Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic Code Tuning for Improving GPU Resource Utilization

Utilizing a GPU to perform general purpose computation is called GPGPU. The high theoretical performance of GPU draws attention to GPGPU. CUDA supplies a platform for the developers of GPU applications. In CUDA programming model, massive threads are allocated to GPU's calculation units. Besides, CUDA has various kinds of memories on GPU. These memories have different features of access latency, capacity, and so on. Therefore, to produce high-performance GPU programs, developers should consider how to allocate the massive threads to cores and which memory should be used for storing data. Hence, developers should have deep understanding of the GPU architecture and CUDA APIs. To address this problem, we propose an auto tuning framework for GPU programs, and explain an implementation of a preprocessor for the framework, in this paper.
Measuring compliance with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

Abstract Objective The WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is an effective strategy to increase breast-feeding exclusivity and duration but many countries have been slow to implement it. The present paper describes the development of a computer-based instrument that measures policies and practices outlined in the BFHI. Design The tool uses clinical staff/managers’ and pregnant women/mothers’ opinions as well as maternity unit observations to assess compliance with the BFHI's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Ten Steps) and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (Code) by measuring the extent of implementation of two to fourteen indicators for each step and the Code. Composite scores are used to summarize results. Setting Examples of results from a 2007 assessment performed in nine hospitals in the province of Québec are presented to illustrate the type of information returned to individual hospitals and health authorities. Subjects Participants included nine to fifteen staff/managers per hospital randomly selected among those present during the interviewer-observer's 12 h hospital visit and nine to forty-five breast-feeding mothers per hospital telephoned at home after being randomly selected from birth certificates. Results The Ten Steps Global Compliance Score for the nine hospitals varied between 2·87 and 6·51 (range 0–10, mean 5·06) whereas the Code Global Compliance Score varied between 0·58 and 1 (range 0–1, mean 0·83). Instrument development, examples of assessment results and potential applications are discussed. Conclusions A methodology to measure BFHI compliance may help support the implementation of this effective intervention and contribute to improved maternal and child health.
Circulating Plasma MiR-141 Is a Novel Biomarker for Metastatic Colon Cancer and Predicts Poor Prognosis

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the major cancer types and cancer related death worldwide. Sensitive, non-invasive biomarkers that can facilitate disease detection, staging and prediction of therapeutic outcome are highly desirable to improve survival rate and help to determine optimized treatment for CRC. The small non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), have recently been identified as critical regulators for various diseases including cancer and may represent a novel class of cancer biomarkers. The purpose of this study was to identify and validate circulating microRNAs in human plasma for use as such biomarkers in colon cancer. Methodology/Principal Findings By using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, we found that circulating miR-141 was significantly associated with stage IV colon cancer in a cohort of 102 plasma samples. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of candidate plasma microRNA markers. We observed that combination of miR-141 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a widely used marker for CRC, further improved the accuracy of detection. These findings were validated in an independent cohort of 156 plasma samples collected at Tianjin, China. Furthermore, our analysis showed that high levels of plasma miR-141 predicted poor survival in both cohorts and that miR-141 was an independent prognostic factor for advanced colon cancer. Conclusions/Significance We propose that plasma miR-141 may represent a novel biomarker that complements CEA in detecting colon cancer with distant metastasis and that high levels of miR-141 in plasma were associated with poor prognosis.
How Not to Count the Poor ! — A Reply to Ravallion August 15 , 2002

We are grateful for Martin Ravallion’s detailed and sincere attempt to respond to our criticisms of the World Bank’s methodology for measuring global income poverty. However, in this reply to Ravallion, we show that his attempt to defend the World Bank’s methodology is unconvincing. It seriously misstates a number of our criticisms, responds inadequately to others, and fails altogether to mention still more. Although we would like to be able to accept the global estimates of severe income poverty the Bank has produced, we continue to find that they do not stand up to serious scrutiny, and regretfully hold to our recommendation that they cease to be used.
Clonal drift of cell surface, melanogenic, and experimental metastatic properties of in vivo-selected, brain meninges-colonizing murine B16 melanoma.

