Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accurate Fine-Grained Processor Power Proxies

There are not yet practical and accurate ways to directly measure core power in a microprocessor. This limits the granularity of measurement and control for computer power management. We overcome this limitation by presenting an accurate runtime per-core power proxy which closely estimates true core power. This enables new fine-grained microprocessor power management techniques at the core level. For example, cloud environments could manage and bill virtual machines for energy consumption associated with the core. The power model underlying our power proxy also enables energy-efficiency controllers to perform what-if analysis, instead of merely reacting to current conditions. We develop and validate a methodology for accurate power proxy training at both chip and core levels. Our implementation of power proxies uses on-chip logic in a high-performance multi-core processor and associated platform firmware. The power proxies account for full voltage and frequency ranges, as well as chip-to-chip process variations. For fixed clock frequency operation, a mean unsigned error of 1.8% for fine-grained 32ms samples across all workloads was achieved. For an interval of an entire workload, we achieve an average error of-0.2%. Similar results were achieved for voltage-scaling scenarios, too. We also present two sample applications of the power proxy: (1) per-core power billing for cloud computing services, and (2) simultaneous runtime energy saving comparisons among different power management policies without running each policy separately.
Complex cells decrease errors for the Müller-Lyer illusion in a model of the visual ventral stream

To improve robustness in object recognition, many artificial visual systems imitate the way in which the human visual cortex encodes object information as a hierarchical set of features. These systems are usually evaluated in terms of their ability to accurately categorize well-defined, unambiguous objects and scenes. In the real world, however, not all objects and scenes are presented clearly, with well-defined labels and interpretations. Visual illusions demonstrate a disparity between perception and objective reality, allowing psychophysicists to methodically manipulate stimuli and study our interpretation of the environment. One prominent effect, the Müller-Lyer illusion, is demonstrated when the perceived length of a line is contracted (or expanded) by the addition of arrowheads (or arrow-tails) to its ends. HMAX, a benchmark object recognition system, consistently produces a bias when classifying Müller-Lyer images. HMAX is a hierarchical, artificial neural network that imitates the “simple” and “complex” cell layers found in the visual ventral stream. In this study, we perform two experiments to explore the Müller-Lyer illusion in HMAX, asking: (1) How do simple vs. complex cell operations within HMAX affect illusory bias and precision? (2) How does varying the position of the figures in the input image affect classification using HMAX? In our first experiment, we assessed classification after traversing each layer of HMAX and found that in general, kernel operations performed by simple cells increase bias and uncertainty while max-pooling operations executed by complex cells decrease bias and uncertainty. In our second experiment, we increased variation in the positions of figures in the input images that reduced bias and uncertainty in HMAX. Our findings suggest that the Müller-Lyer illusion is exacerbated by the vulnerability of simple cell operations to positional fluctuations, but ameliorated by the robustness of complex cell responses to such variance.
The Loss of Negative Concord in Standard English: A Case of Lexical Reanalysis

The loss of Negative Concord (NC) has long been attributed to external factors. This study readdresses this issue and provides evidence of the failure of certain external factors to account for the observed decline and ultimate disappearance of NC in Standard English. A detailed study of negation in Late Middle and Early Modern English reveals that the process of the decline of NC was a case of a natural change, preceded by a period of variation manifested in the obtained S-curves for all the contexts studied. Variation existed not only on the level of the speech community as a whole but also within individual speakers (contra Lightfoot, 1991). A close study of n-indefinites in negative contexts and their ultimate replacement with Negative Polarity Items (NPIs) in a number of grammatical environments shows that the decline of NC follows the same pattern across contexts in a form of parallel curvature, which indicates that the loss of NC is a natural process. However, this study reveals that the decline is not constant across time and thus the Constant Rate Hypothesis (Kroch, 1989) does not, in that respect, fully account for this change. Context behaviour suggests an alternative principle of linguistic change, the Context Constancy Principle. A Context Constancy Effect is obtained across all contexts indicating that the loss of NC is triggered by a change in a single underlying parameter setting. Accordingly, a theory-internal explanation is suggested. N-words underwent a lexical reanalysis whereby they acquired a new grammatical feature [+Neg] and were thus reinterpreted as negative quantifiers, rather than NPIs. This lexical reanalysis was triggered by the ambiguous status of n-words between [+-Neg] and thus between single and double negative meanings. This change is treated as a case of parameter resetting as this lexical reanalysis affected a whole set of lexical items and can thus economically account for the different observed surface changes.
Simple Policies for Dynamic Pricing with Imperfect Forecasts

We consider the “classical” single-product dynamic pricing problem allowing the “scale” of demand intensity to be modulated by an exogenous “market size” stochastic process. This is a natural model of dynamically changing market conditions. We show that for a broad family of Gaussian market-size processes, simple dynamic pricing rules that are essentially agnostic to the specification of this market-size process perform provably well. The pricing policies we develop are shown to compensate for forecast imperfections (or a lack of forecast information altogether) by frequent reoptimization and reestimation of the “instantaneous” market size.
Impaired Follistatin Secretion in Cirrhosis.

