Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASIC and FPGA implementations of H.264 DCT and quantization blocks

In the search for ever better and faster video compression standards H.264 was created. With it arose the need for hardware acceleration of its very computationally intensive parts. To address this need, this paper proposes two sets of architectures for the integer discrete transform (DCT) and quantization blocks from H.264. The first set of architectures for the DCT and quantization were optimized for area, which resulted in transform and quantizer blocks that occupy 294 and 1749 gates respectively. The second set of speed optimized designs has a throughput anywhere from 11 to 2552 M pixels/s. All of the designs were synthesized for Xilinx Virtex 2-Pro and 0.18/spl mu/m TSMC CMOS technology, as well as the combined DCT and quantization blocks went through comprehensive place and route flow.
Involvement of the FtsH (HflB) protease in the activity of σ54 promoters

The effect of FtsH, an essential inner membrane‐bound protease, in the regulation of the σ54‐dependent Pu promoter has been examined in vivo. Escherichia coli cells lacking FtsH failed to activate a Pu–lacZ fusion in response to the cognate enhancer‐binding protein XylR. However, the intracellular concentrations of XylR and σ54, as well as their apparent physical integrity were the same regardless of the presence or absence of the protease. The loss of Pu activity in FtsH‐minus cells was not due to the imbalance between sigma factors caused by the lack of the protease. ftsH mutants could not grow in media with glutamine as the only nitrogen source and failed also to induce the σ54 promoters PnifH by NifA and PpspA by PspF. These lesions were fully complemented by a ftsH + plasmid. Therefore, part of the pleiotropic phenotype of FtsH‐less cells corresponded to the lack of σ54 activity. Overproduction of σ54, however, restored both transcriptional activity of Pu and growth in glutamine of a ftsH strain. These observations suggested that the activity of σ54 is checked in vivo by an interplay of factors that ultimately determine the performance of cognate promoters under given physiological conditions.
Children with sexual behavior problems and their caregivers: Demographics, functioning, and clinical patterns

This article is the first report from a 5-year demonstration project examining the comparative efficacy of specialized and traditional treatments with children who have exhibited sexual behavior problems. Baseline data concerning the demographics, psychological adjustment, and victimization and perpetration histories of 72 6 to 12-year-old children who have engaged in sexual misbehavior are reported in this article. Information regarding the caregivers and extended families of these children is also presented. The data clearly demonstrate that families of children with sexual behavior problems are marked by an array of characteristics indicative of parental and familial distress, including high rates of (1) violence between parents; (2) sexual victimization and perpetration with the extended family; (3) physical abuse of the children who have exhibited sexual behavior problems; (4) children who have witnessed violence between their parents; (5) parental arrest; (6) denial of responsibility for perpetration of sexual abuse by members of the extended family; (7) poverty; (8) special educational services; (9) prior therapy for children; and (10) clinical scores on behavioral rating instruments. In particular, several significant differences emerged between younger children (6–9 years) and older children (10–12). Younger children had (1) been sexually and physically abused at an earlier age; (2) been more likely to have witnessed physical violence between parents; (3) performed problematic sexual behaviors at an earlier age; (4) a higher annual rate of problematic sexual behaviors; (5) had a higher percentage of hands-on sexual behaviors; and (6) had higher scores on measures indicative of sexual behavior problems (e.g., Child Sexual Behavior Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist—Sexual Problems Subscale). Based on these data, treatment recommendations are made for families containing children with sexual behavior problems. Given the extensive data suggesting parental characteristics that could serve as mediating variables in the sexual behavior problems of their children, effective intervention requires the involvement of the children's caregivers. The comparative efficacy of specialized and traditional treatments for these families will be reported in subsequent articles.
Honeyguide: A VM migration-aware network topology for saving energy consumption in data center networks

Network elements consume 10-20% of the total power in data centers. Today's network elements are not energy-proportional and consume constant energy1 regardless of the traffic amounts. Thus, turning off unused network switches is the most efficient way of saving energy consumption of data center networks. This paper presents Honeyguide, an energy optimizer for data center networks that not only turns off inactive switches but also increases the number of inactive switches for energy-efficiency. To this end, Honeyguide combines two techniques: (1) virtual machine (VM) and traffic consolidation, and (2) a slight extension to existing tree-based topologies. Honeyguide has the following advantages. VM consolidation, which is gracefully combined with traffic consolidation, can handle severe requirements on fault tolerance. It can be introduced into existing data centers without replacing already-deployed tree-based topologies. Our simulation results demonstrate that Honeyguide can save more energy consumption of network elements than conventional VM migration schemes, and the savings are up to 7.8% in a fat tree with k = 12.
Laocoonte: An agent based Intrusion Detection System

