Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mode-Dependent Templates and Scan Order for H.264/AVC-Based Intra Lossless Coding

In H.264/advanced video coding (AVC), lossless coding and lossy coding share the same entropy coding module. However, the entropy coders in the H.264/AVC standard were original designed for lossy video coding and do not yield adequate performance for lossless video coding. In this paper, we analyze the problem with the current lossless coding scheme and propose a mode-dependent template (MD-template) based method for intra lossless coding. By exploring the statistical redundancy of the prediction residual in the H.264/AVC intra prediction modes, more zero coefficients are generated. By designing a new scan order for each MD-template, the scanned coefficients sequence fits the H.264/AVC entropy coders better. A fast implementation algorithm is also designed. With little computation increase, experimental results confirm that the proposed fast algorithm achieves about 7.2% bit saving compared with the current H.264/AVC fidelity range extensions high profile.
Evaluation of P450 Inhibition and Induction by Artemisinin Antimalarials in Human Liver Microsomes and Primary Human Hepatocytes

Artemisinin drugs have become the first-line antimalarials in areas of multidrug resistance. However, monotherapy with artemisinin drugs results in comparatively high recrudescence rates. Autoinduction of cytochrome P450 (P450)-mediated metabolism, resulting in reduced exposure, has been supposed to be the underlying mechanism. To better understand the autoinduction and metabolic drug-drug interactions (DDIs), we evaluated the P450s (particularly CYP2B6 and CYP3A4) inhibited or induced by two artemisinin drugs, Qing-hao-su (QHS) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) using human liver microsome, recombinant P450 enzymes, and primary human hepatocytes. The results suggested that QHS was a weak reversible inhibitor of CYP2B6 (Ki 4.6 μM), but not CYP3A4 (IC50 ∼ 50 μM) and did not show measurable time-dependent inhibition of either CYP2B6 or CYP3A4. DHA inhibited neither CYP2B6 nor CYP3A4 (IC50 > 125 μM). In addition, it was found that QHS induced the activity of CYP3A4 (Emax 3.5-fold and EC50 5.9 μM) and CYP2B6 (Emax 1.9-fold and EC50 0.6 μM). Of the other P450s, UDP glucuronosyltransferases, and transporters studied, QHS and DHA had no significant effect except for minor induction of mRNA expression of CYP1A2 (Emax 7.9-fold and EC50 5.2 μM) and CYP2A6 (Emax 11.7-fold and EC50 4.0 μM) by QHS. Quantitative prediction of P450-mediated DDIs indicate autoinduction of QHS clearance with the AUCi/AUC ratio decreasing to 59%, as a result of a 1.9-fold increase in CYP3A4 and a 1.6-fold increase in CYP2B6 activity. These data suggest that QHS drugs are potential inducers of P450 enzymes, and the possible drug interactions (or lack thereof) with artemisinin drugs may be clinically relevant.
1996–97 global anthrax report

While there is a general decrease in the number of anthrax outbreaks, and thus of human cases, worldwide this is still a disease that is extensively under‐diagnosed and under‐reported. However, it is now very infrequent to rare in Canada, the United States, and many countries in Europe. An increasing number of countries are now free. At the other extreme, it is a significant problem in West Africa, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Romania and in Central Asia. In spite of the textbooks, livestock and wildlife deaths do occur, sometimes commonly, without any ‘diagnostic’ extravasation of blood and, if not realised, infected carcasses get recycled into meat and bone meals for feed.
Efficient near-infrared supercontinuum generation in tellurite holey fiber pumped 320nm within the normal dispersion regime

We demonstrate the generation of a 1.1–1. 7µm supercontinuum in a 1.3m long airsuspended- core tellurite holey-fiber with a nominal zero-dispersion wavelength of ∼1. 38µm. The fiber is pumped at 1. 06µm with a 20ps pulsed fiber laser. The high Raman gain-coefficient of tellurite glass is attributed a key role in the supercontinuum generation.
Customer aggression, emotional dissonance and employees' well‐being

