Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic Instruction Set Design Through Efficient Instruction Encoding for Application-Specific Processors

Application-specific instructions can significantly improve the performance, energy-efficiency, and code size of configurable processors. While generating new instructions from application-specific operation patterns has been a common way to improve the instruction set (IS) of a configurable processor, automating the design of IS’s for given applications poses new challenges. This IS synthesis typically requires these questions to be answered: how to create as well as utilize new instructions in a systematic manner, and how to choose the best set of application-specific instructions taking into account the conflicting effects of adding new instructions? To address these problems, we present a novel IS synthesis framework that optimizes the performance for the given data path architecture through an efficient instruction encoding. We build a library of new instructions with various encoding alternatives and select the best set while satisfying the instruction bitwidth constraint. We formulate the problem using integer linear programming and also present an effective heuristic algorithm. Experimental results using our technique generate instruction sets that show improvements of up to about 40% over the native instruction set for several realistic benchmark applications running on typical embedded RISC processors.
MiR-506 Suppresses Tumor Proliferation and Invasion by Targeting FOXQ1 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

MiRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that play important roles in various biological processes including tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the expression and function of miR-506 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we showed that miR-506 was downregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines and tissues. Ectopic expression of miR-506 dramatically suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion. Moreover, we identified the Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) gene as a novel direct target of miR-506. MiR-506 exerts its tumor suppressor function through inhibition of the FOXQ1, which was involved in tumor metastasis and proliferation in various cancers. Furthermore, the expression of FOXQ1 is up-regulated in NPC cell lines and tissues. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-506 functions as a tumor suppressor miRNA in NPC and that its suppressive effects are mediated chiefly by repressing FOXQ1 expression.
Newtonian fluid flow through Microfabricated Hyperbolic Contractions

We study the flow of a Newtonian fluid through microfabricated hyperbolic contractions in detail. A set of planar converging geometries, with total Hencky strains ranging from 1 to 3.7, have been fabricated in order to produce a homogeneous extensional flow field within the contraction. The kinematics in the contraction region are investigated experimentally by means of micro particle image velocimetry (μPIV). Using this laser based technique, we are able to characterize quantitatively the velocity field at a given plane in the hyperbolic contraction region. The pressure drop across the converging geometry was also measured and was found to vary approximately linearly with the flow rate. Additionally, an extensive range of numerical calculations was carried out using a finite-volume method. The experimental results of velocity fields in the contraction and associated pressure drops compare very well with those predicted numerically. For the typical dimensions used in microfluidics, the flow is shown to be three-dimensional. Furthermore, we demonstrate that regions with nearly constant strain rate can only be achieved using geometries with large total Hencky strains under HeleShaw (potential-like) flow conditions.
Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture

Gerry, to negotiate an end to the Quasi-War, a topic to which Robarge devotes a brief chapter. The delegation’s refusal to accede to a French demand for a bribe to begin negotiations made Marshall something of a national hero and led to his election to Congress in 1798. In 1800, Adam appointed the loyal Marshall as secretary of state, and a year later made him chief justice. Robarge concludes with a survey of Marshall’s tenure on the Court; he stresses Marshall’s successes in enhancing the Court’s influence and in promoting economic nationalism as a judicial philosophy, but he acknowledges Marshall’s inability to arrest the collapse of the Federalist party. A Chief Justice’s Progress is thorough and sensible, if not particularly critical, scholarship, with copious endnotes sure to lead the serious Marshall student to a wealth of additional information. It lacks the narrative power of the best examples of the half-life genre-David McCulloch’s story of the young Theodore Roosevelt, Mornings on Horseback, for instance-but few writers can expect to achieve those literary heights. If the young Marshall still awaits a popular contemporary biographer, historians of the revolutionary and early national periods will nevertheless find A Chief Justice’s Progress useful and informative.
Histologic Evaluation of Human Posterior Lamellar Discs for Femtosecond Laser Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty

