Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A methodology and heuristics for re-architecting a legacy system

This paper documents the authors' process of re-architecting a legacy aircraft avionics system during a system upgrade and modification program. The modification program aimed to upgrade the system to implement functionality more efficiently, enhance overall system performance, and reduce system complexity. The lack of system-level architecture and design documentation and available subject matter expertise presented a challenge in applying the traditional Systems Engineering Process V-Model during the Operations and Maintenance phase of the system's life cycle. The lack of system-level information prevented the research team from following the traditional project definition process of Requirements Definition to Architecture Definition to Detailed Design. Taking a Model Based Systems Engineering approach that utilized Systems Modeling Language (SysML), the authors defined a new process of architecture re-definition for future project efforts that are faced with a lack of legacy system-level documentation. Guiding heuristics derived from program lessons-learned are presented alongside the re-definition methodology.
Confirmatory Factorial Structure of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire-Spanish Version

The legal code 15b of the LPOR explains the duty to evaluate all risks that cannot be avoided, such as those working conditions that can generate risks for health and safety. Thus, the assessment of these risks is a complex topic. Among the number of measurement instruments, a method that is extensively employed in Spain is the CoPsoQ-ISTAS 21 method, or ISTAS 21. This questionnaire of psychosocial risks measurement has been translated to many languages, and there is evidence on questionnaire validity and reliability in these versions. However, the factorial structure of the CoPsoQ has not been tested with the totality of items and dimensions of the questionnaire, neither in the Spanish version, nor in other versions, including the original Danish one. The aim of this study is to offer evidence on the factorial structure of the CoPsoQ-ISTAS 21, together with the convergent and discriminant validity of these underlying constructs. The worker population of a Spanish public university, 1200 workers, was invited to participate in the study. The response rate was 45.33%. For confirmatory purposes, item parceling was employed. Afterwards, a structural equation modeling was estimated. The model tested was completely a priori, and thus, results were strictly confirmatory. The correlations between factors were too many to be shown in detail, but enclosed important information, that is, they showed the convergent-discriminant validity of the 20 dimensions for measuring the four superior constructs theoretically proposed. Results of this study are based on a sample of university workers, not general workers population. This is, therefore, a first step in the study of the confirmatory structure of the scale.
GEL-based inference with unconditional moment inequality restrictions

This paper studies the properties of generalised empirical likelihood (GEL) methods for the estimation of and inference on partially identifi ed parameters in models specifi ed by unconditional moment inequality constraints. The central result is, as in moment equality condition models, a large sample equivalence between the scaled optimised GEL objective function and that for generalised method of moments (GMM) with weight matrix equal to the inverse of the efficient GMM metric for moment equality restrictions. Consequently, the paper provides a generalisation of results in the extant literature for GMM for the non-diagonal GMM weight matrix setting. The paper demonstrates that GMM in such circumstances delivers a consistent estimator of the identi fied set, i.e., those parameter values that satisfy the moment inequalities, and derives the corresponding rate of convergence. Based on these results the consistency of and rate of convergence for the GEL estimator of the identifi ed set are obtained. A number of alternative equivalent GEL criteria are also considered and discussed. The paper proposes simple conservative consistent confi dence regions for the identi fied set and the true parameter vector based on both GMM with a non-diagonal weight matrix and GEL. A simulation study examines the efficacy of the non-diagonal GMM and GEL procedures proposed in the paper and compares them with the standard diagonal GMM method.
Optimization of reactive power for line loss reduction and voltage profile improvement using Differential Evolution Algorithm

This paper presents the application of Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm for line loss reduction and simultaneously improves the voltage profile in power transmission network. In this approach optimal setting of Reactive power control variable are carried out with the help of DE. The proposed approach is implemented on three standard IEEE system and obtained results reflect power losses reduction and voltage profile improvement.
A First Tetraplex Assay for the Simultaneous Quantification of Total α-Synuclein, Tau, β-Amyloid42 and DJ-1 in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid

