Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits Rotenone-Induced Apoptosis via Preservation of Mitochondrial Function

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been proposed as a novel neuromodulator, which plays critical roles in the central nervous system affecting both neurons and glial cells. However, its relationship with neurodegenerative diseases is unexplored. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of H2S on cell injury induced by rotenone, a commonly used toxin in establishing in vivo and in vitro Parkinson's disease (PD) models, in human-derived dopaminergic neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y). We report here that sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), an H2S donor, concentration-dependently suppressed rotenone-induced cellular injury and apoptotic cell death. NaHS also prevented rotenone-induced p38- and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation and rotenone-mediated changes in Bcl-2/Bax levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) dissipation, cytochrome c release, caspase-9/3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Furthermore, 5-hydroxydecanoate, a selective blocker of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channel, attenuated the protective effects of NaHS against rotenone-induced cell apoptosis. Thus, we demonstrated for the first time that H2S inhibited rotenone-induced cell apoptosis via regulation of mitoKATP channel/p38- and JNK-MAPK pathway. Our data suggest that H2S may have potential therapeutic value for neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD.
Under consideration for publication in Formal Aspects of Computing Incremental Bounded Model Checking for Embedded Software 1

Program analysis is on the brink of mainstream usage in embedded systems development. Formal verification of behavioural requirements, finding runtime errors and test case generation are some of the most common applications of automated verification tools based on Bounded Model Checking (BMC). Existing industrial tools for embedded software use an off-the-shelf Bounded Model Checker and apply it iteratively to verify the program with an increasing number of unwindings. This approach unnecessarily wastes time repeating work that has already been done and fails to exploit the power of incremental SAT solving. This article reports on the extension of the software model checker CBMC to support incremental BMC and its successful integration with the industrial embedded software verification tool BTC EMBEDDEDTESTER. We present an extensive evaluation over large industrial embedded programs, mainly from the automotive industry. We show that incremental BMC cuts runtimes by one order of magnitude in comparison to the standard non-incremental approach, enabling the application of formal verification to large and complex embedded software. We furthermore report promising results on analysing programs with arbitrary loop structure using incremental BMC, demonstrating its applicability and potential to verify general software beyond the embedded domain.
Frequency-domain analysis of linear time-periodic systems

In this paper, we study convergence of truncated representations of the frequency-response operator of a linear time-periodic system. The frequency-response operator is frequently called the harmonic transfer function. We introduce the concepts of input, output, and skew roll-off. These concepts are related to the decay rates of elements in the harmonic transfer function. A system with high input and output roll-off may be well approximated by a low-dimensional matrix function. A system with high skew roll-off may be represented by an operator with only few diagonals. Furthermore, the roll-off rates are shown to be determined by certain properties of Taylor and Fourier expansions of the periodic systems. Finally, we clarify the connections between the different methods for computing the harmonic transfer function that are suggested in the literature.
Prevention of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized acutely ill medical patients: focus on the clinical utility of (low-dose) fondaparinux

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication among acutely ill medical patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure, acute respiratory insufficiency, rheumatologic disorders, and acute infectious and/or inflammatory diseases. Based on robust data from randomized controlled studies and meta-analyses showing a reduced incidence of VTE by 40% to about 60% with pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis, prevention of VTE with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), unfractionated heparin (UFH), or fondaparinux is currently recommended in all at-risk hospitalized acutely ill medical patients. In patients who are bleeding or are at high risk for major bleeding, mechanical prophylaxis with graduated compression stockings or intermittent pneumatic compression may be suggested. Thromboprophylaxis is generally continued for 6 to 14 days or for the duration of hospitalization. Selected cases could benefit from extended thromboprophylaxis beyond this period, although the risk of major bleeding remains a concern, and additional studies are needed to identify patients who may benefit from prolonged prophylaxis. For hospitalized acutely ill medical patients with renal insufficiency, a low dose (1.5 mg once daily) of fondaparinux or prophylactic LMWH subcutaneously appears to have a safe profile, although proper evaluation in randomized studies is lacking. The evidence on the use of prophylaxis for VTE in this latter group of patients, as well as in those at higher risk of bleeding complications, such as patients with thrombocytopenia, remains scarce. For critically ill patients hospitalized in intensive care units with no contraindications, LMWH or UFH are recommended, with frequent and careful assessment of the risk of bleeding. In this review, we discuss the evidence for use of thromboprophylaxis for VTE in acutely ill hospitalized medical patients, with a focus on (low-dose) fondaparinux.
A Low-Power Low-Cost 24 GHz RFID Tag With a C-Flash Based Embedded Memory