Purpose: To evaluate the histologic changes in corneal structure after femtosecond laser preparation of posterior lamellar discs, more specifically, the smoothness of the stromal bed and the accuracy of the predicted depth of the horizontal lamellar cut. Materials and methods: Nineteen human donor eyes unsuitable for transplantation were used. Femtosecond laser was used to prepare a horizontal lamellar cut in donor corneas at a depth of 400 μm. Transmission electron microscopy images were used to evaluate the changes in the corneal structure and to measure the damage zone. Scanning electron microscopy images were used to determine the relative depth of the horizontal lamellar cut, and the stromal bed was examined to determine the smoothness of the surface. Results: Transmission electron microscopy images showed a mean damage zone of 6.8 ± 3.1 μm, which consisted of irregularly oriented collagen fibrils and electron-dense granular material. The collagen lamellae, both anteriorly and posteriorly of the damaged zone, showed a regular parallel configuration. The relative depth of the horizontal lamellar cut as percentage of the total corneal thickness in the center and periphery was 70.4% ± 4.5% and 55.6% ± 5.9%. Scanning electron microscopy images of the stromal bed showed a relatively smooth surface. Conclusion: The femtosecond laser is effective to prepare a deep horizontal lamellar cut in a standardized method. The stromal bed is smooth and without extensive adjacent tissue damage. The is thinner in the center and thicker at the edges, which may produce a mild hyperopic shift after femtosecond laser-assisted Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty.
Trial of early, goal-directed resuscitation for septic shock.

BACKGROUND Early, goal-directed therapy (EGDT) is recommended in international guidelines for the resuscitation of patients presenting with early septic shock. However, adoption has been limited, and uncertainty about its effectiveness remains. METHODS We conducted a pragmatic randomized trial with an integrated cost-effectiveness analysis in 56 hospitals in England. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either EGDT (a 6-hour resuscitation protocol) or usual care. The primary clinical outcome was all-cause mortality at 90 days. RESULTS We enrolled 1260 patients, with 630 assigned to EGDT and 630 to usual care. By 90 days, 184 of 623 patients (29.5%) in the EGDT group and 181 of 620 patients (29.2%) in the usual-care group had died (relative risk in the EGDT group, 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 1.20; P=0.90), for an absolute risk reduction in the EGDT group of -0.3 percentage points (95% CI, -5.4 to 4.7). Increased treatment intensity in the EGDT group was indicated by increased use of intravenous fluids, vasoactive drugs, and red-cell transfusions and reflected by significantly worse organ-failure scores, more days receiving advanced cardiovascular support, and longer stays in the intensive care unit. There were no significant differences in any other secondary outcomes, including health-related quality of life, or in rates of serious adverse events. On average, EGDT increased costs, and the probability that it was cost-effective was below 20%. CONCLUSIONS In patients with septic shock who were identified early and received intravenous antibiotics and adequate fluid resuscitation, hemodynamic management according to a strict EGDT protocol did not lead to an improvement in outcome. (Funded by the United Kingdom National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme; ProMISe Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN36307479.).
Detection and analysis of bovine foamy virus infection by an indicator cell line

AbstractAim:To determine the infectivity and replication strategy of bovine foamy virus (BFV) in different cultured cells using the BFV indicator cell line (BICL) system.Methods:BFV infection was induced by the co-culture method or the transient transfection of the infectious BFV plasmid [pCMV (cytomegalovirus) - BFV] clone. The infectivity of BFV was monitored by the percentage of green fluorescent protein-positive cells in the BICL. The effect of reverse transcriptase inhibitor zidovudine (AZT) on BFV replication was also evaluated in the BICL.Results:The titer of BFV in fetal bovine lung cells was 4-5-folds more than that in either 293T or HeLa (Cells from Henrietta lacks) cells using the co-culture method, and in the meantime was significantly higher than that produced by the infectious clone pCMV-BFV in the same cells. AZT had only a minor effect on viral titers when added to cells prior to the virus infection. In contrast, viral titers reduced sharply to the level of the negative control when the virus was produced from cells in the presence of AZT.Conclusions:BICL can be used for the titration of the BFV viral infection in non-cytopathic condition. In addition, we provide important evidence to show that reverse transcription is essential for BFV replication at a late step of viral infection.
Altered CD8+ T cell responses to selected Epstein–Barr virus immunodominant epitopes in patients with multiple sclerosis

An increased frequency of antiviral CD8+ T cells is seen in chronic viral infections. During herpes virus infections the expanded CD8+ T cells are thought to control the reactivation of the latent infection. Because multiple sclerosis (MS), a presumed autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, has been associated with a late Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection, we wished to examine whether the CD8+ T cell response to EBV epitopes differed between MS patients and healthy controls. Here we report an increased frequency of CD8+ T cells responding to EBV epitopes from nuclear antigen 3 A (HLA‐A2/CLG) and latent membrane protein 2 (HLA‐B7/RPP) in MS patients. Noticeably, the altered CD8+ T cell response occurred to some but not all EBV epitopes and did not reach the high level seen during acute infection. The responses towards two immunodominant epitopes from human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were similar in MS patients and normal controls. Together, our data demonstrate the presence of an increased frequency of CD8+ T cells reacting with two epitopes from EBV in patients with MS. The altered response to only two of the tested EBV epitopes would be consistent with the presence of cross‐reactive epitopes.
Are Women in Management Victims of the Phantom of the Male Norm

