Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eleos: ExitLess OS Services for SGX Enclaves

Intel Software Guard extensions (SGX) enable secure and trusted execution of user code in an isolated enclave to protect against a powerful adversary. Unfortunately, running I/O-intensive, memory-demanding server applications in enclaves leads to significant performance degradation. Such applications put a substantial load on the in-enclave system call and secure paging mechanisms, which turn out to be the main reason for the application slowdown. In addition to the high direct cost of thousands-of-cycles long SGX management instructions, these mechanisms incur the high indirect cost of enclave exits due to associated TLB flushes and processor state pollution. We tackle these performance issues in Eleos by enabling exit-less system calls and exit-less paging in enclaves. Eleos introduces a novel Secure User-managed Virtual Memory (SUVM) abstraction that implements application-level paging inside the enclave. SUVM eliminates the overheads of enclave exits due to paging, and enables new optimizations such as sub-page granularity of accesses. We thoroughly evaluate Eleos on a range of microbenchmarks and two real server applications, achieving notable system performance gains. memcached and a face verification server running in-enclave with Eleos, achieves up to 2.2× and 2.3× higher throughput respectively while working on datasets up to 5× larger than the enclave's secure physical memory.
Active Density-Based Clustering

The density-based clustering algorithm DBSCAN is a fundamental technique for data clustering with many attractive properties and applications. However, DBSCAN requires specifying all pair wise (dis)similarities among objects that can be non-trivial to obtain in many applications. To tackle this problem, in this paper, we propose a novel active density-based clustering algorithm, named Act-DBSCAN, which works under a restricted number of used pair wise similarities. Act-DBSCAN exploits the pair wise lower-bounding (LB) similarities to initialize the cluster structure. Then, it adaptively selects the most informative pair wise LB similarities to update with the real ones in order to reconstruct the result until the budget limitation is reached. The goal is to approximate as much as possible the true clustering result with each update. Our Act-DBSCAN framework is built upon a proposed probabilistic model to score the impact of the update of each pair wise LB similarity on the change of the intermediate clustering structure. Deriving from this scoring system and the monotonicity and reduction property of our active clustering process, we propose the two efficient algorithms to iteratively select and update pair wise similarities and cluster structure. Experiments on real datasets show that Act-DBSCAN acquires good clustering results with only a few pair wise similarities, and requires only a small fraction of all pair wise similarities to reach the DBSCAN results. Act-DBSCAN also outperforms other related techniques such as active spectral clustering.
Evaluation study of different useful life estimation techniques of lithium-ion battery

In many fields, the reliability on batteries has increased. In order to have a wise and managed system, it is very important to be able to control the battery that is driving it and also to be capable of predicting how the system will go on the long run. This shows that the estimation of the lifetime of the battery has become a need and a basic requirement to have a predicted future for any system using a battery. In this paper, the aging of lithium ion batteries is going to be shown, as well as a review on many methods and techniques that predict its remaining useful life.
Computing Semantic Relatedness from Human Navigational Paths: A Case Study on Wikipedia

In this article, the authors present a novel approach for computing semantic relatedness and conduct a large-scale study of it on Wikipedia. Unlike existing semantic analysis methods that utilize Wikipedia's content or link structure, the authors propose to use human navigational paths on Wikipedia for this task. The authors obtain 1.8 million human navigational paths from a semi-controlled navigation experiment-a Wikipedia-based navigation game, in which users are required to find short paths between two articles in a given Wikipedia article network. The authors' results are intriguing: They suggest that i semantic relatedness computed from human navigational paths may be more precise than semantic relatedness computed from Wikipedia's plain link structure alone and ii that not all navigational paths are equally useful. Intelligent selection based on path characteristics can improve accuracy. The authors' work makes an argument for expanding the existing arsenal of data sources for calculating semantic relatedness and to consider the utility of human navigational paths for this task.
Divergent in vitro/in vivo responses to drug treatments of highly aggressive NIH-Ras cancer cells: a PET imaging and metabolomics-mass-spectrometry study

Oncogenic K-ras is capable to control tumor growth and progression by rewiring cancer metabolism. In vitro NIH-Ras cells convert glucose to lactate and use glutamine to sustain anabolic processes, but their in vivo environmental adaptation and multiple metabolic pathways activation ability is poorly understood. Here, we show that NIH-Ras cancer cells and tumors are able to coordinate nutrient utilization to support aggressive cell proliferation and survival. Using PET imaging and metabolomics-mass spectrometry, we identified the activation of multiple metabolic pathways such as: glycolysis, autophagy recycling mechanism, glutamine and serine/glycine metabolism, both under physiological and under stress conditions. Finally, differential responses between in vitro and in vivo systems emphasize the advantageous and uncontrolled nature of the in vivo environment, which has a pivotal role in controlling the responses to therapy.
Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Perspective on Current Evidence and Clinical Knowledge

