Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Internet at the Speed of Light

For many Internet services, reducing latency improves the user experience and increases revenue for the service provider. While in principle latencies could nearly match the speed of light, we find that infrastructural inefficiencies and protocol overheads cause today's Internet to be much slower than this bound: typically by more than one, and often, by more than two orders of magnitude. Bridging this large gap would not only add value to today's Internet applications, but could also open the door to exciting new applications. Thus, we propose a grand challenge for the networking research community: a speed-of-light Internet. To inform this research agenda, we investigate the causes of latency inflation in the Internet across the network stack. We also discuss a few broad avenues for latency improvement.
Hierarchy of Iron Uptake Systems: Yfu and Yiu Are Functional in Yersinia pestis

ABSTRACT In addition to the yersiniabactin (Ybt) siderophore-dependent system, two inorganic iron ABC transport systems of Yersinia pestis, Yfe and Yfu, have been characterized. Here we show that the Yfu system functions in Y. pestis: a Ybt− Yfe− Yfu− mutant exhibited a greater growth defect under iron-deficient conditions than its Ybt− Yfe− parental strain. We also demonstrate that another putative Y. pestis iron uptake system, Yiu, which potentially encodes an outer membrane receptor, YiuR, and an ABC iron transport cassette, YiuABC, is functional. The cloned yiuABC operon restored growth of an enterobactin-deficient mutant Escherichia coli strain, 1017, under iron-chelated conditions. Iron uptake by the Yiu system in Y. pestis was demonstrated only when the Ybt, Yfe, and Yfu systems were mutated. Using a yiuA::lacZ fusion, we show that the yiuABC promoter is repressed by iron through Fur. A mouse model of bubonic plague failed to show a significant role for the Yiu system in the disease process. These results demonstrate that two additional iron transporters are functional in Y. pestis and indicate that there is a hierarchy of iron transporters, with Ybt being most effective and Yiu being the least effective of those systems which have been characterized.
Correlation between severity of ultrasonographic nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiometabolic risk among Filipino wellness patients

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent condition which is known to be related to factors that predispose to the development of coronary artery disease as well as development of metabolic syndrome. The study aimed to determine the association between ultrasound-based grading of hepatic steatosis with metabolic profile and estimated cardiovascular risk using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 100 Filipino patients without established cardiovascular disease who underwent a general wellness health evaluation. Cases with NAFLD diagnosed on the basis of ultrasound grading were analyzed. Comparison of demographics and metabolic parameters between grades of hepatic steatosis was performed using Kruskal Wallis test. FRS was used to assess cardiovascular risk with Spearman rank test for correlation with the degree of NAFLD. Results: Mean age was 47 ± 9.6 years, with 70% males. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.7 ± 5.1. Most patients had grade I NAFLD (53%), 34% were grade II, and 13% were grade III. BMI (P =0.034), liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], P = 0.001; aspartate aminotransferase [AST], P = 0.00), triglycerides (P = 0.047), and fasting blood sugar [FBS] (P = 0.049) were associated with fatty liver grade. No association was noted with total cholesterol (P = 0.569), high density lipoprotein (HDL) (P = 0.220), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) (P = 0.792). Using the FRS 43% were stratified as low (<10% risk), 45% as intermediate (10%-20% risk) and 12% as high risk (>20% risk). Severity of fatty liver was directly correlated with the FRS (Spearman rank 0.741, P = 0.009). Conclusion: Ultrasound-based grading of the severity of NAFLD is associated with abnormalities in the metabolic profile of patients. The FRS is correlated with increasing severity of NAFLD based on ultrasound. These findings suggest that the presence of NAFLD may be a marker for the presence of increased cardiovascular risk and may help identify patients who may benefit from more aggressive therapies to prevent development of adverse cardiovascular events.
Nursing Interventions for Identifying and Managing Acute Dysphagia are Effective for Improving Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review Update

