Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Superword-level parallelism in the presence of control flow

In this paper, we describe how to extend the concept of superword-level parallelization (SLP), used for multimedia extension architectures, so that it can be applied in the presence of control flow constructs. Superword-level parallelization involves identifying scalar instructions in a large basic block that perform the same operation, and, if dependences do not prevent it, combining them into a superword operation on a multi-word object. A key insight is that we can use techniques related to optimizations for architectures supporting predicated execution, even for multimedia ISAs that do not provide hardware predication. We derive large basic blocks with predicated instructions to which SLP can be applied. We describe how to minimize overheads for superword predicates and re-introduce control flow for scalar operations. We discuss other extensions to SLP to address common features of real multimedia codes. We present automatically-generated performance results on 8 multimedia codes to demonstrate the power of this approach. We observe speedups ranging from 1.97X to 15.07X as compared to both sequential execution and SLP alone.
Self‐Reported Low Back Symptoms in Urban Bus Drivers Exposed to Whole‐Body Vibration

The prevalence of self-reported low back symptoms was investigated by a postal questionnaire in a group of 234 urban bus drivers exposed to whole-body vibration and postural stress and in a control group of 125 maintenance workers employed at the same bus municipal company. The average vertical whole-body vibration magnitude measured on the seat pan of the buses was 0.4 m/s2. After controlling for potential confourders, the prevalence odds ratios for the bus drivers compared to the controls significantly exceeded 1 for several types of low back symptoms (leg pain, acute low back pain, low back pain). The occurrence of low back symptoms increased with increasing whole-body vibration exposure expressed in terms of total (lifetime) vibration dose (years m2/s4), equivalent vibration magnitude (m/s2), and duration of exposure (years of service). The highest prevalence of disc protrusion was found among the bus drivers with more severe whole-body vibration exposure. Frequent awkward postures at work were also related to some types of low back symptoms. It is concluded that bus driving is associated with an increased risk for low back troubles. This excess risk may be due to both whole-body vibration exposure and prolonged sitting in a constrained posture. The findings of this study also indicated that among the bus drivers low back symptoms occurred at whole-body vibration exposure levels that were lower than the health-based exposure limits proposed by the International Standard ISO 2631/1.
C1 Inhibitor Serpin Domain Structure Reveals the Likely Mechanism of Heparin Potentiation and Conformational Disease*

C1 inhibitor, a member of the serpin family, is a major down-regulator of inflammatory processes in blood. Genetic deficiency of C1 inhibitor results in hereditary angioedema, a dominantly inheritable, potentially lethal disease. Here we report the first crystal structure of the serpin domain of human C1 inhibitor, representing a previously unreported latent form, which explains functional consequences of several naturally occurring mutations, two of which are discussed in detail. The presented structure displays a novel conformation with a seven-stranded β-sheet A. The unique conformation of the C-terminal six residues suggests its potential role as a barrier in the active-latent transition. On the basis of surface charge pattern, heparin affinity measurements, and docking of a heparin disaccharide, a heparin binding site is proposed in the contact area of the serpin-proteinase encounter complex. We show how polyanions change the activity of the C1 inhibitor by a novel “sandwich” mechanism, explaining earlier reaction kinetic and mutagenesis studies. These results may help to improve therapeutic C1 inhibitor preparations used in the treatment of hereditary angioedema, organ transplant rejection, and heart attack.
Inaccurate spectrum databases?: public transit to its rescue!

Unlicensed, secondary users of TV whitespaces today rely on spectrum occupancy databases to determine what spectrum they can use for their communication needs. In this paper, we first show that such spectrum databases (that depend solely on propagation models as per guidelines of the FCC in the USA) can be quite inaccurate leading to under-utilization of spectrum. Next, we propose that these spectrum databases can be significantly augmented using opportunistic measurements when possible. Instead of incorporating primary detection functions in each secondary device, we propose to use vehicle-mounted spectrum sensors that collect and report measurements from the road, which can serve as useful "anchor points" to enhance existing propagation models. We have currently deployed a version of our system on a single public transit bus traveling across Madison, WI, in the USA. Based on measurements collected at over 1 million locations across a 100 square-km area, we find commercial databases tend to over-predict the coverage of certain TV broadcasts, unnecessarily blocking the usage of whitespace spectrum over large area (up to 42% measured locations). We further propose a model-fitting approach that refines existing propagation models with measurements, reclaiming a substantial amount of wasted area (up to 33% measured locations).
Isolation of a cDNA Encoding Human Lysophosphatidic Acid Phosphatase That Is Involved in the Regulation of Mitochondrial Lipid Biosynthesis*