The key factor in widespread adoption of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is tag cost minimization. This paper presents the first low-cost, ultra-low power, passive RFID tag, fully integrated on a single substrate in a standard CMOS process. The system combines a 24 GHz, dual on-chip antenna, RF front-end, and a C-Flash based, rewritable, non-volatile memory module to achieve full on-chip system integration. The complete system was designed and fabricated in the TowerJazz 0.18 μm CMOS technology without any additional mask adders. By embedding the RF, memory, and digital components together upon a single substrate in a standard digital process, the low-cost aspirations of the “5-cent RFID tag” become feasible. Design considerations, analysis, circuit implementations, and measurement results are presented. The entire system was fabricated on a 3.6 mm × 1.6 mm (6.9 mm2) die with the integrated antennas comprising 82% of the silicon area. The total read power was measured to be 13.2 μW, which is sufficiently supplied by the on-chip energy harvesting unit.
Optimizing Self-Consolidating Concrete with Limestone Filler by using Statistical Factorial Design Methods

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is typically proportioned with relatively high contents of cementitious materials and chemical admixtures, leading to relatively high material costs. Such costs can be tolerated in high-value-added applications, especially if cost savings can be realized from using SCC. However, efforts are still needed to reduce material costs for SCC to gain wider acceptance in a variety of applications. In addition to proper material selection and sound mixture proportioning, incorporation of readily available fillers can enable reduction in cement and admixture contents, leading to savings in costs. This paper presents results from an experimental program in which response surface methods were employed to optimize a 4-component concrete containing limestone filler subject to 8 performance criteria.
Inferring Barriers of Urban City Using Mobile Phone Record

The ubiquitous mobile technology has enabled the sense of massive information of the mega population in urban areas through an efficient way. Deep analysis of huge CDR (Call Detail Record) data can help to uncover the pattern and nature of the human mobility or city dynamics. In this paper, we conduct our experiments with trajectories of millions of mobile phone subscribers. Through the exploration of the spatial pattern of caller, we study the call flow between two consecutive places where the phone call event happens and discover calling habits in most phone users. The result of our experiment reveals that the barriers or gaps of mobile communication do exist in urban city and it fits well with the landscape. It is shown that mobile call record can support and complement a wide range of studies from urban planning to traffic management.
Community collectivization and its association with consistent condom use and STI treatment-seeking behaviors among female sex workers and high-risk men who have sex with men/transgenders in Andhra Pradesh, India

We examine community collectivization among female sex workers (FSWs) and high-risk men who have sex with men and transgenders (HR-MSM) following several years of HIV prevention programming with these populations, and its association with selected outcome indicators measuring individual behaviors (condom use with different partners and sexually transmitted infection [STI] treatment-seeking from government health facilities). Data for this study were collected from a large-scale cross-sectional survey conducted in 2010–2011 among FSWs (sample size: 3557) and HR-MSM (sample size: 2399) in Andhra Pradesh, India. We measured collectivization among FSWs in terms of three binary (low, high) indices of collective efficacy, collective agency, and collective action. Collectivization among HR-MSM was measured by participation in a public event (no, yes), and a binary (low, high) index of collective efficacy. Adjusted odds ratios (adjusted OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to assess the relationships between collectivization and outcome indicators directly and through mediation of variables such as self-efficacy for condom use and utilization of government health facilities. Results show that among FSWs, high levels of collective efficacy (adjusted OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1–1.7) and collective action (adjusted OR:1.3, 95% CI: 1.1–1.8) were associated with consistent condom use (CCU) with regular clients. Among HR-MSM, participation in a public event (adjusted OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 2.0–3.6) and collective efficacy (adjusted OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.5–2.3) were correlated with condom use with paying partners. The association between collectivization and outcome indicators continued to be significant in most cases even after adjusting for the potential mediators. Indicators of collectivization exhibited significant positive association with self-efficacy for condom use and service utilization from government health facilities among both FSWs and HR-MSM. The association of high levels of collectivization with CCU, STI treatment-seeking from government health facilities, ability to negotiate for condom use, and self-efficacy in utilizing government health facilities is relevant to effort to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of HIV prevention programs in India and beyond.
Automatic Parametrisation for an Image Completion Method Based on Markov Random Fields

Recently, a new exemplar-based method for image completion, texture synthesis and image inpainting was proposed which uses a discrete global optimization strategy based on Markov random fields. Its main advantage lies in the use of priority belief propagation and dynamic label pruning to reduce the computational cost of standard belief propagation while producing high quality results. However, one of the drawbacks of the method is its use of a heuristically chosen parameter set. In this paper, a method for automatically determining the parameters for the belief propagation and dynamic label pruning steps is presented. The method is based on an information theoretic approach making use of the entropy of the image patches and the distribution of pairwise node potentials. A number of image completion results are shown demonstrating the effectiveness of our method.
Robust 3D Face Recognition by Using Shape Filtering

