Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mapping algorithms for MPSoC synthesis

With ever increasing complexity of modern embedded systems, Multiprocessor Systems on Chip have emerged as a tradeoff solution between traditional general purpose processor or DSP design, and implementation in custom hardware. Such systems are usually comprised out of various processing elements and their synthesis includes various partitioning, mapping and scheduling strategies with goal to optimize multiple constraints. Moreover, shortened time to market and rising software complexity calls for synthesis automation. Transaction Level Model (TLM) has evolved as the next level of abstraction for MPSoC synthesis because it enables high-speed synthesis and adequate accuracy. In this paper, we implemented a group of mapping algorithms for MPSoC synthesis in order to automate the overall design flow. As a case study, we evaluated described algorithms on a MPSoC platform using JPEG encoder application. Design is optimized for performance and results are discussed accordingly.
Transactivation of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Immediate-Early Gene Expression by Virion-Associated Factors Is Blocked by an Inhibitor of Cyclin-Dependent Protein Kinases

ABSTRACT Initiation of productive infection by human herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) requires cell cycle-dependent protein kinase (cdk) activity. Treatment of cells with inhibitors of cdks blocks HSV-1 replication and prevents accumulation of viral transcripts, including immediate-early (IE) transcripts (26). Inhibition of IE transcript accumulation suggests that virion proteins, such as VP16, require functional cdks to activate viral transcription. In this report, we show that a cdk inhibitor, Roscovitine, blocks VP16-dependent IE gene expression. In the presence of Roscovitine, the level of virion-induced activation of a transfected reporter gene (the gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) linked to the promoter-regulatory region of the ICP0 gene was reduced 40-fold relative to that of untreated samples. Roscovitine had little effect on the interaction of VP16 with VP16-responsive DNA sequences as measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. These data indicate that VP16-dependent activation of IE gene expression requires functional cdks and that this requirement is independent of the ability of VP16 to bind to DNA.
Rationalization and Student/School Personhood in U.S. College Admissions: The Rise of Test-optional Policies, 1987 to 2015

This article examines the rise of ‘‘test-optional’’ college admissions policies since the 1990s. I argue that the rationalization of college admissions policies after World War II contributed to the rise of ‘‘meritocratic’’ stratification (in policy) and standardized tests, like the SAT, but it also led to the expansion and legitimation of the roles of student and school personhood in the admissions process. Schools more committed to enlarged conceptions of student personhood are more likely to adopt a test-optional policy, in order to recruit students who fit the distinctive characteristics of their school identity. To test the argument, I use a comprehensive data set of 1,640 colleges and universities in the United States and discrete-time event history models from 1987 to 2015. I also assess alternative arguments that emphasize economic or prestige-driven motives. Liberal arts colleges and schools committed to several dimensions of student personhood are more likely to adopt test-optional policies, net of other factors.
Simulation of Water Environmental Capacity and Pollution Load Reduction Using QUAL2K for Water Environmental Management

In recent years, water quality degradation associated with rapid socio-economic development in the Taihu Lake Basin, China, has attracted increasing attention from both the public and the Chinese government. The primary sources of pollution in Taihu Lake are its inflow rivers and their tributaries. Effective water environmental management strategies need to be implemented in these rivers to improve the water quality of Taihu Lake, and to ensure sustainable development in the region. The aim of this study was to provide a basis for water environmental management decision-making. In this study, the QUAL2K model for river and stream water quality was applied to predict the water quality and environmental capacity of the Hongqi River, which is a polluted tributary in the Taihu Lake Basin. The model parameters were calibrated by trial and error until the simulated results agreed well with the observed data. The calibrated QUAL2K model was used to calculate the water environmental capacity of the Hongqi River, and the water environmental capacities of CODCr NH3-N, TN, and TP were 17.51 t, 1.52 t, 2.74 t and 0.37 t, respectively. The results showed that the NH3-N, TN, and TP pollution loads of the studied river need to be reduced by 50.96%, 44.11%, and 22.92%, respectively to satisfy the water quality objectives. Thus, additional water pollution control measures are needed to control and reduce the pollution loads in the Hongqi River watershed. The method applied in this study should provide a basis for water environmental management decision-making.
Illusory Correlations in Patient Stereotyping

