Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deterministic Replay Using Global Clock

Debugging parallel programs is a well-known difficult problem. A promising method to facilitate debugging parallel programs is using hardware support to achieve deterministic replay on a Chip Multi-Processor (CMP). As a Design-For-Debug (DFD) feature, a practical hardware-assisted deterministic replay scheme should have low design and verification costs, as well as a small log size. To achieve these goals, we propose a novel and succinct hardware-assisted deterministic replay scheme named LReplay. The key innovation of LReplay is that instead of recording the logical time orders between instructions or instruction blocks as previous investigations, LReplay is built upon recording the pending period information infused by the global clock. By the recorded pending period information, about 99% execution orders are inferrable, implying that LReplay only needs to record directly the residual 1% noninferrable execution orders in production run. The 1% noninferrable orders can be addressed by a simple yet cost-effective direction prediction technique, which further reduces the log size of LReplay. Benefiting from the preceding innovations, the overall log size of LReplay over SPLASH-2 benchmarks is about 0.17B/K-Inst (byte per k-instruction) for the sequential consistency, and 0.57B/K-Inst for the Godson-3 consistency. Such log sizes are smaller in an order of magnitude than previous deterministic replay schemes incurring no performance loss. Furthermore, LReplay only consumes about 0.5% area of the Godson-3 CMP, since it requires only trivial modifications to existing components of Godson-3. The features of LReplay demonstrate the potential of integrating hardware support for deterministic replay into future industrial processors.
Study of Beta-Thalassemia Biomarkers and Their Relationship to Cognition Among Children

The current study is to detect some biomarkers of beta-thalassemia (ferritin, serum transferrin receptors, and nitric oxide levels) and to examine the relation between these markers and cognition in children with beta-thalassemia. Thirty children with beta-thalassemia were selected from the Pediatric Department at Assiut University hospital. Another 40 healthy children of the same age, sex, years of schooling, body mass index (BMI), and social scale were chosen as the control group. Assessment of clinical, laboratory, cognitive functions, and event related potential was done for patients and control groups. Significantly higher levels of ferritin and serum transferrin receptors with decreased nitric oxide were detected among children with beta-thalassemia. There were significant correlations between serum transferrin receptors and nitric oxide levels with event related potential latencies and with some cognitive function tests and P300-N2 amplitude. Frequent blood transfusion was associated with increased serum transferrin receptors and decreased nitric oxide levels.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Attachment to HeLa CD4 Cells Is CD4 Independent and gp120 Dependent and Requires Cell Surface Heparans

ABSTRACT The binding of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (Hx10) virions to two different cell lines was analyzed by using a novel assay based on the detection, by anti-HLA-DR-specific antibodies, of HLA-DR+ virus binding to HLA-DR− cells. Virion attachment to the CD4+-T-cell line A3.01 was highly CD4 dependent in that it was potently inhibited by CD4 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), and little virus binding to the CD4−sister A2.01 line was observed. By contrast, virion binding to HeLa cells expressing moderate or high levels of CD4 was equivalent to, or lower than, binding to wild-type CD4− HeLa cells. Moreover, several CD4 MAbs did not reduce, but enhanced, HIV-1 attachment to HeLa-CD4 cells. CD4 was required for infection of HeLa cells, however, demonstrating a postattachment role for this receptor. MAbs specific for the V2 and V3 loops and the CD4i epitope of gp120 strongly inhibited virion binding to HeLa-CD4 cells, whereas MAbs specific for the CD4bs and the 2G12 epitopes enhanced attachment. Despite this, all gp120- and gp41-specific MAbs tested neutralized infectivity on HeLa-CD4 cells. HIV-1 attachment to HeLa cells was only partially inhibited by MAbs specific for adhesion molecules present on the virus or target cells but was completely blocked by polyanions such as heparin, dextran sulfate, and pentosan sulfate. Treatment of HeLa-CD4 cells with heparinases completely eliminated HIV attachment and infection, strongly implicating cell surface heparans in the attachment process. CD4 dependence for HIV-1 attachment to target cells is thus highly cell line specific and may be replaced by other ligand-receptor interactions.
Comparison of anti-inflammatory activities of an anthocyanin-rich fraction from Portuguese blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) and 5-aminosalicylic acid in a TNBS-induced colitis rat model

