Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Observations on the Fine Structure of the Gastric Parietal Cell of the Rat

The structure of the rat parietal cell was examined by electron microscopy. The intercellular and intracellular canalculi are lined by microvilli which are more numerous and larger than those of other gastric cells. The numerous mitochondria have closely packed cristae and a dense matrix containing opaque particles. The cytoplasmic vacuoles typical of parietal cells are part of a network of smooth surfaced tubules and vacuoles (the endoplasmic reticulum) which is intimately associated with the mitochondria and probably connected with the lumen of the canaliculi. Only a few dense particles are found attached to the surface of these tubules. The structure of the parietal cell is compared with that of other cells whose function also is transport of inorganic ions and water. Evidence is presented supporting the hypothesis that parietal cells differentiate from a less structurally specialized cell in the neck region of the gastric gland.
BER Analysis of Cooperative Systems in Free-Space Optical Networks

Free-space optical (FSO) communication suffers from several challenges in practical deployment; the major of them is fading or scintillation. To overcome such limitations, spatial diversity based on MIMO techniques has been proposed for FSO systems. User cooperation diversity is a new form of spatial diversity which is introduced to overcome some limitations of MIMO structures. Although the promising effects of cooperative transmission in RF communications have greatly been considered so far, there have been a few notable research on cooperative diversity in FSO. In this paper, we first consider a 3-way FSO communication setup, in which the cooperative protocol can be applied to achieve the spatial diversity without much increase in hardware, compared to their regular transmission. Then, we introduce different cooperative strategies and investigate their bit error rate (BER) performance in the presence of shot noise, using the photon-count method. We compare the results with those of the direct path link (non-cooperative scheme) and the two transmitters case, which are the upper and lower bounds on the BER of the cooperative scheme, respectively. The results illustrate the advantages of cooperation under a number of different scenarios for realistic SNRs.
A PNLMS Algorithm With Individual Activation Factors

This paper presents a proportionate normalized least-mean-square (PNLMS) algorithm using individual activation factors for each adaptive filter coefficient, instead of a global activation factor as in the standard PNLMS algorithm. The proposed individual activation factors, determined in terms of the corresponding adaptive filter coefficients, are recursively updated. This approach leads to a better distribution of the adaptation energy over the filter coefficients than the standard PNLMS does. Thereby, for impulse responses exhibiting high sparseness, the proposed algorithm achieves faster convergence, outperforming both the PNLMS and improved PNLMS (IPNLMS) algorithms.
Development of thermally stable and hygienic colored cotton fabric made by treatment with natural coconut shell extract

As far as the value addition of textile is concerned, flame retardancy of textile materials is considered to be one of the most important properties in textile finishing by both industries as well as academic researchers. Flame-retardant property with thermal stability was imparted to cotton by using green coconut (Cocos nucifera Linn) shell extract, a natural waste source of coconut. Coconut shell extract was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry and its phytochemical analysis was also carried out. The coconut shell extract (acidic after extraction) was applied in three different pH (acidic, neutral, and alkaline) conditions to the cotton fabric. Flame-retardant properties of the untreated and the treated cotton fabrics were analyzed by limiting oxygen index and vertical flammability. The study showed that all the treated fabrics had good flame resistance property compared to that of the untreated fabric. The limiting oxygen index value was found to increase by 72.2% after application of the coconut shell extract from alkaline pH. Pyrolysis and char formation behavior of the concerned fabrics were studied using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric analysis in a nitrogen atmosphere. The physicochemical composition of the untreated and coconut shell extract treated cotton fabrics were analyzed by attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Also, treated cotton fabric showed natural brown color and antibacterial property against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The durability of the flame-retardant functionality to washing with soap solution has also been studied and reported in this paper.
On the use of convolutional neural networks for robust classification of multiple fingerprint captures

Fingerprint classification is one of the most common approaches to accelerate the identification in large databases of fingerprints. Fingerprints are grouped into disjoint classes, so that an input fingerprint is compared only with those belonging to the predicted class, reducing the penetration rate of the search. The classification procedure usually starts by the extraction of features from the fingerprint image, frequently based on visual characteristics. In this work, we propose an approach to fingerprint classification using convolutional neural networks, which avoid the necessity of an explicit feature extraction process by incorporating the image processing within the training of the classifier. Furthermore, such an approach is able to predict a class even for low‐quality fingerprints that are rejected by commonly used algorithms, such as FingerCode. The study gives special importance to the robustness of the classification for different impressions of the same fingerprint, aiming to minimize the penetration in the database. In our experiments, convolutional neural networks yielded better accuracy and penetration rate than state‐of‐the‐art classifiers based on explicit feature extraction. The tested networks also improved on the runtime, as a result of the joint optimization of both feature extraction and classification.
Group-Level Graph Visualization Taxonomy

