Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asymptotics of coefficients of multivariate generating functions: improvements for multiple points

Let $\sum_{\beta\in\nats^d} F_\beta x^\beta$ be a multivariate power series. For example $\sum F_\beta x^\beta$ could be a generating function for a combinatorial class. Assume that in a neighbourhood of the origin this series represents a nonentire function $F=G/H^p$ where $G$ and $H$ are holomorphic and $p$ is a positive integer. Given a direction $\alpha\in\pnats^d$ for which the asymptotics are controlled by a smooth point of the singular variety $H = 0$, we compute the asymptotics of $F_{n \alpha}$ as $n\to\infty$. We do this via multivariate singularity analysis and give an explicit formula for the full asymptotic expansion. This improves on earlier work of R. Pemantle and the second author and allows for more accurate numerical approximation, as demonstrated by our examples.
High‐throughput screening of a small molecule library for promoters and inhibitors of mesenchymal stem cell osteogenic differentiation

The use of high‐throughput screening (HTS) techniques has long been employed by the pharmaceutical industry to increase discovery rates for new drugs that could be useful for disease treatment, yet this technology has only been minimally applied in other applications such as in tissue regeneration. In this work, an assay for the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) was developed and used to screen a library of small molecules for their potential as either promoters or inhibitors of osteogenesis, based on levels of alkaline phosphatase activity and cellular viability. From a library of 1,040 molecules, 36 promoters, and 20 inhibitors were identified as hits based on statistical criteria. Osteopromoters from this library were further investigated using standard culture techniques and a wider range of outcomes to verify that these compounds drive cellular differentiation. Several hits led to some improvement in the expression of alkaline phosphatase, osteogenic gene expression, and matrix mineralization by hMSCs when compared to the standard dexamethasone supplemented media and one molecule was investigated in combination with a recently identified biodegradable and osteoconductive polymer. This work illustrates the ability of HTS to more rapidly identify potential molecules to control stem cell differentiation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011; 108:163–174. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Application of High-Throughput Assays to Examine Phospho-Modulation of the Late Steps of Regulated Exocytosis

Regulated exocytosis enables a range of physiological functions including neurotransmission, and the late steps (i.e., docking, priming and Ca2+-triggered membrane fusion) are modulated by a highly conserved set of proteins and lipids. Many of the molecular components and biochemical interactions required have been identified; the precise mechanistic steps they modulate and the biochemical interactions that need to occur across steps are still the subject of intense investigation. Particularly, although the involvement of phosphorylation in modulating exocytosis has been intensively investigated over the past three decades, it is unclear which phosphorylation events are a conserved part of the fundamental fusion mechanism and/or serve as part of the physiological fusion machine (e.g., to modulate Ca2+ sensitivity). Here, the homotypic fusion of cortical vesicles was monitored by utilizing new high-throughput, cost-effective assays to assess the influence of 17 small molecule phospho-modulators on docking/priming, Ca2+ sensitivity and membrane fusion. Specific phosphatases and casein kinase 2 are implicated in modulating the Ca2+ sensitivity of fusion, whereas sphingosine kinase is implicated in modulating the ability of vesicles to fuse. These results indicate the presence of multiple kinases and phosphatases on the vesicles and critical phosphorylation sites on vesicle membrane proteins and lipids that directly influence late steps of regulated exocytosis.
High Order Masking of Look-up Tables with Common Shares

Masking is an effective countermeasure against side-channel attacks. In this paper, we improve the efficiency of the high-order masking of look-up tables countermeasure introduced at Eurocrypt 2014, based on a combination of three techniques, and still with a proof of security in the Ishai-Sahai-Wagner (ISW) probing model. The first technique consists in proving security under the stronger t-SNI definition, which enables to use n = t+1 shares instead of n = 2t+1 against t-th order attacks. The second technique consists in progressively incrementing the number of shares within the countermeasure, from a single share to n, thereby reducing the complexity of the countermeasure. The third technique consists in adapting the common shares approach introduced by Coron et al. at CHES 2016, so that half of a randomized look-up table can be pre-computed for multiple SBoxes. We show that our techniques perform well in practice. In theory, the combination of the three techniques should lead to a factor 10.7 improvement in efficiency, for a large number of shares. For a practical implementation with a reasonable number of shares, we get a 4.8 speed-up factor for AES.
Doppler indexes of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in relation to haemodynamic load components in a general population

