Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Non-Intrusive VoIP Evaluation Using Second Generation Network Processor

In today's telecommunications market there is a clear trend to adopt a flexible infrastructure to minimize costs and facilitate the introduction of new services. Typical examples are represented by dynamically managed packet-based next generation IP networks (NGN) and 4G mobile networks. In general the rate of success of these new networks will depend on whether they can deliver at least the same quality of service (QoS) than the networks they replace at lower overall cost. Voice quality represents a major dimension of perceived QoS. Measures that predict voice quality are essential in monitoring and managing the performance of such networks. Traditionally the perceived quality of voice has been evaluated by expensive and time-consuming subjective listening tests. Several attempts have been made to supplement subjective tests with objective estimators of voice quality. From the viewpoint of the measurement procedure, objective voice quality estimation methodologies can be categorized either as speech-layer objective models or packet-layer objective models
A Functional Variant of NEDD4L Is Associated With Hypertension, Antihypertensive Response, and Orthostatic Hypotension

NEDD4L is involved in the regulation of plasma volume and blood pressure by controlling cell surface expression of the kidney epithelial Na+ channel. Previously, the cryptic splice variant rs4149601(G/A) A allele of NEDD4L, generating isoform I, was estimated to decrease blood pressure by downregulating Na+ reabsorption. However, a recent functional study showed that isoform I should lead to abnormal Na+ reabsorption increases by antagonistically downregulating epithelial Na+ channel activities. To determine whether the variant rs4149601 A allele is a risk factor for hypertension, has an impact on the antihypertensive response to hydrochlorothiazide, and is associated with orthostatic hypotension, we performed a case-control study of hypertension (n=1686), a 4-week clinical trial (n=542), and a case-control study of orthostatic hypotension (n=793) in Chinese subjects. We found that the A allele was significantly associated with hypertension after appropriate adjustment (odds ratio: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.72; P=0.002). The blood pressure reduction in A carriers after hydrochlorothiazide treatment was greater than that in GG carriers, with differences of 6.1 mm Hg (P=0.009) in systolic blood pressure and 2.7 mm Hg (P=0.027) in diastolic blood pressure. The A allele was significantly associated with orthostatic hypotension after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors (odds ratio: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.98; P=0.039). In conclusion, rs4149601 is a genetic risk factor for hypertension and a protective factor against orthostatic hypotension in hypertensive subjects, and the antihypertensive response to hydrochlorothiazide is more sensitive in A allele carriers than in GG carriers. Consequently, the A allele may be a useful marker for predicting hypertension, orthostatic hypotension, and antihypertensive response to hydrochlorothiazide.
Capitalization of energy efficiency on corporate real estate portfolio value

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether energy efficiency is capitalized in rent and asset value on corporate real estate portfolio. This approach contributes to the research on “green buildings” by using hedonic regression modeling on a portfolio of existing buildings in the French corporate real estate context.Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply hedonic methods on a French corporate real estate portfolio which is composed of industrial, commercial and office buildings.Findings – This model emphasizes two main results: energy efficiency is more capitalized in rent than in asset value and this relationship differs regarding buildings' type.Originality/value – The model suggests that premium for energy efficiency is stronger for commercial and office buildings than for industrial buildings.
Euclidean Shift-Twist Symmetry in Population Models of Self-Aligning Objects

We consider the symmetry properties of a general class of nonlocal population models describing the aggregation and alignment of oriented objects in two dimensions. Such objects could be at the level of molecules, cells, or whole organisms. We show that the underlying interaction kernel is invariant under the so-called shift-twist action of the Euclidean group acting on the space ${\mathbf R}^2 \times S^1$. This group action was previously studied within the context of a continuum model of primary visual cortex. We use perturbation methods to solve the eigenvalue problem arising from linearization about a homogeneous state, and then use equivariant bifurcation theory to identify the various types of doubly periodic patterns that are expected to arise when the homogeneous state becomes unstable. We thus establish that two distinct forms of spatio-angular order can occur, corresponding to scalar and pseudoscalar representations of the Euclidean group.
HBGSim: A structural similarity measurement over heterogeneous big graphs

Similarity measurement is fundamental to many data mining and information retrieval tasks such as link prediction and relevance-based search. Conventional similarity measurement relies more on homogenous linkage relation and content information. However, these measurements cannot take full advantage of the data structure as heterogenous graph gains increasing popularity. Moreover, the scalability of these methods also faces challenge with the never-ending growth of big data in real world. In this paper, we propose a new similarity measurement called HBGSim based on the heterogeneous structured data. HBGSim combines both local and global features by a two-stage process. We make a comparison between our measurement and some traditional methods on DBLP1 dataset for evaluation and the experimental results show that our method outperforms the others.
Global Pyrogeography: the Current and Future Distribution of Wildfire

