Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-time transmission of stereo images over the access grid

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology is a very promising approach expected to outgrow the conventional framework of visual communication. In order to enable stereoscopic visual communication over the Internet, two video sources, for the left and right eyes' viewpoints, need to be transmitted and properly presented at the remote end using a 3D-visualization system. This paper proposes a simple method for real-time transmission of stereo images over the National Computational Science Alliance Access Grid. The method is compatible with existing access grid software and does not require additional bandwidth or major modifications to the coding process. The proposed method is very efficient for stereoscopic video transmission over the Internet. Furthermore, the development of software tools to transmit and receive stereo images over the Internet is presented.
Recursive implementations of informed spatial filters

Informed spatial filters (ISFs) have been shown to provide high-quality speech acquisition in dynamic scenarios due to their ability to almost instantaneously adapt the filter coefficients based on the statistics of the desired and undesired signals. In most contributions, ISFs have been implemented in closed form as minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR), or minimum-mean-squared error filters. The goal in this paper is to discuss and evaluate recursive implementations of ISFs. We show that the implementations in a generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC) structure are not equivalent to the closed form MVDR, due to the fact that the filter coefficients of both implementations are updated at each time-frequency bin. The complexity of the implementations is discussed and experimental evaluation is performed for different dynamic scenarios where the goal is to extract a desired speaker in the presence of interfering speakers.
A Lover and a Fighter: The Genome Sequence of an Entomopathogenic Nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora

Heterorhabditis bacteriophora are entomopathogenic nematodes that have evolved a mutualism with Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria to function as highly virulent insect pathogens. The nematode provides a safe harbor for intestinal symbionts in soil and delivers the symbiotic bacteria into the insect blood. The symbiont provides virulence and toxins, metabolites essential for nematode reproduction, and antibiotic preservation of the insect cadaver. Approximately half of the 21,250 putative protein coding genes identified in the 77 Mbp high quality draft H. bacteriophora genome sequence were novel proteins of unknown function lacking homologs in Caenorhabditis elegans or any other sequenced organisms. Similarly, 317 of the 603 predicted secreted proteins are novel with unknown function in addition to 19 putative peptidases, 9 peptidase inhibitors and 7 C-type lectins that may function in interactions with insect hosts or bacterial symbionts. The 134 proteins contained mariner transposase domains, of which there are none in C. elegans, suggesting an invasion and expansion of mariner transposons in H. bacteriophora. Fewer Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Orthologies in almost all metabolic categories were detected in the genome compared with 9 other sequenced nematode genomes, which may reflect dependence on the symbiont or insect host for these functions. The H. bacteriophora genome sequence will greatly facilitate genetics, genomics and evolutionary studies to gain fundamental knowledge of nematode parasitism and mutualism. It also elevates the utility of H. bacteriophora as a bridge species between vertebrate parasitic nematodes and the C. elegans model.
Striate cortex in dichromatic and trichromatic marmosets: Neurochemical compartmentalization and geniculate input

The superficial layers of primate striate cortex (V1) contain a regular pattern of dense staining for cytochrome oxidase (CO) reactivity (“blobs”) that receive direct input from the koniocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus. It has been suggested that the blob regions are dedicated to processing color information. Here, the neurochemical compartmentalization of blobs and their input from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) was measured in marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) identified as having either dichromatic or trichromatic color vision. In all animals, layer III of V1 showed a patchy distribution of CO. The spatial density of CO blobs (mean, 4.6 blobs/mm2; range, 3.9–5.5), blob diameter, and the proportion of cortical area within blobs was not significantly different in dichromats and trichromats. The LGN input was studied by injecting retrograde tracer into V1. The koniocellular layers of the LGN contribute 11% of all relay cells, and form the only geniculate input to upper layer III of V1. Only half of all relay cells in the KC layers express calbindin. There is no obvious difference between dichromats and trichromats in the pattern of the geniculate projection to V1. It is concluded that the trichromatic phenotype is not associated with changes in the gross anatomy, neurochemistry, or organization of the geniculate afferents to the superficial layers of V1. J. Comp. Neurol. 450:366–381, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A rule based approach to extraction of topics and dialog acts in a spoken dialog system