Two experiments document one basis of patient stereotyping: the relative frequency of people’s contact with medical patients. Experiment 1 demonstrated that illusory correlations formed based on the infrequency of target patients and their non-cooperative behaviors. Participants read about two groups of patients with two similar diseases (labelled A and B). One group appeared less often than the other and performed fewer non-cooperative behaviors; however, the proportion of non-cooperative and cooperative behaviors was the same for both groups. Participants overestimated the number of non-cooperative behaviors performed by the infrequently appearing group, evaluated the group negatively and believed that these patients would be unlikely to cooperate in the future. Experiment 2 attempted to address the relationship between illusory correlations and memory for the infrequent group’s non-cooperative behaviors. Implications for how people perceive medical non-adherence in patients with stigmatized medical conditions were discussed.
Finite element model–based evaluation of tissue stress variations to fabricate corrective orthosis in feet with neutral subtalar joint

Background: The subtalar joint position during static stance is a crucial determinant of the peak plantar pressures and forms ideal reference point for any intervention in foot-related problems for leprosy-affected patients. Objectives: The study pursued the hypothesis through a three-dimensional model that stress will be minimal in the distal joints of the foot when the subtalar joint is in neutral static stance position. Study design: Finite element model. Methods: The computed tomography images of the feet for five patients suffering from Hansen’s disease having no muscle weakness and joint restriction were acquired. The gray intensities corresponding to the bones of the foot from the computed tomography images were three-dimensionally reconstructed. The three-dimensional model of the human foot, incorporating the realistic geometry, and the material properties of the hard tissues were then analyzed using a finite element solver for the stress distribution on bones of the foot. Results: The results demonstrate that the position of the calcaneum in the static stance position does contribute to the varying stress in the foot. Conclusion: The stresses in the bones of the foot are minimal while the subtalar is in neutral position; this position will be suitable for foot orthotic fabrication. Clinical relevance The clinicians, therapists, and podiatrists having less engineering skills can quickly assess the patient and get optimal results on the stress associated with the joints of the foot.
The monitoring role of otoacoustic emissions and oxidative stress markers in the protective effects of antioxidant administration in noise-exposed subjects: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND Oxidative stress has been recently identified as the pivotal pathway of cochlear damage. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) can discriminate normal subjects with a risk of damage induced by sound exposure, the effectiveness of OAEs in monitoring the protective effects of Coenzyme Q10 terclatrate (QTer), and the role of blood parameters in monitoring preventive therapies. MATERIAL/METHODS Twenty volunteers were randomized to two groups: the first (n=10) was treated with Q-Ter (200 mg orally once daily) for 7 days before noise exposure and the second group was treated with placebo using the same schedule. All participants were exposed to white noise of 90 dB HL for 15 minutes. DPOAEs and pure-tone audiometry (PTA) were measured before and 1 h, 16 h, and 7 and 21 days after exposure. Inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters were measured before and 2 and 24 h after exposure. RESULTS In the placebo group, DPOAE amplitudes were reduced 1 and 16 h after exposure compared with the baseline values (p<0.05). In the Q-Ter group, DPOAEs did not show any significant difference between baseline and post-exposure (p>0.1). PTA threshold values in the Q-Ter and placebo groups did not differ before and after exposure. No significantly different levels of the inflammatory markers were observed in the Q-Ter and placebo groups at the different time points. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study confirms that DPOAEs represent a sensitive test for monitoring the effects of noise in preclinical conditions and pharmacological treatment.
Cell Motility

Approximately 20 years have passed since the first isolation of tubulin, dynein and non-muscle actomyosin. During this period actomyosin, microtubule-dynein or microtubules plus other ATPases (kinesin) have been implicated in almost all cellular motile phenomena. A possible exception is that polymerization of actin in a preferred direction could be responsible for extending the leading edge of a fibroblast. We now tend to look for an explanation of a motile process in terms of the cross-bridge cycle or some variation on this general mechanism. It will be of considerable interest to determine whether the new system for organelle movement fits this concept. In spite of great progress in identifying the basis of motility, fundamental problems remain unsolved. The nature of the conformation change of actomyosin in the cross-bridge cycle is still unknown and the solution of this problem may require the determination of the three-dimensional structure of the actin-myosin-nucleotide complex. We are still at the stage of classifying proteins that bind to actin and microtubules. The control of the dynamic state of actin and the microtubules in the cell is still poorly understood. Recent studies give hope that it will be possible to understand the mechanism of mitosis, but the biochemical study of this problem has only just begun.
Women's Satisfaction with Their Mammography Experience: Results of a Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT Objective: Many steps in getting a mammogram may produce a less than satisfactory experience. Dissatisfaction with mammography could lead to lower routine mammography adherence. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative research methods to assess patient satisfaction with all stages of the mammography experience. Methods: Eleven focus groups were conducted with 103 women in rural (N=6) and urban (N=5) communities. Separate groups were held for African-American, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic women. Participants spoke English, were 40 years of age or older, had a mammogram within the past three years, and had no history of cancer. Transcripts were analyzed for major themes related to mammography satisfaction. Results: Participants described 39 variables that affected their mammography satisfaction that may be categorized into seven primary themes: (1) appointment scheduling, (2) facility, (3) general exam, (4) embarrassment, (5) exam discomfort/pain, (6) treatment by the technologist, and (7) reporting results. The most common issues voiced were convenience and ease of scheduling appointments and follow-up tests, waiting room time and comfort, treatment by technologists, pain, and results reporting procedure and timing. Conclusions: Satisfaction was not limited to the mammography procedure itself, but encompassed the entire experience from appointment scheduling to receipt of results and arranging follow-up. These findings indicated a variety of areas that mammography facilities might address to enhance mammography satisfaction.
Manual exploration of consistency (soft vs hard) and handedness in infants from 4 to 6 months old

