Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Symbiote Coprocessor Unit—A Streaming Coprocessor for Data Stream Acceleration

This paper describes the design and the architecture of symbiote coprocessor unit (SCU)-a programmable streaming coprocessor for a heterogeneous reconfigurable logic-assisted data stream management systems (DSMSs) such as symbiote. The SCU is intended for streaming applications with real-time event and data processing that have stricter deadlines, high-bandwidth, and high-accuracy requirements. To meet these requirements, the SCU exploits unique characteristics of DSMSs, such as single-pass tuple processing, windowed operators, and inherent data level parallelism, using a single-instruction multiple-data very large instruction word (SIMD-VLIW) microarchitecture and a novel inverted distributed register file. In order to better explain the instruction set, design, and functionality of the various units in the SCU, this paper also provides a brief overview of SymQL-a procedural query language that we developed to describe the queries that can be executed on the SCU. Finally, this paper presents the performance of SCU using four queries that represent common data stream processing use-cases, one of them being similar to a query found in the Linear Road Benchmark. Using these queries on SCU simulation, we show that the SCU outperforms a software-only DSMS running on an AMD Opteron 2350 quad-core processor by 1.5-42 times.
Use of ARMA block processing for estimating stationary low-frequency electromechanical modes of power systems

Accurate knowledge of low-frequency electromechanical modes in power systems gives vital information about the stability of the system. Current techniques for estimating electromechanical modes are computationally intensive and rely on complex system models. This research complements model based approaches and uses measurement-based techniques. This paper discusses the development of an ARMA (auto-regressive moving average) block processing technique to estimate these low-frequency electromechanical modes from measured ambient power system data without requiring a disturbance. This technique is applied to simulated data containing a stationary low-frequency mode generated from a 19-machine test model. The frequency and damping factor of the estimated modes are compared with the actual modes for various block sizes. This technique is also applied to 35-minute blocks of actual ambient power system data before and after a disturbance and compared to results from Prony analysis on the ringdown from the disturbance.
Understanding employment decentralization by estimating the spatial scope of agglomeration economies

This paper argues that the spatial decay function of agglomeration economies is much more complex than is often assumed in the agglomeration literature. We provide insight into this issue by analyzing a nationwide and spatially rich wage panel. The key finding is that wages and urbanization are not significantly related on short distances ( This article is revised on February 28th 2018. The revised version (Discussion Paper 376) can be found here . This positive effect attenuates across geographic space and becomes insignificant after 40-80km. This non-monotone relation between wages and distance to economic mass is in line with recently observed trend towards employment decentralization, because it suggests that agglomeration economies on short distances, i.e. in city centers, are offset by congestion externalities. Additionally, this paper finds no evidence that foreign economic mass affects wages in the Netherlands, which suggests that national borders are still a substantial barrier for economic interaction.
The Rap80-BRCC36 de-ubiquitinating enzyme complex antagonizes RNF8-Ubc13-dependent ubiquitination events at DNA double strand breaks

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) initiate reversible cellular checkpoint and repair activities. Whereas many of the activating events at DSBs have recently been elucidated, the mechanisms used to terminate responses at these sites are largely undefined. Here we report a pathway required to reverse RNF8-Ubc13 dependent ubiquitination events on chromatin flanking DSBs. Inhibition of the Rap80-BRCC36 de-ubiquitinating enzyme complex partially restored DSB-associated ubiquitin levels following RNF8 knockdown or proteasome inhibition. Similarly, BRCC36 knockdown or expression of a BRCC36 de-ubiquitinating enzyme-inactive mutant rescued both 53BP1 recruitment to DSBs and ionizing radiation-induced γH2AX ubiquitination following RNF8 depletion, and mitigated ionizing radiation sensitivity resulting from RNF8 deficiency. Thus, concomitant and opposing RNF8-Ubc13 ubiquitin ligase and Rap80-BRCC36 ubiquitin hydrolysis activities are responsible for determining steady-state ubiquitin levels at DNA DSBs. These findings reveal a Rap80-BRCC36 dependent pathway that is required for appropriate DSB recruitment and repair responses.
The Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory

BackgroundThe assessment of burden has become a challenging task for most researchers because cultural, ethical, religious, and other personal values may influence perceptions of the meaning and consequences of burden. The lack of examination of the psychometric properties of the burden measures across studies limits the scientific rigor for generating additional research into “burden. ” ObjectiveTo examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory for its utility in clinical and research practice. MethodThe first investigation evaluated the consistency between the Chinese and English versions of the Caregiver Burden Inventory. The second investigation established the internal consistent reliability, test-retest reliability, content validity, concurrent validity, and construct validity. ResultsA paired t-test and intra-class correlation indicated that the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory was a very good reflection of the English version and demonstrated item equivalence. It also showed adequate internal consistency reliability, appropriate content validity, and concurrent validity. Factor analysis revealed moderate intercorrelations between subscales and high factor loadings also helped to clarify the psychometric meaning. DiscussionThe reliability and validity information presented in this paper support using the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory as a research instrument in measuring the caregiver burden in the Chinese population. Further study is needed to discriminate the developmental, emotional, and social burden constructs.
Effect of Microbubble Ligation to Cells on Ultrasound Signal Enhancement: Implications for Targeted Imaging

