Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploiting hardware transactional memory in main-memory databases

So far, transactional memory-although a promising technique-suffered from the absence of an efficient hardware implementation. The upcoming Haswell microarchitecture from Intel introduces hardware transactional memory (HTM) in mainstream CPUs. HTM allows for efficient concurrent, atomic operations, which is also highly desirable in the context of databases. On the other hand HTM has several limitations that, in general, prevent a one-to-one mapping of database transactions to HTM transactions. In this work we devise several building blocks that can be used to exploit HTM in main-memory databases. We show that HTM allows to achieve nearly lock-free processing of database transactions by carefully controlling the data layout and the access patterns. The HTM component is used for detecting the (infrequent) conflicts, which allows for an optimistic, and thus very low-overhead execution of concurrent transactions.
Conflict-Tolerant Specifications for Hybrid Systems

We propose a framework for developing and reasoning about hybrid systemsthat are comprised of a plant with multiple controllers, each of which controls theplant intermittently. The framework is based on the notion of a “conflict-tolerant” specification for a controller, and provides a modular way of developing and reasoningabout such systems. We propose a novel mechanism of defining conflicttolerantspecifications for general hybrid systems, using “acceptor” and “advisor” components. We also give a decision procedure for verifying whether a controllersatisfies its conflict-tolerant specification, in the special case when the componentsare modeled using initialized rectangular hybrid automata.
Association of Severe Malaria Outcomes with Platelet-Mediated Clumping and Adhesion to a Novel Host Receptor

Introduction Severe malaria has been attributed partly to the sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) in the microvasculature of vital host organs. Identification of P. falciparum cytoadherence phenotypes that are associated with severe malaria may lead to the development of novel strategies against life-threatening malaria. Methods and Findings Forty-six P. falciparum isolates from Mozambican children under 5 years of age with severe malaria (cases) were examined and compared to 46 isolates from sex and age matched Mozambican children with uncomplicated malaria (controls). Cytoadherence properties such as platelet-mediated clumping, rosetting and adhesion to purified receptors (CD36, ICAM1 and gC1qR), were compared between these matched pairs by non-parametric tests. The most common clinical presentation associated with severe malaria was prostration. Compared to matched controls, prevalence of platelet-mediated clumping was higher in cases (P = .019), in children presenting with prostration (P = .049) and in children with severe anaemia (P = .025). Prevalence of rosetting and gC1qR adhesion were also higher in isolates from cases with severe anemia and multiple seizures, respectively (P = .045 in both cases), than in controls. Conclusions These data indicate a role for platelet-mediated clumping, rosetting and adhesion to gC1qR in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. Inhibition of these cytoadherence phenotypes may reduce the occurrence or improve the prognosis of severe malaria outcomes.
Application of binocular vision system to face detection and tracking in service robot

A binocular vision system and its application to face detection and tracking in robot is introduced in this paper. With the vision system, the robot can do face detection, identification, recognition and tracking. The face area is detected in realtime by using AdaBoost algorithm. And a method is proposed with which a real face can be distinguished from a picture one by using skin color information and depth data. A specific face can be recognized by comparing the principal components of the current face to those of the known individuals in a face database built in advance. Finally, the robot can track a specified face according to depth of the face and position of a face rectangle in the frame. Experiment results are given and discussed.
Syntax-directed construction of Value Dependence Graphs

Most software analysis and assessment techniques operate on graph representations of the target software. One of the most common representations is the Program Dependence Graph in one of its many variations. The Value Dependence Graph is an alternative that is more suitable for many types of analyses, including static slicing and many code transformations, such as instruction scheduling and invariant analysis. The authors present a new algorithm that builds Value Dependence Graphs from the parse tree of a program. By generating the Value Dependence Graph from the parse tree, our algorithm is significantly simpler and clearer than previously published algorithms.
Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists CP-96,345 and L-733,060 Protect Mice from Cytokine-Mediated Liver Injury

