorter time to loss of palpebral reflex, negative tail clamp response, and time to tracheal intubation, and was of better quality than isoflurane induction. Both anesthetics were associated with rapid and smooth recovery. CONCLUSIONS Sevoflurane mask induction is faster and of better quality, compared with isoflurane, in adult dogs. Recovery time and quality are comparable. CLINICAL RELEVANCE On the basis of these results, sevoflurane is a suitable inhalant anesthetic for mask induction and recovery in adult dogs and appears to have some advantages over isoflurane, including faster and smoother mask induction.
Evaluation Results for the Talk’n’Travel System

We describe and present evaluation results for Talk'n'Travel, a spoken dialogue language system for making air travel plans over the telephone. Talk'n'Travel is a fully conversational, mixed-initiative system that allows the user to specify the constraints on his travel plan in arbitrary order, ask questions, etc., in general spoken English. The system was independently evaluated as part of the DARPA Communicator program and achieved a high success rate.