Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large-Eddy Simulation for the Prediction of Aerodynamics in IC Engines

In this paper, large-eddy simulation techniques are used to predict aerodynamics through diesel engine intake ports under steady-flow conditions. For the first test case, swirling flows are investigated through an axisymmetric sudden expansion. The LES swirl profile predicted is compared with experimental measurements. For the second test case, a sudden expansion with a valve is tested, where discharge coefficient is compared to experimental data. For the third test case, the same approach is applied to a real engine geometry which has two intake ports. Both the swirl profile and the discharge coefficient are calculated and compared to experiments.
Pharmacogenetics of Efficacy and Safety of HCV Treatment in HCV-HIV Coinfected Patients: Significant Associations with IL28B and SOCS3 Gene Variants

Background and Aims This was a safety and efficacy pharmacogenetic study of a previously performed randomized trial which compared the effectiveness of treatment of hepatitis C virus infection with pegylated interferon alpha (pegIFNα) 2a vs. 2b, both with ribavirin, for 48 weeks, in HCV-HIV coinfected patients. Methods The study groups were made of 99 patients (efficacy pharmacogenetic substudy) and of 114 patients (safety pharmacogenetic substudy). Polymorphisms in the following candidate genes IL28B, IL6, IL10, TNFα, IFNγ, CCL5, MxA, OAS1, SOCS3, CTLA4 and ITPA were assessed. Genotyping was carried out using Sequenom iPLEX-Gold, a single-base extension polymerase chain reaction. Efficacy end-points assessed were: rapid, early and sustained virological response (RVR, EVR and SVR, respectively). Safety end-points assessed were: anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, flu-like syndrome, gastrointestinal disturbances and depression. Chi square test, Student's T test, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression were used for statistic analyses. Results As efficacy is concerned, IL28B and CTLA4 gene polymorphisms were associated with RVR (p<0.05 for both comparisons). Nevertheless, only polymorphism in the IL28B gene was associated with SVR (p = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, the only gene independently associated with SVR was IL28B (OR 2.61, 95%CI 1.2–5.6, p = 0.01). With respect to safety, there were no significant associations between flu-like syndrome or depression and the genetic variants studied. Gastrointestinal disturbances were associated with ITPA gene polymorphism (p = 0.04). Anemia was associated with OAS1 and CTLA4 gene polymorphisms (p = 0.049 and p = 0.045, respectively), neutropenia and thromobocytopenia were associated with SOCS3 gene polymorphism (p = 0.02 and p = 0.002, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, the associations of the SOCS3 gene polymorphism with neutropenia (OR 0.26, 95%CI 0.09–0.75, p = 0.01) and thrombocytopenia (OR 0.07, 95%CI 0.008–0.57, p = 0.01) remained significant. Conclusions In HCV-HIV coinfected patients treated with PegIFNα and ribavirin, SVR is associated with IL28B rs8099917 polymorphism. HCV treatment-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia are associated with SOCS3 rs4969170 polymorphism.
SLAM with object discovery, modeling and mapping

Object discovery and modeling have been widely studied in the computer vision and robotics communities. SLAM approaches that make use of objects and higher level features have also recently been proposed. Using higher level features provides several benefits: these can be more discriminative, which helps data association, and can serve to inform service robotic tasks that require higher level information, such as object models and poses. We propose an approach for online object discovery and object modeling, and extend a SLAM system to utilize these discovered and modeled objects as landmarks to help localize the robot in an online manner. Such landmarks are particularly useful for detecting loop closures in larger maps. In addition to the map, our system outputs a database of detected object models for use in future SLAM or service robotic tasks. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the approach's ability to detect and model objects, as well as to improve SLAM results by detecting loop closures.
Operating System Implications of Fast, Cheap, Non-Volatile Memory

The existence of two basic levels of storage (fast/volatile and slow/non-volatile) has been a long-standing premise of most computer systems, influencing the design of OS components, including file systems, virtual memory, scheduling, execution models, and even their APIs. Emerging resistive memory technologies - such as phase-change memory (PCM) and memristors - have the potential to provide large, fast, non-volatile memory systems, changing the assumptions that motivated the design of current operating systems. This paper examines the implications of non-volatile memories on a number of OS mechanisms, functions, and properties.
The effect of GPNMB on muscular atrophy caused by ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons and subsequent muscular defects. Recent findings have highlighted the contribution of intrinsic skeletal muscle defects to ALS. Research focusing on skeletal muscle disorders might therefore offer alternative routes to the development of new therapeutic options for the treatment of ALS. Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) is a transmembrane protein also known as osteoactivin (OA) and dendritic cell-heparin integrin ligand (DC-HIL). GPNMB exerts a protective effect on the central nervous system, and it has been shown to improve memory and to help recovery from reperfusion injury following brain ischemia. In ALS model mice, overexpression of GPNMB prevents motor neuron death and reduces denervation of neuromuscular junctions and atrophy of the skeletal muscles, resulting in a delayed onset of ALS and a longer life span of the animals. When directly injected into skeletal muscle, GPNMB also helps prevent injury of myofibers. These data indicate that GPNMB has a dual site of action against the central nervous system and directly skeletal muscle. Here, we review and highlight recent findings on the effect of GPNMB against ALS, and we discuss remaining challenges of the field and the possible therapeutic applications of GPNMB.
Evaluation of first year university students' digital apprehension, problem-solving appraisal, and transition to higher education