The quantification of four distinct proteins (α-synuclein, β-amyloid1-42, DJ-1, and total tau) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been proposed as a laboratory-based platform for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While there is some clinical utility in measuring these markers individually, their usage in routine clinical testing remains challenging, in part due to substantial overlap of concentrations between healthy controls and diseased subjects. In contrast, measurement of different analytes in a single sample from individual patients in parallel appears to considerably improve the accuracy of AD or PD diagnosis. Here, we report the development and initial characterization of a first, electrochemiluminescence-based multiplex immunoassay for the simultaneous quantification of all four proteins (‘tetraplex’) in as little as 50 μl of CSF. In analytical performance experiments, we assessed its sensitivity, spike-recovery rate, parallelism and dilution linearity as well as the intra- and inter-assay variability. Using our in-house calibrators, we recorded a lower limit of detection for α-synuclein, β-amyloid42, DJ-1, and t-tau of 1.95, 1.24, 5.63, and 4.05 pg/ml, respectively. The corresponding, linear concentration range covered >3 orders of magnitude. In diluted CSF samples (up to 1:4), spike-recovery rates ranged from a low of 55% for β-amyloid42 to a high of 98% for DJ-1. Hillslopes ranged from 1.03 to 1.30, and inter-assay variability demonstrated very high reproducibility. Our newly established tetraplex assay represents a significant technical advance for fluid-based biomarker studies in neurodegenerative disorders allowing the simultaneous measurement of four pivotal makers in single CSF specimens. It provides exceptional sensitivity, accuracy and speed.
THE HIGH-METALLICITY EXPLOSION ENVIRONMENT OF THE RELATIVISTIC SUPERNOVA 2009bb

We investigate the environment of the nearby (d ≈ 40 Mpc) broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN) 2009bb. This event was observed to produce a relativistic outflow likely powered by a central accreting compact object. While such a phenomenon was previously observed only in long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs), no LGRB was detected in association with SN 2009bb. Using an optical spectrum of the SN 2009bb explosion site, we determine a variety of interstellar medium properties for the host environment, including metallicity, young stellar population age, and star formation rate. We compare the SN explosion site properties to observations of LGRB and broad-lined SN Ic host environments on optical emission line ratio diagnostic diagrams. Based on these analyses, we find that the SN 2009bb explosion site has a metallicity between 1.7 Z☉ and 3.5 Z☉, in agreement with other broad-lined SN Ic host environments and at odds with the low-redshift LGRB host environments and recently proposed maximum metallicity limits for relativistic explosions. We consider the implications of these findings and the impact that SN 2009bb's unusual explosive properties and environment have on our understanding of the key physical ingredient that enables some SNe to produce a relativistic outflow.
IMPACT: IMPrecise adders for low-power approximate computing

Low-power is an imperative requirement for portable multimedia devices employing various signal processing algorithms and architectures. In most multimedia applications, the final output is interpreted by human senses, which are not perfect. This fact obviates the need to produce exactly correct numerical outputs. Previous research in this context exploits error-resiliency primarily through voltage over-scaling, utilizing algorithmic and architectural techniques to mitigate the resulting errors. In this paper, we propose logic complexity reduction as an alternative approach to take advantage of the relaxation of numerical accuracy. We demonstrate this concept by proposing various imprecise or approximate Full Adder (FA) cells with reduced complexity at the transistor level, and utilize them to design approximate multi-bit adders. In addition to the inherent reduction in switched capacitance, our techniques result in significantly shorter critical paths, enabling voltage scaling. We design architectures for video and image compression algorithms using the proposed approximate arithmetic units, and evaluate them to demonstrate the efficacy of our approach. Post-layout simulations indicate power savings of up to 60% and area savings of up to 37% with an insignificant loss in output quality, when compared to existing implementations.
Predicting quality measures in beef cattle using ultrasound imaging