Abstract Using the B16 melanoma cell line B16-F1 of low lung colonization potential, sublines were selected for blood-borne implantation, survival, and growth in the brain by cycles of tumor cell injection, harvesting of brain surface tumor nodules, and in vitro tissue culture growth. After 14 sequential selections for brain colonization, subline B16-B14b was established which showed enhanced abilities to form brain tumor colonies compared to line B16-F1. The B16-B14b melanoma brain tumor colonies formed after i.v. tumor cell inoculations were located mainly in the cerebral arteries of the arachnoid tissue and grew generally in the blood vessels, invaded the vessel walls, and formed tumor foci in perivascular tissue. The subline B16-B14b was relatively stable in its brain colonization, growth, and other cellular properties. However, cell clones derived from subline B16-B14b were heterogeneous in their cellular properties (melanin contents, cell morphologies, and cell surface proteins) and also in their brain colonization abilities. In addition, the cell clones were also heterogeneous with respect to the stabilities of these in vitro and in vivo properties during growth in tissue culture. An equal mixture of three unstable B16-B14b clones was allowed to grow in tissue culture for approximately 30 passages, and the cell mixture was found to be stabilized in its brain colonization properties compared to the cell clones grown individually for a similar number of passages and mixed just prior to inoculation. Examination of exposed cell surface proteins by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed 125I iodination and sodium dodecyl sulfate:polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis autoradiography revealed increased exposures of a component with an approximate molecular weight of 90,000 on B16 sublines and clones with high brain colonization potentials. When the unstable B16-B14b clones were examined during tissue culture growth for the presence of the Mr 90,000 component, it was found to decrease in exposure as the clones lost their brain colonization abilities.
Courteous or Crude? Understanding and Shaping User Behavior in Ride-hailing

In this paper, we build an evolutionary game theory model to investigate how riders' and drivers' behavior evolves in response to a ride-hailing platform's operational decisions, and study how it impacts the platform's performance and the social welfare. We identify two sustainable asymptotically stable equilibria of the dynamic system of the platform, one resembling a traditional taxi service while the other resembling a successful ride-hailing platform. Using this characterization, we then show how the platform could leverage operational tools at its disposal to optimize its performance. Finally, we establish that a platform can generally improve social welfare and may achieve the socially optimal state by prioritizing high-rating riders in matching under supply shortage. Our analysis highlights the importance for ride-hailing platforms to implement and strategically leverage rider ratings, and can potentially provide guidelines for improving platform performance not just with standard instruments such as price and wage adjustments, but also by making rider rating-driven adjustments into the matching procedure.
A Narrative Study of The Perceptions Of Education for Globalization Held by Teachers in the Urban Core

The purpose of this social constructivist narrative study is to understand the thoughts, perceptions and experiences of urban K-8 educational professionals regarding education for globalization. The goal of this study is to collect the understandings and perceptions of education for globalization held by urban teachers in the 21 century as it relates to their personal story and professional practice of being a teacher and advocate for their students. The following central question addressed by this narrative study was: What themes are apparent in the narratives of novice and veteran teachers in an urban charter school in the Midwest? The sub-questions that helped achieve the central question were: 1) What meanings do novice and veteran teachers have about education for globalization? 2) What do they do to integrate education for globalization in the curriculum? The site selected for this study is located in the urban core of a Midwestern state. This study selected participants through criterion sampling to gain in-depth and relevant insight of the experiences of novice and veteran teachers in this study. Open-ended interviews, teacher responses to journal prompts and Board document reviews, which provided a social context for the teachers’ experiences were used to construct a narrative profile for each participant. Analysis of the constructed narratives began with descriptive coding to identify units of
Device Centric Throughput and QoS Optimization for IoTsin a Smart Building Using CRN-Techniques

