Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On overlay schemes to support point-in-range queries for scalable grid resource discovery

A resource directory is a critical component of a grid architecture. P2P computing paradigm could address some of the scalability issues that make distributed resource discovery services challenging. Unfortunately, most existing distributed hash table (DHT) based P2P overlays have difficulty in treating attribute range queries that are common in resource discovery lookups. This paper proposes a general framework for range-based resource discovery. In particular, the proposed framework maps tree-structured logical data (i.e., range indexing) onto a DHT-based physical node space (i.e., resource brokers). In this paper, we consider three mapping schemes from the logical space onto the physical space. Each mapping scheme uses a different replication mechanism to reduce range search time and to achieve load balance. We analytically and experimentally compare the performance characteristics (query/update costs and workload distributions) of these schemes and discuss their applicability under different resource discovery service scenarios.
Nonlinear Analyses of Homogeneous, Symmetrically Delaminated Single Leg Bending Specimens

Energy release rates obtained by geometrically linear and geometrically nonlinear finite element analyses of homogeneous, symmetrically delaminated single leg bending specimens are presented for a variety of materials, specimen geometries and fixture dimensions. It is shown that certain test geometries will exhibit strong nonlinear effects; thus, critical energy release rates obtained from tests of these geometries, using data reduction procedures that are based on linear theory, may contain significant errors. The nonlinear finite element results are used to develop empirical relationships between energy release rate as predicted by the nonlinear analyses and those predicted by linear analyses. These empirical relationships are shown to be valid over a wide range of specimen material properties, material property ratios (e.g., Young's modulus to shear modulus) and geometric properties of both the specimen and fixture, including fixture roller diameters. Thus, the empirical relationships may be used in a quantitative manner to design tests in order that significant nonlinear effects do not occur prior to fracture, and hence linear data reduction procedures remain valid. Alternatively, the empirical relationships may be used to interpret test results where nonlinear behavior occurs. Both uses are illustrated by example for typical laminated composite materials.
The Importance of Spheroidal and Mixed Mergers for Early-Type Galaxy Formation

We use semianalytical modeling techniques to investigate the progenitor morphologies of present-day elliptical galaxies. We find that, independent of the environment, the fraction of mergers of bulge-dominated galaxies (early types) increases with time. The last major merger of bright present-day elliptical galaxies with MB ≲ -21 was preferentially between bulge-dominated galaxies, while those with MB ~ -20 have mainly experienced last major mergers between a bulge-dominated and a disk-dominated galaxy. Independent of specific model assumptions, more than 50% of present-day elliptical galaxies in clusters with MB ≲ -18 had major mergers that were not of spiral galaxies, as usually expected within the standard merger scenario.
Predicting driver maneuvers by learning holistic features

In this work, we propose a framework for the recognition and prediction of driver maneuvers by considering holistic cues. With an array of sensors, driver's head, hand, and foot gestures are being captured in a synchronized manner together with lane, surrounding agents, and vehicle parameters. An emphasis is put on real-time algorithms. The cues are processed and fused using a latent-dynamic discriminative framework. As a case study, driver activity recognition and prediction in overtaking situations is performed using a naturalistic, on-road dataset. A consequence of this work would be in development of more effective driver analysis and assistance systems.
Internet Method in Bereavement Research: Comparison of Online and Offline Surveys

This study examines the reliability and validity of internet research in bereavement. Recent literature demonstrates an increased interest in utilizing a more convenient, inexpensive, and rapid internet method to collect data and recruit bereaved participants. For researchers, the internet offers the possibility to learn more about grief from the growing online community of bereaved people. To explore the possible use of internet tools in bereavement research, this study compares online survey method with traditional paper-and-pencil method in grief assessment. One group of bereaved adults (N = 84) was recruited and completed the survey by mail, and another group of bereaved adults (N =262) was recruited and completed the same set of questions via internet. The collected data were analyzed to identify both similarities and differences between the two samples' responses and the psychometric characteristics of the Core Bereavement Items inventory (CBI; Burnett, Middleton, Raphael, & Martinek, 1997). Significant differences were found between the two samples in relation to time since loss, cause of death, and relationship to deceased, demonstrating a greater variability in the internet sample. Other demographic characteristics, as well as the grief and meaning making scores, did not differ significantly. In addition, no relevant differences were found in the psychometric properties of the CBI. These findings suggest that the internet-based methods can be a suitable and valid alternative to more traditional paper-and-pencil methods.
An In vitro Study Comparing the Use of Suture Anchors and Drill Hole Fixation for Flexor Digitorum Longus Transfer to the Navicular

