Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Low-Overhead Timing Monitoring Technique for Variation-Tolerant Near-Threshold Digital Integrated Circuits

Near-threshold computing brings several times of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency of digital circuits. However, it also introduces several times of deteriorated delay variations caused by process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations. In situ timing monitoring-based adaptive techniques can mitigate excessive timing margins caused by PVT variations, but current frequency and/or voltage tuning methods cause large performance loss. In this paper, we propose a low overhead timing error prediction monitor and a super-fast clock stretching circuit to solve this problem. They are both optimized for near-threshold voltage of 0.5 V. When there are timing margins, the frequency will be increased. Until when the timing is intense due to variations, timing monitors will generate a predicted alarm signal. Accordingly, the system clock will be stretched immediately to avoid real timing errors. Applied on a 40-nm CMOS Bitcoin Miner chip, simulation results show that the whole system operating at near-threshold voltage can increase the frequency to up to $2.1\times $ compared with the original non-monitored circuit. Our method can increase the energy efficiency to mitigate near-threshold variations effectively.
Contingency allows the robot to spot the tutor and to learn from interaction

Aiming at artificial system learning from a human tutor elicit tutoring behavior, which we implemented on the robotic platform iCub. For the evaluation of the system with users, we considered a contingency module that is developed to elicit tutoring behavior, which we then evaluate by implementing this module on the robotic platform iCub and within an interaction with the users. For the evaluation of our system, we consider not only the participant's behavior but also the system's log-files as dependent variables (as it was suggested in [15] for the improvement of HRI design). We further applied Sequential Analysis as a qualitative method that provides micro-analytical insights into the sequential structure of the interaction. This way, we are able to investigate a closer interrelationship between robot's and tutor's actions and how they respond to each other. We focus on two cases: In the first case, the system module was reacting to the interaction partner appropriately; in the second case, the contingency module failed to spot the tutor. We found that the contingency module enables the robot to engage in an interaction with the human tutor who orients to the robot's conduct as appropriate and responsive. In contrast, when the robot did not engage in an appropriate responsive interaction, the tutor oriented more towards the object while gazing less at the robot.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Scheme for Grading the Gross Morphology of the Human Intervertebral Disc

A five-category grading scheme for assessing the gross morphology of midsagittal sections of the human lumbar intervertebral disc was developed. The ability of three observers to categorize a series of 68 discs with a wide spectrum of morphologies established the comprehensiveness of the classification. Three independent observers tested the reproducibility of the procedure by assignment of grades blindly to duplicate images of 68 discs taken from 15 spines. The intraobserver agreement ranged from 87 to 91%. The interobserver agreement was 61, 64, and 88% for the three pairs, the two low values being attributable to the bias of one observer. The agreement between the assigned and average grades was 85, 92, 68, 90, and 75% for Grades I through V, respectively. Except for Grade III, the disagreements were attributable mainly to the bias of one observer. Both the increase in the grade with age and the finding that all the discs within 14 of 15 spines had a narrow range of grades demonstrated the biologic credibility of the scheme.
Interstitial expression of heat‐shock protein 47 correlates with capillary deposition of complement split product C4d in chronic allograft nephropathy

Abstract: Background: Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN), associated with late‐allograft dysfunction is caused by alloantigen‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms, and eventually leads to interstitial fibrosis (ci). Activation of complement cascade is considered to be a poor prognostic marker of graft survival. This study was designed to examine the relationship between the expression of C4d and heat‐shock protein 47 (HSP47, a collagen‐specific chaperone) in the development of interstitial fibroproliferative lesions in CAN.
Brian Bonnyman, The Third Duke of Buccleuch and Adam Smith: Estate Management and Improvement in Enlightenment Scotland (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014), pp. 232, $69.95. ISBN 978-0-74864-200-7.