Managerial jobs have conventionally been understood as male and thus as not being directly suitable for women. The point of departure of this discourse is that women and men are different and that there is congruence between men and managerial jobs. On the basis of a qualitative study of women managers, I argue that there is a need for more sophisticated ways of appreciating the experiences of (many) women in relation to management. Variation, complexity and contradictions may be lost when holding onto essentialist understandings such as the male norm.
Hearing Learner Voice in health promoting schools through participatory action research

The participation of learners in school life and learner voice is important for learner development and the implementation of school interventions. In this paper we argue that learner participation and learner voice in school-community interventions contribute to learners’ development of a critical consciousness and to their understanding of themselves in society. We show how participatory action research methodologies such as reflective writing, metaphor, and photovoice supported 30 secondary school learners from schools in challenging contexts to explore and extend themselves as participants in Health Promoting Schools. The creative design of these participatory action research methods and the discursive spaces which these methods provided gave learners the opportunity for self-expression and deepened their understanding of complex social issues such as diversity, drug abuse, gangsterism and violence, and how they are affected by these issues.
Hepatitis-C Infection Incidence Among the non-Hodgkin’s B-cell Lymphoma Patients in the Northeast of Iran

Background Various infectious agents like Ebstein Barr Virus (EBV), HTLV-1 and Helicobacter pylori have known as etiologic factors in different sub-types of lymphoma. Although Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has not only been important for its hepatotropism and hepatitis development, but also in recent years its association with some forms of non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), especially B cell NHL, has reported.In some countries, the rate of B cell NHL development in HCV infected patients was four times more than general population, and then association between HCV infection and B-NHL has proposed in many studies. Methods To assess this relationship in our geographic region, in a descriptive study; we have evaluated patients with B-NHL in an oncology center in northeast of Iran for HCV infection. Results Out of 128 B-NHL patients, HCV Antibody test (with third generation ELISA method) was positive in only one patient, which confirmed with Nested PCR technique. Then the frequency of HCV infection in our patients was 0.7%. Conclusion Respecting to the incidence of HCV infection in general population in Iran, which is between 0.5-1%, we couldn’t show higher prevalence of HCV infection in NHL patients than general population, and hence couldn’t confirm relation between HCV infection and B-NHL in our region.
Social problem solving: Theory, research, and training.

Throughout history, philosophers have argued that the capacity to solve problems successfully in the real world is a crucial component for one's well-being. Psychologists have since been looking to understand the nuances of problem solving specifically as it applies to the self-directed cognitive-behavioral process by which an individual, couple, or group attempts to identify or discover effective solutions for problems encountered in everyday living. From this researchers are developing training methods in which people can learn to solve problems effectively and positively thereby leading to generalized and durable behavior changes. In Social Problem Solving: Theory, Research, and Training, readers will find a nice balance of theory and research in social problem solving and well as practical methods and training approaches. Because of the widespread relevance of social problem solving, this book is not only for researchers and mental health practitioners, but also for students and other readers who would like to maximize their effectiveness and success in dealing with real and complex problems in everyday living.
A Multi-Level Organization For Problem Solving Using Many, Diverse, Cooperating Sources Of Knowledge

An organization is presented for implementing solutions to knowledge-based AI problems. The hypothesize-and-test paradigm is used as the basis for cooperation among many diverse and independent knowledge sources (KS's). The KS's are assumed individually to be errorful and incomplete. A uniform and integrated multi-level structure, the blackboard, holds the current state of the system. Knowledge sources cooperate by creating, accessing, and modifying elements in the blackboard. The activation of a KS is data-driven, based on the occurrence of patterns in the blackboard which match templates specified by the knowledge source. Each level in the blackboard specifies a different representation of the problem space; the sequence of levels forms a loose hierarchy in which the elements at each level can approximately be described as abstractions of elements at the next lower level. This decomposition can be thought of as an a prion framework of a plan for solving the problem; each level is a generic stage in the plan. The elements at each level in the blackboard are hypotheses about some aspect of that level. The internal structure of an hypothesis consists of a fixed set of attributes; this set is the same for hypotheses at all levels of representation in the blackboard. These attributes are selected to serve as mechanisms for implementing the data-directed hypothesize-and-test paradigm and for efficient goal-directed scheduling of KS's. Knowledge sources may create networks of structural relationships among hypotheses. These relationships, which are explicit in the blackboard, serve to represent inferences and deductions made by the KS's about the hypotheses; they also allow competing and overlapping partial solutions to be handled in an integrated manner. The Hearsay II speech-understanding system is an implementation of this organization; it is used here as an example for descriptive purposes.
Effects of acute agonist treatment on subcellular distribution of κ opioid receptor in rat spinal cord