This paper presents a rule based approach to extraction of dialog acts and topics from utterances in a spoken dialog system, SDSKIT-3, with a task-independent dialog controller which is based on an extension of the framedriven method. We demonstrated it could control dialogs in several different task domains, only given a set of topic frames and a set of rules manually designed for the discourse analysis which were both task-dependent. In this paper we report an approach to semiautomatic derivation of a set of rules for the discourse analysis from information needed to specify a task, for example, a set of topic frames, a conceptual tree of those words and case frames of those verbs which are likely to be used in the task domain. This method was examined with a corpus of twenty dialogs. Correct extraction rates were 82% for the topic and 80% for the dialog act.
Mortality rate in neonates infected with extended-spectrum β lactamase-producing Klebsiella species and selective empirical use of meropenem

Abstract Background: Infection with resistant gram-negative bacteria is a growing threat to hospitalised patients. Aim: To determine factors associated with mortality among infants infected by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella species (Klebs-ESBL) and to assess whether selective empirical use of meropenem (MERO) is associated with high mortality. Methods: Medical records of neonates admitted from January 2002 to December 2003 who had positive blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture with Klebs-ESBL were reviewed for clinical, management and outcome information. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with mortality among infants with culture-proven Klebs-ESBL. Results: A hundred patients had positive blood (n=97) and/or CSF cultures (n=9) owing to Klebs-ESBL. Overall mortality rate was 30%. The mortality rates among those who were empirically started on a combination of piperacillin–tazobactam and amikacin (Pip–Taz+Amik) (n=48), meropenem (MERO) (n=40) and in those not started on MERO or Pip–Taz+Amik) (n=12) were 25%, 32% and 42%, respectively. Non-survivors were younger (p=0.01), had cardio-respiratory compromise or required assisted ventilation at presentation (p<0.001), and were not started on antibiotics, MERO or Pip–Taz+Amik (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, factors associated with mortality were vaginal delivery (OR −7.07, 95% CI 2.14–23.39), a need for assisted ventilation at onset of illness (OR −4.94, 95% CI 1.12–21.86) and not starting empirical MERO or Pip–Taz+Amik (OR −17.01, 95% CI 2.41–120.23). Conclusion: While empirical use of carbapenems for nosocomial sepsis might be appropriate in areas where Klebs-ESBL is prevalent, their use can be restricted to those with cardio-respiratory compromise or severe sepsis without an increase in mortality.
Regression Relevance Models for Data Fusion

Data fusion has been investigated by many researchers in the information retrieval community and has become an effective technique for improving retrieval effectiveness. In this paper we investigate how to model rank-probability of relevance relationship in resultant document list for data fusion since reliable relevance scores are very often unavailable for component results. We apply statistical regression technique in our investigation. Different regression models are tried and two good models, which are cubic and logistic models, are selected from a group of candidates. Experiments with 3 groups of results submitted to TREC are carried out and experimental results demonstrate that the cubic and logistic models work better than the linear model and are as good as those methods which use scoring information.
Multiobjective control of a four-link flexible manipulator: a robust H∞ approach

Presents an approach to robust H/sub /spl infin// control of a real multilink flexible manipulator via regional pole assignment. We first show that the manipulator system can be approximated by a linear continuous uncertain model with exogenous disturbance input. The uncertainty occurring in an operating space is assumed to be norm-bounded and enter into both the system and control matrices. Then, a multiobjective simultaneous realization problem is studied. The purpose of this problem is to design a state feedback controller such that, for all admissible parameter uncertainties, the closed-loop system simultaneously satisfies both the prespecified H/sub /spl infin// norm constraint on the transfer function from the disturbance input to the system output and the prespecified circular pole constraint on the closed-loop system matrix. An algebraic parameterized approach is developed to characterize the existence conditions as well as the analytical expression of the desired controllers. Third, by comparing with the traditional linear quadratic regulator control method in the sense of robustness and tracking precision, we provide both the simulation and experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed approach.
The Impact of a Growth Mindset Intervention on the Reading Achievement of At-Risk Adolescent Students.

