Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aggregating a Large Number of Residential Appliances for Demand Response Applications

Current demand response (DR) programs focus on industrial consumers as they can provide a large magnitude of demand modification. In order to extend DR programs to the residential sector, aggregating service demands from a large number of residential consumers is necessary in order to achieve a sensible benefit to the power network. In this paper, we propose a methodology for residential demand aggregation, based on a multi-class queueing system. Each class represents demand blocks of a specific power level, time duration, and a service delay requirement. We use this model to minimize the cost of the appliances’ aggregated power consumption under day-ahead pricing. Using realistic appliances’ data, we show that the proposed framework achieves a cost reduction that is close to the best achievable one.
Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) scheme for multi-domains power management

The power of 3 different power domains is managed by continuous co-locking of voltage and clock, dynamically varying clock frequency and supply voltage level from 90 MHz to 200 MHz and from 1.0 V to 1.8 V, respectively. A test 3D-graphics SoC is divided into 3 power domains and their power are managed separately. The workload of each domain is the control parameter to each power management unit (PMU). It takes 0.45 mm2 with 0.18 um CMOS process and consumes 5 mW. Total SoC takes 17.2 mm2 and consumes 52.4 mW at full operation with triple domains power management.
The role of social class, ethnocultural adaptation, and masculinity ideology on Mexican American college men’s well-being.

Limited research has taken an intersectional approach in which masculinity, ethnicity, and social class are collectively considered in understanding Latino men’s well-being. This study aims to address this gap by examining the role of perceived social class, familismo, acculturation, enculturation, Mexican American attitudinal marginalization, and masculinity ideology on well-being for 134 Mexican American college men ranging in age from 17 to 42 years (M 20.64, SD 3.92). Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that men felt more satisfied with their lives when they perceived themselves to be of higher social class, adhered to familismo and to Mexican culture, expressed lower levels of marginalized attitudes toward Mexican American cultural norms, and had less traditional male role attitudes. The model collectively accounted for 26% of the variance in well-being, with perceived social class being the strongest predictor. The implications for practice and research are discussed in relation to understanding Latino men’s well-being within the context of intersectionality and masculinity.
Solving 2D Fredholm Integral from Incomplete Measurements Using Compressive Sensing

We present an algorithm to solve the two-dimensional Fredholm integral of the first kind with tensor product structure from a limited number of measurements, with the goal of using this method to speed up nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is done by incorporating compressive sensing-type arguments to fill in missing measurements, using a priori knowledge of the structure of the data. In the first step we recover a compressed data matrix from measurements that form a tight frame, and establish that these measurements satisfy the restricted isometry property. Recovery can be done from as few as 10% of the total measurements. In the second and third steps, we solve the zeroth-order regularization minimization problem using the Venkataramanan-Song-Hürlimann algorithm. We demonstrate the performance of this algorithm on simulated data and show that our approach is a realistic approach to speeding up the data acquisition.
Parallel Implementation of Adaptive Bi-directional Motion Estimation based on Texture Analysis

 Various motion algorithms have been developed for various applications such as image sequence analysis, machine vision, robotics, motion picture restoration or video coding. In this paper, the parallel implementation of bi-directional motion estimation (ME) algorithm on Myrinet-connected workstations is presented. The bi-directional ME is based on texture analysis of the frame difference signals. Texture analysis is adopted here to reduce the computational loads of ME without compromising on the motion vectors quality. The bi-directional scheme and half-pixel search are employed to achieve higher picture quality. The performance of the proposed ME is compared with the classical motion algorithms on four HDTV video sequences.
Electromyographic Analysis of the Tibialis Anterior and Peroneus Longus Muscles in Pilates Proprioceptive Exercises

Abstract: Background: Dynamic ankle stability depends on the rapid response capability of the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus for protection and joint stability. In ankle rehabilitation, a delay in the activation time of these muscles may cause functional ankle instability. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of closed chain Pilates exercises on electromyography activity of the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus muscle activations. Study Design: Randomized study Methods: Ten healthy individuals were examined during dynamic exercises on the Reformer and the proprioception exercises on the Step chair of the Pilates. Results: The tibialis anterior muscle had significantly higher electromyography activity on the Step Chair exercises. The peroneus longus presented significantly higher electromyography activity on the Reformer exercises. Conclusion: The results
A Genetic Basis for a Postmeiotic X Versus Y Chromosome Intragenomic Conflict in the Mouse

