Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Performance Design of HBase with RDMA over InfiniBand

HBase is an open source distributed Key/Value store based on the idea of Big Table. It is being used in many data-center Papplications (e.g. Face book, Twitter, etc.) because of its portability and massive scalability. For this kind of system, low latency and high throughput is expected when supporting services for large scale concurrent accesses. However, the existing HBase implementation is built upon Java Sockets Interface that provides sub-optimal performance due to the overhead to provide cross-platform portability. The byte-stream oriented Java sockets semantics confine the possibility to leverage new generations of network technologies. This makes it hard to provide high performance services for data-intensive applications. High Performance Computing (HPC) domain has exploited high performance and low latency networks such as Infini Band for many years. These interconnects provide advanced network features, such as Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), to achieve high throughput and low latency along with low CPU utilization. RDMA follows memory-block semantics, which can be adopted efficiently to satisfy the object transmission primitives used in HBase. In this paper, we present a novel design of HBase for RDMA capable networks via Java Native Interface (JNI). Our design extends the existing open-source HBase software and makes it RDMA capable. Our performance evaluation reveals that latency of HBase Get operations of 1KB message size can be reduced to 43. 7μs with the new design on QDR platform (32 Gbps). This is about a factor of 3.5 improvement over 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GigE) network with TCP Offload. Throughput evaluations using four HBase region servers and 64 clients indicate that the new design boosts up throughput by 3 X times over 1 GigE and 10 GigE networks. To the best of our knowledge, this is first HBase design utilizing high performance RDMA capable interconnects.
Urinary Bisphenol A Levels in Young Men: Association with Reproductive Hormones and Semen Quality

Background: Few human studies have examined bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in relation to semen quality and reproductive hormones in men, and results are divergent. Objectives: We examined associations between urinary BPA concentration and reproductive hormones, as well as semen quality, in young men from the general population. Methods: Our study population consisted of 308 young men from the general population. Urinary BPA concentration was measured by isotope dilution TurboFlow-liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. We used multiple linear regression analysis to estimate associations between BPA concentration and reproductive hormones and semen quality, adjusting for confounding factors. Results: We found that 98% of the men had detectable urinary levels of BPA. Median (5th–95th percentiles) BPA concentration was 3.25 ng/mL (0.59–14.89 ng/mL). Men with BPA concentrations above the lowest quartile had higher concentrations of serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, and free testosterone compared with the lowest quartile (ptrend ≤ 0.02). Men in the highest quartile of BPA excretion had on average 18% higher total testosterone (95% CI: 8, 28%), 22% higher LH (95% CI: 6, 39%), and 13% higher estradiol (95% CI: 4, 24%) compared with lowest quartile. Men in the highest quartile of BPA also had significantly lower percentage progressive motile spermatozoa compared with men in the lowest quartile (–6.7 percentage points, 95% CI: –11.76, –1.63). BPA was not associated with other semen parameters. Adjusting for dietary patterns did not influence the results. Conclusions: The pattern of associations between BPA and reproductive hormones could indicate an antiandrogenic or antiestrogenic effect, or both, of BPA on the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal hormone feedback system, possibly through a competitive inhibition at the receptor level. However, additional research is needed to confirm our findings and to further test the suggested potential mechanisms. Citation: Lassen TH, Frederiksen H, Jensen TK, Petersen JH, Joensen UN, Main KM, Skakkebaek NE, Juul A, Jørgensen N, Andersson AM. 2014. Urinary bisphenol A levels in young men: association with reproductive hormones and semen quality. Environ Health Perspect 122:478–484; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1307309
3.48mW 2.4GHz range Frequency Synthesizer Architecture with Two-Point Channel Control for Fast Settling Performance

A new frequency synthesizer architecture with low-power and very short settling time is introduced for 2.4GHz ZigBee applications. It uses two-point channel control with divider control and direct VCO control. A DAC with tunable gain is used along with a linearized varactor for the direct VCO control path. Despite the use of an integer-N architecture with 50kHz loop bandwidth, we have achieved a frequency settling time of less than 10musec for 80MHz frequency jumping from 2400MHz. The proposed modified-TSPC circuit topology with 2-transistor stacks operational with lower supply voltage is used for the high frequency divider circuits. With a lowered supply voltage of 1.0V, the power consumption is significantly reduced and so is the switching noise induced by TSPC and digital circuits. With the -112 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1MHz offset from 2.44GHz, total power consumption using 0.18mum CMOS technology is only 3.48mW
Aberrant adhesion impacts early development in a Dictyostelium model for juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