Task taxonomies for graph and network visualization focus on tasks commonly encountered when analyzing graph connectivity and topology. However, in many application fields such as the social sciences (social networks), biology (protein interaction models), software engineering (program call graphs), connectivity and topology information is intertwined with grouping and clustering information. Several recent visualization techniques, such as BubbleSets, LineSets and GMap, make explicit use of grouping and clustering, but evaluating such visualizations has been difficult due to the lack of standardized group-level tasks. With this in mind, our goal is to define a new set of tasks that assess group-level comprehension. We propose several types of group-level tasks and provide several examples of each type. Finally, we characterize some of the proposed tasks using a multi-level typology of
The Impact of Expectations on User Experience: Surprising the User

Exciting product design and great user experience (UX) have become one of the most important selling points for digital interactive products. Strong competition fosters innovative user experience design and the development of new design techniques. Surprising users by using unexpected product features has proven to be beneficial for product user interaction and UX. Unfortunately, these findings have been mostly limited to classical product design. In two studies we have tried to elicit surprise in users while they were playing a digital Tetris game. Within this context we investigated the influence of pleasant and unpleasant surprises on UX ratings of the game. Both manipulations had an influence on the affective states of users, pleasant surprise elevating the users' emotional state, and vice versa. Interestingly, adding unpleasant surprise in the form of challenging messages elevated product loyalty for products associated with unpleasant surprise compared to products associated with neutral or pleasant surprise.
Fast exploration of bus-based on-chip communication architectures

As a result of improvements in process technology, more and more components are being integrated into a single system-on-chip (SoC) design. Communication between these components is increasingly dominating critical system paths and frequently becomes the source of performance bottlenecks. It therefore becomes extremely important for designers to explore the communication space early in the design flow. Traditionally, pin-accurate bus cycle accurate (PA-BCA) models were used for exploring the communication space. To speed up simulation, transaction based bus cycle accurate (T-BCA) models have been proposed, which borrow concepts found in the transaction level modeling (TLM) domain. The cycle count accurate at transaction boundaries (CCATB) modeling abstraction was introduced for fast communication space exploration. In This work, we describe the mechanisms that produce the speedup in CCATB models and demonstrate the effectiveness of the CCATB exploration approach with the aid of a case study involving an AMBA 2.0 based SoC subsystem used in the multimedia application domain. We also analyze how the achieved simulation speedup scales with design complexity and show that SoC designs modeled at the CCATB level simulate 120% faster than PA-BCA and 67% faster than T-BCA models on average.
MIMO Channel Modelling Methods : An Overview

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems have been an important area for future wireless systems, as it can provide high capacity, good diversity and less interference. This technique is very attractive for wireless communication to increase data rates and system performance. A radio propagation channel is a one that gives the characteristics of MIMO systems. Different approaches have been modelled for the MIMO channel. So accurate modelling of MIMO channel is required for MIMO system design, simulation and deployment. As a result MIMO system becomes favourite choice for many researchers. This paper gives a brief description of various channel models employed for MIMO system.
Role of PSIP1/LEDGF/p75 in Lentiviral Infectivity and Integration Targeting

Background To replicate, lentiviruses such as HIV must integrate DNA copies of their RNA genomes into host cell chromosomes. Lentiviral integration is favored in active transcription units, which allows efficient viral gene expression after integration, but the mechanisms directing integration targeting are incompletely understood. A cellular protein, PSIP1/LEDGF/p75, binds tightly to the lentiviral-encoded integrase protein (IN), and has been reported to be important for HIV infectivity and integration targeting. Methodology Here we report studies of lentiviral integration targeting in 1) human cells with intensified RNAi knockdowns of PSIP1/LEDGF/p75, and 2) murine cells with homozygous gene trap mutations in the PSIP1/LEDGF/p75 locus. Infections with vectors derived from equine infections anemia virus (EIAV) and HIV were compared. Integration acceptor sites were analyzed by DNA bar coding and pyrosequencing. Conclusions/Significance In both PSIP1/LEDGF/p75-depleted cell lines, reductions were seen in lentiviral infectivity compared to controls. For the human cells, integration was reduced in transcription units in the knockdowns, and this reduction was greater than in our previous studies of human cells less completely depleted for PSIP1/LEDGF/p75. For the homozygous mutant mouse cells, similar reductions in integration in transcription units were seen, paralleling a previous study of a different mutant mouse line. Integration did not become random, however–integration in transcription units in both cell types was still favored, though to a reduced degree. New trends also appeared, including favored integration near CpG islands. In addition, we carried out a bioinformatic study of 15 HIV integration site data sets in different cell types, which showed that the frequency of integration in transcription units was correlated with the cell-type specific levels of PSIP1/LEDGF/p75 expression.
The role of neuropeptide-Y in nandrolone decanoate-induced attenuation of antidepressant effect of exercise