Climate change is expected to alter the geographic distribution of wildfire, a complex abiotic process that responds to a variety of spatial and environmental gradients. How future climate change may alter global wildfire activity, however, is still largely unknown. As a first step to quantifying potential change in global wildfire, we present a multivariate quantification of environmental drivers for the observed, current distribution of vegetation fires using statistical models of the relationship between fire activity and resources to burn, climate conditions, human influence, and lightning flash rates at a coarse spatiotemporal resolution (100 km, over one decade). We then demonstrate how these statistical models can be used to project future changes in global fire patterns, highlighting regional hotspots of change in fire probabilities under future climate conditions as simulated by a global climate model. Based on current conditions, our results illustrate how the availability of resources to burn and climate conditions conducive to combustion jointly determine why some parts of the world are fire-prone and others are fire-free. In contrast to any expectation that global warming should necessarily result in more fire, we find that regional increases in fire probabilities may be counter-balanced by decreases at other locations, due to the interplay of temperature and precipitation variables. Despite this net balance, our models predict substantial invasion and retreat of fire across large portions of the globe. These changes could have important effects on terrestrial ecosystems since alteration in fire activity may occur quite rapidly, generating ever more complex environmental challenges for species dispersing and adjusting to new climate conditions. Our findings highlight the potential for widespread impacts of climate change on wildfire, suggesting severely altered fire regimes and the need for more explicit inclusion of fire in research on global vegetation-climate change dynamics and conservation planning.
Harvesting Helpfulness: A Case Study of an Online Farmer's Forum

We present a case study on using geo-location information to help users navigate an online forum for farmers. Working with newfarm.org, we ran a controlled experiment where maps were added to each thread on the forum. One group of users was shown maps with the location of all the thread's viewers; another group the location of both viewers and posters. We then measured how the maps affected users’ viewing behavior. For the most trafficked threads, we found that maps showing posters noticeably increased geographic clustering of viewers. However, interviews with forum users revealed that other information, such as soil type or climatic zone, would be more useful for navigating content. Consequently, we believe that further investigation will reveal how best to design contextually-relevant navigation elements.
Systematic review of the scientific literature on the economic evaluation of cochlear implants in adult patients

SUMMARY A systematic review of the economic literature of cochlear implants (CI) was conducted with the aim of summarizing the results of studies on the cost effectiveness of monolateral and bilateral (sequential/simultaneous) CI in adult patients affected by severe to profound prelingual and postlingual hearing impairment. The literature search was performed using “PubMed MEDLINE” and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination search engines. Inclusion criteria related to economic evaluation included primary studies published in English language from January 2000 to May 2010 and aimed to quantify costs of CI and compare monolateral CI vs. acoustic prosthesis and bilateral (sequential/ simultaneous) CI vs. monolateral CI in terms of cost per unit of effectiveness. Four articles were identified. The mean direct medical cost of the monolateral CI varied from € 30,026 to € 45,770 in postlingually deafened patients, and the cost of device represented the main cost component. Additional median costs of simultaneous and sequential bilateral CI were, respectively, € 21,831 and € 25,459. The mean direct medical cost of monolateral CI was € 31,942 in prelingually deafened patients. The monolateral CI in postlingually deafened patients represented a cost effective intervention as compared with no implant (€ /QALY varied from € 7,930, € 24,983 to € 33,094). Monolateral CI were not a cost effective intervention for traditional patients with more than 40 years of hearing impairment (€ 64,604/QALY ) or for patients with marginal benefits from using acoustic prosthesis with more than 30 years of hearing impairment (€ 106,267/QALY ). The cost effectiveness of monolateral CI worsened with increasing age (€ /QALY from € 23,439 for patients < 30 years old to € 55,369 for patients > 70 years). Bilateral CI in postlingually deafened patients were less cost effective than monolateral CI (from € 91,943/QALY to € 102,640/QALY ). Monolateral CI were cost effective in prelingually deafened patients (€ /QALY : € 8,096). Given the few economic evaluation studies in literature, future researches are needed to support the cost effectiveness results of CI in adults and to evaluate the cost effectiveness of bilateral CI, as well as to estimate the non-medical direct and indirect cost components.
Data clustering with mixed features by multi objective genetic algorithm