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) based on autonomous agents are important security tools that provide protection to hosts and distributed networks. They can be considered critical systems since they can also be target of attacks. For this reason; An innovative IDS architecture, Laocoonte is proposed, its focus of attention is oriented towards its internal security in order to minimize any attack to the system. Laocoonte is a hierarchical system and it has different levels to perform event correlation, also provides central nodes which perform control functions, it also includes a particular scheme of software watermarking and fingerprinting.
Study of Aggregation Operators for Scheduling Clusters in Digital Images of Plants

In this paper, we use a segmentation method applied to the plants images analysis. The segmentation gives groups of pixels, and we propose to use merging operators to address the most relevant groups in order to improve the recognitions systems performance. In particular, we use an operator called Π fully reinforced. The experiments carried out show that the use of Π improves outcomes for structuring groups of pixels.
Coping Style in Adolescence

The present study compares the coping styles of adolescents in two different cultures. Two carefully equated samples, consisting of 353 German and 187 Israeli adolescents, aged 15 to 17 years, were investigated. Coping styles were defined by a matrix of 20 coping strategies applied across eight different developmental areas. Factor analysis revealed comparable dimensional structures of coping styles. Both German and Israeli adolescents most frequently employed functional forms of coping. The samples differed with respect to their relative emphasis on direct action and help-seeking behavior as compared to internal reflection of possible solutions. In both cultures withdrawal was not used very often. In addition, significant main effects for age and gender were found. Coping behavior among German adolescents was more influenced by situational demands, with pronounced approach-avoidance behavior. Their Israeli counterparts showed less variability in coping behavior across situations, laid greater stress on cognitive factors, and showed a striking decrease in overall coping behavior with increasing age. The discussion focuses on cultural universals and differences in coping behavior and considers the impact of environmental and historical conditions.
Critical issues in using data for decision‐making

Based on their experience of direct work with 16 principals in a midwest state in the USA, collaborative work with the state department of education and the major state‐level professional associations and universities in the same state, and other state‐level initiatives across the USA, the authors discuss eight critical issues concerning data‐informed decision‐making: (a) an overemphasis on achievement data based on standardized tests, (b) data ‘of’ learning vs ‘for’ learning, (c) the need to intersect student achievement data with other streams of data, (d) the need to improve the technological infrastructure for data analysis in school districts, (e) the politics of data, (f) the role of university teacher education and administrator preparation programs in the movement of data‐informed decision‐making, (g) the function and role of data in the educational process, and (h) the limitations of data‐informed decision‐making in improving the educational system.
Dynamic cycling of eIF2 through a large eIF2B-containing cytoplasmic body

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) provides a fundamental controlled point in the pathway of protein synthesis. eIF2B is the heteropentameric guanine nucleotide exchange factor that converts eIF2, from an inactive guanosine diphosphate–bound complex to eIF2-guanosine triphosphate. This reaction is controlled in response to a variety of cellular stresses to allow the rapid reprogramming of cellular gene expression. Here we demonstrate that in contrast to other translation initiation factors, eIF2B and eIF2 colocalize to a specific cytoplasmic locus. The dynamic nature of this locus is revealed through fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis. Indeed eIF2 shuttles into these foci whereas eIF2B remains largely resident. Three different strategies to decrease the guanine nucleotide exchange function of eIF2B all inhibit eIF2 shuttling into the foci. These results implicate a defined cytoplasmic center of eIF2B in the exchange of guanine nucleotides on the eIF2 translation initiation factor. A focused core of eIF2B guanine nucleotide exchange might allow either greater activity or control of this elementary conserved step in the translation pathway.
Planning shortest bounded-curvature paths for a class of nonholonomic vehicles among obstacles

This paper deals with the problem of planning a path for a robot vehicle amidst obstacles. The kinematics of the vehicle being considered are of the unicycle or car-like type, i.e. are subject to nonholonomic constraints. Moreover, the trajectories of the robot are supposed not to exceed a given bound on curvature, that incorporates physical limitations of the allowable minimum turning radius for the vehicle. The method presented in this paper attempts at extending Reeds and Shepp's results on shortest paths of bounded curvature in absence of obstacles, to the case where obstacles are present in the workspace. The method does not require explicit construction of the configuration space, nor employs a preliminary phase of holonomic trajectory planning. Successfull outcomes of the proposed technique are paths consisting of a simple composition of Reeds/Shepp paths that solve the problem. For a particular vehicle shape, the path provided by the method, if regular, is also the shortest feasible path. In its original version, however, the method may fail to find a path, even though one may exist. Most such empasses can be overcome by use of a few simple heuristics, discussed in the paper. Applications to both unicycle and car-like (bicycle) mobile robots of general shape are described and their performance and practicality discussed.
Siderophore protection against colicins M, B, V, and Ia in Escherichia coli