CONTEXT Follistatin is a liver-derived inhibitor of the muscle-growth inhibitor myostatin. Reduction in acute follistatin release may help explain muscle loss in liver cirrhosis. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to investigate the capacity of acute follistatin release in patients with liver cirrhosis compared to healthy control participants. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS To experimentally increase the glucagon-insulin ratio (mimicking the hormonal effect of exercise), we infused glucagon/somatostatin (to inhibit insulin secretion) and compared the acute follistatin increase in eight male cirrhosis patients with eight healthy control participants. Patients and controls received 1-hour glucagon/somatostatin and saline infusions on 2 separate days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Follistatin was measured during and 5 hours after termination of infusions. RESULTS The peak follistatin change was significantly decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis compared to healthy control participants (1.9 (interquartile range, 1.4-2.5) versus 3.6 (interquartile range, 3.0-4.0), respectively; P = . 003). Patients with liver cirrhosis demonstrated significantly decreased amounts of appendicular lean mass compared to healthy controls (27.6 ± 3.8 vs 34.5 ± 2.9%, respectively; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS Patients with cirrhosis show impaired capacity to acutely secrete follistatin. The decrease in acute follistatin release may contribute to the loss of muscle mass in liver cirrhosis.
Adaptive watermark power control for capacity optimized MC-CDMA system

Increase in watermark power, for a given noise variance, increases watermark-to-noise ratio (WNR). This in turn improves data hiding capacity according to Shannon's channel capacity theorem. On the other hand, with the increase of embedding power/strength for multiple bits hiding on a set of host samples, both the watermark and interference power increase. Consequently, watermark-to-(interference plus noise) power ratio (WINR) and therefore the data hiding rates saturate at a constant value. As a matter of fact, adaptive watermark power allocation in distortion constrained scenario becomes important to improve overall data hiding capacity. This paper proposes an adaptive power allocation algorithm for multicarrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) watermarking system that simultaneously supports variable embedding rate. Implementation is done by allocating all host samples to high priority watermark bits and alternate odd and even host samples are assigned to the low priority hidden bits. The use of alternate host samples suggests to split spreading codes in odd and even parts that lead to an increase in watermark payload. An optimal watermark power allocation algorithm then maximizes the sum capacity that not only improves overall data hiding rate but also assures that each host sample can achieve a required data hiding rate.
Fixing the emergency department: a transformational journey with EDSIM

Hospitals today are investing time and money to expand and improve their emergency departments (ED). Using simulation to test their many improvement ideas can necessitate running numerous scenarios. Model changes such as the number of ED beds, inpatient beds and process improvements will yield an exponentially growing list of permutations in alternative ED designs. This paper uses recent project experience to describe where to begin and which steps to take to go from an As-Is ED configuration to the best to-be configuration.
The CACNA1C risk allele selectively impacts on executive function in bipolar type I disorder

Calcium channels are important for converting electrical activity into biochemical events. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs1006737) in the CACNA1C gene has been strongly associated with increased risk for Bipolar disorder (BD) in genome‐wide association studies. Recently, this same SNP has been reported to influence executive function in schizophrenia and controls, but it remains unclear whether this SNP affects behaviour, especially cognition in subjects with BD.
Prenatal Opiate Withdrawal Activates the Chick Embryo Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis and Dilates Vitelline Blood Vessels via Serotonin2 Receptors

