Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Global Pattern of Thermal Adaptation in Marine Phytoplankton

Local Optima for Plankton Recent ocean warming has changed the seasonality and composition of the marine phytoplankton. Thomas et al. (p. 1085, published online 25 October) investigated the direct effect of temperature on phytoplankton. By fitting published data to reaction temperature norms for 194 phytoplankton strains isolated from a wide latitudinal range, the resultant temperature-related traits (maximum growth rate, temperature optimum, and thermal niche width) reveal latitudinal trends in temperature optima and diversity. Biogeographical differences indicate an increased susceptibility of tropical strains to further warming, and modeling predicts poleward shifts of tropical strains and a loss of phytoplankton diversity in the tropics within the next hundred years. Optimal growth rates for phytoplankton correlate with local temperature and predict movement toward the poles with warming. Rising ocean temperatures will alter the productivity and composition of marine phytoplankton communities, thereby affecting global biogeochemical cycles. Predicting the effects of future ocean warming on biogeochemical cycles depends critically on understanding how existing global temperature variation affects phytoplankton. Here we show that variation in phytoplankton temperature optima over 150 degrees of latitude is well explained by a gradient in mean ocean temperature. An eco-evolutionary model predicts a similar relationship, suggesting that this pattern is the result of evolutionary adaptation. Using mechanistic species distribution models, we find that rising temperatures this century will cause poleward shifts in species’ thermal niches and a sharp decline in tropical phytoplankton diversity in the absence of an evolutionary response.
Suitable cache organizations for a novel biomedical implant processor

This paper evaluates various instruction- and data-cache organizations in terms of performance, power, energy and area on a suitably selected biomedical benchmark suite. The benchmark suite consists of compression, encryption and data-integrity algorithms as well as real implant applications, all executed on biomedical input datasets. Results are used to drive the (micro)architectural design of a novel microprocessor targeting microelectronic implants. Our profiling study has revealed a L1 instruction-cache of 8 KB size (when relaxed area constraints are imposed) and a L1 data-cache of 4 KB size, both structured as 2-way associative caches, as optimal organizations for the envisioned implant processor.
Comparison of students with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in schools and centres for special education - who is being left behind?

In 2003 a new law was passed to provide governmental support for inclusive education for all special needs students, including students with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). Until then, most students with PIMD stayed in centres for special education (CSEs). As a result of the new law an increasing number of students with PIMD were expected to attend school. However, three years later many students still remain in CSEs. The objective of the study is to determine if there are differences in the school population and CSE population of students with PIMD. It is found that students with specific problems and disabilities are more likely to stay behind in CSEs. Implications of these findings are being discussed. ________________________________________________________________ 1Tadema, A.C. , Vlaskamp, C. & Ruijssenaars, A.J.J.M. (under revision) Comparison of students with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in schools and centres for special education – who is being left behind? International Journal of Inclusive Education.
Application-Managed Replication Controller for Cloud-Hosted Databases

Data replication is a well-known strategy to achieve the availability, scalability and performance improvement goals in the data management world. However, the cost of maintaining several database replicas always strongly consistent is very high. The CAP theorem shows that a shared-data system can choose at most two out of three properties: consistency, availability, and tolerance to partitions. In practice, most of the cloud-based data management systems tend to overcome the difficulties of distributed replication by relaxing the consistency guarantees of the system. In particular, they implement various forms of weaker consistency models such as eventual consistency. This solution is accepted by many new Web 2.0 applications (e.g. social networks) which could be more tolerant with a wider window of data staleness (replication delay). However, unfortunately, there are no generic application-independent and consumer-centric mechanisms by which software applications can specify and manage to what extent inconsistencies can be tolerated. We introduce an adaptive framework for database replication at the middleware layer of cloud environments. The framework provides flexible mechanisms to enable software applications of keeping several database replicas (that can be hosted in different data centers) with different levels of service level agreements (SLA) for their data freshness. The experimental evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of our framework in providing the software applications with the required flexibility to achieve and optimize their requirements in terms of overall system throughput, data freshness and invested monetary cost.
Adaptive simulation of soft bodies in real-time