This research was designed to discover the presence and prevalence of a new concept Digital Apprehension in first year higher education students. The first year is seen as the year students begin their undergraduate degree at a tertiary institution (higher education). Higher education (university) in the current age of technological advances, has adopted communications technologies as they become available, leading to innovations in the way that tertiary education is delivered. University study requires students to confidently use different types of technology to complete their courses. However, students’ desire to interact with technology is often underpinned by their understanding and experience of technology, and this experience is not equal for all. Some students may feel apprehension around the use of digital technology (Digital Apprehension) and this can negatively affect their studies. Digital Apprehension has, as its foundation, the psychological literature into learning and motivation. The presence and prevalence of Digital Apprehension was explored, using the newly created psychometric instrument measuring Digital Apprehension, problem-solving appraisal, and transition expectations (DAPSET), also examining if it was a unique first year phenomenon or university wide. There were three phases to the project, the first phase was qualitative, the next two phases were quantitative. The qualitative aspect of the project enabled a deeper, richer understanding of students’ thoughts and experiences, while the quantitative examined and confirmed reliability of the findings. The first phase of the project involved thematic analyses of transcribed answers to the focus group questions, individual interview questions and written answers via email (N = 30), to understand the concept of Digital Apprehension (DA) and create the questionnaire. The second phase involved an initial survey (N = 766) comprised of 54 items, including the DA, a short problem-solving appraisal questionnaire (PSI-12), and an expected transition questionnaire (the Student Transition Scale - Revised - Adapted; STS-R-A). This phase then created the final measure, the DAPSET psychometric instrument. The third phase (N = 1407) used the DAPSET, and indicated that Digital Apprehension was experienced by 36% of students in their first year, and 40% across the University. Digital Apprehension can become a catalyst for a downward spiral, and be involved in the lack of insight, capability, and resourcefulness. The ability this measure brings to recognise Digital Apprehension would help the recognition of those struggling, and therefore enable crucial support before difficulties occur.
Why Do They Care? The Market for Corporate Global Responsibility and the Role of Institutional Investors

Institutional investors, primarily pension funds, drive global financial markets. The result is investors vulnerable to the risks companies face in global consumer and capital markets. While some market risks are inevitable, others such as reputation risk can be mitigated through increased corporate social and environmental standards and the increased transparency that such higher standards demand. The transparency necessitated by reputation management has a dual role in monitoring corporate behaviour and providing all stakeholders (internal and external) with the information to evaluate corporate behaviour. Driving this process is the belief that higher standards of corporate responsibility pay off for investors over the long-term through both potential equity premia and risk reduction. This paper presents a model for understanding how and why institutional investors may encourage firms to adopt higher standards. To illustrate our argument, we rely upon the experience of two large pension funds: the UK Universities Superannuation Scheme's strategy of corporate engagement and its attempts to encourage firms to raise their environmental standards by focusing on the climate change impacts of USS investments, and CalPERS' policy of company-screening in emerging markets using both the CERES and Sullivan Principles to monitor corporate behaviour. Investor engagement in corporate responsibility offers an insight into investors' role in global standard-setting and global citizenship.
Understanding cross‐product purchase intention in an IT brand extension context

This study investigates why some customers of a brand tend to purchase IT products launched by the same brand in a different category, but others do not. Combining insights from marketing andinformationsystemsresearch,thisstudydevelopsanintegrativemodelofcross-categorypur-chases of IT products in a brand extension context. This research extends the information system (IS) continuance model by integrating brand extension factors such as perceived fit into the new model.Theproposedmodelisempiricallytestedusingdatacollectedfrom342Xiaomicustomers. The results show that in addition to post-acceptance usefulness perceptions and brand satisfaction,theperceivedservicequalityandperceivedfitoftheinitialpurchasealsohave strongeffects on consumers’ continuance purchase intentions toward a brand extension product. Hedonic and utilitarian expectancy mediate the relationship between consumers’ post-consumption views of the initial purchase and their intention of the subsequent purchase of a different product under the same brand.
Getting to the Heart of Emotion Regulation in Youth: The Role of Interoceptive Sensitivity, Heart Rate Variability, and Parental Psychopathology