Since the increased prevalence of anabolic androgenic steroids abuse in last few decades is usually accompanied by various exercise protocols, the scope of our study was to evaluate the effects of chronic nandrolone decanoate administration in supraphysiological dose and a prolonged swimming protocol (alone and simultaneously with nandrolone decanoate) on depressive state in male rats. Simultaneously, we investigated the possible alterations in neuropeptide Y (NPY) content in blood and the hippocampus, in order to determine the role of NPY in the modulation of depressive-like behavior.Exercise induced antidepressant effects in tail suspension test (decrease of the total duration of immobility), as well as significant increase in the number of hippocampal NPY-interneurons in CA1 region. Chronic nandrolone decanoate treatment attenuated the beneficial antidepressant effects of exercise as measured by the tail suspension test parameters. Simultaneously, nandrolone decanoate treatment resulted in diminution of NPY content both in blood (decreased serum levels) and in hippocampus (the significant decrease in NPY expression in all three investigated hippocampal regions—CA1, CA2/3 and DG). Our findings indicate that alterations in serum and hippocampal NPY contents may underlie the changes in depressive state in rats. The exercise was beneficial as it exerted antidepressant effect, while chronic nandrolone decanoate treatment resulted in depressive-like behavior. Furthermore, the behavioral indicators of depression showed strong correlations with the serum levels and the hippocampal content of NPY.
Immunological procedure for the rapid and specific identification of Coccidioides immitis cultures

An immunological procedure for the rapid and specific identification of Coccidioides immitis isolates has been developed. The specificity of the procedure is based on the fact that C. immitis produces antigens that are not produced by morphologically similar fungi. The procedure involved the transfer of heavy mold-form inocula to flasks that contained small volumes of brain heart infusion broth. Shake cultures were grown at 25 degrees C on a gyratory shaker at 150 rpm. The concentrated supernatant antigens so obtained from broth cultures were tested in parallel with coccidioidin by a microimmunodiffusion technique against C. immitis antiserum. The ability of the immunological procedure to identify C. immitis cultures was evaluated by testing the supernatant antigens of 166 unknown isolates, many of which, by gross or microscopic examination or both, resembled C. immitis or belonged to the family Gymnoascaceae. Each culture was also identified by conventional laboratory procedures. Comparative evaluation showed that the immunological test for C. immitis was 100% sensitive and specific. The diagnostic precipitin bands that were produced by the interaction of the C. immitis supernatants and antisera were shown to consist of (i) a heat-stable antigen comparable to that active in the tube precipitin test and (ii) two heat-labile antigens, one of which was associated with complement fixation reactivity. With pure cultures, this immunological procedure permitted the identification of C. immitis isolates within 5 days.
Expression of Type IIA Secretory Phospholipase A2 Inhibits Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Activity in Transgenic Mice

Objective—High circulating levels of group IIA secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) activity and mass are independent cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, inhibition of sPLA2-IIA may be a target for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The present study evaluated the effects of sPLA2-IIA inhibition with varespladib acid in a novel mouse model, human apolipoprotein B (apoB)/human cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP)/human sPLA2-IIA triple transgenic mice (TTT) fed a Western-type diet. Approach and Results—sPLA2-IIA expression increased atherosclerotic lesion formation in TTT compared with human apoB/human CETP double transgenic mice (P<0.01). Varespladib acid effectively inhibited plasma sPLA2-IIA activity. Surprisingly, however, administration of varespladib acid to TTT had no impact on atherosclerosis, which could be attributed to a proatherogenic plasma lipoprotein profile that appears in response to sPLA2-IIA inhibition because of increased plasma CETP activity. In the TTT model, sPLA2-IIA decreased CETP activity by reducing the acceptor properties of sPLA2-IIA–modified very low-density lipoproteins specifically because of a significantly lower apoE content. Increasing very low-density lipoprotein-apoE content by means of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in sPLA2-IIA transgenic mice restored the acceptor properties for CETP. Conclusions—These data show that in a humanized triple transgenic mouse model with hypercholesterolemia, sPLA2-IIA inhibition increases CETP activity via increasing the very low-density lipoprotein-apoE content, resulting in a proatherogenic lipoprotein profile.
Frequency of personality disorders in two age cohorts of psychiatric inpatients.