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating role of emotional dissonance in the customer aggression‐job‐induced tension relationship and the role of job autonomy in buffering against the negative consequences of emotional dissonance.Design/methodology/approach – In total, three samples of service workers were recruited from Northern Israel between the years 2007 and 2008 and data were collected with self‐reported questionnaires. Research hypotheses were tested with hierarchical regression analyses.Findings – The present results show that emotional dissonance is significantly associated with a decreased sense of well‐being, even after controlling for negative disposition. The results also confirm that customer aggression relates to job‐induced tension through its influence on emotional dissonance, and that emotional dissonance is less likely to increase job‐induced tension and emotional exhaustion when the level of job autonomy is high.Practical implications – The findings suggest that .
A locality-sensitive hash for real vectors

We present a simple and practical algorithm for the <i>c</i>--approximate near neighbor problem (<i>c</i>--NN): given <i>n</i> points <i>P</i> ⊂ R<sup><i>d</i></sup> and radius <i>R</i>, build a data structure which, given <i>q</i> ∈ R<sup><i>d</i></sup>, can with probability 1 -- Δ return a point <i>p</i> ε <i>P</i> with dist(<i>p, q</i>) ≤ <i>cR</i> if there is any <i>p</i>* ε <i>P</i> with dist(<i>p</i>*, <i>q</i>) ≤ <i>R</i>. For <i>c</i> = <i>d</i> + 1, our algorithm deterministically (Δ = 0) preprocesses in time <i>O</i>(<i>nd</i> log <i>d</i>), space <i>O</i>(<i>dn</i>), and answers queries in expected time <i>O</i>(<i>d</i><sup>2</sup>); this is the first known algorithm to deterministically guarantee an <i>O</i>(<i>d</i>)---NN solution in constant time with respect to <i>n</i> for all <i>l</i><sub><i>p</i></sub> metrics. A probabilistic version empirically achieves useful <i>c</i> values (<i>c</i> < 2) where <i>c</i> appears to grow minimally as <i>d</i> → ∞. A query time of <i>O</i>(<i>d</i> log <i>d</i>) is available, providing slightly less accuracy. These techniques can also be used to approximately find (pointers between) all pairs <i>x, y</i> ε <i>P</i> with dist(<i>x, y</i>) ≤ <i>R</i> in time <i>O</i>(<i>nd</i> log <i>d</i>). The key to the algorithm is a locality-sensitive hash: a mapping <i>h</i>: R<sup><i>d</i></sup> → <i>U</i> with the property that <i>h</i>(<i>x</i>) = <i>h</i>(<i>y</i>) is much more likely for nearby <i>x, y</i>. We introduce a somewhat regular simplex which tessellates R<sup><i>d</i></sup>, and efficiently hash each point in any simplex of this tessellation to all <i>d</i> + 1 corners; any points in neighboring cells will be hashed to a shared corner and noticed as nearby points. This method is completely independent of dimension reduction, so that additional space and time savings are available by first reducing all input vectors.
Positive Association Between Type 2 Diabetes Risk Alleles Near CDKAL1 and Reduced Birthweight in Chinese Han Individuals