This paper presents an adaptive technique to animate deformable bodies in real-time. Our method relies on mixed finite-volume/finite-element method applied to an arbitrary non-nested hierarchy of volumetric meshes. We achieve a guaranteed frame rate thanks to a innovative multi-resolution algorithm that locally refines of simplifies the simulated object in order to concentrate computation load where and when needed.
Suggested Interactivity: Seeking Perceived Affordances for Information Visualization

In this article, we investigate methods for suggesting the interactivity of online visualizations embedded with text. We first assess the need for such methods by conducting three initial experiments on Amazon's Mechanical Turk. We then present a design space for Suggested Interactivity (i. e., visual cues used as perceived affordances-SI), based on a survey of 382 HTML5 and visualization websites. Finally, we assess the effectiveness of three SI cues we designed for suggesting the interactivity of bar charts embedded with text. Our results show that only one cue (SI3) was successful in inciting participants to interact with the visualizations, and we hypothesize this is because this particular cue provided feedforward.
International Journal of High Performance Computing Applications Wendroff Correction Stencil − Evaluating Multi-core and Many-core Architectures through Accelerating the Three-dimensional Lax Evaluating Multi-core and Many-core Architectures through Accelerating the Three-dimensional Lax–wendroff Co

Wave propagation forward modeling is a widely used computational method in oil and gas exploration. The iterative stencil loops in such problems have broad applications in scientific computing. However, executing such loops can be highly time-consuming, which greatly limits their performance and power efficiency. In this paper, we accelerate the forward-modeling technique on the latest multi-core and many-core architectures such as Intel 3 GPUs, and the Intel Ò Xeon Phi co-processor. For the GPU platforms , we propose two parallel strategies to explore the performance optimization opportunities for our stencil kernels. For Sandy Bridge CPUs and MIC, we also employ various optimization techniques in order to achieve the best performance. Although our stencil with 114 component variables poses several great challenges for performance optimization, and the low stencil ratio between computation and memory access is too inefficient to fully take advantage of our evaluated architectures, we manage to achieve performance efficiencies ranging from 4.730% to 20.02% of the theoretical peak. We also conduct cross-platform performance and power analysis (focusing on Kepler GPU and MIC) and the results could serve as insights for users selecting the most suitable accelerators for their targeted applications.
Increasing Intranet Usage through Gamification -- Insights from an Experiment in the Banking Industry

This paper applies gamification to leverage the use of information for information-intensive business tasks in the context of corporate intranets. It presents the results of an online experiment, which was conducted in the banking industry with 68 advisors from different institutes using a prototype of a corporate intranet. They indicate that adding gamification elements, such as ranking lists and points, positively influences the quantitative (time spent, articles read) and qualitative (time per article, percentage of correct answers) usage of the intranet for knowledge acquisition.
Fifty Years of Yang-Mills Theory and my Contribution to it

On the fiftieth anniversary of Yang-Mills theory, I review the contribution to its understanding by my collaborators and me. Contents: 1.Gauge Theories and Quantum Anomalies; 2.Mathematical Connections; 3. Gauge Field Dynamics other than Yang-Mills; 4. Gauge Formalism for General Relativity Variables; A. Christoffel connection as a gauge potential, B. Gravitational Chern-Simons term from gauge theory Chern-Simons term, C. Coordinate transformations in general relativity and gauge theory, (i) Response to changes in coordinates (ii) Invariant fields and constants of motion. References.
Epigenetic Regulation Is a Crucial Factor in the Repression of UGT1A1 Expression in the Human Kidney