Despite the actual therapeutic approaches for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), efficient and secure alternative options remain a research focus. In this context, anthocyanins seem promising natural anti-inflammatory agents, but their action mechanisms and efficacy as compared with established drugs still require more clarification. The main aim of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory action of a chemically characterized anthocyanin-rich fraction (ARF), obtained from Portuguese blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), with that of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), a first-line drug in IBD, in a 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis rat model. Such fraction showed a high content and great molecular diversity of anthocyanins, with malvidin-3-galactoside and petunidin-3-arabinoside in the highest concentrations. After daily administration by intragastric infusion for 8 days, ARF, at a molar anthocyanin concentration about 30 times lower than 5-ASA, showed a higher effectiveness in counteracting the intestinal inflammation, as assessed by i) body weight variation and colon damage score, ii) reduction in leukocyte infiltration, iii) increase in antioxidant defenses and iv) by downregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in colon tissue homogenates. The strong inhibition of COX-2 expression seems to be a crucial anti-inflammatory mechanism common to both ARF and 5-ASA, but the additional higher abilities of anthocyanins to downregulate iNOS and to decrease leukocytes infiltration and to increase antioxidant defenses in colon may account for the much higher anti-inflammatory action of anthocyanins. These data may contribute to the development of a promising natural approach in IBD management.
The Shark Assemblage at French Frigate Shoals Atoll, Hawai‘i: Species Composition, Abundance and Habitat Use

Empirical data on the abundance and habitat preferences of coral reef top predators are needed to evaluate their ecological impacts and guide management decisions. We used longline surveys to quantify the shark assemblage at French Frigate Shoals (FFS) atoll from May to August 2009. Fishing effort consisted of 189 longline sets totaling 6,862 hook hours of soak time. A total of 221 sharks from 7 species were captured, among which Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis, 36.2%), gray reef (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, 25.8%) and tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier, 20.4%) sharks were numerically dominant. A lack of blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) distinguished the FFS shark assemblage from those at many other atolls in the Indo-Pacific. Compared to prior underwater visual survey estimates, longline methods more accurately represented species abundance and composition for the majority of shark species. Sharks were significantly less abundant in the shallow lagoon than adjacent habitats. Recaptures of Galapagos sharks provided the first empirical estimate of population size for any Galapagos shark population. The overall recapture rate was 5.4%. Multiple closed population models were evaluated, with Chao Mh ranking best in model performance and yielding a population estimate of 668 sharks with 95% confidence intervals ranging from 289–1720. Low shark abundance in the shallow lagoon habitats suggests removal of a small number of sharks from the immediate vicinity of lagoonal islets may reduce short-term predation on endangered monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) pups, but considerable fishing effort would be required to catch even a small number of sharks. Additional data on long-term movements and habitat use of sharks at FFS are required to better assess the likely ecological impacts of shark culling.
Animal Models of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Summary Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which encompasses both chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is one of the most common respiratory conditions of adults in the developed world. Despite the high prevalence and enormous cost to healthcare and society, COPD has received scant attention in comparison to other respiratory conditions such as asthma and lung cancer. It is often thought of as a self-inflicted disease. But not all people who smoke develop COPD and not all patients with COPD are smokers. The causes of COPD are different. Its pathogenesis is complex. There are very few effective treatments. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve present therapy by drugs with new modes of actions. In contrast to many human diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema occur seldom in the animal world. Therefore, we have to mimic some characteristic features of these diseases in animals. For this reason, a wide variety of animal models have been developed and are employed in the search for new chemical entities for the treatment of COPD. In the present paper, the experimental models of COPD are critically reviewed.
Meta-case-based reasoning: self-improvement through self-understanding

The ability to adapt is a key characteristic of intelligence. In this work we investigate model-based reasoning for enabling intelligent software agents to adapt themselves as their functional requirements change incrementally. We examine the use of reflection (an agent's knowledge and reasoning about itself) to accomplish adaptation (incremental revision of an agent's capabilities). Reflection in this work is enabled by a language called TMKL (Task-Method-Knowledge Language) which supports modelling of an agent's composition and teleology. A TMKL model of an agent explicitly represents the tasks the agent addresses, the methods it applies, and the knowledge it uses. These models are used in a reasoning shell called REM (Reflective Evolutionary Mind). REM enables the execution and incremental adaptation of agents that contain TMKL models of themselves.
Challenge of normality evaluation by using micro-size tension measurement device in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the important ligaments in the knee. The ACL connects the femur and tibia, and has a role to prevent an excessive forward movement of the tibia. In the clinical sports medicine, ACL reconstruction is often preformed about the injured knee. The ACL reconstruction aims to recover the function of the knee. Although some studies have reported tension pattern of the reconstructed knee during knee bending, no reports have reported an evaluation method of a normal tension pattern. This study challenges to define the normality of the normal knee in considering with the tension pattern. The experiment used an imitation bone with imitation ligaments for measuring the tension pattern by using our developed micro-measurement system, and evaluated the normality of the tension pattern. A future work is to apply this evaluation to cadaver knees.
Commuter travel and sickness absence of London office workers.