A variety of natural and synthetic siderophores capable of supporting the growth of Escherichia coli K-12 on iron-limited media also protect strain RW193+ (tonA+ ent-) from the killing action of colicins B, V, and Ia. Protective activity falls into two categories. The first, characteristic of enterobactin protection against colicin B and ferrichrome protection against colicin M, has properties of a specific receptor competition between the siderophore and the colicin. Thus, enterobactin specifically protects against colicin B in fes- mutants (able to accumulate but unable to utilize enterobactin) as predicted by our proposal that the colicin B receptor functions in the specific binding for uptake of enterobactin (Wayne and Neilands, 1975). Similarly ferrichrome specifically protects against colicin M in SidA mutants (defective in hydroxamate siderophore utilization). The second category of protective response, characteristic of the more general siderophore inhibition of colicins B, V, and Ia, requires the availability or metabolism of siderophore iron. Thus, enterobactin protects against colicins V and Ia, but only when the colicin indicator strain is fes+, and hydroxamate siderophores inhibit colicins B, V, and Ia, but only when the colicin indicator strain is SidA+. Moreover, ferrichrome inhibits colicins B, V, and Ia, yet chromium (III) deferriferrichrome is inactive, and ferrichrome itself does not prevent adsorption of colicin Ia receptor material in vitro. Although the nonspecific protection against colicins B, V, and Ia requires iron, the availability of siderophore iron for cell growth is not sufficient to bring about protection. None of the siderophores tested protect cells against the killing action of colicin E1 or K, or against the energy poisons azide, 2, 4-dinitrophenol, and carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. We suggest that nonspecific siderophore protection against colicins B, V, and Ia may be due either to an induction of membrane alterations in response to siderophore iron metabolism or to a direct interference by siderophore iron with some unknown step in colicin action subsequent to adsorption.
Critical thinking and critical appraisal: the chicken and the egg?

Having attended the first National Workshop on Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine (Oxford, 1995), one of us actually has the T-shirt declaring his critical appraisal credentials. But although trained in clinical epidemiology, both before and since the workshop, the same person continues daily to doubt his critical thinking skills. The profusion of mini-guides and short courses in Critical Appraisal and Evidence-Based Practice has enriched our curricula for over a decade,1 but perhaps basic skills of critical thought should take precedence in developing our day-to-day practice, which is rather less informed by the published evidence than we would care to admit. Although the term c ritical thinking was used in the General Medical Council's 1993 edition of Tomorrow's Doctors, it has now been dropped in favour of phrases such as: an ability ‘to gain, assess, apply and integrate new knowledge … ‘; or an ability ‘to integrate and critically evaluate evidence … ’ . 2 While a shift towards problem-based learning has occurred in some UK medical schools, the proof that such curricula can enhance critical thinking may be elusive.3 However, many of the contributions to the teaching of critical thinking have not come from medical schools, but rather from philosophy and psychology departments, and there are now regular International Conferences on Critical Thinking.4 Perhaps it is time to learn some lessons from the ‘professionals’. Below we describe a few local initiatives to promote critical thinking at an undergraduate and post-graduate level. We give a brief overview of some material covered in a one semester course (for third-year medical students), and briefly describe a few take-home messages that postgraduates have also found helpful. Space permits description of only a small selection of this material. To be human is to be fallible. Further, most of us prefer to expend the least …
Determination of GAB A Levels by a [3H]Muscimol Radioreceptor Assay

Abstract: A [3H]muscimol radioreceptor assay was used to measure the levels of GAB A in mouse brain. The method is based on the competitive inhibition of [3H]muscimol binding to the GABA receptor by GABA extracted from tissue. The specificity and accuracy of the method was established by comparative measurements of GABA levels by gas chromatography. GABA levels obtained by radioreceptor assay (R) and gas chromatography (GC) in different areas of mouse brain were (in μmol/g tissue ± S.E.M.): cerebral cortex 1.41 ± 0.06 (R), 1.50 ± 0.03 (GC); corpus striatum 1.70 ± 0.05 (R), 1.66 ± 0.01 (GC); cerebellum 1.15 ± 0.04 (R), 1.11 ± 0.07 (GC); hippocampus 1.35 ± 0.04 (R), 1.43 ± 0.04 (GC). The sensitivity of the assay was 5 pmol of GABA, which is sufficient to measure GABA levels in brain. The technique described is simple and rapid and it can be used for unpurified tissue extracts.
Behavior on the ward of personality-disordered inpatients and chronically psychotic inpatients during a three-year stay in a Dutch forensic psychiatric hospital