Human uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 catalyzes the metabolism of numerous clinically and pharmacologically important compounds, such as bilirubin and SN-38. UGT1A1 is predominantly expressed in the liver and intestine but not in the kidney. The purpose of this study was to uncover the mechanism of the tissue-specific expression of UGT1A1, focusing on its epigenetic regulation. Bisulfite sequence analysis revealed that the CpG-rich region near the UGT1A1 promoter (−85 to +40) was hypermethylated (83%) in the kidney, whereas it was hypomethylated (37%) in the liver. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that histone H3 near the promoter was hypoacetylated in the kidney but hyperacetylated in the liver; this hyperacetylation was accompanied by the recruitment of hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 1α to the promoter. The UGT1A1 promoter in human kidney-derived HK-2 cells that do not express UGT1A1 was fully methylated, but this promoter was relatively unmethylated in human liver-derived HuH-7 cells that express UGT1A1. Treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC), an inhibitor of DNA methylation, resulted in an increase of UGT1A1 mRNA expression in both cell types, but the increase was much larger in HK-2 cells than in HuH-7 cells. The transfection of an HNF1α expression plasmid into the HK-2 cells resulted in an increase of UGT1A1 mRNA only in the presence of 5-aza-dC. In summary, we found that DNA hypermethylation, along with histone hypoacetylation, interferes with the binding of HNF1α, resulting in the defective expression of UGT1A1 in the human kidney. Thus, epigenetic regulation is a crucial determinant of tissue-specific expression of UGT1A1.
Applying XML/XSLT Technology: A Case Study

Typically, paper-based semi-structured documents are used to communicate technical requirements in the industry. One approach to improving the efficiency and flexibility of searching and manipulating these documents is to obtain them in electronic form, and then make explicit the technical content in a form amenable to pattern matching and symbol manipulation. This paper explores the role of XML Technology for these purposes: the use of XML language to make explicit the content of a document in a standard fashion, and the use of XSLT to manipulate the content and mediate between applications that need this content. In order to recognize and appreciate the practical difficulties, a problem in the realm of Content Extraction from Materials and Processing Specification is studied and solved using the available tools supporting the XML Technology. The Case Study provides a realistic assessment of the benefits and the limitations of XML Technology for document handling from the perspective of a developer. It also illustrates non-trivial uses of XSLT constructs.
Constellation labeling for linear encoders

This paper investigates optimal constellation labeling in the context of the edge profile. A constellation's edge profile lists the minimum-distance edge for each binary symbol error. The paper introduces the symmetric-ultracomposite (SU) labeling structure and shows that this structure provides undominated edge profiles for 2/sup n/-PSK, 2/sup n/-PAM, and 2/sup 2n/-point square QAM. The SU structure is a generalization of the commonly used reflected binary Gray code. With the proper choice of basis vectors, SU labeling can support either set-partition or Gray-code labeling of 2/sup n/-PSK, 2/sup n/-PAM, and 2/sup 2n/-point square QAM. Notably, there are Gray-code and set-partition labelings that do not have the SU structure. These labelings yield inferior edge profiles. The SU structure does not apply to cross constellations. However, for any standard cross constellation with 32 or more points, a quasi-SU labeling structure can approximate the SU structure. With the correct choice of basis, quasi-SU labelings produce quasi-Gray labelings. However, the quasi-SU structure cannot support set-partition labeling. In fact, the quasi-SU structure provides a better edge profile than standard set-partition labeling. Thus, for cross constellations there is a choice between edge profile optimality and the group structure provided by set-partitioning. Here, the correct choice depends on whether the encoder trellis has parallel branches.
The acute impact of ethanol on glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, and free fatty acid responses and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the acute effect of ethanol on insulin sensitivity, and glucose, insulin, free fatty acid (FFA), and triacylglycerol responses in ten patients with non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes. In the test study an oral dose of 0·66 g ethanol/kg followed by continuous intravenous infusion of 0·1 g ethanol/kg per h was given to maintain a constant ethanol level in the blood. In the control study identical volumes of oral water and intravenous saline (9 g NaCl/l) were given. After 90 min insulin sensitivity was determined by the hyperinsulinaemic, euglycaemic clamp technique. Ethanol caused no change in blood glucose or insulin concentrations. The FFA level was suppressed by ethanol while the triacylglycerol level was unaffected. The insulin sensitivity was not affected by ethanol. No major acute effect of ethanol on the glycaemic control in fasting type 2 diabetic patients was found in comparison with what is seen in healthy people. The present study, along with the sparse literature, indicates that the ability of ethanol to induce hypoglycaemia is attenuated or absent in diet-treated type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, we found no change in insulin sensitivity. Consequently, the risk of acute ethanol-induced aberrations in carbohydrate metabolism in diet-treated type 2 diabetes seems to be less than previously expected, when alcohol is not taken as a part of a meal.
Method evaluation study of a new generation of vitamin D assays

