Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MARTE based model driven design methodology for targeting dynamically reconfigurable FPGA based SoCs

The works presented in this dissertation are carried out in the context of System-on-Chip (SoC) and embedded system design, particularly dedicated to the domain of dynamic reconfiguration related to these complex systems. We present a design flow based on Model Driven Engineering (MDE) and the MARTE SoC Co-Design profile, to specify and implement these SoCs; in order to elevate the abstraction levels and to decrease system complexity. The first contribution related to this thesis is identifying parts of dynamically reconfigurable SoCs that can be modeled at the high abstraction levels. This thesis targets the high level application models to be treated as dynamically swapple regions of a reconfigurable SoC, and proposes generic control models for managing these regions during runtime execution. While these semantics can be introduced at several high abstraction levels of a SoC Co-Design framework, we specially emphasis on fusion at the deployment level, that links intellectual properties to the modeled high level design components. Additionally, these concepts have been integrated into the MARTE metamodel to provide a suitable extension for expressing reconfigurability features at the high level modeling. The second contribution is the proposal of an intermediate metamodel, that isolates the concepts present at the RTL. This metamodel integrates concepts responsible for the hardware execution of the modeled applications, and enriches the control semantics, resulting in creation of a dynamically reconfigurable hardware accelerator with several available implementations. Finally, using the MDE model transformations, we are able to generate HDL code equivalent to the different implementations of the reconfigurable accelerator as well as C langauge source code related to the reconfiguration controller responsible for the switching between the different implementations. Finally, our design flow was verified successfully in a case study related to an anti-collision radar detection system. A key integral component of this system was modeled using the extended MARTE specifications and the generated code was used in the conception and implementation of a dynamically reconfigurable FPGA based SoC.
Teaching in a Software Design Studio: Implications for Modeling Education

This paper reflects on Lancaster University’s software design studio, an approach for teaching software engineering that favours practical experimentation over traditional lectures. The studio has been running for two years at Lancaster. In the paper, we reflect on how students have used modeling as part of the studio experience. Our findings show that, given the freedom, students make heavy use of informal modeling but almost never formally model. The paper unpicks the reasons for this and discusses implications for the way modeling is taught more generally.
Comparison of journal title coverage between CINAHL and Scopus.

This study compares the journal source coverage of CINAHL, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Scopus to determine whether Scopus alone provides a thorough search of the nursing and allied health literature. Scopus is a relative newcomer to the world of online indexes covering the medical and scientific literature. Its total coverage of more than 23,700 sources is multidisciplinary and includes non-journal types—such as conference papers, book series, and trade publications—that are not covered by MEDLINE/PubMed or CINAHL. However, according to the publisher, Scopus indexes all of the MEDLINE and EMBASE/Excerpta Medica journals and therefore can be a useful alternative to searching those databases independently. The question then arises: how complete is its coverage of nursing and allied health literature? If it also indexes a large percentage of that literature, Scopus could be a viable integrated search engine for all medical, nursing, and allied health searching needs. This information could help health sciences libraries make wise acquisition decisions. A number of articles have analyzed the coverage of journals in Scopus with specific emphasis on its citation tracking ability, compared to Web of Science [1–3]. The study by de Moya-Anagon et al. [4] provided a comprehensive analysis of Scopus compared to the Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory list of available journals in all fields and calculated a percentage of Scopus's coverage by subject category. Gavel and Iselid's study [5] not only looked at the citation database Web of Science, but also studied the coverage overlap of various science, technology, and medicine (STM) databases. However, Gavel and Iselid did not include CINAHL among the comparison databases, and Ulrich's does not have separate subject categories for nursing or many of the allied health subjects such as occupational or physical therapy. No studies have focused specifically on the coverage of nursing and allied health literature in Scopus. Therefore, this brief analysis attempts to fill that gap and provide some data to determine whether Scopus could be an alternative to CINAHL.
Atmospheric concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-PAHs at Indo-Gangetic sites.

Aerosol samples in the dual-phase (gaseous and particulate) were collected simultaneously for the first time in Agra at a rural and a traffic dominated site during post-monsoon and winter seasons to investigate the gas-particle partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The samples were collected using a high volume sampler on quartz micro-fiber filter papers and polyurethane foam plugs for particulate and gas phases respectively. The samples were extracted in a mixture of DCM and n-hexane. 16 priority PAHs and two nitro-PAHs were analyzed using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry. The total concentration of PAHs (gas + particulate) was 4015 and 624 ng m-3 at the traffic and rural sites respectively. Two and three ring PAHs were dominant in the gas phase while four, five and six ring PAHs were abundant in the particle phase. A statistically significant correlation (r2 = 0.69-0.98, p < 0.001) for log Kpvs. was obtained for individual PAHs at both sites where slopes varied between -2.83 and -0.04 at the traffic site and from -3.15 to -0.06 at the rural site. Regression statistics of Clausius-Clapeyron plots suggest that the concentration of highly volatile PAHs in the atmosphere is influenced by temperature. The gas-particle partitioning coefficient Kp in its logarithmic form correlated with 1/T (r2 = 0.5-0.95, p < 0.001) and a positive slope for individual PAHs was found. In health risk assessment DbA was found to be the most carcinogenic and mutagenic as compared to other PAHs followed by BaP. 1-NPyr had a larger contribution to BaP-TEQ than 3-NFla.
DNA strand scission by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon o-quinones: role of reactive oxygen species, Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox cycling, and o-semiquinone anion radicals,.