A frequent argumentative tactic is to pick up a word and explore/exploit its connotations. This can lead to some strained analyses (e.g., regarding “account” [p. 72]), though they provide a nice discussion of “saunter” (p. 341) from WN I,1. They set themselves to read closely (as over “sympathy” in the opening pages of Theory of Moral Sentiments [TMS] ), but this is not strictly adhered to (in this case they interpolate “will” when Smith does not use that term and which sends misleading interpretative signals). They have a tendency to wrench quotations from their context (especially when referring to Smith’s treatment of the Stoics [e.g., p. 53]—a discussion together with that on providence that I found unpersuasive—but also elsewhere [e.g., p. 225]). Given HM’s agenda, there are some odd omissions, such as the treatment of “justice” or the distinction drawn in LRBL between Aristotelian and Newtonian methodology. In a complex book, there is always scope for quibbles. I’ll mention one: they get Thomas Hobbes wrong on contract (pp. 211, 224). Their prose style is frequently turgid, and for my taste they are overfond of rhetorical questions and at crucial points they resort to the subjunctive mood (e.g., pp. 108, 122, 129). A strong positive feature is that there is a comprehensive and impressive list of references and citations to secondary literature. In sum, HM have produced a potentially interesting, and at times stimulating, argument but one that struggles to free itself from a carapace of prolixity and allusion.
Rice Stripe Tenuivirus NSvc2 Glycoproteins Targeted to the Golgi Body by the N-Terminal Transmembrane Domain and Adjacent Cytosolic 24 Amino Acids via the COP I- and COP II-Dependent Secretion Pathway

ABSTRACT The NSvc2 glycoproteins encoded by Rice stripe tenuivirus (RSV) share many characteristics common to the glycoproteins found among Bunyaviridae. Within this viral family, glycoproteins targeting to the Golgi apparatus play a pivotal role in the maturation of the enveloped spherical particles. RSV particles, however, adopt a long filamentous morphology. Recently, RSV NSvc2 glycoproteins were shown to localize exclusively to the ER in Sf9 insect cells. Here, we demonstrate that the amino-terminal NSvc2 (NSvc2-N) targets to the Golgi apparatus in Nicotiana benthamiana cells, whereas the carboxyl-terminal NSvc2 (NSvc2-C) accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Upon coexpression, NSvc2-N redirects NSvc2-C from the ER to the Golgi bodies. The NSvc2 glycoproteins move together with the Golgi stacks along the ER/actin network. The targeting of the NSvc2 glycoproteins to the Golgi bodies was strictly dependent on functional anterograde traffic out of the ER to the Golgi bodies or on a retrograde transport route from the Golgi apparatus. The analysis of truncated and chimeric NSvc2 proteins demonstrates that the Golgi targeting signal comprises amino acids 269 to 315 of NSvc2-N, encompassing the transmembrane domain and 24 adjacent amino acids in the cytosolic tail. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that the glycoproteins from an unenveloped Tenuivirus could target Golgi bodies in plant cells. IMPORTANCE NSvc2 glycoprotein encoded by unenveloped Rice stripe tenuivirus (RSV) share many characteristics in common with glycoprotein found among Bunyaviridae in which all members have membrane-enveloped sphere particle. Recently, RSV NSvc2 glycoproteins were shown to localize exclusively to the ER in Sf9 insect cells. In this study, we demonstrated that the RSV glycoproteins could target Golgi bodies in plant cells. The targeting of NSvc2 glycoproteins to the Golgi bodies was dependent on active COP II or COP I. The Golgi targeting signal was mapped to the 23-amino-acid transmembrane domain and the adjacent 24 amino acids of the cytosolic tail of the NSvc2-N. In light of the evidence from viruses in Bunyaviridae that targeting Golgi bodies is important for the viral particle assembly and vector transmission, we propose that targeting of RSV glycoproteins into Golgi bodies in plant cells represents a physiologically relevant mechanism in the maturation of RSV particle complex for insect vector transmission.
Lotus Root Extract Stimulates BDNF Gene Expression Through Potential Mechanism Depending on HO-1 Activity in C6 Glioma Cells

