Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HyperPipelining of High-Speed Interface Logic

The throughput needs of networking designs on FPGAs are constantly growing -- from 40Gbps to 100Gbps, 400Gbps and beyond. A 400G Ethernet MAC needs to process wide data at high speeds to meet the throughput needs. Altera recently introduced HyperFlexTM [1][2][3], a change to the fabric architecture aimed to facilitate massive pipelining of FPGA designs -- allowing them to run faster and hence alleviate the congestion that is caused by widening datapaths beyond 512b or 1024b. Though it seems counterintuitive it can be easier to close timing at 781 MHz for a 640b datapath than at 390 MHz for a 1280b datapath when wire congestion is taken into account. This presentation will discuss some of the practical details in implementing high-throughput protocols such as Ethernet and Interlaken, how we address these traditionally and how the design of the cores is modified with HyperPipelining. We will discuss alternative development styles for control and datapath logic, strategies for wire planning to avoid congestion, the throughput limits of FPGA routing networks, common timing closure issues and how to alleviate them, and how to pipeline intelligently. This presentation is thus partly a tutorial in the issues of making a 400G FPGA design close timing, and partly a case study of using HyperFlex on an FPGA design.
Hippocampal gene expression profiling across eight mouse inbred strains: towards understanding the molecular basis for behaviour

Mouse inbred strains differ in many aspects of their phenotypes, and it is known that gene expression does so too. This gives us an opportunity to isolate the genetic aspect of variation in expression and compare it to other phenotypic variables. We have investigated these issues using an eight‐strain expression profile comparison with four replicates per strain on Affymetrix MGU74av2 GeneChips focusing on one well‐defined brain tissue (the hippocampus). We identified substantial strain‐specific variation in hippocampal gene expression, with more than two hundred genes showing strain differences by a very conservative criterion. Many such genetically driven differences in gene expression are likely to result in functional differences including differences in behaviour. A large panel of inbred strains could be used to identify genes functionally involved in particular phenotypes, similar to genetic correlation. The genetic correlation between expression profiles and function is potentially very powerful, especially given the current large‐scale generation of phenotypic data on multiple strains (the Mouse Phenome Project). As an example, the strongest genetic correlation between more than 200 probe sets showing significant differences among our eight inbred strains and a ranking of these strains by aggression phenotype was found for Comt, a gene known to be involved in aggression.
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) most accurately reflects true survival for older oncology patients.

INTRODUCTION The ability to ascertain survival information is important for retrospective and prospective studies. Two databases that can be used are the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) and the National Death Index (NDI). Although the NDI is more complete, there are advantages to the SSDI such as ease of use and cost. The intent of this study was to determine accuracy of the SSDI. METHODS Publically available data on all known deceased individuals in the state of Ohio in 2003 were obtained from the State of Ohio Department of Health. A random sample of 63,557 of these were compared to the SSDI to identify risk factor for inclusion/exclusion. RESULTS Overall, 94.7% of all death records were confirmed by the SSDI. Age at death, gender, race, ethnicity, and cause of death were all found to significantly affect the likelihood of inclusion. Specifically, people aged 18-24 were included only 79.8% of the time compared to 96.2% for those over the age of 65. Also, malignancy as cause of death resulted in a 95.3% inclusion while trauma as a cause of death led to 86.5% inclusion. While Caucasians had an inclusion of 95.6%, African Americans were included only 87.8% of the time. Hispanics and women also had lower inclusion rates. DISCUSSION The SSDI is a strong tool for following up on participants lost to follow up in certain populations but is weaker in others. The SSDI would be particularly useful in a population that is largely older, Caucasian, or has malignant disease.
Study of Homocysteine Concentration in Coronary Heart Disease Patients and Comparison of Two Determination Methods

Introduction: Elevated total homocysteine (tHCY) is a known risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease, but the mechanism is not well understood. The study was designed to estimate tHCY concentration and other risk factors in coronary heart disease (CHD) males, evaluating two different methods for tHCY measurement: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method and competitive immunoassay method. Materials and Methods: Fifty men, mean age 53.9 years with CHD and a body mass index (BMI) >25.0, were examined for tHCY concentrations, lipids, blood glucose, uric acid, complete blood picture and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Biochemical and hematological indices were determined by routine methods, hsCRP – by immunometric chemiluminescence method, and tHCY – by two different methods: a gas chromatographic method, using GC-MS and a competitive immunoassay method on an Immulite device. Results: The mean values of the lipids showed moderate dyslipidemia while the other parameters were within reference range. Mean BMI was 28.5 ± 0.42. Values of tHCY determined by the immunoassay method were 13.2 ± 0.95 µmol/l, and determined by GC-MS – 14.6 ± 1.09 µmol/l. We found a linear agreement between the DPC and GC-MS sets of measurements (r = 0.87, p ≤ 0.001). The median tHCY concentrations measured by immunoassay werelower than those measured with GC-MS, but differences were insignificant. An agreement between the competitive immunoassay and the GC-MS method evaluated by the Bland and Altman method was found. tHCY was >15 µmol/l in 12 patients as determined by the competitive immunoassay, and in 15 patients by the GC-MS method. tHCY levels were between 10 and 15 µmol/l in 24 patients by the immunoassay and in 29 patients by the GC-MS method. Twenty-four percent of the patients with CHD have an ‘increased risk’ with tHCY >15 µmol/l, and 48% are in the ‘gray zone’ with tHCY levels between 10 and 15 µmol/l. Conclusions: 40.8% of the studied patients had increased tHCY levels, not associated with the other lipid and nonlipid risk factors. The closest conformity between GC-MS and immunoassay methods was observed for serum tHCY concentrations. The between-method comparison revealsthat the above-mentioned methods can be used interchangeably.
Prediction of pregnancy outcome in subgroups of women with renal disease.