Background: The surgical management of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction often includes transfer of the flexor digitorum longus (FDL) tendon through a tunnel in the navicular. Fixation often is obtained by sewing the tendon back onto itself. The purpose of this study was to compare this standard method of fixation with suture anchor fixation, a technique that may be associated with less surgical morbidity, because it requires the harvesting of less tendon length. Methods: FDL tendon transfer to the navicular was done in 13 fresh-frozen cadaver specimens. In six feet comprising the standard group, the FDL tendon was transected distal to the master knot of Henry, placed through a drill hole into the navicular, and sutured back onto itself. In seven feet the FDL tendon was transected proximal to the master knot of Henry, placed into a drill hole into the navicular, and fixed with a suture anchor. Load was applied to the proximal FDL muscle and tendon using a materials testing system (MTS) machine and peak load to failure was measured. Results: The mean load to failure was 142.48 N ± 38.06 N for the standard group and 142.12 N ± 59.26 N for the suture anchor group (p = 0.305 for the Student-t test and p = 0.945 for the Mann-Whitney test). Conclusion: Transfer of the FDL tendon to the navicular using suture anchor fixation requires less tendon length yet provides similar fixation strength as compared to sewing the tendon back onto itself. However, suture anchors are considerably more expensive than sutures. Clinical Implications: Suture anchors allow comparable fixation of FDL tendon transfer into a navicular without the need to disrupt the master knot of Henry. This technique may be associated with less morbidity including a shorter incision, decreased risk of medial plantar nerve injury, and decreased loss of lesser toe plantarflexion strength secondary to maintenance of the normal interconnections between the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) and FDL tendons.
Molecular profiling of a lethal tumor microenvironment, as defined by stromal caveolin-1 status in breast cancers

Breast cancer progression and metastasis are driven by complex and reciprocal interactions, between epithelial cancer cells and their surrounding stromal microenvironment. We have previously shown that a loss of stromal Cav-1 expression is associated with an increased risk of early tumor recurrence, metastasis and decreased overall survival. To identify and characterize the signaling pathways that are activated in Cav-1 negative tumor stroma, we performed gene expression profiling using laser microdissected breast cancer-associated stroma. Tumor stroma was laser capture microdissected from 4 cases showing high stromal Cav-1 expression and 7 cases with loss of stromal Cav-1. Briefly, we identified 238 gene transcripts that were upregulated and 232 gene transcripts that were downregulated in the stroma of tumors showing a loss of Cav-1 expression (p ≤ 0.01 and fold-change ≥1.5). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed “stemness,” inflammation, DNA damage, aging, oxidative stress, hypoxia, autophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction in the tumor stroma of patients lacking stromal Cav-1. Our findings are consistent with the recently proposed “Reverse Warburg Effect” and the “Autophagic Tumor Stroma Model of Cancer Metabolism. ” In these two complementary models, cancer cells induce oxidative stress in adjacent stromal cells, which then forces these stromal fibroblasts to undergo autophagy/mitophagy and aerobic glycolysis. This, in turn, produces recycled nutrients (lactate, ketones and glutamine) to feed anabolic cancer cells, which are undergoing oxidative mitochondrial metabolism. Our results are also consistent with previous biomarker studies showing that the increased expression of known autophagy markers (such as ATG16L and the cathepsins) in the tumor stroma is specifically associated with metastatic tumor progression and/or poor clinical outcome.
Early Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Effects of Mixing Lispro With Glargine Insulin

OBJECTIVE Clinicians who treat children with type 1 diabetes often try to minimize the number of daily injections to reduce treatment burden and improve compliance. Despite the manufacturer's cautions against mixing glargine with rapid-acting insulin analogs, clinical studies have failed to demonstrate deleterious effects of mixing on glucose excursions or A1C levels. However, no formal glucose clamp studies have been performed to determine whether mixing with glargine has an adverse effect on the early pharmacodynamic action of rapid-acting insulin in humans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS To examine this question, euglycemic glucose clamps were performed twice, in random order, in 11 youth with type 1 diabetes (age 15.1 ± 3 years, A1C 7.6 ± 0.6%) with 0.2 units/kg lispro and 0.4 units/kg glargine, given either as separate or as a single mixed injection. RESULTS Mixing the two insulins shifted the time action curve to the right, with significantly lower glucose infusion rate (GIR) values after the mixed injections between 60 and 190 min and significantly higher values between 270 and 300 min, lowered the GIRmax (separate 7.1 ± 1 vs. mix 3.9 ± 1, P = 0.03), and markedly delayed the time to reach GIRmax (separate 116 ± 8 min vs. mix 209 ± 15 min, P = 0.004). The GIR area under the curve was significantly lower after the mixed injections. Mixing had similar effects on plasma insulin pharmacokinetics. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that mixing lispro with glargine markedly flattens the early pharmacodynamic peak of lispro and causes a shift to the right in the GIR curve changes that might lead to difficulties in controlling meal-related glucose excursions.
[Changes of anti-Streptococcus pneumoniae status in rats with simulated weightlessness].

