Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selective cache ways: on-demand cache resource allocation

Increasing levels of microprocessor power dissipation call for new approaches at the architectural level that save energy by better matching of on-chip resources to application requirements. Selective cache ways provides the ability to disable a subset of the ways in a set associative cache during periods of modest cache activity, while the full cache may remain operational for more cache-intensive periods. Because this approach leverages the subarray partitioning that is already present for performance reasons, only minor changes to a conventional cache are required and therefore, full-speed cache operation can be maintained. Furthermore, the tradeoff between performance and energy is flexible, and can be dynamically tailored to meet changing application and machine environmental conditions. We show that trading off a small performance degradation for energy savings can produce a significant reduction in cache energy dissipation using this approach.
Physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors among rural and urban groups and rural-to-urban migrants in Peru: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE To compare physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns of rural-to-urban migrants in Peru versus lifetime rural and urban residents and to determine any associations between low physical activity and four cardiovascular risk factors: obesity (body mass index > 30 kg/m²), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. METHODS The PERU MIGRANT (PEru's Rural to Urban MIGRANTs) cross-sectional study was designed to measure physical activity among rural, urban, and rural-to-urban migrants with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). RESULTS The World Health Organization (WHO) age-standardized prevalence of low physical activity was 2.2% in lifetime rural residents, 32.2% in rural-to-urban migrants, and 39.2% in lifetime urban residents. The adjusted odds ratios for low physical activity were 21.43 and 32.98 for migrant and urban groups respectively compared to the rural group. The adjusted odds ratio for being obese was 1.94 for those with low physical activity. There was no evidence of an association between low physical activity and blood pressure levels, hypertension, or metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS People living in a rural area had much higher levels of physical activity and lower risk of being overweight and obese compared to those living in an urban area of Lima. Study participants from the same rural area who had migrated to Lima had levels of physical inactivity and obesity similar to those who had always lived in Lima. Interventions aimed at maintaining higher levels of physical activity among rural-to-urban migrants may help reduce the epidemic of obesity in urban cities.
Nucleotide-induced conformational motions and transmembrane gating dynamics in a bacterial ABC transporter

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are integral membrane proteins that mediate the exchange of diverse substrates across membranes powered by ATP hydrolysis. We report results of coarse-grained dynamical simulations performed for the bacterial heme transporter HmuUV. Based on the nucleotide-free structure, we have constructed a ligand-elastic-network description for this protein and investigated ATP-induced conformational motions in structurally resolved computer experiments. As we found, interactions with nucleotides resulted in generic motions which are functional and robust. Upon binding of ATP-mimicking ligands the structure changed from a conformation in which the nucleotide-binding domains formed an open shape, to a conformation in which they were found in tight contact and the transmembrane domains were rotated. The heme channel was broadened in the ligand-bound complex and the gate to the cytoplasm, which was closed in the nucleotide-free conformation, was rendered open by a mechanism that involved tilting motions of essential transmembrane helices. Based on our findings we propose that the HmuUV transporter behaves like a `simple' mechanical device in which, induced by binding of ATP ligands, linear motions of the nucleotide-binding domains are translated into rotational motions and internal tilting dynamics of the transmembrane domains that control gating inside the heme pathway.
Mechanisms of Heme Utilization by Francisella tularensis

Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent facultative intracellular pathogen causing the severe disease tularemia in mammals. As for other bacteria, iron is essential for its growth but very few mechanisms for iron acquisition have been identified. Here, we analyzed if and how F. tularensis can utilize heme, a major source of iron in vivo. This is by no means obvious since the bacterium lacks components of traditional heme-uptake systems. We show that SCHU S4, the prototypic strain of subspecies tularensis, grew in vitro with heme as the sole iron source. By screening a SCHU S4 transposon insertion library, 16 genes were identified as important to efficiently utilize heme, two of which were required to avoid heme toxicity. None of the identified genes appeared to encode components of a potential heme-uptake apparatus. Analysis of SCHU S4 deletion mutants revealed that each of the components FeoB, the siderophore system, and FupA, contributed to the heme-dependent growth. In the case of the former two systems, iron acquisition was impaired, whereas the absence of FupA did not affect iron uptake but led to abnormally high binding of iron to macromolecules. Overall, the present study demonstrates that heme supports growth of F. tularensis and that the requirements for the utilization are highly complex and to some extent novel.
Trust-Based Task Assignment With Multiobjective Optimization in Service-Oriented Ad Hoc Networks