To gain insight into the behavior of a group of personality-disordered patients and a group of chronically psychotic patients during their stay in a Dutch forensic psychiatric hospital, data on these patients were collected biannually for seven years. Three aspects of the patients’ behavior were examined: the prediction of institutional behavior shortly after admission, changes in the patients’ behavior on the ward during their stay in hospital, and the prediction of these changes. In the personality-disordered patients, observed irritation/anger and aggressive behavior on the ward turned out to be positively related to psychopathy, the PCL-R lifestyle and antisocial facets, and the neuroticism domain. A positive relationship was also found between aggressive behavior on the ward and trait anger. In the chronically psychotic patients, a positive relationship was found between irritation/anger and the PCL-R interpersonal and lifestyle facet. During a stay of three years, the aggressive behavior of both patient subgroups, which was already low at the start, did not decrease further, but their prosocial behavior increased. In the personality-disordered patients, relatively high scores on the antisocial facet of the PCL-R indicated an increase in prosocial behavior, whereas in the chronically psychotic patients no relationship was found between any PCL-R facet and behavior change. Effect studies on treatment programs for forensic psychiatric inpatients have to contend with the problem of a low base rate of institutional aggression. Therefore, we advise that such studies focus not only on a decrease in negative behaviors but also on an increase in positive behaviors.
Scattered-pilot channel estimation for GFDM

This work presents the channel estimation for Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM). GFDM can be considered as a filtered bank multicarrier scheme, where a spectrally-contained pulse shaping is applied over each subcarrier to reduce out of band radiation (OOB). However, due to pulse shaping, subcarriers in GFDM are no longer orthogonal and there is inherent interference. Due to such interference, the channel estimation for GFDM is not trivial. In this work, two channel estimation methods for GFDM are proposed, 1) Pilot Interference Cancellation (Pilot-IC) where interference is pre-canceled only at pilot symbols, 2) Transmitter IC (Tx-IC) where interference is pre-cancelled at both data and pilot symbols. With scattered pilots over frequency and time grid, this allows frequency selective and time varying fading channels to be estimated, with reduced overhead. The simulation results show that these two methods can provide the same MSE performance. Moreover, the Pilot-IC pairing with a Zero Forcing (ZF) receiver, and the Tx-IC pairing with a simple Matched Filter (MF) receiver, also provide the same BER performance. Hence, it is possible to cancel the interference either at the transmitter or the receiver.
An Exploratory Investigation of Deception in Close Relationships

This study explores the form and function of deception in close relationships. Free response descriptions of situations involving the deception of a relational partner were obtained from 357 university students and other adults. Descriptions were coded for type of deceptive communication, antecedent condition, type of information and reasons given for being deceptive. Results indicated that falsification was the most frequently reported type of deceptive communication and avoiding hurt to partner was the most frequently reported specific reason for deception. Comparisons across types of relationship revealed that (1) married respondents reported proportionately more instances of omission and fewer instances of explicit falsification relative to other relationship types, (2) dating respondents reported proportionately more reasons focused on protecting their resources and avoiding stress/abuse from partner, (3) dating respondents reported proportionately more reasons focused on avoiding relational trauma/termination, and (4) married respondents reported proportionately more reasons focused on avoiding threats to partner's face/self-esteem. For the total sample, high ratings of relational satisfaction, closeness and perceived partner commitment were associated with the general category of partnerfocused reasons.
Analogical reasoning and aging: the processing speed and inhibition hypothesis

This study was designed to investigate the effect of aging on analogical reasoning by manipulating the strength of semantic association (LowAssoc or HighAssoc) and the number of distracters’ semantic analogies of the A:B::C:D type and to determine which factors might be responsible for the age-related differences on analogical reasoning by testing two different theoretical frameworks: the inhibition hypothesis and the speed mediation hypothesis. We compared young adults and two groups of aging people (old and old–old) with word analogies of the A:B::C:D format. Results indicate an age-related effect on analogical reasoning, this effect being greatest with LowAssoc analogies. It was not associated with the presence of semantic distractors. Moreover, the results show that the variance part of the analogy task due to age was mainly explained by processing speed (rather than by inhibition) in the case of old participants and by both processing speed and inhibition in the old–old group. These results are discussed in relation to current models of aging and their interaction with the processes involved in analogical reasoning.
Relay-Based Identification of a Class of Nonminimum Phase SISO Processes

A set of general expressions is derived from a single symmetrical relay feedback test for identification of a class of process transfer functions. Using these expressions the parameters of open loop stable nonminimum phase transfer function models may be obtained from simple measurements made on the limit cycle. For comparison, the conventional describing function based identification formulae are presented. Fourier series based curve fitting with the options of nonlinear least squares method and trust-region algorithm is used to measure limit cycle parameters in the presence of measurement noise. Examples are given to illustrate the value of the proposed method