Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scalable Certification of Native Code: Experience from Compiling to TALx86

Certifying compilation allows a compiler to produce annotations that prove that target code abides by a specified safety policy. An independent verifier can check the code without needing to trust the compiler. For such a system to be generally useful, the safety policy should be expressive enough to allow different compilers to effectively produce certifiable code. In this work, we use our experience in writing a certifying compiler to suggest general design principles that should allow concise yet expressive certificates. As an extended example, we present our compiler''s translation of the control flow of Popcorn, a high-level language with function pointers and exception handlers, to TALx86, a typed assembly language with registers, a stack, memory, and code blocks. This example motivates techniques for controlling certificate size and verification time. We quantify the effectiveness of techniques for reducing the overhead of certifying compilation by measuring the effects their use has on a real Popcorn application, the compiler itself. The selective use of these techniques, which include common-subexpression elimination of types, higher-order type abbreviations, and selective re-verification, can change certificate size and verification time by well over an order of magnitude. We consider this report to be the first quantitative study on the practicality of certifying a real program using a type system not specifically designed for the compiler or source language.
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Plasma Asymmetric Dimethylarginine in Mexican Children Exposed to Inorganic Arsenic

Background: Arsenic exposure is a risk factor for atherosclerosis in adults, but there is little information on arsenic and early risk biomarkers for atherosclerosis in children. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is an indicator of subclinical atherosclerotic burden that has been associated with plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), a predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate associations of arsenic exposure with cIMT, ADMA, and endothelial adhesion molecules [soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1); soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1)] in children who had been exposed to environmental inorganic arsenic (iAs). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 199 children 3–14 years of age who were residents of Zimapan, México. We evaluated cIMT using ultrasonography, and plasma lipid profiles by standard methods. We analyzed ADMA, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 by ELISA, and measured the concentrations of total speciated arsenic (tAs) in urine using hydride generation cryotrapping atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: In the multiple linear regression model for cIMT, tAs categories were positively associated with cIMT increase. The estimated cIMT diameter was greater in 35- to 70-ng/mL and > 70-ng/mL groups (0.035 mm and 0.058 mm per 1-ng/mL increase in urinary tAs, respectively), compared with the < 35-ng/mL group. In addition to tAs level, plasma ADMA was a significant predictor of cIMT. In the adjusted regression model, cIMT, percent iAs, and plasma sVCAM-1 were significant predictors of ADMA levels (e.g., 0.419-μmol/L increase in ADMA per 1-mm increase in cIMT). Conclusions: Arsenic exposure and plasma ADMA levels were positively associated with cIMT in a population of Mexican children with environmental arsenic exposure through drinking water. Citation: Osorio-Yáñez C, Ayllon-Vergara JC, Aguilar-Madrid G, Arreola-Mendoza L, Hernández-Castellanos E, Barrera-Hernández A, De Vizcaya-Ruíz A, Del Razo LM. 2013. Carotid intima-media thickness and plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine in Mexican children exposed to inorganic arsenic. Environ Health Perspect 121:1090–1096; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1205994
Association Between Smoking and Suicidal Behaviors Among Adolescents in the Republic of Korea

AbstractSmoking and suicidal behaviors are significant health problems in adolescence. To address these two important health problems in youth, it is critical to understand the associations between them. Thus, this study aimed to explore the relationships between smoking and suicidal behaviors in adolescence. This study analyzed secondary data obtained from a national survey of Korean adolescents (i.e., the 7th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey). Respondents were divided into two samples (38,474 middle school students and 37,169 high school students). In each sample, sample characteristics, smoking behaviors, and suicidal behaviors were examined using descriptive statistics (means and frequencies). The associations between smoking and suicidal behaviors were investigated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. To obtain more accurate findings, the complex sampling design employed in the national survey was incorporated in the analyses. Lifetime smokers and daily smokers made up 20% and 13% of the middle school sample and 32% and 29% of the high school sample, respectively. In both samples, of the three suicidal behaviors, the proportion of suicidal ideation was the greatest (20%), followed by suicide plans (6%–8%) and suicide attempts (4%–5%). This study revealed statistically significant associations between smoking and suicidal behaviors. Furthermore, most analyses revealed noncausal dose-related associations between these behaviors. On the basis of the study findings, health professionals should implement concurrent strategies targeting both smoking and suicidal behaviors rather than focus on them separately to address related health problems.
A Numerical Investigation of an Electrostatic-Peristaltic Colloidal Micro Pump

An electrostatically driven peristaltic micropump is presented in this paper. A colloidal particle suspended in an electrolyte inside a charged cylindrical capillary will experience an electrical double layer force due to the charged capillary wall. Perturbations in the geometry of the capillary wall result in modification of the electrical force on the particle. If moving these perturbations of the capillary wall along its axis can set up a peristaltic motion of the capillary wall, it will drag the colloidal particle along the capillary. This type of motion can be employed to develop a microfluidic pumping device. This article describes a finite element simulation procedure employed to model such a device.
Cancer and embryo expression protein 65 promotes cancer cell growth and metastasis