Previously, we have shown that primary afferent sensory neurons are necessary for disease activity in T cell-mediated immune hepatitis in mice. In the present study, we analyzed the possible role of substance P (SP), an important proinflammatory neuropeptide of these nerve fibers, in an in vivo mouse model of liver inflammation. Liver injury was induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ind-galactosamine (GalN)-sensitized mice. Depletion of primary afferent nerve fibers by neonatal capsaicin treatment down-regulated circulating levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interferon-γ (IFNγ) and protected mice from GalN/LPS-induced liver injury. Likewise, pretreatment of mice with antagonists of the SP-specific neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), i.e., (2S,3S)-cis-2-(diphenylmethyl)-N-((2-methoxyphenyl)-methyl)-1-azabicyclo(2.2.2.)-octan-3-amine (CP-96,345) and (2S,3S)3-([3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]methoxy)-2-phenylpiperidine (L-733,060), dose dependently protected mice from GalN/LPS-induced liver injury. The presence of the NK-1R in the murine liver was demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, sequence analysis, and immunocytochemistry. NK-1R blockade reduced inflammatory liver damage, i.e., edema formation, neutrophil infiltration, hepatocyte apoptosis, and necrosis. To get further insight into the mechanism by which receptor blockade attenuated GalN/LPS-induced liver damage, we analyzed plasma levels and intrahepatic expression of TNFα, IFNγ, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10. NK-1R blockade clearly inhibited GalN/LPS-induced production of TNFα and IFNγ, whereas synthesis of the hepatoprotective cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 was increased. NK-1 receptor antagonists might be potent drugs for treatment of inflammatory liver disease, most likely by inhibiting SP effects.
Effect of unitization on associative recognition in amnesia

We examined how associative recognition performance in amnesic patients is mediated by use of a unitized (i.e., holistic) encoding strategy, and the degree to which the unitization effect is related to sparing of familiarity‐based recognition. Participants studied word pairs as either separate lexical units in sentences (i.e., nonunitized) or as compounds (unitized). Under standard recognition instructions, normal controls and patients with left‐temporal lobe damage (previously determined to have impairments in both recollection and familiarity) showed no difference for unitized and nonunitized pairs, whereas hypoxics (previously determined to have impaired recollection but relatively preserved familiarity) showed an advantage of unitized over nonunitized pairs. This effect was reproduced in normal healthy participants under instructions to restrict responses to judgments of familiarity. The results indicate that unitization may mediate the degree of associative recognition impairment exhibited by some amnesic patients, and that the effect is related to preserved familiarity capacity. The relevance of the results to the debate over the importance of the hippocampus in memory for associations is discussed. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Extending Indications for Islet Autotransplantation in Pancreatic Surgery

Objective: To assess metabolic and oncologic outcomes of islet autotransplantation (IAT) in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery for either benign or malignant disease. Background: IAT is performed to improve glycemic control after extended pancreatectomy, almost exclusively in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Limited experience is available for other indications or in patients with pancreatic malignancy. Methods: In addition to chronic pancreatitis, indications for IAT were grade C pancreatic fistula (treated with completion or left pancreatectomy, as indicated); total pancreatectomy as an alternative to high-risk anastomosis during pancreaticoduodenectomy; and distal pancreatectomy for benign/borderline neoplasm of pancreatic body-neck. Malignancy was not an exclusion criterion. Metabolic and oncologic follow-up is presented. Results: From November 2008 to June 2012, 41 patients were candidates to IAT (accounting for 7.5% of all pancreatic resections). Seven of 41 did not receive transplantation for inadequate islet mass (4 pts), patient instability (2 pts), or contamination of islet culture (1 pt). IAT-related complications occurred in 8 pts (23.5%): 4 bleeding, 3 portal thromboses (1 complete, 2 partial), and 1 sepsis. Median follow-up was 546 days. Fifteen of 34 patients (44%) reached insulin independence, 16 patients (47%) had partial graft function, 2 patients (6%) had primary graft nonfunction, and 1 patient (3%) had early graft loss. Seventeen IAT recipients had malignancy (pancreatic or periampullary adenocarcinoma in 14). Two of them had already liver metastases at surgery, 13 were disease-free at last follow-up, and none of 2 patients with tumor recurrence developed metastases in the transplantation site. Conclusions: Although larger data are needed to definitely exclude the risk of disease dissemination, the present study suggests that IAT indications can be extended to selected patients with neoplasm.
The Northwest Forest Plan: Origins, Components, Implementation Experience, and Suggestions for Change

Abstract: In the 1990s the federal forests in the Pacific Northwest underwent the largest shift in management focus since their creation, from providing a sustained yield of timber to conserving biodiversity, with an emphasis on endangered species. Triggered by a legal challenge to the federal protection strategy for the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), this shift was facilitated by a sequence of science assessments that culminated in the development of the Northwest Forest Plan. The plan, adopted in 1994, called for an extensive system of late‐successional and riparian reserves along with some timber harvest on the intervening lands under a set of controls and safeguards. It has proven more successful in stopping actions harmful to conservation of old‐growth forests and aquatic systems than in achieving restoration goals and economic and social goals. We make three suggestions that will allow the plan to achieve its goals: (1) recognize that the Northwest Forest Plan has evolved into an integrative conservation strategy, (2) conserve old‐growth trees and forests wherever they occur, and (3) manage federal forests as dynamic ecosystems.
Protein Surface Characterization Using an Invariant Descriptor