Opiate withdrawal during pregnancy may occur because of voluntary or forced detoxification, or from rapid cycling associated with exposure to short-acting “street” opiates. Thus, animal modeling of prenatal withdrawal and development of potential therapeutic interventions is important. Direct developmental effects of opiates and/or withdrawal can be studied using a chick model. In ovo administration of the long-acting opiateN-desmethyl-l-α-noracetylmethadol (NLAAM) induces opiate dependence in the chick embryo. We examined activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (assessed via serum corticosterone) and hemodynamic changes (assessed as changes in apparent diameter of vitelline (extraembryonic) blood vessels) after chronic NLAAM exposure and naloxone (Nx)-precipitated withdrawal during late stages of embryogenesis. Nx-precipitated withdrawal increased corticosterone 2- to 4.5-fold and diameters of vitelline blood vessels by 15 to 45%. NLAAM exposure itself did not effect these measures. In a second set of experiments, isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, was injected into eggs with embryos. IBMX similarly increased corticosterone and vitelline vessel diameter, with a similar time course and response magnitude. Previous studies found that serotonin2 (5-HT2) receptors were involved in other withdrawal manifestations, so we determined whether they were likewise involved. Pretreatment with the 5-HT2 antagonist ritanserin completely blocked HPA axis activation and vasodilation associated with both Nx-precipitated withdrawal and IBMX administration. This indicates that 5-HT2 receptors, directly or indirectly, mediate these withdrawal manifestations in the chick embryo.
Beta-Blockers Reduced the Risk of Mortality and Exacerbation in Patients with COPD: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Background Cardiovascular disease is a primary cause of death in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Beta-blockers have been proved to reduce morbidity and improve survival in patients with cardiac diseases. But the effects of beta-blockers on outcomes in patients with COPD remain controversial. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of beta-blockers on mortality and exacerbation in patients with COPD. Methods An extensive search of the EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane was performed to retrieve the studies of beta-blockers treatment in patients with COPD. The random effects model meta-analysis was used to evaluate effect on overall mortality and exacerbation of COPD. Results Fifteen original observational cohort studies with a follow-up time from 1 to 7.2 years were included. The results revealed that beta-blockers treatment significantly decreased the risk of overall mortality and exacerbation of COPD. The relative risk (RR) for overall mortality was 0.72 (0.63 to 0.83), and for exacerbation of COPD was 0.63 (0.57 to 0.71). In subgroup analysis of COPD patients with coronary heart disease or heart failure, the risk for overall mortality was 0.64 (0.54–0.76) and 0.74 (0.58–0.93), respectively. Conclusion The findings of this meta-analysis confirmed that beta-blocker use in patients with COPD may not only decrease the risk of overall mortality but also reduce the risk of exacerbation of COPD. Beta-blocker prescription for cardiovascular diseases needs to improve in COPD patients.
An efficient ARQ protocol for a mobile geo-stationary satellite channel

In this paper, aiming to overcome the problems related to mobility in a Satellite Internet scenario, the data link reliable transmission over a mobile geostationary satellite link has been analysed. In such environment, the Selective Repeat (SR) classical version does not perform well due to high BER values and burst errors. In order to cope with these impairments, an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) protocol, which represents a SR version particularly suitable to mobile channel characteristics has been considered. A performance analysis of this SR version, through a simulation campaign aimed at the evaluation of throughput and delay measures, is presented in comparison with those of other SR approaches. The results of the analysis show how an accurate design of lower layers can determine an appreciable efficiency gain.
Long-term particulate matter exposure: Attributing health effects to individual PM components

While most in the scientific community are of the opinion that the composition of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an important driver of resultant health effects, there is still some degree of uncertainty regarding those components considered to be most harmful. Reviews of the subject from several perspectives have been published, but to our knowledge a comprehensive review of the epidemiological and toxicological literature related to long-term exposure to PM2.5 components does not exist. We reviewed published epidemiological studies that were of a cohort design, included at least one PM component as well as PM2.5 mass, and included quantitative analysis to relate health outcomes to individual components. Toxicological studies were included if they were ≥5 months in duration and either included at least one PM component as well as PM mass or focused on a specific PM or emissions type. Overall, we find that epidemiological and toxicological evidence for long-term effects of PM components is limited, in contrast to the short-term literature, which is more plentiful. Epidemiological literature suggests that a number of components are associated with health effects, and that no component is unequivocally not so associated. Toxicological studies that can more easily identify potentially causal components are generally limited to long-term studies using concentrated ambient particles (CAPs), of which few long-term studies exist. Epidemiological study designs that utilize existing monitoring data routinely collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would be valuable additions to the literature, as would novel toxicological studies that incorporate innovative designs to separate components or groups of components, such as denuders, filtration, or other approaches. From a policy perspective, it is important to more comprehensively investigate this issue so that if particular constituents are determined to be more potent in inducing health effects, their sources can be controlled. Implications: Understanding the components of PM2.5 that are most harmful to human health is a critical policy issue. This review examined the epidemiological and toxicological literature related to long-term exposure to PM components and found that, unlike the literature on short-term health effects, there is insufficient information to make clear inferences about causal components. There is a need for further research in this area to exploit existing PM monitoring data in epidemiological studies and to design experimental studies that are able to tease out the effects of multiple constituents.
Deletion of mouse Porcn blocks Wnt ligand secretion and reveals an ectodermal etiology of human focal dermal hypoplasia/Goltz syndrome

