Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dust: Real-Time Code Offloading System for Wearable Computing

Runtime performance seriously bothers application developers and users for wearable devices such as Apple Watch and Google Glass. To ease such pains, one approach is to transplant the computation to the cloud, known as cloud offloading. This paradigm works well when the Internet is accessible. Another solution, known as device-to-device(D2D) offloading,is to utilize nearby devices for computation offloading. In this paper, propose the Dust, a D2D code offloading prototype for wearable computing. To our best knowledge, Dust is the first code offloading system for wearable computing with an implementation on Google Glass. Dust includes a programmer friendly framework based on Java annotation, a lightweight offloading service, and a runtime task scheduler to make offloading decisions. Extensive experiments demonstrate that Dust achieves real-time performance with speedup of 6.1X.
Which test to use to measure the anticoagulant effect of rivaroxaban: the prothrombin time test

Rivaroxaban, administered without dose adjustment based on laboratory testing, has proved to be effective and safe for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism and for the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in atrial fibrillation [1]. However, accumulating evidence suggests that some sort of laboratory measurement may be useful to guide clinicians in special situations, including: patients on treatment presenting to emergency departments with hemorrhagic or thrombotic events; screening to ensure that the drug has been removed from circulation prior to surgery or invasive procedures; patients with chronic renal insufficiency, to ensure that the drug is not being accumulated because of reduced clearance; patients taking other drugs, to unravel possible drug–drug interactions; and patients with low body weight [2]. In those conditions, the plasma concentration of rivaroxaban can be measured by means of HPLC and allied methods [3]. However, it is debatable whether reporting (molar) concentrations of anticoagulant drugs may help clinicians: it could be argued that, owing to the variable interaction between the drug and the plasma milieu, and the variable baseline procoagulant activity of individual patients, the circulating drug might be present at a high concentration, but have little anticoagulant effect. Hence, measurement of the anticoagulant activity by means of clotting tests is warranted, and for rivaroxaban this may be achieved (among other methods) by means of the prothrombin time (PT) test or measurement of the anti-factor Xa activity [2]. All in all, I believe that the PT is more suitable than the anti-FXa assay, and this article is aimed at discussing the reasons. Although one may list numerous reasons that influence the decision on the choice of the test to be used, I will focus on the following.
Availability of load to provide frequency response in the great Britain power system

Control of the grid connected load in a power system is an effective means of contributing to the grid frequency control that is conventionally provided by frequency sensitive generation. The availability of domestic refrigerator and industrial bitumen tank load to provide frequency response services was investigated. The time of a day that the load is available to provide frequency response without interfering with its inherent function was measured through field investigations by Open Energi. Based on the measured periods of availability, the number of frequency responsive loads to be aggregated for frequency response over a day was estimated. Decentralised dynamic controllers were then developed which enable loads to vary their power consumption in proportion to the variation of grid frequency. The availability of the dynamically controlled refrigerator and bitumen tank load for frequency response was modelled. Variation of the availability during a severe frequency incident was simulated. The results showed that the aggregated loads were able to provide dynamic response to grid frequency continuously and repetitively over a day.
Combining ratings and item descriptions in recommendation systems using fuzzy fingerprints

Memory-based Collaborative filtering solutions are dominant in the Recommendation Systems domain, due to their low implementation effort and service maintenance, when compared to Model-based approaches. Memory-based systems often rely on similarity metrics to compute similarities between items (or users) using ratings, in what is often named neighbor-based Collaborative filtering. This paper applies Fuzzy Fingerprints to create a novel similarity metric. In it, the Fuzzy Fingerprint of each item is described with a ranking of users ratings, combined with words obtained from the items' description. This allows the presented similarity metric to use fewer neighbors than other well-known metrics such as Cosine similarity or Pearson Correlation. Our proposal is able to reduce RMSE by at least 0.030 and improve NDCG@10 by at least 0.017 when compared with the best baseline here presented.
Derivation and Analysis of Simplified Filters for Complex Dynamical Systems

Filtering is concerned with the sequential estimation of the state, and uncertainties, of a Markovian system, given noisy observations. It is particularly difficult to achieve accurate filtering in complex dynamical systems, such as those arising in turbulence, in which effective low-dimensional representation of the desired probability distribution is challenging. Nonetheless recent advances have shown considerable success in filtering based on certain carefully chosen simplifications of the underlying system, which allow closed form filters. This leads to filtering algorithms with significant, but judiciously chosen, model error. The purpose of this article is to analyze the effectiveness of these simplified filters, and to suggest modifications of them which lead to improved filtering in certain time-scale regimes. We employ a Markov switching process for the true signal underlying the data, rather than working with a fully resolved DNS PDE model. Such Markov switching models haven been demonstrated to provide an excellent surrogate test-bed for the turbulent bursting phenomena which make filtering of complex physical models, such as those arising in atmospheric sciences, so challenging.
The role of pre-SMA for time-critical speech perception - A transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study

The pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) is engaged in speech comprehension under difficult circumstances such as poor acoustic signal quality, cognitive load, or time-critical conditions. Previous studies found left pre-SMA activated when subjects listen to accelerated speech. Here we tested the functional role of the pre-SMA for accelerated speech comprehension by inducing a transient “virtual lesion” using continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS). Participants were tested (1) prior to (pre-baseline), (2) 10 min after (test condition for the cTBS effect), and (3) 60 min after stimulation (post-baseline) using a sentence repetition task (formant-synthesized at rates of 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 syllables/s). Speech comprehension was quantified by the percentage of syllables in correctly reproduced words. For high speech rates, subjects showed decreased performance in the test conditions as compared to the baselines. This transient suppression of speech comprehension indicates that pre-SMA contributes to time-critical encoding of phonetic-linguistic information.
Short Communications: First tracking of individual American Robins (Turdus migratorius) across seasons

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is one of the most widespread, common bird species in North America; yet, very little is known about its migratory connectivity, migration timing, and migratory routes. Using archival GPS tags, we tracked the movements of 7 individual robins from 3 breeding populations in the United States. Four robins captured in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, overwintered in Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Montana, up to 4,500 km from the capture location. One robin captured in Amherst, Massachusetts, overwintered in South Carolina 1,210 km from the capture location, whereas 2 robins captured in Washington, D.C., spent the entire year within 6 km of their original capture location. Understanding the annual cycle and differences in migration strategies for a species that exhibits large regional variation in movement has the potential to provide novel insights into how conspecific populations respond to current and future heterogeneity in climate and habitat. The regionspecific patterns presented here suggest robins could serve as sentinels of environmental change at a continental scale. Received 24 July 2018. Accepted 21 September 2018.
Analysis of interconnect crosstalk defect coverage of test sets

This paper addresses the problem of evaluating the effectiveness of test sets to detect crosstalk defects in interconnects of deep sub-micron circuits. The fast and accurate estimation technique will enable: (a) evaluation of different existing tests, like functional, scan, logic BIST, and delay tests, for effective testing of crosstalk defects in interconnects, and (b) development of crosstalk tests if the existing tests are not sufficient, thereby minimizing the cost of interconnect testing. Based on a covering relationship we establish between transition tests in detecting crosstalk defects, we develop an abstract crosstalk fault model for circuit interconnects. Based on this fault model, and the covering relationship, we develop a fast and efficient method to estimate the fault coverage of any general test set. We also develop a simulation-based technique to calculate the probability of occurrence of the defects corresponding to each fault, which enables the fault coverage analysis technique to produce accurate estimates of the actual crosstalk defect coverage of a given test set. The crosstalk test and fault properties, as well as the accuracy of the proposed crosstalk coverage analysis techniques, have been validated through extensive simulation experiments. The experiments also demonstrate that the proposed crosstalk techniques are orders of magnitude faster than the alternative method of SPICE-level simulation. Finally, we demonstrate the practical applicability of the proposed fault coverage analysis technique by using it to evaluate the crosstalk fault coverage of logic BIST tests for the buses in a DSP core.
Eyebrows and eyeglasses as soft biometrics using deep learning

Occlusion due to eyeglasses is one of the main challenges affecting the face and general ocular recognition, including eyebrow matching. In this study, the authors propose a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based method for (a) eyeglasses detection and segmentation to mitigate its impact on personal recognition in mobile devices and (b) use the shape of the glasses as a soft token of identity (something that one has). They evaluated the efficacy of the proposed eyeglasses segmentation on eyebrow matching and eyeglasses-based user authentication. To this front, various texture and deep features were evaluated. Using the publicly available large-scale visible ocular biometric dataset, they show that the proposed methods provide (a) eyeglasses detection and segmentation accuracies of 100 and 97% using CNNs, (b) a 2.51% reduction in eyebrow matching error by removing eyeglass occlusions and (c) eyeglasses matching with a 96.6% accuracy.
Daily crosswords improve verbal fluency: a brief intervention study

Phonemic verbal fluency (PVF) is a cognitive function that involves serial processes termed clustering and switching and which is impacted in both normal aging and dementia. The cognitive reserve hypothesis suggests that appropriate cognitive stimulation could maintain or improve cognitive performance. This study examines the effect on PVF performance of a brief crossword‐based intervention in a cognitively normal, community‐based sample.
A Magnetometer Array Study in Southern Australia

