Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal quadtree for variable block size motion estimation

In this paper, we present a new approach to find the best quadtree for variable block size (VBS) motion estimation for video coding. In this approach, the quantizer which encodes the prediction residual is also jointly optimized in a rate-distortion sense. The desired balance of the bit allocation between the motion vector coding and the residual error coding is achieved by a Lagrange multiplier approach for the joint optimization problem. A fast tree optimization technique is used to reduce the computational complexity of the algorithm so that it can be run in realtime in a appropriate hardware.
Accepted for Publication in Ieee Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Authors' Personal Copy Visualization and Visual Analysis of Multi-faceted Scientific Data: a Survey

—Visualization and visual analysis play important roles in exploring, analyzing and presenting scientific data. In many disciplines, data and model scenarios are becoming multi-faceted: data are often spatio-temporal and multi-variate; they stem from different data sources (multi-modal data), from multiple simulation runs (multi-run/ensemble data), or from multi-physics simulations of interacting phenomena (multi-model data resulting from coupled simulation models). Also, data can be of different dimensionality or structured on various types of grids that need to be related or fused in the visualization. This heterogeneity of data characteristics presents new opportunities as well as technical challenges for visualization research. Visualization and interaction techniques are thus often combined with computational analysis. In this survey, we study existing methods for visualization and interactive visual analysis of multi-faceted scientific data. Based on a thorough literature review, a categorization of approaches is proposed. We cover a wide range of fields and discuss to which degree the different challenges are matched with existing solutions for visualization and visual analysis. This leads to conclusions with respect to promising research directions, for instance, to pursue new solutions for multi-run and multi-model data as well as techniques that support a multitude of facets.
Enhancing the Symmetry and Proportion of 3D Face Geometry

We present an engine for enhancing the geometry of a 3D face mesh model while making the enhanced version share close similarity with the original. After obtaining the feature points of a given scanned 3D face model, we first perform a local and global symmetrization on the key facial features. We then apply an overall proportion optimization to the frontal face based on Neoclassical Canons and golden ratios. A nonlinear least-squares solution is adopted to adjust the feature points so that the face profile complies with the aesthetic criteria, which are derived from the profile cosmetology. Through the above processes, we obtain the optimized feature points, which will lead to a more attractive face. According to the original feature points and the optimized ones, we perform Laplacian deformation to adjust the remaining points of the face in order to preserve the geometric details. The analysis of user study in this paper validates the effectiveness of our 3D face geometry enhancement engine.
Content-Aware Photo Collage Using Circle Packing

In this paper, we present a novel approach for automatically creating the photo collage that assembles the interest regions of a given group of images naturally. Previous methods on photo collage are generally built upon a well-defined optimization framework, which computes all the geometric parameters and layer indices for input photos on the given canvas by optimizing a unified objective function. The complex nonlinear form of optimization function limits their scalability and efficiency. From the geometric point of view, we recast the generation of collage as a region partition problem such that each image is displayed in its corresponding region partitioned from the canvas. The core of this is an efficient power-diagram-based circle packing algorithm that arranges a series of circles assigned to input photos compactly in the given canvas. To favor important photos, the circles are associated with image importances determined by an image ranking process. A heuristic search process is developed to ensure that salient information of each photo is displayed in the polygonal area resulting from circle packing. With our new formulation, each factor influencing the state of a photo is optimized in an independent stage, and computation of the optimal states for neighboring photos are completely decoupled. This improves the scalability of collage results and ensures their diversity. We also devise a saliency-based image fusion scheme to generate seamless compositive collage. Our approach can generate the collages on nonrectangular canvases and supports interactive collage that allows the user to refine collage results according to his/her personal preferences. We conduct extensive experiments and show the superiority of our algorithm by comparing against previous methods.
The Relationship Between QT Intervals and Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy in Nigerian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

