Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Minimizing transmission cost for multiple service function chains in SDN/NFV networks

Service Function Chaining (SFC) has received considerable attentions due to its potential in remarkably improving the flexibility and efficiency of networks. Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) are becoming promising ways for realizing SFC. A key feature in SDN/NFV networks is the capability of dynamically composing network functions into complex services. In this paper, we first introduce SFC instantiation and form it as the model of the Shortest Path Tour Problem, then find the minimum transmission cost path with network function order constraints for a single SFC by exploiting a constructed multistage graph. Next, we derive minimum transmission cost paths for multiple SFC classes using the Dijkstra's Shortest Path Algorithm with resource constraints in a flexible way. Finally, some experiments are carried out and the results show the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method.
Enabling Dependability-Driven Resource Use and Message Log-Analysis for Cluster System Diagnosis

Recent work have used both failure logs and resource use data separately (and together) to detect system failureinducing errors and to diagnose system failures. System failure occurs as a result of error propagation and the (unsuccessful) execution of error recovery mechanisms. Knowledge of error propagation patterns and unsuccessful error recovery is important for more accurate and detailed failure diagnosis, and knowledge of recovery protocols deployment is important for improving system reliability. This paper presents the CORRMEXT framework which carries failure diagnosis another significant step forward by analyzing and reporting error propagation patterns and degrees of success and failure of error recovery protocols. CORRMEXT uses both error messages and resource use data in its analyses. Application of CORRMEXT to data from the Ranger supercomputer have produced new insights. CORRMEXT has: (i) identified correlations between resource use counters that capture recovery attempts after an error, (ii) identified correlations between error events to capture error propagation patterns within the system, (iii) identified error propagation and recovery paths during system execution to explain system behaviour, (iv) showed that the earliest times of change in system behaviour can only be identified by analyzing both the correlated resource use counters and correlated errors. CORRMEXT will be installed on the HPC clusters at the Texas Advanced Computing Center in Autumn 2017.
Electron crystallography of three dimensional protein crystals

This thesis describes an investigation of the potential of electron diffraction for studying three dimensional sub-micro-crystals of proteins and pharmaceuticals. A prerequisite for using electron diffraction for structural studies is the predictable availability of tiny crystals. A method for growing such crystals using heterogeneous nucleation is demonstrated. The heterogeneous nucleant (in this case hair fibers) was serendipitously selected. Four different proteins (lysozyme, glucose isomerase, a Fab fragment and potato protease inhibitor) were shown to nucleate preferentially on the selected substrate and sub-micro crystals were grown. Further studies on the mechanism of heterogeneous nucleation using lysozyme as a test protein and different imaging techniques such as atomic force and fluorescent microscopy are also discussed. Sub-micron crystals of potato protease inhibitor and lysozyme were subject of electron diffraction studies. A detailed description of the diffraction experiments is presented. A special focus is given on the sample preparation procedure and in particular the vitrification and the cryo-preservation of the crystals. The preliminary results showed that the heterogeneously grown nano-crystals are well ordered and suitable for electron diffraction. The high beam sensitivity of the protein nano-crystals appeared to be the rate limiting step in the data collection, not allowing orientation of the crystals (a technique used in electron diffraction studies of inorganic crystals) or a 3D data collection of a single crystal (a technique used in X-ray protein crystallography). This suggested that new approaches for data collection and data analysis needed to be developed. Optimization of the diffraction data collection, as is described in this thesis allowed high diffraction resolution (up to 2.1A) to be obtained from vitrified lysozyme crystals. An algorithm for unit cell determination of randomly oriented diffraction patterns of different crystals is presented. The method was used for the analysis of the electron diffraction data acquired from lysozyme nano-crystals. The methods for collecting and analyzing electron diffraction data from lysozyme crystals were also confirmed in the case of penicilline type nano-crystals. The motivation behind these studies and the results obtained are discussed. In this case a crystalline powder sample was subjected to electron diffraction studies. Resolutions up to 0.8A were obtained from oxacillin crystals and up to 1A from penicillin G crystals. The unit cell parameters found from the analysis of electron diffraction data with the algorithm presented in the previous chapter were consistent with the unit cell parameters obtained by X-ray crystallography on the same two types of penicillin.
Chitotriosidase (CHIT1) is increased in microglia and macrophages in spinal cord of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cerebrospinal fluid levels correlate with disease severity and progression