The lack of academic success by American adolescents has been of grave concern for both researchers and practitioners for many decades. While many American adolescents struggle in school, some students are at a greater risk than their peers based on personal characteristics such as race, socioeconomic status, and motivation. The low levels of academic achievement, particularly in the area of reading, are a serious problem for school leaders and teachers working with adolescent students. Decades of research has established the relationship between motivation and academic achievement. Self-theories or mindsets have been offered as one motivational framework to describe individuals’ beliefs about their own traits, such as their intelligence. Individuals tend to fall along a continuum from a growth to a fixed mindset. At-risk students who adopt a fixed mindset may become trapped in a recursive pattern of low achievement, low motivation, and low effort. There is a convergence of several events that occurs when adolescents transition to middle school during sixth grade. These events, which include psychological and physiological changes as well as normative declines in motivation and academic achievement, make sixth grade an exceptionally important year for the future success of at-risk students. Prior research has suggested that adolescent students who prefer a growth mindset have higher academic achievement than their peers who prefer a fixed mindset. This pilot study used a mixed methods research design which combined a quasiexperimental pre-posttest assessment and a focus group component. The participants were thirty public middle school at-risk sixth grade students who had experienced reading difficulties. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a computer-based growth mindset intervention (BrainologyTM) on these students’ reading achievement as well as their attitudes toward reading. This study was the first to explore at-risk adolescent students’ mindsets and to examine the impact of BrainologyTM on reading achievement. There were non-significant results for four research questions. The focus group interviews indicated that the experimental group students believed that the BrainologyTM influenced their beliefs about their intelligence. These results are discussed relative to the topics of adolescent development, motivation, and adolescents’ academic environment. Implications for school leaders and future research are also offered.
ENERGY-LINKED ULTRASTRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN ISOLATED LIVER MITOCHONDRIA AND MITOPLASTS

An investigation was carried out in which microsamples of isolated rat liver mitochondria and freshly prepared mitoplasts in defined energy states were freeze-cleaved. Parallel microsamples were fixed with osmium tetroxide and with glutaraldehyde followed by osmium tetroxide as previously used in this laboratory for the preservation of energy-linked mitochondrial configurations. The details of the orthodox configuration of energized mitochondria and the condensed configuration of de-energized mitochondria, as revealed previously by chemical fixation, are confirmed in this report for nonfixed, freeze-cleaved mitochondria. The precise agreement in preservation of configuration obtained by the physical fixation of rapid freezing and by chemical fixation establishes unequivocally that mitochondria undergo energy-linked ultrastructural transformation between the condensed and the orthodox configurations which are thus natural structural states related to the metabolic activity of the mitochondrion. Configurations observed by freeze-cleaving and by chemical fixation reveal that mitoplasts also undergo a specific and dramatic ultrastructural transformation with the induction of oxidative phosphorylation. The transformation appears to be isovolumetric and therefore is thought to be mediated through energized conformational activity in the surface electron-transport membrane of the mitoplast. Passively swollen, spherical, osmotically active mitoplasts could not be fixed rapidly enough by chemical fixatives as normally used without altering the spherical form. In this special case preservation of configurational form required rapid freezing or chemical fixatives of low osmolar concentration.
Exploring the potential of heterogeneous Von Neumann/dataflow execution models

General purpose processors (GPPs), from small inorder designs to many-issue out-of-order, incur large power overheads which must be addressed for future technology generations. Major sources of overhead include structures which dynamically extract the data-dependence graph or maintain precise state. Considering irregular workloads, current specialization approaches either heavily curtail performance, or provide simply too little benefit. Interestingly, well known explicit-dataflow architectures eliminate these overheads by directly executing the data-dependence graph and eschewing instruction-precise recoverability. However, even after decades of research, dataflow architectures have yet to come into prominence as a solution. We attribute this to a lack of effective control speculation and the latency overhead of explicit communication, which is crippling for certain codes. This paper makes the observation that if both out-of-order and explicit-dataflow were available in one processor, many types of GPP cores can benefit from dynamically switching during certain phases of an application's lifetime. Analysis reveals that an ideal explicit-dataflow engine could be profitable for more than half of instructions, providing significant performance and energy improvements. The challenge is to achieve these benefits without introducing excess hardware complexity. To this end, we propose the Specialization Engine for Explicit-Dataflow (SEED). Integrated with an inorder core, we see 1.67× performance and 1.65× energy benefits, with an Out-Of-Order (OOO) dual-issue core we see 1.33× and 1.70×, and with a quad-issue OOO, 1.14× and 1.54×.
Reversible Inhibitors Arrest ClpP in a Defined Conformational State that Can Be Revoked by ClpX Association.

Caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) is an important regulator of Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis. A high-throughput screening for inhibitors of ClpP peptidase activity led to the identification of the first non-covalent binder for this enzyme class. Co-crystallization of the small molecule with S. aureus ClpP revealed a novel binding mode: Because of the rotation of the conserved residue proline 125, ClpP is locked in a defined conformational state, which results in distortion of the catalytic triad and inhibition of the peptidase activity. Based on these structural insights, the molecule was optimized by rational design and virtual screening, resulting in derivatives exceeding the potency of previous ClpP inhibitors. Strikingly, the conformational lock is overturned by binding of ClpX, an associated chaperone that enables proteolysis by substrate unfolding in the ClpXP complex. Thus, regulation of inhibitor binding by associated chaperones is an unexpected mechanism important for ClpP drug development.
ERAAP and Tapasin Independently Edit the Amino and Carboxyl Termini of MHC Class I Peptides

