Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Suggestion for a Fast Multiplier

It is suggested that the economics of present large-scale scientific computers could benefit from a greater investment in hardware to mechanize multiplication and division than is now common. As a move in this direction, a design is developed for a multiplier which generates the product of two numbers using purely combinational logic, i.e., in one gating step. Using straightforward diode-transistor logic, it appears presently possible to obtain products in under 1, ? sec, and quotients in 3 ? sec. A rapid square-root process is also outlined. Approximate component counts are given for the proposed design, and it is found that the cost of the unit would be about 10 per cent of the cost of a modern large-scale computer.
Interactions between cash and derivatives bond markets: some evidence for the euro area

This paper provides a broad empirical examination of the interactions between cash and derivatives markets for government bonds in the core euro area countries (Germany, France and Italy) in the aftermath of the launch of the third stage of European monetary union (EMU). Since the launch of the euro, liquidity in derivatives markets has concentrated in a handful of capital market futures contracts, in particular those traded on Eurex. The tremendous level of activity in Eurex contracts has raised concerns about the risk of a shortage in the cheapest bond to deliver. The paper assesses cash market-, repo marketand futures market-based approaches to preventing such shortages, and finds that a combination of approaches is preferable. The paper goes on to analyse how changes in liquidity and trading activity in government bond markets since the start of EMU have affected price formation. Based on the conceptual framework set out by the financial market microstructure and asset market equilibrium literature, econometric evidence on the determinants of yield spreads is presented. The results confirm that fluctuations in yield spreads across euro government bonds contain a significant transitory component, which could represent temporary deviations from fundamental values. This “mispricing” component increased at the time of the Russian and LTCM financial crises and peaked around the launch of the euro. Based on the size of the estimated mispricing component in bond yields, liquidity in euro government bond markets returned to pre-1998 levels during 2000. Moreover, liquidity conditions appeared to converge across the G5 countries, although UK and US bond markets maintained a positive liquidity differential with respect to euro area markets. Among euro area government securities markets, prices appear to be least distorted, and liquidity closest to that of the UK and US markets, in Italy's cash market, perhaps reflecting the advantages of an advanced trading infrastructure.
catRAPID omics: a web server for large-scale prediction of protein–RNA interactions

Summary: Here we introduce catRAPID omics, a server for large-scale calculations of protein–RNA interactions. Our web server allows (i) predictions at proteomic and transcriptomic level; (ii) use of protein and RNA sequences without size restriction; (iii) analysis of nucleic acid binding regions in proteins; and (iv) detection of RNA motifs involved in protein recognition. Results: We developed a web server to allow fast calculation of ribonucleoprotein associations in Caenorhabditis elegans, Danio rerio, Drosophila melanogaster, Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Xenopus tropicalis (custom libraries can be also generated). The catRAPID omics was benchmarked on the recently published RNA interactomes of Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1), Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EZH2 (EZH2), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43) and RNA-binding protein FUS (FUS) as well as on the protein interactomes of U1/U2 small nucleolar RNAs, X inactive specific transcript (Xist) repeat A region (RepA) and Crumbs homolog 3 (CRB3) 3′-untranslated region RNAs. Our predictions are highly significant (P < 0.05) and will help the experimentalist to identify candidates for further validation. Availability: catRAPID omics can be freely accessed on the Web at http://s.tartaglialab. com/catrapid/omics. Documentation, tutorial and FAQs are available at http://s.tartaglialab. com/page/catrapid_group. Contact: gian.tartaglia@crg.eu
Summary for Structured Prediction Cascades

Structured prediction is a supervised machine learning technique that involves predicting structured objects, rather than scalar discrete or real values(which correspond to classifications and regressions)[1]. Structured data is data that consists of several parts, and not only the parts themselves contain information, but also the way in which the parts belong together[2]. Under this definition, many tasks can be regarded as a structured prediction problem, like part-of-speech tagging, machine translation, parsing in NLP, and segmentation, pose estimation in computer vision. Thus, a fast and accurate structured prediction algorithm is appealing because it can help many tasks in different fields.
Policy Search in Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space

