Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast global interconnnect driven 3D floorplanning

Reduction of interconnect length and thus reduction of power dissipation, and improvement of chip-performance is a key benefit of three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs). However, to profit from 3D, carefully planning global interconnects (e.g. buses or wide IO) already at the floorplanning stage is very important. To this end, we present a new global interconnect driven 3D floorplanner which, different from previous work, simultaneously optimizes global interconnect routes, performs TSV placement, and accounts for fixed-outline floorplanning. For our 3D floorplanner, which is based on Simulated Annealing, we introduce an approach that efficiently guides the optimization process towards a valid and low-cost 3D floorplan solution. Experimental results on GSRC benchmarks demonstrate the efficiency of our tool.
A Robust Control Strategy for Shunt and Series Reactive Compensators to Dame Electromechanical Oscillations

This paper examines the enhancement of power system stability properties by use of thyristor controlled series capacitors (TCSCs) and static var systems (SVCs). Models suitable for incorporation in dynamic simulation programs used to study angle stability are analyzed. A control strategy for damping of electromechanical power oscillations using an energy function method is derived. Using this control strategy each device (TCSC and SVC) will contribute to the damping of power swings without deteriorating the effect of the other power oscillation damping (POD) devices. The damping effect is robust with respect to loading condition, fault location, and network structure. Furthermore, the control inputs are based on local signals. The effectiveness of the controls is demonstrated for model power systems.
Members of the Oral Microbiota Are Associated with IL-8 Release by Gingival Epithelial Cells in Healthy Individuals

The triggers for the onset of oral diseases are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the oral bacterial community in healthy humans and its association with nutrition, oral hygiene habits, and the release of the inflammatory marker IL-8 from gingival epithelial cells (GECs) with and without stimulation by bacterial endotoxins to identify possible indicator operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with inflammatory marker status. GECs from 21 healthy participants (13 females, 8 males) were incubated with or without addition of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), and the oral microbiota was profiled using 16S rRNA gene-targeted sequencing. The basal IL-8 release after 6 h was between 9.9 and 98.2 pg/ml, and bacterial communities were characteristic for healthy oral microbiota. The composition of the oral microbiota was associated with basal IL-8 levels, the intake of meat, tea, white wine, sweets and the use of chewing gum, as well as flossing habits, allergies, gender and body mass index. Additionally, eight OTUs were associated with high basal levels of IL-8 and GEC response to LPS, with high basal levels of IL-8, and 1 with low basal levels of IL8. The identification of indicator bacteria in healthy subjects with high levels of IL-8 release is of importance as they may be promising early warning indicators for the possible onset of oral diseases.
Short-Term Climate Variations: Recent Accomplishments and Issues for Future Progress

A short nontechnical review of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and the associated teleconnections to higher latitudes is given. ENSO has been shown to be predictable to some degree for over a year ahead, which therefore provides a basis for skillful prediction of interannual variations in climate. The processes involved are emphasized in order to highlight the areas where future research may most profitably be directed to improve climate forecasts. This progress has been realized through the successful completion of the Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere (TOGA) Program of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP), which has established and maintained the TOGA Observing System, developed coupled atmosphere–ocean models of the tropical Pacific Ocean, demonstrated the predictive capabilities noted above, and conducted field programs to further the understanding of physical processes. Future research will take place in the context of a developing infrastructure associated with operational cl.
Structured functional principal component analysis

Motivated by modern observational studies, we introduce a class of functional models that expand nested and crossed designs. These models account for the natural inheritance of the correlation structures from sampling designs in studies where the fundamental unit is a function or image. Inference is based on functional quadratics and their relationship with the underlying covariance structure of the latent processes. A computationally fast and scalable estimation procedure is developed for high‐dimensional data. Methods are used in applications including high‐frequency accelerometer data for daily activity, pitch linguistic data for phonetic analysis, and EEG data for studying electrical brain activity during sleep.
A Molecular Study on the Prevalence and Virulence Potential of Aeromonas spp. Recovered from Patients Suffering from Diarrhea in Israel