We propose and analyze a trust management protocol in service-oriented mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) populated with service providers and service requesters, and demonstrate the resiliency and convergence properties against bad-mouthing, ballot-stuffing, opportunistic service, and self-promotion attacks. To demonstrate the applicability, we consider a mission-driven service-oriented MANET that must handle dynamically arriving tasks to achieve multiple conflicting objectives. We devise a trust-based heuristic algorithm based on auctioning with local knowledge of node status to solve this node-to-task assignment problem with multiobjective optimization (MOO) requirements. Our trust-based heuristic algorithm has a polynomial runtime complexity, rather than an exponential runtime complexity as in existing work, thus allowing dynamic node-to-task assignment to be performed at runtime. It outperforms a nontrust-based counterpart using blacklisting techniques while performing close to the ideal solution quality with perfect knowledge of node status over a wide range of environmental conditions. We conduct extensive sensitivity analysis of the results with respect to key design parameters and alternative trust protocol designs. We also develop a table-lookup method to apply the best trust protocol parameter settings upon detection of dynamically changing environmental conditions to maximize MOO performance.
Socioeconomic, Rural-Urban, and Racial Inequalities in US Cancer Mortality: Part I—All Cancers and Lung Cancer and Part II—Colorectal, Prostate, Breast, and Cervical Cancers

We analyzed socioeconomic, rural-urban, and racial inequalities in US mortality from all cancers, lung, colorectal, prostate, breast, and cervical cancers. A deprivation index and rural-urban continuum were linked to the 2003–2007 county-level mortality data. Mortality rates and risk ratios were calculated for each socioeconomic, rural-urban, and racial group. Weighted linear regression yielded relative impacts of deprivation and rural-urban residence. Those in more deprived groups and rural areas had higher cancer mortality than more affluent and urban residents, with excess risk being marked for lung, colorectal, prostate, and cervical cancers. Deprivation and rural-urban continuum were independently related to cancer mortality, with deprivation showing stronger impacts. Socioeconomic inequalities existed for both whites and blacks, with blacks experiencing higher mortality from each cancer than whites within each deprivation group. Socioeconomic gradients in mortality were steeper in nonmetropolitan than in metropolitan areas. Mortality disparities may reflect inequalities in smoking and other cancer-risk factors, screening, and treatment.
PARP1 Gene Knock-Out Increases Resistance to Retinal Degeneration without Affecting Retinal Function

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases affecting photoreceptors and causing blindness in humans. Previously, excessive activation of enzymes belonging to the poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) group was shown to be involved in photoreceptor degeneration in the human homologous rd1 mouse model for RP. Since there are at least 16 different PARP isoforms, we investigated the exact relevance of the predominant isoform - PARP1 - for photoreceptor cell death using PARP1 knock-out (KO) mice. In vivo and ex vivo morphological analysis using optic coherence tomography (OCT) and conventional histology revealed no major alterations of retinal phenotype when compared to wild-type (wt). Likewise, retinal function as assessed by electroretinography (ERG) was normal in PARP1 KO animals. We then used retinal explant cultures derived from wt, rd1, and PARP1 KO animals to test their susceptibility to chemically induced photoreceptor degeneration. Since photoreceptor degeneration in the rd1 retina is triggered by a loss-of-function in phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6), we used selective PDE6 inhibition to emulate the rd1 situation on non-rd1 genotypes. While wt retina subjected to PDE6 inhibition showed massive photoreceptor degeneration comparable to rd1 retina, in the PARP1 KO situation, cell death was robustly reduced. Together, these findings demonstrate that PARP1 activity is in principle dispensable for normal retinal function, but is of major importance for photoreceptor degeneration under pathological conditions. Moreover, our results suggest that PARP dependent cell death or PARthanatos may play a major role in retinal degeneration and highlight the possibility to use specific PARP inhibitors for the treatment of RP.
Percolative core formation in planetesimals enabled by hysteresis in metal connectivity

Significance It has long been thought that percolative core formation is prevented by high dihedral angles that trap the majority of the metallic phases in the mantle, even if the percolation threshold is overcome. Here we use pore-scale simulations to show that hysteresis in melt network topology allows the melt to remain connected during drainage, suggesting that percolative core formation is possible on bodies that contain enough metallic phases to overcome the percolation threshold. The segregation of dense core-forming melts by porous flow is a natural mechanism for core formation in early planetesimals. However, experimental observations show that texturally equilibrated metallic melt does not wet the silicate grain boundaries and tends to reside in isolated pockets that prevent percolation. Here we use pore-scale simulations to determine the minimum melt fraction required to induce porous flow, the percolation threshold. The composition of terrestrial planets suggests that typical planetesimals contain enough metal to overcome this threshold. Nevertheless, it is currently thought that melt segregation is prevented by a pinch-off at melt fractions slightly below the percolation threshold. In contrast to previous work, our simulations on irregular grain geometries reveal that a texturally equilibrated melt network remains connected down to melt fractions of only 1 to 2%. This hysteresis in melt connectivity allows percolative core formation in planetesimals that contain enough metal to exceed the percolation threshold. Evidence for the percolation of metallic melt is provided by X-ray microtomography of primitive achondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2993. Microstructural analysis shows that the metal–silicate interface has characteristics expected for a texturally equilibrated pore network with a dihedral angle of ∼85°. The melt network therefore remained close to textural equilibrium despite a complex history. This suggests that the hysteresis in melt connectivity is a viable process for percolative core formation in the parent bodies of primitive achondrites.
Human cytomegalovirus expresses novel microRNAs during productive viral infection