It is a common belief that long and uncomfortable journeys impose a strain upon the commuter which produces fatigue and impairs health. Liepmann (1944) cites many statements in support of this view but noted that objective evidence was scanty and sometimes inconsistent. In a review of the health of London's travelling public, Norman (1959) stated that there was no evidence that those who commuted for two or three hours every day were any less fit than those who 'lived over the shop'. He quoted the study of Williams and Hirch (1950) in support of his statement that travel in buses and underground trains did not increase the spread of infectious disease, but his own studies on sickness rates among bus drivers and conductors could provide only indirect evidence on passengers.
Improved accuracy in the estimation of blood velocity vectors using matched filtering

The blood velocity can be estimated by finding the shift in position of the blood scatterers between subsequent ultrasonic pulse emissions through cross-correlation of the received RF signals. Usually only the velocity component along the beam direction is found. It was shown in a previous paper that the complete velocity vector can be found, if the received signals are focused along lines parallel to the direction of the blood flow. A fairly broad beam is emitted in the approach, and this gives rise to a widening in the profiles of the estimated velocity. To reduce this effect, a focused ultrasound emission is used in this study to decrease the size of the beam. The transverse beam lines are then constructed by using filters matched to the response of the individual channels. The filters matched to the points on the focusing lines are obtained by considering the field response of the employed array transducer. The effect of the processing is studied through simulations with the Field II program. A 64-elements linear array with a center frequency of 3 MHz, pitch of 0.3 mm, and element height of 5 mm is used in the simulations. A parabolic velocity profile is considered for different angles between the flow and the ultrasound beam (30, 45, 60, and 90 degrees). The parabolic flow has a peak velocity of 0.5 m/s and the pulse repetition frequency is 3.5 kHz. Simulating twenty emissions and calculating the cross-correlation using four pulse-echo lines for each estimate, the parabolic flow profile is found with a standard deviation of 0.014 m/s at 45 degrees (corresponding to an accuracy of 2.8%) and 0.022 m/s (corresponding to an accuracy of 4.4%) at 90 degrees, which is transverse to the ultrasound beam.
How to Fight Terrorism: Alternatives to Deterrence

Deterrence has been a crucial element in fighting terrorism, both in actual politics and rational choice analyses of terrorism. But there are superior strategies to deterrence. One is to make terrorist attacks less attractive. Another to raise the opportunity cost - rather than the material cost - to terrorists. These alternative strategies effectively dissuade potential terrorists. The strategies suggested here build on the "benevolence" system and tend to produce a positive sum game among the interacting parties. In contrast, the deterrence system is based on "threats" and tends to produce a negative sum game interaction.
The effect of clock frequency offsets on downlink MC-DS-CDMA

In this contribution, we investigate the effect of clock frequency offsets on the performance of multicarrier direct-sequence CDMA (MC-DS-CDMA) in the downlink, assuming orthogonal spreading sequences. Theoretical expressions are derived for the performance degradation caused by the clock frequency offset, in the presence of a multipath channel. We show that the performance degradation caused by a clock frequency offset rapidly increases for an increasing number of carriers.
K+ Channel Expression during B Cell Differentiation: Implications for Immunomodulation and Autoimmunity1

Using whole-cell patch-clamp, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, we demonstrate a switch in potassium channel expression during differentiation of human B cells from naive to memory cells. Naive and IgD+CD27+ memory B cells express small numbers of the voltage-gated Kv1.3 and the Ca2+-activated intermediate-conductance IKCa1 channel when quiescent, and increase IKCa1 expression 45-fold upon activation with no change in Kv1.3 levels. In contrast, quiescent class-switched memory B cells express high levels of Kv1.3 (∼2000 channels/cell) and maintain their Kv1.3high expression after activation. Consistent with their channel phenotypes, proliferation of naive and IgD+CD27+ memory B cells is suppressed by the specific IKCa1 inhibitor TRAM-34 but not by the potent Kv1.3 blocker Stichodactyla helianthus toxin, whereas the proliferation of class-switched memory B cells is suppressed by Stichodactyla helianthus toxin but not TRAM-34. These changes parallel those reported for T cells. Therefore, specific Kv1.3 and IKCa1 inhibitors may have use in therapeutic manipulation of selective lymphocyte subsets in immunological disorders.
Effect of Using a Suspension Training System on Muscle Activation During the Performance of a Front Plank Exercise