Abstract Background: Dysphagia, or difficulty in swallowing, is a serious and life-threatening medical condition that affects a significant number of individuals with acute neurological impairment, largely from stroke. Dysphagia is not generally considered a major cause of mortality; however, the complications that result from this medical condition, namely, aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition, are among the most common causes of death in the older adults. Methods: This is an update of an existing systematic review. The standard systematic review methods of the Joanna Briggs Institute were used. Methods were specified in advance in a published protocol. A wide range of databases were searched for quantitative research articles examining the effectiveness of nursing interventions to identify and manage dysphagia in adult patients with acute neurological dysfunction, published between 2008 and 2013. Results: Four new studies were added in this update, for a total of 15 included studies. Strong evidence was found to show that nurse-initiated dysphagia screening is effective for reducing chest infections in patients with dysphagia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.45, 95% CI [0.33, 0.62], p < .00001). Nurse-initiated dysphagia screening by trained nurses may be effective for detection of dysphagia, and training nurses in dysphagia screening improves the number and accuracy of screens conducted. The presence of formal dysphagia guidelines in a health facility is likely to reduce inpatient deaths (OR = 0.60, 95% CI [0.43, 0.84], p = .003) and chest infections (OR = 0.68, 95% CI [0.51, 0.90], p = .008); however, it does not appear that formal guidelines have an effect on length of stay. Conclusions: Nurse-initiated dysphagia screening for patients with acute neurological dysfunction is effective for a range of important patient outcomes. The presence of formal guidelines for the identification and management of dysphagia may have a significant effect on serious adverse outcomes such as chest infections and death. Training nurses to conduct dysphagia screening will improve patient outcomes.
Work that Relationship: Investigating Top Management Support via Top and Project Manager Relationships in Software Development Projects

High rates of failure are reported for software development projects and top management support has been identified as a critical factor in avoiding such failure and achieving project success. However, there has been little in-depth examination of what exactly is meant by “top management support” and how it can be realized. This study investigates top management support in the context of the relationship between a project manager and his/her immediate senior (top) manager. Prior literature was used to develop a framework that characterizes the relationship between project and top management. The framework was tested and refined using the data gathered in an exploratory study involving interviews with project managers and their top managers in five organizations. The framework shows promise for deeper understanding of top management support in the context of top and project manager relationship. The ten important attributes of the relationship identified in the framework are communication, documentation, leadership, decision making, governance structures, governance processes, resourcing, education, managerial engagement and time management.
Deep reactive ion etching of borosilicate glass using an anodically bonded silicon wafer as an etching mask

A new dry-etching method for fabricating anisotropic deep grooves on a borosilicate glass wafer is reported. The method uses a 200 µm thick bulk silicon wafer bonded to a borosilicate glass wafer by anodic bonding as an etching mask and inductively coupled plasma generated by C4F8 or CHF3 gases for etching. The measured etching rate showed that the deep reactive ion etching conditions for achieving a high etching rate are low gas pressure, high gas-flow rate, high antenna power and high bias power. The measured groove profile revealed that the sidewall angles of the etched grooves were less than 80° and C4F8 plasma provided a slight difference in width between the mask opening and etched groove. These results indicate that C4F8 plasma is suitable for precise groove fabrication. Even after fabrication of a 430 µm deep groove, enough silicon mask (135 µm thickness) remained to fabricate a deeper groove. Consequently, our etching method using an anodically bonded silicon mask and C4F8 plasma enables the fabrication of very deep grooves in borosilicate glass.
Homosynaptic long-term depression in the visual cortex

We have investigated the characteristics and mechanism of activity- dependent decreases in synaptic effectiveness in visual cortex. Repetitive, low-frequency stimulation (LFS) of either layer IV or the white matter of visual cortical slices was shown to result in a long- term depression (LTD) of intra- and extracellularly recorded synaptic responses in layer III. In preparations in which responses to stimulation of two independent pathways could be monitored, LFS of one pathway produced LTD of responses to test stimulation of that input only, showing that this form of LTD is homosynaptic. This form of LTD was dependent on the frequency and/or pattern of conditioning stimulation and on activation of NMDA receptors. Okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2a, inhibited LTD, but had no effect on induction of long-term potentiation. In all of these respects, LFS-induced LTD in visual cortex closely resembles what has been recently documented in hippocampus. The combined data support a model in which LTD is triggered by a modest elevation in postsynaptic Ca2+ and activation of protein-serine, threonine phosphatases.
Road Slope Analysis and Filtering for Driveline Shuffle Simulation

Abstract In powertrain analysis, simulation of driveline models are standard tools, where efficient and accurate simulations are important features of the models. One input signal with high impact on the accuracy is the road slope. Here it is found that the amplitude discretization in production road-slope sensors can excite vehicle shuffle dynamics in the model, which is not present in the real vehicle. To overcome this problem road-slope information is analyzed with the aid of both measured and synthetic road profiles, where the latter are generated from regulatory road specifications. The analysis shows that it is possible to separate vehicle shuffle resonances and road-slope information, and designs are proposed for on- and off-line filtering of the road-slope-sensor signal in spatial coordinates. Applying the filter to measured data shows that vehicle shuffle is significantly attenuated, while the shape of the road slope profile is maintained. As a byproduct the use of smoothing the rolling resistance is shown.
T-Cell Epitope Prediction: Rescaling Can Mask Biological Variation between MHC Molecules

