Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FPGA-based high-precision network time synchronization research and implementation

This study is based on the 1588 network clock synchronization technology. Clock synchronization of distributed systems is a very important element in the communications, automation, and testing equipment especially for the current LXI Bus. Now there are some synchronization protocols like NTP. But it just has millisecond synchronization accuracy. In many areas such as instrument system, that accuracy is not enough. Therefore, higher synchronization accuracy is required. This paper presents a model for high accuracy of the clock, detailed analysis of the factors that affect clock synchronization and proposed to solve the key technology and solution. These technologies not only changed the clock operation mode, but also access to technology to improve the timestamp. The results show that the synchronization accuracy can be achieved nanosecond.
Mining Shopping Patterns for Divergent Urban Regions by Incorporating Mobility Data

What people buy is an important aspect or view of lifestyles. Studying people's shopping patterns in different urban regions can not only provide valuable information for various commercial opportunities, but also enable a better understanding about urban infrastructure and urban lifestyle. In this paper, we aim to predict citywide shopping patterns. This is a challenging task due to the sparsity of the available data -- over 60% of the city regions are unknown for their shopping records. To address this problem, we incorporate another important view of human lifestyles, namely mobility patterns. With information on "where people go", we infer "what people buy". Moreover, to model the relations between regions, we exploit spatial interactions in our method. To that end, Collective Matrix Factorization (CMF) with an interaction regularization model is applied to fuse the data from multiple views or sources. Our experimental results have shown that our model outperforms the baseline methods on two standard metrics. Our prediction results on multiple shopping patterns reveal the divergent demands in different urban regions, and thus reflect key functional characteristics of a city. Furthermore, we are able to extract the connection between the two views of lifestyles, and achieve a better or novel understanding of urban lifestyles.
Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering nanostars for high-precision cancer imaging

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering gold nanostars allow detection of macro- and microscopic foci of premalignant and cancerous lesions in vivo. Seeing Nanostars Microscopic tumors may be difficult for the naked eye to see, but they are no match for nanosized imaging agents, which home in on cancerous tissues to signal the presence of disease. Harmsen and colleagues created a new generation of cancer imaging agents, called “surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) nanostars” −75-nm star-shaped gold cores wrapped in Raman reporter molecule-containing silica. When hit by a near-infrared laser, these nanostars emit a unique photonic signature (Raman “fingerprint”). The authors used a new silica encapsulation method and a reporter molecule that was “in resonance” with the laser, which meant that they shone nearly 400 times brighter than their “nonresonant” counterparts during Raman imaging. The SERRS nanostars were used to image macro- and microscopic malignant lesions in animal models of pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and sarcoma with high precision. As endoscopic and handheld Raman imaging devices are further developed for the clinic, the SERRS nanostars are sure to find a place in human tumor detection. The inability to visualize the true extent of cancers represents a significant challenge in many areas of oncology. The margins of most cancer types are not well demarcated because the cancer diffusely infiltrates the surrounding tissues. Furthermore, cancers may be multifocal and characterized by the presence of microscopic satellite lesions. Such microscopic foci represent a major reason for persistence of cancer, local recurrences, and metastatic spread, and are usually impossible to visualize with currently available imaging technologies. An imaging method to reveal the true extent of tumors is desired clinically and surgically. We show the precise visualization of tumor margins, microscopic tumor invasion, and multifocal locoregional tumor spread using a new generation of surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) nanoparticles, which are termed SERRS nanostars. The SERRS nanostars feature a star-shaped gold core, a Raman reporter resonant in the near-infrared spectrum, and a primer-free silication method. In genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and sarcoma, and in one human sarcoma xenograft model, SERRS nanostars enabled accurate detection of macroscopic malignant lesions, as well as microscopic disease, without the need for a targeting moiety. Moreover, the sensitivity (1.5 fM limit of detection) of SERRS nanostars allowed imaging of premalignant lesions of pancreatic and prostatic neoplasias. High sensitivity and broad applicability, in conjunction with their inert gold-silica composition, render SERRS nanostars a promising imaging agent for more precise cancer imaging and resection.
Modification of dysfunctional thoughts about caregiving in dementia family caregivers: Description and outcomes of an intervention programme

