Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PMU-Events-Driven DVFS Techniques for Improving Energy Efficiency of Modern Processors

This paper describes the results of our measurement-based study, conducted on an Intel Core i7 processor running the SPEC CPU2017 benchmark suites, that evaluates the impact of dynamic voltage frequency scaling (DVFS) on performance (P), energy efficiency (EE), and their product (PxEE). The results indicate that the default DVFS-based power management techniques heavily favor performance, resulting in poor energy efficiency. To remedy this problem, we introduce, implement, and evaluate four DVFS-based power management techniques driven by the following metrics derived from the processor's performance monitoring unit: (i) the total pipeline slot stall ratio (FS-PS), (ii) the total cycle stall ratio (FS-TS), (iii) the total memory-related cycle stall ratio (FS-MS), and (iv) the number of last level cache misses per kilo instructions (FS-LLCM). The proposed techniques linearly map these metrics onto the available processor clock frequencies. The experimental evaluation results show that the proposed techniques significantly improve EE and PxEE metrics compared to the existing approaches. Specifically, EE improves from 44% to 92%, and PxEE improves from 31% to 48% when all the benchmarks are considered together. Furthermore, we find that the proposed techniques are particularly effective for a class of memory-intensive benchmarks – they improve EE from 121% to 183% and PxEE from 100% to 141%. Finally, we elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of each of the proposed techniques and offer recommendations on using them.
Compact Facial Landmark Layouts for Performance Capture

An abundance of older, as well as recent work exists at the intersection of computer vision and computer graphics on accurate estimation of dynamic facial landmarks with applications in facial animation, emotion recognition, and beyond. However, only a few publications exist that optimize the actual layout of facial landmarks to ensure an optimal trade‐off between compact layouts and detailed capturing. At the same time, we observe that applications like social games prefer simplicity and performance over detail to reduce the computational budget especially on mobile devices. Other common attributes of such applications are predefined low‐dimensional models to animate and a large, diverse user‐base. In contrast to existing methods that focus on creating person‐specific facial landmarks, we suggest to derive application‐specific facial landmarks. We formulate our optimization method on the widely adopted blendshape model. First, a score is defined suitable to compute a characteristic landmark for each blendshape. In a following step, we optimize a global function, which mimics merging of similar landmarks to one. The optimization is solved in less than a second using integer linear programming and guarantees a globally optimal solution to an NP‐hard problem. Our application‐specific approach is faster and fundamentally different to previous, actor‐specific methods. Resulting layouts are more similar to empirical layouts. Compared to empirical landmarks, our layouts require only a fraction of landmarks to achieve the same numerical error when reconstructing the animation from landmarks. The method is compared against previous work and tested on various blendshape models, representing a wide spectrum of applications.
Coupling 3D Liquid Simulation with 2D Wave Propagation for Large Scale Water Surface Animation Using the Equivalent Sources Method

This paper proposes a method for simulating liquids in large bodies of water by coupling together a water surface wave simulator with a 3D Navier‐Stokes simulator. The surface wave simulation uses the equivalent sources method (ESM) to efficiently animate large bodies of water with precisely controllable wave propagation behavior. The 3D liquid simulator animates complex non‐linear fluid behaviors like splashes and breaking waves using off‐the‐shelf simulators using FLIP or the level set method with semi‐Lagrangian advection.
Development of kawabata evaluation system-fabric(KES-F)

KES-F(Kawabata Evaluation System-Fabric)has been developed to KES FB-AUTO-A.Compared with the KES-FB,the newest KES FB-AUTO-A has many excellences.Its testing process is more automatic and convenient, its error of testing result is smaller, its calculation of the total hand value of fabric is faster and the purpose is more extensive. 
PIMA-CT: Physical Model-Aware Cyclic Simulation and Denoising for Ultra-Low-Dose CT Restoration

A body of studies has proposed to obtain high-quality images from low-dose and noisy Computed Tomography (CT) scans for radiation reduction. However, these studies are designed for population-level data without considering the variation in CT devices and individuals, limiting the current approaches' performance, especially for ultra-low-dose CT imaging. Here, we proposed PIMA-CT, a physical anthropomorphic phantom model integrating an unsupervised learning framework, using a novel deep learning technique called Cyclic Simulation and Denoising (CSD), to address these limitations. We first acquired paired low-dose and standard-dose CT scans of the phantom and then developed two generative neural networks: noise simulator and denoiser. The simulator extracts real low-dose noise and tissue features from two separate image spaces (e.g., low-dose phantom model scans and standard-dose patient scans) into a unified feature space. Meanwhile, the denoiser provides feedback to the simulator on the quality of the generated noise. In this way, the simulator and denoiser cyclically interact to optimize network learning and ease the denoiser to simultaneously remove noise and restore tissue features. We thoroughly evaluate our method for removing both real low-dose noise and Gaussian simulated low-dose noise. The results show that CSD outperforms one of the state-of-the-art denoising algorithms without using any labeled data (actual patients' low-dose CT scans) nor simulated low-dose CT scans. This study may shed light on incorporating physical models in medical imaging, especially for ultra-low level dose CT scans restoration.
Parallel Spinal Pathways for Transmitting Reflexive and Affective Dimensions of Nocifensive Behaviors Evoked by Selective Activation of the Mas-Related G Protein-Coupled Receptor D-Positive and Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1-Positive Subsets of Nociceptors