This paper reviews the current published data regarding open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in relation to minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF). Introduction. MI-TLIF, a modern method for lumbar interbody arthrodesis, has allowed for a minimally invasive method to treat degenerative spinal pathologies. Currently, there is limited literature that compares TLIF directly to MI-TLIF. Thus, we seek to discuss the current literature on these techniques. Methods. Using a PubMed search, we reviewed recent publications of open and MI-TLIF, dating from 2002 to 2012. We discussed these studies and their findings in this paper, focusing on patient-reported outcomes as well as complications. Results. Data found in 14 articles of the literature was analyzed. Using these reports, we found mean follow-up was 20 months. The mean patient study size was 52. Seven of the articles directly compared outcomes of open TLIF with MI-TLIF, such as mean duration of surgery, length of post-operative stay, blood loss, and complications. Conclusion. Although high-class data comparing these two techniques is lacking, the current evidence supports MI-TLIF with outcomes comparable to that of the traditional, open technique. Further prospective, randomized studies will help to further our understanding of this minimally invasive technique.
Morphological Study of Nutrient Foramen in Human Fibulae of North Indian Region

Background: Nutrient foramen is an opening in the shaft of bone which gives passage to the blood vessels. The knowledge of nutrient foramen is important in surgical procedures like bone grafting, microsurgical vascularised bone transplantation, open reduction of fracture etc. Materials and methods: We studied 112 human dried fibulae from the museum of Department of Anatomy, R M C H, Bareilly and TMCRC, Moradabad. In this study we used magnifying hand lens and a thin stiff wire to confirm the number and direction of nutrient foramen. Results: In our study, we found 20.30% of nutrient foramina were directed towards the growing end. We also found that 4.46% of total fibulae were having no foramen, 12.5% were having 2 foramen, 2.67% were having 3 foramen and 1.79% were having 4 foramen. Conclusion: Majority of bone followed growing end theory but this study has provided additional information on the morphology and topography of nutrient foramen in fibulae. This knowledge of nutrient foramen is useful in certain surgical procedures to preserve the circulation.
The Impact of Children with Intellectual Impairment on Families

This qualitative study was designed to investigate the experiences, feelings and views of families with intellectually impaired children at the Dagbreek and MA´reson Centres in the Khomas Education region of Namibia. For the purpose of this study, a qualitative approach was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect data with a sample of ten families whose children attended school at the aforementioned Centreâ€™s. The data collected was analyzed using thematic content analysis. Four sub- themes were identified and from them it was discovered that the â€˜overall experience of their childrenâ€™s impairmentâ€™ by parents and guardians was unique since they had mixed feelings (both positive and negative) and had different reactions to the diagnosis of their childrenâ€™s impairment. The study noted that the existence of an intellectually impaired child in the family has a major impact on family members, the relationships of parents, separation of parents, extended families as well as on the public or community members.
Individualizing the WHO HIV and infant feeding guidelines: optimal breastfeeding duration to maximize infant HIV-free survival

Objectives:To determine how infant feeding recommendations can maximize HIV-free survival (HFS) among HIV-exposed, uninfected African infants, balancing risks of breast milk-associated HIV infection with setting-specific risks of illness and death associated with replacement feeding. Design:Validated mathematical model of HIV-exposed, uninfected infants, with published data from Africa. Methods:We projected 24-month HFS using combinations of: maternal CD4+, antiretroviral drug availability, and relative risk of mortality among replacement-fed compared to breastfed infants (‘RR-RF’, range 1.0–6.0). For each combination, we identified the ‘optimal’ breastfeeding duration (0–24 months) maximizing HFS. We compared HFS under an ‘individualized’ approach, based on the above parameters, to the WHO ‘public health approach’ (12 months breastfeeding for all HIV-infected women). Results:Projected HFS was 65–93%. When the value of RR-RF is 1.0, replacement feeding from birth maximized HFS. At a commonly reported RR-RF value (2.0), optimal breastfeeding duration was 3–12 months, depending on maternal CD4+ and antiretroviral drug availability. As the value of RR-RF increased, optimal breastfeeding duration increased. Compared to the public health approach, an individualized approach improved absolute HFS by less than 1% if RR-RF value was 2.0–4.0, by 3% if RR-RF value was 1.0 or 6.0, and by greater amounts if access to antiretroviral drugs was limited. Conclusion:Tailoring breastfeeding duration to maternal CD4+, antiretroviral drug availability, and local replacement feeding safety can optimize HFS among HIV-exposed infants. An individualized approach leads to moderate gains in HFS, but only when mortality risks from replacement feeding are very low or very high, or antiretroviral drug availability is limited. The WHO public health approach is beneficial in most resource-limited settings.
Assessing the effects of LXR agonists on cellular cholesterol handling: a stable isotope tracer study Published, JLR Papers in Press, March 27, 2006.