Introduction Recently several diagnostic manufacturers have launched new 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25[OH]D) assays, which are aligned to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Materials (SRM) (NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland). The aim of this study was to compare the performance of one liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method, one enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and one recalibrated and previous version of a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Material and methods Serum-aliquots of 198 patient samples from routine 25(OH)D analysis were measured by the ClinMass® LC-MS/MS Complete Kit (RECIPE Chemicals + Instruments GmbH, Munich, Germany), the ORGENTEC 25(OH)D3/D2 ELISA (ORGENTEC Diagnostika GmbH, Mainz, Germany), the recalibrated Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDS)-iSYS 25(OH)DS and the previous used IDS-iSYS 25(OH)D CLIA (Immunodiagnostic Systems Ltd, Boldon, United Kingdom). Bland-Altman and Deming regression analyses were calculated for methods comparison of all tested 25(OH)D assays. The LC-MS/MS method was defined as the reference method. Within-run and between-run precision measurements were performed for all methods with three different concentration levels. Results Compared to the LC-MS/MS method, the new IDS-iSYS 25(OH)DS and ORGENTEC 25(OH)D3/D2 assay demonstrated mean relative biases of 16.3% and 17.8%. The IDS-iSYS 25(OH)D assay showed the lowest mean bias of 1.5%. Deming regression analyses of the recalibrated IDS-iSYS 25(OH)DS and the ORGENTEC 25(OH)D3/D2 assay showed proportional differences, when compared to the reference method. All assays showed a within-run and between-run imprecision of ≤ 20% at each of the evaluated concentration levels. Conclusions The evaluated standardized immunoassays and LC-MS/MS are useful methods for measuring 25(OH)D serum-levels in clinical laboratories.
Association of G72/G30 polymorphisms with early-onset and male schizophrenia

To explore the effect of G72/G30 polymorphisms on the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia, especially on the age at onset and sex of patients, we examined three single nucleotide polymorphisms in 216 schizophrenic patients and 321 healthy controls. Significant associations of schizophrenia with the A allele of rs947267 (P=0.012) and haplotype A-A-G (rs2391191-rs947267-rs778294) (P=0.008) were found in early-onset schizophrenic patients. So did the same allele (P=0.034) and haplotype (P=0.009) as mentioned above in male patients. These findings suggest that the G72/G30 gene may modulate the age at onset and there might be a potential interaction between this locus and sex in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
A 540-640-GHz high-efficiency four-anode frequency tripler

We report on the design and performance of a broad-band, high-power 540-640-GHz fix-tuned balanced frequency tripler chip that utilizes four planar Schottky anodes. The suspended strip-line circuit is fabricated with a 12-/spl mu/m-thick support frame and is mounted in a split waveguide block. The chip is supported by thick beam leads that are also used to provide precise RF grounding. At room temperature, the tripler delivers 0.9-1.8 mW across the band with an estimated efficiency of 4.5%-9%. When cooled to 120 K, the tripler provides 2.0-4.2 mW across the band with an estimated efficiency of 8%-12%.
The Cattell–Horn–Carroll Model of Cognition for Clinical Assessment

The Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model is a comprehensive model of the major dimensions of individual differences that underlie performance on cognitive tests. Studies evaluating the generality of the CHC model across test batteries, age, gender, and culture were reviewed and found to be overwhelmingly supportive. However, less research is available to evaluate the CHC model for clinical assessment. The CHC model was shown to provide good to excellent fit in nine high-quality data sets involving popular neuropsychological tests, across a range of clinically relevant populations. Executive function tests were found to be well represented by the CHC constructs, and a discrete executive function factor was found not to be necessary. The CHC model could not be simplified without significant loss of fit. The CHC model was supported as a paradigm for cognitive assessment, across both healthy and clinical populations and across both nonclinical and neuropsychological tests. The results have important implications for theoretical modeling of cognitive abilities, providing further evidence for the value of the CHC model as a basis for a common taxonomy across test batteries and across areas of assessment.
Visual Foraging With Fingers and Eye Gaze

A popular model of the function of selective visual attention involves search where a single target is to be found among distractors. For many scenarios, a more realistic model involves search for multiple targets of various types, since natural tasks typically do not involve a single target. Here we present results from a novel multiple-target foraging paradigm. We compare finger foraging where observers cancel a set of predesignated targets by tapping them, to gaze foraging where observers cancel items by fixating them for 100 ms. During finger foraging, for most observers, there was a large difference between foraging based on a single feature, where observers switch easily between target types, and foraging based on a conjunction of features where observers tended to stick to one target type. The pattern was notably different during gaze foraging where these condition differences were smaller. Two conclusions follow: (a) The fact that a sizeable number of observers (in particular during gaze foraging) had little trouble switching between different target types raises challenges for many prominent theoretical accounts of visual attention and working memory. (b) While caveats must be noted for the comparison of gaze and finger foraging, the results suggest that selection mechanisms for gaze and pointing have different operational constraints.
Longitudinal Lung Function Growth of Mexican Children Compared with International Studies

Introduction Our aim was to compare the longitudinal lung function growth of Mexican children and adolescents with the collated spirometric reference proposed for international use and with that of Mexican-Americans from the National Health State Examination Survey III (NHANES) III study. Materials and Methods A cohort of Mexican children in third year of primary school was followed with spirometry twice a year through secondary school. Multilevel mixed-effects lineal models separated by gender were fit for the spirometric variables of 2,641 respiratory-healthy Mexican children expressed as Z-scores of tested reference equations. Impact of adjustment by sitting height on differences with Mexican-American children was observed in a subsample of 1,987 children. Results At same gender, age, and height, Mexican children had increasingly higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and Forced vital capacity (FVC) than the children from the collated reference study (mean Z-score, 0.68 for FEV1 and 0.51 for FVC) and than Mexican-American children (Z-score, 0.23 for FEV1 and 0.21 for FVC) respectively. Differences with Mexican-Americans were not reduced by adjusting by sitting height. Conclusions For reasons that remain unclear, the gender-, age-, and height-adjusted lung function of children from Mexico City is higher than that reported by several international studies.
Action Recognition by Shape Matching to Key Frames

Human action is, in general, characterized by a sequence of specific body postures. An action is often recognizable from a single view of an action specific posture. In this paper we demonstrate that specific actions can be recognized in long video sequence by matching shape information extracted from individual frames to stored prototypes representing key frames of the action. The matching algorithm is tolerant to substantial deformation between image and prototype and recognizes qualitatively similar image shapes produced by the body postures. The algorithm is applied to the recognition of specific tennis strokes in up to 2 min long video sequences. Using key-frames within the sequence all (1015) forehand strokes are found with no false positives. The backhand strokes are detected with somewhat lower performance. We conclude that this type of approach to action recognition has large potential for application to automatic video analysis and editing.