Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Fair QoE-Aware MIMO Scheduling Scheme Based on Dynamic Latency Boundary for Non-Real-Time Service

In Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) system, the scheduling schemes for guaranteeing quality of service (QoS) set fixed delay boundaries for data packets of special service. However, the utility function of the quality of user experience (QoE) is usually a continuous function mapping service latency to Mean Opinion Score (MOS). Based on a QoS provisioning scheme, we propose a QoE-aware scheduling scheme with dynamic latency boundary. We also propose a weight function, which is a logarithmic function of the mean opinion score (MOS) level, to guarantee fairness. Numerical results indicate that the proposed scheme achieves higher performance from the view of user experience and fairness. This scheme can be deployed in commercial networks because of its low computational complexity.
Cloning of the gene for the respiratory D-lactate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli.

During attempts to clone the gene coding for the respiratory NADH dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli, two hybrid plasmids were constructed from E. coli chromosomal DNA [Young, I. G. , Jaworowski, A. , & Poulis, M. I. (1978) Gene 4, 25-36]. One of these plasmids, pIY1, derived from EcoRI-digested chromosomal DNA, was studied in detail and shown to possess the gene coding for the NADH dehydrogenase of the aerobic respiratory chain of E. coli. We now report the characterization of the other hybrid plasmid, pIY2, derived from HindIII-digested chromosomal DNA, and shown that it complements ndh mutants not by virtue of carrying the ndh gene but because it carries the gene coding for the respiratory D-lactate dehydrogenase. Cells carrying this hybrid plasmid overproduce the respiratory D-lactate dehydrogenase in their cell membranes by 15-20-fold with negligible activity appearing in the cytoplasm. This results in an amplification of the levels of the D-lactate oxidase. The amplified D-lactate oxidase activity, coupled with the pyridine nucleotide linked D-lactate dehydrogenase, apparently provides a new pathway for the oxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in the cell, independent of the respiratory NADH oxidase.
Exploring the relationship between white and grey matter damage in primary progressive multiple sclerosis with structural magnetic resonance imaging

In the first part of this thesis, an introduction of the main characteristics of the primary-progressive form of multiple sclerosis (PPMS) (Chapter I), and of the acquisition and post-processing of the conventional and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques employed in the studies presented in this thesis (Chapter II), will be presented. In the second part of this thesis, several advanced imaging techniques will be employed to answer the following two key questions on PPMS: 1) Is there is a spatial and temporal link between the pathological processes occurring in the normal appearing white matter (WM) and in the grey matter (GM) of patients with PPMS? ; 2) Which regions of WM and GM abnormalities significantly contribute to clinical progression and cognitive dysfunction over time in patients with PPMS? To answer the first question, I first used tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM), to explore the spatial relationship between the damage occurring in the normal-appearing WM and GM in patients with early PPMS (Chapter III). Then, I moved onto exploring the temporal relationship linking the pathological changes affecting the two compartments, employing magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) and diffusion-based tractography (Chapter IV). To answer the second question, I first looked at the prognostic role of WM lesion location in a study conducted on a large population of patients with well- established PPMS who were followed-up for ten years in five different European centres (Chapter V). Then, using a novel approach which combines MTI and TBSS, I explored the regions of short-term accrual of microstructural damage in patients with early PPMS (Chapter VI). Finally, I moved onto examining the relative contribution of WM and GM damage to long-term motor and cognitive disability in PPMS (Chapter VII). In the final Chapter, I will summarise the results of the studies presented in this thesis, provide an answer to the two key questions on PPMS, and propose future directions for research.
The Structural and Functional Coordination of Glycolytic Enzymes in Muscle: Evidence of a Metabolon?

Metabolism sustains life through enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions within the cells of all organisms. The coupling of catalytic function to the structural organization of enzymes contributes to the kinetic optimization important to tissue-specific and whole-body function. This coupling is of paramount importance in the role that muscle plays in the success of Animalia. The structure and function of glycolytic enzyme complexes in anaerobic metabolism have long been regarded as a major regulatory element necessary for muscle activity and whole-body homeostasis. While the details of this complex remain to be elucidated through in vivo studies, this review will touch on recent studies that suggest the existence of such a complex and its structure. A potential model for glycolytic complexes and related subcomplexes is introduced.
The psychology of reading

Contents: Preface. Part I: Background Information. Introduction and Preliminary Information. Writing Systems. Word Perception. Part II: Skilled Reading of Text. The Work of the Eyes. Eye-Movement Control During Reading. Inner Speech. Part III: Understanding Text. Words and Sentences. Representation of Discourse. Part IV: Beginning Reading and Reading Disability. Learning to Read. Stages of Reading Development. Dyslexia. Part V: Toward a Model of Reading. Speedreading, Proofreading, and Individual Differences. Models of Reading.
Differences in Signaling Molecule Organization between Naive and Memory CD4+ T Lymphocytes 1