Intragenomic conflicts arise when a genetic element favours its own transmission to the detriment of others. Conflicts over sex chromosome transmission are expected to have influenced genome structure, gene regulation, and speciation. In the mouse, the existence of an intragenomic conflict between X- and Y-linked multicopy genes has long been suggested but never demonstrated. The Y-encoded multicopy gene Sly has been shown to have a predominant role in the epigenetic repression of post meiotic sex chromatin (PMSC) and, as such, represses X and Y genes, among which are its X-linked homologs Slx and Slxl1. Here, we produced mice that are deficient for both Sly and Slx/Slxl1 and observed that Slx/Slxl1 has an opposite role to that of Sly, in that it stimulates XY gene expression in spermatids. Slx/Slxl1 deficiency rescues the sperm differentiation defects and near sterility caused by Sly deficiency and vice versa. Slx/Slxl1 deficiency also causes a sex ratio distortion towards the production of male offspring that is corrected by Sly deficiency. All in all, our data show that Slx/Slxl1 and Sly have antagonistic effects during sperm differentiation and are involved in a postmeiotic intragenomic conflict that causes segregation distortion and male sterility. This is undoubtedly what drove the massive gene amplification on the mouse X and Y chromosomes. It may also be at the basis of cases of F1 male hybrid sterility where the balance between Slx/Slxl1 and Sly copy number, and therefore expression, is disrupted. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first demonstration of a competition occurring between X and Y related genes in mammals. It also provides a biological basis for the concept that intragenomic conflict is an important evolutionary force which impacts on gene expression, genome structure, and speciation.
Identification and Quantification of DNA Repair Protein Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease 1 (APE1) in Human Cells by Liquid Chromatography/Isotope-Dilution Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Unless repaired, DNA damage can drive mutagenesis or cell death. DNA repair proteins may therefore be used as biomarkers in disease etiology or therapeutic response prediction. Thus, the accurate determination of DNA repair protein expression and genotype is of fundamental importance. Among DNA repair proteins involved in base excision repair, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is the major endonuclease in mammals and plays important roles in transcriptional regulation and modulating stress responses. Here, we present a novel approach involving LC-MS/MS with isotope-dilution to positively identify and accurately quantify APE1 in human cells and mouse tissue. A completely 15N-labeled full-length human APE1 was produced and used as an internal standard. Fourteen tryptic peptides of both human APE1 (hAPE1) and 15N-labeled hAPE1 were identified following trypsin digestion. These peptides matched the theoretical peptides expected from trypsin digestion and provided a statistically significant protein score that would unequivocally identify hAPE1. Using the developed methodology, APE1 was positively identified and quantified in nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts of multiple human cell lines and mouse liver using selected-reaction monitoring of typical mass transitions of the tryptic peptides. We also show that the methodology can be applied to the identification of hAPE1 variants found in the human population. The results describe a novel approach for the accurate measurement of wild-type and variant forms of hAPE1 in vivo, and ultimately for defining the role of this protein in disease development and treatment responses.
Information Overload, Information Agents, and E-Commerce A Review of Intelligent Information Agents: Agent-Based Information Discovery and Management on the Internet (ed. by M. Klusch, Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag, 1999)

The unprecedented growth of information technology has made numerous Web resources instantly accessible to various user communities. The emergence of the Internet also has significantly increased the scope and scale of data distribution. As a result, from the user's point of view, it is becoming increasingly difficult to search for and retrieve desired information from the large number of information sources. Confronting this challenge of information overload, users need assistance to identify the most interesting and valuable information, enabling savings of money and time. Intelligent agents for the Internet can provide such assistance. Among the many recent technical innovations associated with e-commerce, we have seen the emergence of information agents, which have been created to meet these needs and manage the explosive growth of information on the Internet (Jennings and Wooldridge, 1998). Verlag, 1999), has brought together a broad range of state-of-the-art research on advanced systems, methods, and tools of information agent technology. He defines intelligent information agents as autonomous, computational software entities that provide proactive resource discovery, that resolve information impediments for information consumers and providers, and that offer value-added information services and products. Klusch, similar to Jennings and Wooldridge (1998) and other authors, further categorizes the agents into several classes according to their functionality characteristics: cooperative or non-cooperative, adaptive, rational, and mobile. Based on his classification shown in Table 1, I will analyze and explore the relevance of information agents in more detail.
Motor learning theory-based approach for teaching English as a second language

This study examined the effectiveness of a motor learning theory-based protocol in which feedback that was reduced in frequency, with a four-second delay, coupled with practice, was provided for adult Korean-speaking learners of English. Twelve learners participated in a study composed of a pre-test, an intervention of 12 weekly sessions with a native-speaking experimenter, and a post-test. Seven also participated in a delayed post-test 6 months after the completion of the intervention sessions. The learner output was judged by a panel of 10 native speakers in terms of intelligibility, naturalness, and precision, revealing a significant increase between the pre-test and post-test, and between the pre-test and delayed post-test, indicating the benefits of this intervention for the learners’ acquisition of English pronunciation. The difference between the post-test and delayed post-test, however, was not significant, demonstrating the beneficial effects of this intervention on the long-term retention of English pronunciation.
Making a S.P.E.C.I.A.L. first impression