OBJECTIVE To study the changes of anti-Streptococcus pneumonia (SP) status in rats with simulated weightlessness, and therefore to provide theoretical basis for the aerospace medicine. METHODS Thirty-two healthy male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups: group A, the tail-suspension and SP group; group B, the tail-suspension without SP group; group C, the unsuspended but SP group; group D, the unsuspended and no SP group, with 8 rats in each. The tail-suspension method, i.e. about 30° head-down tilt, was used for the model of simulated microgravity. On day 4, 0.4 ml of SP suspension [ATCC6303, serotype III(ATCC, bacteria concentration about 9.0×10⁸ CFU/ml)] was instilled by tracheal intubation. Sterile saline was used for the control group. The experiment was ended after 7 days of tail-suspension. Lung pathology, blood test and C-reactive protein level were studied, and the CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) ratios were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS The lung pathological changes were much more severe in Group A as compared to those in Group B, C and D. The total number of WBC showed no significant difference among groups (F = 1.57, P = 0.22). But the neutrophil number was higher in Group A [(2.4 ± 0.53)×10⁹/L], B [(2.0 ± 0.31)×10⁹/L] and C [(1.7 ± 0.40)×10⁹/L] as compared to Group D [(1.2 ± 0.15)×10⁹/L], u = 0.0001, P = 0.001; u = 1.0, P = 0.001; u = 8.5, P = 0.013, respectively. The percentage of neutrophils showed a similar difference. The total number of lymphocytes showed no significant difference among groups (F = 0.720, P = 0.548). CRP levels in the SP infection groups were significantly higher than those in the uninfected groups. The ratio of CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) showed no difference among groups (F = 1.225, P = 0.319). Weight loss after the experiment was most severe in Group A (F = 122.067, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In rats with simulated weightlessness, the anti-infective ability to Streptococcus pneumoniae was reduced, and the inflammatory response was significantly increased, but the anti-infective immunity was compromised.
Overexpression of GD1a Ganglioside Sensitizes Motor Nerve Terminals to Anti-GD1a Antibody-Mediated Injury in a Model of Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy

Anti-GD1a ganglioside antibodies (Abs) are the serological hallmark of the acute motor axonal form of the post-infectious paralysis, Guillain-Barré syndrome. Development of a disease model in mice has been impeded by the weak immunogenicity of gangliosides and the apparent resistance of GD1a-containing neural membranes to anti-GD1a antibody-mediated injury. Here we used mice with altered ganglioside biosynthesis to generate such a model at motor nerve terminals. First, we bypassed immunological tolerance by immunizing GD1a-deficient, β-1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase knock-out mice with GD1a ganglioside-mimicking antigens from Campylobacter jejuni and generated high-titer anti-GD1a antisera and complement fixing monoclonal Abs (mAbs). Next, we exposed ex vivo nerve-muscle preparations from GD1a-overexpressing, GD3 synthase knock-out mice to the anti-GD1a mAbs in the presence of a source of complement and investigated morphological and electrophysiological damage. Dense antibody and complement deposits were observed only over presynaptic motor axons, accompanied by severe ultrastructural damage and electrophysiological blockade of motor nerve terminal function. Perisynaptic Schwann cells and postsynaptic membranes were unaffected. In contrast, normal mice were not only unresponsive to immunization with GD1a but also resistant to neural injury during anti-GD1a Ab exposure, demonstrating the central role of membrane antigen density in modulating both immune tolerance to GD1a and axonal susceptibility to anti-GD1a Abmediated injury. Identical paralyzing effects were observed when testing mouse and human anti-GD1a-positive sera. These data indicate that anti-GD1a Abs arise via molecular mimicry and are likely to be clinically relevant in injuring peripheral nerve axonal membranes containing sufficiently high levels of GD1a.
Cardiovascular Diseases in the Cohort of Workers First Employed at Mayak PA in 1948–1958