The immunological synapse is a highly organized complex formed at the junction between Ag-specific T cells and APCs as a prelude to cell activation. Although its exact role in modulating T cell signaling is unknown, it is commonly believed that the immunological synapse is the site of cross-talk between the T cell and APC (or target). We have examined the synapses formed by naive and memory CD4 cells during Ag-specific cognate interactions with APCs. We show that the mature immunological synapse forms more quickly during memory T cell activation. We further show that the composition of the synapse found in naive or memory cell conjugates with APCs is distinct with the tyrosine phosphatase, CD45, being a more integral component of the mature synapses formed by memory cells. Finally, we show that signaling molecules, including CD45, are preassociated in discrete, lipid-raft microdomains in resting memory cells but not in naive cells. Thus, enhanced memory cell responses may be due to intrinsic properties of signaling molecule organization.
Sharp Jackson and Bernstein inequalities for N-term approximation in sequence spaces with applications

We study N-term approximation for general families of sequence spaces, establishing sharp versions of Jackson and Bernstein inequalities. The sequence spaces used are adapted to provide characterizations of Triebel-Lizorkin and Besov spaces by means of wavelet-like systems using general dilation matrices, and thus they include spaces of anisotropic smoothness. As an application, we characterize the N-term approximation spaces when the error is measured in the first of the spaces mentioned above.
Simulating cutting in surgery applications using haptics and finite element models

Soft tissue cutting is an important task in surgery simulators. We use a separation of elements approach instead of destroying or subdividing the elements. Previously we have started a new cutting approach for 2D mass-springs models: separating the elements. It does not increment the number of elements (as in the subdivision approach) and maintains the same mass during simulations (against the destruction approach).
Does consciousness cause behavior

Our intuition tells us that we, our conscious selves, cause our own voluntary acts. Yet scientists have long questioned this; Thomas Huxley, for example, in 1874 compared mental events to a steam whistle that contributes nothing to the work of a locomotive. New experimental evidence (most notable, work by Benjamin Libet and Daniel Wegner) has brought the causal status of human behavior back to the forefront of intellectual discussion. This multidisciplinary collection advances the debate, approaching the question from a variety of perspectives. The contributors begin by examining recent research in neuroscience that suggests that consciousness does not cause behavior, offering the outline of an empirically based model that shows how the brain causes behavior and where consciousness might fit in. Other contributors address the philosophical presuppositions that may have informed the empirical studies, raising questions about what can be legitimately concluded about the existence of free will from Libet's and Wegner's experimental results. Others examine the effect recent psychological and neuroscientific research could have on legal, social, and moral judgments of responsibility and blame -- in situations including A Clockwork Orange-like scenario of behavior correction. Contributors: William P. Banks, Timothy Bayne, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Suparna Choudhury, Walter J. Freeman, Shaun Gallagher, Susan Hurley, Marc Jeannerod, Leonard V. Kaplan, Hakwan Lau, Sabine Maasen, Bertram F. Malle, Alfred R. Mele, Elisabeth Pacherie, Richard Passingham, Susan Pockett, Wolfgang Prinz, Peter W. Ross
Pôles de compétitivité: quelle place pour les PME dans les projets innovants ?

L'installation des Poles de Competitivite, des 2006, fait partie d'une politique gouvernementale de soutien aux entreprises et aux territoires visant a mieux positionner la France dans la competition economique internationale. L'objectif est de renforcer le tissu industriel de certaines regions par l'augmentation d'investissements publics dans des projets lies a l'innovation et a l'internationalisation. Cet article traite des effets de l'installation du pole de competitivite Arve Industries et du degre d'implication des PME du territoire dans les projets de partenariat proposes par le pole.
Unpacking cultural orientations: representations of the person and the self