In previous studies, benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dione (BPQ), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) o-quinone, was found to be 200-fold more potent as a nuclease than (+/-)-anti-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, a suspect human carcinogen. The mechanism of strand scission mediated by naphthalene-1,2-dione (NPQ) and BPQ was further characterized using either phiX174 DNA or poly(dG). poly(dC) as the target DNA. Strand scission was extensive, dependent on the concentration of o-quinone (0-10 microM), and required the presence of NADPH (1 mM) and CuCl2 (10 microM). The production of reactive species, i.e., superoxide anion radical, o-semiquinone anion (SQ) radical, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (OH.), and Cu(I), was measured in the incubation mixtures. The formation of SQ radicals was measured by EPR spectroscopy under anaerobic conditions in the presence of NADPH. A Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox cycle was found to be critical for DNA cleavage. No strand scission occurred in the absence of Cu(II) or when Cu(I) was substituted, yet Cu(I) was required for OH* production. Both DNA strand scisson and OH. formation were decreased to an equal extent, albeit not completely, by the inclusion of OH. scavengers (mannitol, soduim benzoate, and formic acid) or Cu(I) chelators (bathocuproine and neocuproine). In contrast, although the SQ radical signals of NPQ and BPQ were quenched by DNA, no strand scission was observed. When calf thymus DNA was treated with PAH o-quinones, malondialdehyde (MDA) was released by acid hydrolysis. The formation of MDA was inhibited by OH. scavengers suggesting that OH* cleaved the 2'-deoxyribose moiety in the DNA to produce base propenals. These studies indicate that for PAH o-quinones to act as nucleases, NADPH, Cu(II), Cu(I), H2O2, and OH*, were necessary and that the primary species responsible for DNA fragmentation was OH. , generated by a Cu(I)-catalyzed Fenton reaction. The genotoxicity of PAH o-quinones may play a role in the carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of the parent hydrocarbons.
Pediatric Autoimmune Epileptic Encephalopathies

Pediatric autoimmune epileptic encephalopathies are predominantly characterized by the presence of autoantibodies to the surface of neuronal proteins, for example, N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antibodies, but also include diseases with non–cell surface antibodies (eg, anti-Hu, glutamic-acid decarboxylase antibodies). In some cases with distinct clinical and para-clinical features, an autoimmune epileptic encephalopathy can be diagnosed without the presence of an antibody and will also respond favorably to immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the common presentations of pediatric autoimmune epileptic encephalopathies, treatments, and outcomes, and report recent findings in the field of epilepsy, encephalopathy, and the immune system.
'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree': the role of parents in chronic disease self-management.

Medical nonadherence has been termed the "Achilles' heel of modern healthcare. " In considering the need to improve medical adherence among chronically ill children, it is necessary to understand parent adherence. Parents have long been acknowledged to be the primary socialization agents in children's development across the various domains of functioning. Through communication of their beliefs, the behavior they model, and direct training, parents exert a powerful influence on the development of children's beliefs and behavior. Adherence may be similarly conceptualized as a socialization process, in which parents influence the development of children's beliefs and behavior regarding their eventual disease self-management. Given this perspective, it is important for clinicians to emphasize the need for parental adherence to a child's treatment regimen. An increased focus on parental adherence will require an investment of time and effort that will pay dividends in the long term.
A novel human muscle factor related to but distinct from MyoD1 induces myogenic conversion in 10T1/2 fibroblasts.