In this study, we isolated cDNA encoding lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) phosphatase (LPAP). The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA encoding LPAP had 421 residues including a putative signal peptide and was homologous to acid phosphatase, especially at the active site. Human LPAP had 28.5% amino acid identity to human prostatic acid phosphatase. Northern blot analysis showed a ubiquitous expression of LPAP, which was marked in kidney, heart, small intestine, muscle, and liver. Human chromosome map obtained by fluorescence in situ hybridazation showed that the gene for LPAP was localized to chromosome 1 q21. The mutant in which histidine was replaced with alanine at the active site and the putative signal peptide-deleted LPAP had no LPA phosphatase activity. In addition, the putative signal peptide-deleted LPAP showed no mitochondrial localization. The site of intracellular localization of endogenous LPAP was also mitochondria in MDCK cells and differentiated C2C12 cells. The LPAP homologous phosphatase, human prostatic acid phosphatase, also has LPA phosphatase activity. LPAP-stable transfected NIH 3T3 cells showed less phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin. These results suggested that LPAP regulates lipid metabolism in mitochondria via the hydrolysis of LPA to monoacylglycerol.
Implementation Research to Inform the Use of Xpert MTB/RIF in Primary Health Care Facilities in High TB and HIV Settings in Resource Constrained Settings

Background The current cost of Xpert MTB RIF (Xpert) consumables is such that algorithms are needed to select which patients to prioritise for testing with Xpert. Objective To evaluate two algorithms for prioritisation of Xpert in primary health care settings in a high TB and HIV burden setting. Method Consecutive, presumptive TB patients with a cough of any duration were offered either Xpert or Fluorescence microscopy (FM) test depending on their CXR score or HIV status. In one facility, sputa from patients with an abnormal CXR were tested with Xpert and those with a normal CXR were tested with FM (“CXR algorithm”). CXR was scored automatically using a Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) program. In the other facility, patients who were HIV positive were tested using Xpert and those who were HIV negative were tested with FM (“HIV algorithm”). Results Of 9482 individuals pre-screened with CXR, Xpert detected TB in 2090/6568 (31.8%) with an abnormal CXR, and FM was AFB positive in 8/2455 (0.3%) with a normal CXR. Of 4444 pre-screened with HIV, Xpert detected TB in 508/2265 (22.4%) HIV positive and FM was AFB positive in 212/1920 (11.0%) in HIV negative individuals. The notification rate of new bacteriologically confirmed TB increased; from 366 to 620/ 100,000/yr and from 145 to 261/100,000/yr at the CXR and HIV algorithm sites respectively. The median time to starting TB treatment at the CXR site compared to the HIV algorithm site was; 1(IQR 1-3 days) and 3 (2-5 days) (p<0.0001) respectively. Conclusion Use of Xpert in a resource-limited setting at primary care level in conjunction with pre-screening tests reduced the number of Xpert tests performed. The routine use of Xpert resulted in additional cases of confirmed TB patients starting treatment. However, there was no increase in absolute numbers of patients starting TB treatment. Same day diagnosis and treatment commencement was achieved for both bacteriologically confirmed and empirically diagnosed patients where Xpert was used in conjunction with CXR.
Nobiletin, a Citrus Flavonoid, Improves Memory Impairment and Aβ Pathology in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Increasing evidence suggests that the elevation of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in the brain is central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our recent studies have demonstrated that nobiletin, a polymethoxylated flavone from citrus peels, enhances cAMP/protein kinase A/extracellular signal-regulated kinase/cAMP response element-binding protein signaling in cultured hippocampal neurons and ameliorates Aβ-induced memory impairment in AD model rats. For the first time, we report that this natural compound improves memory deficits in amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice that overexpress human APP695 harboring the double Swedish and London mutations [APP-SL 7-5 transgenic (Tg) mice]. Our enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) also showed that administration of nobiletin to the transgenic mice for 4 months markedly reduced quantity of guanidine-soluble Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 in the brain. Furthermore, consistent with the results of ELISA, by immunohistochemistry with anti-Aβ antibody, it was evidently shown that the administration of nobiletin decreased the Aβ burden and plaques in the hippocampus of APP-SL 7-5 Tg mice. These findings suggest that this natural compound has potential to become a novel drug for fundamental treatment of AD.
Neurovascular and neurometabolic derailment in aging and Alzheimer's disease