Achieving high accuracy in the presence of expression variation remains one of the most challenging aspects of 3D face recognition. In this paper, we propose a novel recognition approach for robust and efficient matching. The framework is based on shape processing filters that divide face into three components according to its frequency spectral. Low-frequency band mainly corresponds to expression changes. High-frequency band represents noise. Mid-frequency band is selected for expression-invariant feature which contains most of the discriminative personal-specific deformation information. By using shape filter, it offers a dramatic performance improvement for both accuracy and robustness. We conduct extensive experiments on FRGC v2 databases to verify the efficacy of the proposed algorithm, and validate the above claims.
An Algebra for Assessing Trust in Certification Chains

Open networks allow users to communicate without any prior arrangements such as contractual agreement or organisation membership. However, the very nature of open networks makes authenticity difficult to verify. We show tha t authentication can not be based on public key certificates alone, but also needs to include the binding between the key used for certification and it’s owner, as well as the trust relationships between users. We develop a simple algebra around these elements and describe how it can be used to compute measures of authenticity.
Nanofabricated Devices based on Intrinsically Layered Correlated Electron Materials

Keywords: bilayer manganite ; La1.4Sr1. 6Mn2O7 (LSMO) ; micro-fabrication ; electrical transport measurement ; magnetoresistance effect ; finite element simulation ; magnetoelectric Cu2OSeO3 ; magnetoelectric susceptibility These Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne EPFL, n° 5682 (2013)Programme doctoral PhysiqueFaculte des sciences de baseInstitut de physique de la matiere condenseeLaboratoire de magnetisme quantiqueJury: M.Q. Tran (president), H. Brune, C. Renner, I. Zivkovic Public defense: 2013-2-27 Reference doi:10.5075/epfl-thesis-5682Print copy in library catalog Record created on 2013-02-20, modified on 2017-05-12
An Account of a Participation to the 2007 General Game Playing Competition

We describe the participation of our program to the 2007 General Game Playing Tournament. It finished at the third place of the qualifying tournament. After an informal description of General Game Playing and of its Game Description Language, we present in details the structure of our player as it participated to the qualifying phase of the tournament. We then present the context of this phase of the tournament and analyze the performance of our program. Finally, we present the way it was modified to participate in the final phase and give a qualitative assessment of its playing strength.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF UPRISING TURBULENT FLOW BY 2D RANS FOR FLUIDIZED-BED CONDITIONS

2D RANS (Reynolds Average Navier Stokes) equations are used for numerical modeling of uprising particulate (gas-solid particle) turbulent flow in conditions of fluidized beds. The two-fluid model approach was used in giving numerical simulations. The flow domain is a round pipe with diameter of 1 m and height of 6 m (a real industrial object). The flow of mean velocity 4 m/s carries solid particles (material density 2000 kg/m; sizes of 0.3, 1 and 1.5 mm) with mass flow ratio 10 kg/kg. The mathematical model pertains to gravitational and viscous drag forces, Magnus and Saffman lift forces, effects of inter-particle collisions as well as particle interaction with the wall, effect of turbulence modulation (turbulence enhancement) at particles’ presence. The fluidized-bed conditions consider that flow conditions were set for high-temperature flow, density of the carrier fluid 0.329 kg/m, and kinematic viscosity 1.55·10 m/s. The results are presented in the form of distribution of axial and radial velocity components of gaseous and solid phases, particle mass concentration and kinetic turbulent energy along the flow height at the flow exit (highest downstream position) and in the middle cross-section (intermediate position) in order to observe development of particulate flow. As shown by the results, the 2D RANS model qualitatively and quantitatively describes the real-time distribution of flow in a real flow domain, i.e. the model covers reasonable physical phenomena occurring in fluidized-bed conditions.
MindFinder: interactive sketch-based image search on millions of images

In this paper, we showcase the MindFinder system, which is an interactive sketch-based image search engine. Different from existing work, most of which is limited to a small scale database or only enables single modality input, MindFinder is a sketch-based multimodal search engine for million-level database. It enables users to sketch major curves of the target image in their mind, and also supports tagging and coloring operations to better express their search intentions. Owning to a friendly interface, our system supports multiple actions, which help users to flexibly design their queries. After each operation, top returned images are updated in real time, based on which users could interactively refine their initial thoughts until ideal images are returned. The novelty of the MindFinder system includes the following two aspects: 1) A multimodal searching scheme is proposed to retrieve images which meet users' requirements not only in structure, but also in semantic meaning and color tone. 2) An indexing framework is designed to make MindFinder scalable in terms of database size, memory cost, and response time. By scaling up the database to more than two million images, MindFinder not only helps users to easily present whatever they are imagining, but also has the potential to retrieve the most desired images in their mind.
Design of a single chip block coder for the EBCOT engine in JPEG2000

