Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Provisioning low latency, resilient mobile edge clouds for 5G

Network virtualization and SDN-based routing allow carriers to flexibly configure their networks in response to demand and unexpected network disruptions. However, cellular networks, by nature, pose some unique challenges because of user mobility and control/data plane partitioning, which calls for new architectures and provisioning paradigms. In this paper, we address the latter part by devising algorithms that can provision the data plane to create a distributed Mobile Edge Cloud (MEC), which provides opportunities for lower latencies and increased resilience (through placement of network functions at more distributed datacenter locations) and accounts for service disruption that could be incurred because of user mobility between the service areas of different datacenters. Through evaluations with topology and traffic data from a major carriers's network, we show that, compared to static, centralized networks, careful virtualized provisioning can yield significant savings in network costs while still minimizing service disruption due to mobility. We demonstrate that up to a 75% reduction in redundant datacenter capacity over the operator's current topology (while achieving the same level of resilience) is possible by distributing load over many mobile cloud datacenters.
A theory of speech perception in normal and hearing-impaired ears

This research investigates the longstanding problem of understanding human speech perception. We aim to study speech perception and decode perceptual cues in speech by conducting psychoacoustic experiments on several subjects by presenting them with nonsense consonant-vowel (CV) syllables in various kinds of masking noise at different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Our research with a large number of normal hearing (NH) listeners shows that NH speech perception is deterministic and the error is essentially zero when the main perceptual feature (or event) of the utterance is audible. With the perceptual CV cues precisely known, one can predict how an average normal hearing (ANH) listener would behave in a certain type and degree of masking noise. The next major goal of the current research is to characterize hearing-impaired (HI) ears by using our knowledge of specific consonant speech cues in ANH ears, thus quantifying how the HI ears differ from ANH ears in their use of acoustic cues. Our analysis shows that HI ears may have poor temporal and/or frequency resolution, because of which they are unable to hear only a few consonants, yet they can hear the rest. We argue that it is necessary to measure this consonant dependence in order to design a more sensitive hearing aid fitting technique, and no other clinical measure used currently (audiometry, average speech recognition scores, speech in noise tests) is useful in characterizing speech-loss, in HI ears. We measured 46 HI ears with our CV discrimination test using the current hearing aid amplification
Revised diagnostic criteria for neuromyelitis optica

Background: The authors previously proposed diagnostic criteria for neuromyelitis optica (NMO) that facilitate its distinction from prototypic multiple sclerosis (MS). However, some patients with otherwise typical NMO have additional symptoms not attributable to optic nerve or spinal cord inflammation or have MS-like brain MRI lesions. Furthermore, some patients are misclassified as NMO by the authors’ earlier proposed criteria despite having a subsequent course indistinguishable from prototypic MS. A serum autoantibody marker, NMO-IgG, is highly specific for NMO. The authors propose revised NMO diagnostic criteria that incorporate NMO-IgG status. Methods: Using final clinical diagnosis (NMO or MS) as the reference standard, the authors calculated sensitivity and specificity for each criterion and various combinations using a sample of 96 patients with NMO and 33 with MS. The authors used likelihood ratios and logistic regression analysis to develop the most practical and informative diagnostic model. Results: Fourteen patients with NMO (14.6%) had extra-optic-spinal CNS symptoms. NMO-IgG seropositivity was 76% sensitive and 94% specific for NMO. The best diagnostic combination was 99% sensitive and 90% specific for NMO and consisted of at least two of three elements: longitudinally extensive cord lesion, onset brain MRI nondiagnostic for MS, or NMO-IgG seropositivity. Conclusions: The authors propose revised diagnostic criteria for definite neuromyelitis optica (NMO) that require optic neuritis, myelitis, and at least two of three supportive criteria: MRI evidence of a contiguous spinal cord lesion 3 or more segments in length, onset brain MRI nondiagnostic for multiple sclerosis, or NMO-IgG seropositivity. CNS involvement beyond the optic nerves and spinal cord is compatible with NMO.
Mutations of surface residues in Anabaena vegetative and heterocyst ferredoxin that affect thermodynamic stability as determined by guanidine hydrochloride denaturation