Abstract Incidence of and mortality from cardiovascular diseases have been studied in a cohort of 12,210 workers first employed at one of the main plants of the Mayak nuclear facility during 1948–1958 and followed up to 31 December 2000. Information on external γ-ray doses is available for virtually all of these workers (99.9%); the mean total γ-ray dose (±SD) was 0.91 ± 0.95 Gy (99% percentile 3.9 Gy) for men and 0.65 ± 0.75 Gy (99% percentile 2.99 Gy) for women. In contrast, plutonium body burden was measured for only 30.0% of workers; among those monitored, the mean cumulative liver dose from plutonium alpha exposure (± SD) was 0.40 ± 1.15 Gy (99% percentile 5.88 Gy) for men and 0.81 ± 4.60 Gy (99% percentile 15.95 Gy) for women. A total of 3751 cases of ischemic heart disease (IHD), including 683 cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and 1495 IHD deaths, including 338 AMI deaths, were identified in the study cohort during the follow-up period. Having adjusted for non-radiation factors, there were statistically significant increasing trends with both total external γ-ray dose and internal liver dose in IHD incidence. The trend with internal dose was weaker and was not statistically significant after adjusting for external dose, whereas the external dose trend was little changed after adjusting for internal dose. The trend with external dose in IHD mortality was not statistically significantly greater than zero but was consistent with the corresponding trend in IHD incidence. The estimated trend in IHD mortality with internal dose was lower and was not statistically significant once adjustment was made for external dose. There was a statistically significantly increasing trend in AMI incidence but not AMI incidence with external dose. The risk estimates for IHD in relation to external radiation are generally compatible with those from other large occupational studies and the Japanese A-bomb survivors.
Cohort Study of Guinean Children: Incidence, Pathogenicity, Conferred Protection, and Attributable Risk for Enteropathogens during the First 2 Years of Life

ABSTRACT We recruited 200 children shortly after birth and collected stool specimens weekly, irrespective of whether the children had diarrhea, until up to 2 years of age. All children were recruited during the first year of the study and were monitored for a median of 18.4 months. To measure pathogenicity, the odds ratio for diarrhea, adjusted for age, sex, and coinfections with other enteropathogens, was determined by logistic regression. Standard estimation of the population attributable risk indicated that rotavirus, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli that produced only the heat-stable toxin ST, Isospora spp. , Cryptosporidium parvum, Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC), and Shigella spp. or enteroinvasive E. coli were the most important contributors to diarrhea in this population. Stx2- but not Stx1-producing STEC strains were pathogenic. Enteroaggregative E. coli, diffusely adherent E. coli, and attaching-and-effacing E. coli strains, which were the most commonly isolated microorganisms, were not associated with diarrhea. For most of the microorganisms, primary infections did not confer protection against reinfection with the same organism, but some conferred protection against diarrhea from reinfection.
Prefrontal cortex modulates posterior alpha oscillations during top-down guided visual perception

Significance Neural oscillations have been shown to support a range of cognitive abilities. Here we demonstrate that delta activity (2–4 Hz) in the prefrontal cortex tracked the current task context and modulated sensory processing in a top-down manner. We show that frontal delta and parietooccipital alpha (8–12 Hz) oscillations are functionally coupled and jointly guide visual perception to integrate sensory evidence with current task demands. We observed strong moment-to-moment behavioral fluctuations, which cycled at the rate of the endogenous prefrontal oscillatory brain activity. Our findings suggest that neuronal oscillations provide the functional basis for context-dependent visual perception. Conscious visual perception is proposed to arise from the selective synchronization of functionally specialized but widely distributed cortical areas. It has been suggested that different frequency bands index distinct canonical computations. Here, we probed visual perception on a fine-grained temporal scale to study the oscillatory dynamics supporting prefrontal-dependent sensory processing. We tested whether a predictive context that was embedded in a rapid visual stream modulated the perception of a subsequent near-threshold target. The rapid stream was presented either rhythmically at 10 Hz, to entrain parietooccipital alpha oscillations, or arrhythmically. We identified a 2- to 4-Hz delta signature that modulated posterior alpha activity and behavior during predictive trials. Importantly, delta-mediated top-down control diminished the behavioral effects of bottom-up alpha entrainment. Simultaneous source-reconstructed EEG and cross-frequency directionality analyses revealed that this delta activity originated from prefrontal areas and modulated posterior alpha power. Taken together, this study presents converging behavioral and electrophysiological evidence for frontal delta-mediated top-down control of posterior alpha activity, selectively facilitating visual perception.
A Taxonomy of Usability Characteristics in Virtual Environments

THESIS This thesis done in cooperation with the MOVES Institute Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, The goal of much work in Virtual Environments (VEs) to date has been to produce innovative technology but until recently, there has been very little user-centered, usability-focused research in VEs that will turn interesting applications into usable ones. There is beginning to be at least some awareness of the need for usability engineering within the VE community. A handful of articles address usability concerns for particular parts of the VE usability space. From this point Gabbard and Hix [1997] has proposed a taxonomy about usability characteristics in VEs to help VE usability engineers and designers. This taxonomy can be used to learn characteristics of VEs or to develop usability engineering methodologies specifically for VEs. In this study, we built hypermedia representation of the taxonomy and evaluated the effectiveness of the user interface by using scenario based formative usability engineering method that developed by Hix and Hartson [1993]. First, we discussed the need for usability engineering for VEs and took a look at a proposed usability engineering methodology [Gabbard and others, 1999] for VEs. Second we implemented hypermedia based web-site taxonomy and then evaluated it iteratively. Last, we added a new study to show the dynamic nature of web-site application.