Objectives Neurochemical markers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that reflect underlying disease mechanisms might help in diagnosis, staging and prediction of outcome. We aimed at determining the origin and differential diagnostic and prognostic potential of the putative marker of microglial activation chitotriosidase (CHIT1). Methods Altogether 316 patients were included, comprising patients with sporadic ALS, ALS mimics (disease controls (DCo)), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy controls (Con). CHIT1 and neurofilament levels were determined in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood and analysed with regard to diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and prognostic performance. Additionally, postmortem tissue was analysed for CHIT1 expression. Results In ALS, CHIT1 CSF levels were higher compared with Con (p<0.0001), DCo (p<0.05) and neurodegenerative diseases (AD p<0.05, PD p<0.01, FTLD p<0.0001) except CJD. CHIT1 concentrations were correlated with ALS disease progression and severity but not with the survival time, as did neurofilaments. Serum CHIT1 levels were not different in ALS compared with any other study group. In the spinal cord of patients with ALS, but not Con, AD or CJD cases, CHIT1 was expressed in the corticospinal tract and CHIT1 staining colocalised with markers of microglia (IBA1) and macrophages (CD68). Conclusions CHIT1 concentrations in the CSF of patients with ALS may reflect the extent of microglia/macrophage activation in the white matter of the spinal cord. CHIT1 could be a potentially useful marker for differential diagnosis and prediction of disease progression in ALS and, therefore, seems suitable as a supplemental marker for patient stratification in therapeutic trials.
A tile based colour picture with hidden QR code for augmented reality and beyond

Most existing Augmented Reality (AR) applications use either template (picture) markers or bar-code markers to overlay computer-generated graphics on the real world surfaces. The use of template markers is computationally expensive and unreliable. On the other hand, bar-code markers display only black and white blocks; thus, they look uninteresting and uninformative. In this short paper, we describe a new way to optically hide a QR code inside a tile based colour picture. Each AR marker is built from hundreds of small tiles (just like tiling a bathroom), and the unique gaps between the tiles are used to determine the elements of the hidden QR Code. This novel type of AR marker presents not only a realistic-looking colour picture but also contains self-Correcting information (stored in QR code). In this article, we demonstrate that this tile based colour picture with hidden QR code is relatively robust under various conditions and scaling. We believe many nowadays' AR challenges could be solved with this type of marker. AR-enabled medias could then be easily generated. For instance, it would be capable of storing and displaying virtual figures of an entire book or magazine. Thus, it provides a promising AR approach to be used in many different AR applications; and beyond, it may even replace the barcodes and QR Codes in some cases.
Preemptive Strikes: Fear, Hope, and Defensive Aggression

Preemptive strikes are costly and harmful. Existing models of defensive aggression focus narrowly on the role fear plays in motivating preemptive strikes. Theoretically integrating the literatures on conflict, decision making, and emotion, the current research investigated how specific emotions associated with certainty or uncertainty, including fear, anger, disgust, hope, and happiness, influence preemptive strikes. Study 1 demonstrated that hope negatively predicts defensive exits from relationships in choice dilemmas. Studies 2 and 3 experimentally manipulated risk of being attacked in an incentivized, interactive decision making task—the Preemptive Strike Game. Risk of being attacked fueled preemptive strikes; reduced feelings of hope partially mediated this effect in Study 3. Studies 4 and 5 investigated preemptive strikes under uncertainty (rather than risk). In Study 4, reasoning about the factors that make one trustful of others curbed preemptive strikes; cogitating about the factors that underlie discrete emotions, however, did not influence defensive aggression. Study 5 demonstrated that the valence and uncertainty appraisals of incidental emotions interact in shaping preemptive strikes. Specifically, recalling an autobiographical emotional experience that produced hope significantly decreased attack rates relative to fear, happiness, and a control condition. Fear, anger, disgust, and happiness were either unrelated to preemptive strikes or showed inconsistent relationships with preemptive strikes across the 5 studies. These findings shed light on how emotions shape defensive aggression, advance knowledge on strategic choice under risk and uncertainty, and demonstrate hope’s positive effects on social interactions and relationships.
EMATs for Science and Industry: Noncontacting Ultrasonic Measurements