The high incidence of treatment-resistant pain calls for the urgent preclinical translation of new analgesics. Understanding the behavioral readout of pain in animals is crucial for efficacy evaluation when developing novel analgesics. Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor D-positive (Mrgprd+) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1-positive (TRPV1+) sensory neurons are two major non-overlapping subpopulations of C-fiber nociceptors. Their activation has been reported to provoke diverse nocifensive behaviors. However, what kind of behavior reliably represents subjectively conscious pain perception needs to be revisited. Here, we generated transgenic mice in which Mrgprd+ or TRPV1+ sensory neurons specifically express channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). Under physiological conditions, optogenetic activation of hindpaw Mrgprd+ afferents evoked reflexive behaviors (lifting, etc.), but failed to produce aversion. In contrast, TRPV1+ afferents activation evoked marked reflexive behaviors and affective responses (licking, etc.), as well as robust aversion. Under neuropathic pain conditions induced by spared nerve injury (SNI), affective behaviors and avoidance can be elicited by Mrgprd+ afferents excitation. Mechanistically, spinal cord-lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) projecting neurons in superficial layers (lamina I–IIo) were activated by TRPV1+ nociceptors in naïve conditions or by Mrgprd+ nociceptors after SNI, whereas only deep spinal cord neurons were activated by Mrgprd+ nociceptors in naïve conditions. Moreover, the excitatory inputs from Mrgprd+ afferents to neurons within inner lamina II (IIi) are partially gated under normal conditions. Altogether, we conclude that optogenetic activation of the adult Mrgprd+ nociceptors drives non-pain-like reflexive behaviors via the deep spinal cord pathway under physiological conditions and drives pain-like affective behaviors via superficial spinal cord pathway under pathological conditions. The distinct spinal pathway transmitting different forms of nocifensive behaviors provides different therapeutic targets. Moreover, this study appeals to the rational evaluation of preclinical analgesic efficacy by using comprehensive and suitable behavioral assays, as well as by assessing neural activity in the two distinct pathways.
The Effect of Whole-Body Traditional and Functional Resistance Training on CAVI and Its Association With Muscular Fitness in Untrained Young Men

Background: Resistance training-induced changes in the muscle function is essential for the health promotion of the young and older, but the discrepancies of the effect of resistance training on arterial stiffness leads to the divergence regarding to the effect of resistance training on cardiovascular health. What confuses our understanding in this field may be the following factors: external load (higher intensity vs. lighter intensity), participants’ cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness assessment measurement. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of the whole-body traditional high-intensity vs. functional low-intensity resistance training protocol on systemic arterial stiffness, and their association with muscular fitness components in untrained young men. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, twenty-nine untrained young men (mean age about 22.5 years old) were randomized into a 6-weeks (three sessions per week) supervised whole-body traditional high-intensity resistance group (TRT, n = 15) consisting of 4–5 sets of 12 repetitions (70%1RM, lower-repetitions) or a whole-body functional low-intensity resistance group (FRT, n = 14) with 4–5 sets of 20 repetitions (40%1RM, higher-repetitions) to volitional failure. The systemic arterial stiffness (cardio-ankle vascular index, CAVI) and muscular fitness components were assessed before and after the 6-weeks training program. Results: There was a significant decrease (pre-post) for CAVI only in FRT group (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed between two groups. In addition, the TRT and FRT groups showed equally significantly increased in maximal strength, muscular endurance and power (within group: both p < 0.01); however, the independent t test exhibited that the difference between two groups in terms of change in maximal strength, muscular endurance and power were no significant (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the reduction in CAVI was negatively correlated with the increase in 1RM of bench press for all participants (r = −0.490, p < 0.01). Conclusion:Using present criterion-standard assessments measurements demonstrates that CAVI was significantly reduced after 6-weeks functional resistance training with beneficial effect on muscular fitness. Negative and significant association between CAVI and 1RM bench press indicated the cardiovascular health may be involved in the regulation of resistance training.
Nanodrugs Targeting T Cells in Tumor Therapy