Among the diverse group of interventions developed to help dementia family caregivers cognitive-behavioural approaches show especially promising results. Objectives: This study describes a cognitive-behavioural group intervention aimed principally at the modification of dysfunctional thoughts associated with caregiving (MDTC). The efficacy of the MDTC intervention in reducing caregivers’ depressive symptomatology, together with the frequency and appraisal of problem behaviours, is compared to that of a waiting-list control group (WL). Furthermore, the potential mediating role of the dysfunctional thoughts in the relationship between this intervention and caregivers’ depressive symptomatology is analyzed. Of the 74 dementia caregivers who were randomized to one of two conditions (MDTC and WL), 39 completed the post-intervention assessment. Statistical analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis, using last observation carried forward. The results reveal that the MDTC intervention is successful in reducing caregivers’ level of depressive symptomatology and dysfunctional thoughts about caregiving, as well as in modifying their appraisal of their relative's problem behaviours. Furthermore, a mediating role for dysfunctional thoughts was found in the relationship between the MDTC intervention and levels of depressive symptomatology. The relevance of addressing dysfunctional thoughts and cognitive distortions in group interventions with caregivers is highlighted.
Dual-injection-locked ½ divider with optimized VCO loaded Q and current

A new ½ dual-injection locked frequency divider (dual-ILFD) with wide locking range and low-power consumption is proposed and developed together with a divide-by-2 current mode logic (CML) divider. ½ CML divider is connected at the output of ½ dual-ILFD for achieving constant output amplitude. The chip was fabricated using a 0.18-µm BiCMOS process. The ½ dual-ILFD enhances the locking range with low-power consumption through optimized load quality factor (QL) and output current amplitude (iOSC) simultaneously, achieving a locking range of 692 MHz between 7.512 and 8.204 GHz, which is almost 10 times larger than a single-injection counterpart. The core of ½ dual-ILFD consumes 2.93 mA with 1.5 V supply.
The Msb3/Gyp3 GAP controls the activity of the Rab GTPases Vps21 and Ypt7 at endosomes and vacuoles

GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) control Rab activity along the endomembrane system. In addition to its role in exocytosis, the GAP Msb3 also acts along the endocytic pathway on Rab GTPases Vps21 and Ypt7. The combined data suggest that GAPs can have multiple substrates and can function in a context- or membrane-specific manner.
Cross-Layer QoS-Constrained Optimization of Adaptive Multi-Rate Wireless Systems using Infrastructure-Based Cooperative ARQ

This research work aims at analyzing the effects of using cooperative-ARQ (CARQ) in wireless relay systems employing AMC at the physical layer and an infinitely persistent type-I Hybrid FEC/CARQ protocol at the DLC layer. To that end, a cross-layer multidimensional discrete-time Markov chain (DTMC)-based queuing model is developed to jointly exploit the capabilities of CARQ and AMC. Based on the stationary state probability distribution of the proposed multidimensional DTMC, closed-form analytical expressions for performance metrics such as average throughput, queue length, packet delay and packet loss rate are derived, and the impact of cooperative relaying on these performance parameters is analyzed. Numerical results confirm the validity of the presented AMC/CARQ cross-layer analytical framework and reveal that the proposed CARQ protocol consistently outperforms the classical Type-I Hybrid FEC/ARQ schemes and provides a noticeable improvement when facing correlated fading channel scenarios.
Microplasma Logic Gates