Summary The first magnetometer array study in Australia was in operation in the second half of I970 across the central southern part of the continent. Twenty-five three-component magnetometers simultaneously recorded disturbance fields of magnetic storms and substorms, in addition to the quiet daily variation. Curious anomalous effects were observed which showed partial consistency for horizontal fields of given polarization. Transfer functions were computed for the stations and these indicate, to first order, a long curved conductor running approximately north-south through the array and a second, more resistive conductor running eastwest to the north of the array. Other structures are also present. The north-south conductor, which runs close to the Flinders Ranges, may represent a feature important in the continental tectonics of Australia. 1. Observations Studies with two-dimensional arrays of three-component recording magnetometers enable transient induced electric currents and, by inference, electrically conductive regions to be mapped and to some extent interpreted in terms of conductive structure. Quantitative interpretation involves non-linear three-dimensional inversion and is very difficult, though appreciable progress has been made in some cases (Gough 1973). Structure in the electrical conductivity is of interest largely because this parameter is linked to temperature: anomalously hot regions of the upper mantle are highly conducting; conducting regions may be at high temperature. In parts of the western United States a correspondence between electrical conductivity, heat flow and seismic propagation parameters has been demonstrated (Reitzel et al. 1970; Porath & Gough 1971; Sass et al. 1971; Roy, Blackwell & Decker 1972; Hales & Doyle 1967). The location of the first magnetometer array study in Australia was chosen on two hypotheses. The first was that eastern and specially south-eastern Australia is tectonically more active than the shield of west Australia and might have higher temperatures in the underlying upper mantle. The second hypothesis was that the Flinders Ranges (Fig. 1) might constitute a surface expression of the boundary between these regions. The first hypothesis has considerable support from heat flows, which are near 2 HFU (pcal cmm2 s-l) at many sites in the south-east but typically nearer 1 HFU in the western shield (Jaeger 1970); from seismicity, which is generally higher in the south-east than in the west of the continent (Doyle, Everingham & Sutton 1968); from geological evidence of recent vulcanism in the south-east (Gill 1967); and from geochronology, which indicates ages less than 400 My in the southeast and Precambrian ages in the west (Brown, Campbell & Crook 1968). The second hypothesis was much less secure than the first. There was no evidence to indicate where the tectonic boundary, required by the first hypothesis, might be;
A parametric model for long‐term follow‐up data from phase III breast cancer clinical trials

We propose a parametric version of a univariate gamma frailty model. The proposed model is shown to be flexible enough to model long‐term follow‐up survival data from breast cancer clinical trials when the treatment effect diminishes as time progresses, a case for which neither the proportional hazards nor proportional odds assumptions are satisfied. The observed information matrix is computed to evaluate the variances of parameter estimates. A simple parametric test statistic to test proportional odds assumption is also constructed. The model is applied to a data set from a phase III clinical trial on breast cancer. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TLR4 Is a Negative Regulator in Noninfectious Lung Inflammation

Low m.w. hyaluronan (LMW HA) has been shown to elicit the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in various cells in vitro. However, the effects of this molecule in vivo are unknown. In this study, we report that intratracheal administration of LMW HA (200 kDa) causes inflammation in mouse lung. A lack of TLR4 is associated with even stronger inflammatory response in the lung as shown by increased neutrophil counts and elevated cytokine and chemokine concentrations. We also demonstrate that TLR4 anti-inflammatory signaling is dependent upon a MyD88-independent pathway. TLR4-mediated IL-1R antagonist production plays a negative regulatory role in LMW HA (200 kDa) induced lung inflammation. These data provide a molecular level explanation for the function of TLR4 in LMW HA (200 kDa)-induced lung inflammation, as inhibition of the β form of pro–IL-1 promotes an anti-inflammatory response.
The Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX): A test-bed for developing urban greenhouse gas emission measurements

The objective of the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX) is to develop, evaluate and improve methods for measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cities. INFLUX’s scientific objectives are to quantify CO2 and CH4 emission rates at 1 km resolution with a 10% or better accuracy and precision, to determine whole-city emissions with similar skill, and to achieve high (weekly or finer) temporal resolution at both spatial resolutions. The experiment employs atmospheric GHG measurements from both towers and aircraft, atmospheric transport observations and models, and activity-based inventory products to quantify urban GHG emissions. Multiple, independent methods for estimating urban emissions are a central facet of our experimental design. INFLUX was initiated in 2010 and measurements and analyses are ongoing. To date we have quantified urban atmospheric GHG enhancements using aircraft and towers with measurements collected over multiple years, and have estimated whole-city CO2 and CH4 emissions using aircraft and tower GHG measurements, and inventory methods. Significant differences exist across methods; these differences have not yet been resolved; research to reduce uncertainties and reconcile these differences is underway. Sectorally- and spatially-resolved flux estimates, and detection of changes of fluxes over time, are also active research topics. Major challenges include developing methods for distinguishing anthropogenic from biogenic CO2 fluxes, improving our ability to interpret atmospheric GHG measurements close to urban GHG sources and across a broader range of atmospheric stability conditions, and quantifying uncertainties in inventory data products. INFLUX data and tools are intended to serve as an open resource and test bed for future investigations. Well-documented, public archival of data and methods is under development in support of this objective.
Investigation of the potentialities of Vertical Resistive RAM (VRRAM) for neuromorphic applications