Background: The contribution of central pulsatility to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction might be mediated by the haemodynamic loads of forward (Pf) and backward (Pb) pulse waves. We investigated the relation between echocardiographic indexes of LV function and pulsatile loads derived by wave separation analysis (WSA). Methods: In 755 participants, we assessed LV dimensions, transmitral blood flow and mitral annular tissue velocities. We derived central pulse pressure (cPP) from radial tonometric recordings and calculated Pf, Pb and their ratio (reflection magnitude) using an automated, pressure-based WSA algorithm. Despite good quality recordings, WSA failed to derive Pf and Pb in 139 participants (18.4%), in particular in older women with unfavourable haemodynamics. Thus, our analysis included 616 participants (46.1% women; mean age, 49.2 years). Results: Age and age2 explained most of the variance in cPP (36.9%), Pf (18.6%), Pb (41.5%) and reflection magnitude (36.7%; P < 0.0001) and altered the direct correlation between Pf and Pb (Pint < 0.0001). Haemodynamic loads were independently associated with sex, BMI, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, history of diabetes and use of antihypertensive drugs. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, transmitral velocities and E/e′ ratio increased with higher cPP, Pf and Pb in men and women. We also observed an age-dependent association of LV radial strain with cPP, Pf and Pb. Conclusion: The commercial WSA algorithm holds limited clinical utility given its low feasibility in older participants with unfavourable haemodynamics. LV function indexes were similarly associated with Pf and Pb, favouring the use of the composite cPP for prediction of LV dysfunction.
A “ Shuriken-like ” Pigmented Lesion ?

and Drug Administration for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in treatment-refractory patients [3]. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab are monoclonal antibodies that bind to the PD-1 receptor and prevent its interaction with its ligands programmed cell death receptor ligands 1 and 2 [3]. Inhibition of the PD-1 receptor allows for increased immune response and potentially increased anticancer immune activity [3]. Pembrolizumab is administered via continuous i.v. infusion over 30 minutes at a dose of 2 mg/kg of actual body weight every three weeks [3]. Nivolumab is administered as a continuous i.v. infusion over 60 minutes [3]. The recommended dose of nivolumab is 3 mg/kg of actual body weight administered every Dear editor,
Control flow prediction for dynamic ILP processors

Addresses a two-fold question: whether there is enough parallelism in numeric and non-numeric workloads, such as the SPEC92 benchmark suite, under ideal conditions, disregarding any resource constraints and more importantly, whether a high ideal parallelism can be further characterized to assess its extractability with finite resources. The authors have designed and implemented an analysis tool that accepts as input a dynamic execution trace from an IBM RS/6000 environment, and outputs a parallelized instruction trace (schedule) that could be executed on an abstract machine with unlimited functional units and various constraints on the rest of its resources, namely, registers, stack and memory. They also analyze two different instruction scheduling policies: greedy and lazy. The paper further offers a characterization of ideal parallelism (obtainable on a machine with infinite resources) using a measure called slack to assess its sustainability with finite resources. <<ETX>>
Addressing Global Data Dependencies in Heterogeneous Asynchronous Runtime Systems on GPUs

