Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel method of chaotic systems evaluation for implementations of encryption algorithms

Many papers reporting microelectronic chaos based applications have appeared in recent years. The focus of cryptology has been mainly on the algorithm implementation rather than on the chaotic system choice. In this paper, a novel method is proposed which aims at properly selecting a chaotic system to be used with encryption algorithms. The properties directly related to the algorithm strength and implementation complexity are the parameters that guide the system choice. Six chaotic systems have been examined with a summary of the data for quick design application made available.
Dynamic MRS and MRI of skeletal muscle function and biomechanics

MR is a powerful technique for studying the biomechanical and functional properties of skeletal muscle in vivo in health and disease. This review focuses on 31P, 1H and 13C MR spectroscopy for assessment of the dynamics of muscle metabolism and on dynamic 1H MRI methods for non‐invasive measurement of the biomechanical and functional properties of skeletal muscle. The information thus obtained ranges from the microscopic level of the metabolism of the myocyte to the macroscopic level of the contractile function of muscle complexes. The MR technology presented plays a vital role in achieving a better understanding of many basic aspects of muscle function, including the regulation of mitochondrial activity and the intricate interplay between muscle fiber organization and contractile function. In addition, these tools are increasingly being employed to establish novel diagnostic procedures as well as to monitor the effects of therapeutic and lifestyle interventions for muscle disorders that have an increasing impact in modern society. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experiences with Dating Violence and Help Seeking Among Hispanic Females in Their Late Adolescence

Hispanic females in their late adolescence appear to be disproportionately affected by dating violence, yet the majority of victims never seek out formal services. The purpose of this study was to explore the dating violence and help-seeking experiences of Hispanic females in their late adolescence. Participants were recruited from a social service agency providing wrap-around services to individuals and families affected by abuse in South Florida. Eleven in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with Hispanic female victims of dating violence in their late adolescence (18 to 24 years of age) in English or Spanish. A thematic analysis of transcripts identified four major themes: (a) conflict, culture, and context influences Hispanic couples; (b) missed opportunities to accessing help; (c) pivotal moments are needed to access formal services; and (d) family matters. Participants of this study believed that dating violence was more normative in Hispanic relationships than “American” relationships. Although participants had opportunities to seek formal services early in their relationships, formal services were only sought after pivotal moments. Families played an important role in supporting or further victimizing the participants. Findings from this study can be used to inform interventions addressing both informal and formal sources of support for Hispanic female victims of dating violence in their late adolescence.
Inference of domestication history and differentiation between early‐ and late‐flowering varieties in pearl millet

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a staple crop in Sahelian Africa. Farmers usually grow varieties with different cycle lengths and complementary functions in Sahelian agrosystems. Both the level of genetic differentiation of these varieties and the domestication history of pearl millet have been poorly studied. We investigated the neutral genetic diversity and population genetic structure of early‐ and late‐flowering domesticated and wild pearl millet populations using 18 microsatellite loci and 8 nucleotide sequences. Strikingly, early‐ and late‐flowering domesticated varieties were not differentiated over their whole distribution area, despite a clear difference in their isolation‐by‐distance pattern. Conversely, our data brought evidence for two well‐differentiated genetic pools in wild pearl millet, allowing us to test scenarios with different numbers and origins of domestication using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). The ABC analysis showed the likely existence of asymmetric migration between wild and domesticated populations. The model choice procedure indicated that a single domestication from the eastern wild populations was the more likely scenario to explain the polymorphism patterns observed in cultivated pearl millet.
Novel ADAMTS13 mutations in an obstetric patient with Upshaw‐Schulman syndrome

Upshaw‐Schulman syndrome (USS) is a rarely reported congenital form of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) that results from mutations in the ADAMTS13 gene. Many USS patients are diagnosed during the second or third trimester of their first pregnancy. We present a patient diagnosed with USS following retinal detachments and intrauterine fetal demise at 34 weeks of gestation. The patient's plasma was tested for ADAMTS13 activity, inhibitor, and antibody. Subsequently, she and her first‐degree relatives had ADAMTS13 gene sequencing. Initially, the patient was found to have an ADAMTS13 activity of <5% in the absence of an ADAMTS13 inhibitor (FRETS assay) or antibody (immunoassay). Repeat studies in the months following hospital discharge showed persistent, undetectable ADAMTS13 activity and she was given a clinical diagnosis of USS. Molecular sequencing demonstrated two novel missense mutations in the ADAMTS13 gene: one in the maternal exon 17 (p.Ala690Thr due to nucleotide substitution c.2068 G>A) and another in the paternal exon 22 (p.Arg915Cys due to nucleotide substitution c.2746 C>T). In addition to being compound heterozygous for two ADAMTS13 mutations, the patient also had two maternally inherited single nucleotide polymorphisms: p.P618A (exon 16) and p.A732V (exon 18). Her parents and only sister had normal or near‐normal ADAMTS13 activity. Each was heterozygous for one of the novel missense mutations. This case highlights the importance of molecular analysis of the ADAMTS13 gene in patients and family members when the severe ADAMTS13 deficiency does not appear to be autoimmune in nature. J. Clin. Apheresis 28:311–316, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On Loss Functions in Label Ranking and Risk Minimization by Pairwise Learning