To study the pattern of QT intervals in Type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM) and investigate whether they have correlation with or predict development of Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy (CAN). One hundred and eight (108) T2DM patients were compared with 88 normal controls. They all had resting ECG performed and QT intervals manually measured. The T2DM patients had non-invasve assessment of cardiac autonomic function. When more than two of the 6 tests was accepted as presence of CAN.Those with and without CAN were compared statistically and correlation determined. The QT intervals (QTc, QTd, QTcd) were significantly longer in patients than controls. Thirty seven(34.2%) of the patients had CAN. Their age and the QT intervals were not statistically different from those without CAN. The QTc was longer than 440msecs in 30 (27.8%) and QTcd longer than 80msecs in 13 (12.0%) of the study patients. About 46.7% of those whose QTc was longer than 440msecs and 54% whose QTcd were longer than 80msecs had CAN. These did not differ significantly from those without CAN. On regression analysis, none of the QT intervals correlated with or predicted CAN. There was also no correlation between QT intervals and control of blood sugar or duration of disease. The QT intervals were longer in patients than controls. There was no difference in QT intervals of patients with CAN and those without. The QT intervals did not correlate with or predict CAN Keywords : keQt Intervals, Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy, Type 2 Diabetic, Nigerian Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 53 (4) 2008: pp. 48-51
Host Determinants of Prion Strain Diversity Independent of Prion Protein Genotype

ABSTRACT Phenotypic diversity in prion diseases can be specified by prion strains in which biological traits are propagated through an epigenetic mechanism mediated by distinct PrPSc conformations. We investigated the role of host-dependent factors on phenotypic diversity of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in different host species that express the same prion protein gene (Prnp). Two CWD strains that have distinct biological, biochemical, and pathological features were identified in transgenic mice that express the Syrian golden hamster (SGH) Prnp. The CKY strain of CWD had a shorter incubation period than the WST strain of CWD, but after transmission to SGH, the incubation period of CKY CWD was ∼150 days longer than WST CWD. Limited proteinase K digestion revealed strain-specific PrPSc polypeptide patterns that were maintained in both hosts, but the solubility and conformational stability of PrPSc differed for the CWD strains in a host-dependent manner. WST CWD produced PrPSc amyloid plaques in the brain of the SGH that were partially insoluble and stable at a high concentration of protein denaturant. However, in transgenic mice, PrPSc from WST CWD did not assemble into plaques, was highly soluble, and had low conformational stability. Similar studies using the HY and DY strains of transmissible mink encephalopathy resulted in minor differences in prion biological and PrPSc properties between transgenic mice and SGH. These findings indicate that host-specific pathways that are independent of Prnp can alter the PrPSc conformation of certain prion strains, leading to changes in the biophysical properties of PrPSc, neuropathology, and clinical prion disease. IMPORTANCE Prions are misfolded pathogenic proteins that cause neurodegeneration in humans and animals. Transmissible prion diseases exhibit a spectrum of disease phenotypes and the basis of this diversity is encoded in the structure of the pathogenic prion protein and propagated by an epigenetic mechanism. In the present study, we investigated prion diversity in two hosts species that express the same prion protein gene. While prior reports have demonstrated that prion strain properties are stable upon infection of the same host species and prion protein genotype, our findings indicate that certain prion strains can undergo dramatic changes in biological properties that are not dependent on the prion protein. Therefore, host factors independent of the prion protein can affect prion diversity. Understanding how host pathways can modify prion disease phenotypes may provide clues on how to alter prion formation and lead to treatments for prion, and other, human neurodegenerative diseases of protein misfolding.
Molecular Genetics and the Human Personality

If you really want to be smarter, reading can be one of the lots ways to evoke and realize. Many people who like reading will have more knowledge and experiences. Reading can be a way to gain information from economics, politics, science, fiction, literature, religion, and many others. As one of the part of book categories, molecular genetics and the human personality always becomes the most wanted book. Many people are absolutely searching for this book. It means that many love to read this kind of book.
Viral Small-RNA Analysis of Bombyx mori Larval Midgut during Persistent and Pathogenic Cytoplasmic Polyhedrosis Virus Infection