Large-scale parallel applications with complex global data dependencies beyond those of reductions pose significant scalability challenges in an asynchronous runtime system. Internodal challenges include identifying the all-to-all communication of data dependencies among the nodes. Intranodal challenges include gathering together these data dependencies into usable data objects while avoiding data duplication. This paper addresses these challenges within the context of a large-scale, industrial coal boiler simulation using the Uintah asynchronous many-task runtime system on GPU architectures. We show significant reduction in time spent analyzing data dependencies through refinements in our dependency search algorithm. Multiple task graphs are used to eliminate subsequent analysis when task graphs change in predictable and repeatable ways. Using a combined data store and task scheduler redesign reduces data dependency duplication ensuring that problems fit within host and GPU memory. These modifications did not require any changes to application code or sweeping changes to the Uintah runtime system. We report results running on the DOE Titan system on 119K CPU cores and 7.5K GPUs simultaneously. Our solutions can be generalized to other task dependency problems with global dependencies among thousands of nodes which must be processed efficiently at large scale.
The Lactococcus lactis KF147 nonribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthase system confers resistance to oxidative stress during growth on plant leaf tissue lysate

Strains of Lactococcus lactis isolated from plant tissues possess adaptations that support their survival and growth in plant‐associated microbial habitats. We previously demonstrated that genes coding for a hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthase (NRPS/PKS) system involved in production of an uncharacterized secondary metabolite are specifically induced in L. lactis KF147 during growth on plant tissues. Notably, this NRPS/PKS has only been identified in plant‐isolated strains of L. lactis. Here, we show that the L. lactis KF147 NRPS/PKS genes have homologs in certain Streptococcus mutans isolates and the genetic organization of the NRPS/PKS locus is conserved among L. lactis strains. Using an L. lactis KF147 mutant deficient in synthesis of NrpC, a 4′‐phosphopantetheinyl transferase, we found that the NRPS/PKS system improves L. lactis during growth under oxidative conditions in Arapidopsis thaliana leaf lysate. The NRPS/PKS system also improves tolerance of L. lactis to reactive oxygen species and specifically H2O2 and superoxide radicals in culture medium. These findings indicate that this secondary metabolite provides a novel mechanism for reactive oxygen species detoxification not previously known for this species.
Genetic Interactions Between BOB1 and Multiple 26S Proteasome Subunits Suggest a Role for Proteostasis in Regulating Arabidopsis Development

Protein folding and degradation are both required for protein quality control, an essential cellular activity that underlies normal growth and development. We investigated how BOB1, an Arabidopsis thaliana small heat shock protein, maintains normal plant development. bob1 mutants exhibit organ polarity defects and have expanded domains of KNOX gene expression. Some of these phenotypes are ecotype specific suggesting that other genes function to modify them. Using a genetic approach we identified an interaction between BOB1 and FIL, a gene required for abaxial organ identity. We also performed an EMS enhancer screen using the bob1-3 allele to identify pathways that are sensitized by a loss of BOB1 function. This screen identified genetic, but not physical, interactions between BOB1 and the proteasome subunit RPT2a. Two other proteasome subunits, RPN1a and RPN8a, also interact genetically with BOB1. Both BOB1 and the BOB1-interacting proteasome subunits had previously been shown to interact genetically with the transcriptional enhancers AS1 and AS2, genes known to regulate both organ polarity and KNOX gene expression. Our results suggest a model in which BOB1 mediated protein folding and proteasome mediated protein degradation form a functional proteostasis module required for ensuring normal plant development.
Time-sensitive Customer Churn Prediction based on PU Learning

With the fast development of Internet companies throughout the world, customer churn has become a serious concern. To better help the companies retain their customers, it is important to build a customer churn prediction model to identify the customers who are most likely to churn ahead of time. In this paper, we propose a Time-sensitive Customer Churn Prediction (TCCP) framework based on Positive and Unlabeled (PU) learning technique. Specifically, we obtain the recent data by shortening the observation period, and start to train model as long as enough positive samples are collected, ignoring the absence of the negative examples. We conduct thoroughly experiments on real industry data from Alipay.com. The experimental results demonstrate that TCCP outperforms the rule-based models and the traditional supervised learning models.
FlowPaP and FlowReR