We study the problem of label ranking, a machine learning task that consists of inducing a mapping from instances to rankings over a finite number of labels. Our learning method, referred to as ranking by pairwise comparison (RPC), first induces pairwise order relations (preferences) from suitable training data, using a natural extension of so-called pairwise classification. A ranking is then derived from a set of such relations by means of a ranking procedure. In this paper, we first elaborate on a key advantage of such a decomposition, namely the fact that it allows the learner to adapt to different loss functions without re-training, by using different ranking procedures on the same predicted order relations. In this regard, we distinguish between two types of errors, called, respectively, ranking error and position error. Focusing on the position error, which has received less attention so far, we then propose a ranking procedure called ranking through iterated choice as well as an efficient pairwise implementation thereof. Apart from a theoretical justification of this procedure, we offer empirical evidence in favor of its superior performance as a risk minimizer for the position error. ∗This research has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). It summarizes and extends results presented in [13, 14, 15].
Differential Effects of Carbohydrates on Behavioral and Neuroelectric Indices of Selective Attention in Preadolescent Children

The importance of breakfast consumption for ideal cognitive performance has received much attention in recent years, although research on the topic has yielded mixed results. The present study utilized event-related brain potentials (ERPs) elicited during a modified flanker task to investigate the neuroelectric implications of receiving different mixed macronutrient beverages after an overnight fast. A repeated measures design was employed whereby preadolescent participants (9–10 years of age) completed cognitive testing while ERPs were collected during two non-consecutive testing sessions, one in which they received one of three treatment beverages consisting of mixed-macronutrient formulations (either Carbohydrate Blend, Sucrose, Maltodextrin) and the other in which they received a placebo drink containing Sucralose. Performance indices, ERPs, and blood glucose were recorded at three time points before the testing session and after the ingestion of each drink. While the behavioral performance indices and N2 results showed some evidence of glucose facilitation, the effects were small and selective. Participants who received the Maltodextrin treatment showed faster reaction times and more stable N2 amplitudes after ingesting the treatment beverage. The most robust effects were seen in the P3 amplitude measurement. Across the three drink groups, participants showed a marked amplitude increase over time after the placebo drink was ingested, although P3 amplitudes remained stable when a carbohydrate treatment drink was ingested. These effects were eliminated when changes in blood glucose were accounted for, suggesting that the neurolectric effects were directly related to glycemic change. These findings suggest that ingestion of carbohydrates after an overnight fast results in changes to the P3 amplitude of the ERP waveform elicited during an attentional inhibition task.
Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor promising protective roles in obesity-associated atherosclerosis

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), a serine protease inhibitor, which was most commonly examined in mucosal fluids such as saliva, is a versatile molecule and plays non-redundant roles. In addition to its anti-protease activity, SLPI has been shown to express anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties as well as participating in innate and adaptive immune responses, most of which has been well documented. Recently, it is reported that SLPI is expressed in adipocytes and adipose tissue where it could play an important feedback role in the resolution of inflammation. Furthermore, circulating SLPI has been shown to correlate with progressive metabolic dysfunction. Moreover, adenoviral gene delivery of elafin and SLPI attenuates nuclear factor-κB-dependent inflammatory responses of human endothelial cells and macrophages to atherogenic stimuli. This review contributes to unraveling the protective role of SLPI in obesity-related atherosclerosis development, and the potential role in preventing arterial plaque rupture.
fMRI reveals alteration of spatial working memory networks across adolescence

Recent studies have described neuromaturation and cognitive development across the lifespan, yet few neuroimaging studies have investigated task-related alterations in brain activity during adolescence. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain response to a spatial working memory (SWM) task in 49 typically developing adolescents (25 females and 24 males; ages 12–17). No gender or age differences were found for task performance during SWM. However, age was positively associated with SWM brain response in left prefrontal and bilateral inferior posterior parietal regions. Age was negatively associated with SWM activation in bilateral superior parietal cortex. Gender was significantly associated with SWM response; females demonstrated diminished anterior cingulate activation and males demonstrated greater response in frontopolar cortex than females. Our findings indicate that the frontal and parietal neural networks involved in spatial working memory change over the adolescent age range and are further influenced by gender. These changes may represent evolving mnemonic strategies subserved by ongoing adolescent brain development. (JINS, 2005, 11, 631–644.)
RNA Silencing in Aspergillus nidulans Is Independent of RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases

