Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The EP-Cache Automatic Monitoring System

In this paper we present an automatic monitoring system consisting of a monitoring infrastructure and an automatic performance analyzer. The monitoring infrastructure supports different monitoring resources (CPU counters, simulation) and monitors the utilization of cache hierarchies in serial and OpenMP programs. A special feature of our system is the restriction of monitoring to single data structures. Our ASL[2]-based automatic analyzer called AMEBA is able to search for predefined performance bottlenecks in code regions using a provided set of search and refinement strategies.
Hardware technology and architecture of the NEC SX-3/SX-X supercomputer system

The NEC SX-3/SX-X Supercomputer has been developed to meet the growing demands for large, high speed computational engines. The SX-3/SX-X Supercomputer is an evolutionary extension of the successful SX-2, which was announced in 1983. The SX-2 was the first supercomputer to break the 1 GFLOPS performance barrier; the SX-3/SX-X is the first supercomputer to offer a maximum performance of 22 GFLOPS. The SX-3/SX-X system consists of seven models. The models are based on the number of processors, and the number of vector pipelines installed per processor. The models range from a 1.4 GFLOPS uniprocessor entry model to the 22 GFLOPS quad processor top end. SX-3/SXX processors are called Arithmetic Processors (AP).
Risk of High Blood Pressure Among Young Men Increases With the Degree of Immaturity at Birth

Background— Survivors of preterm birth constitute a new generation of young adults, but little is known about their long-term health. We investigated the association between gestational age (GA) and risk of high blood pressure (HBP) in young Swedish men and whether GA modified the risk of HBP; ie, whether HBP was related to being born small for gestational age (SGA). Methods and Results— This population-based cohort study included 329 495 Swedish men born in 1973 to 1981 who were conscripted for military service in 1993 to 2001. Multivariate linear- and logistic-regression analyses were performed. Main outcome measures were systolic and diastolic BPs at conscription. Linear-regression analyses showed that systolic BP increased with decreasing GA (regression coefficient −0.31 mm Hg/wk, P<0.001). Systolic and diastolic BPs both increased with decreasing birth weight for GA, but the association with systolic BP was most evident (regression coefficient −0.67 mm Hg per SD score in birth weight for GA, P<0.001). Compared with men born at term (GA, 37 to 41 weeks), the adjusted odd ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for high systolic BP (≥140 mm Hg) were as follows: moderately preterm (33 to 36 weeks), 1.25 (1.19 to 1.30); very preterm (29 to 32 weeks), 1.48 (1.30 to 1.68); and extremely preterm (24 to 28 weeks), 1.93 (1.34 to 2.76). Being SGA was associated only with an increased risk of high systolic BP among men born at 33 weeks or later. The risk estimates for high diastolic BP (≥90 mm Hg) increased with decreasing GA, but the risk reached significance only among men born moderately preterm. Conclusions— Preterm birth, a common pregnancy complication, is a risk factor for HBP in young men. The risk of high systolic BP associated with birth weight for GA is modified by GA, suggesting that perinatal contributions to BP elevation later in life may be induced by different biological pathways.
Child Perception of Humanoid Robot Appearance and Behavior

ABSTRACT This study investigated children’s attitudes toward humanoid robots that exhibit various anthropomorphic appearances and behaviors. A total of 578 children aged from 8 to 14 years were recruited to evaluate humanoid robots depicted either in still images (N = 267) or videos (N = 311). The results showed that the degree of anthropomorphism affected children’s attitudes toward the robots. An uncanny valley was observed in this study, indicating that children prefer robots created with a moderate level of human likeness over those that have a highly human-like appearance but remain distinguishable from humans. A striking finding was that moving robots exhibiting social cues moderate the uncanny valley plot, thus contradicting Mori’s uncanny valley hypothesis, which posits that emotional responses are greater for moving robots than for static robots. In addition, the children in this study perceived the robots as more socially and physically attractive when the robots exhibited social cues. In summary, the current results suggest that children prefer moderately realistic robots and that robot behavior is a key determinant of how children perceive robots. A moderate level of anthropomorphic appearance combined with appropriate social cues can enhance child preferences for and acceptance of robots.
Soft Manipulators and Grippers: A Review

Soft robotics is a growing area of research which utilises the compliance and adaptability of soft structures to develop highly adaptive robotics for soft interactions. One area in which soft robotics has the ability to make significant impact is in the development of soft grippers and manipulators. With an increased requirement for automation, robotics systems are required to perform task in unstructured and not well defined environments; conditions which conventional rigid robotics are not best suited. This requires a paradigm shift in the methods and materials used to develop robots such that they can adapt to and work safely in human environments. One solution to this is soft robotics, which enables soft interactions with the surroundings whilst maintaining the ability to apply significant force. This review paper assess the current materials and methods, actuation methods and sensors which are used in the development of soft manipulators. The achievements and shortcomings of recent technology in these key areas are evaluated, and this paper concludes with a discussion on the potential impacts of soft manipulators on industry and society.
Object class hierarchy for an incremental hypertext editor