Objectives:Molecular imaging with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU) relies on the detection of microbubbles retained in regions of disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether microbubble attachment to cells influences their acoustic signal generation and stability. Materials and Methods:Biotinylated microbubbles were attached to streptavidin-coated plates to derive density versus intensity relations during low- and high-power imaging. To assess damping from microbubble attachment to solid or cell surfaces, in vitro imaging was performed for microbubbles charge-coupled to methacrylate spheres and for vascular cell adhesion molecule-1-targeted microbubbles attached to endothelial cells. Results:Signal enhancement on plates increased according to acoustic power and microbubble site density up to 300 mm−2. Microbubble signal was reduced by attachment to solid spheres during high- and low-power imaging but was minimally reduced by attachment to endothelial cells and only at low power. Conclusion:Attachment of targeted microbubbles to rigid surfaces results in damping and a reduction of their acoustic signal, which is not seen when microbubbles are attached to cells. A reliable concentration versus intensity relationship can be expected from microbubble attachment to 2-dimensional surfaces until a very high site density is reached.
A novel approach for analyzing human emotions based on electroencephalography (EEG)

In our day-to-day life Emotions play an vital role. They help in identifying a human state of mind. Information about the human state of mind can significantly help in human-machine interaction and brain-computer interface. Some of the existing researchers have used speech, text, gesture or facial expressions for emotion recognition. However, these factors vary across culture and nation. Because of which, it is difficult to detect emotions more accurately. Hence, present work considers EEG signals for emotion recognition which not only ignores external factors but also helps to detect real emotions arising directly from our brain. A benchmark DEAP (Dataset for Emotion Analysis using Physiological signals) dataset is used for emotion investigation. A novel feature extraction technique called Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (FCC) is proposed to extract features from DEAP dataset. FCC technique is compared with Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) on DEAP dataset for feature extraction. These extracted features are then classified into two emotional states — happy and sad using K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) classifier. The selection of most appropriate and reliable method of feature extraction greatly helps for accurate classification. Number of experiments was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of feature extraction techniques. The experimental results show that KDE gives 80% accuracy and FCC outperforms it by achieving 90% accuracy on DEAP.
Hybrid energy storage for large PV systems using bidirectional high-gain converters

The increasing installation capacity of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems requires higher power-rated converters and connection at a higher voltage level at the point of common coupling (PCC). Additionally, the inherent intermittency of the solar irradiation affects both transient- and steady-state operation of these PV systems. This paper proposes a large-scale PV system based on high-gain interleaved (HGI) converters and a hybrid energy storage system (HESS). The HESS consists of batteries and supercapacitors: the supercapacitors are used to smooth the high-frequency fluctuations of the PV output power, and the batteries are employed to balance the power difference between the PV array and the load demand. Bidirectional high-gain (BHG) converters are used as chargers for the HESS. Thus the relatively low voltage of the energy storage systems can be boosted to higher values required by the inverter DC bus. High-gain interleaved converters are used to connect the PV arrays to the inverters. The power and voltage ratings of the high-gain converters can be increased by using interleaved configurations. Simulation results are presented to validate the performance of the proposed PV system configuration.
Culture of quality: insight into foreign organisations in Slovakia

This paper aims to present the results of comparative research on the culture of quality in the largest foreign and domestic organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia. The empirical research examines quality strategy, quality vision, leadership, quality values, and customer involvement practices. The comparative research is based on in-depth personal interviews with professionals responsible for quality and innovation management in the organisations. The empirical research is combined with secondary resources (e.g. annual reports). The culture in Slovakia as described according to the Hofstede model has a ‘high power distance’ and is strongly ‘masculine’. Empirical research on the large foreign organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia recognises that the culture of quality varies significantly according to the country of origin. Inherent differences exist within French, German, Korean, Mexican, Norwegian, and US companies. Proximity in culture can be found between France and the United States as well as Mexico and Germany. The main differences in the culture of quality are primarily in practices and less in vision, values and leadership approaches. Despite the variability within the group of foreign companies, as a group, the set shows a common culture that is fundamentally different from the culture of the sample of Slovak companies. The research focused only on the group of the largest organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia, both foreign and domestic. The paper provides original findings on the culture of quality in foreign organisations operating in Slovakia. Previous studies have not examined what culture of quality arises when a foreign-owned company is faced with the culture of Slovak employees.
Implications of Posttraumatic Stress Among Military-Affiliated and Civilian Students