This paper demonstrates for the first time the use of microplasma to perform AND, OR, and XOR logic operations. The logic circuits are implemented similar to diode-resistor logic. Output voltages are in the range of 5-40 V and can be modified by varying the load resistor. The active area of the microplasma device is just 50 μm × 5 μm. The small interelectrode gap kept breakdown voltage to ~250 V when operated in He gas at atmospheric pressure. The use of plasma as a source of free carriers is also demonstrated, with free carriers available up to 500-μm away from plasma.
Oct‐1 is responsible for the C‐33T polymorphism effect in the IL‐4 promoter

IL‐4 is a pleiotropic immunoregulatory cytokine secreted by Th2 subset of CD4+ Th cells. Several transcription factors (TFs) have been determined with various degrees of certainty to bind the IL‐4 promoter and to regulate its expression in human. To investigate the mechanisms responsible for phenotypic effects of the C‐33T IL‐4 promoter polymorphism, we performed a search of TFs binding to this promoter locus and discriminating the −33C and −33T alleles. In silico searches suggest few factors bind this region. Using an electromobility shift assay we found that Jurkat T cells contained proteins which specifically interacted with oligonucleotide probes, corresponding to the −33 region. Considerable binding differences between C and T alleles were demonstrated using competitive conditions, the proteins bound predominantly with −33C allele. We found that the transcription factor Oct‐1 produced the major shifted complex. The binding of Oct‐1 was not improved using activated nuclear extracts; however, we observed increases in other shifted complexes upon cell activation. We suppose that Oct‐1 occupancy may compete for binding of activator proteins to closely or overlapped binding sites. Our findings suggest that the interplay between Oct‐1 and unknown TFs may be responsible for the C‐33T polymorphism effects.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle formation flying using Linear Model Predictive Control

A team of three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) accomplishes a line abreast, triangular and cross formation based on high-level Linear Model Predictive Control (LMPC). All flight tests respect Reynold's rules of flocking, where the UAVs avoid collisions with nearby flockmates, attempt to match velocity of other team members and attempt to stay close to other flockmates. A linear system identification model is at the base of the error dynamics describing the formation control algorithm. The main contribution of this paper lies in the use of LMPC to implement multiple formations on UAVs in simulation and using the Qball-X4 quadrotor.
RNA PROCESSING FACTOR2 Is Required for 5′ End Processing of nad9 and cox3 mRNAs in Mitochondria of Arabidopsis thaliana[W]

Posttranscriptional processes play a crucial role in plant mitochondrial gene expression. This work describes the identification and characterization of a pentatricopeptide repeat protein required for 5′ end processing of distinct mitochondrial transcripts. This protein is related to RESTORERS OF FERTILITY, which can suppress cytoplasmic male sterility, a mitochondrially inherited trait. In mitochondria of higher plants, the majority of 5′ termini of mature mRNAs are generated posttranscriptionally. To gain insight into this process, we analyzed a natural 5′ end polymorphism in the species Arabidopsis thaliana. This genetic approach identified the nuclear gene At1g62670, encoding a pentatricopeptide repeat protein. The functional importance of this mitochondrial restorer of fertility-like protein, designated RNA PROCESSING FACTOR2 (RPF2), is confirmed by the analysis of a respective T-DNA knockout mutant and its functional restoration by in vivo complementation. RPF2 fulfills two functions: it is required for the generation of a distinct 5′ terminus of transcripts of subunit 9 of the NADH DEHYDROGENASE complex (nad9) and it determines the efficiency of 5′ end formation of the mRNAs for subunit 3 of the CYTOCHROME C OXIDASE (cox3), the latter also being influenced by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Accordingly, recombinant RPF2 protein directly binds to a nad9 mRNA fragment in vitro. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunodetection analyses reveal that altered 5′ processing does not influence accumulation of the nad9 and cox3 polypeptides. In accessions C24, Oystese-1, and Yosemite-0, different inactive RPF2 alleles exist, demonstrating the variability of this gene in Arabidopsis. The identification of RPF2 is a major step toward the characterization of 5′ mRNA processing in mitochondria of higher plants.
Shape-only granulometries and gray-scale shape filters