The liver X receptors (LXRs) α and β are responsible for the transcriptional regulation of a number of genes involved in cholesterol efflux from cells and therefore may be molecular targets for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of LXR ligands on cholesterol turnover in cells has not been examined comprehensively. In this study, cellular cholesterol handling (e.g., synthesis, catabolism, influx, and efflux) was examined using a stable isotope labeling study and a two-compartment modeling scheme. In HepG2 cells, the incorporation of 13C into cholesterol from [1-13C]acetate was analyzed by mass isotopomer distribution analysis in conjunction with nonsteady state, multicompartment kinetic analysis to calculate the cholesterol fluxes. Incubation with synthetic, nonsteroidal LXR agonists (GW3965, T0901317, and SB742881) increased cholesterol synthesis (∼10-fold), decreased cellular cholesterol influx (71–82%), and increased cellular cholesterol efflux (1.7- to 1.9-fold) by 96 h. As a consequence of these altered cholesterol fluxes, cellular cholesterol decreased (36–39%) by 96 h. The increased cellular cholesterol turnover was associated with increased expression of the LXR-activated genes ABCA1, ABCG1, FAS, and sterol-regulatory element binding protein 1c. In summary, the mathematical model presented allows time-dependent calculations of cellular cholesterol fluxes. These data demonstrate that all of the cellular cholesterol fluxes were altered by LXR activation and that the increase in cholesterol synthesis did not compensate for the increased cellular cholesterol efflux, resulting in a net cellular cholesterol loss.
Asymptotics for rank and crank moments

Moments of the partition rank and crank statistics have been studied for their connections to combinatorial objects such as Durfee symbols, as well as for their connections to harmonic Maass forms. This paper proves a conjecture of two of the authors that refined a conjecture of Garvan. Garvan's original conjecture states that the moments of the crank function are always larger than the moments of the rank function, even though the moments have the same main asymptotic term. The refined version provides precise asymptotic estimates for both the moments and their differences. Our proof uses the Hardy–Ramanujan Circle Method, multiple sums of Bernoulli polynomials and the theory of quasimock theta functions.
The Afferent , Intrinsic , and Efferent Connections of Primary Visual Cortex in Primates

Because of its distinctive architecture, connections, and functions, primary visual cortex, area 17 or of primates, can be easily identified in most mammals (Kaas, 1987). (also referred to as striate cortex) is particularly distinctive primates, and, as a result, it was the first cortical area identified histologically (see Gennari, 1782, in Fulton, 1937). of most, if not all, primates has a number of conspicuous features that distinguish this structure from its logue in other mammals. Unlike carnivores, such as cats and ferrets, almost all of the visual input relayed from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of primates terminates in (Benevento and Standage, 1982; and Kennedy, 1983; see Henry, 1991, for review),and lesions of produce a severe deficit known as cortical blindness Cowey and Stoerig, 1989). In addition, visual cortex of primates is activated by physiologically and morphologically distinguishable streams, or channels, of inputs that are relayed from the retina to a
Spontaneous Involution of Rathke’s Cleft Cysts without Visual Symptoms

Background There have been various reports in the literature regarding the conservative management of pituitary apoplexy, pituitary incidentalomas and Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs). However, to the best of our knowledge, spontaneous involution of cystic sellar mass has rarely been reported. We report 14 cases of cystic sellar masses with spontaneous involution. Methods A total of 14 patients with spontaneous regression of cystic sellar masses in our hospital were included. The median age was 35 years (range, 5–67), and 8 patients were male. Clinical symptoms, hormone study and MRI were evaluated for all patients. The initial MRI showed all 14 patients with RCCs. Eight patients were presented with sudden onset of headache, and 1 patient with dizziness. Another patient, a 5-year-old child, was presented with delayed growth. Three patients had no symptoms via regular medical work up. All 14 patients had no visual symptoms. The follow-up period ranged from 5.7 to 42.8 months, with the mean of 17.3 months. Results The mean initial tumor size was 1.29 cm3 (range, 0.05 to 3.23). After involution, the tumor size decreased to 0.23 cm3 (range, 0 to 0.68) without any treatments. Repeated MRI showed a spontaneous decrease in tumor volume by 78% (range, 34 to 99). The initial MRI showed that the tumor was in contact with the optic chiasm in 7 patients, while compressing on the optic chiasm in 3 patients. Five patients were initially treated with hormone replacement therapy due to hormone abnormality. After the follow-up period, only 2 patients needed a long-term hormone replacement therapy. Conclusion The spontaneous involution of RCCs is not well quantified before. Their incidence has not been well demonstrated, but this phenomenon might be underreported. Conservative management can be a treatment option in some RCCs without visual symptoms, even in those that are large in size and in contact with the optic nerve via imaging study.
The Viability of Using Rapid Judgments as a Method of Deception Detection