In the paper, real coded multi objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) based K-clustering method has been studied where K represents the number of clusters known a priori. Proposed method has the capability to deal with continuous and categorical features (mixed features) of data set. Commonly means and modes of features represents clusters for continuous and categorical features respectively. For this reason, K-means and K-modes are most popular clustering algorithm for continuous and categorical features respectively. The searching power of Genetic Algorithm (GA) is exploited to search for suitable clusters and cluster centroids (means or modes) so that intra-cluster distance (Homogeneity, H) and inter-cluster distances (Separation, S) are simultaneously optimized. It is achieved by measuring H and S using a special distance per feature metric, suitable for continuous and categorical features both. We have selected four benchmark data sets from UCI Machine Learning Repository containing continuous and categorical features both. Here, K-means and K-modes is hybridized with GA to combine global searching capabilities of GA with local searching capabilities of K-means and K-modes. Considering context sensitivity, we have used a special crossover operator called “pairwise crossover” and “substitution”.
Cortactin Is Involved in the Entry of Coxiella burnetii into Non-Phagocytic Cells

Background Cortactin is a key regulator of the actin cytoskeleton and is involved in pathogen-host cell interactions. Numerous pathogens exploit the phagocytic process and actin cytoskeleton to infect host cells. Coxiella burnetii, the etiologic agent of Q fever, is internalized by host cells through a molecular mechanism that is poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Finding Here we analyzed the role of different cortactin motifs in the internalization of C. burnetii by non-phagocytic cells. C. burnetii internalization into HeLa cells was significantly reduced when the cells expressed GFP-cortactin W525K, which carries a mutation in the SH3 domain that renders the protein unable to bind targets such as N-WASP. However, internalization was unaffected when the cells expressed the W22A mutant, which has a mutation in the N-terminal acidic region that destroys the protein’s ability to bind and activate Arp2/3. We also determined whether the phosphorylation status of cortactin is important for internalization. Expression of GFP-cortactin 3F, which lacks phosphorylatable tyrosines, significantly increased internalization of C. burnetii, while expression of GFP-cortactin 3D, a phosphotyrosine mimic, did not affect it. In contrast, expression of GFP-cortactin 2A, which lacks phosphorylatable serines, inhibited C. burnetii internalization, while expression of GFP-cortactin SD, a phosphoserine mimic, did not affect it. Interestingly, inhibitors of Src kinase and the MEK-ERK kinase pathway blocked internalization. In fact, both kinases reached maximal activity at 15 min of C. burnetii infection, after which activity decreased to basal levels. Despite the decrease in kinase activity, cortactin phosphorylation at Tyr421 reached a peak at 1 h of infection. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that the SH3 domain of cortactin is implicated in C. burnetii entry into HeLa cells. Furthermore, cortactin phosphorylation at serine and dephosphorylation at tyrosine favor C. burnetii internalization. We present evidence that ERK and Src kinases play a role early in infection by this pathogen.
Optimal threshold of energy detection for spectrum sensing in cognitive radio

Cognitive radio is regarded as a candidate technology to solve the problem of low efficiency in spectrum utilization. The first step for the opportunistic use of frequency bands is spectrum sensing. In this paper, we focus on the energy detection for spectrum sensing. We get the Closed-form expression to the optimal threshold of local detection to get a trade-off between missed detection probability and false alarm probability. Next, we show the threshold can be adjusted to different scenarios as needed. Finally, as the same trade-off, the optimal threshold of cooperative sensing with the half-voting fusion rule is discussed by numerical result.
Absolute and relative Gromov-Witten invariants of very ample hypersurfaces

For any smooth complex projective variety X and smooth very ample hypersurface Y in X, we develop the technique of genus zero relative Gromov-Witten invariants of Y in X in algebro-geometric terms. We prove an equality of cycles in the Chow groups of the moduli spaces of relative stable maps that relates these relative invariants to the Gromov-Witten invariants of X and Y. Given the Gromov-Witten invariants of X, we show that these relations are sufficient to compute all relative invariants, as well as all genus zero Gromov-Witten invariants of Y whose homology and cohomology classes are induced by X.
DNA Synthesis and Neuronal Apoptosis Caused by Familial Alzheimer Disease Mutants of the Amyloid Precursor Protein Are Mediated by the p21 Activated Kinase PAK3

