Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Fuzzy Granularity Control in Parallel/Distributed Computing

Automatic parallelization has become a mainstream research topic for different reasons. For example, multicore architectures, which are now present even in laptops, have awakened an interest in software tools that can exploit the computing power of parallel processors. Distributed and (multi)agent systems also benefit from techniques and tools for deciding in which locations should processes be run to make a better use of the available resources. Any decision on whether to execute some processes in parallel or sequentially must ensure correctness (i.e., the parallel execution obtains the same results as the sequential), but also has to take into account a number of practical overheads, such as those associated with tasks creation, possible migration of tasks to remote processors, the associated communication overheads, etc. Due to these overheads and if the granularity of parallel tasks, i.e., the “work available” underneath them, is too small, it may happen that the costs are larger than the benefits in their parallel execution. Thus, the aim of granularity control is to change parallel execution to sequential execution or vice-versa based on some conditions related to grain size and overheads. In this work, we have applied fuzzy logic to automatic granularity control in parallel/distributed computing and proposed fuzzy conditions for deciding whether to execute some given tasks in parallel or sequentially. We have compared our proposed fuzzy conditions with existing (conservative) sufficient conditions and our experiments showed that the proposed fuzzy conditions result in more efficient executions on average than the conservative conditions.
Experimental Analysis of Car-Following Dynamics and Traffic Stability

The study of car-following dynamics is useful for capacity analysis, safety research, and traffic simulation. There is also growing interest in its applications in intelligent transportation systems, such as advanced vehicle control and safety systems and autonomous cruise control systems. A large number of car-following models have been developed in the past five decades. Some of them were investigated and validated against experimental data; nevertheless, the results were not that consistent for some models, e.g., those for the General Motors (GM) model. As a part of the problem, the data acquisition and calibration techniques were not advanced then. The past few decades have seen remarkable advancements in these techniques, e.g., the use of the differential Global Positioning System (GPS) for position measurement, the use of Doppler's principle for speed measurements, and the use of genetic algorithms for optimization. It might be useful to reassess some outstanding issues in car-following dynamics in light of the latest technological advancements. This paper attempts to investigate car-following dynamics on the basis of the real-time kinematic GPS data collected from test track experiments. The GM model was evaluated along with some well-known simulation models, including the Gipps model and the Leutzbach and Wiedemann model. A genetic algorithm-based optimization technique was adapted for calibration. The sensitivities of drivers to their speeds and spacings from the vehicle ahead were found to vary among drivers. The interpersonal variations in model performance were significant. The GM model parameters were identified with improved reliability. The stability of traffic flow was analyzed experimentally.
Learning hyperparameter optimization initializations

Hyperparameter optimization is often done manually or by using a grid search. However, recent research has shown that automatic optimization techniques are able to accelerate this optimization process and find hyperparameter configurations that lead to better models. Currently, transferring knowledge from previous experiments to a new experiment is of particular interest because it has been shown that it allows to further improve the hyperparameter optimization. We propose to transfer knowledge by means of an initialization strategy for hyperparameter optimization. In contrast to the current state of the art initialization strategies, our strategy is neither limited to hyperparameter configurations that have been evaluated on previous experiments nor does it need meta-features. The initial hyperparameter configurations are derived by optimizing for a meta-loss formally defined in this paper. This loss depends on the hyperparameter response function of the data sets that were investigated in past experiments. Since this function is unknown and only few observations are given, the meta-loss is not differentiable. We propose to approximate the response function by a differentiable plug-in estimator. Then, we are able to learn the initial hyperparameter configuration sequence by applying gradient-based optimization techniques. Extensive experiments are conducted on two meta-data sets. Our initialization strategy is compared to the state of the art for initialization strategies and further methods that are able to transfer knowledge between data sets. We give empirical evidence that our work provides an improvement over the state of the art.
p 53 and its mutants in tumor cell migration and invasion