Modeling policies in reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) renders policy gradient reinforcement learning algorithms non-parametric. As a result, the policies become very flexible and have a rich representational potential without a predefined set of features. However, their performances might be either non-covariant under reparameterization of the chosen kernel, or very sensitive to step-size selection. In this paper, we propose to use a general framework to derive a new RKHS policy search technique. The new derivation leads to both a natural RKHS actor-critic algorithm and a RKHS expectation maximization (EM) policy search algorithm. Further, we show that kernelization enables us to learn in partially observable (POMDP) tasks which is considered daunting for parametric approaches. Via sparsification, a small set of "support vectors" representing the history is shown to be effectively discovered. For evaluations, we use three simulated (PO)MDP reinforcement learning tasks, and a simulated PR2's robotic manipulation task. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the new RKHS policy search framework in comparison to plain RKHS actor-critic, episodic natural actor-critic, plain actor-critic, and PoWER approaches.
Cost of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a common identifiable teratogenic cause of mental retardation, neurological deficit, mental disorders, and developmental disabilities. Accurate estimates of the cost of care for persons with FAS are essential for appropriate funding of health care, developmental disabilities services, special education, and other service systems, as well as prioritizing funding of public health prevention efforts. The cost of care for individuals with FAS can be conceptualized as the annual cost of care for one person or a population, or as the lifetime cost of care for an individual. Annual cost estimates for the United States range from $75 million in 1984 to $4.0 billion in 1998. Estimates of lifetime cost vary from $596,000 in 1980 to $1.4 million in 1988. After adjustments for changes in inflation and population, 2002 estimates of total annual cost and lifetime cost are higher. FAS is increasingly being recognized as a large public health problem with high potential for the prevention of future cases and for the prevention of excess disability and premature mortality in persons who are affected. Each day, from 6–22 infants with FAS are born in the United States, and as many as 87–103 more are born with other impairments resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. Updated and improved cost data on FAS should be a research priority. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Syllable processing in English

We describe a reaction time study in which listeners detected word or nonword syllable targets (e.g. zoo, trel) in sequences consisting of the target plus a consonant or syllable residue (trelsh, trelshek). The pattern of responses differed from an earlier word-spotting study with the same material, in which words were always harder to find if only a consonant residue remained. The earlier results should thus not be viewed in terms of syllabic parsing, but in terms of a universal role for syllables in speech perception; words which are accidentally present in spoken input (e.g. sell in self) can be rejected when they leave a residue of the input which could not itself be a word.
Regulation and function of potassium channels in aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron

Purpose of reviewK channels in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron (ASDN) participate in generating cell membrane potential and in mediating K secretion. The aim of the review is to provide an overview of the recent development regarding physiological function of the K channels and the novel factors which modulate the K channels of the ASDN. Recent findingsGenetic studies and transgenic mouse models have revealed the physiological function of basolateral K channels including inwardly rectifying K channel (Kir) and Ca2+-activated big-conductance K channels in mediating salt transport in the ASDN. A recent study shows that intersectin is required for mediating with-no-lysine kinase (WNK)-induced endocytosis. Moreover, a clathrin adaptor, autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia (ARH), and an aging-suppression protein, Klothe, have been shown to regulate the endocytosis of renal outer medullary potassium (ROMK) channel. Also, serum-glucocorticoids-induced kinase I (SGK1) reversed the inhibitory effect of WNK4 on ROMK through the phosphorylation of WNK4. However, Src-family protein tyrosine kinase (SFK) abolished the effect of SGK1 on WNK4 and restored the WNK4-induced inhibition of ROMK. SummaryBasolateral K channels including big-conductance K channel and Kir4.1/5.1 play an important role in regulating Na and Mg2+ transport in the ASDN. Apical K channels are not only responsible for mediating K excretion but they are also involved in regulating transepithelial Mg2+ absorption. New factors and mechanisms by which hormones and dietary K intake regulate apical K secretory channels expand the current knowledge regarding renal K handling.
Noninvasive and simultaneous imaging of layer-specific retinal functional adaptation by manganese-enhanced MRI.

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that high-resolution (23.4 microm intraretinal resolution) manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) can be used to noninvasively and simultaneously record from distinct layers of the rat retina cellular demand for ions associated with functional adaptation. METHODS In control rats, high-resolution images were collected with or without systemic injection of MnCl2 during light or dark adaptation; inner and outer retinal signal intensities were compared. In separate experiments, 1 month after systemic administration of MnCl2 to awake dark-adapted control rats, possible toxic effects of Mn2+ on ocular health were assessed with the use of the following metrics: retinal layer thickness, intraocular pressure, and blood retinal barrier integrity. RESULT In nonmanganese-injected rats, the signal intensity difference between light and dark states for inner and outer retina was not significantly different (P>0.05). In contrast, after manganese administration, the change in outer retinal signal intensity under light/dark conditions was significantly greater than that of inner retina. At 1 month after MnCl2 injection, comparisons with controls revealed no evidence for deleterious ocular health effects as assessed by whole and inner retinal thickness, intraocular pressure, and blood retinal barrier integrity. CONCLUSIONS The present MEMRI examination was a safe (i.e., nontoxic) and relatively straightforward procedure that appeared to robustly reflect layer-specific retinal ion demand that correlates with normal retinal physiology responses associated with light and dark visual processing. Comprehensive MEMRI measures of retinal ion demand may be envisioned in a range of animal models for the study of normal development and aging.
A Liposome Hydrogel With Polyvinyl-Pyrrolidone Iodine in the Local Treatment of Partial-Thickness Burn Wounds