A method of determining two quality measures of beef cattle using different classification networks is presented. The method involves calculating texture features from ultrasound images of the beef cattle and then predicting the final percentage intramuscular fat (IMF) and marbling grades associated with the beef cattle. This method can be used in the cattle industry to enhance current breeding techniques.
Angiostatic, tumor inflammatory and anti-tumor effects of CXCL447–70 and CXCL4L147–70 in an EGF-dependent breast cancer model

CXCL4 and CXCL4L1, platelet-derived CXC chemokines, and their carboxy-terminal peptides CXCL447–70 and CXCL4L147–70 previously displayed angiostatic and anti-tumoral activity in a melanoma model. Here, we found CXCL447–70 and CXCL4L147–70 to inhibit lymphatic endothelial cell proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, the angiostatic potential of CXCL447–70 and CXCL4L147–70 was tested against different angiogenic stimuli (FGF1, FGF2, FGF8, EGF and VEGF). Besides reducing FGF2-induced vascular endothelial cell growth, CXCL447–70 and CXCL4L147–70 efficiently counteracted EGF. Consequently, we considered their anti-tumoral potential in EGF-dependent MDA-MB-231 breast tumors. In tumor-bearing mice, CXCL447–70 reduced tumor growth better than CXCL4L147–70. In CXCL447–70-treated tumors significantly more intratumoral monocytes/macrophages and dendritic cells were present and higher expression levels of CCL5 and IFN-γ were detected by qPCR on tumor lysates. Because neither peptide was able to specifically bind CXCR3A or CXCR3B, differential glycosaminoglycan binding and direct interaction with cytokines (EGF and CCL5) might explain any differences in anti-tumoral effects. Notably, CCL5-induced monocyte chemotaxis in vitro was increased by addition of CXCL447–70 or CXCL4L147–70. Finally, CXCL447–70 and CXCL4L147–70 inhibited proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells. Our results suggest a tumor type-dependent responsiveness to either CXCL447–70 or CXCL4L147–70 treatment, defined by anti-proliferative, angiostatic and inflammatory actions, and substantiate their therapeutic potential.
Sensory Repertoire of Bacterial Chemoreceptors

SUMMARY Chemoreceptors in bacteria detect a variety of signals and feed this information into chemosensory pathways that represent a major mode of signal transduction. The five chemoreceptors from Escherichia coli have served as traditional models in the study of this protein family. Genome analyses revealed that many bacteria contain much larger numbers of chemoreceptors with broader sensory capabilities. Chemoreceptors differ in topology, sensing mode, cellular location, and, above all, the type of ligand binding domain (LBD). Here, we highlight LBD diversity using well-established and emerging model organisms as well as genomic surveys. Nearly a hundred different types of protein domains that are found in chemoreceptor sequences are known or predicted LBDs, but only a few of them are ubiquitous. LBDs of the same class recognize different ligands, and conversely, the same ligand can be recognized by structurally different LBDs; however, recent studies began to reveal common characteristics in signal-LBD relationships. Although signals can stimulate chemoreceptors in a variety of different ways, diverse LBDs appear to employ a universal transmembrane signaling mechanism. Current and future studies aim to establish relationships between LBD types, the nature of signals that they recognize, and the mechanisms of signal recognition and transduction.
Less-Invasive Reconstruction of Chronic Achilles Tendon Ruptures Using a Peroneus Brevis Tendon Transfer