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained an incredible importance in the communication and networking industry due to its innovative solutions and advantages in diverse domains. The IoT’ network is a network of smart physical objects: devices, vehicles, buildings, etc. The IoT has a number of applications ranging from smart home, smart surveillance to smart healthcare systems. Since IoT consists of various heterogeneous devices that exhibit different traffic patterns and expect different quality of service (QoS) in terms of data rate, bit error rate and the stability index of the channel, therefore, in this paper, we formulated an optimization problem to assign channels to heterogeneous IoT devices within a smart building for the provisioning of their desired QoS. To solve this problem, a novel particle swarm optimization-based algorithm is proposed. Then, exhaustive simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the supremacy of our proposed algorithm over the existing ones in terms of throughput, bit error rate and the stability index of the channel.
Clinical associations between renal dysfunction and vascular events: A literature review

Chronic kidney disease affects several other organs of the human body, and causes high levels of morbidity and mortality due to these effects. The cardiovascular system is probably the most vulnerable organ to a decrease in kidney function, and responds very fast to this effect. To the extent that, more kidney disease patients die of cardiovascular events than that of the original renal disease. Moreover, cerebrovascular events have been confirmed to increase, and to have inferior outcomes on the general population. In this review article, we aim to review studies investigating effects of renal disease on vascular events.
The Impact of Bilateral Tax Treaties on FDI Inflows: The Case of India

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows are driven by both home country and host country conditions. It is for the host country to provide a conducive environment to FDI. Many developing Asian economies, including India, have redesigned their tax systems to make them internationally competitive. Bilateral tax treaties are seen as an instrument of policy that makes this possible. Tax treaties alleviate the problem of international double taxation. They create an environment of fiscal and legal certainty. This paper examines the FDI inflows to India from 14 countries that are major partners. With the help of panel data for the period of 1993-2007, this paper models the role of tax treaties in promoting FDI. A fixed effects (LSDV) model is developed that captures macro-economic factors and policy factors such as openness. We have also used Principal Component Analysis to augment the model’s analytical richness. The model estimates shows that FDI inflows into India have been growing due to macro-economic variables, and policy variables including tax treaties. The results show that FDI to India is driven by supply and demand determined factors. It is market seeking and efficiency seeking. It is facilitated by tax treaties. The introduction of the treaty has had a positive impact and FDI flows have jumped due to the treaty. We get largely significant results for the ‘age of the treaty effect’, it clearly shows that in the case of Mauritius, UK, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE and Italy FDI flows to India accelerated after implementation of tax treaties. There is very small but significant and positive effect of tax treaties.
Genetic Bypass of Aspergillus nidulans crzA Function in Calcium Homeostasis

After dephosphorylation by the phosphatase calcineurin, the fungal transcription factor CrzA enters the nucleus and activates the transcription of genes responsible for calcium homeostasis and many other calcium-regulated activities. A lack of CrzA confers calcium-sensitivity to the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. To further understand calcium signaling in filamentous fungi and to identify genes that interact genetically with CrzA, we selected for mutations that were able to suppress crzAΔ calcium intolerance and identified three genes. Through genetic mapping, gene sequencing, and mutant rescue, we were able to identify these as cnaB (encoding the calcineurin regulatory subunit), folA (encoding an enzyme involved in folic acid biosynthesis, dihydroneopterin aldolase), and scrC (suppression of crzA-, encoding a hypothetical protein). By using a calcium indicator, Fluo-3, we were able to determine that the wild-type and the suppressor strains were either able to regulate intracellular calcium levels or were able to take up and or store calcium correctly. The increased expression of calcium transporters, pmcA and/or pmcB, in suppressor mutants possibly enabled tolerance to high levels of calcium. Our results suggest that a cnaB suppressor mutation confers calcium tolerance to crzAΔ strains through restoration of calcium homeostasis. These results stress that in A. nidulans there are calcineurin-dependent and CrzA-independent pathways. In addition, it is possible that CrzA is able to contribute to the modulation of folic acid biosynthesis.
Quantitative expression analysis of selected COR genes reveals their differential expression in leaf and crown tissues of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L . ) during an extended low temperature acclimation regimen