Aim. To develop a new invariant descriptor for the characterization of protein surfaces, suitable for various analysis tasks, such as protein functional classification, and search and retrieval of protein surfaces over a large database. Methods. We start with a local descriptor of selected circular patches on the protein surface. The descriptor records the distance distribution between the central residue and the residues within the patch, keeping track of the number of particular pairwise residue cooccurrences in the patch. A global descriptor for the entire protein surface is then constructed by combining information from the local descriptors. Our method is novel in its focus on residue-specific distance distributions, and the use of residue-distance co-occurrences as the basis for the proposed protein surface descriptors. Results. Results are presented for protein classification and for retrieval for three protein families. For the three families, we obtained an area under the curve for precision and recall ranging from 0.6494 (without residue co-occurrences) to 0.6683 (with residue co-occurrences). Large-scale screening using two other protein families placed related family members at the top of the rank, with a number of uncharacterized proteins also retrieved. Comparative results with other proposed methods are included.
Renal Effects of Fab Fragments of Kinin Antibodies on Deoxycorticosterone Acetate‐Salt‐Treated Rats

The role of the renal kallikrein-kinin system in the regulation of renal function is not completely understood. Intrarenal kinins can influence renal function by acting as paracrine hormones at basolateral, luminal, or both sites in the distal nephron. To examine the role of intrarenal kinins in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-treated rats, which have high renal kallikrein, Fab fragments of antibradykinln antibody or DArg[Hyp3Thi5,8DPhe7]bradykinin, a kinin antagonist, were used to block kinins. At the dose used, the antibody (25 mg) and kinin antagonist (10 μg/min/rat) inhibited the hypotensive effect of intra-arterially injected bradykinin (100 ng) by 70% and 52%, respectively. The antibody appeared in the urine within 30 minutes after administration. Urinary volume was lowered from 9.4 ± 0.2 to 6.7 ± 0.4 μl/min/g kidney wt (p < 0.001, paired t test) by the antibody and from 8.5 ± 0.3 to 6.8 ± 0.4 μ1/min/g kidney wt (p < 0.004, paired t test) by the kinin antagonist The antibody lowered urine sodium excretion from l.ll ± 0.04 to 0.88 ± 0.06 μeq/min/g kidney wt (p < 0.001, paired t test), whereas the kinin antagonist had no significant effect Neither altered blood pressure, renal blood flow, or glomerular filtration rate. These data suggest that in deoxycorticosterone acetatesalt-treated rats, excretion of water and sodium is regulated in part by kinins. The antidiuretic effect of the antibody and kinin antagonist might be due to blockade of kinins in the vascular-interstitial space of the kidney, since the kinin antagonist is likely hydrolyzed in the proximal tubule and does not reach the lumen of the distal nephron. The antinatriuretic effect of the antibody on sodium excretion might be due to blockade of kinins in the vascularinterstitial, urinary, or both compartments of the kidney, since the antibody appeared in the urine and since this antidiuretic effect was not observed with the kinin antagonist.
Orphan geographies in Malawi

There are about one million orphans in Malawi. The global response has been a mix of alarm and inaction, with well-intended efforts often stymied by misunderstandings about childhoods, family dynamics, and poverty in Malawi. This paper uses children's geographies and interviews with 25 orphans in Malawi to bring forward the everyday lives and circumstances of orphans at the micro-scale, while addressing the impact of macro-scale processes such as the Millennium Development Goals and transnational charities. The results point to specific problems with contemporary understandings of orphanhood in southern Africa and underscore the need for reflection on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at orphans as a discrete group.
Übersicht ! ! ! Can Robots Help to Understand Human Locomotion ? Können

As robots are becoming increasingly powerful and consequently potentially capable of reproducing humanlike movements and interactions, the question appears how these motor skills found in biology could be transferred to the technical system. Such a transfer of biological movements to robots also offers the chance to question and to improve our understanding of the underlying principles on how movements are organized in nature. For this, a new conceptual framework, a test trilogy comparing human, simulation, and robot behavior will be presented and demonstrated exemplary. Zusammenfassung Mit der Entwicklung immer leistungsfähigerer Roboter können potentiell auch menschenähnlichere Bewegungen und Interaktionen realisiert werden. Dabei stellt sich die Frage, wie diese motorischen Fähigkeiten auf ein technisches System übertragen werden können. Eine solche Übertragung von biologischen Bewegungen auf Roboter eröffnet dabei auch die Möglichkeit, das Verständnis der zugrundeliegenden Prinzipien von Bewegungen in der Natur zu hinterfragen und zu verbessern. Hierfür wird ein neuer konzeptioneller Ansatz, eine Testtrilogie als Verhaltensvergleich von Mensch, Modell und Roboter, vorgestellt und am Beispiel demonstriert.
Examination of an Extension of Guttman's Model of Ability Tests