Background Species of the genus Aeromonas are native inhabitants of aquatic environments and have recently been considered emerging human pathogens. Although the gastrointestinal tract is by far the most common anatomic site from which aeromonads are recovered, their role as etiologic agents of bacterial diarrhea is still disputed. Aeromonas-associated diarrhea is a phenomenon occurring worldwide; however, the exact prevalence of Aeromonas infections on a global scale is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings The prevalence and virulence potential of Aeromonas in patients suffering from diarrhea in Israel was studied using molecular methods. 1,033 diarrheal stools were sampled between April and September 2010 and Aeromonas species were identified in 17 (∼2%) patients by sequencing the rpoD gene. Aeromonas species identity and abundance was: A. caviae (65%), A. veronii (29%) and Aeromonas taiwanensis (6%). This is the first clinical record of A. taiwanensis as a diarrheal causative since its recent discovery from a wound infection in a patient in Taiwan. Most of the patients (77%) from which Aeromonas species were isolated were negative for any other pathogens. The patients ranged from 1 to 92 years in age. Aeromonas isolates were found to possess different virulence-associated genes: ahpB (88%), pla/lip/lipH3/apl-1 (71%), act/hlyA/aerA (35%), alt (18%), ast (6%), fla (65%), lafA (41%), TTSS ascV (12%), TTSS ascF-ascG (12%), TTSS-dependent ADP-ribosylating toxins aexU (41%) and aexT (6%) in various combinations. Most of the identified strains were resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics but susceptible to third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics. Conclusions Aeromonas may be a causative agent of diarrhea in patients in Israel and therefore should be included in routine bacteriological screenings.
Ovol1 regulates meiotic pachytene progression during spermatogenesis by repressing Id2 expression

Previous studies have shown that a targeted deletion of Ovol1 (previously known as movo1), encoding a member of the Ovo family of zinc-finger transcription factors, leads to germ cell degeneration and defective sperm production in adult mice. To explore the cellular and molecular mechanism of Ovol1 function, we have examined the mutant testis phenotype during the first wave of spermatogenesis in juvenile mice. Consistent with the detection of Ovol1 transcripts in pachytene spermatocytes of the meiotic prophase, Ovol1-deficient germ cells were defective in progressing through the pachytene stage. The pachytene arrest was accompanied by an inefficient exit from proliferation, increased apoptosis and an abnormal nuclear localization of the G2-M cell cycle regulator cyclin B1, but was not associated with apparent chromosomal or recombination defects. Transcriptional profiling and northern blot analysis revealed reduced expression of pachytene markers in the mutant, providing molecular evidence that pachytene differentiation was defective. In addition, the expression of Id2 (inhibitor of differentiation 2), a known regulator of spermatogenesis, was upregulated in Ovol1-deficient pachytene spermatocytes and repressed by Ovol1 in reporter assays. Taken together, our studies demonstrate a role for Ovol1 in regulating pachytene progression of male germ cells, and identify Id2 as a Ovol1 target.
A Decision-Theoretic Abductive Basis for Planning*

This paper presents a coherent synthesis of logic and decision theory and shows how it can be used. We allow an axiomatization of the world in definite clauses from a set of assumables. These assumables are partitioned into the set of controllable assumables and uncontrollable assumables. The uncontrollable assumables have probabilities associated with them. The logic Mlows multiple concurrent actions and lets us predict the effects for both the uncontrolled and controlled cases. We show an example of its use and argue that abduction, particularly probabilistic abduction, lays an important groundwork for decision theoretic and probabilistic planning. The main empirical claim is that uncertainty and choices can be represented as independent exogenous events using logic to give the consequences of the events, resulting in a powerful and yet simple representation.
Staphylococcus saprophyticus hemagglutinin binds fibronectin

Attachment of microorganisms to host tissue is regarded as an important step in the pathogenesis of infections. Staphylococcus saprophyticus adheres to various epithelial cells and hemagglutinates sheep erythrocytes. The hemagglutinin has been identified, but a human target for this surface protein is still not known. In our report, we show that hemagglutinating strains of S. saprophyticus bind to immobilized fibronectin, whereas nonhemagglutinating strains do not. Bacterial binding was inhibited by antibody to the hemagglutinin but not by antibody to Ssp, another surface protein of S. saprophyticus. The purified hemagglutinin but not other surface proteins bound biotin-labeled fibronectin. Binding was saturable and could be inhibited by unbound hemagglutinin, unlabeled fibronectin, and by antibody to the hemagglutinin. We thus conclude that the hemagglutinin of S. saprophyticus may act as a fibronectin receptor in the human host. Heparin, the D3 peptide, or Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) containing peptides did not inhibit binding of fibronectin to the hemagglutinin, indicating that the binding site is different from that of Staphylococcus aureus or Treponema pallidum.
Quality of Working Life and the Police