The functional and structural integrity of the brain requires local adjustment of blood flow and regulated delivery of metabolic substrates to meet the metabolic demands imposed by neuronal activation. This process—neurovascular coupling—and ensued alterations of glucose and oxygen metabolism—neurometabolic coupling—are accomplished by concerted communication between neural and vascular cells. Evidence suggests that neuronal-derived nitric oxide (•NO) is a key player in both phenomena. Alterations in the mechanisms underlying the intimate communication between neural cells and vessels ultimately lead to neuronal dysfunction. Both neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling are perturbed during brain aging and in age-related neuropathologies in close association with cognitive decline. However, despite decades of intense investigation, many aspects remain poorly understood, such as the impact of these alterations. In this review, we address neurovascular and neurometabolic derailment in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), discussing its significance in connection with •NO-related pathways.
Evaluation of Titanium-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr (Ti-5553) Alloy Against Fragment and Armor-Piercing Projectiles

Abstract : Ballistic tests were carried out on the relatively new titanium alloy Ti-5A1-5V-5Mo-3Cr (Ti-5553), which was subjected to two heat treatment conditions. The two heat treatments provided high-strength plates which were solution treated and aged (STA) and high toughness plates that were beta-annealed, slow cooled and aged (BASCA). The ~13.9-mm-thick plates were evaluated for V50 using 0.50-cal. FSP and 0.30-cal. AP M2 projectiles. The results were benchmarked against MIL-DTL- 46077F and MIL-A-46077 D for weldable titanium alloy armor plate (Ti-6Al-4V). The BASCA plates exceeded the requirement for the 0.30-cal. AP M2 by 3.2% but fell short of the Ti-6A1-4V performance against the 0.50-cal. FSP projectiles by 11.3%. The STA plates exceeded the Ti-6A1-4V mil-spec requirement by 8.7% and 11.7% for the 0.30-cal. AP M2 and 0.50-cal. FSP projectiles, respectively.
A new processor allocation strategy using ESS (expanding square strategy)

Processor allocation is done using space-sharing or time-sharing techniques. In timesharing techniques, processes are allocated to processors by dividing the time into separate slots, with each slot allocated to a different task. In space-sharing techniques processors are divided into physical partitions and once allocated, processes do not leave the system until they are completed and finished. Early processor allocation techniques were contiguous, in which the processors are constrained to be physically adjacent. These strategies suffered significantly from internal and external fragmentation. Non-contiguous processor allocation strategies have solved the fragmentation problem but have introduced a new problem called message-passing contention. In this article, we propose ESS, which is a new non-contiguous processor allocation strategy on mesh-connected parallel computers. ESS is noncontiguous, and gives a very compact allocation, and thus performs a very successful allocation with minimum contention. Furthermore, ESS is inherently parallelizable.
Temperature-Dependent Modulation of Excitatory Transmission in Hippocampal Slices Is Mediated by Extracellular Adenosine