Emotion regulation and associated autonomic activation develop throughout childhood and adolescence under the influence of the family environment. Specifically, physiological indicators of autonomic nervous system activity such as interoceptive sensitivity and vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) can inform on emotion regulation. Although the effect of parental emotion socialization on emotion regulation appears to be influenced by autonomic processes, research on physiological regulation and the influence of parental factors remains scarce. This study investigated the relationship between self-reported habitual emotion regulation strategies and HRV at rest as well as interoceptive sensitivity in forty-six youngsters (27 female; age: M = 13.00, SD = 2.13). Secondly, the association between these autonomic correlates and parental psychopathology was also studied. Whereas better interoceptive sensitivity was related to reduced maladaptive emotion regulation, specifically rumination, high HRV was related to more use of external emotion regulation strategies (i.e., support seeking). In addition, increased HRV and decreased interoceptive sensitivity were associated with maternal internalizing and there was evidence for a possible mediation effect of HRV in the relationship between maternal internalizing and child external emotion regulation. This study elucidates the link between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and underlying physiological regulation in adolescents but also indicates a putative influence of maternal internalizing symptoms on emotion regulation in their offspring.
Involvement of TL1A and DR3 in induction of ischaemia and inflammation in urinary bladder dysfunction in the elderly.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia often causes intravesical obstruction in elderly men; however, the processes of aging and bladder outlet obstruction independently evoke alterations in the structure and function of the bladder. These changes lead to lower urinary tract symptoms; however, it is difficult to separate the effects of prostatic obstruction on the bladder from those of aging. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms in the aged bladder. Bladder dysfunction due to detrusor instability (caused by old age) is considered to be associated with chronic ischaemia and inflammation. The aim of this study was to explore the role of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-like ligand 1A (TL1A) and death-domain receptor (DR)3 in the ischaemic and inflammatory process of aged bladder dysfunction. Sixteen bladder tissue samples collected from patients with urothelial tumours of the bladder were divided into two groups according to age: group 1 (controls, n=8) and group 2 (aged group, n=8). Urodynamic examinations were preformed before radical cystectomy. The full-thickness bladder tissues were obtained at least 5 cm away from the margin of the tumours. The mRNA expression levels of TL1A, DR3, von Willebrand factor (vWF), interleukin (IL)-6 and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the two groups were determined using real-time reverse transcription-PCR and the protein expression levels of TL1A, DR3 and p65 were determined by western blot analysis. The TL1A and DR3 mRNA and protein expression levels of the aged bladders were upregulated compared to the control group (p<0.05). Compared to the control, the mRNA expression levels of vWF in the aged bladder tissues were markedly lower (p<0.01); however, the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in the aged bladder tissues (p<0.01) compared to the control. No significant difference in NGF mRNA expression between the two groups was detected (p>0.05). In conclusion, the aged bladder was associated with ischaemic and inflammatory alterations in comparison to the control group. TL1A and DR3 may play an important role in the pathophysiological process of the aged bladder.
A Two-Fluid Analysis of the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in the Dusty Layer of a Protoplanetary Disk: A Possible Path toward Planetesimal Formation through Gravitational Instability

We analyze the stability of the dust layer in protoplanetary disks to understand the effect of relative motion between gas and dust. Previous analyses not including the effect of the relative motion between gas and dust show that shear-induced turbulence may prevent the dust grains from settling sufficiently to be gravitationally unstable. We determine the growth rate of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a wide range of parameter space and propose a possible path toward planetesimal formation through gravitational instability. We expect the density of the dust layer to become ρd/ρg ~ 100 if the dust grains can grow up to 10 m.
Towards Optimal Strategy for Adaptive Probing in Incomplete Networks

We investigate a graph probing problem in which an agent has only an incomplete view $G' \subsetneq G$ of the network and wishes to explore the network with least effort. In each step, the agent selects a node $u$ in $G'$ to probe. After probing $u$, the agent gains the information about $u$ and its neighbors. All the neighbors of $u$ become \emph{observed} and are \emph{probable} in the subsequent steps (if they have not been probed). What is the best probing strategy to maximize the number of nodes explored in $k$ probes? This problem serves as a fundamental component for other decision-making problems in incomplete networks such as information harvesting in social networks, network crawling, network security, and viral marketing with incomplete information. While there are a few methods proposed for the problem, none can perform consistently well across different network types. In this paper, we establish a strong (in)approximability for the problem, proving that no algorithm can guarantees finite approximation ratio unless P=NP. On the bright side, we design learning frameworks to capture the best probing strategies for individual network. Our extensive experiments suggest that our framework can learn efficient probing strategies that \emph{consistently} outperform previous heuristics and metric-based approaches.
Polyploidy Induces Centromere Association

