Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GPU accelerated video conversion in the cloud

Recently, it is being observed that the conversion of video file from one format such as AVI to other format such as MPEG is done in order to make it compatible with different devices such as personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. The basic video conversion application uses CPU to convert the video file from AVI to MPEG and may be limited to an client or a device and also, it takes time to convert videos. The proposed system is going to be developed which will use Graphics Processing Unit to accelerate the video conversion in the cloud. The use of cloud will make the proposed system available for many clients and it will not be limited to a client or the device.
Necrostatin-1 Attenuates Inflammatory Response and Improves Cognitive Function in Chronic Ischemic Stroke Mice

Multiple cell death is involved in ischemic brain injury. Necroptosis, a recently reported cell death, may be the most suitable cell death mechanism in a subpopulation of neurons under ischemic injury. It reported that a small molecule, necrostatin-1 (Nec-1), has a potent inhibitory effect on necroptotic cell death in vivo and in vitro. The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of Nec-1 on cognitive function in chronic ischemic stroke mice induced by bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS). Here, 12-week-old C57BL/6 mice received intragastric administration with Nec-1 or vehicle for two weeks after stroke, and then, the effect and possible mechanism were determined. We demonstrated that inhibition of necroptosis prevented cognitive impairment and reduced inflammatory response in the ischemic brain injury mouse model. These data suggested that inhibition of necroptosis provided a potential therapeutic option for cognitive rehabilitation in chronic ischemic stroke.
Automatic and continuous user task analysis via eye activity

A day in the life of a user can be segmented into a series of tasks: a user begins a task, becomes loaded perceptually and cognitively to some extent by the objects and mental challenge that comprise that task, then at some point switches or is distracted to a new task, and so on. Understanding the contextual task characteristics and user behavior in interaction can benefit the development of intelligent systems to aid user task management. Applications that aid the user in one way or another have proliferated as computing devices become more and more of a constant companion. However, direct and continuous observations of individual tasks in a naturalistic context and subsequent task analysis, for example the diary method, have traditionally been a manual process. We propose a method for automatic task analysis system, which monitors the user's current task and analyzes it in terms of the task transition, and perceptual and cognitive load imposed by the task. An experiment was conducted in which participants were required to work continuously on groups of three sequential tasks of different types. Three classes of eye activity, namely pupillary response, blink and eye movement, were analyzed to detect the task transition and non-transition states, and to estimate three levels of perceptual load and three levels of cognitive load every second to infer task characteristics. This paper reports statistically significant classification accuracies in all cases and demonstrates the feasibility of this approach for task monitoring and analysis.
Low-Cost Metal-Only Transmitarray Antennas at Ka-Band

We present here a design of metal-only unit cell (MOUC) for transmitarray antenna (TA) applications at Ka-band, and we introduce a solution to reduce the total number of layers by polarization manipulation. The corresponding unit cell (UC) is based on a C-shaped slot radiating element, fabricated by laser ablation on a thin metal sheet, and operating in linear polarization. Thanks to the rotation of the slot, polarization of radiated wave can be manipulated to any arbitrary direction, particularly in the orthogonal direction of the incident wave. By combining two UCs with opposite rotation directions, we show that MOUCs made of three layers can be obtained, with a 360° phase shift, insertion loss lower than 1 dB, and low cross-polarization level. This UC with reduced profile is used to design several TA prototypes with a main beam direction pointing up to 50°. The experimental results demonstrate an 11% 3 dB fractional gain bandwidth with an aperture efficiency around 50% for a beam at boresight.
Towards Understanding Evolutionary Bilevel Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithm

Abstract A number of studies can be found in the context of bilevel single objective optimization problems, but not many exist, which tackle the bilevel multi-objective problems. Deb and Sinha (October, 2008) proposed a bilevel multi-objective optimization algorithm based on evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) principles and discussed the issues involved in solving such a problem. In this paper we suggest an improved version of the previous algorithm which leads to high number of savings in function evaluations. Simulation results have been presented for two test problems and a comparison with the previous version has been done. The paper also discusses the complexity of bilevel problems and challenges involved in handling such problems. The existence of these problems in many practical problem solving tasks like optimal control, process optimization, game-playing strategy development, transportation problems, and others make it an important area which still needs to be considered by researchers. A two level optimization task involved in solving such problems makes the problem difficult and poses a number of challenges in getting close to the pareto front which has been addressed in the paper.
Tribofilms Forming in Oil-Lubricated Contacts