This thesis aims to disentangle the concept of culture; more specifically it identifies different facets of cultural orientations. It looks at how cultural and national groups differ on these dimensions and their impact on individuals and societies. It is argued that we need a more nuanced and multifaceted understanding of culture that goes beyond focusing on values. Chapter 1 discusses definitions of culture and identifies three significant facets of culture—values, beliefs and constructions of the self. It is noted that research into the latter two facets is far less developed. Chapter 2 outlines research into cross-cultural variation in beliefs, more specifically beliefs about personhood, and notes that little is known about beliefs that define individualism-collectivism (I-C). Chapter 3 reviews self-construal theory and highlights a range of remaining issues which point to the need to explore self-construals further. Chapter 4 provides a methodological overview of the research. Chapter 5 reports results from two large-scale cross-cultural questionnaire studies and presents the construct, and a measure, of contextualism, referring to beliefs about the importance of the context in understanding people. Contextualism is shown to be a facet of cultural collectivism and a predictor of national variation in ingroup favouritism, trust and corruption. Chapter 6 presents a new seven-dimensional model of self-construals, which can be organised into three higher-order dimensions at the cultural level of analysis: self-differentiation, other-focus and self-containment. Variation in self-differentiation is shown to be best explained by differences in I-C, other-focus by differences in national wealth and self-containment by religious heritage. Based on a smaller study in four nations, Chapter 7 investigates the seven self-construal dimensions at the individual level and tests how they differentially predict outcomes related to socio-emotional adjustment. Chapter 8 summarises the findings and discusses implications and directions for future research.
A FACETS Analysis of the JACET Kansai Working Group Writing Rubric 2009

The purpose of this paper is to use Rasch analyses to examine the 2009 version of a writing rubric developed by the JACET Kansai working group and provide feedback regarding its performance under field-testing conditions. Raters (N = 13) applied the rubric to 12 essays. Fit statistics indicate the raters are inconsistent in their use of the rubric. Reasons for this are discussed and suggestions for the further development of a consistently applicable rubric are noted.
Anti-Fibrotic Effects of Class I HDAC Inhibitor, Mocetinostat Is Associated with IL-6/Stat3 Signaling in Ischemic Heart Failure

Background: Recent studies have linked histone deacetylases (HDAC) to remodeling of the heart and cardiac fibrosis in heart failure. However, the molecular mechanisms linking chromatin remodeling events with observed anti-fibrotic effects are unknown. Here, we investigated the molecular players involved in anti-fibrotic effects of HDAC inhibition in congestive heart failure (CHF) myocardium and cardiac fibroblasts in vivo. Methods and Results: MI was created by coronary artery occlusion. Class I HDACs were inhibited in three-week post MI rats by intraperitoneal injection of Mocetinostat (20 mg/kg/day) for duration of three weeks. Cardiac function and heart tissue were analyzed at six week post-MI. CD90+ cardiac fibroblasts were isolated from ventricles through enzymatic digestion of heart. In vivo treatment of CHF animals with Mocetinostat reduced CHF-dependent up-regulation of HDAC1 and HDAC2 in CHF myocardium, improved cardiac function and decreased scar size and total collagen amount. Moreover, expression of pro-fibrotic markers, collagen-1, fibronectin and Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) were reduced in the left ventricle (LV) of Mocetinostat-treated CHF hearts. Cardiac fibroblasts isolated from Mocetinostat-treated CHF ventricles showed a decrease in expression of collagen I and III, fibronectin and Timp1. In addition, Mocetinostat attenuated CHF-induced elevation of IL-6 levels in CHF myocardium and cardiac fibroblasts. In parallel, levels of pSTAT3 were reduced via Mocetinostat in CHF myocardium. Conclusions: Anti-fibrotic effects of Mocetinostat in CHF are associated with the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. In addition, our study demonstrates in vivo regulation of cardiac fibroblasts via HDAC inhibition.
Midazolam treatment of acute and refractory status epilepticus.

Generalized convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE) is a medical emergency requiring prompt resolution. Acute treatment is often delayed by difficulty in obtaining intravenous (i.v.) access. Refractory GCSE is often difficult to treat, and traditional therapy with barbiturates induces hypotension and respiratory depression and prolongs recovery. Midazolam is particularly useful for treating acute GCSE because it has an imidazole ring that is open at low pH, allowing it to be dissolved in aqueous solution for intramuscular injection, but closed at physiologic pH, increasing lipophilicity and rendering good intramuscular absorption, brain penetration, and fast onset of action. When given intramuscularly as a 0.2 mg/kg bolus, it has efficacy at least equal to that of i.v. diazepam, is well tolerated, induces little respiratory compromise, and has a shorter latency to onset of action. Therefore, it should be considered for the treatment of acute GCSE when i.v. access is problematic. For refractory GCSE, continuous i.v. midazolam infusion at 0.1-0.6 mg/kg/hr after a 0.2 mg/kg i.v. bolus is effective and has advantages over traditional therapies because it induces less hypotension and cardiorespiratory depression and can be easily titrated. Further prospective studies are needed to define the role of continuous i.v. midazolam compared to other contemporary therapies.
Neural circuit for psychological stress-induced hyperthermia