Abstract Objectives: To determine whether posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms are associated with problem drinking and alcohol-related consequences, as well as academic correlates among military-affiliated and civilian students. Participants: The final sample (n = 248) included 78 combat-exposed student service members/veterans, 53 non–combat-exposed student service members/ veterans, 38 ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) students, and 79 civilian students. Methods: Self-report data were collected spring 2011 via a Web-based survey measuring PTS, problem drinking, alcohol-related consequences, grade point average, educational self-efficacy, academic amotivation, and persistence. Results: Military students exposed to combat-related trauma reported significantly greater PTS symptoms than other military and civilian groups. PTS symptoms were associated with problem drinking and alcohol-related consequences for all groups, yet unrelated to academic correlates among those exposed to combat-related trauma. Conclusion: This study adds to the scant literature base exploring the unique characteristics of student service members/veterans in higher education.
Enhancement of hematopoietic response of mice by subcutaneous administration of Lactobacillus casei

Mice that had received heat-killed Lactobacillus casei (LC 9018) subcutaneously (s.c.) showed enhanced resistance to systemic (i.e., intravenous) infection with Listeria monocytogenes, but the antilisterial resistance of mice was less augmented by s.c. administration of Propionibacterium acnes ("Corynebacterium parvum"). Though there was little change in the total number of splenic leukocytes after s.c. administration of LC 9018, the monocyte-macrophage ratio increased after treatment, reaching its peak on day 5 to 7 after injection. The number of progenitor cells that form macrophage colonies under the stimulus of L-cell-conditioned medium in a semisolid agar culture system increased in the spleens of mice pretreated s.c. with LC 9018, showing a peak response on day 5 after injection. The increase corresponded to the increase in the dose administered, and increased numbers were detected even 10 days after treatment. The number of macrophage colonies in the femurs of mice pretreated s.c. with LC 9018 showed a temporary increase on day 3 after injection but then a decrease until day 10. Colony-stimulating activity was detected in the sera of mice administered LC 9018 s.c. 18 h previously, and the colonies produced were of three types: granulocyte (8%), macrophage (56%), and granulocyte-macrophage (36%). Administration of C. parvum s.c. had little effect on these hematopoietic responses of mice.
Alteration of chaperonin60 and pancreatic enzyme in pancreatic acinar cell under pathological condition.

AIM To investigate the changes of chaperonin60 (Cpn60) and pancreatic enzymes in pancreatic acinar cells, and to explore their roles in the development of experimental diabetes and acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS Two different pathological models were replicated in Sprague-Dawley rats: streptozotocin-induced diabetes and sodium deoxycholate-induced AP. The contents of Cpn60 and pancreatic enzymes in different compartments of the acinar cells were measured by quantitative immunocytochemistry. RESULTS The levels of Cpn60 significantly increased in diabetes, but decreased in AP, especially in the zymogen granules of the pancreatic acinar cells. The elevation of Cpn60 was accompanied with the increased levels of pancreatic lipase and chymotrypsinogen in diabetes. However, a decreased Cpn60 level was accompanied by high levels of lipase and chymotrypsinogen in AP. The amylase level was markedly reduced in both the pathological conditions. CONCLUSION The equilibrium between Cpn60 and pancreatic enzymes in the acinar cells breaks in AP, and Cpn60 content decreases, suggesting an insufficient chaperone capacity. This may promote the aggregation and autoactivation of the premature enzymes in the pancreatic acinar cells and play roles in the development of AP.
Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Competitiveness: Management Model Approach