ABSTRACT Polyphenolic compounds have been suggested to be involved in the preservation of neural function via the production of neurotrophic factors in the brain. The nonedible joint part of lotus root (a rhizome of Nelumbo nucifera) has been reported to contain large amounts of polyphenolic compounds and, therefore, is expected to improve neural function by stimulating the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in glial cells. The effect of the aqueous extract prepared from the joint part of lotus root on BDNF gene expression was examined in C6 glioma cells as an in vitro model. This extract was shown to increase BDNF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels to the elevation of HO-1 mRNA levels in the glioma cells, but failed to cause the elevation of BDNF mRNA levels in the cells pretreated with a HO-1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) or an HO-1 enzyme inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP). These findings strongly suggest that the aqueous extract prepared from the nonedible joint part of lotus root might be able to stimulate BDNF gene expression by enhancing HO-1 activity in the glioma cells, proposing the possibility that the joint part of lotus root might potentially improve neural function through the stimulation of BDNF production in glial cells.
Biases of the wintertime Arctic Oscillation in CMIP5 models

Distinct biases are found in the pattern and teleconnections of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) in 32 climate models that participate the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Compared with observations, the Pacific (Atlantic) center of AO is excessively strong (weak) in most of the 32 CMIP5 models, and the AO-related surface air temperature anomalies are generally weak over the Eurasian continent and North America. These biases are closely tied to the excessively strong linkage, which is marginal in observations, between AO and the North Pacific mode (NPM)—the leading variability of the North Pacific sea level pressure. It implies that the AO in CMIP5 models may be compounded with some regional mode over the North Pacific. Accordingly, a bias-correction method was proposed via correcting the AO index (AOI) to improve the diagnostic estimates of the AO teleconnections. The results suggest that the biases in the pattern and teleconnections of AO can be significantly reduced when the NPM variability is linearly removed from the AOI.
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Day Surgery Procedure: Are We Prepared?

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for cholecystectomy is a well-established procedure and represents the next step in developing the concept of fast track surgery. This report describes our experience with SILS cholecystectomy in patients that stay overnight. Between February 2009 and July 2010, patients referred for cholecystectomy to the day surgery unit who agreed to undergo SILS were included in a prospective study. All operations were performed by the same surgical team specially trained in this type of surgery and the same operative technique was used in all cases. Postoperative pain and nausea were assessed using a 10-cm visual analogue scale on a self-completion questionnaire on the night of operation and the morning of discharge. A total of 107 patients (58% women, mean age 56 years) with symptomatic gallstones were included in the study. SILS was successfully performed in all patients and no patient required conversion to an open procedure. There were no significant differences in the median visual analogue scale for postoperative pain and nausea between the night of surgery and the next morning. The mean length of hospital stay was 23 hours, and 98 per cent of patients were satisfied with the results of surgery and would be willing to undergo the same procedure again. SILS cholecystectomy is a valid alternative to standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy as an outpatient surgery or overnight stay procedure. According to these promising results, SILS cholecystectomy could be included in a major ambulatory surgery program.
Sphingosine-1-Phosphate and Its Analogue FTY720 Diminish Acute Pulmonary Injury in Rats With Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis

Objective: To investigate the effects of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its analogue FTY720 on the lung injury induced by acute necrotizing pancreatitis in rats. Methods: Acute necrotizing pancreatitis was induced by retrogradely injection of 5% sodium taurocholate of biliopancreatic duct in rats. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (100 µg/kg) or FTY720 (1 mg/kg) was administered immediately after the model induction by peritoneal injection. Six hours after the model induction, bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentration, total cell count, polymorphonuclear neutrophil percentage, proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1&bgr;, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor &agr;), nuclear factor &kgr;B activation of alveolar macrophages, and lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were examined. Serum amylase and lipase were tested. In addition, histopathological changes of the pancreas and lung were observed. Results: Bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentration, total cell count, PMN percentage, proinflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor &kgr;B activation, lung capillary leakage, and lung myeloperoxidase were all reduced significantly in both S1P and FTY720 groups. The pulmonary pathological injury in both S1P and FTY720 groups was ameliorated obviously. Nevertheless, the serum amylase, lipase, and the pancreatic pathological damages were not decreased. Conclusions: Sphingosine-1-phosphate and its analogue FTY720 significantly decreased pulmonary inflammation and injury in a rat model of acute lung injury caused by acute necrotizing pancreatitis and may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the acute necrotizing pancreatitis-associated lung injury.
Failure To Differentiate Cryptosporidium parvum from C. meleagridis Based on PCR Amplification of Eight DNA Sequences