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large class of ∼22‐nucleotide non‐coding RNAs that facilitate mRNA cleavage and translation repression through the RNA interference pathway. Until recently, miRNAs have been exclusively found in eukaryotic organisms. A non‐immunogenic molecule requiring minimal genomic investment, these RNAs may offer an efficient means for viruses to modulate both their own and the host's gene expression during a productive viral infection. In this study we report that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) expresses miRNAs during its productive lytic infection of four clinically relevant human cell types: fibroblast, endothelial, epithelial and astrocyte cells. The sequences of the miRNAs, expressed from the UL23 and US24 loci of the viral genome, were conserved among all HCMV strains examined and in chimpanzee cytomegalovirus. Furthermore, their expression was detected from both a laboratory‐adapted strain and a clinical isolate of HCMV. The conservation of these miRNAs and their expression in different cell types suggests that they represent an evolutionarily primitive feature in the viral genome, and that virus‐encoded miRNAs may be more common than previously believed.
160-Gb/s all-optical demultiplexing using a gain-transparent ultrafast-nonlinear interferometer (GT-UNI)

We report on an all-optical demultiplexer based on gain-transparent operation of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) in an ultrafast-nonlinear interferometer (GT-UNI). The GT-UNI comprises a robust fiber-chip setup in a folded geometry. For switching window widths of 5.2 ps and 6.0 ps, error-free demultiplexing of 160-10 Gb/s is demonstrated.
Two Techniques to Enhance the Performance of Memory Consistency Models

The memory consistency model supported by a multiprocessor directly affects its performance. Thus, several attempts have been made to relax the consistency models to allow for more buffering and pipelining of memory accesses. Unfortunately, the potential increase in performance afforded by relaxing the consistency model is accompanied by a more complex programming model. This paper introduces two general implementation techniques that provide higher performance for all the models. The first technique involves prefetching values for accesses that are delayed due to consistency model constraints. The second technique employs speculative execution to allow the processor to proceed even though the consistency model requires the memory accesses to be delayed. When combined, the above techniques alleviate the limitations imposed by a consistency model on buffering and pipelining of memory accesses, thus significantly reducing the impact of the memory consistency model on performance.
Five mouse tubulin isotypes and their regulated expression during development

We describe five mouse tubulin cloned cDNAs, two (M alpha 1 and M alpha 2) that encode alpha-tubulin and three (M beta 2, M beta 4, and M beta 5) that encode beta-tubulin. The sequence of these clones reveals that each represents a distinct gene product. Within the sequence common to the two alpha-tubulin cDNAs, the encoded amino acids are identical, though the 3' noncoding regions are wholly dissimilar. In contrast, the three beta-tubulin cDNAs show considerable carboxy-terminal heterogeneity. Two of the beta-tubulin isotypes defined by the cloned sequences are absolutely conserved between mouse and human, and all three beta-tubulin isotypes are conserved between mouse and rat. This result implies the existence of selective constraints that have maintained sequence identity after species divergence. This conclusion is reinforced by the near identity between a third mouse beta-tubulin isotype and a chicken beta-tubulin isotype. The significance of the interspecies conservation of tubulin isotypes is discussed in relationship to microtubule function. We have used non-cross- hybridizing 3' noncoding region probes from the five cloned mouse tubulin cDNAs to study the developmental expression of each isotype in various mouse tissues. M alpha 1 and M beta 2 are expressed in an approximately coordinate fashion, and their transcripts are most abundant in brain and lung. M alpha 2 and M beta 5 are ubiquitously expressed and to a similar extent in each tissue, with the greatest abundance in spleen, thymus, and immature brain. In contrast, M beta 4 is expressed exclusively in brain. Whereas the expression of the latter isotype increases dramatically during postnatal development, transcripts from all four other tubulin genes decline from maximum levels at or before birth. Tissue-specific development changes in the abundance of tubulin isotype-specific mRNAs are discussed in relationship to organogenesis in the mouse.
Who said what to whom?: capturing the structure of debates