Modern organization theory considers emotional intelligence as the index of competencies that help organizations to develop a vision for competitiveness. It also allows organizational leaders to enthusiastically commit to the vision, and energize organizational members to achieve the vision. To maximize competiveness organizations use models to simplify and clarify thinking, to identify important aspects, to suggest explanations and to predict consequences, and explore other performance areas that would otherwise be hidden in an excess of words. The survey research design was used to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational competitiveness. The study found that emotional intelligence has strong positive relationship with organizational competitiveness
Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) inhibits key events of cancer metastasis: I. In vitro studies of adhesion, migration and invasion of MDA-MB 231 human breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND The anti-cancer agent inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is an abundant intrinsic component of both plant and mammalian cells. In addition to inducing differentiation and inhibiting growth of numerous cancer cell lines in vitro, IP6 has been demonstrated to prevent and abrogate both primary tumor and metastasis in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using MDA-MB 231 human breast cancer cells, we studied the potential of IP6 to inhibit cell adhesion, migration and invasion, the key steps in cancer metastasis, utilizing the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, a culture wounding assay, modified Boyden chambers, immunocytochemistry and zymography. RESULTS IP6 treatment caused a 65% reduction of cell adhesion to fibronection (p = 0.002) and a 37% reduction to collagen (p = 0.005). To determine whether a decrease in cell adhesion leads to a decrease in cell motility, migration assays were performed; IP6 decreased both the number of migrating cells and the distance of cell migration into the denuded area by 72% (p < 0.001). Haptotatic cell migration in a modified Boyden chambers was also reduced in a dose-dependent manner. While cell migration on fibronectin was inhibited by 65% (p < 0.001), migration on collagen and laminin was decreased by 32% (p < 0.01) and 13% (p < 0.05), respectively. Immunocytochemistry revealed the absence of lamellipodia structure in IP6-treated cells as compared to untreated cells, corresponding to a diminished ability of cancer cells to form cellular network as determined by Matrigel outgrowth assay. Likewise, cell invasion also was decreased (by 72% after IP6 treatment, p = 0.001) in a dose-dependent fashion. Additionally, IP6 significantly (p = 0.006) inhibited the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 as assessed by zymography. CONCLUSION The results of this study show that IP6 inhibits the metastasis of human breast cancer cells in vitro through effects on cancer cell adhesion, migration and invasion.
Granulomatous rosacea in Cornelia de Lange syndrome

It is true that mycological culture has a higher specificity, but it has lower sensitivity as compared to histopathology with periodic acid-Schiff staining (HP/ PAS). [1,2] HP/PAS is relatively quick, and a specificity of 72% cannot be overlooked. [3] In most cases, morphological aspect of the hyphae and/or spores can suggest the group to which pathogens belong. [3] In personal view of the authors, cost of HP/PAS is not so high considering all these informations obtained after doing this test, and when compared to the cost of onychomycosis therapy.
MALE–FEMALE COEVOLUTION IN THE WILD: EVIDENCE FROM A TIME SERIES IN ARTEMIA FRANCISCANA

Sexual conflicts are ubiquitous in nature and are expected to lead to an antagonistic coevolution between the sexes. This coevolutionary process is driven by selection on sexually antagonistic traits that can either be directional or fluctuating. In this study, we used dormant cysts of Artemia franciscana, collected in the same population in three different years over a 23‐year period (corresponding to ∼160 generations in this system), to investigate male–female coevolution in natural conditions over time. We performed a cross experiment study where reproduction of females mated to males from the past, present, or future was monitored until death. In agreement with a model of “fluctuating selection,” we found that females survived better and had longer interbrood intervals when mated with their contemporary males compared to when mated with males from the future or the past. However, female weekly and lifetime reproductive successes displayed no differences between contemporary and noncontemporary matings. Finally, the coevolutionary patterns (“arms race dynamics” or “fluctuating selection dynamics”) possibly acting on female relative fitness could not be discriminated. This study is the first direct demonstration that the process of male–female coevolution, previously revealed by experimental evolution in laboratory artificial conditions, can occur in nature on a short evolutionary time scale.
Characterization of Four Variant Forms of Human Propionyl-CoA Carboxylase Expressed in Escherichia coli*

Propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC) is a biotin-dependent mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of propionyl-CoA to d-methylmalonyl-CoA. PCC consists of two heterologous subunits, α PCC and β PCC, which are encoded by the nuclear PCCA and PCCB genes, respectively. Deficiency of PCC results in a metabolic disorder, propionic acidemia, which is sufficiently severe to cause neonatal death. We have purified three PCCs containing pathogenic mutations in the β subunit (R165W, E168K, and R410W) and one PCCB polymorphism (A497V) to homogeneity to elucidate the potential structural and functional effects of these substitutions. We observed no significant difference in Km values for propionyl-CoA between wild-type and the variant enzymes, which indicated that these substitutions had no effect on the affinity of the enzyme for this substrate. Furthermore, the kinetic studies indicated that mutation R410W was not involved in propionyl-CoA binding in contrast to a previous report. The three mutant PCCs had half the catalytic efficiency of wild-type PCC as judged by the kcat/Km ratios. No significant differences have been observed in molecular mass or secondary structure among these enzymes. However, the variant PCCs were less thermostable than the wild-type. Following incubation at 47 °C, blue native-PAGE revealed a lower oligomeric form (α2β2) in the three mutants not detectable in wild-type and the polymorphism. Interestingly, the lower oligomeric form was also observed in the corresponding crude Escherichia coli extracts. Our biochemical data and the structural analysis using a β PCC homology model indicate that the pathogenic nature of these mutations is more likely to be due to a lack of assembly rather than disruption of catalysis. The strong favorable effect of the co-expressed chaperone proteins on PCC folding, assembly, and activity suggest that propionic acidemia may be amenable to chaperone therapy.