In infants the developmental course of haptic perception is constrained by the development of attention to object properties and of the ability to execute various movements with the hands. The purpose of this study is to consider how infants, aged 4 to 6 months, become able to use their hands to assess qualities of objects such as consistency (softness vs hardness). The object that the infants explored was a cylinder, divided into four equal parts that were alternately hard and soft. It was tactually heterogeneous but visually homogeneous. Two aspects of exploration according to age, hand used, and consistency touched were considered: (1) the mode of exploration, contact, pressure, and tapping; and (2) the means of exploration, whole hand or fingers. The results show that infants adjust their movements to the quality of the object they are testing. That is, the infant varies the distribution of investigative and manipulative behaviours according to the nature of the specific object being explored. Pressure movements were the predominant exploratory procedures used for the soft parts, whereas passive contacts were the predominant movements for the hard parts. Concerning manual laterality, the results show that the left hand is used for touching objects (passive contact) more than the right one, whereas the right hand is used to press the soft parts and tap the hard parts more than the left hand.
Salamander occupancy in headwater stream networks

SUMMARY 1. Stream ecosystems exhibit a highly consistent dendritic geometry in which linear habitat units intersect to create a hierarchical network of connected branches. 2. Ecological and life history traits of species living in streams, such as the potential for overland movement, may interact with this architecture to shape patterns of occupancy and response to disturbance. Specifically, large-scale habitat alteration that fragments stream networks and reduces connectivity may reduce the probability a stream is occupied by sensitive species, such as stream salamanders. 3. We collected habitat occupancy data on four species of stream salamanders in first-order (i.e. headwater) streams in undeveloped and urbanised regions of the eastern U.S.A. We then used an information–theoretic approach to test alternative models of salamander occupancy based on a priori predictions of the effects of network configuration, region and salamander life history. 4. Across all four species, we found that streams connected to other first-order streams had higher occupancy than those flowing directly into larger streams and rivers. For three of the four species, occupancy was lower in the urbanised region than in the undeveloped region. 5. These results demonstrate that the spatial configuration of stream networks within protected areas affects the occurrences of stream salamander species. We strongly encourage preservation of network connections between first-order streams in conservation planning and management decisions that may affect stream species.
The Watchdog Role of Journalism: A Study on the Perception of Ethiopian Journalists

The Watchdog Role of Journalism: A Study on the perception of Ethiopian Journalists Befrdu Woldeamanuel Addis Ababa University, 2012 This study was an inquiry into the perception of Ethiopian journalists with regard to the watchdog role of journalism. In this regard, the researcher has employed Western model of journalism, Development model journalism and propaganda model as theoretical underpinnings to answer the designed research questions. To come up with a seeming finding, qualitative research methodology was employed with an individual in-depth interview and focus group discussion as instruments for data collection. Hence, using a purposive sampling, a total of six practicing journalists were interviewed in the in-depth interview category, of which two were editors-in-chief, the other two, deputy editors-inchiefs, one assistant editor and finally a producer. In the focus group discussion domain, six journalists were interviewed from one media house. The participants for the individual in-depth interview were also drawn from both government and private media institutions. In the findings, journalists from both individual and focus group fronts have the orientation toward watchdog journalism as the Western literature portrays it; „to be the public‟s eye in monitoring and exposing power abuse and misuse, maladministration, and corruption, to serve as a check and balance on the government or a fourth estate to monitor the three branches of government. ‟ Except one who learned it at school, the rest were informed about it through reading and actual practice. When it comes to our context, the government media has espoused development journalism, while the private media claimed to exercise watchdog journalism with all its challenges. At last, it was found out that since the practice of the Western model of journalism was not compatible to our situation, development journalism seems to be the available option that works in our condition. Moreover, it was also shown that watchdog journalism has a part to play in the realm of development journalism. Furthermore, it was suggested that the practice of watchdog journalism needs a redefinition in our context.
Flexible parametric joint modelling of longitudinal and survival data