We have isolated the cDNA encoding a novel human myogenic factor, Myf‐5, by weak cross‐hydridization to the mouse MyoD1 probe. Nucleotide sequence analysis and the identification of the corresponding gene indicate that human Myf‐5 is a member of a small gene family which also contains the human homologue to MyoD1. Although structurally related to the mouse factor, the human Myf‐5 constitutes a different protein which nevertheless is capable of inducing the myogenic phenotype in embryonic C3H mouse 10T1/2 ‘fibroblasts’. The existence of more than one MyoD1‐like protein in human skeletal muscle is further suggested by the detection of several similar but distinct cDNA clones. The phenotypic conversion of 10T1/2 cells by the human factor is recognized by the capacity of the cells to form multinucleated syncytia and synthesize sarcomeric myosin heavy chains. Moreover, transient expression of Myf‐5 in 10T1/2 cells leads to the activation of a co‐transfected muscle‐specific CAT reporter gene which by itself is transcriptionally silent in the non‐muscle cell background. The deduced amino acid sequence of clone Myf‐5 reveals a region which is highly similar to myc proteins and the developmental factors from Drosophila encoded by the achaete scute locus and the twist gene. The myc homology region and a preceding cluster of basic amino acids are located in a larger sequence domain with strong similarity to the mouse myogenic factor MyoD1. Two additional short segments with high serine and threonine content are conserved between the two proteins. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Recording therapy sessions: an evaluation of patient and therapist reported behaviours, attitudes and preferences.

BACKGROUND Audio recording of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) sessions has been recommended but not yet widely adopted. It is believed to have positive effects on later recall and reflection by the patient and on supervisory quality and accuracy for therapists. AIMS To evaluate self-reported attitudes and behaviour regarding audio recording of therapy sessions in both patients and therapists in a setting where such recording is routinely carried out. METHOD In a centre specializing in CBT for anxiety disorders, 72 patients completed a questionnaire at the start of therapy and 31 patients completed a questionnaire at the end of therapy. Fifteen therapists also completed a similar questionnaire. RESULTS Ninety percent of patients reported listening to recordings between therapy sessions to some extent. The majority reported discussing the recordings with their therapist. Patients typically planned to keep the recordings after therapy ended. Most patients and therapists endorsed positive attitudes towards the use of recordings. Similar advantages (e.g. improving memory for sessions) and disadvantages (e.g. practical issues and feeling self-conscious) of recordings were generated by patients and therapists. Therapists were more likely than patients to express concern about recordings being distressing for patients to listen to. Both patients and therapists regarded the use of recordings for therapist peer supervision purposes favourably. CONCLUSION The use of audio recording of sessions as an adjunct to therapy (where patients listen to recordings between sessions) and for therapist supervision is rated as both highly acceptable and useful by both therapists and patients.
Pattern of bone loss of the proximal femur: A radiologic, densitometric, and histomorphometric study

The pattern of bone loss in the proximal femur was studied in 141 cadaveric femora from 36 women and 39 men ranging from 27 to 89 years of age. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the femoral neck, greater trochanter, Ward's triangle, and tensile and compressive stress regions were measured by dual photon absorptiometry. Radiographs were graded by Singh's method. Histomorphometry of tensile and compressive trabecular areas was performed on ground midsection of the methylmethacrylate‐embedded whole proximal femur. Although Singh index had some correlation with BMD of the femoral neck, the various BMD measurements showed that all regions lost bone to the same extent; in particular, no selective bone loss was found at low stress regions (tensile trabeculae or Ward's triangle). Histomorphometry revealed that most of the trabecular bone loss of the proximal femur is attributable to a decrease in thickness of individual trabeculae.
Outcome of microsurgical testicular sperm extraction in familial idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia

The aim of the study was to evaluate the sperm retrieval rate by microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in familial idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). One hundred and nineteen patients with idiopathic NOA who underwent microsurgical TESE over the past 5 years were included. Patients were then divided into two groups; Group ‘A’ with familial idiopathic NOA (11 families with two brothers in each family, 22 patients) and Group ‘B’ with nonfamilial idiopathic NOA (97 patients). Clinical data as well as data of microsurgical TESE were recorded. In Group ‘A’, the sperm retrieval rate was 9.1% (2/22 patients) compared to 45.4% in Group ‘B’ (44/97 patients) (P ≤ 0.05). The two patients in Group ‘A’ with successful sperm retrieval belonged to one family. The histopathological diagnosis was the same in the brothers in each family. It can be concluded that the testicular sperm retrieval rate in familial idiopathic NOA is significantly lower than in nonfamilial idiopathic NOA.
Absence of CD5 dramatically reduces progression of pulmonary inflammatory lesions in SHP-1 protein-tyrosine phosphatase-deficient 'viable motheaten' mice.