Multiscale methods which provide a decomposition of an image based on scale have many uses in image analysis. One class of such methods from mathematical morphology is based on size distributions or granulometries. In this paper a different type of image decomposition based on shape but not scale is proposed. Called a shape granulometry or shape distribution, it is built from a family of morphological thinnings, rather than openings as in the case of size distributions. An implementation based on scale invariant attribute thinnings is presented, and an example of an application is shown.
A Text Mining Approach to Support Intraday Financial Decision-Making

Developing forecasting models for estimating the behavior of capital markets is one of the most challenging tasks in financial decision support system research. Besides time series models, artificial neural network approaches and genetic algorithms, text mining technologies represent a promising approach to support financial decision-making. In this paper, the authors address the problem field of predicting stock price movements shortly after the publication of company-specific news. Incorporating the findings of current financial research, a two-stage text mining classification approach to forecast short term intraday stock price movements is presented. Intraday event study analyses have detected significantly different intraday stock price reactions within news sub-classes. Therefore, a forecasting approach is presented that aims at identifying those news sub-classes for which most significant price reactions can be expected. Moreover, the advantage of local classifiers over global classifiers for the most relevant sub-class identified is highlighted.
REH2C Helicase and GRBC Subcomplexes May Base Pair through mRNA and Small Guide RNA in Kinetoplastid Editosomes*

Mitochondrial mRNAs in Trypanosoma brucei undergo extensive insertion and deletion of uridylates that are catalyzed by the RNA editing core complex (RECC) and directed by hundreds of small guide RNAs (gRNAs) that base pair with mRNA. RECC is largely RNA-free, and accessory mitochondrial RNA-binding complex 1 (MRB1) variants serve as scaffolds for the assembly of mRNA-gRNA hybrids and RECC. However, the molecular steps that create higher-order holoenzymes (“editosomes”) are unknown. Previously, we identified an RNA editing helicase 2-associated subcomplex (REH2C) and showed that REH2 binds RNA. Here we showed that REH2C is an mRNA-associated ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) subcomplex with editing substrates, intermediates, and products. We isolated this mRNP from mitochondria lacking gRNA-bound RNP (gRNP) subcomplexes and identified REH2-associated cofactors 1 and 2 (H2F1 and H2F2). H2F1 is an octa-zinc finger protein required for mRNP-gRNP docking, pre-mRNA and RECC loading, and RNP formation with a short synthetic RNA duplex. REH2 and other eukaryotic DEAH/RHA-type helicases share a conserved regulatory C-terminal domain cluster that includes an oligonucleotide-binding fold. Recombinant REH2 and H2F1 constructs associate in a purified complex in vitro. We propose a model of stepwise editosome assembly that entails controlled docking of mRNP and gRNP modules via specific base pairing between their respective mRNA and gRNA cargo and regulatory REH2 and H2F1 subunits of the novel mRNP that may control specificity checkpoints in the editing pathway.
Conceptual Database Evolution Through Learning in Object Databases

Changes to the conceptual structure (meta-data) of a database are common in many application environments and are in general inadequately supported by existing database systems. An approach to supporting such meta-data evolution in a simple, extensible, object database environment is presented. Machine learning techniques are the basis for a cooperative user/system database design and evolution methodology. An experimental end-user database evolution tool based on this approach has been designed and implemented. >
OFDM-CDM with V-BLAST detection and its extension to MIMO systems

In this paper, we propose the use of vertical Bell Labs layered space-time (V-BLAST) decision for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing code division multiplexing (OFDM-CDM) systems. Considering the properties of the V-BLAST detection as well as the frequency diversity from CDM, we propose a new CDM transform matrix to improve the performance of V-BLAST detection of OFDM-CDM signals. The V-BLAST detection of OFDM-CDM signals is also applied in multiple antenna systems. Simulation results show that we can achieve significant performance improvement using the V-BLAST detection scheme and the proposed CDM transform matrix for OFDM-CDM systems.
Lower specific infectivity of protease-resistant prion protein generated in cell-free reactions