Abstract Byrne, JM, Bishop, NS, Caines, AM, Crane, KA, Feaver, AM, and Pearcey, GEP. Effect of using a suspension training system on muscle activation during the performance of a front plank exercise. J Strength Cond Res 28(11): 3049–3055, 2014—The objective of the study was to examine the effect of suspension training on muscle activation during performance of variations of the plank exercise. Twenty-one participants took part. All individuals completed 2 repetitions each of 4 different plank exercises that consisted of a floor based plank, or planks with arms suspended, feet suspended, or feet and arms suspended using a TRX Suspension System. During plank performance, muscle activation was recorded from rectus abdominis, external oblique, rectus femoris, and serratus anterior (SA) muscles using electromyography. All planks were performed for a total of 3 seconds. Resulting muscle activation data were amplitude normalized, and root mean square activation was then determined over the full 3 second duration of the exercise. A significant main effect of plank type was found for all muscles. Post hoc analysis and effect size examination indicated that abdominal muscle activation was higher in all suspended conditions compared to the floor based plank. The highest level of abdominal muscle activation occurred in the arms suspended and arms/feet suspended conditions, which did not differ from one another. Rectus femoris activation was greatest during the arms suspended condition, whereas SA activity peaked during normal and feet suspended planks. These results indicate that suspension training as performed in this study seems to be an effective means of increasing muscle activation during the plank exercise. Contrary to expectations, the additional instability created by suspending both the arms and feet did not result in any additional abdominal muscle activation. These findings have implications in prescription and progression of core muscle training programs.
Simultaneous Exploration and Segmentation with Incomplete Data

We consider the problem of pan-tilt sensor control for active segmentation of incomplete multi-modal data. Since demanding optimal control does not allow for online replanning, we rather employ the optimal planner offline to provide guiding samples for learning a CNN-based control policy in a guided Q-learning framework. The proposed policy initialization and guided Q-learning avoids poor local optima and yields reasonable results already from hundreds of roll-outs. The results suggest that the proposed policy outperforms a baseline and is suitable for real-time control.
Implementation of Face Recognition for Screen Unlockingon Mobile Device

Face recognition is a computer technique to capture the feature of the human face for user authentication. In the advanced mobile technology, mobile devices take the place of computers to become the major human-computer interaction. Related researches become more and more popular. This study discusses about the identification of users on the mobile devices. Recently, many users still use passwords for user authentication. However, such traditional password identification may not be secure since the passwords are easily intercepted. To solve this problem, this thesis adopts facial recognition for screen unlocking on the mobile devices.
An Extended CP-ABE Based Access Control Model for Data Outsourced in the Cloud

This paper proposes an access control scheme called Collaborative Cipher text-Policy Attribute Role Based Encryption (C-CP-ARBE). Our C-CP-ARBE integrates Role-based Access Control (RBAC) into a Cipher text-Policy Attribute-based Encryption (CP-ABE). The proposed model provides high expressiveness of access control policy, scalable user management, and less user revocation cost compared to the existing approach. In addition, our model supports both read and write access control in a more complex data sharing in collaborative cloud storage where there are multi-owner, multi-user, and multi-authority. For the evaluation, we develop the access control tool and set up test cases to validate the functionality of our proposed scheme. We also conduct the performance evaluation and compare the revocation cost of our C-CP-ARBE and CP-ABE scheme to demonstrate that our revocation method incurs less computation cost and efficient in practice for supporting a larger scale of users.
Think Leader, Think White? Capturing and Weakening an Implicit Pro-White Leadership Bias

Across four studies, we found evidence for an implicit pro-White leadership bias that helps explain the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in leadership positions. Both White-majority and ethnic minority participants reacted significantly faster when ethnically White names and leadership roles (e.g., manager; Study 1) or leadership traits (e.g., decisiveness; Study 2 & 3) were paired in an Implicit Association Test (IAT) rather than when ethnic minority names and leadership traits were paired. Moreover, the implicit pro-White leadership bias showed discriminant validity with the conventional implicit bias measures (Study 3). Importantly, results showed that the pro-White leadership bias can be weakened when situational cues increase the salience of a dual identity (Study 4). This, in turn, can diminish the explicit pro-White bias in promotion related decision making processes (Study 4). This research offers a new tool to measure the implicit psychological processes underlying the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in leadership positions and proposes interventions to weaken such biases.
Embedding landscape processes into triangulated terrain models

Triangulated irregular networks (TIN) can form the basis for multiple‐resolution representations in distributed hydrogeomorphic simulations over complex basins. Current methods for deriving TIN meshes depend primarily on surface slope without considering other terrain attributes significant to the watershed response such as the specific basin area. As an alternative, we present a methodology for combining a hydrogeomorphic or landscape index with an unstructured triangulated mesh. Landscape indices provide a concise method for describing steady‐state terrain processes by isolating the dominant physical factors. The mesh‐generation algorithm results in an adaptive discretization that resembles the spatial pattern of the landscape index with a high resolution retained in areas expected to impact the basin response. We compare the proposed algorithm with a slope‐preserving method as a means for initializing the terrain representation in two TIN‐based hydrogeomorphic models. Through three case studies in saturation‐excess runoff, transport‐limited soil erosion and shallow landslide simulation, we assess the distributed model sensitivity to the triangulated terrain algorithm. Model comparisons reveal that the process‐based triangulations focus the distributed simulation in regions anticipated via a steady‐state index to affect the transient watershed response.