ABSTRACT The lepidopteran innate immune response against RNA viruses remains poorly understood, while in other insects several studies have highlighted an essential role for the exo-RNAi pathway in combating viral infection. Here, by using deep-sequencing technology for viral small-RNA (vsRNA) assessment, we provide evidence that exo-RNAi is operative in the silkworm Bombyx mori against both persistent and pathogenic infection of B. mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) which is characterized by a segmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome. Further, we show that Dicer-2 predominantly targets viral dsRNA and produces 20-nucleotide (nt) vsRNAs, whereas an additional pathway is responsive to viral mRNA derived from segment 10. Importantly, vsRNA distributions, which define specific hot and cold spot profiles for each viral segment, to a considerable degree overlap between Dicer-2-related (19 to 21 nt) and Dicer-2-unrelated vsRNAs, suggesting a common origin for these profiles. We found a degenerate motif significantly enriched at the cut sites of vsRNAs of various lengths which link an unknown RNase to the origins of vsRNAs biogenesis and distribution. Accordingly, the indicated RNase activity may be an important early factor for the host's antiviral defense in Lepidoptera. IMPORTANCE This work contributes to the elucidation of the lepidopteran antiviral response against infection of segmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus (CPV; Reoviridae) and highlights the importance of viral small-RNA (vsRNA) analysis for getting insights into host-pathogen interactions. Three vsRNA pathways are implicated in antiviral defense. For dsRNA, two pathways are proposed, either based on Dicer-2 cleavage to generate 20-nucleotide vsRNAs or based on the activity of an uncharacterized endo-RNase that cleaves the viral RNA substrate at a degenerate motif. The analysis also indicates the existence of a degradation pathway that targets the positive strand of segment 10.
Generation of Escher Arts with Dual Perception

Escher transmutation is a graphic art that smoothly transforms one tile pattern into another tile pattern with dual perception. A classic example is the artwork called Sky and Water, in which a compelling figure-ground arrangement is applied to portray the transmutation of a bird in sky and a fish in water. The shape of a bird is progressively deformed and dissolves into the background while the background gradually reveals the shape of a fish. This paper introduces a system to create a variety of Escher-like transmutations, which includes the algorithms for initializing a tile pattern with dual figure-ground arrangement, for searching for the best matched shape of a user-specified motif from a database, and for transforming the content and shapes of tile patterns using a content-aware warping technique. The proposed system, integrating the graphic techniques of tile initialization, shape matching, and shape warping, allows users to create various Escher-like transmutations with minimal user interaction. Experimental results and conducted user studies demonstrate the feasibility and flexibility of the proposed system in Escher art generation.
Additive fuzzy enhancement and an associative memory for feature tracking in radiation therapy images

Medical images in radiation therapy, especially electronic portal images, are often very poor in quality because of imaging physics. For a reliable patient set-up verification by tracking of relevant features, better in-treatment images are necessary. In this work, we present the prototype of an additive fuzzy system for a locally adaptive image enhancement and a modified associative memory for image restoration. Using a-priori knowledge and the advantages of this hybrid neural-fuzzy system, a much better quality for the in-treatment image can be achieved.
Bring It to the Pitch: Combining Video and Movement Data to Enhance Team Sport Analysis