The stability properties of oxidized wild‐type (wt) and site‐directed mutants in surface residues of vegetative (Vfd) and heterocyst (Hfd) ferredoxins from Anabaena 7120 have been characterized by guanidine hydrochloride (Gdn‐HCl) denaturation. For Vfd it was found that mutants E95K, E94Q, F65Y, F65W, and T48A are quite similar to wt in stability. E94K is somewhat less stable, whereas E94D, F65A, F65I, R42A, and R42H are substantially less stable than wt. R42H is a substitution found in all Hfds, and NMR comparison of the Anabaena 7120 Vfd and Hfd showed the latter to be much less stable on the basis of hydrogen exchange rates (Chae YK, Abildgaard F, Mooberry ES, Markley JL, 1994, Biochemistry 33:3287–3295); we also find this to be true with respect to Gdn‐HCl denaturation. Strikingly, the Hfd mutant H42R is more stable than the wt Hfd by precisely the amount of stability lost in Vfd upon mutating R42 to H (2.0 kcal/mol). On the basis of comparison of the X‐ray crystal structures of wt Anabaena Vfd and Hfd, the decreased stabilities of F65A and F65I can be ascribed to increased solvent exposure of interior hydrophobic groups. In the case of Vfd mutants E94K and E94D, the decreased stabilities may result from disruption of a hydrogen bond between the E94 and S47 side chains. The instability of the R42 mutants is also most probably due to decreased hydrogen bonding capabilities. Those F65 mutants showing diminished stability (i.e., F65A and F65I) have previously been shown (Hurley JK, et al., 1993b, Biochemistry 52:9346–9354) to be severely impaired kinetically in their electron transfer (ET) reaction with ferredoxin:NADP + reductase (FNR), a physiological reaction partner of Vfd. Mutants F65W and F65Y, which, as noted, are like wt in stability, also functioned like wt in the ET reaction with FNR (Hurley JK, et al., 1993a, J Am Chem Soc 115:11698–11701). Possible reasons for this correlation between ET properties of the F65 mutants and their conformational stabilities are discussed.
Biracial, Bicultural, Bisexual

Abstract This article is based on interviews of twenty-seven women. The women were primarily Caucasian, but a few were of mixed race. This article focuses on the women of mixed race and one or more Caucasian women who met other cultural aspects of identity such as religious beliefs, age, and politics. The purpose is to discuss how these factors impact their construction of bisexual identity. First comes a brief review of the literature on sexual identity models, racial identity models, age differences, religious differences, and feminism. Then the women speak. Following each woman's voice, her main points are related to therapy.
A compact HSPICE macromodel of resistive

A compact but accurate HSPICE macromodel for singlebit resistive RAM (ReRAM) is proposed in this paper. This compact macromodel uses the minimum number of circuit elements to improve the HSPICE simulation speed. And, the macromodel is verified to show very good agreement with the measurements due to voltagecontrolled resistors used as the SET and RESET resistors in the macromodel describing well the complicated current-voltage relationship of the ReRAM. An extended version of the macromodel is also proposed and verified for multi-bit ReRAM, where its SET resistance and RESET voltage can vary according to the SET pulse width applied to the ReRAM.
Some Alternatives to Asymptotic Tests for the Analysis of Pharmacogenetic Data Using Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models

Summary Nonlinear mixed effects models allow investigating individual differences in drug concentration profiles (pharmacokinetics) and responses. Pharmacogenetics focuses on the genetic component of this variability. Two tests often used to detect a gene effect on a pharmacokinetic parameter are (1) the Wald test, assessing whether estimates for the gene effect are significantly different from 0 and (2) the likelihood ratio test comparing models with and without the genetic effect. Because those asymptotic tests show inflated type I error on small sample size and/or with unevenly distributed genotypes, we develop two alternatives and evaluate them by means of a simulation study. First, we assess the performance of the permutation test using the Wald and the likelihood ratio statistics. Second, for the Wald test we propose the use of the F‐distribution with four different values for the denominator degrees of freedom. We also explore the influence of the estimation algorithm using both the first‐order conditional estimation with interaction linearization‐based algorithm and the stochastic approximation expectation maximization algorithm. We apply these methods to the analysis of the pharmacogenetics of indinavir in HIV patients recruited in the COPHAR2‐ANRS 111 trial. Results of the simulation study show that the permutation test seems appropriate but at the cost of an additional computational burden. One of the four F‐distribution‐based approaches provides a correct type I error estimate for the Wald test and should be further investigated.
Household Leverage and the Recession