Handheld devices, such as smartphones and tablets, currently dominate the semiconductor market. The memory access patterns of CPU and IP cores are dramatically different in a handheld device, making the main memory a critical bottleneck of the entire system. As a result, non-volatile memories, such as spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random-access memory (STT-MRAM), are emerging as a replacement for the existing DRAM-based main memory, achieving a wide variety of advantages. However, replacing DRAM with STT-MRAM also results in new design challenges including read disturbance. A simple read-and-restore scheme preserves data integrity under read disturbance, but incurs significant performance and energy overheads. Consequently, by utilizing unique characteristics of mobile applications, we propose FlowPaP, a flow pattern prediction scheme to dynamically predict the write-to-last-read distances for data frames running on a handheld device. FlowPaP identifies and removes unnecessary memory restores originally required for preventing read disturbance, significantly improving energy efficiency and performance for STT-MRAM-based handheld devices. In addition, we propose a flow-based data retention time reduction scheme named FlowReR to further lower energy consumption of STT-MRAM at the expense of reducing its data retention time. FlowReR imposes a second step that marginally trades off the already improved energy efficiency for performance improvements. Experimental results show that, compared to the original read-and-restore scheme, the application of FlowPaP and FlowReR together can simultaneously improve energy efficiency by 34% and performance by 17% for a set of commonly used Android applications.
Neural Circuits Underlying Fly Larval Locomotion

Locomotion is a complex motor behavior that may be expressed in different ways using a variety of strategies depending upon species and pathological or environmental conditions. Quadrupedal or bipedal walking, running, swimming, flying and gliding constitute some of the locomotor modes enabling the body, in all cases, to move from one place to another. Despite these apparent differences in modes of locomotion, both vertebrate and invertebrate species share, at least in part, comparable neural control mechanisms for locomotor rhythm and pattern generation and modulation. Significant advances have been made in recent years in studies of the genetic aspects of these control systems. Findings made specifically using Drosophila (fruit fly) models and preparations have contributed to further understanding of the key role of genes in locomotion. This review focuses on some of the main findings made in larval fruit flies while briefly summarizing the basic advantages of using this powerful animal model for studying the neural locomotor system.
Building a Highway to Quality Health Care.

P resident Eisenhower’s Federal Highway Act of 1956 transformed America’s local patchwork of roads into a national, interconnected highway system. This investment in a critical infrastructure was transformative, and one of the largest public works ever funded by the U.S. government. Nearly everyone in the United States has been touched by this system, be it for travel or access to goods. Health care today is in a similar situation as America’s hodgepodge road system was in the early 20th century. There have been many local and regional projects and several national initiatives, all independently seeking to improve the quality and safety of patient care. The federal government has supported these efforts through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) research portfolio, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service’s (CMS) Partnership for Patients, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) research and public health funding. These investments are needed, although they are still insufficient for the size of the problem. As with the old road system, we have yet to invest in the basic infrastructure necessary for all patients, hospitals, and providers to improve and sustain improvements in quality and safety. In this essay, we review the investments needed to establish a quality infrastructure that supports broad and sustained improvements in quality and safety.
Polarity in GaN and ZnO: Theory, measurement, growth, and devices