Analysts in professional team sport regularly perform analysis to gain strategic and tactical insights into player and team behavior. Goals of team sport analysis regularly include identification of weaknesses of opposing teams, or assessing performance and improvement potential of a coached team. Current analysis workflows are typically based on the analysis of team videos. Also, analysts can rely on techniques from Information Visualization, to depict e.g., player or ball trajectories. However, video analysis is typically a time-consuming process, where the analyst needs to memorize and annotate scenes. In contrast, visualization typically relies on an abstract data model, often using abstract visual mappings, and is not directly linked to the observed movement context anymore. We propose a visual analytics system that tightly integrates team sport video recordings with abstract visualization of underlying trajectory data. We apply appropriate computer vision techniques to extract trajectory data from video input. Furthermore, we apply advanced trajectory and movement analysis techniques to derive relevant team sport analytic measures for region, event and player analysis in the case of soccer analysis. Our system seamlessly integrates video and visualization modalities, enabling analysts to draw on the advantages of both analysis forms. Several expert studies conducted with team sport analysts indicate the effectiveness of our integrated approach.
A Vector Field Design Approach to Animated Transitions

Animated transitions can be effective in explaining and exploring a small number of visualizations where there are drastic changes in the scene over a short interval of time. This is especially true if data elements cannot be visually distinguished by other means. Current research in animated transitions has mainly focused on linear transitions (all elements follow straight line paths) or enhancing coordinated motion through bundling of linear trajectories. In this paper, we introduce animated transition design, a technique to build smooth, non-linear transitions for clustered data with either minimal or no user involvement. The technique is flexible and simple to implement, and has the additional advantage that it explicitly enhances coordinated motion and can avoid crowding, which are both important factors to support object tracking in a scene. We investigate its usability, provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of this technique through metric evaluations and user study and discuss limitations and future directions.
Estimation of binary images by minimizing convex criteria

Reconstructing binary images is a problem which arises in various application fields. In this paper, this problem is considered in a regularization framework: the sought solution minimizes an objective function (a criterion). Criteria defined over the set of the binary images are nonconvex and there are no general methods permitting one to calculate the global minimum, while approximate solutions are very often of limited interest. On the other hand, general-purpose reconstruction techniques, based on convex criteria, yield continuous-valued smooth estimates which are far from binarity. We propose two methods which are based on convex criteria and introduce binarity only partially. More precisely, we construct objective functions whose minimizers are continuous-valued but have a quasi-binary shape. In other words, these estimates are composed essentially of binary-valued pixels while nonbinary pixels are rare. According to our approach, the construction of these objective functions is based on analytical considerations. The resultant methods are stable and numerically attractive.
Interceed and Estrogen Reduce Uterine Adhesions and Fibrosis and Improve Endometrial Receptivity in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Adhesions

Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) remain a major cause of infertility. Interceed, a regenerated cellulose adhesion barrier, is used to prevent adhesions in abdominal cavity. This study aimed to determine whether Interceed could reduce adhesions and tissue fibrosis and improve endometrial receptivity (ER) in rabbit. Rabbits were randomized into 6 groups: sham operation, Interceed control, IUA model, Interceed therapy, estrogen therapy, and combination therapy. Four rabbits per group were euthanized to evaluate adhesion severity on the day before intervention and day 7, 14, and 28 after intervention. Number of endometrial glands and degree of endometrial fibrosis acted as markers for adhesion severity. Pseudopregnancy was induced in the remainder, and 8 rabbits per group were killed for assessing ER on days 6, 7, and 8 of pseudopregnancy by ανβ3 integrin and pinopode. We found that Interceed or estrogen therapy led to significant improvement in the adhesion severity on day 28 after intervention, respectively, compared to IUA model group (all P < .05). However, after combination therapy, such improvement achieved comparable to sham operation group as early as day 14 after intervention (glands, P = .711, fibrosis, P = .154). Among the IUA models treated, ER was highest after combination therapy on day 7 of pseudopregnancy, similar to sham operation group (integrin, P = .352, pinopode, P = .154). In conclusion, Interceed and estrogen reduce adhesions and tissue fibrosis and improve ER in a rabbit model and may be novel therapeutic approaches for infertility resulting from IUA.
Modulation of Human Sperm Capacitation by Progesterone, Estradiol, and Luteinizing Hormone