ABSTRACT Rapid Judgments (RJs) are quick assessments based on indirect verbal and nonverbal cues that are known to be associated with deception. RJs are advantageous because they eliminate the need for expensive detection equipment and only require minimal training for coders with relatively accurate judgments. Results of testing on two different datasets showed that trained coders were reliably making RJs after watching both long and short interaction segments but their judgments were not more accurate than the expert interviewers. The RJs did not discriminate between truth and deception as hypothesized. This raises more questions about the conditions under which making RJs from verbal and nonverbal cues achieves accurate detection of veracity.
The role of Question-Answer Congruence (QAC) in child language and adult sentence processing

This dissertation investigates experimentally the role of Question-Answer Congruence (QAC, von Stechow 1990, Rooth 1985, 1992) in child language acquisition and adult sentence processing. Specifically, I present two case studies: sentences with "only" and sentences with the Rise-Fall-Rise contour (RFR, Jackendoff 1972). Case study 1 investigates a long-standing puzzle concerning the acquisition of "only. " Since Crain et al. (1994), many studies report children display difficulties understanding sentences with pre-subject "only" while having no difficulty with pre-verbal "only. " The current study manipulates the levels of QAC to study the puzzle. The results show that QAC plays a significant role in the asymmetry between Subject-only vs. VP-only, and more generally, both children and adults are sensitive to QAC, with congruence facilitating processing, and incongruence interfering with processing. We conclude that the cost of the accommodation of a sub-question to obey QAC is different for Subject-only and VP-only. I propose that the way information is packaged makes it easier to accommodate a set of questions asking about the object of the sentence, which makes it easier to process VP-only. We also showed that the extent to which QAC influences comprehension is different for children and adults. For children, QAC has a stronger influence than the syntactic condition on only. For adults, the syntactic condition is not violated. We suggest that the status of the syntactic condition regarding only is a factor that distinguishes children from adults in processing only. Case study 2 investigates whether children can construe the inverse scope interpretation, which children are reported to disfavor (Musolino 1998), with the RFR prosody, which is standardly taken to require inverse scope. The results show that both children and adults are sensitive to RFR and able to compute the implicature associated with RFR to disambiguate the inverse scope interpretation. As in the "only" study, QAC levels varied in the RFR experiment. However, the results revealed no effect of question type. This leaves an important open question: why QAC seems more active in children in determining the associate of only than in the determination of quantifier scope when the prosody makes the scope clear. Thesis Supervisor: Martin Hackl Title: Associate Professor of Linguistics Thesis Supervisor: Ken Wexler Title: Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Linguistics
Stability of cold fronts in clusters: is magnetic field necessary?

Cold fronts - sharp discontinuities recently discovered by Chandra in many clusters of galaxies - are believed to be due to a hot gas flow over a colder gravitationally bound gas cloud. We analyse the stability of the fronts with respect to Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and show that an intrinsic width of the interface of the order of a few per cent of the curvature radius strongly limits the growth of perturbation. For the best studied case of a front in the Cluster Abell 3667 we conclude that current observational data on the width and extent of the front can be explained even in the absence of dynamically important magnetic fields.
Hierarchical Web caching systems: modeling, design and experimental results

This paper aims at finding fundamental design principles for hierarchical Web caching. An analytical modeling technique is developed to characterize an uncooperative two-level hierarchical caching system where the least recently used (LRU) algorithm is locally run at each cache. With this modeling technique, we are able to identify a characteristic time for each cache, which plays a fundamental role in understanding the caching processes. In particular, a cache can be viewed roughly as a low-pass filter with its cutoff frequency equal to the inverse of the characteristic time. Documents with access frequencies lower than this cutoff frequency have good chances to pass through the cache without cache hits. This viewpoint enables us to take any branch of the cache tree as a tandem of low-pass filters at different cutoff frequencies, which further results in the finding of two fundamental design principles. Finally, to demonstrate how to use the principles to guide the caching algorithm design, we propose a cooperative hierarchical Web caching architecture based on these principles. Both model-based and real trace simulation studies show that the proposed cooperative architecture results in more than 50% memory saving and substantial central processing unit (CPU) power saving for the management and update of cache entries compared with the traditional uncooperative hierarchical caching architecture.
Virtual Learning Environments in Social Psychology

An interactive learning module was developed and implemented in a social psychology course to teach concepts of the self via self-exploration and game play using The SIMS3 . Students volunteered to play the computer video game throughout a 5-week summer session as a supplement to reading the chapter in the textbook. Results revealed that students who played the game demonstrated a significant increase in content knowledge compared to those who engaged in other active learning projects; interestingly, students who played the game reported lower levels of confidence with course material. Student’s overall perceived experience (e.g., engagement, fun) of the learning module was also explored.