The polar nature of the wurtzite crystalline structure of GaN and ZnO results in the existence of a spontaneous electric polarization within these materials and their associated alloys (Ga,Al,In)N and (Zn,Mg,Cd)O. The polarity has also important consequences on the stability of the different crystallographic surfaces, and this becomes especially important when considering epitaxial growth. Furthermore, the internal polarization fields may adversely affect the properties of optoelectronic devices but is also used as a potential advantage for advanced electronic devices. In this article, polarity-related issues in GaN and ZnO are reviewed, going from theoretical considerations to electronic and optoelectronic devices, through thin film, and nanostructure growth. The necessary theoretical background is first introduced and the stability of the cation and anion polarity surfaces is discussed. For assessing the polarity, one has to make use of specific characterization methods, which are described in detail. Subsequently, the nucleation and growth mechanisms of thin films and nanostructures, including nanowires, are presented, reviewing the specific growth conditions that allow controlling the polarity of such objects. Eventually, the demonstrated and/or expected effects of polarity on the properties and performances of optoelectronic and electronic devices are reported. The present review is intended to yield an in-depth view of some of the hot topics related to polarity in GaN and ZnO, a fast growing subject over the last decade.
TCDD, FICZ, and Other High Affinity AhR Ligands Dose-Dependently Determine the Fate of CD4+ T Cell Differentiation

FICZ and TCDD, two high-affinity AhR ligands, are reported to have opposite effects on T cell differentiation with TCDD inducing regulatory T cells and FICZ inducing Th17 cells. This dichotomy has been attributed to ligand-intrinsic differences in AhR activation, although differences in sensitivity to metabolism complicate the issue. TCDD is resistant to AhR-induced metabolism and produces sustained AhR activation following a single dose in the μg/kg range, whereas FICZ is rapidly metabolized and AhR activation is transient. Nonetheless, prior studies comparing FICZ with TCDD have generally used the same 10-50 μg/kg dose range, and thus the two ligands would not equivalently activate AhR. We hypothesized that high-affinity AhR ligands can promote CD4+ T cell differentiation into both Th17 cells and Tregs, with fate depending on the extent and duration of AhR activation. We compared the immunosuppressive effects of TCDD and FICZ, along with two other rapidly metabolized ligands (ITE and 11-Cl-BBQ) in an acute alloresponse mouse model. The dose and timing of administration of each ligand was optimized for TCDD-equivalent Cyp1a1 induction. When optimized, all of the ligands suppressed the alloresponse in conjunction with the induction of Foxp3- Tr1 cells on day 2 and the expansion of natural Foxp3+ Tregs on day 10. In contrast, a low dose of FICZ induced transient expression of Cyp1a1 and did not induce Tregs or suppress the alloresponse but enhanced IL-17 production. Interestingly, low doses of the other ligands, including TCDD, also increased IL-17 production on day 10. These findings support the conclusion that the dose and the duration of AhR activation by high-affinity AhR ligands are the primary factors driving the fate of T cell differentiation.
Efficient Ray Tracing Through Aspheric Lenses and Imperfect Bokeh Synthesis

We present an efficient ray‐tracing technique to render bokeh effects produced by parametric aspheric lenses. Contrary to conventional spherical lenses, aspheric lenses do generally not permit a simple closed‐form solution of ray‐surface intersections. We propose a numerical root‐finding approach, which uses tight proxy surfaces to ensure a good initialization and convergence behavior. Additionally, we simulate mechanical imperfections resulting from the lens fabrication via a texture‐based approach. Fractional Fourier transform and spectral dispersion add additional realism to the synthesized bokeh effect. Our approach is well‐suited for execution on graphics processing units (GPUs) and we demonstrate complex defocus‐blur and lens‐flare effects.
The determination of monomers and oligomers from polyester-based can coatings into foodstuffs over extended storage periods

ABSTRACT The polymeric coating used in metal packaging such as cans for foods and beverages may contain residual amounts of monomers used in the production of the coating, as well as unreacted linear and cyclic oligomers. Traditionally, although designed for use with plastic food contact materials, food simulants have been used to determine the migration of monomers from coatings into foodstuffs. More recently, food simulants have also been used to determine oligomeric species migrating from can coatings. In the work reported here, the migration of both monomers and oligomers from polyester-based can coatings into food simulants and foodstuffs, some of which were towards the end of their shelf-life, is compared. The concentrations of monomers and selected oligomers in canned foods at the end of their shelf life were found to be significantly lower than those in food simulants, which in turn was lower than those in the extraction solvent acetonitrile.