ABSTRACT In order to determine the specificities of PCR-based assays used for detecting Cryptosporidium parvum DNA, eight pairs of previously described PCR primers targeting six distinct regions of theCryptosporidium genome were evaluated for the detection ofC. parvum, the agent of human cryptosporidiosis, andC. muris, C. baileyi, and C. meleagridis, three Cryptosporidium species that infect birds or mammals but are not considered to be human pathogens. The four Cryptosporidium species were divided into two groups: C. parvum and C. meleagridis, which gave the same-sized fragments with all the reactions, and C. muris and C. baileyi, which gave positive results with primer pairs targeting the 18S rRNA gene only. In addition to being genetically similar at each of the eight loci analyzed by DNA amplification, C. parvum and C. meleagridiscouldn’t be differentiated even after restriction enzyme digestion of the PCR products obtained from three of the target genes. This study indicates that caution should be exercised in the interpretation of data from water sample analysis performed by these methods, since a positive result does not necessarily reflect a contamination by the human pathogen C. parvum.
New insight into the contributions of thermogenic processes and biogenic sources to the generation of organic compounds in hydrothermal fluids

Experiments on hydrothermal degradation of Pyrococcus abyssi biomass were conducted at elevated pressure (40 MPa) over a 200–450 °C temperature range in sapphire reaction cells. Few organic compounds could be detected in the 200 °C experiment. This lack was attributed to an incomplete degradation of P. abyssi cells. On the contrary, a wide range of soluble organic molecules were generated at temperatures ≥350 °C including toluene, styrene, C8–C16 alkyl‐benzenes, naphthalene, C11–C16 alkyl‐naphthalenes, even carbon number C12–C18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, C15–C18 alkyl‐phenanthrenes and C8:0–C16:0 n‐carboxylic acids. The effect of time on the final organic composition of the degraded P. abyssi solutions at 350 °C was also investigated. For that purpose the biomass was exposed for 10, 20, 60, 90, 270 and 720 min at 350 °C. We observed a similar effect of temperature and time on the chemical diversity obtained. In addition, temperature and time increased the degree of alkylation of alkyl‐benzenes. This study offers additional evidence that a portion of the aliphatic hydrocarbons present in the fluids from the Rainbow ultramafic‐hosted hydrothermal field may be abiogenic whereas a portion of the aromatic hydrocarbons and n‐carboxylic acids may have a biogenic origin. We suggest that aromatic hydrocarbons and linear fatty acids at the Rainbow site may be derived directly from thermogenic alteration of material from the sub‐seafloor biosphere. Yet we infer that the formation and dissolution of carboxylic acids in hydrothermal fluids may be controlled by other processes than in our experiments.
G2. Low pregestational fat mass and subsequent maternal cardiovascular maladaptation in early pregnancy. The missing link for preeclampsia

Abstract Introduction: Several studies have demonstrated the correlation between maternal obesity and pregnancy complications. Obese women seem to be at higher risk to develop late preeclampsia, which shows a more favorable perinatal outcome compared to the early form. The assessment of total vascular resistance (TVR) could play an additional role in the detection of these patients. Targets: To identify patients at higher risk of hypertensive complications through the assessment of pre-pregnancy maternal fat mass (FM) and TVR. Results: Patients were divided into two groups in the first trimester: group A with low TVR and group B with high TVR. Cardiac output, stroke volume and TVR were statistically different at preconceptional visit and during the first trimester. FM was the only bioimpedance parameter to be found significantly different, higher in group A (Table 1). In group A, it is possible to identify a subgroup with higher FM that could be at high risk of late preeclampsia difficultly recognizable throughout TVR and BMI (Figure 1). Figure 1. Correlation between FM/TVR. On the other side, a too low FM might negatively influence maternal adaptation to pregnancy. Conclusions: FM could represent a better marker of body composition and a target to monitor the effectiveness of dietary changes improving maternal and neonatal outcome.
Bartonella spp. in Feral Pigs, Southeastern United States