Preface. Introduction: Noncontact Ultrasonic Measurements. Brief Historical Sketch of EMAT. Electromagnetic Acoustic Resonance - EMAR. Part I: Development of EMAT Techniques. 1: Coupling Mechanism. 1.1. Background. 1.2. Generation Mechanism. 1.3. Receiving Mechanisms. 1.4. Comparison with Measurements. 2 : Available EMATS. 2.1. Bulk-Wave EMATs. 2.2. Longitudinal-Guided-Wave EMAT for Wires and Pipes. 2.3. PPM EMAT. 2.4. Meander-Line Coil SH-Wave EMAT. 2.5. SH-Wave EMAT for Chirp Pulse Compression. 2.6. Axial-Shear-Wave EMAT. 2.7. SH-Wave EMAT for Resonance in Bolt Head. 2.8. Rayleigh-Wave EMAT. 2.9. Line-Focusing EMAT. 2.10. Trapped-Torsional-Mode EMAT. 2.11. EMATs for High Temperature Measurements. 3: Brief Instruction To Build EMATs. 3.1. Coil. 3.2. Magnets. 3.3. Impedance Matching. Part II: Resonance Spectroscopy with EMATs -EMAR-. 4: Principles of EMAR for Spectral Response. 4.1. Through-Thickness Resonance. 4.2. Spectroscopy with Analog Superheterodyne Processing. 4.3. Determination of Resonance Frequency and Phase Angle. 5: Free-Decay Measurement For Attenuation And Internal Friction. 5.1. Difficulty of Attenuation Measurement. 5.2. Isolation of Ultrasonic Attenuation. 5.3. Measurement of Attenuation Coefficient. 5.4. Correction for Diffraction Loss. 5.5. Comparison with Conventional Technique. Part III: Physical-Acoustics Studies. 6: In-Situ Monitoring Of Dislocation Mobility. 6.1. Dislocation-Damping Model for Low Frequencies. 6.2. Elasto-Plastic Deformation in Copper. 6.3. Point-Defect Diffusion toward Dislocations in Deformed Aluminum. 6.4. Dislocation Damping after Elastic Deformation in Al-Zn Alloy. 6.5. Recovery and Recrystallization in Aluminum. 7: Elastic Constants and Internal Friction of Advanced Materials. 7.1. Mode Control in Resonance Ultrasound Spectroscopy by EMAR. 7.2. Inverse Calculation for Cij and Qij-1. 7.3. Monocrystal Copper. 7.4. Metal-Matrix Composites (SiCf/Ti-6Al-4V). 7.5. Lotus-Type Porous Copper. 7.6. Ni-Base Superalloys. 7.7. Thin Films. 7.8. Piezoelectric Material (Langasite: La3Ga5SiO14). 8: Nonlinear Acoustics. Part IV: Industrial Applications. 9: On-Line Texture Monitoring Of Steel Sheets. 9.1. Texture of Polycrystalline Metals. 9.2. Mathematical Expressions of Texture and Velocity Anisotropy. 9.3. Relation between ODCs and r-Values. 9.4. On-Line Monitoring with Magnetostrictive-Type EMATs. 10: Acoustoelastic Stress Measurements. 10.1. Nonlinear Elasticity. 10.2. Acoustoelastic Response of Solids. 10.3. Birefringence Acoustoelasticity. 10.4. Practical Stress Measurements with EMAR. 10.5. Monitoring Bolt Axial Stress. 11: Measurements On High-Temperature Steels. 11.1. Velocity Variation at High Temperatures. 11.2. Solidification-Shell Thickness of Continuous Casting S
Features of Postmenopausal Uterine Haemorrhage