The joint modelling of longitudinal and survival data is a highly active area of biostatistical research. The submodel for the longitudinal biomarker usually takes the form of a linear mixed effects model. We describe a flexible parametric approach for the survival submodel that models the log baseline cumulative hazard using restricted cubic splines. This approach overcomes limitations of standard parametric choices for the survival submodel, which can lack the flexibility to effectively capture the shape of the underlying hazard function. Numerical integration techniques, such as Gauss–Hermite quadrature, are usually required to evaluate both the cumulative hazard and the overall joint likelihood; however, by using a flexible parametric model, the cumulative hazard has an analytically tractable form, providing considerable computational benefits. We conduct an extensive simulation study to assess the proposed model, comparing it with a B‐spline formulation, illustrating insensitivity of parameter estimates to the baseline cumulative hazard function specification. Furthermore, we compare non‐adaptive and fully adaptive quadrature, showing the superiority of adaptive quadrature in evaluating the joint likelihood. We also describe a useful technique to simulate survival times from complex baseline hazard functions and illustrate the methods using an example data set investigating the association between longitudinal prothrombin index and survival of patients with liver cirrhosis, showing greater flexibility and improved stability with fewer parameters under the proposed model compared with the B‐spline approach. We provide user‐friendly Stata software. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficiency of Various Intestinal Bacteria in Assuming Normal Functions of Enteric Flora After Association with Germ-Free Mice

Strictly anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria were isolated from the intestinal tract of normal mice. Germ-free mice were associated with mixtures of varying complexity of pure cultures of these bacteria. The development of normal features in these animals was then determined on the basis of the following criteria: (i) size of the cecum, (ii) size of the Escherichia coli population in the cecum, (iii) histology of the intestinal tract, and (iv) development of a mucosa-associated flora in stomach and large intestine. Germ-free mice contaminated with cecal contents from conventional mice were used as controls to establish normal values for these parameters. Some strictly anaerobic bacteria could be implanted into germ-free mice only after prior implantation of an E. coli strain. E. coli was found in large numbers in stomach and cecum of mice monocontaminated with this organism. Use of restraining devices indicated that the E. coli population in the stomach was maintained by coprophagy and did not contribute significantly to the size of the cecal population. A mixture of 50 strictly anaerobic bacteria plus 80 facultative anaerobes rendered recipient animals normal with respect to the criteria tested. Other, less complex bacterial mixtures reduced the cecal size and the intestinal E. coli population to levels intermediate between those found in normal and germ-free mice. With all bacterial mixtures tested, the intestinal E. coli population decreased, if at all, within a period of about 10 days after introduction of other bacteria, and remained stable thereafter. This suggests that the intestinal E. coli population is controlled by a mechanism which reduces population size without affecting the growth rate.
Inpatient rehabilitation utilization for acute stroke under a universal health insurance system.

OBJECTIVE To explore the population-level utilization and factors associated with the use of inpatient stroke rehabilitation services under a single-payer government-based National Health Insurance (NHI) program in Taiwan. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study based on claims data. METHODS Inpatients with stroke were sampled from a nationally representative cohort of 200,000 NHI program enrollees. Multiple inpatient claims for individuals were merged to create a patient-level file; the first-ever admission was considered the index stroke. Proxy indicators to represent stroke severity, comorbidity, and complications were constructed. Predisposing, need, and enabling characteristics associated with rehabilitation use were explored. RESULTS Among 2639 identified patients with stroke from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2002, the overall inpatient rehabilitation utilization was 34.0% (33.0% for physical therapy, 19.6% for occupational therapy, and 5.3% for speech therapy). Stroke type and stroke severity were immediate causes of rehabilitation use. Except in neurology wards, rehabilitation use was unaffected by physician or facility characteristics. Among 898 patients receiving rehabilitation services, the median number of treatment sessions was 8 (interquartile range, 4-19), and the total rehabilitation costs were US $114.00 (interquartile range, $47.80-$258.30), with a mean (SD) length of stay of 22.2 (21.8) days. CONCLUSIONS In a setting in which ability to pay is neutralized, inpatient stroke rehabilitation service in this universal NHI program was equitable but inadequate relative to use elsewhere or estimated need. Less severe case mix and financial or human resources constraints might partially account for the low utilization. Further studies measuring stroke severity and functional status are needed to clarify the actual utilization, requirements, and cost-effectiveness of inpatient stroke rehabilitation services.