Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trash in cache: detecting eternally silent stores

The gap between processing and storage speeds remains a concern for computer system designers and application developers. This disparity can be bridged in part by eliminating unnecessary stores, thereby reducing the amount of traffic that flows from the processor and first-level caches to the slower components of the storage subsystem. Reducing the "write" traffic can improve program performance, save power, and increase the longevity of storage components that have limited write endurance. Techniques have been proposed and evaluated for identifying various classes of stores that can be silenced. A relatively unexplored class of such stores are those that would write data that is dirty, but dead. Such data appears as if it needs to be written back to memory from cache, yet it can be proven that the application can never subsequently access the data. In this paper, we suggest identifying garbage (trash) in cache, so that the dirty bytes associated with the trash need not be written to memory. We propose and evaluate a simple technique based on reference counting that finds a subset of these "eternally silent" (dead) stores. When applied to popular benchmarks, our results show that a significant fraction of the writes to memory can be silenced based on the impossibility of an application subsequently accessing the data.
Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation in the United States, 1996–2005

Kidney and pancreas transplantation in 2005 improved in quantity and outcome quality, despite the increasing average age of kidney graft recipients, with 56% aged 50 or older. Geography and ABO blood type contribute to the discrepancy in waiting time among the deceased donor (DD) candidates. Allocation policy changes are decreasing the median times to transplant for pediatric recipients. Overall, 6% more DD kidney transplants were performed in 2005 with slight increases in standard criteria donors (SCD) and expanded criteria donors (ECD). The largest increase (39%) was in donation after cardiac death (DCD) from non‐ECD donors. These DCD, non‐ECD kidneys had equivalent outcomes to SCD kidneys. 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year unadjusted graft survival was 91%, 80% and 70% for non‐ECD‐DD transplants, 82%, 68% and 53% for ECD‐DD grafts, and 95%, 88% and 80% for living donor kidney transplants. In 2005, 27% of patients were discharged without steroids compared to 3% in 1999. Acute rejection decreased to 11% in 2004. There was a slight increase in the number of simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplants (895), with fewer pancreas after kidney transplants (343 from 419 in 2004), and a stable number of pancreas alone transplants (129). Pancreas underutilization appears to be an ongoing issue.
Prospective study with combined low-dose chemotherapy and zidovudine in 37 patients with poor-prognosis AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. French-Italian Cooperative Study Group.

The French-Italian Cooperative Study Group included patients with poor-prognosis AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), defined as those with performance status (PS) > or = 3 and/or opportunistic infections (OI), in a prospective study with a 50% reduced-dose combination chemotherapy regimen: CHVmP-Vincristine-bleo (cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 i.v. day 1, doxorubicin 25 mg/m2 i.v. day 1, teniposide 30 mg/m2 i.v. day 1, prednisone 20 mg/m2 per os days 1-5, vincristine 2 mg i.v. day 15, and bleomycin 10 mg i.v. day 15), given every 21 days for eight cycles, and concomitant zidovudine 500 mg per os per day. The aims of this combined treatment were to reduce bone marrow toxicity and infectious complications related to chemotherapy (with a low-dose chemotherapy regimen), and to control the HIV and related infectious complications (with zidovudine therapy). Thirty-seven patients entered this prospective study. At the time of the NHL diagnosis, 41% of the patients had asymptomatic HIV infection, 27% had ARC and 32% had already had CDC-defined diagnoses of AIDS. The median CD4+ cell count was 35 mm3. Only 29 patients are evaluable for response, since 8 received only one cycle of chemotherapy. Fifteen of 29 (52%) patients obtained objective responses, with only 4 (14%) achieving complete remissions (CR) of 1, 4, 14 and 29+ months. Three (16%) CRs were achieved in 19 evaluable patients included in the study because of poor PS, and only one CR was observed in 10 evaluable patients with histories of OI, either alone or with poor PS. The most common side effect was bone marrow toxicity with 2 related toxic deaths. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
THE PROPER USE OF RISK MEASURES IN PORTFOLIO THEORY

This paper discusses and analyzes risk measure properties in order to understand how a risk measure has to be used to optimize the investor's portfolio choices. In particular, we distinguish between two admissible classes of risk measures proposed in the portfolio literature: safety-risk measures and dispersion measures. We study and describe how the risk could depend on other distributional parameters. Then, we examine and discuss the differences between statistical parametric models and linear fund separation ones. Finally, we propose an empirical comparison among three different portfolio choice models which depend on the mean, on a risk measure, and on a skewness parameter. Thus, we assess and value the impact on the investor's preferences of three different risk measures even considering some derivative assets among the possible choices.
Biocompatible Carbon Nanotube–Chitosan Scaffold Matching the Electrical Conductivity of the Heart