ABSTRACT Introduction: Postmenopausal uterine bleeding is a „cancer until proven otherwise”. Endometrial cancer is a typical disease among postmenopause woman, because every bleeding in this age etiology associated with endometrial cancer (10-30%). The lifespan of women today has been extended and post menopause today last one third of a woman’s life. Early diagnosis of endometrial cancer has a very high cure rate. Screening for this cancer has limits in practice and is necessary given the definition of high-risk groups would be subject to primary and secondary prevention. Goal: Primary to evaluate the leading causes of postmenopausal uterine bleeding among patients at risk for endometrial cancer (diabetes, obesity, nulliparity, late menopause (after 55 years) and compared them with the causes of postmenopausal uterine bleeding patients without this risk. Material and methods: A retrospective, descriptive study with a targeted sample of 50 consecutive patients who had registered postmenopausal uterine bleeding in high-risk groups (cohorts) and the same number of patients with postmenopausal uterine bleeding that does not belong to the risk group (control group). Each patient underwent clinical examination, then fractionated curettements and its histopathological verification and assessment of treated clinical stage of disease with PH analysis of the resected specimens. Results: The patients of the studied risk group were significantly affected by endometrial cancer compared with the control group (RR=2.45, 95% CI 1.2 4.6, p=0.005). Endocervical pathology did not differ between groups. Clinical forms of bleeding: for those that are profuse bleeding cancer was present in 54.6% of cases. With intermittent bleeding cancer is verified in the 33.3% of patients. Risk patient groups with cancer frequently suffer from clinically more advanced stages of histologically aggressive endometrial cancer (serous adenocarcinoma–type II, low differentiated cancer).
Does Identification of Previously Undiagnosed Conditions Change Care‐Seeking Behavior?

OBJECTIVE To determine whether identification of previously undiagnosed high cholesterol, hypertension, and/or diabetes during an in-home assessment impacts care seeking among Medicare beneficiaries. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Data from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, which recruited African American and white participants across the continental United States from 2003-2007, were linked to Medicare claims. STUDY DESIGN We used panel data models to analyze changes in doctor visits for evaluation and management of conditions after participants were assessed, utilizing the study's rolling recruitment to control for secular trends. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS We extracted Medicare claims for the 24 months before through 24 months after assessment via REGARDS for 5,884 participants. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Semi-annual doctor visits for previously undiagnosed conditions increased by 22 percentage points (95 percent confidence interval: 16-28) 2 years following assessment. The effect was similar by gender, race, region, and Medicaid, but it may have been lower among participants who lacked a usual health care provider. CONCLUSIONS In-home assessment of cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose can increase doctor visits for individuals with previously undiagnosed conditions. However, biomarker assessment may have more limited impact among individuals with low access to care.
Non-Local Graph-Based Prediction for Reversible Data Hiding in Images

Reversible data hiding (RDH) is desirable in applications where both the hidden message and the cover image need to be recovered without loss. Among many RDH approaches is prediction-error expansion (PEE), containing two steps: i) prediction of a target pixel value, and ii) embedding according to the value of the prediction error. In general, higher prediction performance leads to larger embedding capacity and/or lower signal distortion. Leveraging on recent advances in graph signal processing (GSP), we pose pixel prediction as a graph-signal restoration problem, and design non-local graph-based prediction schemes where the appropriate edge weights of the underlying graph are computed using a similar patch searched in a semi-local neighborhood. Specifically, for each candidate patch, we first examine eigenvalues of its structure tensor to estimate its local smoothness. If sufficiently smooth, we pose a maximum a posteriori (MAP) problem using either a quadratic Laplacian regularizer or a graph total variation (GTV) term as signal prior. While the MAP problem using the first prior has a closed-form solution, we design an efficient algorithm for the second prior using alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) with nested proximal gradient descent. Finally, hidden message will be embedded into the image according to the resulting prediction errors. Experimental results show that with better quality GSP-based prediction, at low capacity the visual quality of the embedded image exceeds state-of-the-art methods noticeably.
Functional Association between Regulatory RNAs and the Annexins