BACKGROUND The preconception and intraconception parameters that are relevant to outcome in women with underlying renal disease remain controversial. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed the types and frequencies of short- and long-term (2 years after delivery) maternal and neonatal complications in 38 patients with primary renal disease (46 pregnancies), 24 IDDM patients with diabetic nephropathy (24 pregnancies), and 27 patients with a functioning renal allograft (42 pregnancies), most of them with mild renal insufficiency. Logistic regression models were formulated to predict successful outcome. RESULTS Successful pregnancy outcome (live, healthy infant without severe handicap 2 years after delivery) was observed in 98% of the patients with primary renal disease, 96% of the IDDM patients with diabetic nephropathy, and 89% of the patients with a functioning renal allograft. Factors found to be significantly predictive of successful outcome were absence of preexisting hypertension in all groups, in addition to low preconception serum uric acid level in the primary renal disease patients, and long interval from transplantation to conception and use of a low dose ofprednisone in the renal transplant patients. CONCLUSION Most women with different subtypes of renal disease have a successful pregnancy outcome with proper prenatal care. Worse pregnancy outcome was observed in women with moderate or severe renal failure. Fitted logistic models may provide useful guidelines for counseling women with preexisting renal disease about their prospects for a successful pregnancy in terms of immediate and long-term maternal and neonatal outcome.
Hyaluronidase Does Not Prevent Deterioration of Vascular Functional Integrity during Reperfusion after No‐Flow Ischemia in Isolated Rabbit Hearts

Effects of hyaluronidase on myocardial water content and distribution, and on coronary vascular hemodynamics and endothelial cell transport function were assessed in isolated rabbit hearts during 3.5 hours of reperfusion after 30 minutes of global, no-flow ischemia. In nonischemic control hearts, perfusion pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, maximum +dP/dt, and intravascular clearance of radiolabeled albumin remained constant during 5 hours of continuous perfusion, while the mean-transit time and vascular into extravascular space clearance of radiolabeled albumin increased 1.5X and 2.5X baseline, respectively. During reperfusion after 30 minutes of no flow, perfusion pressure increased 53% and interstitial fluid volume increased 2-fold, while left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and maximum +dP/dt returned to control levels. The rate of intravascular clearance of radiolabeled albumin decreased 38%, and the mean-transit time and vascular-into-extravascular space clearance of albumin increased ~3X and 5X baseline, respectively. Hyaluronidase blocked the ischemia-reperfusion-induced increases in total water content and in interstitial fluid volume and reduced the increases in perfusion pressure and mean-transit time of radiolabeled albumin by 40% and 45%, respectively, but did not prevent the increase in albumin vascular-into-extravascular space clearance and the decrease in albumin clearance from the coronary vasculature. These findings indicate that hyaluronidase does not prevent ischemia-reperfusion-induced increases in albumin permeation of the coronary vasculature, and suggest that its protective effect on ischemic myocardium is mediated, instead, by reducing interstitial edema and vascular resistance.
A multicontext approach to promoting transfer of strategy use and self regulation after brain injury: An exploratory study

Background/aim: Persons with brain injury frequently demonstrate decreased ability to monitor and apply strategies learned in treatment to everyday situations. The aim of this study is to refine, explore and provide preliminary testing of the multicontext approach in promoting strategy use across situations and increasing self-regulation, awareness and functional performance. Methods: This study used a single-subject design with repeated measures pre- and post-intervention, with data analysed descriptively and graphically. Four persons with difficulty following multi-step directions, 3–5 years post-TBI, received a nine session intervention programme. Outcome measures included the Awareness Questionnaire, Self-Regulation Skills Interview, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Multiple Errands Test and an Executive Function Performance Test sub-task. The process of change within each treatment session was examined with strategy and awareness ratings. Results: All participants demonstrated positive changes in self-regulatory skills and strategy use that was observed across tasks. As expected, general awareness of deficits remained unchanged. Examination of individual participants revealed important, varying patterns of change in strategy use, learning transfer and self-awareness across intervention. Conclusions: Results provide preliminary support for the feasibility and efficacy of the multicontext approach in promoting transfer of strategy use to enhance functional performance and selective aspects of awareness. Further investigation, including a larger controlled study, is needed to confirm or limit these observations.
Impact of Trade Liberalisation on Food Economy of Bangladesh: A Multi Market Modelling Approach ∗∗