OBJECTIVE The authors examined the frequency of DSM-III-R personality disorders in adolescent and young adult psychiatric inpatients. METHOD Structured diagnostic interviews were reliably performed with a series of 255 consecutively admitted inpatients (138 adolescents and 117 young adults). RESULTS Most personality disorders were diagnosed in similar frequencies in the two study groups. Passive-aggressive personality disorder was diagnosed with lower frequency and dependent personality disorder with higher frequency in the young adult than in the adolescent group. CONCLUSIONS The isomorphism of relative frequencies among psychiatric inpatients suggests that what is seen in adolescents are valid forms of most adult personality disorders.
A multi-granularity energy profiling approach and a quantitative study of a Web browser

While energy-efficiency considerations become a critical issue in embedded-system designs, little work is done for energy-profiling at different granularity levels. This paper aims at the proposing of a hybrid hardware-software-based profiling solution with different levels of abstraction. Compared to the existing work, the proposed solution could provide richer information on energy profiling with the help of execution-path tracking and exclusion of selected functions/classes/modules. We address technical issues in the implementation of the proposed profiling solution. A quantitative energy-profiling study over a well-known Web browser based on an object-oriented design, Konqueror, is then presented to provide a feasibility study of the proposed solution and insights in the design of an energy-efficient Web browser.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON ASCORBIC ACID REQUIREMENTS IN ANIMALS

Man, other primates, guinea pigs, the red-vented bulbul, and the Indian fruit bat cannot synthesize ascorbic acid because they lack the enzyme L-gulanolactone oxidase. Trout and certain other fishes also apparently lack a sufficient level of this enzyme to synthesize enough ascorbic acid to meet their needs. All other species under normal environmental conditions appear to be able to synthesize sutficient ascorbic acid for optimum functioning of their metabolic processes. Evidence exists, however, that under certain stresses, particularly under conditions of high environmental temperatures, some birds and mammals may not be able to synthesize ascorbic acid at a rate sufficient to replace the severe losses of this vitamin that occur under stress. In a number of experiments in both young chickens and laying hens subjected to high environmental temperatures, supplementation of the diet with ascorbic acid at levels up to 100-200 mg/kg diet has been shown to produce improvements in growth, egg production, and eggshell strength. Ascorbic acid is present in most tissues of the body. It is particularly high in those organs where intensive biosynthetic processes are taking place. The adrenal gland, the testes, and the ovaries contain especially high levels of vitamin C.l Environmental heat, especially temperatures above the upper critical temperature of the animal, represents a serious stress that brings into play many physiological processes of adaptation required for homeostasis and survival. When an animal is having trouble surviving because of an environmental temperature that is above its critical temperature, feed consumption, especially of nutritionally unbalanced diets, will cause a production of intolerable internal heat. The animal, therefore, must reduce feed consumption to a minimum. This minimum level of feed intake depends to a great extent on nutrient composition of the diet. Diets imbalanced in protein, amino acids, or vitamins produce a larger heat increment than do perfectly balanced diets. High environmental temperatures may ( 1 ) increase the metabolic requirements for vitamin C, (2) decrease the biosynthesis of the vitamin, and ( 3 ) affect the endocrine systems responsible for retention and proper metabolic functioning of the vitamin. Haltmeyer et a1.2 found that 3 minutes after exposure to a high environmental temperature, 2-day-old rats showed an increase in plasma corticosterone from 11 to 27 pg/ 100 ml plasma. A maximum rise occurred with 30 minutes' exposure in 2-day-old rats and a 60-minute exposure in 9-day-old rats. Siddiqui et aL3 found that adrenal ascorbic acid depletion in mice was negligible under stress of hypoxia (equivalent to 10,000-ft elevation) when the animals were maintained in a room at 28" C. At 32.5" C however, the same degree of hypoxia produced a pronounced depletion of adrenal ascorbic acid.
An Empirical Study on Quality Issues of Production Big Data Platform

Big Data computing platform has evolved to be a multi-tenant service. The service quality matters because system failure or performance slowdown could adversely affect business and user experience. There is few study in literature on service quality issues of production Big Data computing platform. In this paper, we present an empirical study on the service quality issues of Microsoft ProductA, which is a company-wide multi-tenant Big Data computing platform, serving thousands of customers from hundreds of teams. ProductA has a well-defined incident management process, which helps customers report and mitigate service quality issues on 24/7 basis. This paper explores the common symptom, causes and mitigation of service quality issues in Big Data computing. We conduct an empirical study on 210 real service quality issues in ProductA. Our major findings include (1) 21.0% of escalations are caused by hardware faults; (2) 36.2% are caused by system side defects; (3) 37.2% are due to customer side faults. We also studied the general diagnosis process and the commonly adopted mitigation solutions. Our findings can help improve current development and maintenance practice of Big Data computing platform, and motivate tool support.