The main challenge in the VLSI design of an efficient JPEG2000 hardware is the block coder (BC) engine for the embedded block coding with optimised truncation (EBCOT). In this paper, we present the VLSI design of a BC system that can process 21 mega pixels per second. For the bit plane coder (BPC), we employ a concurrent symbol processing (CSP) algorithm to process of all 4 sample locations within a stripe-column in a single clock cycle during a pass. The BPC produces on average, 1.21 context data (CxD) pairs per clock cycle. In addition, we have designed an arithmetic coder (AC) that processes 2 CxDs/clock cycle. To allow for an efficient coupling of the proposed BPC and AC modules, we also propose a novel architecture for an intermediate buffer. The BC chip implemented on TSMC 0.18 /spl mu/m technology, occupies an area of 1.6 mm/sup 2/, with an equivalent gate count of 95,000, that includes 24576 memory bits. It runs at a clock frequency of 100 MHz. Its high processing throughput is the highest ever reported for a JPEG2000 BC engine capable of handling both normal and causal modes of operation.
Grossesse et substances psychoactives : étude de prévalence de la consommation déclarée Pregnancy and psychoactives substances : Prevalence study based on the declared consumption

a CNRS UMR 8136, Inserm U611, société Cesames, centre de recherche psychotropes, santé mentale, université Paris-Descartes, 45, rue des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris cedex 06, France b Groupe d’études grossesse et addictions, service de néonatologie, hôpital Louis-Mourier, Assistance publique—Hôpitaux de Paris, 178, rue des Renouillers, 92701 Colombes cedex, France c Service de gynécologie—obstétrique, hôpital Louis-Mourier, AP—HP, Colombes cedex, France
An Architecture Framework for Facilitating Sustainability in Open Service Ecosystems

The passage from monolithic, product driven business models to networked and service-based business has given raise to the emergence of service ecosystems. A service ecosystem is a socio-technical complex system that enables service-based collaboration between entities such as enterprises, institutions or individuals. Contemporary service ecosystems are established and managed typically in an ad~hoc -- manner and are lacking in support for ecosystem sustainability. This paper presents the Service Ecosystem Architecture Framework which facilitates sustainability of service ecosystems by supporting activities and addressing concerns of ecosystem stakeholders. The framework provides means for design and analysis of service ecosystems. Conceptual completeness of the architecture framework is validated by modelling a modern open service ecosystem. Applicability of the architecture framework is demonstrated with respect to service ecosystem concerns.
β-Scorpion Toxin Modifies Gating Transitions in All Four Voltage Sensors of the Sodium Channel

Several naturally occurring polypeptide neurotoxins target specific sites on the voltage-gated sodium channels. Of these, the gating modifier toxins alter the behavior of the sodium channels by stabilizing transient intermediate states in the channel gating pathway. Here we have used an integrated approach that combines electrophysiological and spectroscopic measurements to determine the structural rearrangements modified by the β-scorpion toxin Ts1. Our data indicate that toxin binding to the channel is restricted to a single binding site on domain II voltage sensor. Analysis of Cole-Moore shifts suggests that the number of closed states in the activation sequence prior to channel opening is reduced in the presence of toxin. Measurements of charge–voltage relationships show that a fraction of the gating charge is immobilized in Ts1-modified channels. Interestingly, the charge–voltage relationship also shows an additional component at hyperpolarized potentials. Site-specific fluorescence measurements indicate that in presence of the toxin the voltage sensor of domain II remains trapped in the activated state. Furthermore, the binding of the toxin potentiates the activation of the other three voltage sensors of the sodium channel to more hyperpolarized potentials. These findings reveal how the binding of β-scorpion toxin modifies channel function and provides insight into early gating transitions of sodium channels.
SLAF-seq: An Efficient Method of Large-Scale De Novo SNP Discovery and Genotyping Using High-Throughput Sequencing

Large-scale genotyping plays an important role in genetic association studies. It has provided new opportunities for gene discovery, especially when combined with high-throughput sequencing technologies. Here, we report an efficient solution for large-scale genotyping. We call it specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). SLAF-seq technology has several distinguishing characteristics: i) deep sequencing to ensure genotyping accuracy; ii) reduced representation strategy to reduce sequencing costs; iii) pre-designed reduced representation scheme to optimize marker efficiency; and iv) double barcode system for large populations. In this study, we tested the efficiency of SLAF-seq on rice and soybean data. Both sets of results showed strong consistency between predicted and practical SLAFs and considerable genotyping accuracy. We also report the highest density genetic map yet created for any organism without a reference genome sequence, common carp in this case, using SLAF-seq data. We detected 50,530 high-quality SLAFs with 13,291 SNPs genotyped in 211 individual carp. The genetic map contained 5,885 markers with 0.68 cM intervals on average. A comparative genomics study between common carp genetic map and zebrafish genome sequence map showed high-quality SLAF-seq genotyping results. SLAF-seq provides a high-resolution strategy for large-scale genotyping and can be generally applicable to various species and populations.