In contrast to conventional anti-tumor agents, nano-carriers allow co-delivery of distinct drugs in a cell type-specific manner. So far, many nanodrug-based immunotherapeutic approaches aim to target and kill tumor cells directly or to address antigen presenting cells (APC) like dendritic cells (DC) in order to elicit tumor antigen-specific T cell responses. Regulatory T cells (Treg) constitute a major obstacle in tumor therapy by inducing a pro-tolerogenic state in APC and inhibiting T cell activation and T effector cell activity. This review aims to summarize nanodrug-based strategies that aim to address and reprogram Treg to overcome their immunomodulatory activity and to revert the exhaustive state of T effector cells. Further, we will also discuss nano-carrier-based approaches to introduce tumor antigen-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) into T cells for CAR-T cell therapy which constitutes a complementary approach to DC-focused vaccination.
Effects of Skin Stimulation on Sensory-Motor Networks Excitability: Possible Implications for Physical Training in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Background Many different trials were assessed for rehabilitation of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with non-unique results. Beside the effects on muscle trophism, some of the encouraging results of physical training could be ascribed to the modulation of cortical excitability, which was found hyperexcited in ALS. Objective The effects of tactile skin stimulation in the modulation of the sensory-motor integrative networks in healthy subjects were assayed through the paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocol. Methods In total, 15 healthy subjects were enrolled. In the standard PAS session, the average amplitude of the motor evoked potential (MEP) after 10 stimuli of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was measured at the baseline and after the PAS protocol (0, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min). In the skin stimulation session, the average amplitude of the MEP was measured before and after 10 min of skin stimulation over the hand. Subsequently, each subject underwent the PAS stimulation and the measure of the average amplitude of the MEP (0, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min). Results The tactile skin stimulation on healthy subjects increases the PAS-induced sensory-motor network hyperexcitability in healthy subjects. Conclusion Skin stimulation should be avoided in the physiotherapeutic approaches for patients with ALS, given the possible hyperexciting effects on the already upmodulated sensory-motor networks. They can be taken into account for diseases characterized by downregulation of cortical and transcortical networks.
Exposure of Individuals in Europe to Air Pollution and Related Health Effects

Air pollutants, especially PM2.5 and NO2, are associated with adverse health impacts, as shown by numerous epidemiological studies. In these studies, the observed health impacts have been correlated with ambient concentrations, mainly taken from air pollution monitoring stations. However, individuals are harmed by the pollutants in the inhaled air at the places where they stay, and thus, the concentration of pollutants in the inhaled air is obviously a better indicator for health impacts than the ambient concentration at a monitoring station. Furthermore, the current method for estimating the occurrence of chronic diseases uses annual average concentrations as indicator. However, according to current hypotheses, chronic diseases, especially chronic mortality, develop through the exposure to pollutants over many years, maybe up to a full lifetime. Thus in this study, a methodology and a computer-aided probabilistic model system are described for calculating the exposure of a person to PM2.5 and NO2 over the whole lifetime where the person is characterized by attributes such as age, gender, place of residence and work as well as socioeconomic status. The model system contains a “life course trajectory model”, which estimates the course of the education and professional development for the past lifetime of a person, whose present socioeconomic status is known. Furthermore, a “time-activity model” estimates at which places (so-called micro-environments) a person with a certain socioeconomic status stayed and how long he stayed there within a certain year. The concentrations of air pollutants in indoor environments are calculated with a “mass-balance model”, the outdoor concentrations with “atmospheric models”. Finally, the results of these models are combined to estimate the annual average exposure for the life years of individuals and population subgroups. The exposure is then used to estimate and monetize health impacts. The exposures and health impacts for a number of population subgroups in Europe are presented. For instance, a European citizen, who was 70 years old in 2015, has been exposed to around 25 μg/m3 of PM2.5 during his lifetime above the age of 30, which is associated with a reduction of life expectancy of 13.4 days per year of exposure above 30.
Discrimination of Geographical Origin of Agricultural Products From Small-Scale Districts by Widely Targeted Metabolomics With a Case Study on Pinggu Peach

Geographical indications of agricultural products are characterized by high quality and regional attributes, while they are more likely to be counterfeited by similar products from nearby regions. Accurate discrimination of origin on small geographical scales is extremely important for geographical indications of agricultural products to avoid food fraud. In this study, a widely targeted metabolomics based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistical analysis was used to distinguish the geographical origin of Pinggu Peach of Beijing and its two surrounding areas in Heibei province (China). Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on 159 identified metabolites showed significant separation from Pinggu and the other adjacent regions. The number of the most important discriminant variables (VIP value >1) was up to 62, which contributed to the differentiation model. The results demonstrated that the metabolic fingerprinting combined with OPLS-DA could be successfully implemented to differentiate the geographical origin of peach from small-scale origins, thus providing technical support to further ensure the authenticity of geographical indication products. The greenness of the developed method was assessed using the Analytical GREEnness Metric Approach and Software (ARGEE) tool. It was a relatively green analytical method with room for improvement.
Recellularization of Bioengineered Scaffolds for Vascular Composite Allotransplantation