The subject of the present paper is the characterization of third bodies of run-in systems. By means of continuous friction and wear measurement, lubricated steel-steel and steel-aluminum contacts were evaluated. Microstructure, chemical composition and response of the materials to shear were analyzed by XPS/AES and focused ion beam technique. After a proper running-in, both systems developed a third body. The third body differs significantly from the base materials. In addition to adapted microstructure and near-surface chemistry, the third body exhibited a substructure characterized by a near-surface zone that accommodates shear and a second, deeper region that ensures strengthening.
THE EVOLUTION OF SPIRAL, S0, AND ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES IN CLUSTERS

We quantify the evolution of the spiral, S0 and elliptical fractions in galaxy clusters as a function of cluster velocity dispersion (σ) and X-ray luminosity (LX) using a new database of 72 nearby clusters from the Wide-Field Nearby Galaxy-Cluster Survey (WINGS) combined with literature data at z = 0.5–1.2. Most WINGS clusters have σ between 500 and 1100 km s−1, and LX between 0.2 and 5 × 1044 erg s−1. The S0 fraction in clusters is known to increase with time at the expense of the spiral population. We find that the spiral and S0 fractions have evolved more strongly in lower σ, less massive clusters, while we confirm that the proportion of ellipticals has remained unchanged. Our results demonstrate that morphological evolution since z = 1 is not confined to massive clusters, but is actually more pronounced in low-mass clusters, and therefore must originate either from secular (intrinsic) evolution and/or from environmental mechanisms that act preferentially in low-mass environments, or both in low- and high-mass systems. We also find that the evolution of the spiral fraction perfectly mirrors the evolution of the fraction of star-forming galaxies. Interestingly, at low-z the spiral fraction anticorrelates with LX. Conversely, no correlation is observed with σ. Given that both σ and LX are tracers of the cluster mass, these results pose a challenge for current scenarios of morphological evolution in clusters.
Security Analysis of BLAKE2's Modes of Operation

BLAKE2 is a hash function introduced at ACNS 2013, which has been adopted in many constructions and applications. It is a successor to the SHA-3 finalist BLAKE, which received a significant amount of security analysis. Nevertheless, BLAKE2 introduces sufficient changes so that not all results from BLAKE carry over, meaning new analysis is necessary. To date, all known cryptanalysis done on BLAKE2 has focused on its underlying building blocks, with little focus placed on understanding BLAKE2’s generic security. We prove that BLAKE2’s compression function is indifferentiable from a random function in a weakly ideal cipher model, which was not the case for BLAKE. This implies that there are no generic attacks against any of the modes that BLAKE2 uses.
Amelioration of Isoproterenol-Induced Oxidative Damage in Rat Myocardium by Withania somnifera Leaf Extract

We investigated the protective role of Withania somnifera leaf extract (WSLEt) on isoproterenol- (ISO-) induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Subcutaneous injection of ISO (85 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) administered to rats for two consecutive days caused a significant increase in cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels and serum lipid profiles, as well as the activities of some marker enzymes. In addition to these diagnostic markers, there were increased levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decreased activities of enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRx), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) in the myocardium. However, oral pretreatment (100 mg/kg b.w.) with WSLEt for 4 weeks elicited a significant cardioprotective activity by lowering the levels of cTnI, lipid profiles, and marker enzymes. The levels of LPO products were also significantly decreased. Elevated activities of antioxidant enzymes were also observed in rats pretreated with WSLEt. As further confirmed histopathologically, our findings strongly suggest that the cardioprotective effect of WSLEt on myocardium experiencing ISO-induced oxidative damage may be due to an augmentation of the endogenous antioxidant system and an inhibition of LPO in the myocardial membrane. We conclude that WSLEt confers some protection against oxidative damage in ISO-induced MI in rats.
Determinants of Heterogeneous Blood Feeding Patterns by Aedes aegypti in Iquitos, Peru

Background Heterogeneous mosquito biting results in different individuals in a population receiving an uneven number of bites. This is a feature of many vector-borne disease systems that, if understood, could guide preventative control efforts toward individuals who are expected to contribute most to pathogen transmission. We aimed to characterize factors determining biting patterns of Aedes aegypti, the principal mosquito vector of dengue virus. Methodology/Principal Findings Engorged female Ae. aegypti and human cheek swabs were collected from 19 houses in Iquitos, Peru. We recorded the body size, age, and sex of 275 consenting residents. Movement in and out of the house over a week (time in house) and mosquito abundance were recorded on eight separate occasions in each household over twelve months. We identified the individuals bitten by 96 engorged mosquitoes over this period by amplifying specific human microsatellite markers in mosquito blood meals and human cheek swabs. Using a multinomial model assuming a saturating relationship (power), we found that, relative to other residents of a home, an individual's likelihood of being bitten in the home was directly proportional to time spent in their home and body surface area (p<0.05). A linear function fit the relationship equally well (ΔAIC<1). Conclusions/Significance Our results indicate that larger people and those who spend more time at home are more likely to receive Ae. aegypti bites in their homes than other household residents. These findings are consistent with the idea that measurable characteristics of individuals can inform predictions of the extent to which different people will be bitten. This has implications for an improved understanding of heterogeneity in different people's contributions to pathogen transmission, and enhanced interventions that include the people and places that contribute most to pathogen amplification and spread.
How to Find an Appropriate K for K-Anonymization