An extension of Guttman's structural model of abil ity tests was devised and investigated with two sam ples consisting, respectively, of 335 and 225 males. The examinees in the first sample came for vocational guidance after their military service and were adminis tered a 17-test battery. The second sample consisted of applicants for various jobs in an organization and were administered a 14-test battery. For each sample, a ma trix of intercorrelations between scores was obtained based on the number of correct responses. The mat rices were submitted to Guttman-Lingoes Smallest Space Analysis. The two-dimensional structure found was a radex in which (1) the facet of the language of presentation radially divided the space and (2) the facet of mental operation formed concentric rings. The significance of these findings for theoretical and ap plied problems relating to ability tests is discussed.
Voxel-Based Spatial Filtering Method for Canopy Height Retrieval from Airborne Single-Photon Lidar

Airborne single-photon lidar (SPL) is a new technology that holds considerable potential for forest structure and carbon monitoring at large spatial scales because it acquires 3D measurements of vegetation faster and more efficiently than conventional lidar instruments. However, SPL instruments use green wavelength (532 nm) lasers, which are sensitive to background solar noise, and therefore SPL point clouds require more elaborate noise filtering than other lidar instruments to determine canopy heights, particularly in daytime acquisitions. Histogram-based aggregation is a commonly used approach for removing noise from photon counting lidar data, but it reduces the resolution of the dataset. Here we present an alternate voxel-based spatial filtering method that filters noise points efficiently while largely preserving the spatial integrity of SPL data. We develop and test our algorithms on an experimental SPL dataset acquired over Garrett County in Maryland, USA. We then compare canopy attributes retrieved using our new algorithm with those obtained from the conventional histogram binning approach. Our results show that canopy heights derived using the new algorithm have a strong agreement with field-measured heights (r2 = 0.69, bias = 0.42 m, RMSE = 4.85 m) and discrete return lidar heights (r2 = 0.94, bias = 1.07 m, RMSE = 2.42 m). Results are consistently better than height accuracies from the histogram method (field data: r2 = 0.59, bias = 0.00 m, RMSE = 6.25 m; DRL: r2 = 0.78, bias = −0.06 m and RMSE = 4.88 m). Furthermore, we find that the spatial-filtering method retains fine-scale canopy structure detail and has lower errors over steep slopes. We therefore believe that automated spatial filtering algorithms such as the one presented here can support large-scale, canopy structure mapping from airborne SPL data.
The Influence of Authoritative Teaching on Children’s School Adjustment

Children with significant behaviour problems are at risk for poor classroom adjustment and school failure. Given this likelihood for a poor developmental trajectory, there is a need to better understand environmental influences within classrooms that help to effectively socialize children to those settings. The current study evaluated the effects of two socialization processes, the provision of warmth and of control (i.e. authoritative teaching) on urban, American, elementary school-aged children’s school adjustment (n = 693). The results suggest a small but positive association between authoritative teaching and three of the four school adjustment indices examined in the study. This effect was similar for all students; no differential effects for children with significant externalizing behaviour problems were noted. Results are discussed in light of theory and school-based intervention and prevention efforts. Implications of these findings on the roles and responsibilities of school psychologists are provided.
EQUALHI: A neural networks-based ergonomic evaluation of service quality in the hospital industry

� Abstract— An approach for ergonomic evaluation of hospital service quality (EQUALHI) is proposed. It is based on a checklist tool using a neural networks-based evaluation model. This approach enables the determination of the most important ergonomic criteria and the generation of recommendations for improving the hospital service quality. EQUALHI is illustrated and validated by a study in 50 small- and medium-sized hospitals in Istanbul. Data from hospital managers were collected by the checklist tool. Then ergonomic evaluations were calculated using EQUALHI. Based on the approach the most important ergonomic criteria that affect service quality in the hospital industry in Istanbul were determined. Relevant recommendations and measures for improving the hospital service were proposed. Keywords—Ergonomic evaluation, hospital service quality, neural networks.