Cells respond to pathophysiological states by activation of stress-induced signalling. Regulatory non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) often form stable feed-forward loops which ensure prolongation of the signal, contributing to sustained activation. Members of the annexin protein family act as sensors for Ca2+, pH, and lipid second messengers, and regulate various signalling pathways. Recently, annexins were reported to participate in feedback loops, suppressing miRNA synthesis and attenuating stress-induced dysregulation of gene expression. They can directly or indirectly associate with RNAs, and are transferred between the cells in exosomes and shed microvesicles. The ability of annexins to recruit other proteins and miRNAs into exosomes implicates them in control of cell–cell interactions, affecting the adaptive responses and remodelling processes during disease. The studies summarized in this Review point to an emerging role of annexins in influencing the synthesis, localisation, and transfer of regulatory RNAs.
Ecological Networks and Neighborhood Social Organization1

Drawing on the social disorganization tradition and the social ecological perspective of Jane Jacobs, the authors hypothesize that neighborhoods composed of residents who intersect in space more frequently as a result of routine activities will exhibit higher levels of collective efficacy, intergenerational closure, and social network interaction and exchange. They develop this approach employing the concept of ecological networks—two-mode networks that indirectly link residents through spatial overlap in routine activities. Using data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey, they find evidence that econetwork extensity (the average proportion of households in the neighborhood to which a given household is tied through any location) and intensity (the degree to which household dyads are characterized by ties through multiple locations) are positively related to changes in social organization between 2000–2001 and 2006–2008. These findings demonstrate the relevance of econetwork characteristics—heretofore neglected in research on urban neighborhoods—for consequential dimensions of neighborhood social organization.
A Plasmodium falciparum Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase I Participates in Vacuolar Hemoglobin Degradation*

Intraerythrocytic growth of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum requires the catabolism of large amounts of host cell hemoglobin. Endoproteolytic digestion of hemoglobin to short oligopeptides occurs in an acidic organelle called the food vacuole. How amino acids are generated from these peptides is not well understood. To gain insight into this process, we have studied a plasmodial ortholog of the lysosomal exopeptidase cathepsin C. The plasmodial enzyme dipeptidyl aminopeptidase 1 (DPAP1) was enriched from parasite extract by two different approaches and was shown to possess hydrolytic activity against fluorogenic dipeptide substrates. To localize DPAP1 we created a transgenic parasite line expressing a chromosomally encoded DPAP1-green fluorescent protein fusion. Green fluorescent protein fluorescence was observed in the food vacuole of live transgenic parasites, and anti-DPAP1 antibody labeled the food vacuole in parasite cryosections. Together these data implicate DPAP1 in the generation of dipeptides from hemoglobin-derived oligopeptides. To assess the significance of DPAP1, we attempted to ablate DPAP1 activity from blood stage parasites by truncating the chromosomal DPAP1-coding sequence. The inability to disrupt the coding sequence indicates that DPAP1 is important for asexual proliferation. The proenzyme form of DPAP1 was found to accumulate in the parasitophorous vacuole of mature parasites. This observation suggests a trafficking route for DPAP1 through the parasitophorous vacuole to the food vacuole.
Survival Rate without Brain Abnormalities on Postnatal Ultrasonography among Monochorionic Twins after Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation for Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction with Concomitant Oligohydramnios

Introduction: We aimed to clarify the survival rate without brain abnormalities (BA) after fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) for monochorionic diamniotic twin gestations (MCDA) with selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR) accompanied by abnormal umbilical artery (UA) Doppler waveforms and isolated oligohydramnios in the sIUGR twin. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 52 cases that underwent FLP. The main outcome was survival rate without BA of the twins at age 28 days. BA was defined as severe intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia on postnatal ultrasonography. Results: Median gestational age at FLP was 20 (16–24) weeks. Ten cases were classified as type III based on Doppler for the UA. For all cases, including 20 cases of anterior placenta, FLP was completed without major intraoperative complications. Amnioinfusion was required in 49 cases for better fetoscopic visualization. Fetal loss occurred in 29 sIUGR twins and two larger twins, whereas one larger twin experienced neonatal death. Survival rates without BA were 44% (n = 23) for sIUGR twins and 94% (n = 49) for the larger twins. Discussion: FLP for MCDA with sIUGR presenting with oligohydramnios in the sIUGR twin might be considered a prenatal treatment option.