Psychological stress-induced hyperthermia (PSH) is a basic physiological stress response to increase physical performances to defend homeostasis and life from stressors, such as natural enemies. However, excessive and long-lasting stressors can lead to chronic hyperthermia, particularly recognized in humans as a psychosomatic symptom called “psychogenic fever. ” The sympathetic and neuroendocrine responses that can contribute to PSH include brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis, cutaneous vasoconstriction, tachycardia and glucocorticoid secretion. Research on the central circuits underlying these stress responses has recently revealed several fundamental circuit mechanisms including hypothalamomedullary pathways driving the sympathetic stress responses. Psychological stress activates a monosynaptic glutamatergic excitatory neurotransmission from the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) to sympathetic premotor neurons in the rostral medullary raphe region (rMR) to drive BAT thermogenesis and tachycardia, leading to the development of PSH. This glutamatergic neurotransmission could be potentiated by orexin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus through their projections to the rMR. Psychological stress also activates another monosynaptic pathway from the DMH to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus to stimulate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis for the secretion of glucocorticoids. PSH is independent from the prostaglandin-mediated trigger mechanism for inflammation-induced fever, and several forebrain regions are considered to provide stress-driven inputs to the DMH to activate the sympathetic- and neuroendocrine-driving neurons. The circuit mechanism of PSH based on animal experiments would be relevant to understandings of the etiology of psychogenic fever in humans. This review describes the current understandings of the central circuit mechanism of PSH with recent important progress in research.
Exploration with active loop-closing for FastSLAM

Acquiring models of the environment belongs to the fundamental tasks of mobile robots. In the last few years several researchers have focused on the problem of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Classic SLAM approaches are passive in the sense that they only process the perceived sensor data and do not influence the motion of the mobile robot. In this paper we present a novel and integrated approach that combines autonomous exploration with simultaneous localization and mapping. Our method uses a grid-based version of the FastSLAM algorithm and at each point in time considers actions to actively close loops during exploration. By re-entering already visited areas the robot reduces its localization error and this way learns more accurate maps. Experimental results presented in this paper illustrate the advantage of our method over pervious approaches lacking the ability to actively close loops.
Could social factors influence the effort software estimation?

Effort estimation is often influenced by several factors, including social. This study aims at understanding the interactions between social factors and effort during effort estimation. I want to analyze the dynamics that occur when a developer estimates the effort for a specific task and the influence of the work team and the work conditions. I conducted a semi-structured interview among three different projects with different developers working in Agile and Scrum processes, asking them which factors and social aspects they take in to account when they estimate the effort during the development processes. Results show an important influence of social factors during the effort estimation phase, and call for future works for a large scale Survey for a more accurate identification.
Commbots: Distributed control of mobile communication relays

Digital wireless communication networks are vital in modern life. However, these networks rely on centralized infrastr ucture that is extremely vulnerable to disaster or attack. We s eek to improve the communication environment in post-disaster scenarios by developing groups of mobile communication relay robots, or commbots, that can be deployed to replace damaged infrastructure. The job of a commbot is to position itself so as to maximize overall network performance, which presents a rich and complex distributed learning and control problem. We have implemented three distributed algorithms and have tested them in simulation on a variety of instances of the commbots problem. We present results from these simulations and compare and contrast the different approaches.
Efﬁcient Simulation Based Veriﬁcation by Reordering

—With the increasing complexity of systems, the current simulation based circuit veriﬁcation used in industry are becoming more expensive while providing low coverage. The paper presents a systematic way to reduce the veriﬁcation time by optimizing the execution order of test cases. Compared with the default order maintained by engineers, the optimal order can achieve a high coverage in a short time as it guarantees running the important test case ﬁrst. We developed both ofﬂine and online algorithms to ﬁnd the optimal order that maximizes the ratio of coverage to veriﬁcation time. The ofﬂine algorithms analyzes the simulation data and compute an efﬁcient order for later executions. Three algorithms are provided to ﬁnd the optimal, near-optimal and super- optimal solutions respectively. To ﬁnd a better order without any precomputed data, an online algorithm is developed. The algorithms predicts the coverage and running time of a new test case by taking advantage of special properties of test cases. We applied our algorithms to the veriﬁcation of XIO devices from Rambus Inc. It is shown that the order produced by the ofﬂine based greedy algorithm saves up to 85% of veriﬁcation time. And the result from the online algorithm saves about 50% time on average.
Evolution of WLANs towards VoIP traffic and higher throughputs

As WLANs have become more popular, limitations in the original design of WLAN have also become more evident. The MAC protocol of WLAN was designed to reduce transmission collisions in a distributed access environment. In many cases however, the user-level performance is severely limited, not only for data transfers, but voice applications as well. We present an overview of major shortcomings of the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol and review proposed solutions. We propose a novel and implicit scheme to improve the voice capacity of WLANs, and present results on performance metrics, based on analytical models.