The versatility of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RDRPs) in eukaryotic gene silencing is perhaps best illustrated in the kingdom Fungi. Biochemical and genetic studies of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Neurospora crassa show that these types of enzymes are involved in a number of fundamental gene-silencing processes, including heterochromatin regulation and RNA silencing in S. pombe and meiotic silencing and RNA silencing in N. crassa. Here we show that Aspergillus nidulans, another model fungus, does not require an RDRP for inverted repeat transgene (IRT)-induced RNA silencing. However, RDRP requirements may vary within the Aspergillus genus as genomic analysis indicates that A. nidulans, but not A. fumigatus or A. oryzae, has lost a QDE-1 ortholog, an RDRP associated with RNA silencing in N. crassa. We also provide evidence suggesting that 5′ → 3′ transitive RNA silencing is not a significant aspect of A. nidulans IRT-RNA silencing. These results indicate a lack of conserved kingdom-wide requirements for RDRPs in fungal RNA silencing.
EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION EXPOSURE ON ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA

The effects of ionizing radiation on Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated using 6 MV x-rays produced by a linear accelerator. Photosynthesis and respiration rates, chlorophyll fluorescence (fv/fm ratio and yield), plant height, total leaf area, stem mass, leaf mass, and above-ground biomass were measured to evaluate both physiological and physical impacts of ionizing radiation. The statistical analysis examined the radiation effects with respect to four different total doses (0.5 Gy, 5 Gy, 50 Gy, and 150 Gy), two different treatment types (single and fractionated), and irradiation at one of three different life stages (15 days, 20 days, and 25 days old). Results indicate that the age at the time of radiation exposure plays an important role in integrating radiation effects, and the irradiated A. thaliana indicated greater divergences in terms of physical growth compared to the internal physiological reactions. The results suggest that flowering plants like A. thaliana are capable of being utilized as a biodosimeter and further studies can be performed on specific areas, such as microscopic analysis of a plant's internal structure in order to assess the effects of ionizing radiation for a practical application.
Quasi-normally-off GaN gate driver for high slew-rate d-mode GaN-on-Si HEMTs

This work presents a quasi-normally-off gallium nitride (GaN) transistor with positive gate threshold voltage based on depletion-mode technology, suitable for gate drivers or logic circuits. Quasi-normally-off behaviour is achieved by the series connection of multiple Schottky diodes in the source path of an initially normally-on transistor. As opposed to conventional approaches, a novel quasi-normally-off gate driver circuit avoids the static shoot-through current path in the driver final stage and ensures a safe blocking state of a d-mode power switch in case of driver failure with only one negative driver supply voltage. For evaluation a hybrid integrated GaN power module is built, comprising a 2.4 A gate driver and 600 V/ 24 A boost converter switching cell. Measurements of pulsed inductive switching up to 274 V/ 12 A show gate voltage rise and fall times of 5.4 ns and 3.8 ns, boost converter switch node transition times as low as 1.6 ns and 1.2 ns, and maximum slew-rates up to 91 V/ns during turn-on transitions, and up to 177 V/ns during turn-off transitions, respectively.
Low Latency Scheduling Algorithm for Shared Memory Communications over Optical Networks

Optical Network on Chips (NoCs) based on silicon photonics have been proposed to reduce latency and power consumption in future chip multi-core processors (CMP). However, high performance CMPs use a shared memory model which generates large numbers of short messages, typically of the order of 8-256B. Messages of this length create high overhead for optical switching systems due to arbitration and switching times. Current schemes only start the arbitration process when the message arrives at the input buffer of the network. In this paper, we propose a scheme which intelligently uses the information from the memory controllers to schedule optical paths. We identified predictable patterns of messages associated with memory operations for a 32 core x86 system using the MESI coherency protocol. We used the first message of each pattern to open the optical paths which will be used by all subsequent messages thereby eliminating arbitration time for the latter. Without considering the initial request message, this scheme can therefore reduce the time of flight of a data message in the network by 29% and that of a control message by 67%. We demonstrate the benefits of this scheduling algorithm for applications in the PARSEC benchmark suite with overall average reductions in overhead latency per message, of 31.8% for the stream cluster benchmark and 70.6% for the swaptions benchmark.
A Novel Method to Find Time Complexity of an Algorithm by Using Control Flow Graph

Control flow graph represents the flow of a program by a directed graph. They are used in Software engineering, Compilers and Static program analysis. Control flow graph represents various paths a typical program may undergo for different inputs. Control flow graphs play a prominent role in the selection of test cases. In this paper, we present a simple method which uses control flow graph to find time complexity of the corresponding algorithm (program).
Devaluation and the Balance of Payments