Background A less-invasive technique to reconstruct chronic Achilles tendon rupture with transfer of the tendon of peroneus brevis is suitable in patients with a tendon gap less than 6 cm. Purpose To report the results of a longitudinal study on reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon rupture using a less-invasive peroneus brevis repair through 2 paramidline incisions. Study Design Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods Thirty-two patients underwent surgery for chronic Achilles tendon rupture with a tendon gap during surgery less than 6 cm, occurring between 60 days and 9 months preoperatively. All participants were prospectively followed for 5 to 8 years; final review was performed at 48.4 ± 13.5 months from the operation. Clinical and functional assessment (anthropometric measurements, isometric strength, postoperative Achilles tendon total rupture score) was performed. Results All patients were able to walk on tiptoes, and no patient used a heel lift or walked with a visible limp. No patient developed a clinically evident deep vein thrombosis or sustained a rerupture. Five patients were managed nonoperatively after a superficial infection of one of the surgical wounds. At final review, the maximum calf circumference remained significantly decreased in the operated leg (39.2 ± 6.2 cm [side with rupture] vs 40.9 ± 7.0 cm [uninjured side]; P = .04). The operated limb was significantly less strong than the nonoperated one (231.2 ± 132.4 N vs 275.3 ± 150.2 N; P = .033). The Achilles tendon total rupture score at final follow-up was 92.5 ± 14.2. Conclusion The management of chronic Achilles tendon tears by a less-invasive peroneus brevis repair is technically demanding but safe. It allows good recovery, even in patients with a chronic rupture of 9 months’ duration. These patients should be warned that they are at risk for postoperative complications and that their ankle plantar flexion strength is likely to be reduced.
Cellular Turnover in the Mammary Gland Is Correlated with Systemic Levels of Progesterone and Not 17β-Estradiol During the Estrous Cycle1

Abstract Adult mammary tissue has been considered “resting” with minimal morphological change. Here, we reveal the dynamic nature of the nulliparous murine mammary gland. We demonstrate specific changes at the morphological and cellular levels, and uncover their relationship with the murine estrous cycle and physiological levels of steroid hormones. Differences in the numbers of higher-order epithelial branches and alveolar development led to extensive mouse-to-mouse mammary variations. Morphology (assigned grades 0–3) ranged from a complete lack of alveoli to the presence of numerous alveoli emanating from branches. Morphological changes were driven by epithelial proliferation and apoptosis, which differed between ductal versus alveolar structures. Proliferation within alveolar epithelium increased as morphological grade increased. Extensive alveolar apoptosis was restricted to tissue exhibiting grade 3 morphology, and was ∼14-fold higher than at all other grades. Epithelial proliferation and apoptosis exhibited a positive relationship with serum levels of progesterone, but not with 17β-estradiol. Compared with other estrous stages, diestrus was unique in that the morphological grade, epithelial proliferation, apoptosis, and progesterone levels all peaked at this stage. The regulated tissue remodeling of the mammary gland was orchestrated with mRNA changes in specific matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9 and MMP-13) and specific tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-3 and TIMP-4). We propose that the cyclical turnover of epithelial cells within the adult mammary tissue is a sum of spatial and functional coordination of hormonal and matrix regulatory factors.
Adipose tissue B2 cells promote insulin resistance through leukotriene LTB4/LTB4R1 signaling

Tissue inflammation is a key component of obesity-induced insulin resistance, with a variety of immune cell types accumulating in adipose tissue. Here, we have demonstrated increased numbers of B2 lymphocytes in obese adipose tissue and have shown that high-fat diet–induced (HFD-induced) insulin resistance is mitigated in B cell-deficient (Bnull) mice. Adoptive transfer of adipose tissue B2 cells (ATB2) from wild-type HFD donor mice into HFD Bnull recipients completely restored the effect of HFD to induce insulin resistance. Recruitment and activation of ATB2 cells was mediated by signaling through the chemokine leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and its receptor LTB4R1. Furthermore, the adverse effects of ATB2 cells on glucose homeostasis were partially dependent upon T cells and macrophages. These results demonstrate the importance of ATB2 cells in obesity-induced insulin resistance and suggest that inhibition of the LTB4/LTB4R1 axis might be a useful approach for developing insulin-sensitizing therapeutics.
Cooperative Relaying for Large Random Multihop Networks