Bangladesh is characterised by its agro-based small open economy and is treated as one of the least developed countries. The liberalisation of international agricultural trade has a great influence on Bangladesh's food security and on the whole economy. The study measures the effect of policy shocks on production, consumption and welfare distribution in the food sector of Bangladesh by using multi market modelling technique. Through excel based multi market modelling, five scenarios were analysed to know the welfare distribution as well as food security impact of price or policy shocks due to liberalisation. The model represents important characteristics of agriculture in Bangladesh like substitution and income effects. As agriculture is the main sector of Bangladesh's economy, the model is extended to explicitly integrate some of the key important macroeconomic linkages and to establish certain feedback effects between agriculture and the macro-economy. The results of the multi market modelling in the of rice market are quite normal but for wheat market are quite ambiguous due to higher cross price elasticity. It can be concluded from the study that higher import dependent commodities (i.e. wheat) suffer welfare loss under free trade as well as in Doha round projection.
Poststroke Inflammasome Expression and Regulation in the Peri-Infarct Area by Gonadal Steroids after Transient Focal Ischemia in the Rat Brain

CNS ischemia results in locally confined and rapid tissue damage accompanied by a loss of neurons and their circuits. Early and time-delayed inflammatory responses are critical variables determining the extent of neural disintegration and regeneration. Inflammasomes are vital effectors in innate immunity. Their activation in brain-intrinsic immune cells contributes to ischemia-related brain damage. The steroids 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) are neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory. Using a transient focal rat ischemic model, we evaluated the time response of different inflammasomes in the peri-infarct zone from the early to late phases after poststroke ischemia. We show that the different inflammasome complexes reveal a specific time-oriented sequential expression pattern with a maximum at approximately 24 h after the infarct. Within the limits of antibody availability, immunofluorescence labeling demonstrated that microglia and neurons are major sources of the locally activated inflammasomes NOD-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3) and associated speck-like protein (ASC), respectively. E2 and P given for 24 h immediately after ischemia onset reduced hypoxia-induced mRNA expression of the inflammasomes NLRC4, AIM2 and ASC, and decreased the protein levels of ASC and NLRP3. In addition, mRNA protein levels of the cytokines interleukin-1β (IL1β), IL18 and TNFα were reduced by the steroids. The findings provide for the first time a detailed flow chart of hypoxia-driven inflammasome regulation in the peri-infarct cerebral cortex. Further, we demonstrate that E2 and P alleviate the expression of certain inflammasome components, sometimes in a hormone-specific way. Besides directly regulating other cellular neuroprotective pathways, the control of inflammasomes by these steroids might contribute to its neuroprotective potency.
Involvement of general practitioners in managing alcohol problems: a randomized controlled trial of a tailored improvement programme.

AIMS To assess the effect of a tailored multi-faceted improvement programme on general practitioners' (GPs') behaviour towards prevention of hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption. The improvement programme consisted of activities aimed at the GP, organization and patient. Educational training sessions and visits by a facilitator were tailored to the GPs' needs and attitudes. DESIGN Cluster randomized controlled trial. SETTING General practices in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS Seventy-seven general practices; 119 GPs participated. Data from 6318 patients were available, of whom 765 (12.1%) were at risk. A total of 1502 patients' electronic medical records were reviewed. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was the number of eligible patients who received screening and advice. FINDINGS Difficulties in recruiting GPs and in motivating GPs for participation in the tailored parts of the programme impeded optimal implementation of the programme. Although GPs in both groups became more involved after enrolment, this improvement waned during the trial. The quality improvement programme enhanced the initial improvement in behaviour and it tempered waning (intervention group), compared to our control condition, resulting in average improvement rates of 5% (screening) and 2% (advice-giving) at 12-month follow-up (not significant). CONCLUSIONS A tailored, multi-faceted programme aimed at improving general practitioner management of alcohol consumption in their patients failed to show an effect and proved difficult to implement. There remains little evidence to support the use of such an intensive implementation programme to improve the management of harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption in primary care.
Subjective evaluations of ecosystem services and disservices: an approach to creating and analyzing robust survey scales