Sperm residency in female reproductive tract is essential to undergo functional changes that allow the cell to encounter the oocyte and fertilize it. Those changes, known as capacitation, are modulated by molecules located in the uterotubal surface and fluids. During the fertile window, there is a notable increase in some reproductive hormones such as progesterone, estradiol, and luteinizing hormone in the female reproductive tract, so spermatozoa are exposed to these hormones in an environment that must favor gamete encountering and fusion. This spatiotemporal coincidence suggests that they are suitable candidates to modulate sperm function in order to synchronize the events that ultimately allow the success of fertilization. The presence of receptors for these hormones in the human sperm has been described, but their physiological relevance and mechanisms of action have been either subject of controversy or not properly investigated. This review intends to summarize the evidence that support the participation of these hormones in the regulation of sperm capacitation.
Nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy

Is probably safer than smoking Smoking harms unborn children. It increases the risk of growth restriction, preterm birth, miscarriage, and perinatal death,1 2 but despite this over a quarter of pregnant women in the United Kingdom smoke.3 Pregnancy motivates a minority to stop for at least part of the pregnancy, but most start again after giving birth.3 Compared with women who manage to stop, those who continue are younger and less educated; more likely to be single and in manual occupations;4 and much less likely to perceive smoking as a risk to their baby.3 Reducing smoking in pregnancy is an obvious health priority, but progress has been slow.3 Non-pregnant smokers are most likely to quit if offered a combination of behavioural support and pharmacotherapy with either nicotine replacement therapy5 or bupropion.6 The addition of pharmacotherapy increases quit rates obtained with behavioural support by 1.5-fold to 2-fold. Behavioural support is also effective in pregnancy,7 but is usually provided alone because of concerns that drugs may harm the fetus.8 This is understandable for bupropion, which is an avoidable drug, …
Epstein-Barr Virus EBNA1 Protein Regulates Viral Latency through Effects on let-7 MicroRNA and Dicer

ABSTRACT The EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) plays multiple roles in EBV latent infection, including altering cellular pathways relevant for cancer. Here we used microRNA (miRNA) cloning coupled with high-throughput sequencing to identify the effects of EBNA1 on cellular miRNAs in two nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines. EBNA1 affected a small percentage of cellular miRNAs in both cell lines, in particular, upregulating multiple let-7 family miRNAs, including let-7a. The effects of EBNA1 on let-7a were verified by demonstrating that EBNA1 silencing in multiple EBV-positive carcinomas downregulated let-7a. Accordingly, the let-7a target, Dicer, was found to be partially downregulated by EBNA1 expression (at the mRNA and protein levels) and upregulated by EBNA1 silencing in EBV-positive cells. Reporter assays based on the Dicer 3′ untranslated region with and without let-7a target sites indicated that the effects of EBNA1 on Dicer were mediated by let-7a. EBNA1 was also found to induce the expression of let-7a primary RNAs in a manner dependent on the EBNA1 transcriptional activation region, suggesting that EBNA1 induces let-7a by transactivating the expression of its primary transcripts. Consistent with previous reports that Dicer promotes EBV reactivation, we found that a let-7a mimic inhibited EBV reactivation to the lytic cycle, while a let-7 sponge increased reactivation. The results provide a mechanism by which EBNA1 could promote EBV latency by inducing let-7 miRNAs. IMPORTANCE The EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) contributes in multiple ways to the latent mode of EBV infection that leads to lifelong infection. In this study, we identify a mechanism by which EBNA1 helps to maintain EBV infection in a latent state. This involves induction of a family of microRNAs (let-7 miRNAs) that in turn decreases the level of the cellular protein Dicer. We demonstrate that let-7 miRNAs inhibit the reactivation of latent EBV, providing an explanation for our previous observation that EBNA1 promotes latency. In addition, since decreased levels of Dicer have been associated with metastatic potential, EBNA1 may increase metastases by downregulating Dicer.