Local treatment of burn injuries with conventional anti-infective preparations does not provide the moist environment that promotes fast wound healing. In a randomized controlled trial the effects of liposome polyvinyl-pyrrolidone-iodine (PVP-I) hydrogel, a novel formulation of PVP-I in a liposome hydrogel with high water-binding capacity, were investigated in 43 patients with partial-thickness burn wounds in an intraindividual comparison with a conventional silver-sulfadiazine cream. Treatment with liposome PVP-I hydrogel resulted in significantly faster complete healing of the burn wounds compared with silver-sulfadiazine cream (9.9 ± 4.5 days versus 11.3 ± 4.9; P < 0.015). The cosmetic result (smoothness, elasticity, appearance) was rated as excellent for 37.0% of study wounds with liposome PVP-I hydrogel compared with 13.0% of wounds treated with silver-sulfadiazine cream. Local tolerability was good; handling and change of dressing were rated as easy. Local treatment with liposome PVP-I hydrogel thus provides fast wound healing with a favorable cosmetic result.
Dating growth strata and basin fill by combining 26Al/10Be burial dating and magnetostratigraphy: Constraining active deformation in the Pamir–Tian Shan convergence zone, NW China

Cosmogenic burial dating enables dating of coarse-grained, Pliocene–Pleistocene sedimentary units that are typically difficult to date with traditional methods, such as magnetostratigraphy. In the actively deforming western Tarim Basin in NW China, Pliocene–Pleistocene conglomerates were dated at eight sites, integrating 26Al/10Be burial dating with previously published magnetostratigraphic sections. These samples were collected from growth strata on the flanks of growing folds and from sedimentary units beneath active faults to place timing constraints on the initiation of deformation of structures within the basin and on shortening rates on active faults. These new basin-fill and growthstrata ages document the late Neogene and Quaternary growth of the Pamir and Tian Shan orogens between >5 and 1 Ma and delineate the eastward propagation of deformation at rates up to 115 km/m.y. and basinward growth of both mountain belts at rates up to 12 km/m.y. LITHOSPHERE; v. 10; no. 6; p. 806–828; GSA Data Repository Item 2018311 | Published online 22 October 2018 https://doi.org/10.1130/L727.1
ART‐RRT: As‐Rigid‐As‐Possible exploration of ligand unbinding pathways

This article proposes a method to efficiently generate approximate ligand unbinding pathways. It combines an efficient tree‐based exploration method with a morphing technique from Computer Graphics for dimensionality reduction. This method is computationally cheap and, unlike many existing approaches, does not require a reaction coordinate to guide the search. It can be used for finding pathways with known or unknown directions beforehand. The approach is evaluated on several benchmarks and the obtained solutions are compared with the results from other state‐of‐the‐art approaches. We show that the method is time‐efficient and produces pathways in good agreement with other state‐of‐the‐art solutions. These paths can serve as first approximations that can be used, analyzed, or improved with more specialized methods. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
STATUS AND PROSPECTS FOR ACHIEVING AICHI BIODIVERSITY TARGET 11: Implications of National Commitments and Priority Actions

* Corresponding author: sarat.gidda@cbd.int Secretariat of the Conven on on Biological Diversity (SCBD), Montreal, Canada 2 IUCN (Interna onal Union for Conserva on of Nature), Gland, Switzerland Department of Ecology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil Deutsche Gesellscha für Interna onale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Eschborn, Germany United Na ons Development Programme, New York, USA PARKS 2017 Vol 23.2
On the Relationship between Regional Ocean Heat Content and Sea Surface Height

AbstractAn accurate diagnosis of ocean heat content (OHC) is essential for interpreting climate variability and change, as evidenced for example by the broad range of hypotheses that exists for explaining the recent hiatus in global mean surface warming. Potential insights are explored here by examining relationships between OHC and sea surface height (SSH) in observations and two recently available large ensembles of climate model simulations from the mid-twentieth century to 2100. It is found that in decadal-length observations and a model control simulation with constant forcing, strong ties between OHC and SSH exist, with little temporal or spatial complexity. Agreement is particularly strong on monthly to interannual time scales. In contrast, in forced transient warming simulations, important dependencies in the relationship exist as a function of region and time scale. Near Antarctica, low-frequency SSH variability is driven mainly by changes in the circumpolar current associated with intensified su.
Tampering Detection of Audio-Visual Content Using Encrypted Watermarks

