Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A note on "task allocation and scheduling models for multiprocessor digital signal processing"

Previously, a branch and bound algorithm for task allocation or task scheduling in multiprocessor digital signal processing based on 0-1 integer programming was proposed by Konstantinides et al. (1990). This algorithm does not consider the problem of contention in the communication links of a multiprocessor system and thus may produce unrealistic schedules. The present authors present a modified version of this algorithm that resolves the problem of contention, thereby producing realistic optimal schedules. >
Effect of electrical stimulation‐induced cycling on bone mineral density in spinal cord‐injured patients

Background Bone atrophy in spinal cord‐injured people (SCI) is, among other factors, caused by immobilization and is initiated shortly after the injury. The present study measured the effect of an functional electrical stimulation (FES)‐cycling intervention on bone mineral density (BMD) of the tibia in recently injured SCI people.
Adenovirus Release from the Infected Cell as a Key Factor for Adenovirus Oncolysis~!2009-10-09~!2010-02-25~!2010-05-26~!

Adenovirus release is not triggered until late times after viral infection, when the adenovirus death protein (ADP) accumulates to induce viral egress. Thus, the natural rate of adenovirus release may hinder the spread of oncolytic adenoviruses. Several experimental approaches have provided evidence indicating that promoting adenovirus release can be used to enhance their therapeutic potential. This review briefly summarizes what is known about the mechanism of adenovirus release and describes three different strategies, ADP overexpression, apoptosis induction, and bioselection, which can be used to enhance adenovirus release. Finally we will discuss some of the future perspectives that will contribute to the better use of progeny release for the improvement of the antitumor activity of oncolytic adenoviruses.
SongExplorer: A Tabletop Application for Exploring Large Collections of Songs

This paper presents SongExplorer, a system for the exploration of large music collections on tabletop interfaces. SongExplorer addresses the problem of finding new interesting songs on large music databases, from an interaction design perspective. Using high level descriptors of musical songs, SongExplorer creates a coherent 2D map based on similarity, in which neighboring songs tend to be more similar. All songs are represented as throbbing circles that highlight their more relevant high-level properties, and the resulting music map is browseable and zoomable by the users who can use their fingers as well as specially designed tangible pucks, for helping them to find interesting music, independently of their previous knowledge of the collection. SongExplorer also offers basic player capabilities, allowing the users to organize the songs they have just discovered into playlists which can be manipulated as well as played and displayed. In this paper, the system hardware, software and interaction design are explained, and the usability tests carried are presented. Finally, conclusions and future work are discussed.
Influence of ocular features and incision width on surgically induced astigmatism after cataract surgery.

PURPOSE To identify factors associated with surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) following phacoemulsification. METHODS Six hundred five eyes underwent phacoemulsification with a 2.2-mm (the 2.2-mm group, n = 248) or 2.75-mm (the 2.75-mm group, n = 357) superior limbal incision. Preoperative axial length, anterior chamber depth, corneal curvature, and intra-ocular pressure were measured. Corneal curvature and intraocular pressure were measured at 1 day, 1 week, and 1, 2, and 3 months postoperatively. SIA, corneal flattening, and torque were calculated using the Alpins method. The effect of preoperative corneal astigmatism meridian on SIA was also examined. Differences in SIA between the 2.2- and 2.75-mm groups were explored, and correlations between SIA and preoperative corneal astigmatism, anterior chamber depth, axial length, age, and intraocular pressure were analyzed. RESULTS SIA, corneal flattening, and torque were smaller in the 2.2-mm group than in the 2.75-mm group at 1 week (P = .003, .006, and .014, respectively), but not statistically different thereafter. Higher preoperative corneal astigmatism, older age, and shallower anterior chamber depth were associated with greater SIA in both groups. The effect of astigmatism meridian on SIA was more noticeable in the 2.75-mm group. Shorter axial length and lower intraocular pressures were associated with greater SIA in the 2.75-mm group but not in the 2.2-mm group. CONCLUSIONS Reducing limbal incision width and considering patient age, the meridian and magnitude of corneal astigmatism, anterior chamber depth, axial length, and intraocular pressure, and adjusting the flattening component of SIA input for toric intraocular lens power calculation could potentially improve the astigmatism control in refractive lens surgery.
Musical Minds: Attentional Blink Reveals Modality-Specific Restrictions