ABSTRACT Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), also known as Batten disease, refers to a group of severe neurodegenerative disorders that primarily affect children. The most common subtype of the disease is caused by loss-of-function mutations in CLN3, which is conserved across model species from yeast to human. The precise function of the CLN3 protein is not known, which has made targeted therapy development challenging. In the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, loss of Cln3 causes aberrant mid-to-late stage multicellular development. In this study, we show that Cln3-deficiency causes aberrant adhesion and aggregation during the early stages of Dictyostelium development. cln3− cells form ∼30% more multicellular aggregates that are comparatively smaller than those formed by wild-type cells. Loss of Cln3 delays aggregation, but has no significant effect on cell speed or cAMP-mediated chemotaxis. The aberrant aggregation of cln3− cells cannot be corrected by manually pulsing cells with cAMP. Moreover, there are no significant differences between wild-type and cln3− cells in the expression of genes linked to cAMP chemotaxis (e.g., adenylyl cyclase, acaA; the cAMP receptor, carA; cAMP phosphodiesterase, pdsA; g-protein α 9 subunit, gpaI). However, during this time in development, cln3− cells show reduced cell-substrate and cell-cell adhesion, which correlate with changes in the levels of the cell adhesion proteins CadA and CsaA. Specifically, loss of Cln3 decreases the intracellular level of CsaA and increases the amount of soluble CadA in conditioned media. Together, these results suggest that the aberrant aggregation of cln3− cells is due to reduced adhesion during the early stages of development. Revealing the molecular basis underlying this phenotype may provide fresh new insight into CLN3 function.
Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Associated with Osteosarcoma in a True Malignant Mixed Tumor of the Submandibular Region

Introduction. True malignant mixed tumor, also known as carcinosarcoma, is a rare tumor of the salivary gland composed of both malignant epithelial and malignant mesenchymal elements. Frequently carcinosarcoma arises in the background of a preexisting pleomorphic adenoma; however, if no evidence of benign mixed tumor is present, the lesion is known as carcinosarcoma “de novo. ” We reported the first case of true malignant mixed tumor of the submandibular gland composed of high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma associated with osteosarcoma. Case Presentation. A 69-year-old Caucasian male came to our department complaining of the appearance of an asymptomatic left submandibular neoformation progressively increasing in size over 3 months. We opted for surgical treatment. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of carcinosarcoma with the coexistence of high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and osteosarcoma. Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, in the true malignant mixed tumor of the submandibular gland, mucoepidermoid carcinoma associated with osteosarcoma has never been previously reported.
Negative Income Shocks Increase Discount Rates

People with low incomes exhibit higher temporal discounting compared to richer people, i.e., they are more likely to prefer smaller and sooner over larger and later payments. Here we test whether this relationship reflects a causal effect of income on discounting. In doing so, we distinguish whether changes in discounting reflect the experience of a negative shock, or the resulting lower income levels. Participants in a laboratory experiment randomly received different starting endowments, creating “rich” and “poor” groups. All participants then performed a real effort task to earn money, following which subgroups of participants received positive and negative income shocks. Importantly, the magnitude of the shocks and the initial endowments were designed such that they resulted in exactly identical income levels between those groups that did and those that did not receive a shock. This design allows us to identify the effect of income shocks on discounting, while exactly controlling for income levels. We find that negative income shocks lead to an increase in discounting; specifically, they exacerbate present bias, the tendency to overvalue the present relative to the future. Conversely, positive income shocks weakly decrease discounting. In contrast, high vs. low levels of income in the absence of shocks do not affect discounting. The effect of income shocks on discounting cannot be explained by shock-induced stress or negative affect, a desire to break even, or reference point effects. Together, these findings suggest that poverty increases discounting, and that this effect may operate through income shocks rather than income levels. ∗We thank Florian Bosshart, Amélie Brune, Deborah Kistler, and Urša Krenk for excellent research assistance. This research was supported by Cogito Foundation Grant R-116/10 and NIH Grant R01AG039297 to Johannes Haushofer. †Department of Psychology, WoodrowWilson School for Public and International Affairs, and Department of Economics, Princeton University, NJ, USA; National Bureau for Economic Research; and The Busara Center for Behavioral Economics, Nairobi, Kenya. haushofer@princeton.edu ‡Department of Economics, University of Zürich, Switzerland. ernst.fehr@econ.uzh. ch
Evaluation of human papilloma virus infection in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from the Caspian Sea area, north of Iran.