Correspondence to Jim C. Norman: j.norman@beatson.gla. ac.uk; or Patricia A.J. Muller: p.muller@beatson.gla. ac.uk Abbreviations used in this paper: EGFR, EGF receptor; EMT, epithelial– mesenchymal transition; GAP, GTPase-activating protein; GEF, guanine nucleotide exchange factor; RCP, Rab-coupling protein; ROCK, Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase. Introduction The p53 protein is probably the best known of all tumor sup­ pressors. In about half of all human cancers, p53 is either lost or mutated in a way that compromises its function. It is well estab­ lished that loss or inhibition of p53 prevents cellular senescence and apoptosis. And more recently, it has become clear that in situations where p53 function is compromised, other key pro­ cesses that impact tumor progression, such as cell migration and invasion, are altered. In various cancers, mutations have been found throughout Tp53, the gene that encodes p53. Many of these mutations give rise to mutant p53 proteins that are highly expressed. Recent data indicate that some of the most common mutant p53 proteins have, in addition to losing transcriptional function, acquired a gain of function: these mutants drive tumor cell migration and metastasis that is in part a result of their abil­ ity to interfere with another p53 family member, p63.
Passive model order reduction of multiport distributed interconnects

Signal integrity analysis has become imperative for high-speed designs. In this paper, we present a new technique to advance Krylov-space based passive model-reduction algorithms to include lossy coupled transmission lines described by Telegrapher's equations. In the proposed scheme, transmission line subnetworks are treated with closed-form stamps obtained using matrix-exponential Padé, where the coefficients describing the model are computed a priori and analytically. In addition, a technique is given to ensure that the contribution of these stamps to the modified nodal analysis (MNA) formulation leads to guaranteed passive macromodel.
Minimally-Supervised Morphological Segmentation using Adaptor Grammars

This paper explores the use of Adaptor Grammars, a nonparametric Bayesian modelling framework, for minimally supervised morphological segmentation. We compare three training methods: unsupervised training, semi-supervised training, and a novel model selection method. In the model selection method, we train unsupervised Adaptor Grammars using an over-articulated metagrammar, then use a small labelled data set to select which potential morph boundaries identified by the metagrammar should be returned in the final output. We evaluate on five languages and show that semi-supervised training provides a boost over unsupervised training, while the model selection method yields the best average results over all languages and is competitive with state-of-the-art semi-supervised systems. Moreover, this method provides the potential to tune performance according to different evaluation metrics or downstream tasks.
Potential of metabolomics to reveal Burkholderia cepacia complex pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is a collection of closely related, genetically distinct, ecologically diverse species known to cause life-threatening infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. By virtue of a flexible genomic structure and diverse metabolic activity, Bcc bacteria employ a wide array of virulence factors for pathogenesis in CF patients and have developed resistance to most of the commonly used antibiotics. However, the mechanism of pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance is still not fully understood. This mini review discusses the established and potential virulence determinants of Bcc and some of the contemporary strategies including transcriptomics and proteomics used to identify these traits. We also propose the application of metabolic profiling, a cost-effective modern-day approach to achieve new insights.
The Effect of Caffeinated, Non-Caffeinated, Caloric and Non-Caloric Beverages on Hydration

Objective: To examine the effect of various combinations of beverages on hydration status in healthy free-living adult males. Methods: In a counterbalanced, crossover manner, 18 healthy adult males ages 24 to 39, on four separate occasions, consumed water or water plus varying combinations of beverages. Clinical guidelines were used to determine the fluid allowance for each subject. The beverages were carbonated, caffeinated caloric and non-caloric colas and coffee. Ten of the 18 subjects consumed water and carbonated, non-caffeinated, citrus soft drink during a fifth trial. Body weight, urine and blood assays were measured before and after each treatment. Results: Slight body weight loss was observed on all treatments, with an average of 0.30% for all treatments. No differences (p>0.05) among treatments were found for body weight changes or any of the biochemical assays. Biochemical assays conducted on first voids and 24-hour urines included electrolytes, creatine, osmolality and specific gravity. Blood samples were analyzed for hemoglobin, hematocrit, electrolytes, osmolality, urea nitrogen, creatinine and protein. Conclusions: This preliminary study found no significant differences in the effect of various combinations of beverages on hydration status of healthy adult males. Advising people to disregard caffeinated beverages as part of the daily fluid intake is not substantiated by the results of this study. The across-treatment weight loss observed, when combined with data on fluid-disease relationships, suggests that optimal fluid intake may be higher than common recommendations. Further research is needed to confirm these results and to explore optimal fluid intake for healthy individuals.
Linear Response Functions of a Cumulus Ensemble to Temperature and Moisture Perturbations and Implications for the Dynamics of Convectively Coupled Waves