The major limitation of current engineered myocardial patches for the repair of heart defects is that insulating polymeric scaffold walls hinder the transfer of electrical signals between cardiomyocytes. This loss in signal transduction results in arrhythmias when the scaffolds are implanted. We report that small, subtoxic concentrations of single-walled carbon nanotubes, on the order of tens of parts per million, incorporated in a gelatin–chitosan hydrogel act as electrical nanobridges between cardiomyocytes, resulting in enhanced electrical coupling, synchronous beating, and cardiomyocyte function. These engineered tissues achieve excitation conduction velocities similar to native myocardial tissue (22 ± 9 cm/s) and could function as a full-thickness patch for several cardiovascular defect repair procedures, such as right ventricular outflow track repair for Tetralogy of Fallot, atrial and ventricular septal defect repair, and other cardiac defects, without the risk of inducing cardiac arrhythmias.
Developmental Dyscalculia

Developmental dyscalculia is a specific learning disability affecting the normal acquisition of arithmetic skills. Genetic, neurobiologic, and epidemiologic evidence indicates that dyscalculia, like other learning disabilities, is a brain-based disorder. However, poor teaching and environmental deprivation have also been implicated in its etiology. Because the neural network of both hemispheres comprises the substrate of normal arithmetic skills, dyscalculia can result from dysfunction of either hemisphere, although the left parietotemporal area is of particular significance. The prevalence of developmental dyscalculia is 5 to 6% in the school-aged population and is as common in girls as in boys. Dyscalculia can occur as a consequence of prematurity and low birthweight and is frequently encountered in a variety of neurologic disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental language disorder, epilepsy, and fragile X syndrome. Developmental dyscalculia has proven to be a persisting learning disability, at least for the short term, in about half of affected preteen pupils. Educational interventions for dyscalculia range from rote learning of arithmetic facts to developing strategies for solving arithmetic exercises. The long-term prognosis of dyscalculia and the role of remediation in its outcome are yet to be determined. (J Child Neurol 2004;19:765—771).
Seismic inversion and uncertainty quantification using transdimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo method

We applied a transdimensional stochastic inversion algorithm, reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (rjMCMC), to angle-stack seismic inversion for characterization of reservoir acoustic and shear impedance with uncertainty quantification. The rjMCMC is able to infer the number of parameters for the model as well as the parameter values. In our case, the number of parameters depends on the number of model layers for a given data set. We also use this method in uncertainty quantification because a transdimensional sampling helps prevent underparameterization or strong overparameterization. An ensemble of models with proper parameterization can improve parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification. Our new results in uncertainty analysis indicate that (1) the uncertainty in seismic inversion, including uncertainty in earth properties and their locations, is related to the discontinuity of property across an interface, and (2) there is a trade-off between property uncertainty and location uncertainty. A stronger discontinuity will induce more property uncertainty but less location uncertainty at the discontinuity interface. Therefore, we further use the inversion uncertainty as a novel seismic attribute to assist in delineation of subsurface discontinuity interfaces and quantify the magnitude of the discontinuities, which further facilitates quantitative interpretation and stratigraphic interpretation.
Airborne Induction and Priming of Plant Defenses against a Bacterial Pathogen1[C][OA]

Herbivore-induced plant volatiles affect the systemic response of plants to local damage and hence represent potential plant hormones. These signals can also lead to “plant-plant communication,” a defense induction in yet undamaged plants growing close to damaged neighbors. We observed this phenomenon in the context of disease resistance. Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) plants in a natural population became more resistant against a bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae, when located close to conspecific neighbors in which systemic acquired resistance to pathogens had been chemically induced with benzothiadiazole (BTH). Airborne disease resistance induction could also be triggered biologically by infection with avirulent P. syringae. Challenge inoculation after exposure to induced and noninduced plants revealed that the air coming from induced plants mainly primed resistance, since expression of PATHOGENESIS-RELATED PROTEIN2 (PR-2) was significantly stronger in exposed than in nonexposed individuals when the plants were subsequently challenged by P. syringae. Among others, the plant-derived volatile nonanal was present in the headspace of BTH-treated plants and significantly enhanced PR-2 expression in the exposed plants, resulting in reduced symptom appearance. Negative effects on growth of BTH-treated plants, which usually occur as a consequence of the high costs of direct resistance induction, were not observed in volatile organic compound-exposed plants. Volatile-mediated priming appears to be a highly attractive means for the tailoring of systemic acquired resistance against plant pathogens.
Adaptation prevents the extinction of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under toxic beryllium