Background Formal musical training is known to have positive effects on attentional and executive functioning, processing speed, and working memory. Consequently, one may expect to find differences in the dynamics of temporal attention between musicians and non-musicians. Here we address the question whether that is indeed the case, and whether any beneficial effects of musical training on temporal attention are modality specific or generalize across sensory modalities. Methodology/Principal Findings When two targets are presented in close temporal succession, most people fail to report the second target, a phenomenon known as the attentional blink (AB). We measured and compared AB magnitude for musicians and non-musicians using auditory or visually presented letters and digits. Relative to non-musicians, the auditory AB was both attenuated and delayed in musicians, whereas the visual AB was larger. Non-musicians with a large auditory AB tended to show a large visual AB. However, neither a positive nor negative correlation was found in musicians, suggesting that at least in musicians, attentional restrictions within each modality are completely separate. Conclusion/Significance AB magnitude within one modality can generalize to another modality, but this turns out not to be the case for every individual. Formal musical training seems to have a domain-general, but modality-specific beneficial effect on selective attention. The results fit with the idea that a major source of attentional restriction as reflected in the AB lies in modality-specific, independent sensory systems rather than a central amodal system. The findings demonstrate that individual differences in AB magnitude can provide important information about the modular structure of human cognition.
Assessment of Respirable Crystalline Silica Analysis Using Proficiency Analytical Testing Results from 2003–2013

Analysis of Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) results between 2003 and 2013 suggest that the variation in respirable crystalline silica analysis is much smaller today than it was in the period 1990–1998, partly because of a change in sample production procedure and because the colorimetric method has been phased out, although quality improvements in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) or infrared (IR) methods may have also played a role. There is no practical difference between laboratories using XRD or IR methods or between laboratories which are accredited or those which are not. Reference laboratory means (assigned values) are not different from the means of all participants across the current range of mass loading, although there is a small difference in variance in the ratios of all participants to reference laboratory means based on method because the reference laboratories are much more likely to use XRD than are the others. Matrix interference does not lead to biases or substantially larger variances for either XRD or IR methods. Data from proficiency test sample analyses that include results from poorly performing laboratories should not be used to determine the validity of a method. PAT samples are not produced below 40 μg and variance may increase with lower masses, although this is not particularly predictable. PAT data from lower mass loadings will be required to evaluate analytical performance if exposure limits are lowered without change in sampling method. Task-specific exposure measurements for periods shorter than a full shift typically result in lower mass loadings and the quality of these analyses would also be better assured from being within the range of PAT mass loadings. High flow rate cyclones, whose performance has been validated, can be used to obtain higher mass loadings in environments of lower concentrations or where shorter sampling times are desired.
Automatic reconfiguration in Autonet

Autonet is a switch-based local area network using 100 Mbit/s full-duplex point-to-point links. Crossbar switches are interconnected to other switches and to host controllers in an arbitrary pattern. Switch hardware uses the destination address in each packet to determine the proper outgoing link for the next step in the path from source to destination. Autonet automatically recalculates these forwarding paths in response to failures and additions of network components. This automatic reconfiguration allows the network to continue normal operation without need of human intervention. Reconfiguration occurs quickly enough that higher-level protocols are not disrupted. This paper describes the fault monitoring and topology acquisition mechanisms that are central to automatic reconfiguration in Autonet.
Prediction of native coronary artery disease progression following PTCA or CABG in the Emory Angioplasty Versus Surgery Trial.

BACKGROUND The natural history of atherosclerosis progression following revascularization procedures (PTCA or CABG) limits the long-term benefits of these procedures and requires continuation of risk management. MATERIAL/METHODS Of 392 patients with multivessel disease randomized to an initial strategy of PTCA or CABG in the Emory Angioplasty Versus Surgery Trial (EAST), 298 patients (152 PTCA and 146 CABG) completed 3-year angiographic follow-up. Native coronary artery disease progression was defined as lesions with <50% diameter stenosis (%S) at baseline, measured by QCA, that increased at least 10%S to become >or=50%S during the 3-year follow-up. Major ischemic events (new Q-wave myocardial infarction, a large reversible thallium defect or additional revascularization procedures) attributed to these new lesions were determined based on the ECG ischemic changes and/or the details of the coronary anatomy. RESULTS Of 298 patients, 53 (18%) (15% of PTCA and 21% of CABG) developed at least one significant new native coronary artery lesion. Of 136 patients with events, 19 (14%) had such events due to progression. In multivariate analysis, native coronary disease progression was independently correlated with hypertension (OR=2.4, p=0.03), ST segment depression =1mm on baseline ETT (OR=2.7, p=0.01), and percent of small LDL particles (LDL IIIa-IVb) (OR=1.2 for every 5% increase, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS In EAST, the native CAD progression accounted for one in seven major ischemic episodes over a 3-year follow-up. Patients with metabolic atherogenic risk profiles were more likely to have disease progression. These findings indicate the importance of more aggressive risk factor modification following revascularization.
Using social media to increase e-government adoption in developing countries