Cancer and embryo expression protein 65 (CEP65) is a centrosomal protein that is expressed at relatively high levels in embryonic tissue and different cancerous tissues, but its role in tumorigenesis remains unknown. In the present study, CEP65 was stably expressed in AGS gastric cancer cells. CEP65 was found to promote cell growth in the MTT assay and to enhance cell migration and invasion in Transwell chamber assays. To validate results from the in vitro experiments, CEP65 was stably expressed in BICR-H1 breast cancer cells through adenovirus-mediated transduction. By inoculating BICR-H1 cells on chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), it was found that CEP65 promotes cell growth on the CAM and increases cell metastasis to the lungs of the chicken. By utilizing a xenograft severe combined immunodeficiency mouse model, CEP65 was also found to accelerate BICR-H1 cell growth and metastasis to the lungs. Furthermore, it was shown that CEP65 increases matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2 activity in zymographic assays, however, microarray screening and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction validation revealed that CEP65 had no effect on the expression levels of MMP2 or MMP9, but decreased the expression levels of metastasis-associated genes, TIMP2, RAP and VTN. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated the oncogenic function of CEP65 in promoting cancer cell growth and metastasis.
The response of plasma interleukin-6 and its soluble receptors to exercise in the cold in humans

Abstract In this study, we wished to determine whether the changes in metabolism observed during exercise in the cold are associated with changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and/or its soluble receptors. Eight healthy male participants performed 1 h of cycling exercise at 70% [Vdot]O2max in a control (20°C) and cold (0°C) environment. Plasma concentrations of IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), and sgp130 were measured before exercise, at 30 and 60 min of exercise, and 60 min after exercise. Substrate oxidation was estimated through measures of pulmonary gas exchange recorded between 50 and 55 min of cycling. Exercise in the cold resulted in an increase (P < 0.05) in carbohydrate oxidation (mean 2.58 g · min−1, s = 0.49 at 20°C vs. 2.85 g · min−1, s = 0.58 at 0°C) and a decrease (P < 0.05) in fat oxidation (0.55 g · min−1, s = 0.17 at 20°C vs. 0.38 g · min−1, s = 0.16 at 0°C) compared with the control trial. Interleukin-6 concentrations were elevated (P < 0.05) after 60 min of exercise in both the cold and control trials, with no differences between trials at any instant. Neither sIL-6R nor sgp130 was affected by exercise or the environment. The alterations in carbohydrate and fat utilization during 1 h of exercise in the cold are not paralleled by changes in plasma concentrations of IL-6 or its soluble receptors.
SUMOylation regulates Kv2.1 and modulates pancreatic β-cell excitability

The covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins regulates protein localization and function. SUMOylation has recently been shown to modulate ion-channel function; however, the extent to which this affects native currents and cellular excitability remains to be determined. The voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channel Kv2.1 regulates pancreatic β-cell excitability and insulin secretion. We found that YFP-tagged SUMO1 (SUMO1-YFP) can be immunoprecipitated with Kv2.1 when these two proteins are coexpressed in HEK 293 cells. Furthermore, direct infusion of recombinant SUMO1 peptide or coexpression of SUMO1-YFP inhibited current through cloned Kv2.1 by 80% and 48%, respectively. Insulin-secreting cells express SUMO variants 1 and 3, and expression of the SUMO1-YFP in human β-cells or insulinoma cells inhibited native Kv currents (by 49% and 33%, respectively). Inhibition of the channel resulted from an acceleration of channel inactivation and an inhibition of recovery from inactivation, resulting in the widening of β-cell action potentials and a decreased firing frequency. Finally, these effects on channel function and excitability were augmented by the conjugating enzyme Ubc9 and rescued by the SUMO protease SENP1. Thus, protein SUMOylation can exert a strong inhibitory action on the voltage-dependent K+ channel Kv2.1 and can regulate cellular excitability in native β-cells.
Adenosine acting at an A1 receptor decreases N-type calcium current in mouse motoneurons