The object class hierarchy design is considered due to a hypertext editor implementation. The following basic classes were selected: the editor’s coordinate system, the memory manager, the text buer executing basic editing operations, the inherited hypertext buer, the edit window, the multi-window shell. Special hypertext editing features, the incremental hypertext creation support and further generalizations are discussed.
Drug transporters in spermatogenesis

Drug transporters are integral membrane proteins expressed by a variety of organs, including the liver, kidney, small intestine and testis, and they are generally known to mediate drug or xenobiotic transport into and out of cells. Previous studies have also reported the presence of several drug transporters at blood-tissue barriers where they are thought to protect organs from harmful agents. In this editorial, we briefly discuss and re-evaluate recent findings that show P-glycoprotein, an efflux pump, to function at the blood-testis barrier. We also put forth a mechanistic model, hoping this information will form a strong basis for future studies.
The Therapeutic Relationship in E-Therapy for Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Background E-therapy is defined as a licensed mental health care professional providing mental health services via e-mail, video conferencing, virtual reality technology, chat technology, or any combination of these. The use of e-therapy has been rapidly expanding in the last two decades, with growing evidence suggesting that the provision of mental health services over the Internet is both clinically efficacious and cost effective. Yet there are still unanswered concerns about e-therapy, including whether it is possible to develop a successful therapeutic relationship over the Internet in the absence of nonverbal cues. Objective Our objective in this study was to systematically review the therapeutic relationship in e-therapy. Methods We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL through August 2011. Information on study methods and results was abstracted independently by the authors using a standardized form. Results From the 840 reviewed studies, only 11 (1.3%) investigated the therapeutic relationship. The majority of the reviewed studies were focused on the therapeutic alliance—a central element of the therapeutic relationship. Although the results do not allow firm conclusions, they indicate that e-therapy seems to be at least equivalent to face-to-face therapy in terms of therapeutic alliance, and that there is a relationship between the therapeutic alliance and e-therapy outcome. Conclusions Overall, the current literature on the role of therapeutic relationship in e-therapy is scant, and much more research is needed to understand the therapeutic relationship in online environments.
A New Method of Designing Electrical Impedance Matching Network for Piezoelectric Ultrasound Transducer

A new method that is based on genetic algorithm (GA) is developed to design electrical impedance matching network for broadband piezoelectric ultrasound transducer. The new method can both optimize the topology of the matching network and perform optimization on the components at the same time. Results of classical algorithms are referenced to reduce the number of candidate topologies and greatly simplify the calculation process. Some calculation strategies, such as elitist strategy and clearing niche method, are adopted during optimization to make sure that the algorithm can convergence to global optimal result. Simulation results show that the new method has advantages over designing complex impedance matching network.
Partial-Body SAR Calculations in Magnetic-Resonance Image (MRI) Scanning Systems [Telecommunications Health and Safety]

To ensure that the radio-frequency (RF) energy absorbed by human subjects during MRI does not produce any harmful health effects to the patient - including local thermal damage or whole-body thermoregulatory challenges - regulatory entities have set limits on the maximum local, partial-body, and whole-body specific absorption rates (SAR) of RF energy. This paper discusses numerical calculations of partial-body and local peak specific absorption rate. These are compared to currently used partial-body average SAR calculations in specifying the partial-body average SAR limits and local peak SAR that are based on body mass. Calculations using the fi nite-difference time-domain numerical method and 2 mm resolution Visible Human models showed that while there were some differences in the two magnetic field strengths (1.5 T and 3.0 T or 64 MHz and 128 MHz), the gross patterns of SAR distribution were similar for both 1.5 T and 3.0 T birdcage MRI coils. Computed partial-body SARs were higher than those from curve-fitting formulas used for male and female local peak SARs (in 1 g or 10 g averaging regions), and were considerably greater than specified in the regulatory limits for both whole-body and partial body SARs. In all the cases studied, with data both for 1.5 T and 3.0 T birdcage MRI coils, computed partial-body SARs exceeded values given by regulatory limits for the patient. The local peak SARs may exceed values specified in IEC and FDA regulatory limits for both whole-body and partial-body SARs. This was because the mass-ratio-based calculations are not directly related to SARs in specific body tissues.
Immune Response to Individual Maedi-Visna Virus gag Antigens