This article reviews the development of the concept of quality of working life (QoWL) and its application to the police service setting. The assessment of QoWL and is discussed and a new measure of QoWL are p resented. The WRQo L survey(1) com prises of 23 items measured on a five point Likert scale (1-Strongly Disagree, 5-Strongly Agree). The reliability of the WRQo L scale as measured by Cronbach's Alpha has been shown to be 0.94. The opportunity to obtain valid assessment of QoWL in the police service provides a basis for informed and targeted interventions which can be associated with enhancement of quality of working life of staff, improved performance and reduction of costs. The Work-Related Quality of Life scale is an established assessment measure which shows promise as a valid measure for use in the promotion of quality of working life among police service staff. Published evaluations of the Work-Related Quality of Life scale(1) indicate that this measure provides a reliab le and valid assessment of the key factors affecting the work experience of respondents, and may serve as a basis for surveys of staff in the police service setting. Police service officers and staff can be asked to undertake tasks which most other people would find exceptional. Police officers may be asked to work in settings and conditions, or at a level of personal discomfort or risk which are relatively unusual. Whilst many of these additional or exceptional demands are expected, there are stresses and strains which are not anticipated by those committ ing to police work, and there are repercussions for life outside work which can lead to substantial costs both personally and socially. Whilst stress in the police setting has been much studied, and is seen as an issue to be addressed and managed, endeavours to prevent or counter undue levels of strain and associated consequences often seem less effective than promised(2). Attempts to understand and tackle stress and strain in the police context might be compro mised from the start if the broader work context is not taken into account. The concept of quality of working life has been developed to provide a way of understanding the interactions between core facets of the working environ ment so that cause and effect can be distinguished, and interventions appropriately targeted. This article will b riefly d iscuss the attempts to address stress in the po lice setting before rev iewing the development and expansion of the conceptualisation of stress within the broader notion of quality of working life (QoW L). Defin it ions and attempts to measure QoW L will then be
The soluble epoxide hydrolase encoded by EPXH2 is a bifunctional enzyme with novel lipid phosphate phosphatase activity

The gene EPXH2 encodes for the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), an enzyme involved in the regulation of cardiovascular and renal physiology containing two distinct domains connected via a proline-rich linker. The C-terminal domain containing the EH catalytic activity has been well studied. In contrast, a function for the N-terminal domain, which has high homology to the haloacid dehalogenase family of phosphatases, has not been definitively reported. In this study we describe the N-terminal domain as a functional phosphatase unaffected by a number of classic phosphatase inhibitors. Assuming a functional association between these catalytic activities, dihydroxy lipid phosphates were rationalized as potential endogenous substrates. A series of phosphorylated hydroxy lipids were therefore synthesized and found to be excellent substrates for the human sEH. The best substrate tested was the monophosphate of dihydroxy stearic acid (threo-9/10-phosphonoxy-hydroxy-octadecanoic acid) with Km = 21 ± 0.3 μM, VMax = 338 ± 12 nmol⋅min−1⋅mg−1, and kcat = 0.35 ± 0.01 s−1. Therefore dihydroxy lipid phosphates are possible candidates for the endogenous substrates of the sEH N-terminal domain, which would represent a novel branch of fatty acid metabolism with potential signaling functions.
Effectively sharing a cache among threads

We compare the number of cache misses <i>M</i><inf>1</inf> for running a computation on a single processor with cache size <i>C</i><inf>1</inf> to the total number of misses <i>M<inf>p</inf></i> for the same computation when using <i>p</i> processors or threads and a shared cache of size <i>C<inf>p</inf></i>. We show that for any computation, and with an appropriate (greedy) parallel schedule, if <i>C<inf>p</inf></i> ≥ <i>C</i><inf>1</inf> + <i>pd</i> then <i>M<inf>p</inf></i> ≤ <i>M</i><inf>1</inf>. The depth <i>d</i> of the computation is the length of the critical path of dependences. This gives the perhaps surprising result that for sufficiently parallel computations the shared cache need only be an additive size larger than the single-processor cache, and gives some theoretical justification for designing machines with shared caches.We model a computation as a <sc>DAG</sc> and the sequential execution as a depth first schedule of the <sc>DAG</sc>. The parallel schedule we study is a parallel depth-first schedule (PDF schedule) based on the sequential one. The schedule is greedy and therefore work-efficient. Our main results assume the <i>Ideal Cache</i> model, but we also present results for other more realistic cache models.
Assembly of fingerprint contigs: parallelized FPC

SUMMARY One of the more common uses of the program FingerPrint Contigs (FPC) is to assemble random restriction digest 'fingerprints' of overlapping genomic clones into contigs. To improve the rate of assembling contigs from large fingerprint databases we have adapted FPC so that it can be run in parallel on multiple processors and servers. The current version of 'parallelized FPC' has been used in our laboratory to assemble mammalian BAC fingerprint databases, each containing more than 300000 BAC fingerprints. AVAILABILITY This parallelized version of FPC is available under the GNU GPL licence, and can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.bcgsc. bc.ca/pub/fpcd.
Latent Semantic Indexing for patent documents