The neuromodulator adenosine is known to decrease neurotransmitter release at the neuromuscular junction by activation of an A1 adenosine receptor coupled to a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Among the mechanisms that could contribute to the depression of neurotransmitter release is reduced entry of calcium through channels located in the presynaptic terminal. In the present study, we have examined the effects of adenosine on high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium currents in motoneurons, the presynaptic cells of the neuromuscular junction. The motoneurons were isolated from embryonic mice, placed in primary tissue culture for 16 hr, and analyzed by means of the whole-cell patch- clamp technique. Adenosine (40 microM) reduced both transient and sustained components of HVA calcium current. This effect was blocked by the A1 antagonist 8-cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT; 100 nM) and was mimicked by the A1 agonist N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA; 50 nM to 10 microM) but not by the A2a agonist 2-p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino- 5′-N-ethylcarboxamido adenosine (CGS-21680; 1 micron). Pretreatment with pertussis toxin (200 ng/ml, > 16 hr) abolished the depression of HVA calcium current by adenosine receptor activation. Brief (3 min) exposure of the cells to 10 microM omega-conotoxin GVIA irreversibly blocked a part of the HVA current, which can therefore be attributed to N-type channels; the remaining current was unaffected by adenosine receptor activation. Hence, it appears that adenosine decreases only the N-current portion of HVA current and that this inhibition occurs via an A1 receptor linked to a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Other investigators have shown that N-type channels do not play a primary role in eliciting transmitter release at the mammalian neuromuscular junction. Thus, it is uncertain what motoneuronal functions are influenced by adenosine modulation of N-type channels.
Network Traffic Adaptation For Cloud Games

With the arrival of cloud technology, game accessibility and ubiquity have a bright future; Games can be hosted in a centralize server and accessed through the Internet by a thin client on a wide variety of devices with modest capabilities: cloud gaming. However, current cloud gaming systems have very strong requirements in terms of network resources, thus reducing the accessibility and ubiquity of cloud games, because devices with little bandwidth and people located in area with limited and unstable network connectivity, cannot take advantage of these cloud services. In this paper we present an adaptation technique inspired by the level of detail (LoD) approach in 3D graphics. It delivers multiple platform accessibility and network adaptability, while improving user's quality of experience (QoE) by reducing the impact of poor and unstable network parameters (delay, packet loss, jitter) on game interactivity. We validate our approach using a prototype game in a controlled environment and characterize the user QoE in a pilot experiment. The results show that the proposed framework provides a significant QoE enhancement.
Clinical neuropathology practice guide 06-2012: MGMT testing in elderly glioblastoma patients – yes, but how?

Abstract. In 2005, a seminal paper showed that glioblastoma patients aged 18 to 70, whose tumors have a methylated MGMT promoter have a better prognosis than patients with tumors carrying an unmethylated MGMT promoter. As a consequence of this and several confirmatory studies, routine MGMT testing in the clinical setting was promoted. However, only few centers have indeed implemented routine clinical MGMT testing, mostly due the lack of clear clinical consequence and because of considerable technical issues with the testing itself. Recently published results of trials on elderly patients with malignant gliomas have revived the call for routine MGMT testing for clinical decision making. These studies strongly support that MGMT status is a predictive factor for response to temozolomide treatment in elderly patients with malignant astrocytic gliomas and its use for therapy decisions could improve patient management, avoid treatment toxicities and save costs. However, although a number of different protocols for MGMT testing from routinely collected and formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue have been suggested, there is still no commonly accepted test method with sufficient analytical performance. Protocols established in high-throughput specialized academic or commercial laboratories may not be easily transferable to less specialized laboratories. Thus, before MGMT testing can be used and recommended for clinical decision making, an adequate test method with confirmed high repeatability and reproducibility needs to be identified. To this end, specifically designed investigations including stringently controlled interlaboratory ring trials are needed. Such studies need to take into account the considerable variation in pre-analytical tissue handling (e.g., tissue fixation conditions) between laboratories.
The role of aspirations in young children's emotional and behavioural problems

Using data from a large UK cohort (n = 11,656), we investigated the determinants of 7-year-old children's aspirations, and the role of these aspirations in emotional and behavioural problems, as reported by both parents and teachers. Aspirations were classified to reflect their occupational status, masculinity/femininity and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. Children's aspirations had significant antecedents in social disadvantage, parental involvement in learning, parental values and cognitive ability. Children with low occupational aspirations had more emotional problems as reported by both parents and teachers, and more teacher-reported peer problems. In the teacher report, masculine aspirations were also related to hyperactivity. Gender differences in the association between aspirations and emotional and behavioural problems were few and weak. Intrinsic aspirations were related to peer problems, especially in boys. The inverse relation between feminine aspirations and hyperactivity and peer problems was relatively stronger in girls, as was the association between low aspirations and emotional problems.
Antibiotic consumption and antibiotic stewardship in Swedish hospitals