E-government can be a useful tool for governments to improve relationships with their citizens. However, citizen trust in government and the Internet technology is necessary for broad adoption of e-government. Using a survey, this study examines the trust level of digital natives in Nepal in their government and the Internet technology in general. The trust level in government comprises both relational trust and institutional trust and the relational trust is subdivided into three aspects: competency, benevolence, and integrity. This study also investigates respondents Internet and social media usage behavior and their likelihood to adopt e-government if social media is used in government-citizen communication. Results show that respondents have a low level of competence and benevolence trust in Nepalese government whereas their level of integrity and institutional trust in government was extremely low. Although respondents generally used the Internet and social media more than four hours a day, most have not used or seldom used e-government websites. Respondents' positive attitude towards government's presence on social networking websites provides an excellent opportunity for Nepalese government to harness the potential of social media. To supplement the views of digital natives, two business website owners and two government officials in Nepal were also interviewed. Interviewees were positive of the benefits the Nepalese government could gain by being presence on social media, especially in terms of promoting transparency. Some also suggested that Nepalese government needs to consider developing e-government applications in local language.
Modelling MAC-Layer Communications in Wireless Systems

We present a timed broadcast process calculus for wireless networks at the MAC-sublayer where time-dependent communications are exposed to collisions. We define a reduction semantics for our calculus which leads to a contextual equivalence for comparing the external behaviour of wireless networks. Further, we construct an extensional LTS (labelled transition system) which models the activities of stations that can be directly observed by the external environment. Standard bisimulations in this novel LTS provide a sound proof method for proving that two systems are contextually equivalent. In addition, the main contribution of the paper is that our proof technique is also complete for a large class of systems.
Automated support for classifying software failure reports

This paper proposes automated support for classifying reported software failures in order to facilitate prioritizing them and diagnosing their causes. A classification strategy is presented that involves the use of supervised and unsupervised pattern classification and multivariate visualization. These techniques are applied to profiles of failed executions in order to group together failures with the same or similar causes. The resulting classification is then used to assess the frequency and severity of failures caused by particular defects and to help diagnose those defects. The results of applying the proposed classification strategy to failures of three large subject programs are reported These results indicate that the strategy can be effective.
An Adaptive Redundant Reservation Strategy in Distributed High- performance Computing Environments

In distributed high-performance computing environments, resource reservation mechanism is an effective approach to provide desirable quality of service for large-scale applications. However, conventional reservation service might result in lower resource utilization and higher rejection rate if it is excessively applied. Furthermore, redundant reservation policy has been widely applied in many practical systems with aiming to improve the reliability of application execution at runtime. In this paper, we proposed an adaptive redundant reservation strategy, which uses overlapping technique to implement reservation admission and enable resource providers dynamically determine the redundant degree at runtime. By overlapping a new reservation with an existing one, a request whose reservation requirements can not be satisfied in traditional way might be accepted. Also, by dynamically determining the redundant degree, our strategy can obtain optimal tradeoff between performance and reliability for distributed high-performance computing systems. Experimental results show that the strategy can bring about remarkably higher resource utilization and lower rejection rate when using redundant reservation service at the price of a slightly increasing of reservation violations.
Use of letrozole in assisted reproduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Letrozole is the third-generation aromatase inhibitor (AI) most widely used in assisted reproduction. AIs induce ovulation by inhibiting estrogen production; the consequent hypoestrogenic state increases GnRH release and pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) synthesis. METHODS A systematic search of the literature was performed for both prospective and retrospective studies. Meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were performed for three comparisons: letrozole versus clomiphene citrate (CC), letrozole + FSH versus FSH in intrauterine insemination (IUI) and letrozole + FSH versus FSH in IVF. In the absence of RCTs, non-randomized studies were pooled. RESULTS Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. Four RCTs compared the overall effect of letrozole with CC in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. The pooled result was not significant for ovulatory cycles (OR = 1.17; 95% CI 0.66–2.09), or for pregnancy rate per cycle (OR = 1.47; 95% CI 0.73–2.96) or for pregnancy rate per patient (OR = 1.37; 95% CI 0.70–2.71). In three retrospective studies which compared L + FSH with FSH in ovarian stimulation for IUI, the pooled OR was 1.15 (95% CI 0.78−1.71). A final meta-analysis included one RCT and one cohort study that compared letrozole + gonadotrophin versus gonadotrophin alone: the pooled pregnancy rate per patient was not significantly different (OR = 1.40; 95% CI 0.67–2.91). CONCLUSIONS Letrozole is as effective as other methods of ovulation induction. Further randomized-controlled studies are warranted to define more clearly the efficacy and safety of letrozole in human reproduction.
In‐situ lobular/myoepithelial neoplasia of the breast

Neoadjuvant therapy also rendered the cells less immunoreactive for CK20 and CEA with eosinophilic cytoplasmic transformation and a reduction of glandular structures. There was a remarkable reduction of proliferative activity. As a result there was a scant number of tumour cells having eosinophilic cytoplasm making malignancy difficult to identify in the colon and especially in metastatic sites due to these atypical features of the tumour cells as well as the change in their immunohistochemical properties.
ANTERIOR CERVICAL DISCECTOMY AND FUSION