INTRODUCTION HPV has been found repeatedly in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues. However, reported detection rates of HPV DNA in these tumors have varied markedly. Differences in detection methods, sample types, and geographic regions of sample origin have been suggested as potential causes of variation. We have reported that infection of HPV DNA in ESCC tumors depends on anatomical sites of esophagus of the patients from Mazandaran, north of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS HPV DNA was examined in 46 upper, 69 middle and 62 lower third anatomical sites of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma specimens collected from Mazandaran province in north Iran, near the Caspian Littoral as a region with high incidence of ESCC. HPV L1 DNA was detected using Qualitative Real time PCR and MY09/MY11 primers. RESULTS 28.3% of upper, 29% of middle and 25.8% of lower third of ESCC samples were positive for HPV DNA. 13.6% for males and 14.1% for females were HPV positive in all samples. CONCLUSIONS HPV infection is about one third of ESCC in this area. Findings in this study increase the possibility that HPV is involved in esophageal carcinogenesis. Further investigation with a larger sample size is necessary.
An Alternative Sutureless Repair Technique with Amelogenin for Duodenal Perforation

Abstract Background : Among the various sutureless techniques, fibrin glue has proved to be effective in the treatment of peptic ulcer perforation as an alternative to classical suture repair. Albeit rare, a potential disadvantage of fibrin glue use is viral transmission or anaphylaxis. The aim of this study is to introduce a new technique for the closure of duodenal perforation using a novel recombinant enamel protein called amelogenin. Methods : In this case-control experimental study, 32 adult male Wistar Albino rats weighing 250–300 g were randomly divided into four groups, each containing 8 rats. Duodenal perforation of 0.2 cm were performed in the postpyloric region in all rats. Each group received primary repair, primary repair with omentoplasty, fibrin glue, and amelogenin, respectively. All animals were killed on the postoperative day five and the bursting pressure measurements, hydroxypro-line levels and histopathologic values of the wound site were evaluated. Results : Bursting pressure levels of the fibrin glue and amelogenin groups were significantly lower than the primary repair and primary repair with omentoplasty groups (P < 0.05) However, no significant difference existed between the fibrin glue and amelogenin groups in this respect (P > 0.05). There was also no statistically significant difference among all groups regarding tissue hydroxyproline levels and histopathologic values (P > 0.05). Conclusion : Application of amelogenin as an alternative sutureless repair technique did not improve wound healing in this animal model of duodenal perforation.
POTENCIAL ANTIOXIDANTE DE EXTRATO DE CEVADA EM RATOS SUBMETIDOS À DIETA HIPERLIPÍDICA

Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize free radicals produced in the body during lipid oxidation. The objective in this article was to study the effect of the barley extract on lipid oxidation in rats subjected to a high-fat diet. The experiment lasted 67 days. The animals were separated into three experimental groups: standard (P), high-fat diet group (L), and group with high-fat diet supplemented with barley extract (C). The feed intake of L and C groups was the lowest (p < 0.05). The treatments did not influence weight gain, organ weight, and the blood parameters measured. However, the levels of malondialdehyde present in the liver tissue were higher in the L group and lower in the P and C groups. Therefore, the results indicated an increased level of lipid peroxidation in the liver of rats subjected to high-fat diet, which was reduced by the consumption of barley.
Smile to see the forest: Facially expressed positive emotions broaden cognition

The broaden hypothesis, part of Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) broaden-and-build theory, proposes that positive emotions lead to broadened cognitive states. Here, we present evidence that cognitive broadening can be produced by frequent facial expressions of positive emotion. Additionally, we present a novel method of using facial electromyography (EMG) to discriminate between Duchenne (genuine) and non-Duchenne (non-genuine) smiles. Across experiments, Duchenne smiles occurred more frequently during positive emotion inductions than neutral or negative inductions. Across experiments, Duchenne smiles correlated with self-reports of specific positive emotions. In Experiment 1, high frequencies of Duchenne smiles predicted increased attentional breadth on a global–local visual processing task. In Experiment 2, high frequencies of Duchenne smiles predicted increased attentional flexibility on a covert attentional orienting task. These data underscore the value of using multiple methods to measure emotional experience in studies of emotion and cognition.
ALPHA SELF-ABSORPTION EVALUATION IN RADIOMETRIC FILTER MATERIAL FOR THE NATURAL RANGE OF ALPHA ENERGY (5-9 MeV)

In this paper, SRIM (The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter) software package is used to simulate the interaction of alpha particles into the material of radiometric analytical filters. The effect of alpha particle self-absorption in alpha radiometric filters measurements is estimated, especially in the range of natural alpha energy (5-9 MeV, Radon and Thoron alpha energy). Software package SRIM allows to calculate the parameters of the ions interaction with target material using a Monte Carlo simulation method based on a quantum mechanical treatment of ion-atom collisions. The effect of the radiometric analytical filter material on the transmitted efficiency of alpha energy is discussed. As the energy increases the self-absorption in analytical filter material is decreased but still has a clear effect. In this case, the filter material and the space distance between the filter and the detector window decrease the number of alpha particles which reach to the detector window.
General Regression Model for Predicting Surface Topography after Abrasive Blasting