The intention of this paper is to circumvent some of the complications involved in the familiar approach2 to the question of the effect on the balance of payments of a change in a country's exchange rate. In its simplest form this stability approach assumes that supply elasticities are infinite and trade is initially balanced. It then states that a small devaluation will result in an improvement in the balance of payments if the sum of the home elasticity of demand for foreign goods and of the foreign elasticity of demand for home goods is greater than unity. The complication that elasticities of supply of traded goods are not necessarily infinite can easily be removed. The simplest way is that used by Haberler3, where the concept of elasticities of demand for the currency of the other country is substituted for that of the elasticity of demand for the goods of the other country. The derivation of the two elasticities of demand for currencies from Mrs. Robinson's four elasticities is as follows:
The Ethic of Care in Teaching: An Overview of Supportive Literature

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of three theoretical frameworks that appear related to teachers who manifest an ethic of care. An in-depth review of related literature develops Noddings' theory of the ethic of care, focusing on defi ning care in teaching. It is further supported with theories of moral development, the theory of relational knowing, and the role of self in teacher development. This article provides support for considering and incorporating the development of an ethic of care as fundamental pedagogical content knowledge to be included in pre-service teacher education
Family 19 Chitinases from Streptomyces thermoviolaceus OPC-520: Molecular Cloning and Characterization

Family 19 chitinase genes, chi35 and chi25 of Streptomyces thermoviolaceus OPC-520, were cloned and sequenced. The chi35 and chi25 genes were arranged in tandem and encoded deduced proteins of 39,762 and 28,734 Da, respectively. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences demonstrated that Chi35 has an N-terminal domain and a catalytic domain and that Chi25 is an enzyme consisting of only a catalytic domain. Amino acid sequences of the catalytic domains of both enzymes, which are highly similar to each other, suggested that these enzymes belong to the family 19 chitinases. The cloned Chi35 and Chi25 were purified from E. coli and S. lividans as a host, respectively. The optimum pH of Chi35 and Chi25 were 5-6, and the optimum temperature of Chi35 and Chi25 were 60 and 70°C, respectively. Chi35 bound to chitin, Avicel, and xylan. On the other hand, Chi25 bound to these polysaccharides more weakly than did Chi35. These results indicate that the N-terminal domain of Chi35 functions as a polysaccharide-binding domain. Furthermore, Chi35 showed more efficient hydrolysis of insoluble chitin and stronger antifungal activity than Chi25. In the polysaccharide-binding domain of Chi35, there are three reiterated amino acid sequences starting from C-L-D and ending with W, and the repeats were similar to xylanase (STX-I) from the same strain. However, the repeats did not show sequence similarity to any of the known chitin-binding domains and cellulose-binding domains.
Risk prediction of the SCADA communication network based on entropy-gray model

The power SCADA system is designed to ensure the safe operation of the power system. The SCADA communication network as an information exchange carrier between remote terminal units and master stations, is the key part of the SCADA system, and it has a high requirement for security. However, due to the wide distribution of the network and the interconnected network structure, it is susceptible to risks. So there is an urgent need for accurate and real-time risk prediction. In this paper, we propose a risk prediction model based on entropy-gray model, where the gray model is used to predict the values of the network risk indexes, and the entropy method is to determine the weight of those risk indexes. Finally, the overall risk value of the network is decided with analytic hierarchy process. Simulation results show that the proposed entropy-gray method can achieve accurate and timely risk prediction.
Sensitivity Analysis of Pesticides Contaminating Groundwater by Applying Probability and Transport Methods

Abstract The use of pesticides is a potential threat to local groundwater. Once groundwater is contaminated, it is very difficult to clean. Thus, it is of importance to assess the risk of contaminating local groundwater at an early stage when pesticides are found in soils. This knowledge will also help in remediation strategies. Traditional methods of deterministic analysis cannot explicitly account for the sometimes large uncertainties that exist at this stage in the work, whereas probabilistic analyses are better suited for dealing with these problems. In this paper, we have combined contaminant transport with a 1st-order reliability approach. Pesticide concentrations in soil have been studied to estimate the probability of failure—that is, of pesticides exceeding established critical levels in groundwater. Results indict that failure probability increases rapidly within a certain range of pesticide concentrations in soil for different critical levels. In given aquifer conditions and contaminants, probabilities of contaminants exceeding particular critical levels can easily be obtained according to various water usage scenarios. The distribution of importance factors among variables indicates the contribution their relative weights make to the failure probability. Hence, authorities can easily form sensitivity factors to take action and reduce the risk of contaminating the groundwater.