1. A series of 154 patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion has been studied. A detailed analysis of the first eighty-four patients who have been observed for periods of from one to eight and a half years is described. In sixty-eight patients the fusion was done with a keystone type of graft, in seventeen by a dowel (Cloward) graft.2. Despite a preponderance of multiple level fusions in the keystone series, clinically better results (80·8 per cent excellent or good) were found in this group than in the dowel group (64·8 per cent excellent or good). 3. A biomechanical study has indicated the keystone graft to be more stable than a dowel graft under flexion and extension strains as well as lateral bending strain. The graft is more stable the closer it is to the line of "zero velocity. "4. The three cases of non-union all occurred in the dowel group. The high incidence of fusion with the keystone technique is considered to be related to the type of graft, its method of seating, its depth .
Chloride currents of single mitochondria‐rich cells of toad skin epithelium.

1. Mitochondria‐rich (MR) cells in free suspension were obtained by collagenase and trypsin treatments of toad skin epithelium and studied by whole‐cell voltage clamp and membrane current fluctuation analysis. 2. Cells studied with a 100 microM amiloride and 5 mM Ba2+ Ringer solution on the outside and 10 mM Cs+ in the pipette generated large membrane currents with reversal potentials varying in a Nernstian way with pipette [Cl‐]. 3. The membrane chloride currents were activated in excess of Goldman‐Hodgkin‐Katz rectification by cell depolarization and clamping to positive cell potentials (VC). The resulting Cl‐ permeability was presented as an S‐shaped function of membrane potential with half‐maximal activation in the range 0 mV < VC < 50 mV. 4. The power density spectrum of Cl‐ current fluctuations could be fitted with a single Lorentzian component with a corner frequency, fc, of 34.9 +/‐ 2.6 Hz, and a low frequency asymptote, S(o), or 14.6 +/‐ 1.3 pA2 s per cell (mean +/‐ S.E.M.; VC = 25 mV, ECl = 0 mV, n = 6). 5. The lower‐limit single channel conductance, gamma Cl(1 ‐ Po), was 128 +/‐ 9 pS (VC = 25 mV, n = 6), where Po is the open channel probability. With Po = 0.5, this result indicates that Cl‐ channels of large unitary conductance (200‐300 pS) are present in the mitochondria‐rich cell membrane.
The ‘Expanding Domain’ of Warlpiri Initiation Rituals

In his paper ‘An expanding Aboriginal domain: mobility and the initiation journey’, Nic Peterson (2000) describes and analyses the conspicuous increase in numbers of people and distances travelled for the central Australian Aboriginal initiatory journey known as Jilkaja.1 He contrasts initiation ceremonies that he witnessed in the early 1970s, during which Jilkaja journeys to collect boys for initiation were short and involved only a small group of directly related people, with the description of this more recent journey. During the latter, a Warlpiri initiation candidate and his guardian together travelled 2250 km from Yuendumu in the Northern Territory to Tjuntjuntjara in Western Australia and back; furthermore, this journey at some stages involved up to 600 people. Peterson largely attributes the dramatic contrast in scale to Aboriginal peoples’ independent ownership of cars, which began in the late 1960s when welfare payments began to be made directly as cash to individuals rather than being administered by the settlement superintendent. Car ownership thus significantly enhances the geographical distance over which central Australian Aboriginal people maintain networks of relationships.
Most borrowed is most cited? Library loan statistics as a proxy for monograph selection in citation indexes

This study aims to analyse whether library loans statistics can be used as a measure of monograph use and as a selection criteria for inclusion in citation indexes. For this, we conducted an exploratory study based on loan data (1000 most borrowed monographs) from two non-Anglo-Saxon European university libraries (Granada and Vienna) with strong social sciences and humanities components. Loans to scientists only were also analysed at the University of Vienna. Furthermore, citation counts for the 100 most borrowed scientific monographs (SM) and textbooks or manuals (MTB) were retrieved from Web of Science and Google Scholar. The results show considerable similarities in both libraries: the percentage of loans for books in national languages represents almost 96 per cent of the total share and SM accounts only for 10 to 13 per cent. When considering loans to scientists only, the percentage of English books increases to 30 per cent, the percentage of SM loans also increases (approx 80 per cent). Furthermore, we found no significant correlations between loans and citations. Since loan statistics are currently insufficient for measuring the use of monographs, their suggested use as an applicable selection criterion for book citation indexes is not yet feasible. Data improvement and aggregation at different levels is a challenge for modern libraries in order to enable the exploitation of this invaluable information source for scientometric purposes.