Abstract Background. The aim of this paper was to describe and analyze the effect of antibiotic policy changes on antibiotic consumption in Swedish hospitals and to review antibiotic stewardship in Swedish hospitals. Results. The main findings were: 1) Antibiotic consumption has significantly increased in Swedish hospitals over the last decade. The consumption of cephalosporins has decreased, whereas that of most other drugs including piperacillin-tazobactam, carbapenems, and penicillinase-sensitive and -resistant penicillins has increased and replaced cephalosporins. 2) Invasive infections caused by ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae have increased, but the proportion of pathogens resistant to third-generation cephalosporins causing invasive infections is still very low in a European and international perspective. Furthermore, the following gaps in knowledge were identified: 1) lack of national, regional, and local data on the incidence of antibiotic resistance among bacteria causing hospital-acquired infections e.g. bloodstream infections and hospital-acquired pneumonia—data on which standard treatment guidelines should be based; 2) lack of data on the incidence of Clostridium difficile infections and the effect of change of antibiotic policies on the incidence of C. difficile infections and infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens; and 3) lack of prospective surveillance programs regarding appropriate antibiotic treatment, including selection of optimal antimicrobial drug regimens, dosage, duration of therapy, and adverse ecological effects such as increases in C. difficile infections and emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Conclusions. Evidence-based actions to improve antibiotic use and to slow down the problem of antibiotic resistance need to be strengthened. The effect of such actions should be analyzed, and standard treatment guidelines should be continuously updated at national, regional, and local levels.
Soft real-time GPRS traffic analytics for commercial M2M communications using spark

Commercial applications of wireless sensor networks, also known as machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, feature hundreds of thousands or even millions of devices. These M2M applications often rely on cellular networks like GSM that were not designed with such use cases in mind. Based on our first-hand experience at a large provider of M2M communications solutions, there is a need for soft real-time traffic analytics solutions to help engineers monitor and manage the millions of devices deployed in these M2M applications. We present a solution for soft real-time GPRS traffic analytics built on Apache Spark, a framework for distributed in-memory computing. The proposed solution captures GPRS traffic, processes it, and decorates it with details about the devices, networks, and M2M applications. It then computes a whole array of statistics that are presented in charts and maps on a live Web application dashboard, or may be fed to other systems for data mining. In a series of experiments, previously captured GPRS traffic from real-life commercial M2M applications is played back to the traffic analytics solution at different rates, and is processed on clusters of varying size. Results show that our solution handles GPRS traffic rates of 3,333 packets/sec, which are 2X the rates of an M2M application with close to one million devices, with a latency below one minute on a Spark cluster with four m1.large slave instances in Amazon EC2 at a cost of $7,665/year. These costs can be reduced to approx. $700/year by bidding on SPOT instances.
Profile-guided code compression

As computers are increasingly used in contexts where the amount of available memory is limited, it becomes important to devise techniques that reduce the memory footprint of application programs while leaving them in an executable form. This paper describes an approach to applying data compression techniques to reduce the size of infrequently executed portions of a program. The compressed code is decompressed dynamically (via software) if needed, prior to execution. The use of data compression techniques increases the amount of code size reduction that can be achieved; their application to infrequently executed code limits the runtime overhead due to dynamic decompression; and the use of software decompression renders the approach generally applicable, without requiring specialized hardware. The code size reductions obtained depend on the threshold used to determine what code is "infrequently executed" and hence should be compressed: for low thresholds, we see size reductions of 13.7% to 18.8%, on average, for a set of embedded applications, without excessive runtime overhead.
Expectation-Based Vision for Precise Self-Localization on a Mobile Robot

This paper presents and empirically compares two solutions to the problem of vision and self-localization on a mobile robot. In the commonly used particle filtering approach, the robot identifies regions in each image that correspond to landmarks in the environment. These landmarks are then used to update a probability distribution over the robot’s possible poses. In the expectation-based approach, an expected view of the world is first constructed based on a prior camera pose estimate. This view is compared to the actual camera image to determine a corrected pose. This paper compares the accuracies of the two approaches on a test-bed domain, finding that the expectation-based approach yields a significantly higher overall localization accuracy than a state-of-the-art implementation of the particle filtering approach. This paper’s contributions are an exposition of two competing approaches to vision and localization on a mobile robot, an empirical comparison of the two methods, and a discussion of the relative advantages of each method.
Participative work design in lean production: A strategy for dissolving the paradox between standardized work and team proactivity by stimulating team learning?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore job design mechanisms that enhance team proactivity within a lean production system where autonomy is uttermost restricted. We propose and test a model where the team learning process of building shared meaning of work mediates the relationship between team participative decision-making, inter team relations and team proactive behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – The results are based on questionnaires to 417 employees within manufacturing industry (response rate 86 per cent) and managers’ ratings of team proactivity. The research model was tested by mediation analysis on aggregated data (56 teams). Findings – Team learning mediates the relationship between participative decision-making and inter team collaboration on team proactive behaviour. Input from stakeholders in the work flow and partaking in decisions about work, rather than autonomy in carrying out the work, enhance the teams’ proactivity through learning processes. Research limitations/impli.