In this paper, we propose a new relaying protocol for large multihop networks combining the concepts of cooperative diversity and opportunistic relaying. The cooperative relaying protocol is based on two diversity mechanisms, incremental redundancy combining and repetition combining. We assume that nodes in the large multihop network are modeled by a homogeneous Poisson Point Process and operate under Rayleigh fading and constant power transmission per node. The performance of the proposed relaying protocol is evaluated through the progress rate density (PRD) of the multihop network and compared to the conventional multihop relaying with no cooperation. We develop an analytic approximation to the PRD based on the concept of decoding cells. The protocol parameters are optimized to maximize the PRD of network. We show that the cooperative relaying protocol provides significant throughput improvements over conventional relaying with no cooperation in a large multihop network. It is also shown that incremental redundancy combining provides a higher gain in PRD relative to repetition combining. The gain in PRD has near constant value at all values of the path loss exponent and is monotonic in diversity order.
Optical humidity sensor based on tapered fiber with multi-walled carbon nanotubes slurry

We demonstrated performance comparison of optical humidity sensor for bare and Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) slurry coated tapered optical fiber. The starting material for MWCNTs slurry is MWCNTs- acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) based fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer filament. The ABS was dissolved using acetone to produce MWCNTs-acetone suspension. The MWCNTs-acetone suspension was drop-casted on the tapered fiber to produce MWCNTs slurry by evaporation process at room temperature, which resulted the MWCNTs slurry attach to the tapered fiber. The MWCNTs slurry acts as the cladding for humidity changes measurement. The experimental works showed improvement of sensitivity from 3.811 μW/% of bare tapered fiber to 5.17 μW/% for the coated tapered fiber with MWCNTs slurry when the humidity varied from 45% to 80%.
A comparison of the in vitro permeability properties of human and some laboratory animal skins

The in vitro permeability of human and some common laboratory animals'skin has been measured to two chemicals with different physico‐chemical properties: [3H] water, a small polar molecule and [14C]paraquat dichloride (the ion), a fully ionised divalent cation. All the skins examined had similar permeabilities to [3H]water: relative to human skin the greatest difference (x4.8) was measured through guinea pig skin. However, relative to human skin, all the animals were much more permeable to [14C]paraquat, with factors of difference ranging between 40 (haired rat) and 1460 (hairless mouse). The in vitro technique allows the permeability of human and animal skin to be compared, facilitating extrapolation to Man of effects seen in animals during dermal exposure studies.
A 10 Gbps OTN Framer Implementation Targeting FPGA Devices

Integrated circuits for very high-speed telecommu¬nication protocols often use ASICs, due to their strict timing constraints. This scenario is changing, since modern FPGAs, implemented in 65 or 45 nm technologies achieve high operating frequencies, and serializer/deserializer hardwired modules enable the reception of high speed aggregated rates (e.g. 10 Gbps or more), spanning the input stream for internal parallel computation. This paper presents a complete solution for an Optical Transport Network framer using FPGA devices. The framer receives a 10 Gbps stream originated from optical fiber medium, extracts its payload information, and transmits payload data at 10 Gbps. A working prototype was implemented in Virtex-4 and Virtex-5 devices.
Identification of a methyl‐accepting chemotaxis protein in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Analysis of the DNA sequence directly upstream of the chemotaxis operon of Rhodobacter sphaeroides identified a single gene whose product has strong similarity to the methyl‐accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) found in enteric bacteria. The deduced protein had a highly conserved signalling sequence and only one very hydrophobic region at the N‐terminus, in contrast to enteric MCPs. A possible cytoplasmic location of the majority of the protein was supported by Western blotting. The mcpA gene was insertionally inactivated and the resulting phenotype examined using swarm plate assays. The mutant lacking McpA lost chemotaxis to a wide range of attractant stimuli but only under aerobic conditions; it retained almost normal chemotaxis under anaerobic/photosynthetic conditions. The identification of a sensory protein which is active only under one set of growth conditions suggests that R. sphaeroides probably has several MCPs, which co‐ordinately respond to changes in environmental conditions. Southern hybridization at relaxed stringency to the conserved sequence of the R. sphaeroides and Caulobacter crescentus mcp genes identified three possible additional mcp genes.