Although extracellular adenosine concentrations in brain are increased markedly by a variety of stimuli such as hypoxia and ischemia, it has been difficult to demonstrate large increases in adenosine with stimuli that do not result in pathological tissue damage. The present studies demonstrate that increasing the temperature at which rat hippocampal brain slices are maintained (typically from 32.5 to 38.5°C) markedly inhibits excitatory synaptic transmission. This effect was reversible on cooling, readily repeatable, and was blocked by A1 receptor antagonists and by adenosine deaminase, suggesting that it was mediated by increased activation of presynaptic adenosine A1 receptors by endogenous adenosine. This increase in adenosinergic inhibition was not a response to hyperthermia per se, because it could be elicited by temperatures that remained entirely within the hypothermic range (e.g., from 32.5 to 35.5°C). The increased activity at A1 receptors appeared to be attributable to the direct release of adenosine via nucleoside transporters; the release of adenine nucleotides, linked to either the activation of NMDA receptors or the increased efflux of cAMP, appeared not to be involved. These results suggest that changes in brain temperature can alter the regulation of extracellular adenosine in rat brain slices and that increased adenosine release may be an important regulatory mechanism for countering increased excitability consequent to increased brain temperature.
Protein Kinase C and A 3 Adenosine Receptor Activation Inhibit Presynaptic Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor ( mGluR ) Function and Uncouple mGluRs from GTP-Binding Proteins

One of the most prominent roles of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in the CNS is to serve as presynaptic receptors that inhibit transmission at glutamatergic synapses. Previous reports suggest that the presynaptic effect of group II mGluRs at corticostriatal synapses can be inhibited by activators of protein kinase C (PKC). We now report that activation of PKC inhibits the ability of group II and group III mGluRs to regulate transmission at three major synapses in the hippocampal formation. Thus, this effect may be a widespread phenomenon that occurs at glutamatergic synapses throughout the CNS. We also report that this response is not limited to PKCactivating phorbol esters but that activation of A3 adenosine receptors induces a PKC-dependent inhibition of group III mGluR function at the Schaffer collateral–CA1 synapse. In addition to inhibiting mGluR modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission, we found that activation of PKC reduces inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation by group II and group III mGluRs, suggesting that the effect of PKC on mGluR signaling is not specific to their effects on neurotransmitter release. This led us to test the hypothesis that PKC acts upstream from effector proteins regulated by mGluRs and acts at the level of the receptor or GTP-binding protein. Interestingly, we found that PKC inhibited mGluR-induced increases in [S]GTPgS binding in cortical synaptosomes. These data suggest that PKC-induced inhibition of mGluR signaling may be mediated by the inhibition of coupling of mGluRs to GTP-binding proteins.
Extracting Lexically Divergent Paraphrases from Twitter

We present MultiP (Multi-instance Learning Paraphrase Model), a new model suited to identify paraphrases within the short messages on Twitter. We jointly model paraphrase relations between word and sentence pairs and assume only sentence-level annotations during learning. Using this principled latent variable model alone, we achieve the performance competitive with a state-of-the-art method which combines a latent space model with a feature-based supervised classifier. Our model also captures lexically divergent paraphrases that differ from yet complement previous methods; combining our model with previous work significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art. In addition, we present a novel annotation methodology that has allowed us to crowdsource a paraphrase corpus from Twitter. We make this new dataset available to the research community.
Care for chronic diseases

See pp 954, 914, 925, 961 This is the third in the BMJ 's series of theme issues on managing chronic diseases. This focus reflects the increasing demands on practitioners and health systems around the globe posed by mounting numbers of chronically ill patients.1 The term “chronic disease” usually connotes the prevalent chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But papers in the three theme issues argue that a much broader array of health problems generate similar needs for patients and similar challenges for health services—these include diseases such as chronic uveitis, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, and osteoporosis. Despite the clinical differences across these chronic conditions, each illness confronts patients and their families with the same spectrum of needs: to alter their behaviour; to deal with the social and emotional impacts of symptoms, disabilities, and approaching death; to take medicines; and to interact with medical care over time. In return, healthcare must …
Loss of calibre information during vessel segmentation

To obtain precise calibre measurements, there are two general approaches: segment the vessels and measure the diameter, and to measure the diameter from the greyscale images. While there is a claim that vessel segmentation does not solve diameter measurement problems it has not been proven experimentally. The aim of this work is two-fold: first, to prove that the resulting edges from good vessel segmentation may not be suitable for precise diameter measurement, and, second, to propose a method for compensating for the imprecision in the calibre measurement from the segmentation.
Sudden Emergence of a Giantk-Core in a Random Graph