In this paper, we present a framework for detecting tampered information in digital videos. Using the proposed technique is possible to detect several types of tampering with a pixel granularity. The framework uses a combination of temporal and spatial watermarks that do not decrease the perceived quality of the host videos. We use a modified version of Quantization Index Modulation (QIM) algorithm to store the watermarks. Since QIM is a fragile watermarking scheme, it is possible to detect local, global, and temporal tampers and also estimate the attack type. The framework is fast, robust, and accurate.
Software protection using Obfuscation

— Much of the intellectual property of successful firms is embedded in their software that is purchased or installed in many of their clients. Such software is increasingly exposed to attacks by those who use reversed engineering to try to understand the structure and source code of the program and thus to gain access and use foreign intellectual property for their own purposes. In this paper is reviewed software protection from reverse engineering attacks using method of obfuscation. Today it is accepted that automated obfuscation is most sustainable method for preventing reversed engineering. Obfuscator is based on the application of code transformations, which in most cases are similar to those used in the optimization of compilers. We are describing most famous obfuscation transformations, and classify them according to their potency-the extent to which man is confused when reading the code, resilience, resilience-resistance from attacks from automated deobfuscators and price-how much additional load is added to obfuscated code. Then we have explained some possible deobfuscation techniques. This paper discuses dynamic obfuscation in details, which is most popular and most successful method for the protection of intellectual property stored in software code, but also used by hackers to hide malicious code. Finally we recommend improvements to the methods of dynamic obfuscation.
Speech training system based on resonant frequencies of vocal tract

Speech sounds are air pressure vibrations produced by air exhaled from the lungs and modulated and shaped by the vibrations of the glottal cords and the vocal tract as it is pushed out through the lips and nose. Speech signals, in addition to communicating the linguistic information, convey a multitude of other information including gender, age, accent, intent, emotion, humor and the state of health of the speaker. There are several neurological (e.g., aphasia, dysarthria, and apraxia) or anatomical (e.g., cleft lip and palate) factors that could affect the intelligibility and audibility of the human speech. In this paper we present our work in developing a training system based on the resonant frequencies (widely known as formants) of the vocal tract to help a human subject with speech impairment train himself or herself to improve the intelligibility and audibility of his or her speech.
Racial/ethnic differences in colorectal cancer risk: The multiethnic cohort study

Incidence rates in the United States show clear racial/ethnic disparities for colorectal cancer. We examined the extent to which ethnic differences in risk factors could explain the age‐adjusted variation in the risk of colorectal cancer, overall and by stage at diagnosis, among 165,711 African Americans, Japanese Americans, Latinos, Native Hawaiians and whites participating in the Multiethnic Cohort Study. Over a median follow‐up period of 10.7 years, 2,564 incident cases of colorectal cancer were identified through surveillance, epidemiology and end result tumor registry linkages in Hawaii and California. Multivariable‐adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each ethnic group compared to whites. After accounting for known/suspected risk factors, Japanese Americans (men, RR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.09–1.48; women, RR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.24–1.78) and African American women (RR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.23–1.79) remained at increased risk of colorectal cancer relative to whites; African American and Japanese American women were also at increased risk of advanced disease compared to whites. In site‐specific analyses, after multivariable adjustment, African Americans (both sexes) and Japanese American women remained at increased risk for colon cancer, and Japanese Americans (both sexes) and Native Hawaiian men for rectal cancer compared to whites. The results of our study suggest that differences in the distribution of known/suspected risk factors account for only a modest proportion of the ethnic variation in colorectal cancer risk and that other factors, possibly including genetic susceptibility, are important contributors to the observed disparities in incidence.
Immunopathogenesis of ocular allergy: a schematic approach to different clinical entities

Purpose of reviewThe immunopathogenesis of ocular allergic disorders is generally related to the specific immunoglobulin E-mediated mast cell activation and the following cascade of inflammatory mediators. Seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis, however, are the only ocular diseases to involve solely type I hypersensitivity. The other main forms, vernal and atopic keratoconjunctivitis, have a more complex immunological basis and a chronic inflammatory component. Involvement of inflammatory cells, particularly eosinophils and T cells, cytokines and proteases can lead to more serious corneal damage with vision-threatening potential. Recent findingsExperimental allergic conjunctival models and clinical research studies have shown that T helper type 2-related mechanisms are definitely involved in the sensitization phase of ocular allergy, however, both T helper type 1 and type 2 cytokines are overexpressed in the active disease, contributing to the development of ocular inflammation. SummaryA review of the recent literature allows us to better understand the mechanisms involved in the development of ocular allergy and to guide us toward a more schematic approach, which could possibly be useful in forming a new classification, standardizing clinical phases and individuating new treatment targets.