Theoretical methods for predicting CD8+ T-cell epitopes are an important tool in vaccine design and for enhancing our understanding of the cellular immune system. The most popular methods currently available produce binding affinity predictions across a range of MHC molecules. In comparing results between these MHC molecules, it is common practice to apply a normalization procedure known as rescaling, to correct for possible discrepancies between the allelic predictors. Using two of the most popular prediction software packages, NetCTL and NetMHC, we tested the hypothesis that rescaling removes genuine biological variation from the predicted affinities when comparing predictions across a number of MHC molecules. We found that removing the condition of rescaling improved the prediction software's performance both qualitatively, in terms of ranking epitopes, and quantitatively, in the accuracy of their binding affinity predictions. We suggest that there is biologically significant variation among class 1 MHC molecules and find that retention of this variation leads to significantly more accurate epitope prediction.
Advanced predictive models towards PV energy integration in smart grid

Computational techniques play an important role in most engineering problems in which optimization problems have to be faced. Renewable energy operations represent one of these cases where energy transfer and storage, real-time operations and consumption profiles need to be optimized. In this context renewable sources can be managed using evolutionary computation and other tools. In this light artificial neural network solution using fuzzy logic techniques can estimate energy flows basing their estimation on weather forecast, and the knowledge of this event-driven variability can encourage photovoltaic integration with the electric power system. This article discusses the role of these computational tools and some issues related to the variability and uncertainty in the operations where PV plants are potentially fully connected to a smart grid future scenario.
Different epitope structures select distinct mutant forms of an antibody variable region for expression during the immune response

Antibody variable (V) regions that initially differ from one another by only single amino acid residues at VH-D and D-JH segment junctions (termed canonical V regions) can be elicited in strain A/J mice by three different haptens. Among such V regions an amino acid substitution due to somatic mutation is recurrently observed at VH CDR2 position 58, regardless of which of these haptens is used for immunization. This substitution confers upon a canonical V region a generic increase in affinity for all the haptens. Conversely, the type of amino acid substitution at VH position 59 resulting from somatic mutation that is recurrently observed among such V regions changes with the eliciting hapten, in a manner that correlates directly with the cognate affinity increases (or decreases) for hapten conferred by the observed substitutions. This small subregion of VH CDR2 therefore plays a major role in determining both affinity and specificity for antigen. The data confirm that affinity for antigen is of pivotal importance in determining the degree of selection of different mutant forms of a V region. Moreover, during an immune response a sufficiently diverse mutant repertoire can be generated from a single canonical V region to allow adaptation to increase affinity for three different epitopes.
CPI2: CPU performance isolation for shared compute clusters

Performance isolation is a key challenge in cloud computing. Unfortunately, Linux has few defenses against performance interference in shared resources such as processor caches and memory buses, so applications in a cloud can experience unpredictable performance caused by other programs' behavior. Our solution, CPI2, uses cycles-per-instruction (CPI) data obtained by hardware performance counters to identify problems, select the likely perpetrators, and then optionally throttle them so that the victims can return to their expected behavior. It automatically learns normal and anomalous behaviors by aggregating data from multiple tasks in the same job. We have rolled out CPI2 to all of Google's shared compute clusters. The paper presents the analysis that lead us to that outcome, including both case studies and a large-scale evaluation of its ability to solve real production issues.
A Portable Approach to Last Resort Parsing and Interpretation

This paper describes an approach to robust processing which is domain-independent in its design, yet which can easily take advantage of domain-specific information. Robust processing is well-integrated into standard processing in this approach, requiring essentially only a single new BNF rule in the grammar. We describe the results of implementing this approach in two different domains.
Multifractal application on electrocardiogram

Abstract Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis is applied to analyse the degree of disorders, complexity and irregularity based on scaling behaviour of electrocardiogram. Since this method is based on random walk theory, noise level due to imperfect measurement in recording is reduced and it can systematically eliminate trends of different orders. The essence of this method is to extract the fractal features in ECG which can reflect changes in adaptability of physiological processes and to classify the pathological conditions and can lead to successful diagnosis. Fractal analysis is, therefore, a promising diagnostic tool in cardiovascular disease diagnosis and evaluation.
Development of a paradigm for studying the effects of brief Goal Management Training with Implementation Intentions