Abstract An approach is presented for the construction of linear response functions of a cumulus ensemble to large-scale temperature and moisture perturbations using a cloud system–resolving model (CSRM). A set of time-invariant, horizontally homogeneous, anomalous temperature and moisture tendencies is added, one at a time, to the forcing of the CSRM. By recording the departure of the equilibrium domain-averaged temperature and moisture profiles from those of a control experiment and through a matrix inversion, a sufficiently complete and accurate set of linear response functions is constructed for use as a parameterization of the cumulus ensemble around the reference mean state represented by the control experiment. This approach is applied to two different mean state conditions in which the CSRM, when coupled with 2D gravity waves, exhibits interestingly different behaviors. With a more strongly convecting mean state forced by the large-scale vertical velocity profile taken from the Tropical Ocean and .
Analysis of Critical Architectural and Program Parameters in a Hierarchical Shared Memory Multiprocessor

Scalable shared-memory multiprocessors are the subject of much current research. but little is known about the performance behavior of these machines. This paper studies the performance effects of two machine characteristics and two program characteristics that seem to be major factors in determining the performance of a hierarchical shared-memory machine. We develop an analytical model of the traffic in a machine loosely based on Stanford’s DASH multiprocessor and use program parameters extracted from multiprocessor traces to study its performance. It is shown that both locality in the data reference stream and the amount of data sharing in a program have an important impact on performance. Although less obvious, the bandwidth within each cluster in the hierarchy also has a significant performance effect. Optimizations that improve the intracluster cache coherence protocol or increase the bandwidth within a cluster can be quite effective.
Study On The Impact Of Fasting Observance During Ramadan On The Physical And Mental Health Of University Faculty- A Perspective Towards Cohesive Bond And Occupational Stress

Fasting is a devout practice, obligatory for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. Abstinence from eatables brings many hale and hearty outcomes; at the same time, brings few health challenges, particularly to those, who are dealing with occupational stress. The current study is undertaken to find the impact of fasting on the health of university teachers. Qualitative research methodology is adopted. Phenomenological method is selected to investigate the challenges and prospects of fasting among university teachers. Total sample size n=30 from four different universities is selected through snow ball sampling approach. Data is collected through structured Interview. For ethical consideration, consent is taken from all the participants. Results revealed that majority of the teachers face issues of low blood pressure, heartburn, constipation, faintness, and xerostomia due to poor diet, whereas, fasting positively control temperament, weight loss and improve mental health among greater part of respondents. Several suggestions are incorporated at the end of the paper to supplement research findings.
Severe polyposis in Apc1322T mice is associated with submaximal Wnt signalling and increased expression of the stem cell marker Lgr5

Background and aims Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a tumour suppressor gene mutated in the germline of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and somatically in most colorectal cancers. APC mutations impair β-catenin degradation, resulting in increased Wnt signalling. The most frequent APC mutation is a codon 1309 truncation that is associated with severe FAP. A previous study compared two mouse models of intestinal tumorigenesis, ApcR850X (Min) and Apc1322T (1322T), the latter a model of human codon 1309 changes. 1322T mice had more severe polyposis but, surprisingly, these tumours had lower levels of nuclear β-catenin than Min tumours. The consequences of these different β-catenin levels were investigated. Methods Enterocytes were isolated from 1322T and Min tumours by microdissection and gene expression profiling was performed. Differentially expressed Wnt targets and other stem cell markers were validated using quantitative PCR, in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry. Results As expected, lower nuclear β-catenin levels in 1322T lesions were associated with generally lower levels of Wnt target expression. However, expression of the Wnt target and stem cell marker Lgr5 was significantly higher in 1322T tumours than in Min tumours. Other stem cell markers (Musashi1, Bmi1 and the Wnt target Cd44) were also at higher levels in 1322T tumours. In addition, expression of the Bmp antagonist Gremlin1 was higher in 1322T tumours, together with lower Bmp2 and Bmp4 expression. Conclusions The severe phenotype caused by truncation of Apc at codon 1322 is associated with an increased number of stem cells. Thus, a submaximal level of Wnt signalling favours the stem cell phenotype and this may promote tumorigenesis. A level of Wnt signalling exists that is too high for optimal tumour growth.
Evaluation of Methods for the Extraction and Purification of DNA from the Human Microbiome