Background: Fetal insulin hypothesis was proposed that the association between low birth weight and type 2 diabetes is principally genetically mediated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether common variants in genes CDKAL1, HHEX, ADCY5, SRR, PTPRD that predisposed to type 2 diabetes were also associated with reduced birthweight in Chinese Han population. Methods: Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs7756992/rs10946398 in CDKAL1, rs1111875 in HHEX, rs391300 in SRR, rs17584499 in PTPRD, rs1170806/rs9883204/rs4678017/rs9881942/rs7641344/rs6777397/rs6226243 in ADCY5) were genotyped in 1174 unrelated individuals born in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 1921 to 1954 by TaqMan allelic discrimination assays, of which 645 had normal glucose tolerance, 181 had developed type 2 diabetes and 348 impaired glucose regulation. Associations of these 12 genetic variants with birthweight and glucose metabolism in later life were analyzed. Results: Birthweight was inversely associated with CDKAL1-rs10946398 (&bgr; = −41 g [95% confidence interval [CI]: −80, −3], P = 0.034), common variants both associated with increased risk of impaired glucose metabolism and decreased insulin secretion index later in life. After adjusting for sex, gestational weeks, parity and maternal age, the risk allele of CDKAL1-rs7756992 was associated with reduced birthweight (&bgr; = −36 g [95% CI: −72, −0.2], P = 0.048). The risk allele in SRR showed a trend toward a reduction of birthweight (P = 0.085). Conclusions: This study identified the association between type 2 diabetes risk variants in CDKAL1 and birthweight in Chinese Han individuals, and the carrier of risk allele within SRR had the trend of reduced birthweight. This demonstrates that there is a clear overlap between the genetics of type 2 diabetes and fetal growth, which proposes that lower birth weight and type 2 diabetes may be two phenotypes of one genotype.
Gamete activation: basic knowledge and clinical applications

Background The first clues to the process of gamete activation date back to nearly 60 years ago. The mutual activation of gametes is a crucial event during fertilization. In the testis and ovaries, spermatozoa and oocytes are in a state of meiotic and metabolic quiescence and require reciprocal signals in order to undergo functional changes that lead to competence for fertilization. First, the oocyte activates sperm by triggering motility, chemoattraction, binding and the acrosome reaction, culminating with the fusion of the two plasma membranes. At the end of this cascade of events, collectively known as sperm capacitation, sperm-induced oocyte activation occurs, generating electrical, morphological and metabolic modifications in the oocyte. Objective and rationale The aim of this review is to provide the current state of knowledge regarding the entire process of gamete activation in selected specific animal models that have contributed to our understanding of fertilization in mammals, including humans. Here we describe in detail the reciprocal induction of the two activation processes, the molecules involved and the mechanisms of cell interaction and signal transduction that ultimately result in successful embryo development and creation of a new individual. Search methods We carried out a literature survey with no restrictions on publication date (from the early 1950s to March 2016) using PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar and Web of Knowledge by utilizing common keywords applied in the field of fertilization and embryo development. We also screened the complete list of references published in the most recent research articles and relevant reviews published in English (both animal and human studies) on the topics investigated. Outcomes Literature on the principal animal models demonstrates that gamete activation is a pre-requisite for successful fertilization, and is a process common to all species studied to date. We provide a detailed description of the dramatic changes in gamete morphology and behavior, the regulatory molecules triggering gamete activation and the intracellular ions and second messengers involved in active metabolic pathways in different species. Recent scientific advances suggest that artificial gamete activation may represent a novel technique to improve human IVF outcomes, but this approach requires caution. Wider implications Although controversial, manipulation of gamete activation represents a promising tool for ameliorating the fertilization rate in assisted reproductive technologies. A better knowledge of mechanisms that transform the quiescent oocyte into a pluripotent cell may also provide new insights for the clinical use of stem cells.
Spacetime-Free Approach to Quantum Theory and Effective Spacetime Structure

Motivated by hints of the effective emergent nature of spacetime structure, we formulate a spacetime-free algebraic framework for quantum theory, in which no a priori background geometric structure is required. Such a framework is necessary in order to study the emergence of effective spacetime structure in a consistent manner, without assuming a background geometry from the outset. Instead, the background geometry is conjectured to arise as an effective structure of the algebraic and dynamical relations between observables that are imposed by the background statistics of the system. Namely, we suggest that quantum reference states on an extended observable algebra, the free algebra generated by the observables, may give rise to effective spacetime structures. Accordingly, perturbations of the reference state lead to perturbations of the induced effective spacetime geometry. We initiate the study of these perturbations, and their relation to gravitational phenomena.
Role of Vitamin E in Counteracting Oxidative Stress in Poultry