Apoptotic pathways and DNA synthesis are activated in neurons in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD). However, the signaling mechanisms that mediate these events have not been defined. We show that expression of familial AD (FAD) mutants of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in primary neurons in culture causes apoptosis and DNA synthesis. Both the apoptosis and the DNA synthesis are mediated by the p21 activated kinase PAK3, a serine-threonine kinase that interacts with APP. A dominant-negative kinase mutant of PAK3 inhibits the neuronal apoptosis and DNA synthesis; this effect is abolished by deletion of the PAK3 APP-binding domain or by coexpression of a peptide representing this binding domain. The involvement of PAK3 specifically in FAD APP-mediated apoptosis rather than in general apoptotic pathways is suggested by the facts that a dominant-positive mutant of PAK3 does not alone cause neuronal apoptosis and that the dominant-negative mutant of PAK3 does not inhibit chemically induced apoptosis. Pertussis toxin, which inactivates the heterotrimeric G-proteins Go and Gi, inhibits the apoptosis and DNA synthesis caused by FAD APP mutants; the apoptosis and DNA synthesis are rescued by coexpression of a pertussis toxin-insensitive Go. FAD APP-mediated DNA synthesis precedes FAD APP-mediated apoptosis in neurons, and inhibition of neuronal entry into the cell cycle inhibits the apoptosis. These data suggest that a normal signaling pathway mediated by the interaction of APP, PAK3, and Go is constitutively activated in neurons by FAD mutations in APP and that this activation causes cell cycle entry and consequent apoptosis.
Exact Inference on Conditional Linear Γ-Gaussian Bayesian Networks

Exact inference for Bayesian Networks is only possible for quite limited classes of networks. Examples of such classes are discrete networks, conditional linear Gaussian networks, networks using mixtures of truncated exponentials, and networks with densities expressed as truncated polynomials. This paper defines another class with exact inference, based on the normal inverse gamma conjugacy. We describe the theory of this class as well as exemplify our implemented inference algorithm in a practical example. Although generally small and simple, we believe these kinds of networks are potentially quite useful, on their own or in combination with other algorithms and methods for Bayesian Network inference.
Unraveling the role of neuroinflammation in surgery-induced cognitive impairment

Although inflammatory processes are generally considered to be involved in postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), the mechanism behind this condition is still largely unknown. The aim of our research is to study the role of inflammation in the development of POCD under high and low risk conditions with special focus on the different brain areas and different types of cognitive function involved. To this end we developed a rat model for POCD using standardized surgery and various behavioral tests to assess surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction.
Subjective Similarity: Personalizing Alternative Item Recommendations

We present a new algorithm for recommending alternatives to a given item in an e-commerce setting. Our algorithm is an incremental improvement over an earlier system, which recommends similar items by first assigning the input item to clusters and then selecting best quality items within those clusters. The original algorithm does not consider the recent context and our new algorithm improves the earlier system by personalizing the recommendations to user intentions. The system measures user intention using the recent queries, which are used to determine the level of abstraction in similarity and relative importance of similarity dimensions. We show that user engagement increases when recommended item titles share more terms with most recent queries. Moreover, the new algorithm increases query coverage without sacrificing input item similarity and item quality.
A Low-Cost and High Performance Pipelined Code Decompression Engine for ARM-Series Processors

Several techniques have been presented in our previous work for lessening the delays for instruction decompression when branching occurs. However, their costs are still relatively high. In this paper, a new preprocessing-based technique is presented to reduce the cost and increase the performance. The synthesized results for several benchmarks show that the average saving of area is about 37.5%.
A phase I trial of an oral subtype-selective histone deacetylase inhibitor, chidamide, in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective This phase I study was to evaluate safety, maximum tolerated dose, pharmacokinetics and preliminary antitumor activity of chidamide, a novel subtype-selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Ten patients received oral chidamide 20, 25, or 30 mg twice per week continuously with paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and carboplatin [area under the curve (AUC) 5 mg/mL/min] administered in a 3-week cycle. Patients with response and stable disease after four cycles maintained chidamide monotherapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetic analysis after the first single oral of chidamide and first combination treatment in cycle 1 from all patients. Results Two dose-limiting toxicities were recorded in the 30 mg cohort, including thrombocytopenia and prolonged neutropenia in the first cycle. Grade 3/4 neutropenia in any cycle was observed in all patients, but was not associated with significant complications. Other grade 3/4 hematologic toxicities included thrombocytopenia and leucopenia. No significant changes were observed in pharmacokinetic parameters for both chidamide and paclitaxel. One patient in the 20 mg cohort had confirmed partial response (PR). Two out of 5 patients with brain metastases had intracranial complete remission after 4-cycle treatment. Conclusions Chidamide combined with paclitaxel and carboplatin was generally tolerated without unanticipated toxicities or clinically relevant pharmacokinetic interactions. The recommended dose for chidamide in this combination was established at 20 mg, and a phase II trial is ongoing with this regimen in patients with advanced NSCLC.