We evaluate and partially challenge the household leverage view of the Great Recession. In the data, employment and consumption declined more in U.S. states where household debt declined more. We study a model of a monetary union composed of many regions in which liquidity constraints shape the response of employment and consumption to changes in debt. We estimate the model with Bayesian methods combining state and aggregate data. Changes in household credit explain 40% of the differential rise and fall of employment across states, but a small fraction of the aggregate employment decline in 2007–2010. Nevertheless, since household deleveraging was gradual, credit shocks greatly slowed the recovery.
Language and Motor Speech Disorders in Adults

Language and Motor Speech Disorders in Adults, Third Edition provides an overview of the major neurogenically caused speech and language disorders in adults. The authors, with a combined 80 years of clinical expertise, incorporate case studies associated with each of the neurogenic communication disorders. Each chapter includes Objectives, a Case Description, Discussion/Critical Thinking Review Questions, and Summary Points. Students will benefit from the real-world case studies providing a connection between the cognitive information learned in class and reallife situations. With comprehensive coverage, this text provides students with a thorough understanding of language and motor speech disorders in adults. Provides definitions used in speech, language, and cognition Introduces the seven major language disorders Reviews the neural basis of speech and language and touches upon the speech and/or language impairment that results from damage to the neural system Contains a discussion of the language disorder associated with adult aphasia Addresses the communication disorders associated with right-hemisphere damage Deals with the communication disorders associated with dementia Presents the communication disorders associated with traumatic brain injury The Third Edition includes one new chapter that covers the communication disorders associated with Schizophrenia, and also includes two appendices highlighting the Time-Altered Word Association Tests (TAWAT), encompassing its theory,development, administration, and scoring. An interactive TAWAT program is available through the companion website. Instructor Resources: Instructor's Manual with Sample Syllabus, PowerPoint Presentations, and a Test Bank
Cdc45-induced loading of human RPA onto single-stranded DNA

Abstract Cell division cycle protein 45 (Cdc45) is an essential component of the eukaryotic replicative DNA helicase. We found that human Cdc45 forms a complex with the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein RPA. Moreover, it actively loads RPA onto nascent ssDNA. Pull-down assays and surface plasmon resonance studies revealed that Cdc45-bound RPA complexed with ssDNA in the 8–10 nucleotide binding mode, but dissociated when RPA covered a 30-mer. Real-time analysis of RPA-ssDNA binding demonstrated that Cdc45 catalytically loaded RPA onto ssDNA. This placement reaction required physical contacts of Cdc45 with the RPA70A subdomain. Our results imply that Cdc45 controlled stabilization of the 8-nt RPA binding mode, the subsequent RPA transition into 30-mer mode and facilitated an ordered binding to ssDNA. We propose that a Cdc45-mediated loading guarantees a seamless deposition of RPA on newly emerging ssDNA at the nascent replication fork.
Getting better all the time: improving preference scores reflect increases in the strength of filial imprinting