Oxidative stress is defined as the imbalance between prooxidants and antioxidants (in favor of the pro-oxidants). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in the body continuously as a part of normal metabolism. Under normal physiological conditions a healthy balance exists between prooxidants and antioxidants. However, when the defense system gets disturbed due to fast growth, inadequate diet supply, disease, or other stressors, body is not able to synthesize the enzymes needed to destroy ROS or repair the damage. In the intensive system of poultry production birds are exposed to several stressors which may result in oxidative stress and lead to poor performance. Antioxidants in the animal body work together as the so called “antioxidant system” to prevent damaging effects of free radicals and toxic products of their metabolism. Vitamin E is considered as a very potent antioxidant in biological systems and found to be beneficial in counteracting the adverse effect of oxidative stress. The knowledge of antioxidant defense systems will serve as guiding principle for establishing most effective nutrition support to minimize oxidative stress. Such an approach will enhance bird health and welfare, product quality and will increase economic returns and the sustainability of poultry production. The current review describes the role of vitamin E as an antioxidant in alleviating oxidative stress in poultry.
What atypical populations can reveal about language development: The contrast between deafness and Williams syndrome

Two distinct lines of investigation are presented: the study of linguistic competence in the written language of deaf children and adults, and the study of linguistic development in children and adolescents with Williams syndrome (WS). Qualitative data focusing on spoken and written Italian and coming from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies conducted over the last 10 years are briefly reviewed and discussed. Italian people who are deaf demonstrate selective difficulties with aspects of grammatical morphology that play a syntactic rather than a semantic function. Italian people with WS display a particular asymmetric fragmentation within linguistic abilities: a profile of strength in phonological abilities but serious deficits in semantic and morphosyntactic aspects of language. The case of these two very different populations can offer us important clues for investigating which aspects of language and specifically of grammar are influenced by modality of perception.
Nanostructured Polycaprolactone-Inorganic Phosphate Hybrid Scaffold for Medical Applications

New hybrid macroporous scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL)/tricalcium phosphate (TCP) were developed by taking into account mechanical properties of the bone to be replaced. FTIR spectra indicated the coating of TCP onto the polymer, providing hydrophilic surfaces necessary for cells to attach. As determined by DSC, the depression of PCL melting point suggested a uniform distribution of PCL within the TCP matrix. SEM micrographs revealed pores of irregular shapes varying from 100-200 µm in size in the resultant structures. Indeed, the pore morphology was precisely determined by the leached particles. The scaffolds could tolerate the impact of at least 5.6 kNm2, making them suitable for use as artificial bones of skull, clavicle and ribs. Rat bone stroma attached and survived on the scaffolds, indicating biocompatible of the used materials. Therefore, the prepared scaffolds would be applicable for bone tissue engineering in the near future.
Hierarchies of Ethical Principles for Ethical Decision Making in Social Work

Social workers frequently encounter ethical dilemmas in their daily practice. This paper examines the utility of hierarchies of ethical principles as tools for ethical decision making. Because of limited research on this topic, the degree of agreement on ordering of ethical principles is unknown. This paper presents illustrative data that suggest variability in individual hierarchies and priorities, which may depend on the circumstances of a situation. Recommendations for using hierarchies of ethical principles in social work education and practice are discussed and a detailed example of how different hierarchies may lead to making different decisions is provided.
Juvenile hormone regulates body size and perturbs insulin signaling in Drosophila