We investigated whether acute treatment with agonists affected the subcellular distribution of κ opioid receptor (KOPR) in the dorsal horn of the rat lumbar spinal cord by using immunoelectron microscopy. Rats were injected intrathecally (i.t.) with U50,488H (100 nmole), dynorphin A(1–17) (15 nmole), or vehicle. The doses chosen have been shown to induce antinociception. Rats were perfused transcardially 30 min later, and lumbar spinal cords were removed and processed for electron microscopic analysis. KOPR was stained with KT‐2, a specific polyclonal antibody against the rat/mouse KOPR(371–380) peptide, followed by gold‐labeled secondary antibody and silver intensification. The silver grains were present in axons, terminals, dendrites, and somata, and the association with plasma membranes was quantified in dendrites, because KOPR immunoreactivity was most frequently observed in these profiles. In vehicle‐treated rats, ∼27% of KOPR immunoreactivity was associated with plasma membranes. U50,488H, i.t. , did not cause a significant change in the percentage of KOPR present on plasma membranes, whereas dynorphin A, i.t. , significantly decreased cell surface KOPR to ∼19%. In summary, these data indicate that U50,488H and dynorphin A differentially regulate the subcellular distribution of endogenous KOPR. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Postpartum adiponectin changes in women with gestational diabetes.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Current literature provides contradictory information on the role of adiponectin (AdipoQ) in the course of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the changes after delivery. The aim of the study was to measure AdipoQ concentration in blood of women with GDM, and to conduct a comparative analysis of AdipoQ concentrations in gestation at 3 and 12 months after delivery. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study group consisted of 50 women diagnosed with GDM between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. Three months after delivery, 41 women underwent further tests, while 12 months after delivery 30 patients. All patients underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation at GDM diagnosis at 3 and 12 months after delivery. Laboratory evaluation included fasting glucose, fasting insulin, OGTT and lipid parameters in serum. Serum AdipoQ concentration was measured at GDM diagnosis as well as at 3 and 12 months after delivery. RESULTS AdipoQ concentrations did not differ significantly between the groups during gestation (p=0.7054) and 3 months after delivery (p=0.9732), while a significant rise was observed 12 months after delivery, compared to the values during pregnancy (p=0.0006). AdipoQ in the GDM group 12 months after delivery inversely correlated with fasting glucose and 2-hour post-load plasma glucose after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (r=-0.37*; p<0.05 and r=-0.42, p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS An increased level of AdipoQ after delivery in the comparison to women with GDM may be a marker for reversibility of carbohydrate metabolism disorders, while a negative correlation between AdipoQ and glucose levels suggests that this parameter may be a predictor In the future of disturbances in glucose tolerance in women with GDM.
Learning methods and strategies of anatomy among medical students in two different Institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background: Anatomy instructors adopt individual teaching methods and strategies to convey anatomical information to medical students for learning. Students also exhibit their own individual learning preferences. Instructional methods preferences vary between both instructors and students across different institutions. Aims: In attempt to bridge the gap between teaching methods and the students’ learning preferences, this study aimed to identify students’ learning methods and different strategies of studying anatomy in two different Saudi medical schools in Riyadh. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted in Saudi Arabia in April 2015, utilized a three-section questionnaire, which was distributed to a consecutive sample of 883 medical students to explore their methods and strategies in learning and teaching anatomy in two separate institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Results: Medical students’ learning styles and preferences were found to be predominantly affected by different cultural backgrounds, gender, and level of study. Many students found it easier to understand and remember anatomy components using study aids. In addition, almost half of the students felt confident to ask their teachers questions after class. The study also showed that more than half of the students found it easier to study by concentrating on a particular part of the body rather than systems. Students’ methods of learning were distributed equally between memorizing facts and learning by hands-on dissection. In addition, the study showed that two thirds of the students felt satisfied with their learning method and believed it was well suited for anatomy. Conclusions: There is no single teaching method which proves beneficial; instructors should be flexible in their teaching in order to optimize students’ academic achievements.
Active exposure control for robust visual odometry in HDR environments

We propose an active exposure control method to improve the robustness of visual odometry in HDR (high dynamic range) environments. Our method evaluates the proper exposure time by maximizing a robust gradient-based image quality metric. The optimization is achieved by exploiting the photometric response function of the camera. Our exposure control method is evaluated in different real world environments and outperforms the built-in auto-exposure function of the camera. To validate the benefit of our approach, we adapt a state-of-the-art visual odometry pipeline (SVO) to work with varying exposure time and demonstrate improved performance using our exposure control method in challenging HDR environments.