Research on ecosystem services (ES) has largely focused on the ecological functions that produce services or the economic valuation of the benefits provided by ecosystems. Far less research has examined public perceptions of ES, and more so ecosystem disservices (EDS), despite evidence that ecosystem properties and functions can produce beneficial or detrimental outcomes for human well-being. To address this gap, we present a robust approach to measuring beliefs about ecosystem services and disservices. With various means to confirm the validity and reliability of ES and EDS measures, we demonstrate this approach with survey data that captures residents’ perceptions about whether their local neighborhood environment (as the ecosystem of focus) provides certain positive or negative impacts in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. The results highlight patterns in people’s views of: desirable and undesirable biota; benefits and risks pertaining to heat and stormwater; recreational and aesthetic values; and societal nuisances and problems. Composite survey scales for overall perceptions of services and disservices are presented, in addition to more distinctive dimensions of ES and EDS. To better understand and manage ecosystems for diverse benefits, the specific survey measures and the general methodological approach can be adapted to various ecosystems and contexts.
Analysis of the Y402H variant of the complement factor H gene in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE Recent studies in U.S. populations have indicated that the Y402H variant of the complement factor H (CFH) gene contains a major risk susceptibility allele for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study was conducted to ascertain whether this is also true in a non-U.S. population and also whether the at-risk allele is associated with the clinical phenotype of disease and the age at diagnosis. METHODS Two hundred thirty-six unrelated individuals with AMD and 144 unrelated but ethnically matched control subjects were recruited and examined. All subjects completed a standard questionnaire, were given a fundus examination, and provided a blood sample for DNA extraction. Alleles of Y402H in the CFH gene were determined by use of a MALDI-TOF-based approach followed by statistical analysis. RESULTS Individuals with AMD who had at least one copy of the C allele of Y402H had an increased risk of disease (odds ratio [OR] 2.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.81-4.93) compared with cases with the T allele. On subgroup analysis, this risk was found to be most significant in individuals with neovascular disease (OR 4.34; 95% CI 1.94, 9.71). In addition, individuals with neovascular disease who were homozygous CC presented with a significant 7.0-year earlier age at diagnosis relative to those individuals who were homozygous TT. The population-attributable risk for the C allele ranged between 47% to 69%, depending on the AMD disease subtype. CONCLUSIONS The C allele of Y402H represents a significant risk factor in individuals with AMD, and this effect is most pronounced in individuals with neovascular disease.
An evidence-based review: Distracted driver

BACKGROUND Cell phone use and texting are prevalent within society and have thus pervaded the driving population. This technology is a growing concern within the confines of distracted driving, as all diversions from attention to the road have been shown to increase the risk of crashes. Adolescent, inexperienced drivers, who have the greatest prevalence of texting while driving, are at a particularly higher risk of crashes because of distraction. METHODS Members of the Injury Control Violence Prevention Committee of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma performed a PubMed search of articles related to distracted driving and cell phone use as a distractor of driving between 2000 and 2013. RESULTS A total of 19 articles were found to merit inclusion as evidence in the evidence-based review. These articles provided evidence regarding the relationship between distracted driving and crashes, cell phone use contributing to automobile accidents, and/or the relationship between driver experience and automobile accidents. (Adjust methods/results sections to the number of articles that correctly corresponds to the number of references, as well as the methodology for reference inclusion.) CONCLUSION Based on the evidence reviewed, we can recommend the following. All drivers should minimize all in-vehicle distractions while on the road. All drivers should not text or use any touch messaging system (including the use of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter) while driving. Younger, inexperienced drivers should especially not use cell phones, texting, or any touch messaging system while driving because they pose an increased risk for death and injury caused by distractions while driving.
Involvement of Alpha-Klotho and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor in the Development of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

Background/Aims: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) has been shown to suppress parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. α-Klotho has been demonstrated to function as a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) cofactor for FGF23. Thus, both α-Klotho and FGFR may play roles in PTH synthesis and/or secretion. Functions of α-Klotho and FGFR in secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) remain to be studied. The present studies explore the role of α-Klotho and FGFR in SHPT. Methods: Hyperplastic parathyroid glands (n = 44) were obtained from patients with SHPT. Results: Immunohistochemical study showed that both α-Klotho and FGFR1c expression in hyperplastic glands was significantly decreased compared with that in normal glands (Klotho p < 0.01, and FGFR1c p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was observed between α-Klotho and FGFR1c (r2 = 0.375, p < 0.01) indicating a cooperative system. Both α-Klotho (r2 = 0.235, p < 0.05) and FGFR1c (r2 = 0.181, p < 0.05) correlated positively with the calcium-sensing receptor (CaR), which plays an important role in the development of SHPT. In addition, expression of α-Klotho correlated negatively with parathyroid cell proliferation, as confirmed by Ki67 staining (r2 = 0.148, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Decreased expression of α-Klotho and FGFR1c in parallel with CaR expression and parathyroid cell growth may be involved in the pathogenesis of SHPT.