Combining Resistive RAM concept with Vertical NAND technology and design, Vertical RRAM (VRRAM) was recently proposed as a cost-effective and extensible technology for future mass data storage applications [1]. 3D RRAM based neural networks were also proposed to emulate the potentiation and depression of a synapse [2], but more complex circuits were not discussed. In previous works [3-4], various RRAM based neuromorphic circuits were proposed and investigated, using planar devices.
C-4 modified sialosides enhance binding to Siglec-2 (CD22): towards potent Siglec inhibitors for immunoglycotherapy.

The regulatory functions of Siglecs (sialic acid binding immunoglobulin-like lectins) in the immune system provide opportunities for innovative therapeutic strategies for a wide range of immunological disorders or cancer (immunoglycotherapy). Siglec-2 (CD22), as a consequence of its pivotal role in B cell activation, has become an attractive target for therapies of autoimmune diseases and B cell-derived nonHodgkin s lymphoma (NHL). NHL is among the ten most common cancers with over 20000 deaths in 2010 for the US alone. Siglec-2 binds with high preference to a(2,6)-linked sialic acids (Sia), such as Neu5Aca(2,6)lactosamine (Scheme 1). Neu5Aca2Me (1) interacts with Siglec-2 mainly through 1) the negative charge on its carboxylate group, 2) the C-5 N-acetamido substituent, and 3) the glycerol side chain. Furthermore, replacement of the C-9 hydroxy group by an amino group did not interfere with binding to Siglecs. Crystallographic studies on Siglec-1 (sialoadhesin, Sn) demonstrated that acylation of this amino group enhances the overall affinity of the ligand for Siglecs by two to three orders of magnitude. The first breakthrough in the development of potent Siglec-2 inhibitors was the design of 9biphenylcarboxamido Neu5Aca2Me (9-BPC-Neu5Aca2Me, 2) which has a more than two orders of magnitude higher affinity to Siglec-2 than 1, and 2 has demonstrated potential to modulate signal transduction in B cells. Furthermore, based on 2, compounds were developed, which kill B cell lymphoma cells. Structural studies and modifications of the C-5 N-acyl substituent and the C-2 aglycon moiety of Nacetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) have led to further improvement in affinity. Herein we report, for the first time the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a novel class of disubstituted Neu5Ac derivatives that is modified at the C-4 and C-9 positions of 1. Our structure-based design approach resulted in a promising novel lead compound 9-biphenylcarboxamido-4-m-nitrophenylcarboxamido-4,9-dideoxy Neu5Aca2Me (9-BPC-4mNPC-Neu5Aca2Me, 6b) that has sub-micromolar affinity for Siglec-2 and may provide a pathway for immunoglycotherapy strategies. An evaluation of our homology model (see Supporting Information) for Siglec-2 and other Siglecs led us to hypothesize that substituents at C-4 may provide additional interactions. To address this hypothesis we posed the following questions: 1) Can C-4 substituents enhance the interaction with Siglecs? 2) Do they interact specifically with the protein? 3) Do C-4 and C-9 modifications act synergistically? 4) Do the C-4 modified Neu5Ac derivatives bind to the same binding site as other Sia, such as 1?
Eating Habits and Behaviors, Physical Activity, Nutritional and Food Safety Knowledge and Beliefs in an Adolescent Italian Population

Objective: The present study evaluates eating habits and behaviors, and nutritional and food safety knowledge of a group of Italian adolescents. Design: A dietary questionnaire previously constructed and tested was self-administered during school time. Each section was evaluated using a separate score. Setting: The study was carried out as a part of a nutritional surveillance project in the Aosta Valley Region, Northern Italy. Subjects: Five hundred and thirty-two adolescent subjects, aged 15.4 ± 0.7 years, attending the second year of secondary schools participated in the study. Measures: We evaluated eating habits, physical activity, meaning of healthy and unhealthy dietary habits and food, self-efficacy, barriers affecting healthy food choices, nutritional and food safety, weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI). Results: Only 37.0% of the sample have satisfactory eating habits; 18.5% have a very active lifestyle; only 8.6% have quite good nutritional knowledge, 2.4% have satisfactory food safety knowledge, although 43.7% have good hygiene practices. Conclusions: The results point out unhealthy behaviors influencing adolescents’ eating habits and suggest which of these must be considered in order to develop tailored nutrition interventions, improving adolescents’ consciousness aimed at adopting a healthy lifestyle.