In conjunction with efforts to assess pathogen exposure in feral pigs from the southeastern United States, we amplified Bartonella henselae, B. koehlerae, and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii from blood samples. Feral pigs may represent a zoonotic risk for hunters or butchers and pose a potential threat to domesticated livestock.
Practical Control Structure and Energy Management of a Testbed Hybrid Electric Vehicle

The aim of this paper is to present the practical control structure (PCS) and energy management strategy of a testbed hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). This vehicle is equipped with batteries, a supercapacitor system, and a fuel cell system (FCS). The PCS, based on the energetic macroscopic representation methodology, is used to evaluate and compare the different energy management strategies to be implemented in the vehicle. This paper introduces a dynamic strategy to manage the energy in the hybrid electric vehicle; this strategy uses a fuzzy logic controller and considers the slow dynamics in the FCS, the vehicle speed, and the state of charge in the supercapacitors.
Zero-Leverage Puzzle: An International Comparison

Using a large sample of firms from developed and developing countries over the 1990 to 2010 period, we document evidence of zero-leverage firms around the world. Further, we find strong and robust evidence that in countries with high scores on Schwartz’s Conservatism and Mastery indices as well as high levels of trust, firms are more likely to employ a zero-leverage policy, after controlling for various firm- and country-level determinants of leverage. Finally, we find that firms with zero leverage have a lower cost of equity capital in countries where a zero-leverage policy is more compatible with the local culture.
Effects of peripherally administered corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and a CRF antagonist: does peripheral CRE activity mediate behavior of guinea pig pups during isolation?

Guinea pig pups vocalized and ambulated when first isolated in a test cage; at 1 and 24 hr, levels of these behaviors had waned, and pups frequently exhibited a crouched stance, eye-closing, and piloerection. Injection (s.c.) of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) prior to isolation diminished the initial vocalization and locomotor responses and induced pups to exhibit the crouched stance, eye-closing, and piloerection at the beginning of the isolation period. Pretreatment with a CRF-receptor antagonist reversed the behavioral effects of CRF. CRF had no effect on blood pressure. Thus, s.c. CRF produced the same behavioral profile as seen with the passage of time in untreated isolated pups. The behavioral effects appeared to be CRF-receptor-mediated events and were not secondary to hypotension. These results support the hypothesis that during prolonged isolation, high or sustained peripheral CRF activity modulates behavior.
Automatic Generation of Search-Based Algorithms Applied to the Feature Testing of Software Product Lines

The selection of products for the variability testing of Feature Models (FMs) is a complex task impacted by many factors. To solve this problem, Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) have been successfully used in the field known as Search-Based Software Engineering (SBSE). However, the design of a search-based approach is not an easy task for the software engineer, who can find some difficulties such as: the choice and configuration of the best MOEAs, the choice of the best search operators to be implemented, and so on. In addition to this, existing approaches are dependent on the problem domain and do not allow reuse. In this way the use of Hyper-Heuristic (HH) can help to obtain more generic and reusable search-based approaches, and because of this is considered a trend in the SBSE field. Following this trend and to contribute to reduce the software engineer's efforts, this work explores the use of a hyper-heuristic for automatic generation of MOEAs to select test products from the FM, considering three factors: pairwise coverage, mutation score and cost, given by the number of products. The HH is based on a grammar that represents the elements, parameters and components of existing MOEAs and implements evolutionary operators, such as crossover and mutation, suitable for selection problems. In this way, it can be reused for other similar software engineering problems. Evaluation results show that the proposed approach obtains results that are better or statistically equivalent than similar approaches found in the literature.