Prions are unconventional infectious agents that cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases, or prion diseases. The biochemical nature of the prion infectious agent remains unclear. Previously, using a protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) reaction, infectivity and disease-associated protease-resistant prion protein (PrPres) were both generated under cell-free conditions, which supported a nonviral hypothesis for the agent. However, these studies lacked comparative quantitation of both infectivity titers and PrPres, which is important both for biological comparison with in vivo-derived infectivity and for excluding contamination to explain the results. Here during four to eight rounds of PMCA, end-point dilution titrations detected a >320-fold increase in infectivity versus that in controls. These results provide strong support for the hypothesis that the agent of prion infectivity is not a virus. PMCA-generated samples caused the same clinical disease and neuropathology with the same rapid incubation period as the input brain-derived scrapie samples, providing no evidence for generation of a new strain in PMCA. However, the ratio of the infectivity titer to the amount of PrPres (specific infectivity) was much lower in PMCA versus brain-derived samples, suggesting the possibility that a substantial portion of PrPres generated in PMCA might be noninfectious.
Distance dependency and minimum amino acid alphabets for decoy scoring potentials

The validity and accuracy of a proposed tertiary structure of a protein can be assessed in several ways. Scoring such a structure by a knowledge‐based potential is a well‐known approach in molecular biophysics, an important task in structure prediction and refinement, and a key step in several experiments on protein structures. Although several parameterizations for such models have been derived over the course of time, improvements in accuracy by explicitly using continuous distance information have not been suggested yet. We close this methodological gap by formulating the parameterization of a protein structure model as a linear program. Optimization of the parameters was performed using amino acid distances calculated for the residues in topology rich 2830 protein structures. We show the capability of our derived model to discriminate between native structures and decoys for a diverse set of proteins. In addition, we discuss the effect of reduced amino acid alphabets on the model. In contrast to studies focusing on binary contact schemes (without considering distance dependencies and proposing five symbols as optimal alphabet size), we find an accurate protein alphabet size to contain at least five symbols, preferably more, to assure a satisfactory fold recognition capability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The influence of auditory short-term memory on behavior problem development

The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of two subcomponents of auditory short-term memory on the developmental trajectories of behavior problems. The sample included 7,058 children from the NLSY79 – Children and Young Adult survey between the ages 5 and 14 years. Results suggested that anxious/depressed behavior increases during childhood and hyperactive and antisocial behavior problems decrease over the course of childhood. Children who scored higher on the Digit Span Backwards test demonstrated lower initial anxious/depressed, antisocial, and hyperactive behaviors, and children who scored higher on the Digit Span Forwards test demonstrated lower initial hyperactive behaviors. Some effects varied by sex; boys who scored higher on the Digit Span Forwards test decreased in antisocial behaviors at a slower rate than those who scored lower on the test. Thus, short-term memory associated with rehearsal mechanisms appears to influence initial levels of various problem behaviors for both males and females, while storage capacity influences initial hyperactive behavior for both males and females and the course of antisocial behavior in males.
Evaluating Callable and Putable Bonds: An Eigenfunction Expansion Approach

We propose an efficient method to evaluate callable and putable bonds under a wide class of interest rate models, including the popular short rate diffusion models, as well as their time changed versions with jumps. The method is based on the eigenfunction expansion of the pricing operator. Given the set of call and put dates, the callable and putable bond pricing function is the value function of a stochastic game with stopping times. Under some technical conditions, it is shown to have an eigenfunction expansion in eigenfunctions of the pricing operator with the expansion coefficients determined through a backward recursion. For popular short rate diffusion models, such as CIR, Vasicek, 3/2, the method is orders of magnitude faster than the alternative approaches in the literature. In contrast to the alternative approaches in the literature that have so far been limited to diffusions, the method is equally applicable to short rate jump–diffusion and pure jump models constructed from diffusion models by Bochner's subordination with a Levy subordinator.