ABSTRACT The lesions caused by maedi-visna virus (MVV) are known to be immune mediated with a presumed contribution by the response to viral antigens. However, very little is known about the T-cell response to individual viral proteins. We have therefore expressed the three individual gag antigens of MVV strain EV1 (p16, p25, and p14) in a bacterial expression system and used the purified recombinant proteins to analyze the antibody and CD4+ T-cell response to MVV. Plasma samples were taken from sheep after 1 year of infection with MVV. The titers for antibodies in these samples were determined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and were as follows: anti-p25 antibody, 1:400 to >1:3,200; anti-p16 antibody, 1:400 to 1:3,200; and anti-p14 antibody, 1:<100 to 1:3,200. When the induction of antibodies was followed over time postinfection (p.i.), samples positive for anti-p25 were seen by day 24 p.i. , followed by anti-p16 by day 45 p.i. , and lastly anti-p14 by day 100 p.i. T-cell proliferative responses to all three gag antigens were detected in persistently infected sheep peripheral blood lymphocytes. The antigens were therefore used to raise T-cell lines from persistently infected sheep. These T-cell lines were shown to be specific for the recombinant gag antigens and for viral antigen expressed on infected macrophages. The proliferative response was restricted to major histocompatibility complex class II HLA-DR and so was due to CD4+ T lymphocytes. All three gag antigens may therefore play a role in immune-mediated lesion formation in MVV disease by presentation on infected macrophages in lesions.
Ectopic Integration Vectors for Generating Fluorescent Promoter Fusions in Bacillus subtilis with Minimal Dark Noise

Fluorescent protein promoter reporters are important tools that are widely used for diverse purposes in microbiology, systems biology and synthetic biology and considerable engineering efforts are still geared at improving the sensitivity of the reporter systems. Here we focus on dark noise, i.e. the signal that is generated by the empty vector control. We quantitatively characterize the dark noise of a few common bacterial reporter systems by single cell microscopy. All benchmarked reporter systems generated significant amounts of dark noise that exceed the cellular autofluorescence to different extents. We then reengineered a multicolor set of fluorescent ectopic integration vectors for Bacillus subtilis by introducing a terminator immediately upstream of the promoter insertion site, resulting in an up to 2.7-fold reduction of noise levels. The sensitivity and dynamic range of the new high-performance pXFP_Star reporter system is only limited by cellular autofluorescence. Moreover, based on studies of the rapE promoter of B. subtilis we show that the new pXFP_Star reporter system reliably reports on the weak activity of the rapE promoter whereas the original reporter system fails because of transcriptional interference. Since the pXFP_Star reporter system properly isolates the promoter from spurious transcripts, it is a particularly suitable tool for quantitative characterization of weak promoters in B. subtilis.
' s personal copy Nanocomposites of poly ( ether ether ketone ) with carbon nano fi bers : Effects of dispersion and thermo-oxidative degradation on development of linear viscoelasticity and crystallinity

Poly(ether ether ketone), PEEK, is a widely used engineering plastic that is especially suitable for high temperature applications. Compounding of PEEK with carbon nanofibers, CNF, has the potential of enhancing its mechanical and thermal properties further, even at relatively low CNF concentrations. However, such enhancements can be compromised by myriad factors, some of which are elucidated in this study. Considering that the dispersion of the CNF into any high molecular weight polymer is a challenge, two different processing methods, i.e., melt and solution processing were used to prepare PEEK nanocomposites with low aspect ratio carbon nanofibers. The linear viscoelastic material functions of PEEK nanocomposites in the solid and molten states were characterized as indirect indicators of the dispersion state of the nanofibers and suggested that the dispersion of nanofibers into PEEK becomes difficult at increasing CNF concentrations for both solution and melt processing methods. Furthermore, the time-dependence of the linear viscoelastic material functions of the PEEK/CNF nanocomposites at 360e400 C indicated that PEEK undergoes thermo-oxidative cross-linking under typical melt processing conditions, thus preventing better dispersion by progressive increases of the mixing time and specific energy input during melt processing. The crystallization behavior of PEEK is also affected by the presence of CNF and degree of cross-linking, with the rate of crystallization decreasing with increasing degree of cross-linking and upon the incorporation of CNFs both for the solution and melt processed PEEK
Smart Grid applications with IEC 61499 reference architecture

