Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An evaluation of object-based data transfers on high performance networks

We describe FOBS: a simple user-level communication protocol designed to take advantage of the available bandwidth in a high-bandwidth, high-delay network environment. We compare the performance of FOBS with that of TCP both with and without the so-called Large Window extensions designed to improve the performance of TCP in this type of network environment. It is shown that FOBS can obtain on the order of 90% of the available bandwidth across both short and long high-performance network connections. In the case of the long haul connection, this represents a bandwidth that is 1.8 times higher than that of the optimized TCP algorithm. Also, we demonstrate that the additional traffic placed on the network due to the greedy nature of the algorithm is quite reasonable, representing approximately 3% of the total data transferred.
Preliminary study of the applications of Ganoderma lucidum in chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a group of physical and mental disorders with no medical treatment, can disturb quality of life and daily routine of the sufferers. An extract from a traditional herb, Ganoderma lucidum, was applied in this preliminary study on fatigue and quality of life of CFS. A total of 50 volunteers were randomly assigned to receive G. lucidum extract or placebo. Each volunteer was asked to respond to SF-12 questionnaires for quality of life and score the levels of fatigue and VAS, before and 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the first dose. Serum cortisol level was measured before and 12 weeks after the first dose. Satisfaction and side effects were also evaluated at the end of the study. In comparison to placebo, a significant increase in quality of life (p=0.005) with a decrease in VAS scores (p=0.010) of those who received G. lucidum extracts was observed 4 weeks after the first dose. An increase in serum cortisol was observed in volunteers who took G. lucidum extract for 12 weeks, but not placebo. Satisfaction of volunteers with 12-week G. lucidum extract was significantly higher than those with the placebo group (p<0.001) while side effects, diarrhea and nausea, from both groups were not significantly different (p = 0.785). It is concluded that G. lucidum extract could be potentially effective in the treatment of fatigue and improve quality of life in CFS patients.
Structured Eigenvalue Backward Errors of Matrix Pencils and Polynomials with Hermitian and Related Structures

We derive a formula for the backward error of a complex number $\lambda$ when considered as an approximate eigenvalue of a Hermitian matrix pencil or polynomial with respect to Hermitian perturbations. The same are also obtained for approximate eigenvalues of matrix pencils and polynomials with related structures like skew-Hermitian, $*$-even, and $*$-odd. Numerical experiments suggest that in many cases there is a significant difference between the backward errors with respect to perturbations that preserve structure and those with respect to arbitrary perturbations.
Structure, chromosomal localization, and brain expression of human Cx36 gene

Rat connexin‐36 (Cx36) is the first gap junction protein shown to be expressed predominantly in neuronal cells of the mammalian central nervous system. As a prerequisite for studies devoted to the investigation of the possible role of this connexin in human neurological diseases, we report the cloning and sequencing of the human Cx36 gene, its chromosomal localization, and its pattern of expression in the human brain analyzed by radioactive in situ hybridization. The determination of the human gene sequence revealed that the coding sequence of Cx36 is highly conserved (98% identity at the protein level with the mouse and rat Cx36 and 80% with the ortholog perch and skate Cx35), and that the gene structure is that typical of the Cx35/36 subgroup observed in the other species (presence of a single intron located within the coding region, 71 bp after the translation initiation site). The distribution of Cx36 in several regions of the human central nervous system is similar to that previously observed in rat brain. The most intense signal among the cerebral areas examined by in situ hybridization was observed in the inferior olivary complex, both in principal and accessory nuclei. A moderate labeling was also observed in several myelencephalic nuclei, in specific cells of the the cerebellar cortex, in a relatively large subpopulation of cells in the cerebral cortex, in the hilus of the dentate gyrus, and in the strata radiatum and oriens of hippocampal subfields. Moreover, labeled cells were revealed in all the lamina of the spinal cord gray matter. The chromosomal localization of the human Cx36 gene was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The results allowed assignment of the gene to band 15q14, thus making it a possible candidate gene for a form of familial epilepsy previously linked to the same chromosomal band. The knowledge of the human Cx36 gene sequence, of its chromosomal localization, and of its pattern of expression opens new avenues for the analysis of its possible involvement in human genetic and acquired neuropathology. J. Neurosci. Res. 57:740–752, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Importance of GPGPUs in efficiency improvement of real world applications

The changing times have caused the requirements to change, causing a revolution in the field of parallel computing. The emergence of parallel computing as a necessity has boosted the use of GPGPUs for this purpose. With such an emergence comes a drastic improvement in many real world applications of GPGPUs as well. In this paper we discuss about GPGPUs, their evolution, and their contribution to many real world applications which has increased their efficiency.
Can baroreflex measurements with spontaneous sequence analysis be improved by also measuring breathing and by standardization of filtering strategies?

Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is known to be attenuated by inspiration and all the original BRS methodologies took this into account by measuring only in expiration. Spontaneous sequence analysis (SSA) is a non-invasive clinical tool widely used to estimate BRS in Man but does not take breathing into account. We have therefore modified it to test whether it too can detect inspiratory attenuation. Traditional SSA is also entangled with issues of distinguishing causal from random relationships between blood pressure and heart period and of the optimum choice of data filter settings. We have also tested whether the sequences our modified SSA rejects do behave as random relationships and show the limitations of the absence of filter standardization. SSA was performed on eupneic data from 1 h periods in 20 healthy subjects. Applying SSA traditionally produced a mean BRS of 23 ± 3 ms mmHg−1. After modification to measure breathing, SSA detected significant inspiratory attenuation (11 ± 1 ms mmHg−1), and the mean expiratory BRS was significantly higher (26 ± 5 ms mmHg−1). Traditional SSA therefore underestimates BRS by an amount (3 ms mmHg−1) as big as the major physiological and clinical factors known to alter BRS. We show that the sequences rejected by SSA do behave like random associations between pressure and period. We also show the minimal effect of the r2 filter and the biases that some pressure and heart period filters can introduce. We discuss whether SSA might be improved by standardization of filter settings and by also measuring breathing.
On the concept of biological function, junk DNA and the gospels of ENCODE and Graur et al.

In a recent article entitled “On the immortality of television sets: “function” in the human genome according to the evolution-free gospel of ENCODE”, Graur et al. dismantle ENCODE’s evidence and conclusion that 80% of the human genome is functional. However, the article by Graur et al. contains assumptions and statements that are questionable. Primarily, the authors limit their evaluation of DNA’s biological functions to informational roles, sidestepping putative non-informational functions. Here, I bring forward an old hypothesis on the evolution of genome size and on the role of so called ‘junk DNA’ (jDNA), which might explain C-value enigma. According to this hypothesis, the jDNA functions as a defense mechanism against insertion mutagenesis by endogenous and exogenous inserting elements such as retroviruses, thereby protecting informational DNA sequences from inactivation or alteration of their expression. Notably, this model couples the mechanisms and the selective forces responsible for the origin of jDNA with its putative protective biological function, which represents a classic example of ‘fighting fire with fire. ’ One of the key tenets of this theory is that in humans and many other species, jDNAs serves as a protective mechanism against insertional oncogenic transformation. As an adaptive defense mechanism, the amount of protective DNA varies from one species to another based on the rate of its origin, insertional mutagenesis activity, and evolutionary constraints on genome size.
Structural search and retrieval using a tableau representation of protein folding patterns

UNLABELLED Comparison and classification of folding patterns from a database of protein structures is crucial to understand the principles of protein architecture, evolution and function. Current search methods for proteins with similar folding patterns are slow and computationally intensive. The sharp growth in the number of known protein structures poses severe challenges for methods of structural comparison. There is a need for methods that can search the database of structures accurately and rapidly. We provide several methods to search for similar folding patterns using a concise tableau representation of proteins that encodes the relative geometry of secondary structural elements. Our first approach allows the extraction of identical and very closely-related protein folding patterns in constant-time (per hit). Next, we address the hard computational problem of extraction of maximally-similar subtableaux, when comparing two tableaux. We solve the problem using Quadratic and Linear integer programming formulations and demonstrate their power to identify subtle structural similarities, especially when protein structures significantly diverge. Finally, we describe a rapid and accurate method for comparing a query structure against a database of protein domains, TableauSearch. TableauSearch is rapid enough to search the entire structural database in seconds on a standard desktop computer. Our analysis of TableauSearch on many queries shows that the method is very accurate in identifying similarities of folding patterns, even between distantly related proteins. AVAILABILITY A web server implementing the TableauSearch is available from http://hollywood.bx. psu.edu/TabSearch.
Loss of Correspondent Banking Relationships in the Caribbean: Trends, Impact, and Policy Options

Banks across the Caribbean have lost important Correspondent Banking Relationships (CBRs). The macroeconomic impact has so far been limited, in part because banks either have multiple relationships or have been successful in replacing lost CBRs. However, the cost of services has increased substantially, some services have been cut back, and some sectors have experienced reduced access. Policy options to address multiple drivers, including lower profitability and risk aversion by global banks, require tailored actions by several stakeholders.
Are Treponema pallidum Specific Rapid and Point-of-Care Tests for Syphilis Accurate Enough for Screening in Resource Limited Settings? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis

Background Rapid and point-of-care (POC) tests for syphilis are an invaluable screening tool, yet inadequate evaluation of their diagnostic accuracy against best reference standards limits their widespread global uptake. To fill this gap, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of rapid and POC tests in blood and serum samples against Treponema pallidum (TP) specific reference standards. Methods Five electronic databases (1980–2012) were searched, data was extracted from 33 articles, and Bayesian hierarchical models were fit. Results In serum samples, against a TP specific reference standard point estimates with 95% credible intervals (CrI) for the sensitivities of popular tests were: i) Determine, 90.04% (80.45, 95.21), ii) SD Bioline, 87.06% (75.67, 94.50), iii) VisiTect, 85.13% (72.83, 92.57), and iv) Syphicheck, 74.48% (56.85, 88.44), while specificities were: i) Syphicheck, 99.14% (96.37, 100), ii) Visitect, 96.45% (91.92, 99.29), iii) SD Bioline, 95.85% (89.89, 99.53), and iv) Determine, 94.15% (89.26, 97.66). In whole blood samples, sensitivities were: i) Determine, 86.32% (77.26, 91.70), ii) SD Bioline, 84.50% (78.81, 92.61), iii) Syphicheck, 74.47% (63.94, 82.13), and iv) VisiTect, 74.26% (53.62, 83.68), while specificities were: i) Syphicheck, 99.58% (98.91, 99.96), ii) VisiTect, 99.43% (98.22, 99.98), iii) SD Bioline, 97.95%(92.54, 99.33), and iv) Determine, 95.85% (92.42, 97.74). Conclusions Rapid and POC treponemal tests reported sensitivity and specificity estimates comparable to laboratory-based treponemal tests. In resource limited settings, where access to screening is limited and where risk of patients lost to follow up is high, the introduction of these tests has already been shown to improve access to screening and treatment to prevent stillbirths and neonatal mortality due to congenital syphilis. Based on the evidence, it is concluded that rapid and POC tests are useful in resource limited settings with poor access to laboratories or screening for syphilis.
A CMOS low-noise low-power quadrature LC oscillator

A new quadrature LC voltage-controlled oscillator circuit configuration for CMOS technology is presented. In the proposed circuit two identical cross-connected LC-VCOs are coupled together via the bulk of the cross-connected MOS transistors and the bulk of the MOS varactors. No additional components are needed for coupling the core oscillators. Therefore, no extra noise sources and power consumption are added to the circuit, which results in good phase noise and low power consumption. The circuit can operate with Vdd as low as 0.5 V. A linear analysis of the quadrature operation of the circuit is also provided. The same coupling scheme can be used for multiphase signal generation.
Follow Me Fog: Toward Seamless Handover Timing Schemes in a Fog Computing Environment

Equipped with easy-to-access micro computation access points, the fog computing architecture provides low-latency and ubiquitously available computation offloading services to many simple and cheap Internet of Things devices with limited computing and energy resources. One obstacle, however, is how to seamlessly hand over mobile IoT devices among different computation access points when computation offloading is in action so that the offloading service is not interrupted -- especially for time-sensitive applications. In this article, we propose Follow Me Fog (FMF), a framework supporting a new seamless handover timing scheme among different computation access points. Intrinsically, FMF supports a job pre-migration mechanism, which pre-migrates computation jobs when the handover is expected to happen. Such expectations can be indicated by constantly monitoring received signal strengths. Then we present the design and a prototype implementation of FMF. Our evaluation results demonstrate that FMF can achieve a substantial latency reduction (36.5 percent in our experiment). In conclusion, the FMF design clears a core obstacle, allowing fog computing to provide interruption-resistant services to mobile IoT devices.
Pretenuring for Java

Pretenuring can reduce copying costs in garbage collectors by allocating long-lived objects into regions that the garbage collector with rarely, if ever, collect. We extend previous work on pretenuring as follows. (1) We produce pretenuring advice that is neutral with respect to the garbage collector algorithm and configuration. We thus can and do combine advice from different applications. We find that predictions using object lifetimes at each allocation site in Java prgroams are accurate, which simplifies the pretenuring implementation. (2) We gather and apply advice to applications and the Jalapeño JVM, a compiler and run-time system for Java written in Java. Our results demonstrate that building combined advice into Jalapeño from different application executions improves performance regardless of the application Jalapeño is compiling and executing. This build-time advice thus gives user applications some benefits of pretenuring without any application profiling. No previous work pretenures in the run-time system. (3) We find that application-only advice also improves performance, but that the combination of build-time and application-specific advice is almost always noticeably better. (4) Our same advice improves the performance of generational and Older First colleciton, illustrating that it is collector neutral.
Supplemental feeding during pregnancy compared with maternal supplementation during lactation does not affect schooling and cognitive development through late adolescence123