In the investigation of the neural mechanisms of filial imprinting, neurochemical measures are often correlated with preference score (PS): approach activity to the training stimulus/total approach in a test. In a previous study, domestic chicks, Gallus gallus domesticus, that had a PS under 65% were classed as 'poor learners' and those with a PS greater than 65% were called 'good learners'. We tested the effects of continued imprinting training in chicks from these two categories. After exposure to an imprinting stimulus for 30 min on day 1 after hatching, preferences were tested and then the chicks were exposed to the same stimulus for either 90 min, 3 h or 4 h on the next day, followed by a second preference test. In all these experiments there was a significant improvement in mean PS in the 'poor learners' between the first and second test, such that these chicks acquired a significant mean preference for the training stimulus. There was no such improvement in chicks that did not receive further training on day 2. When absolute approach was analysed, there was no significant difference between 'poor learners' and 'good learners' at the second test, after 4 h of retraining. Overall, mean preference scores increased with length of training. These results suggest that 'poor learners' are better characterized as 'slow learners', and that their initially low PS is not caused by, for example, a lack of motivation to express a preference. Preference scores reflect the strength of learning during imprinting. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Predicting Levels of Rapport in Dyadic Interactions through Automatic Detection of Posture and Posture Congruence

Research in psychology and SSP often describe posture as one of the most expressive nonverbal cues. Various studies in psychology particularly link posture mirroring behaviour to rapport. Currently, however, there are few studies which deal with the automatic analysis of postures and none at all particularly focus on its connection with rapport. This study presents a method for automatically predicting rapport in dyadic interactions based on posture and congruence. We begin by constructing a dataset of dyadic interactions and self-reported rapport annotations. Then, we present a simple system for posture classification and use it to detect posture congruence in dyads. Sliding time windows are used to collect posture congruence statistics across video segments. And lastly, various machine learning techniques are tested and used to create rapport models. Among the machine learners tested, Support Vector Machines and Multi layer Perceptrons performed best, at around 71% average accuracy.
Pipelined high precision beamforming delay calculator for ultrasound imaging

Ultrasound Imaging is one of the most widely used medical imaging methods, and beamforming is the enabling technology of ultrasound imaging, which directly influences the image quality. The critical problem of modern ultrasound imaging system is generating high resolution images at high frame rate. To solve this problem, real-time high precision beamforming delay parameters must be generated. This paper presents the design and implementation of a pipelined high precision beamforming delay calculator for ultrasound imaging, which uses 10-stage pipelined CORDIC (Coordinate Rotation Digital Computer) processor to perform fully pipelined architecture. The presented delay calculator calculates delay parameters with high precision, which can greatly improve the image quality. And fully pipelined architecture can also provide high frame rate. The design has been synthesized for an Altera Arria-II GX FPGA with speed grade 4. A delay calculator requires about 3,238 out of 50,600 available ALUTs (6.4%), and a 64-channel dual-beam system needs 24 such delay calculator modules. The delay calculators run in parallel, and one of them can generate 300 million delay parameters per second.
Double-frequency jitter in chain master-slave clock distribution networks: Comparing topologies

Master-slave (M-S) strategies implemented with chain circuits are the main option in order to distribute clock signals along synchronous networks in several telecommunication and control applications. Here, we study the two types of master-slave chains: Without clock feedback, i.e., one-way master-slave (OWMS) and with clock feedback, i.e., two-way master-slave (TWMS) considering the slave nodes as second-order phase-locked loops (PLL) for several types of loop low-pass filters.
Relationships Between Personality and Preferred Substance and Motivations for Use Among Adolescent Substance Abusers

This study examined the utility of Cloninger's tridimensional personality theory (1986, 1987a) in predicting preferred substance of abuse and self‐reported motivations for use among a sample of 200 adolescent substance abusers and 200 matched community control adolescents. Two primary hypotheses were tested: (1) Cloninger's type II profile is more strongly associated with stimulant use, and his type I profile is more strongly associated with substances having sedative‐hypnotic effects; and 2) type II individuals will report motivations for use that focus primarily on obtaining positive rewards, whereas type I individuals will report motivations primarily concerning negative reinforcement or the avoidance of problems and negative life experiences. Our results did not show strong associations between Cloninger's Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependence dimensions and preferred substance or motivations for use. However, in partial support of the hypotheses examined here, we did find that individuals low in novelty seeking (NS) tended to prefer alcohol and marijuana, whereas those high in NS endorsed a wider range of preferred substances. High NS was associated with significantly greater stimulant use and motivations focused on obtaining positive rewards, whereas low NS was associated with greater sedative use and motivations related to avoiding negative emotions or negative life experiences.
Neurotensin receptor binding levels in basal ganglia are not altered in Huntington's chorea or schizophrenia