Effective CD8+ T cell responses depend on presentation of a stable peptide repertoire by MHC class I (MHC I) molecules on the cell surface. The overall quality of peptide–MHC I complexes (pMHC I) is determined by poorly understood mechanisms that generate and load peptides with appropriate consensus motifs onto MHC I. In this article, we show that both tapasin (Tpn), a key component of the peptide loading complex, and the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase associated with Ag processing (ERAAP) are quintessential editors of distinct structural features of the peptide repertoire. We carried out reciprocal immunization of wild-type mice with cells from Tpn- or ERAAP-deficient mice. Specificity analysis of T cell responses showed that absence of Tpn or ERAAP independently altered the peptide repertoire by causing loss as well as gain of new pMHC I. Changes in amino acid sequences of MHC-bound peptides revealed that ERAAP and Tpn, respectively, defined the characteristic amino and carboxy termini of canonical MHC I peptides. Thus, the optimal pMHC I repertoire is produced by two distinct peptide editing steps in the endoplasmic reticulum.
Luminescence technology in preservation and transplantation for rat islet

The development of organ preservation solutions and associated technology has been a major effort in tissue transplantation recently. However, this research takes a great deal of time and resources. In this study, a novel method for the evaluation of preservation solutions was established by using islet cells. Primary islets were obtained by hand-picking method from the luciferase transgenic (Luc-Tg) rat pancreas. The viability rate and living condition of islets preserved with several solutions were evaluated by relative photon intensity. Preserved islets were transplanted to the renal capsule of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic NOD-scid mouse, and the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and histology were analyzed. The Luc-Tg rat islet viability was increased in a relative photon intensity-dependent manner. In the recipients of ET-Kyoto (ET-K) or University of Wisconsin (UW) solution preserved Luc-Tg rat islet at 1 day, hyperglycemia induced by glucose injection declined to the normal range. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the ET-K preservation method allowed tissue ATP synthesis and amelioration of cold ischemic tissues damage during extended 24 h isolated-islet preservation. This simple method will be adapted easily to the clinical setting and used to maximize the utilization of islet transplantation as well as for pancreas sharing with remote centers.
Treatment Success in Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Is Predicted by Early Changes in Serially Monitored Parasite-Specific T and B Cell Responses

Background Chagas disease is the highest impact parasitic disease in Latin America. We have proposed that changes in Trypanosoma cruzi-specific immune responses might serve as surrogate indicators of treatment success. Herein, we addressed in a long-term follow-up study whether cure achieved after treatment can be predicted by changes in non-conventional indexes of anti-parasite serological and T cell activities. Methodology/Principal Findings T. cruzi-specific T cell responses, as measured by interferon-γ ELISPOT and T. cruzi-specific antibodies assessed by ELISA, hemagglutination and immunofluorescence tests as well as by a multiplex assay incorporating 14 recombinant T. cruzi proteins were measured in 33 patients at 48–150 months post-benznidazole treatment. Cure — as assessed by conventional serological tests — was associated with an early decline in T. cruzi-specific IFN-γ-producing T cells and in antibody titers measured by the multiplex serological assay. Changes in the functional status and potential of T. cruzi-specific T cells, indicative of reduced antigen stimulation, provided further evidence of parasitological cure following benznidazole treatment. Patients showing a significant reduction in T. cruzi-specific antibodies had higher pre-therapy levels of T. cruzi-specific IFN-γ- producing T cells compared to those with unaltered humoral responses post-treatment. Conclusions/Significance Monitoring of appropriate immunological responses can provide earlier and robust measures of treatment success in T. cruzi infection.
AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF INFANTS' CRY

The cry sound produced by an infant is the result of his/her physical and psychological condition and/or internal/external stimuli. It has been shown that different cry origins, such as pain, hunger, insult and fear, exhibit different cry patterns. Special characteristics of newborn pain cries were identified in various pathological states such as brain damage, cleft palate, hydrocephalus and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Interestingly, there is a disease known to be characterized especially by its unusual cry and is named accordingly: Cri-du-chat ("Cry of the cat") syndrome. Analysis of the cry as a non-invasive diagnostic tool is most important when dealing with diseases in which early diagnosis is not available (such as SIDS). Infants’ cry analysis, reported in the literature, was performed mainly by human analysis of cry spectrographs. The method is strongly dependent on subjective evaluation and is not suitable for clinical use. Thus, there is a need to develop