This paper presents implementation of the Distributed Grid Intelligence (DGI) applications such as Intelligent Fault Management and Load Balancing using IEC61499 reference architecture. This enables system level design of distributed applications with a direct pathway to deployment to hardware. The use of IEC 61499 improves scalability, re-configurability and maintainability of automation software. Both applications were verified using co-simulation approach: control and power system simulated on PCs, and power system simulation on a PC networked with the number of distributed hardware running control algorithm. Both DGI applications were deployed to commercial programmable automation devices and embedded controllers. The use of IEC 61499 facilitates deployment of hardware independent function block model to the variety of compliant hardware. The paper also discusses distributed SCADA concept with IEC61499 implemented with the so-called Composite Automation Type (CAT) function blocks which combine functional and visual components. These blocks are used to implement human-machine interface of the FREEDM Smart Grid demonstrator reacting on plugging and unplugging of energy resources.
Candidate RNA structures for domain 3 of the foot-and-mouth-disease virus internal ribosome entry site

The foot-and-mouth-disease virus (FMDV) utilizes non-canonical translation initiation for viral protein synthesis, by forming a specific RNA structure called internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Domain 3 in FMDV IRES is phylogenetically conserved and highly structured; it contains four-way junctions where intramolecular RNA–RNA interactions serve as a scaffold for the RNA to fold for efficient IRES activity. Although the 3D structure of domain 3 is crucial to exploring and deciphering the initiation mechanism of translation, little is known. Here, we employ a combination of various modeling approaches to propose candidate tertiary structures for the apical region of domain 3, thought to be crucial for IRES function. We begin by modeling junction topology candidates and build atomic 3D models consistent with available experimental data. We then investigate each of the four candidate 3D structures by molecular dynamics simulations to determine the most energetically favorable configurations and to analyze specific tertiary interactions. Only one model emerges as viable containing not only the specific binding site for the GNRA tetraloop but also helical arrangements which enhance the stability of domain 3. These collective findings, together with available experimental data, suggest a plausible theoretical tertiary structure of the apical region in FMDV IRES domain 3.
Update of the Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable Preclinical Recommendations

The initial Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) recommendations published in 1999 were intended to improve the quality of preclinical studies of purported acute stroke therapies. Although recognized as reasonable, they have not been closely followed nor rigorously validated. Substantial advances have occurred regarding the appropriate quality and breadth of preclinical testing for candidate acute stroke therapies for better clinical translation. The updated STAIR preclinical recommendations reinforce the previous suggestions that reproducibly defining dose response and time windows with both histological and functional outcomes in multiple animal species with appropriate physiological monitoring is appropriate. The updated STAIR recommendations include: the fundamentals of good scientific inquiry should be followed by eliminating randomization and assessment bias, a priori defining inclusion/exclusion criteria, performing appropriate power and sample size calculations, and disclosing potential conflicts of interest. After initial evaluations in young, healthy male animals, further studies should be performed in females, aged animals, and animals with comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. Another consideration is the use of clinically relevant biomarkers in animal studies. Although the recommendations cannot be validated until effective therapies based on them emerge from clinical trials, it is hoped that adherence to them might enhance the chances for success.
Safety and Efficacy of Belimumab to Treat Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Academic Clinical Practices

Objective. To evaluate the use and efficacy of belimumab in academic practices. Belimumab is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits soluble B lymphocyte stimulator and has been approved for the treatment of adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. Invitations to participate and complete a 1-page questionnaire for each patient prescribed belimumab were sent to 16 physicians experienced in SLE phase III clinical trials. The outcome was defined as the physician’s impression of improvement in the initial manifestation(s) being treated without worsening in other organ systems. Results. Of 195 patients treated with belimumab at 10 academic centers, 96% were taking background medications for SLE at initiation of belimumab, with 74% taking corticosteroids. The main indications for initiation of belimumab were arthritis, rash, and/or worsening serologic activity, with 30% of patients unable to taper corticosteroids. Of the 120 patients taking belimumab for at least 6 months, 51% responded clinically and 67% had ≥ 25% improvement in laboratory values. While numbers are limited, black patients showed improvement at 6 months. In a subset of 39 patients with childhood-onset SLE, 65% responded favorably at 6 months, and 35% discontinued corticosteroids. Conclusion. Our data demonstrate favorable clinical and laboratory outcomes in patients with SLE at 6 months across all racial and ethnic groups, with similar improvement seen among patients with childhood-onset SLE.
The Novikov-Bott inequalities

We generalize the Novikov inequalities for 1-forms in two different directions: first, we allow non-isolated critical points (assuming that they are non-degenerate in the sense of R.Bott), and, secondly, we strengthen the inequalities by means of twisting by an arbitrary flat bundle. We also obtain an $L^2$ version of these inequalities with finite von Neumann algebras. The proof of the main theorem uses Bismut's modification of the Witten deformation of the de Rham complex; it is based on an explicit estimate on the lower part of the spectrum of the corresponding Laplacian.