Autoradiographic techinques were used to examine the distribution and levels of neurotensin receptor binding sites in the basal gangila and related regions of the human brain. Monoido ([125I]‐Tyr3)neurotensin was used as a ligand. High amounts of neurotensin receptor binding sites were found in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Lower but significant quantities of neurotensin receptor binding sites characterized the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens, while very low quantities were seen in both medial and lateral segments of the globus pallidus.
Effects of serotonin, dopamine and ergometrine on locomotion in the pulmonate mollusc Helix lucorum.

The terrestrial snail Helix lucorum crawls using waves of muscular contraction (pedal waves) that spread along the sole of its foot. Crawling speed depends on wave generation frequency (step frequency) and the distance the snail moves forwards during each wave (step length). In a previous study, video recordings of a crawling snail showed that its sole length varied over a wide range and was directly correlated with mollusc speed. Speed depended on step length, which was directly related to sole length, rather than on step frequency, which remained rather constant. In the present study, the effects of dopamine, ergometrine (a blocker of dopamine receptors in molluscs) and serotonin injection on the linear relationship between sole length and locomotor speed in Helix lucorum were studied. In crawling snails, dopamine caused sole contraction, and locomotion slowed down or ceased. Ergometrine stimulated locomotion, which resembled rapid crawling with an extended sole, as observed under normal conditions. Serotonin stimulated locomotion and accelerated crawling significantly without causing changes in sole length. The acceleration of locomotion induced by serotonin injection was due to pedal wave (step) elongation. It is proposed that, during each locomotor episode, dopamine controls snail speed by regulating sole length, which determines the amplitude of contraction of the muscle cells involved in pedal waves and, as a result, step length; serotonin determines the basic step length and shifts the linear relationship between sole length and mollusc speed upwards along the axis of mollusc speed. The efficiency of the serotonergic system depends on the physiological state of the mollusc (e.g. that characteristic of summer or winter).
Insulin Restricted T Cell Responses to - HLA-A*0201 Deficiency Augments Spontaneous Ins2

Type 1 diabetes results from the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing b cells by T cells speciﬁc for b cell Ags, including insulin. In humans, the non-MHC locus conferring the strongest disease susceptibility is the insulin gene, and alleles yielding lower thymic insulin expression are predisposing. We sought to incorporate this characteristic into an HLA-transgenic model of the disease and to determine the inﬂuence of reduced thymic insulin expression on CD8 + T cell responses to preproinsulin. We examined NOD.Ins2 2 / 2 mice, which do not express insulin in the thymus and show accelerated disease, to determine whether they exhibit quantitative or qualitative differences in CD8 + T cell responses to preproinsulin. We also generated NOD.Ins2 2 / 2 mice expressing type 1 diabetes-associated HLA-A p 0201 (designated NOD. b 2m 2 / 2 .HHD.Ins2 2 / 2 ) in an effort to obtain an improved humanized disease model. We found that CD8 + T cell reactivity to certain insulin peptides was more readily detected in NOD.Ins2 2 / 2 mice than in NOD mice. Furthermore, the proportion of insulin-reactive CD8 + T cells inﬁltrating the islets of NOD.Ins2 2 / 2 mice was increased. NOD. b 2m 2 / 2 . HHD.Ins2 2 / 2 mice exhibited rapid onset of disease and had an increased proportion of HLA-A p 0201–restricted insulin-reactive T cells, including those targeting the clinically relevant epitope Ins B10-18. Our results suggest that insulin alleles that predispose to type 1 diabetes in humans do so, at least in part, by facilitating CD8 + T cell responses to the protein. We propose the NOD. b 2m 2 / 2 . HHD.Ins2 2 / 2 strain as an improved humanized disease model, in particular for studies seeking to develop therapeutic strategies targeting insulin-speciﬁc T cells. The Journal of Immunology , 2010, 184: 000–000.