The current biodiversity crisis represents a historic challenge for natural communities: the environmental rate of change exceeds the population’s adaptation capability. Integrating both ecological and evolutionary responses is necessary to make reliable predictions regarding the loss of biodiversity. The race against extinction from an eco-evolutionary perspective is gaining importance in ecological risk assessment. Here, we performed a classical study of population dynamics—a fluctuation analysis—and evaluated the results from an adaption perspective. Fluctuation analysis, widely used with microorganisms, is an effective empirical procedure to study adaptation under strong selective pressure because it incorporates the factors that influence demographic, genetic and environmental changes. The adaptation of phytoplankton to beryllium (Be) is of interest because human activities are increasing the concentration of Be in freshwater reserves; therefore, predicting the effects of human-induced pollutants is necessary for proper risk assessment. The fluctuation analysis was performed with phytoplankton, specifically, the freshwater microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, under acute Be exposure. High doses of Be led to massive microalgae death; however, by conducting a fluctuation analysis experiment, we found that C. reinhardtii was able to adapt to 33 mg/l of Be due to pre-existing genetic variability. The rescuing adapting genotype presented a mutation rate of 9.61 × 10−6 and a frequency of 10.42 resistant cells per million wild-type cells. The genetic adaptation pathway that was experimentally obtained agreed with the theoretical models of evolutionary rescue (ER). Furthermore, the rescuing genotype presented phenotypic and physiologic differences from the wild-type genotype, was 25% smaller than the Be-resistant genotype and presented a lower fitness and quantum yield performance. The abrupt distinctions between the wild-type and the Be-resistant genotype suggest a pleiotropic effect mediated by an advantageous mutation; however, no sequencing confirmation was performed.
Comparison of the Transpalpebral Tonometer TGDc-01 with Goldmann Applanation Tonometry

Purpose This study aimed to compare intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements obtained by the transpalpebral tonometer TGDc-01 and by the Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT). Methods IOP was measured by the conventional GAT and the TGDc-01 tonometer. Central corneal thickness (CCI) was measured for all eyes. Results Sixty-seven consecutive patients (123 eyes) participated. The mean difference between the 2 techniques (TGDc-01-GAT) was −0.93 mmHg, SD=2.74 (p=0.0002, paired t-test), and 70% of the measurements were within ±2 mmHg. The correlation coefficient was 0.67 (p<0.0001). A subgroup analysis according to CCT was conducted. For CCT <520 μm, the mean IOP difference was 0.67 mmHg (p=0.13); r=0.75 (p<0.001). For CCT 520 μm-580 μm, the mean IOP difference was −1.08 mmHg (p=0.001); r=0.69 (p<0.0001). For CCT>580 μm, the mean IOP difference was −2.29 mmHg (p=0.0003); r=0.57 (p=0.003). Conclusions TGDC-01 may estimate IOP with a fair agreement to the Goldmann tonometer, although caution should be used for patients who require precise IOP measurements. TGDc-01 measured higher IOPs than Goldman tonometry for thinner corneas, a trend that was reversed for thicker corneas. This tonometer is a portable device, easy to use, does not require anesthetic drops, and may be suitable for IOP screening.
Neurite outgrowth and branching of PC12 cells on very soft substrates sharply decreases below a threshold of substrate rigidity

Rationally designed matrices for nerve tissue engineering and encapsulated cell therapies critically rely on a comprehensive understanding of neural response to biochemical as well as biophysical cues. Whereas biochemical cues are established mediators of neuronal behavior (e.g., outgrowth), physical cues such as substrate stiffness have only recently been recognized to influence cell behavior. In this work, we examine the response of PC12 neurites to substrate stiffness. We quantified and controlled fibronectin density on the substrates and measured multiple neurite behaviors (e.g., growth, branching, neurites per cell, per cent cells expressing neurites) in a large sample population. We found that PC12 neurons display a threshold response to substrate stiffness. On the softest substrates tested (shear modulus ∼10 Pa), neurites were relatively few, short in length and unbranched. On stiffer substrates (shear modulus ∼102–104 Pa), neurites were longer and more branched and a greater percentage of cells expressed neurites; significant differences in these measures were not found on substrates with a shear modulus >102 Pa. Based on these data and comparisons with published neurobiology and neuroengineering reports of neurite mechanotransduction, we hypothesize that results from studies of neuronal response to compliant substrates are cell-type dependent and sensitive to ligand density, sample size and the range of stiffness investigated.
The impact of adenosine and A2B receptors on glucose homoeostasis