Personalization has been implemented in a variety of services. k-anonymity is the most common definition for the anonymization of personal data sets, and is considered to be a normal feature of personal data exchanges. However, there is an important issue: How to find an appropriate k for k-anonymity. In this paper, we present a model for finding an appropriate k in k-anonymization. The model suggests that an optimal k exists that is appropriate to the balance between value and risk when personal data are published. This is the first step towards realizing an optimized configuration for publication of personal data.
Automatic Spatial Audio Scene Classification in Binaural Recordings of Music

The aim of the study was to develop a method for automatic classification of the three spatial audio scenes, differing in horizontal distribution of foreground and background audio content around a listener in binaurally rendered recordings of music. For the purpose of the study, audio recordings were synthesized using thirteen sets of binaural-room-impulse-responses (BRIRs), representing room acoustics of both semi-anechoic and reverberant venues. Head movements were not considered in the study. The proposed method was assumption-free with regards to the number and characteristics of the audio sources. A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was employed as a classifier. According to the results, it is possible to automatically identify the spatial scenes using a combination of binaural and spectro-temporal features. The method exhibits a satisfactory classification accuracy when it is trained and then tested on different stimuli but synthesized using the same BRIRs (accuracy ranging from 74% to 98%), even in highly reverberant conditions. However, the generalizability of the method needs to be further improved. This study demonstrates that in addition to the binaural cues, the Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients constitute an important carrier of spatial information, imperative for the classification of spatial audio scenes.
Statistical Inverse Analysis for a Network Microsimulator

CORSIM, a microsimulator for vehicular traffic, is being studied with respect to its ability to successfully model and predict behavior of traffic in a 36-block section of Chicago. Inputs to the simulator include information about street configuration, driver behavior, traffic light timing, turning probabilities at each intersection, and distributions of traffic ingress into the system. Data are available concerning the turning proportions in the actual neighborhood, as well as counts of vehicular ingress into the neighborhood and internal system counts, during a day in May 2000. Some of the data are accurate (video recordings), but some are quite inaccurate (observer counts of vehicles). Previous use of the full dataset involved “tuning” the parameters of CORSIM—in an ad hoc fashion—until CORSIM output was reasonably close to the actual data. This common approach, of simply tuning a complex computer model to real data, can result in poor parameter choices and completely ignores the often considerable uncertainty remaining in the parameters. To overcome these problems, we adopt a Bayesian approach, together with a measurement error model for the inaccurate data, to derive the posterior distribution of turning probabilities and of the parameters of the CORSIM input distribution. This posterior distribution can then be used to initialize runs of CORSIM, yielding outputs reflecting the actual uncertainty in the analysis. Determining the posterior via Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methodology is not directly feasible because of the running time of CORSIM. Fortunately, the turning probabilities and parameters of the input distribution enter CORSIM through a probability structure that can be almost exactly described by a stochastic network that does allow an MCMC analysis. The resulting MCMC has some novel features that should also be useful in dealing with general discrete network structures. The major conclusion of this study is that it is possible to incorporate uncertainty in model inputs into analyses of traffic microsimulators such as CORSIM, and that incorporating this uncertainty can significantly change the variability of engineering simulations performed with CORSIM. The second engineering conclusion, that traffic counts obtained by human observers can have very significant bias in a positive direction (corresponding to overcounting of vehicles), was unexpected.
Therapeutic efficacy of different Hemodialysis prescriptions in canine azotemia

Aim: The aim was to determine therapeutic efficacy of different Hemodialysis prescriptions in canine azotemia. Materials and Methods: Patients (n=9) with acute onset of renal dysfunction or chronic patients with superimposed acute factor (component) or patients with known chronic nature of the disease were dialyzed with Fresenius 4008S hemodialysis machine after jugular catheterization. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, one group (n=3) was dialyzed every day and second (n=4) was dialyzed on alternate days. The patients were evaluated for following parameters to compare the efficacy of the dialysis prescription: Urea reduction ratio (URR), creatinine reduction ratio (CRR), Kt/V, time averaged concentration of urea (TAC urea). Result and Discussion: Increasing both dialysis frequency and duration is the superior dialysis schedule. Patient dialyzed every day with total processed blood volume 1.79 L/Kg for 4 h 26 min/session had the lowest TAC of 36.82 mg/dl, thereby was considered it as a better prescription.
Modeling compliant grasps exploiting environmental constraints