Transcripts of meetings are a document genre characterized by a complex narrative structure. The essence is not only what is said, but also by who and to whom. This paper investigates whether we can use semantic annotations like the speaker in order to capture this debate structure, as well as the related content of the debate. The structure is visualized in a graph, while the content is condensed into word clouds, that are created using a parsimonious language model. Evaluation shows that both tools adequately capture the structure and content of the debate at an aggregated level.
Erythromycin shortens neutrophil survival by accelerating apoptosis

Erythromycin is reported to have an anti-inflammatory action, which may account for its clinical effectiveness in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as diffuse panbronchiolitis. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory action of erythromycin, we examined the survival of isolated neutrophils with and without erythromycin. Erythromycin shortened neutrophil survival in a dose-dependent fashion, with a maximum effect at 10 micrograms/ml [corrected] and above. Survival at 24 h was 63.4% in medium with 10 micrograms of erythromycin per ml compared with 82.7% in control medium (P < 0.01). This shortening of survival was brought about by acceleration of apoptosis, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy. In a manner similar to that of erythromycin, other macrolide antibiotics, i.e., clarithromycin, roxithromycin, and midecamycin, also shortened neutrophil survival, but neither the beta-lactams ampicillin and cefazolin nor the aminoglycoside gentamicin affected their survival. Erythromycin increased intracellular levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP) to 150% of control levels in neutrophils. Forskolin, rolipram, and dibutyryl-cAMP, which are known to increase intracellular cAMP levels, also shortened neutrophil survival. H-89, an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, partially blocked the survival-shortening effect of erythromycin. Our findings suggest that erythromycin shortens neutrophil survival at least in part through elevation of intracellular cAMP levels.
Shear mechanisms and viscoplastic effects during impulsive shearing

In clay formations, the co-seismic reactivation of pre-existing landslides involves dynamic shear actions on sliding surfaces characterised by attritive states. Impulsive shear motions were applied, after the attainment of the fully softened and residual conditions, by means of an appropriately modified ring-shear apparatus. The kinematics parameters that characterise shear motions are related to co-seismic displacements of rigid landslide bodies, as defined by Newmark's approach. The results of the tests, performed on clay samples with different index properties, highlight the influence of the initial spatial disposition of particles on the shear mechanisms. In addition, it seems that these mechanisms control both the inviscid and viscous components of the shear stress. For high shear rates, an increase of the viscous strength in the residual condition determines a greater viscoplastic strength than that in the fully softened condition. On this basis, different behaviours in seismically induced reactivat.
Impacts of Unionization on Quality and Productivity

Using a regression discontinuity design, the authors of this article examine the effects of nursing home unionization on several labor, establishment, and consumer outcomes. They find negative effects of unionization on staffing levels and no decline in care quality, suggesting positive labor productivity effects. Some evidence suggests that nursing homes in less competitive local product markets and those with lower union density at the time of election experienced stronger union employment effects. Unionization appears to raise wages for a given worker while also shifting the composition of the workforce away from higher-earning workers. By combining credible identification of union effects and firm- and worker-level outcomes over time with measures of market-level characteristics, this study provides important new evidence on many controversial questions in the economics of unions. It also generates evidence from the service sector, which has grown in importance and where evidence has been thin.
Head-direction cells recorded from the postsubiculum in freely moving rats. I. Description and quantitative analysis

This paper is a study of the behavioral and spatial firing correlates of neurons in the rat postsubiculum. Recordings were made from postsubicular neurons as rats moved freely throughout a cylindrical chamber, where the major cue for orientation was a white card taped to the inside wall. An automatic video/computer system monitored cell discharge while simultaneously tracking the position of 2 colored light emitting diodes (LEDs) secured to the animal's head. The animal's location was calculated from the position of one of the LEDs and head direction in the horizontal plane calculated from the relative positions of the 2 LEDs. Approximately 26% of the cells were classified as head-direction cells because they discharged as a function of the animal's head direction in the horizontal plane, independent of the animal's behavior, location, or trunk position. For each head-direction cell, vectors drawn in the direction of maximal firing were parallel throughout the recording chamber and did not converge toward a single point. Plots of firing rate versus head direction showed that each firing-rate/head-direction function was adequately described by a triangular function. Each cell's maximum firing rate occurred at only one (the preferred) head direction; firing rates at head directions on either side of the preferred direction decreased linearly with angular deviation from the preferred direction. Results from 24 head-direction cells in 7 animals showed an equal distribution of preferred firing directions over a 360 degrees angle. The peak firing rate of head- direction cells varied from 5 to 115 spikes/sec (mean: 35). The range of head-direction angles over which discharge was elevated (directional firing range) was usually about 90 degrees, with little, if any, discharge at head directions outside this range. Quantitative analysis showed the location of the animal within the cylinder had minimal effect on directional cell firing. For each head-direction cell, the preferred direction, peak firing rate, and directional firing range remained stable for days. These results identify a new cell type that signals the animal's head direction in its environment.