Adenosine and adenosine receptor antagonists are involved in glucose homoeostasis. The participating receptors are not known, mainly due to a lack of specific agonists and antagonists, but are reasonable targets for anti‐diabetic therapy. The stable, albeit nonselective, adenosine analogue NECA (5′‐N‐ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) (10 μM) reduced glucose‐stimulated insulin release from INS‐1 cells. This was mimicked by A1‐(CHA), A2A‐(CGS‐21680) and A3‐receptor agonists (Cl‐IB‐MECA). Two newly synthesized A2B‐receptor antagonists, PSB‐53 and PSB‐1115, counteracted the inhibitory effect of NECA. These in‐vitro effects were mirrored by in‐vivo data with respect to CHA, CGS and Cl‐IB‐MECA. Distinct concentrations of either PSB‐53 or PSB‐1115 reversed the decrease in plasma insulin induced by NECA. This was not mimicked by a corresponding change in blood glucose. The effect of PSB‐1115 was also obvious in diabetic GotoKakizaki rats: plasma insulin was increased whereas blood glucose was unchanged. During most experiments the effects on blood glucose were not impressive probably because of the physiologically necessary homoeostasis. The adenosine levels were not different in normal Wistar rats and in diabetic GotoKakzaki rats. Altogether the A2B‐receptor antagonists showed an anti‐diabetic potential mainly by increasing plasma insulin levels under conditions when the adenosine tonus was elevated in‐vivo and increased insulin release in‐vitro.
Minimal spontaneously broken hidden sector and its impact on Higgs boson physics at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

Little experimental data bears on the question of whether there is a spontaneously broken hidden sector that has no Standard Model quantum numbers. Here we discuss the prospects of finding evidence for such a hidden sector through renormalizable interactions of the Standard Model Higgs boson with a Higgs boson of the hidden sector. We find that the lightest Higgs boson in this scenario has smaller rates in standard detection channels, and it can have a sizeable invisible final state branching fraction. Details of the hidden sector determine whether the overall width of the lightest state is smaller or larger than the Standard Model width. We compute observable rates, total widths and invisible decay branching fractions within the general framework. We also introduce the 'A-Higgs Model', which corresponds to the limit of a hidden sector Higgs boson weakly mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson. This model has only one free parameter in addition to the mass of the light Higgs state and it illustrates most of the generic phenomenology issues, thereby enabling it to be a good benchmark theory for collider searches. We end by presenting an analogous supersymmetry model with similar phenomenology, which involves hidden sector Higgs bosons interactingmore » with MSSM Higgs bosons through D-terms. « less
Advancing the Use of Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance Data, New York City, 2012-2016

Introduction: The use of syndromic surveillance has expanded from its initial purpose of bioterrorism detection. We present 6 use cases from New York City that demonstrate the value of syndromic surveillance for public health response and decision making across a broad range of health outcomes: synthetic cannabinoid drug use, heat-related illness, suspected meningococcal disease, medical needs after severe weather, asthma exacerbation after a building collapse, and Ebola-like illness in travelers returning from West Africa. Materials and Methods: The New York City syndromic surveillance system receives data on patient visits from all emergency departments (EDs) in the city. The data are used to assign syndrome categories based on the chief complaint and discharge diagnosis, and analytic methods are used to monitor geographic and temporal trends and detect clusters. Results: For all 6 use cases, syndromic surveillance using ED data provided actionable information. Syndromic surveillance helped detect a rise in synthetic cannabinoid-related ED visits, prompting a public health investigation and action. Surveillance of heat-related illness indicated increasing health effects of severe weather and led to more urgent public health messaging. Surveillance of meningitis-related ED visits helped identify unreported cases of culture-negative meningococcal disease. Syndromic surveillance also proved useful for assessing a surge of methadone-related ED visits after Superstorm Sandy, provided reassurance of no localized increases in asthma after a building collapse, and augmented traditional disease reporting during the West African Ebola outbreak. Practice Implications: Sharing syndromic surveillance use cases can foster new ideas and build capacity for public health preparedness and response.
Mixed-norm estimates for the M/EEG inverse problem using accelerated gradient methods

Magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG) measure the electromagnetic fields produced by the neural electrical currents. Given a conductor model for the head, and the distribution of source currents in the brain, Maxwell's equations allow one to compute the ensuing M/EEG signals. Given the actual M/EEG measurements and the solution of this forward problem, one can localize, in space and in time, the brain regions that have produced the recorded data. However, due to the physics of the problem, the limited number of sensors compared to the number of possible source locations, and measurement noise, this inverse problem is ill-posed. Consequently, additional constraints are needed. Classical inverse solvers, often called minimum norm estimates (MNE), promote source estimates with a small ℓ2 norm. Here, we consider a more general class of priors based on mixed norms. Such norms have the ability to structure the prior in order to incorporate some additional assumptions about the sources. We refer to such solvers as mixed-norm estimates (MxNE). In the context of M/EEG, MxNE can promote spatially focal sources with smooth temporal estimates with a two-level ℓ1/ℓ2 mixed-norm, while a three-level mixed-norm can be used to promote spatially non-overlapping sources between different experimental conditions. In order to efficiently solve the optimization problems of MxNE, we introduce fast first-order iterative schemes that for the ℓ1/ℓ2 norm give solutions in a few seconds making such a prior as convenient as the simple MNE. Furthermore, thanks to the convexity of the optimization problem, we can provide optimality conditions that guarantee global convergence. The utility of the methods is demonstrated both with simulations and experimental MEG data.