Significance Understanding how organisms regulate their body size is a fundamental problem in biology. Body size regulation involves the careful integration of mechanisms that control growth rate with those that control growth duration. In insects, developmental hormones such as juvenile hormone and ecdysone regulate developmental transitions and growth duration. The conserved insulin-signaling pathway regulates growth rates. Our studies reveal an intimate link between the three, whereby juvenile hormone controls body size by regulating ecdysone synthesis, which in turn modifies insulin signaling. In vertebrates, hormones such as androgens and estrogens interact with insulin signaling to influence tumor growth. By studying the developmental context of hormone interactions, our data reveal fundamental features of body size regulation that have important consequences for understanding cancer growth. The role of juvenile hormone (JH) in regulating the timing and nature of insect molts is well-established. Increasing evidence suggests that JH is also involved in regulating final insect size. Here we elucidate the developmental mechanism through which JH regulates body size in developing Drosophila larvae by genetically ablating the JH-producing organ, the corpora allata (CA). We found that larvae that lack CA pupariated at smaller sizes than control larvae due to a reduced larval growth rate. Neither the timing of the metamorphic molt nor the duration of larval growth was affected by the loss of JH. Further, we show that the effects of JH on growth rate are dependent on the forkhead box O transcription factor (FOXO), which is negatively regulated by the insulin-signaling pathway. Larvae that lacked the CA had elevated levels of FOXO activity, whereas a loss-of-function mutation of FOXO rescued the effects of CA ablation on final body size. Finally, the effect of JH on growth appears to be mediated, at least in part, via ecdysone synthesis in the prothoracic gland. These results indicate a role of JH in regulating growth rate via the ecdysone- and insulin-signaling pathways.
Modeling the HLA component in rheumatoid arthritis: Sensitivity to DRB1 allele frequencies

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease for which positive associations have been described with some HLA‐DRB1 alleles. The associated alleles share a similar amino acid sequence in the third hypervariable region, the shared epitope, but differ at position 71 and 86. It has been suggested that HLA susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis could be due not only to the shared epitope but could also be influenced by specific amino acids at positions 71 and 86. In this study, we investigated the role of these amino acids in rheumatoid arthritis on 203 unrelated patients. An involvement of amino acid 71 was detected but no conclusion was possible regarding amino acid 86. A study of the sensitivity of the conclusions to marker allele frequencies was performed. We showed that the results obtained for amino acid 71 are not very sensitive to allele frequencies but those obtained at position 86 are highly sensitive. This emphasizes the importance of studying the robustness of results to variations in allele frequencies before conclusions are drawn. Genet. Epidemiol. 19:422–428, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interlingual homograph recognition: Effects of task demands and language intermixing

A series of three lexical decision experiments showed that interlingual homographs may be recognized faster than, slower than, or as fast as monolingual control words depending on task requirements and language intermixing. In Experiment 1, Dutch bilingual participants performed an English lexical decision task including English/Dutch homographs, cognates, and purely English control words. Reaction times to interlingual homographs were unaffected by the frequency of the Dutch reading and did not differ from monolingual controls. In contrast, cognates were recognized faster than controls. In Experiment 2, Dutch participants again performed an English lexical decision task on homographs, but, apart from nonwords, Dutch words were included which required a “no” reaction. Strong inhibition effects were obtained which depended on the relative frequency difference of the two readings of the homograph. These turned into frequency-dependent facilitation effects in Experiment 3, where participants performed a general lexical decision task, responding “yes” if a word of either language was presented. It is argued that bilingual word recognition models can only account for the series of experiments if they explain how lexical processing is affected by task demands and stimulus list composition.
HadoopWatch: A first step towards comprehensive traffic forecasting in cloud computing

This paper presents our effort towards comprehensive traffic forecasting for big data applications using external, light-weighted file system monitoring. Our idea is motivated by the key observations that rich traffic demand information already exists in the log and meta-data files of many big data applications, and that such information can be readily extracted through run-time file system monitoring. As the first step, we use Hadoop as a concrete example to explore our methodology and develop a system called HadoopWatch to predict traffic demand of Hadoop applications. We further implement HadoopWatch in our real small-scale testbed with 10 physical servers and 30 virtual machines. Our experiments over a series of MapReduce applications demonstrate that HadoopWatch can forecast the traffic demand with almost 100% accuracy and time advance. Furthermore, it makes no modification of the Hadoop framework, and introduces little overhead to the application performance.