Many species exhibit polyploidy. The presence of more than one diploid set of similar chromosomes in polyploids can affect the assortment of homologous chromosomes, resulting in unbalanced gametes. Therefore, a mechanism is required to ensure the correct assortment and segregation of chromosomes for gamete formation. Ploidy has been shown to affect gene expression. We present in this study an example of a major effect on a phenotype induced by ploidy within the Triticeae. We demonstrate that centromeres associate early during anther development in polyploid species. In contrast, centromeres in diploid species only associate at the onset of meiotic prophase. We propose that this mechanism provides a potential route by which chromosomes can start to be sorted before meiosis in polyploids. This explains previous reports indicating that meiotic prophase is shorter in polyploids than in their diploid progenitors. Even artificial polyploids exhibit this phenotype, suggesting that the mechanism must be present in diploids, but only expressed in the presence of more than one diploid set of chromosomes.
Twenty‐four well plate miniature bioreactor system as a scale‐down model for cell culture process development

Increasing the throughput and efficiency of cell culture process development has become increasingly important to rapidly screen and optimize cell culture media and process parameters. This study describes the application of a miniaturized bioreactor system as a scaled‐down model for cell culture process development using a CHO cell line expressing a recombinant protein. The microbioreactor system (M24) provides non‐invasive online monitoring and control capability for process parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and temperature at the individual well level. A systematic evaluation of the M24 for cell culture process applications was successfully completed. Several challenges were initially identified. These included uneven gas distribution in the wells due to system design and lot to lot variability, foaming issues caused by sparging required for active DO control, and pH control limitation under conditions of minimal dissolved CO2. A high degree of variability was found which was addressed by changes in the system design. The foaming issue was resolved by addition of anti‐foam, reduction of sparge rate, and elimination of DO control. The pH control limitation was overcome by a single manual liquid base addition. Intra‐well reproducibility, as indicated by measurements of process parameters, cell growth, metabolite profiles, protein titer, protein quality, and scale‐equivalency between the M24 and 2 L bioreactor cultures were very good. This evaluation has shown feasibility of utilizing the M24 as a scale‐down tool for cell culture application development under industrially relevant process conditions. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 148–160. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Helical-Track Bioreactors for Bacterial, Mammalian and Insect Cell Cultures

We investigated the cultivation of bacterial, mammalian and insect cells in an orbitally-shaken 250-mL disposable tube that incorporates a helical track (HT) on its inside wall. The mass transfer coefﬁcient of oxygen (kLa) was 200%–400% higher in the HT tube than in a shake flask. Bacterial growth and plasmid production were 30% higher in the HT tube than in a 1-L Erlenmeyer flask. Mammalian cell cultures achieved a 25% higher cell density in the HT tube as compared to a 250-mL square-shaped bottle while insect cells grew as well in HT tubes as in 250-mL shake flasks. Because of their performance, disposability, and compact size, we conclude that 250-mL HT tubes are a useful alternative to other shaken containers for the cultivation of bacterial, mammalian and insect cells.
Episodic Memory Retrieval, Parietal Cortex, and the Default Mode Network: Functional and Topographic Analyses

The default mode network (DMN) is often considered a functionally homogeneous system that is broadly associated with internally directed cognition (e.g., episodic memory, theory of mind, self-evaluation). However, few studies have examined how this network interacts with other networks during putative “default” processes such as episodic memory retrieval. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the topography and response profile of human parietal regions inside and outside the DMN, independently defined using task-evoked deactivations and resting-state functional connectivity, during episodic memory retrieval. Memory retrieval activated posterior nodes of the DMN, particularly the angular gyrus, but also more anterior and dorsal parietal regions that were anatomically separate from the DMN. The two sets of parietal regions showed different resting-state functional connectivity and response profiles. During memory retrieval, responses in DMN regions peaked sooner than non-DMN regions, which in turn showed responses that were sustained until a final memory judgment was reached. Moreover, a parahippocampal region that showed strong resting-state connectivity with parietal DMN regions also exhibited a pattern of task-evoked activity similar to that exhibited by DMN regions. These results suggest that DMN parietal regions directly supported memory retrieval, whereas non-DMN parietal regions were more involved in postretrieval processes such as memory-based decision making. Finally, a robust functional dissociation within the DMN was observed. Whereas angular gyrus and posterior cingulate/precuneus were significantly activated during memory retrieval, an anterior DMN node in medial prefrontal cortex was strongly deactivated. This latter finding demonstrates functional heterogeneity rather than homogeneity within the DMN during episodic memory retrieval.