In this paper we present a mathematical framework to describe the interaction between compliant hands and environmental constraints during grasping tasks. In the proposed model, we considered compliance at wrist, joint and contact level. We modeled the general case in which the hand is in contact with the object and the surrounding environment. All the other contact cases can be derived from the proposed system of equations. We performed several numerical simulation using the SynGrasp Matlab Toolbox to prove the consistency of the proposed model. We tested different combinations of compliance as well as different reference inputs for the hand/arm system considered. This work has to be intended as a tool for compliant hand designer since it allows to tune compliance at different levels before the real hand realization. Furthermore, the same framework can be used for compliant hand simulation in order to study the interaction with the environmental constrains and to plan complex manipulation tasks.
Scientific Validation of the Medicinal Efficacy of Tinospora cordifolia

Present communication reports the scientific evaluation of Tinospora cordifolia for its medicinal efficacy which includes phytochemical screening, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of the plant. Secondary metabolites including anthraquinones, terpenoids, and saponins were present in many extracts in addition to phenolics. Total phenol contents in various extracts were found in the range of 8.75–52.50 catechol equivalent per gram (CE/g). In disc diffusion assays, polar extracts exhibited considerable inhibition against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Several other extracts also showed antibacterial activity against pathogenic strains of E. coli, Pseudomonas spp. , and Proteus spp. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of potential extracts were found between 1.29 and 22.73 mg/mL. The lowest MBC (1.29 mg/mL) was recorded for acetone and ethyl acetate extracts against K. pneumoniae and Pseudomonas spp. , respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was comparable to that of standard antioxidants and concentration-dependent response was shown in reducing power assay. Aqueous extracts demonstrated substantial metal ion chelating activity (67–95%) at lower concentrations (10–40 μg/mL). Other extracts also exhibited considerable metal chelating response. Most of the extracts revealed considerable inhibition of MCF-7 cancer cell line. The study established remarkable antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer potential in T. cordifolia stem extracts.
Seven myths on crowding

Crowding has become a hot topic in vision research and some fundamentals are now widely agreed upon. For the classical crowding task one would likely agree with the following statements. (1) Bouma’s law can be succinctly stated as saying that critical distance for crowding is about half the target’s eccentricity. (2) Crowding is predominantly a peripheral phenomenon. (3) Peripheral vision extends to at most 90° eccentricity. (4) Crowding increases strongly and linearly with eccentricity (as does the minimal angle of resolution, MAR). (5) Crowding is asymmetric as Bouma (1970) has shown. For that inner-outer asymmetry, the peripheral flanker has more effect. (6) Critical crowding distance corresponds to a constant cortical distance in primary visual areas like V1. (7) Except for Bouma’s (1970) paper, crowding research mostly started in the 2000s. I propose the answer is ‘not really’ to these assertions. So should we care? I think we should, before we write the textbooks for the next generation.
Own, but not foreign seminal fluid inhibits sperm activation in a vertebrate with external fertilization

Seminal fluids are known to have a variety of effects on rival sperm, but in externally fertilizing species it is still unclear what effects seminal fluid can induce under sperm competition. We recorded sperm activity from natural ejaculates (including own seminal fluid) of an external fertilizer, the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), after activation either in water (the natural medium for milt dilution), in a dilution of water and own seminal fluid or in a dilution of water and seminal fluid of a foreign male. When activation occurred in own or foreign dilutions of seminal fluids, sperm maintained higher velocities than when activated in water only. Yet, velocity did not differ depending on whether sperm was activated in own or foreign seminal fluid solutions. More important, approximately 25% fewer sperm cells were initially activated in own seminal fluid than in foreign seminal fluid or water, indicating that activation is under close control of own seminal fluid only. Our results document that the presence of foreign seminal fluid under sperm competition do not have apparent effect on sperm velocity. Yet, the large inhibitory effect on initial activation of sperm cells seen in own, but not in foreign dilutions of seminal fluids (and water) suggests an individual specific recognition mechanism exerted by something in the seminal fluid on own, but not foreign sperm cells. The importance of this extrasomatic sperm recognition for the outcome of sperm competitions is discussed.