Teachers at all levels have reported a stark decline in students’ ability to interact with others face-to-face in a technology-driven world. In the world of work, communicative soft skills have surfaced as both a concern and focal point for potential employers. Schools can teach these skills using an approach called S.P.E.C. I.A. L, which focuses on seven specific actions students can engage in to make a good first impression. The author shows teachers how to easily incorporate S.P.E.C. I.A. L. into their day-to-day routines.
Optimal management of allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR), the most common chronic disease in childhood is often ignored, misdiagnosed and/or mistreated. Undertreated AR impairs quality of life, exacerbates asthma and is a major factor in asthma development. It can involve the nose itself, as well as the organs connected with the nose manifesting a variety of symptoms. Evidence-based guidelines for AR therapy improve disease control. Recently, paediatric AR guidelines have been published by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and are available online, as are a patient care pathway for children with AR and asthma from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Management involves diagnosis, followed by avoidance of relevant allergens, with additional pharmacotherapy needed for most sufferers. This ranges, according to severity, from saline sprays, through non-sedating antihistamines, oral or topical, with minimally bioavailable intranasal corticosteroids for moderate/severe disease, possibly plus additional antihistamine or antileukotriene. The concept of rhinitis control is emerging, but there is no universally accepted definition. Where pharmacotherapy fails, allergen-specific immunotherapy, which is uniquely able to alter long-term disease outcomes, should be considered. The subcutaneous form (subcutaneous immunotherapy) in children has been underused because of concerns regarding safety and acceptability of injections. Sublingual immunotherapy is both efficacious and safe for grass pollen allergy. Further studies on other allergens in children are needed. Patient, carer and practitioner education into AR and its treatment are a vital part of management.
Oxygen distribution in the mouse retina.

PURPOSE To make the first measurements of intraretinal oxygen distribution in the mouse, an animal model of increasing importance in ophthalmic research. METHODS Oxygen-sensitive microelectrodes were used to measure oxygen tension as a function of depth through the retina and choroid in anesthetized mice (n = 8). All measurements were performed under light-adapted conditions, with the animals spontaneously inspiring room air. The oxygen distribution in the avascular portion of the outer retina was analyzed by an established three-layer mathematical model that determines outer retinal oxygen consumption. RESULTS The intraretinal oxygen distribution in the inner retina in individual profiles was often characterized by sharp peaks associated with elements of the retinal microvasculature, but, in the outer retina, the oxygen distribution was much more predictable and reflected the high oxygen uptake of the photoreceptors. Average choroidal oxygen tension was 42.0 +/- 1.2 mm Hg (mean +/- SE), and P(O2) at the surface of the retina was 21.7 +/- 0.8 mm Hg. The average minimum oxygen tension in the outer retina was 4.2 +/- 0.5 mm Hg. Average outer retinal oxygen consumption in the mouse was 193.3 +/- 10.6 nL O2/min per square centimeter, which is similar to that previously reported in the outer retina in vascularized areas of retina in the rat and monkey using similar techniques. CONCLUSIONS The intraretinal oxygen distribution in the mouse is qualitatively and quantitatively similar to that in other species with vascularized retinas. The rate of oxygen consumption in the outer retina is also similar. These baseline data can now be used in studies employing mouse models of retinal disease.
Load transfer and deformation mechanisms in carbon nanotube-polystyrene composites

Multiwall carbon nanotubes have been dispersed homogeneously throughout polystyrene matrices by a simple solution-evaporation method without destroying the integrity of the nanotubes. Tensile tests on composite films show that 1 wt % nanotube additions result in 36%–42% and ∼25% increases in elastic modulus and break stress, respectively, indicating significant load transfer across the nanotube-matrix interface. In situ transmission electron microscopy studies provided information regarding composite deformation mechanisms and interfacial bonding between the multiwall nanotubes and polymer matrix.
Cerebral Small Vessel Disease-Induced Apolipoprotein E Leakage Is Associated With Alzheimer Disease and the Accumulation of Amyloid &bgr;-Protein in Perivascular Astrocytes