ABSTRACT Cognitive rehabilitation interventions such as Goal Management Training (GMT) and the Implementation Intentions strategy have been developed with the aim of improving prospective memory (PM) in everyday life. The aim of this study was to provide “proof of concept” for an experimental paradigm that could be used to evaluate the effects of Goal Management Implementation Intentions training (GMTii) derived from the principles of GMT and Implementation Intentions. Thirty adults were randomised to either GMTii or a control training condition. A computerised PM task that involved an ongoing task into which a PM task was embedded was completed pre-training and post-training. In addition, a novel yet similar PM task was completed post-training to assess generalisability of any effect. The two groups had similar overall performance pre-training. Post-training, the GMTii group demonstrated significantly better performance on the familiar computerised PM task showing less performance decay over time compared to the control group. The GMTii group also showed better performance on the novel task. The results demonstrated that brief GMTii significantly improved PM performance compared to control training and that computerised PM tasks were sensitive to this effect. The results suggest that this paradigm could be used to study the effects of metacognitive rehabilitation interventions.
Effect of Ni–Al2O3 nanocomposite coating thickness on transient liquid phase bonding of Al 6061 MMC

Transient liquid phase diffusion bonding of Al 6061 containing 15 vol.-% alumina particles was carried out as a function of interlayer thickness. Electrodeposited Ni coatings containing 18 vol.-% nanosized alumina particles with thickness ranging from 1 to 13 μm was used as the interlayer. Joint formation was attributed to the solid state diffusion of Ni into the Al 6061 metal matrix base metal followed by eutectic formation, base metal dissolution and isothermal solidification at the joint interface. Examination of the joint region using scanning electron microscopy, wavelength dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction showed the formation of intermetallic phases such as AlFe3Si, Ni17Al3·9Si5·1O48 and Ni3Si within the joint zone. The results indicated that a maximum joint strength of 92% of the base metal shear strength can be obtained if an 11 μm thick Ni–Al2O3 nanocomposite coating is used as the interlayer.
Granzyme B-mediated Apoptosis Proceeds Predominantly through a Bcl-2-inhibitable Mitochondrial Pathway* 210

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes kill virus-infected and tumor cell targets through the concerted action of proteins contained in cytolytic granules, primarily granzyme B and perforin. Granzyme B, a serine proteinase with substrate specificity similar to the caspase family of apoptotic cysteine proteinases, is capable of cleaving and activating a number of death proteins in target cells. Despite the ability to engage the death pathway at multiple entry points, the preferred mechanism for rapid induction of apoptosis by granzyme B has yet to be clearly established. Here we use time lapse confocal microscopy to demonstrate that mitochondrial cytochromec release is the primary mode of granzyme B-induced apoptosis and that Bcl-2 is a potent inhibitor of this pivotal event. Caspase activation is not required for cytochrome crelease, an activity that correlates with cleavage and activation of Bid, which we have found to be cleaved more readily by granzyme B than either caspase-3 or caspase-8. Bcl-2 blocks the rapid destruction of targets by granzyme B by blocking mitochondrial involvement in the process.
Professional competence of practising nurses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To compare nurse competence in terms of its quality and frequency of action in medical, surgical, paediatric/obstetric/gynaecological and psychiatric clinical fields. BACKGROUND One challenge of current health care is to target practising nurses' competencies to optimal use. Therefore, a systematic assessment of nurse competence is justified. Studies using the Nurse Competence Scale have found that nurses' competence is on a good or very good level and it increases with age and work experience. DESIGN A cross-sectional comparative survey using the Nurse Competence Scale. METHODS A purposive sample of 2083 nurses in a major University Hospital in Finland participated in this study in 2007-2008. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics' anova with Bonferroni correction, and Pearson/Spearman correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data. RESULTS The overall level of competence of nurses was good, and the quality of action correlated positively with the frequency of action. Nurses in the psychiatric field reached somewhat higher overall mean scores than nurses in other clinical fields. On item level, nurses seemed to be the most competent in actions related to immediate individualised patient care, the maintenance of their own professional competence and commitment to nursing ethics. Age and particularly work experience were positively correlated with the competence. CONCLUSION Findings from this large data corroborate previous study results on the category level assessment of nurse competence using the Nurse Competence Scale indicating a good level of competence. On item level, findings revealed more detailed themes of nurse competence, which complements earlier knowledge retrieved from the category level analysis and could be used to target nurses' competencies to even more optimal use. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Competence assessment and targeted interventions are recommended as tools for the management for planning nurses' career development and continuing education to ensure competent and motivated work force and high-quality care.