Since the huge database of patent documents is continuously increasing, the issue of classifying, updating and retrieving patent documents turned into an acute necessity. Therefore, we investigate the efficiency of applying Latent Semantic Indexing, an automatic indexing method of information retrieval, to some classes of patent documents from the United States Patent Classification System. We present some experiments that provide the optimal number of dimensions for the Latent Semantic Space and we compare the performance of Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) to the Vector Space Model (VSM) technique applied to real life text documents, namely, patent documents. However, we do not strongly recommend the LSI as an improved alternative method to the VSM, since the results are not significantly better.
Unsupervised HEp-2 mitosis recognition in indirect immunofluorescence imaging

Automated HEp-2 mitotic cell recognition in IIF images is an important and yet scarcely explored step in the computer-aided diagnosis of autoimmune disorders. Such step is necessary to assess the goodness of the HEp-2 samples and helps the early diagnosis of the most difficult or ambiguous cases. In this work, we propose a completely unsupervised approach for HEp-2 mitotic cell recognition that overcomes the problem of mitotic/non-mitotic class imbalance due to the limited number of mitotic cells. Our technique automatically selects a limited set of candidate cells from the HEp-2 slide and then applies a clustering algorithm to identify the mitotic ones based on their texture. Finally, a second stage of clustering discriminates between positive and negative mitoses. Experiments on public IIF images demonstrate the performance of our technique compared to previous approaches.
Peak to Average Power Ratio Reduction for Space-Time Codes That Achieve Diversity-Multiplexing Gain Tradeoff

Zheng and Tse have shown that over a quasi-static channel, there exists a fundamental tradeoff, known as the diversity-multiplexing gain (D-MG) tradeoff. In a realistic system, to avoid inefficiently operating the power amplifier, one should consider the situation where constraints are imposed on the peak to average power ratio (PAPR) of the transmitted signal. In this paper, the D-MG tradeoff of multi-antenna systems with PAPR constraints is analyzed. For Rayleigh fading channels, we show that the D-MG tradeoff remains unchanged with any PAPR constraints larger than one. This result implies that, instead of designing codes on a case-by-case basis, as done by most existing works, there possibly exist general methodologies for designing space-time codes with low PAPR that achieve the optimal D-MG tradeoff. As an example of such methodologies, we propose a PAPR reduction method based on constellation shaping that can be applied to existing optimal space-time codes without affecting their optimality in the D-MG tradeoff. Unlike most PAPR reduction methods, the proposed method does not introduce redundancy or require side information being transmitted to the decoder. Two realizations of the proposed method are considered. The first is similar to the method proposed by Kwok except that we employ the Hermite Normal Form (HNF) decomposition instead of the Smith Normal Form (SNF) to reduce complexity. The second takes the idea of integer reversible mapping which avoids the difficulty in matrix decomposition when the number of antennas becomes large. Sphere decoding is performed to verify that the proposed PAPR reduction method does not affect the performance of optimal space-time codes.
In vivo and in vitro synthesis of adenovirus type 2 early proteins

The synthesis of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2)-induced early polypeptides was examined in vivo and in vitro by a combination of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis alone and specific immunoprecipitation followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analysis of total [35S]methionine-labeled polypeptides synthesized in vivo at 3 h postinfection allowed us to detect in infected cells at lease 13 distinct polypeptides that are either absent or less conspicuous in extracts from mock-infected cells. These Ad2-induced early polypeptides have molecular weights ranging from 72 x 10(3) to 10.5 x 10(3) and have accordingly been designated as E72K to E10.5K. Nine of the in vivo synthesized early polypeptides can be precipitated specifically from infected cell extracts by antisera with specificity against early adenovirus proteins. In vitro translation of mRNA extracted from mock-infected cells and from Ad2-infected cells was carried out in preincubated Ehrlich ascites cell extracts. All the early Ad2-induced polypeptides identified in the extracts from infected cells labeled in vivo were also detected among the polypeptides immunoprecipitated specifically from the in vitro reaction mixtures programmed by RNA extracted at 4 h postinfection from Ad2-infected cells.
A Unified Approach to the Stability of Generalized Static Neural Networks With Linear Fractional Uncertainties and Delays

In this paper, the robust global asymptotic stability (RGAS) of generalized static neural networks (SNNs) with linear fractional uncertainties and a constant or time-varying delay is concerned within a novel input-output framework. The activation functions in the model are assumed to satisfy a more general condition than the usually used Lipschitz-type ones. First, by four steps of technical transformations, the original generalized SNN model is equivalently converted into the interconnection of two subsystems, where the forward one is a linear time-invariant system with a constant delay while the feedback one bears the norm-bounded property. Then, based on the scaled small gain theorem, delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the RGAS of generalized SNNs are derived via combining a complete Lyapunov functional and the celebrated discretization scheme. All the results are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities so that the RGAS problem of generalized SNNs is projected into the feasibility of convex optimization problems that can be readily solved by effective numerical algorithms. The effectiveness and superiority of our results over the existing ones are demonstrated by two numerical examples.