Abrasive blasting modifies the surface state of pre-treated materials in terms of surface irregularities. Bearing in mind that the roughness characteristics affect the components functionality, it is essential to study and evaluation the surface state of pre-treated materials. The paper deals with evaluation of relation between individual parameters of roughness of the blasted surfaces by the correlation analysis. Based on the measured values on the surfaces which were blasted by various types of blasting devices, the correlation matrix was set and the standard of statistic importance of correlation between the monitored parameters was determined from it. The correlation coefficient was also set. There were found regression models using ANOVA (ANalysis Of Variance). Based on the analysis of the results were also proposed sets of roughness parameters, which can be used in the assessment of the blasted surfaces.
The virtual-hand illusion: effects of impact and threat on perceived ownership and affective resonance

The rubber hand illusion refers to the observation that participants perceive “body ownership” for a rubber hand if it moves, or is stroked in synchrony with the participant's real (covered) hand. Research indicates that events targeting artificial body parts can trigger affective responses (affective resonance) only with perceived body ownership, while neuroscientific findings suggest affective resonance irrespective of ownership (e.g., when observing other individuals under threat). We hypothesized that this may depend on the severity of the event. We first replicated previous findings that the rubber hand illusion can be extended to virtual hands—the virtual-hand illusion. We then tested whether hand ownership and affective resonance (assessed by galvanic skin conductance) are modulated by the experience of an event that either “impacted” (a ball hitting the hand) or “threatened” (a knife cutting the hand) the virtual hand. Ownership was stronger if the virtual hand moved synchronously with the participant's own hand, but this effect was independent from whether the hand was impacted or threatened. Affective resonance was mediated by ownership however: In the face of mere impact, participants showed more resonance in the synchronous condition (i.e., with perceived ownership) than in the asynchronous condition. In the face of threat, in turn, affective resonance was independent of synchronicity—participants were emotionally involved even if a threat was targeting a hand that they did not perceive as their own. Our findings suggest that perceived body ownership and affective responses to body-related impact or threat can be dissociated and are thus unlikely to represent the same underlying process. We argue that affective reactions to impact are produced in a top-down fashion if the impacted effector is assumed to be part of one's own body, whereas threatening events trigger affective responses more directly in a bottom-up fashion—irrespective of body ownership.
Coreset Construction via Randomized Matrix Multiplication

Coresets are small sets of points that approximate the properties of a larger point-set. For example, given a compact set $\mathcal{S} \subseteq \mathbb{R}^d$, a coreset could be defined as a (weighted) subset of $\mathcal{S}$ that approximates the sum of squared distances from $\mathcal{S}$ to every linear subspace of $\mathbb{R}^d$. As such, coresets can be used as a proxy to the full dataset and provide an important technique to speed up algorithms for solving problems including principal component analysis, latent semantic indexing, etc. In this paper, we provide a structural result that connects the construction of such coresets to approximating matrix products. This structural result implies a simple, randomized algorithm that constructs coresets whose sizes are independent of the number and dimensionality of the input points. The expected size of the resulting coresets yields an improvement over the state-of-the-art deterministic approach. Finally, we evaluate the proposed randomized algorithm on synthetic and real data, and demonstrate its effective performance relative to its deterministic counterpart.
Nonlinear saturation behaviors of high-speed p-i-n photodetectors

We present numerical simulations of the ultrafast transport dynamics in an ultrahigh-speed double-heterostructure p-i-n photodetector. Nonlinear saturation behaviors under high field and high power illumination are investigated with the external circuit response considered. Damping constants and diffusion constants are both treated as electric-field- and carrier-concentration dependent in our model in order to take into account the effect of carrier scattering. We have also considered the carrier trapping at the heterostructure interfaces for the first time. Besides the drift-induced space charge screening effect, we find that saturation of external circuit and carrier-trapping-induced screening effect are also the dominant mechanisms contributed to the nonlinear bandwidth reduction under high power illumination. On the other hand, previously reported plasma oscillations are found to be greatly suppressed by including strong carrier diffusion effect in the model.
Series-Connected IGBTs Using Active Voltage Control Technique

With series insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) operation, well-matched gate drives will not ensure balanced dynamic voltage sharing between the switching devices. Rather, it is IGBT parasitic capacitances, mainly gate-to-collector capacitance Cgc, that dominate transient voltage sharing. As Cgc is collector voltage dependant and is significantly larger during the initial turn-off transition, it dominates IGBT dynamic voltage sharing. This paper presents an active control technique for series-connected IGBTs that allows their dynamic voltage transition dVce/dt to adaptively vary. Both switch ON and OFF transitions are controlled to follow a predefined dVce/dt. Switching losses associated with this technique are minimized by the adaptive dv/dt control technique incorporated into the design. A detailed description of the control circuits is presented in this paper. Experimental results with up to three series devices in a single-ended dc chopper circuit, operating at various low voltage and current levels, are used to illustrate the performance of the proposed technique.