Mice homozygous for the viable motheaten (Hcph(me-v)) mutation are deficient in SHP-1 protein-tyrosine phosphatase, resulting in severe systemic autoimmunity and immune dysfunction. A high percentage of B-cells in viable motheaten mice express the cell surface glycoprotein CD5, in contrast to wild type mice that express CD5 on only a small percentage of B-cells. CD5(+) B-cells have been associated with autoantibody production. To determine the role of CD5 in the development of the inflammatory disease in me(v)/ me(v) mice, we created a stock of CD5(null)me(v)/ me(v) mice. The longevity of CD5(null)me(v)/ me(v) mice was increased 69% in comparison to me(v)/ me(v) mice on a similar (B6;129) background. The increased lifespan was associated with a marked reduction in pulmonary inflammation. Flow cytometry analysis of spleen cells from CD5(null)me(v)/ me(v) mice at 9-12 weeks of age revealed significant decreases in percentages of IgM/B220 double positive B-cells, Mac-1/Gr-1 double positive cells and CD4(+) T-cells compared with me(v)/ me(v) mice. CD5(null)me(v)/ me(v) mice also had significantly lower serum IgM levels in comparison to me(v)/ me(v) mice. Study of CD5(null)me(v)/ me(v) mice may provide further insight into the role of CD5 in cell signaling and may help explain the observed association of CD5(+) B-cells with autoimmune disease.
Co-receptor usage of HIV-1 primary isolates, viral burden, and CCR5 genotype in mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) genotype, viral load and co-receptor usage of maternal HIV-1 isolates in perinatal HIV-1 transmission. Patients and methodsA total of 181 mothers and infants were studied at the time of delivery. Wild-type (wt) and Δ32 CCR5 alleles were determined by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The viral load in maternal plasma samples was determined by a quantitative reverse transcriptase–PCR assay; co-receptor usage of maternal isolates was determined by viral infection in cells stably expressing CCR5 or CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) co-receptors. ResultsHIV-1 transmission rates in wt/wt and wt/Δ32 mothers (14.7 versus 15.8%), and in wt/wt and wt/Δ32 infants (14.6 versus 14.3%) were similar. Mothers transmitting infection to wt/Δ32 infants had significantly higher HIV-1-RNA levels than those who transmitted infection to wt/wt infants (5.4 versus 4.1 log10 copies/ml, P = 0.03). In wt/wt children there was a positive relationship between transmission rate and maternal viral load over the entire range of HIV-1 values, whereas in wt/Δ32 children transmission occurred only at viral loads greater than 4.0 log10 copies/ml. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the relationship between viral load and transmission varied according to the child's CCR5 genotype (P = 0.035; adjusted for zidovudine prophylaxis and mode of delivery, P = 0.090). Moreover, the majority of wt/wt transmitting mothers had R5-type isolates, whereas none of the wt/Δ32 mothers with an R5-type virus transmitted HIV-1 to their wt/Δ32 infants. ConclusionTaken together, these findings suggest that CCR5 Δ32 heterozygosity exerts a protective effect against perinatal transmission in children exposed to a low maternal viral burden of an R5-type isolate.
Moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B chronic carriers: a case–control study

Background Recent epidemiological studies have reported a dose-dependent protective effect of coffee on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with risk reduction ranging from 30% to 80% in daily coffee drinkers compared with non-drinkers. This study examined whether coffee has a similar protective effect when consumed in moderate quantities in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, a group at high risk of developing liver cancer. Methods A case–control design was employed. 234 HBV chronic carriers (109 cases and 125 controls) were recruited from the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong from December 2007 to May 2008. Data collection included review of medical records and face-to-face interview. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions adjusting for age, gender, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, tea consumption and physical activity were conducted with dose–response analysis. Results Moderate coffee consumption significantly reduced the risk of HCC by almost half (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.97) with a significant dose–response effect (χ2=5.41, df=1, p=0.02), reducing the risk for moderate drinkers by 59% (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.89). Conclusion The findings provided evidence to support the protective effect of coffee consumption in moderate quantities in HBV chronic carriers.
Intrahippocampal glutamine administration inhibits mTORC1 signaling and impairs long-term memory

The mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1), a key regulator of protein synthesis and cellular growth, is also required for long-term memory formation. Stimulation of mTORC1 signaling is known to be dependent on the availability of energy and growth factors, as well as the presence of amino acids. In vitro studies using serum- and amino acid-starved cells have reported that glutamine addition can either stimulate or repress mTORC1 activity, depending on the particular experimental system that was used. However, these experiments do not directly address the effect of glutamine on mTORC1 activity under physiological conditions in nondeprived cells in vivo. We present experimental results indicating that intrahippocampal administration of glutamine to rats reduces mTORC1 activity. Moreover, post-training administration of glutamine impairs long-term spatial memory formation, while coadministration of glutamine with leucine had no influence on memory. Intracellular recordings in hippocampal slices showed that glutamine did not alter either excitatory or inhibitory synaptic activity, suggesting that the observed memory impairments may not result from conversion of glutamine to either glutamate or GABA. Taken together, these findings indicate that glutamine can decrease mTORC1 activity in the brain and may have implications for treatments of neurological diseases associated with high mTORC1 signaling.