Background: The long-term impact of early malnutrition on human capital outcomes remains unclear, and existing evidence has come largely from observational studies. Objective: We compared the impact of a nutritional supplement given during pregnancy or lactation in rural Gambia on educational performance and cognitive ability in offspring at their maturity. Design: This study was a follow-up of a randomized trial of prenatal high protein and energy supplementation conducted between 1989 and 1994. Subjects were 16–22 y of age at follow-up, and information was collected on schooling achievement and cognitive ability by using the Raven's progressive matrices test, Mill Hill vocabulary test, and forward and backward digit-span tests. Results: A total of 1459 individuals were traced and interviewed and represented 71% of the original cohort and 81% of the surviving cohort. There was no difference in cognitive ability or educational attainment between treatment groups by using any of the methods of assessment. Conclusion: We have shown little evidence to support a long-term effect of prenatal protein-energy supplementation compared with supplementation during lactation on cognitive development in rural Gambians. This trial was registered at http://www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN72582014.
Adaptive execution techniques for SMT multiprocessor architectures

In simultaneous multithreading (SMT) multiprocessors, using all the available threads (logical processors) to run a parallel loop is not always beneficial due to the interference between threads and parallel execution overhead. To maximize performance in an SMT multiprocessor, finding the optimal number of threads is important. This paper presents adaptive execution techniques to find the optimal execution mode for SMT multiprocessor architectures. A compiler preprocessor generates code that, based on dynamic feedback, automatically determines at run time the optimal number of threads for each parallel loop in the application. Using 10 standard numerical applications and running them with our techniques on an Intel 4-processor Hyper-Threading Xeon SMP with 8 logical processors, our code is, on average, about 2 and 18 times faster than the original code executed on 4 and 8 logical processors, respectively.
Psychological processes underlying Wikipedia representations of natural and manmade disasters

Collective memories are precious resources for the society, because they help strengthening emotional bonding between community members, maintaining groups cohesion, and directing future behavior. Studying how people form their collective memories of emotional upheavals is important in order to better understand people's reactions and the consequences on their psychological health. Previous research investigated the effects of single traumatizing events, but few of them tried to compare different types of traumatic events like natural and man-made disasters. In this paper, interpreting Wikipedia as a collective memory place, we compare articles about natural and human-made disasters employing automated natural language techniques, in order to highlight the different psychological processes underlying users' sensemaking activities.
Network reconfiguration for unbalanced distribution systems

This paper proposes a network reconfiguration methodology for the three-phase unbalanced distribution system under both the normal operating and post-fault conditions. In normal operating condition, network reconfiguration is performed for real power loss minimization whereas, in the post-fault condition, reconfiguration is performed for faulty line isolation considering maximum demand should be met. Graph theory based method is used for maximum service restoration. A power flow algorithm is also developed to calculate power loss of unbalanced distribution systems. Proposed algorithm is implemented on IEEE 34-bus, and IEEE 123-bus unbalanced radial distribution systems under normal and faulty conditions and results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Membership-Degree Preserving Discriminant Analysis with Applications to Face Recognition

In pattern recognition, feature extraction techniques have been widely employed to reduce the dimensionality of high-dimensional data. In this paper, we propose a novel feature extraction algorithm called membership-degree preserving discriminant analysis (MPDA) based on the fisher criterion and fuzzy set theory for face recognition. In the proposed algorithm, the membership degree of each sample to particular classes is firstly calculated by the fuzzy k-nearest neighbor (FKNN) algorithm to characterize the similarity between each sample and class centers, and then the membership degree is incorporated into the definition of the between-class scatter and the within-class scatter. The feature extraction criterion via maximizing the ratio of the between-class scatter to the within-class scatter is applied. Experimental results on the ORL, Yale, and FERET face databases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Preliminary 5G Suburban Micro (SMi) Channel Model for Different Foliage Conditions

One important deployment case for 5G will be as an alternative to fiber to the home. The result is that a significant number of 5G deployments will be in a suburban setting, referred to as the suburban micro (SMi) environment in this paper. This SMi environment will be characterized by access points (APs) located on lamp or utility poles at heights no greater than around 8 m and user equipment (UE) being located inside or outside of a home. The suburban setting is quite different from the urban micro (UMi) or urban macro (UMa) environments in that foliage will play a very significant role and buildings are dominated by one to two story homes instead of multi-story apartment and office buildings. Unfortunately existing channel models, particularly the new 3GPP channel model from 6 to 100 GHz, are designed for environments other than SMi. In this paper we propose a preliminary channel model for the SMi environment, targeted for frequencies from 1-100 GHz, derived from a ray tracing study in Arlington Heights, IL. As part of the proposed model, three different foliage conditions are studied so that users of the model can choose a foliage condition that best matches the environment they would like to study.