The Drosophila porcupine gene is required for secretion of wingless and other Wnt proteins, and sporadic mutations in its unique human ortholog, PORCN, cause a pleiotropic X-linked dominant disorder, focal dermal hypoplasia (FDH, also known as Goltz syndrome). We generated a conditional allele of the X-linked mouse Porcn gene and analyzed its requirement in Wnt signaling and embryonic development. We find that Porcn-deficient cells exhibit a cell-autonomous defect in Wnt ligand secretion but remain responsive to exogenous Wnts. Consistent with the female-specific inheritance pattern of FDH, Porcn hemizygous male embryos arrest during early embryogenesis and fail to generate mesoderm, a phenotype previously associated with loss of Wnt activity. Heterozygous Porcn mutant females exhibit a spectrum of limb, skin, and body patterning abnormalities resembling those observed in human patients with FDH. Many of these defects are recapitulated by ectoderm-specific deletion of Porcn, substantiating a long-standing hypothesis regarding the etiology of human FDH and extending previous studies that have focused on downstream elements of Wnt signaling, such as β-catenin. Conditional deletion of Porcn thus provides an experimental model of FDH, as well as a valuable tool to probe Wnt ligand function in vivo.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Pregnancy: A Report of 49 Cases at Four Tertiary North American Sites.

OBJECTIVE To identify whether pregnancy outcomes vary by etiology and severity of pulmonary hypertension and whether contemporary therapies influence outcomes. METHODS A retrospective review of medical records at four academic institutions was conducted to identify pregnant women with pulmonary hypertension (2001-2015). International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision codes for pulmonary hypertension and pregnancy were used to identify potential participants. Medical records were abstracted for demographics, management, and outcomes. Women were classified according to the 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) pulmonary hypertension classification groups 1-5. Mild pulmonary hypertension was defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure 25-49 mm Hg and severe pulmonary hypertension as mean pulmonary artery pressure 50 mm Hg or greater or systolic pulmonary artery pressure 70 mm Hg or greater. Descriptive statistics were used to compare outcomes. RESULTS Forty-nine women were identified. Mortality rate was 16% (n=8/49); all deaths occurred postpartum, and seven of eight deaths occurred in women with WHO group 1 pulmonary hypertension (mortality rate 23%, n=7/30). Of the women who had documented live births with known mode of delivery (n=41), mortality was 4 of 22 among women with severe pulmonary hypertension and 1 of 19 among women with mild pulmonary hypertension. Mortality among women who delivered by cesarean was 4 of 22 and was 1 of 19 among women who delivered vaginally. Neuraxial anesthesia was performed in 20 of 22 cesarean and 17 of 19 vaginal deliveries with no anesthesia-related adverse events. Women with severe pulmonary hypertension needed more advanced therapies such as inotropes, pulmonary vasodilators, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation than did women with mild pulmonary hypertension, 19 of 26 compared with 7 of 22. Preterm delivery was more common in women with severe compared with mild pulmonary hypertension, 19 of 23 compared with 8 of 17. There was one 25-week intrauterine fetal demise, but no neonatal deaths. CONCLUSION In this large series of pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy, mortality remained high despite advanced therapies. Maternal mortality was specific to WHO group 1 pulmonary hypertension and possibly associated with severe pulmonary hypertension. In selected patients with a favorable prognosis for vaginal birth, a trial of labor can be considered.
Singularity formation in Hele–Shaw bubbles

We provide numerical and analytic evidence for the formation of a singularity driven only by surface tension in the mathematical model describing a two‐dimensional Hele–Shaw cell with no air injection. Constantin and Pugh have proved that no such singularity is possible if the initial shape is close to a circle; thus we show that their result is not true in general. Our evidence takes the form of direct numerical simulation of the full problem, including a careful assessment of the effects of limited spatial resolution, and comparison of the full problem with the lubrication approximation.
A cost for high levels of sperm competition in rodents: increased sperm DNA fragmentation

Sperm competition, a prevalent evolutionary process in which the spermatozoa of two or more males compete for the fertilization of the same ovum, leads to morphological and physiological adaptations, including increases in energetic metabolism that may serve to propel sperm faster but that may have negative effects on DNA integrity. Sperm DNA damage is associated with reduced rates of fertilization, embryo and fetal loss, offspring mortality, and mutations leading to genetic disease. We tested whether high levels of sperm competition affect sperm DNA integrity. We evaluated sperm DNA integrity in 18 species of rodents that differ in their levels of sperm competition using the sperm chromatin structure assay. DNA integrity was assessed upon sperm collection, in response to incubation under capacitating or non-capacitating conditions, and after exposure to physical and chemical stressors. Sperm DNA was very resistant to physical and chemical stressors, whereas incubation in non-capacitating and capacitating conditions resulted in only a small increase in sperm DNA damage. Importantly, levels of sperm competition were positively associated with sperm DNA fragmentation across rodent species. This is the first evidence showing that high levels of sperm competition lead to an important cost in the form of increased sperm DNA damage.