Thek-core of a graph is the largest subgraph with minimum degree at leastk. For the Erdo? s? R? nyi random graphG(n,? m) onnvertives, withmedges, it is known that a giant 2-core grows simultaneously with a giant component, that is, whenmis close ton/2. We show that fork? 3, with high probability, a giantk-core appears suddenly whenmreachesckn/2; hereck=min? >0? /? k(? ) and? k(? )=P{Poisson(? )? k? 1}. In particular,c3? 3.35. We also demonstrate that, unlike the 2-core, when ak-core appears for the first time it is very likely to be giant, of size ? pk(? k)n. Here? kis the minimum point of? /? k(? ) andpk(? k)=P{Poisson(? k)? k}. Fork=3, for instance, the newborn 3-core contains about 0.27nvertices. Our proofs are based on the probabilistic analysis of an edge deletion algorithm that always find ak-core if the graph has one.
PSBP-DOMAIN PROTEIN1, a Nuclear-Encoded Thylakoid Lumenal Protein, Is Essential for Photosystem I Assembly in Arabidopsis[W]

Photosystem I (PSI) is one of the largest and most complex macromolecular assemblies known in nature. However, the molecular mechanisms of the assembly process of PSI remain largely unknown. This study reports that PSBP-DOMAIN PROTEIN1, a nuclear-encoded chloroplast protein found in the thylakoid lumen, plays an important role in the assembly of the PSI reaction center heterodimer. To gain insights into the molecular details of photosystem I (PSI) biogenesis, we characterized the PsbP-domain protein1 (ppd1) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that specifically lacks PSI activity. Deletion of PPD1 results in an inability of the mutant to grow photoautotrophically and a specific loss of the stable PSI complex. Unaltered transcription and translation of plastid-encoded PSI genes indicate that PPD1 acts at the posttranslational level. In vivo protein labeling experiments reveal that the rate of synthesis of PSI reaction center proteins PsaA/B in ppd1 is comparable to that of wild-type plants, whereas the rate of turnover of PsaA/B proteins is higher in ppd1 than in wild-type plants. With increasing leaf age, PPD1 content decreases considerably, while PSI content remains constant. PPD1 is a nuclear-encoded thylakoid lumenal protein and is associated with PSI but is not an integral subunit of PSI. Biochemical and molecular analyses reveal that PPD1 interacts directly and specifically with PsaB and PsaA. Yeast two-hybrid experiments show that PPD1 interacts with some lumenal loops of PsaB and PsaA. Our results suggest that PPD1 is a PSI assembly factor that assists the proper folding and integration of PsaB and PsaA into the thylakoid membrane.
Enhanced gene delivery using Bubble liposomes and ultrasound for folate-PEG liposomes

We have previously reported that the transfection efficiency of laminin-derived AG73-peptide labeled polyethyleneglycol-modified liposomes (AG73-PEG liposomes) was enhanced by echo-contrast gas entrapping PEG liposomes (Bubble liposomes, BLs) and ultrasound (US) exposure by improving endosomal escape. However, it has not been well understood whether BLs and US exposure can enhance the transfection efficiency of other carriers except AG73-PEG liposomes. In this study, to evaluate whether BLs and US exposure can be generally applied to gene delivery carriers, we focused on folate as a model ligand and examined whether BLs and US exposure could enhance the transfection efficiency of folate-PEG liposomes. Folate-PEG liposomes could internalize into cells efficiently, whereas they could not deliver genes into cytosol from endosomes sufficiently. BLs and US exposure could enhance the transfection efficiency of folate-PEG liposomes compared with folate-PEG liposomes alone without their direct induction into cells. These results suggested that BLs and US exposure could enhance the transfection efficiency of folate-PEG liposomes in the same manner as AG73-PEG liposomes. Thus, BLs and US exposure may be a promising tool to achieve efficient gene transfection into various gene carriers in general.