Traumatic injuries or cancer resection resulting in large volumetric soft tissue loss requires surgical reconstruction. Vascular composite allotransplantation (VCA) is an emerging reconstructive option that transfers multiple, complex tissues as a whole subunit from donor to recipient. Although promising, VCA is limited due to side effects of immunosuppression. Tissue-engineered scaffolds obtained by decellularization and recellularization hold great promise. Decellularization is a process that removes cellular materials while preserving the extracellular matrix architecture. Subsequent recellularization of these acellular scaffolds with recipient-specific cells can help circumvent adverse immune-mediated host responses and allow transplantation of allografts by reducing and possibly eliminating the need for immunosuppression. Recellularization of acellular tissue scaffolds is a technique that was first investigated and reported in whole organs. More recently, work has been performed to apply this technique to VCA. Additional work is needed to address barriers associated with tissue recellularization such as: cell type selection, cell distribution, and functionalization of the vasculature and musculature. These factors ultimately contribute to achieving tissue integration and viability following allotransplantation. The present work will review the current state-of-the-art in soft tissue scaffolds with specific emphasis on recellularization techniques. We will discuss biological and engineering process considerations, technical and scientific challenges, and the potential clinical impact of this technology to advance the field of VCA and reconstructive surgery.
Biodegraders of Large Woody Debris Across a Tidal Gradient in an Indonesian Mangrove Ecosystem

There has been limited research on the breakdown, recycling, and flux of carbon from large woody detritus (LWD) in mangrove forests. The breakdown of LWD is caused by guilds of terrestrial and marine biodegrading organisms that degrade wood at a range of rates and efficiencies. Spatial variations in environmental factors within mangroves affect the distribution and community of biodegrading organisms, which, in turn, impacts carbon flow and sequestration. We reveal the role of biodegrading organisms in LWD breakdown and the environmental factors that influence the distribution of biodegrading guilds within a mangrove forest in South East Sulawesi that supports a diversity of mangrove species typical of Indonesian mangrove forests, which constitute 20% of Global mangrove cover. Within the high intertidal regions, terrestrial biodegradation processes dominated upon LWD. After 12 months exposure on the forest floor, experimental wooden panels in these areas remained unchanged in mass and condition. In the low intertidal region, marine wood-boring animals belonging to the family Teredinidae were the dominant biodegraders of LWD, and their activity reduces LWD volume and speeds up the loss of LWD volume. More than 50% of the experimental wooden panels’ weight in these areas was lost after 12 months exposure on the forest floor. Although different biodegrading guilds occupy the same LWD niche, their distribution throughout the mangrove forest is influenced by inundation time. The change of biodegrading guilds within LWD between the terrestrial and the marine organisms was distinct, creating a biodegradation boundary in a distance as narrow as 1 m on the mangrove forest floor. These results are important, as rising sea levels have crucial implications for biodegrading guilds. A full understanding of factors affecting the biodegradation processes of LWD in mangrove forests is critical to accurately assess mangrove carbon stores and the fate of mangrove derived carbon.
Size-Dependent Interplay of Volume Exclusion Versus Soft Interactions: Cytochrome c in Macromolecular Crowded Environment

Graphical Abstract Even though there are a great number of possible conformational states, how a protein generated as a linear unfolded polypeptide efficiently folds into its physiologically active form remained a fascinating and unanswered enigma inside crowded conditions of cells. In this study, various spectroscopic techniques have been exploited to know and understand the effect and mechanism of action of two different sizes of polyethylene glycols, or PEGs (molecular mass ∼10 and ∼20 kilo Daltons, kDa), on cytochrome c (cyt c). The outcomes showed that small size of the PEG leads to perturbation of the protein structure, and conversely, large size of the PEG has stabilizing effect on cyt c. Moreover, binding measurements showed that small size of PEG interacts strongly via soft interactions compared to the larger size of PEG, the latter being governed more by excluded volume effect or preferential exclusion from the protein. Overall, this finding suggests that conformations of protein may be influenced in cellular crowded conditions via interactions which depend upon the size of molecule in the environment. This study proposes that both volume exclusion and soft (chemical) interactions governs the protein’s conformation and functional activities. The cellular environment’s internal architecture as evident from crowder size and shape in this study has a significant role.