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). It is involved in the receptor-mediated cellular clearance of the amyloid &bgr;-protein (A&bgr;) and in the perivascular drainage of the extracellular fluid. Microvascular changes are also associated with AD and have been discussed as a possible reason for altered perivascular drainage. To further clarify the role of apoE in the perivascular and vascular pathology in AD patients, we studied its occurrence and distribution in the perivascular space, the perivascular neuropil, and in the vessel wall of AD and control cases with and without small vessel disease (SVD). Apolipoprotein E was found in the perivascular space and in the neuropil around arteries of the basal ganglia from control and AD cases disclosing no major differences. Western blot analysis of basal ganglia tissue also revealed no significant differences pertaining to the amount of full-length and C-terminal truncated apoE in AD cases compared with controls. In contrast, A&bgr; occurred in apoE-positive perivascular astrocytes in AD cases but not in controls. In blood vessels, apoE and immunoglobulin G were detected within the SVD-altered vessel wall. The severity of SVD was associated with the occurrence of apoE in the vessel wall and with that of A&bgr; in perivascular astrocytes. These results point to an important role of apoE in the perivascular clearance of A&bgr; in the human brain. The occurrence of apoE and immunoglobulin G in SVD lesions and in the perivascular space suggests that the presence of SVD results in plasma-protein leakage into the brain. It is therefore tempting to speculate that apoE represents a pathogenetic link between SVD and AD.
Toward a definition of run-time object-oriented metrics

This position paper outlines a programme of research based on the quantification of run-time elements of Java programs. In particular, we adapt two common object- oriented metrics, coupling and cohesion, so that they can be applied at run-time. We demonstrate some preliminary results of our analysis on programs from the SPEC JVM98 benchmark suite
Pathway of Continuous Professional Development Among Physiotherapists: A Qualitative Study

Continuous professional development (CPD) has gained prominence in the last decade to meet improved self-development and health care services among health professionals. Being practitioners serving clients in health care, therefore, necessitates the importance of the physiotherapist’s participation in activities of CPD. This paper aims to identify how physiotherapists view CPD, barriers to its progress and its impact on healthcare practice. This is a qualitative study with one-to-one interview sessions involving open-ended questions to facilitate free flow of idea that are rich with information. Twentytwo physiotherapist (17 females and 5 males) participated. Four main themes were generated following analysis: (i) comprehension of what is CPD (ii) outcome of CPD (iii) barriers to undertaking CPD and (iv) strategies to improve participation in CPD. Further sub-themes were generated from the themes suggestive of physiotherapists’ awareness and concerns related to CPD activities and problems encountered when embarking on CPD participation. In conclusion, physiotherapists should recognise the importance of participation in CPD activities either for self-development or to provide effective health care services. The main barrier to CPD activities that was identified was a support system that facilitates enhancement in such activities. This has major implication such as mandatory participation in CPD among staff and for managers to ensure that an effective mechanism is in place such as funding, schedule events and moral support.
Efficient Computations of a Security Index for False Data Attacks in Power Networks

The resilience of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems for electric power networks for certain cyber-attacks is considered. We analyze the vulnerability of the measurement system to false data attack on communicated measurements. The vulnerability analysis problem is shown to be NP-hard, meaning that unless P=NP there is no polynomial time algorithm to analyze the vulnerability of the system. Nevertheless, we identify situations, such as the full measurement case, where the analysis problem can be solved efficiently. In such cases, we show indeed that the problem can be cast as a generalization of the minimum cut problem involving nodes with possibly nonzero costs. We further show that it can be reformulated as a standard minimum cut problem (without node costs) on a modified graph of proportional size. An important consequence of this result is that our approach provides the first exact efficient algorithm for the vulnerability analysis problem under the full measurement assumption. Furthermore, our approach also provides an efficient heuristic algorithm for the general NP-hard problem. Our results are illustrated by numerical studies on benchmark systems including the IEEE 118-bus system.
Surgical treatment vs. conservative treatment in intravenous bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. Systematic review

Aims To determine the success rates of the surgical and non-surgical treatments in the management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ). Material and Methods A systematic review of the literature was made. A PubMed Medline database search was performed in order to include clinical studies published in English,between2004 and 2014 with the following key-words: “BRONJ AND treatment” and “NOT osteoporosis”. The following data was gathered: authors, title, year of publication, aim of study, level of evidence, sample size, treatment performed, treatment outcomes and follow-up. Studies including more than 20 patients with at least 6 months of follow-up, and that specify the different treatment approaches and their outcomes were included. Systematic reviews were excluded.All studies were classified according to the SORT criteria (Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy). Results The initial electronic search yielded 169 papers, and 13 studies were added after a manual search (total of 182 studies). After analysing the title and abstract and removing duplicates, 31 full-texts were obtained. A total of 12 papers were finally included. Two were classified as level 3 evidence and 9 as level 2. The quality of the selected studies and the risk of bias were also reported. Conclusions Surgical treatments like sequestrectomy, surgical debridement and bone osteotomies provide successful treatment outcomes, with success rates ranging from 58 to 100%. Controlled randomized clinical trials with larger samples and longer follow-up are needed to support these findings. Key words:BRONJ, treatment.