Background DNA extraction is an essential step in all cultivation-independent approaches to characterize microbial diversity, including that associated with the human body. A fundamental challenge in using these approaches has been to isolate DNA that is representative of the microbial community sampled. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we statistically evaluated six commonly used DNA extraction procedures using eleven human-associated bacterial species and a mock community that contained equal numbers of those eleven species. These methods were compared on the basis of DNA yield, DNA shearing, reproducibility, and most importantly representation of microbial diversity. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences from a mock community showed that the observed species abundances were significantly different from the expected species abundances for all six DNA extraction methods used. Conclusions/Significance Protocols that included bead beating and/or mutanolysin produced significantly better bacterial community structure representation than methods without both of them. The reproducibility of all six methods was similar, and results from different experimenters and different times were in good agreement. Based on the evaluations done it appears that DNA extraction procedures for bacterial community analysis of human associated samples should include bead beating and/or mutanolysin to effectively lyse cells.
For Personal Use. Only Reproduce with Permission from the Lancet Publishing Group. Pathological and Molecular Aspects of Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer Ii

This review, the second in The Lancet series in prostate cancer, follows on from the review on epidemiology and precedes the articles on clinical management and screening, but is relevant to all three. Pathology Relation between prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia consists of architecturally benign prostatic acini lined by cells that seem to be malignant. 1,2 Prostates with carcinoma have more of these foci than do those without carcinoma. 3 Prostate glands with extensive high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia also have more multifocal carcinomas. That carcinomas have zones of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia from which glands of carcinoma seem to stem is further histological evidence that this neoplasia is a precursor to some prostate carcinomas. 4 High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia preferentially develops in the peripheral zone of the prostate, which is the site of origin for most adenocarcinomas. 3 Various biomarkers are either expressed in the same high quantities (compared with benign prostate tissue) in both high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma or are expressed at levels between those of benign prostate tissue and carcinoma. High-grade intraepithelial neoplasia seems to be a precursor lesion to many peripheral intermediate to high-grade adenocarcinomas of the prostate, but the lesion is not a necessary precursor because many early cancers do not have adjacent high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Also, low-grade carci-nomas, especially those within the transition zone, are not closely related to high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on needle biopsy The median frequency of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on biopsy is about 5%. 6 In the early 1990s, men who were diagnosed with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on biopsy were reported as having a 50% risk of developing cancer. 6 Thus, men with such neoplasia on their initial biopsy were advised to have their biopsy repeated. However, risk of cancer on subsequent biopsy after a diagnosis of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia is 23–35%. 7–9 If cancer is not identified at the first follow-up biopsy, it will probably not be found. Yet, because of sampling error, men with raised serum concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), are thought to have a 20% risk of cancer being identified on repeat biopsy after an initial benign biopsy. In view of this slightly higher risk of cancer in men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia compared with those with benign biopsy, whether men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on biopsy need to have a repeat …
Robust and adaptive multigrid methods: comparing structured and algebraic approaches

Although there have been significant advances in robust algebraic multigrid (AMG) methods in recent years, numerical studies and emerging hardware architectures continue to favor structured‐grid approaches. Specifically, implementations of logically structured robust variational multigrid algorithms, such as the black box multigrid (BoxMG) solver, have been shown to be 10 times faster than AMG for three‐dimensional heterogeneous diffusion problems on structured grids. BoxMG offers important features such as operator‐induced interpolation for robustness, while taking advantage of direct data access and bounded complexity in the Galerkin coarse‐grid operator. Moreover, because BoxMG uses a variational framework, it can be used to explore advances of modern adaptive AMG approaches in a structured setting. In this paper, we show how to extend the adaptive multigrid methodology to the BoxMG setting. This extension not only retains the favorable properties of the adaptive framework but also sheds light on the relationship between BoxMG and AMG. In particular, we show how classical BoxMG can be viewed as a special case of classical AMG and how this viewpoint leads to a richer family of adaptive BoxMG approaches. We present numerical results that explore this family of adaptive methods and compare its robustness and efficiency to the classical BoxMG solver.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exploratory Investigation into Influence of Negative Attitudes toward Robots on Human-Robot Interaction

The range of potential applications for mobile robots is enormous. It includes agricultural robotics applications, routine material transport in factories, warehouses, office buildings and hospitals, indoor and outdoor security patrols, inventory verification, hazardous material handling, hazardous site cleanup, underwater applications, and numerous military applications. This book is the result of inspirations and contributions from many researchers worldwide. It presents a collection of wide range research results of robotics scientific community. Various aspects of current research in new robotics research areas and disciplines are explored and discussed. It is divided in three main parts covering different research areas: Humanoid Robots, Human-Robot Interaction, and Special Applications. We hope that you will find a lot of useful information in this book, which will help you in performing your research or fire your interests to start performing research in some of the cutting edge research fields mentioned in the book.