A number of COR genes (COld-Regulated genes) have been implicated in the acquisition of low temperature (LT) tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). This study compared the relative expression patterns of selected COR genes in leaf and crown tissues of wheat near-isogenic lines to increase understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying LT acclimation. Reciprocal near-isogenic lines were generated such that the dominant Vrn-A1 and recessive vrn-A1 loci were interchanged in a spring cv. Manitou and a winter cv. Norstar. Phenological development, acquisition of LT tolerance, and WCS120 polypeptide accumulation in these genotypes proceeded at rates similar to those previously reported for 6 C acclimation from 0 to 98 d. However, a differential accumulation of WCS120 polypeptide and expression of the COR genes Wcs120, Wcor410, and Wcor14 was observed in the leaf and crown tissues. COR gene transcript levels peaked at 2 d of the acclimation period in both tissues and differences among genotypes were most evident at this time. COR gene expression was highest for the LT-tolerant and lowest for the tender genotypes. However, expression rates were divergent enough in genotypes with intermediate hardiness that comparisons among tissues and/or times during acclimation often resulted in variable interpretations of the relative expression of the COR genes in the determination of LT tolerance. These observations emphasize the need to pay close attention to experimental conditions, sampling times, and genotype and tissue selection in experiments designed to identify the critical genetic components that interact to determine LT acclimation.
HDAC Inhibition Overcomes Acute Resistance to MEK Inhibition in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer by Downregulation of c-FLIPL

Purpose: Activating mutations in the BRAF oncogene are found in 8% to 15% of colorectal cancer patients and have been associated with poor survival. In contrast with BRAF-mutant (MT) melanoma, inhibition of the MAPK pathway is ineffective in the majority of BRAFMT colorectal cancer patients. Therefore, identification of novel therapies for BRAFMT colorectal cancer is urgently needed. Experimental Design: BRAFMT and wild-type (WT) colorectal cancer models were assessed in vitro and in vivo. Small-molecule inhibitors of MEK1/2, MET, and HDAC were used, overexpression and siRNA approaches were applied, and cell death was assessed by flow cytometry, Western blotting, cell viability, and caspase activity assays. Results: Increased c-MET-STAT3 signaling was identified as a novel adaptive resistance mechanism to MEK inhibitors (MEKi) in BRAFMT colorectal cancer models in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, MEKi treatment resulted in acute increases in transcription of the endogenous caspase-8 inhibitor c-FLIPL in BRAFMT cells, but not in BRAFWT cells, and inhibition of STAT3 activity abrogated MEKi-induced c-FLIPL expression. In addition, treatment with c-FLIP–specific siRNA or HDAC inhibitors abrogated MEKi-induced upregulation of c-FLIPL expression and resulted in significant increases in MEKi-induced cell death in BRAFMT colorectal cancer cells. Notably, combined HDAC inhibitor/MEKi treatment resulted in dramatically attenuated tumor growth in BRAFMT xenografts. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that c-MET/STAT3-dependent upregulation of c-FLIPL expression is an important escape mechanism following MEKi treatment in BRAFMT colorectal cancer. Thus, combinations of MEKi with inhibitors of c-MET or c-FLIP (e.g., HDAC inhibitors) could be potential novel treatment strategies for BRAFMT colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 21(14); 3230–40. ©2015 AACR.
Overview of Active OB Stars

In contrast to their classical ideal as constant, spherical, radiative envelopes, the hot, luminous, OB-type stars often exhibit signatures of activity, with associated variability and structure on a range of temporal and spatial scales. For example, spectral monitoring shows that even “normal” OB stars commonly exhibit variable Discrete Absorption Components (DACs) in UV lines formed in their stellar wind. And certain special classes – e.g. Be, B[e], LBV, Bp stars – are in effect defined by their particular signatures of activity. A common element is often the emission and/or absorption by circumstellar material. Thus a general theme here is to consider the physical mechanisms that can drive material off the nominally tightly bound hydrostatic stellar surface. Specifically I discuss the dynamical roles played by radiation, rotation, pulsation, and magnetic fields, and how these, individually or in combination, can eject the circumstellar clouds, disks, and/or mass outflows that seem to be at the root of many observed signatures of hot-star activity. In emphasizing a framework of physical commonalities, an overall goal is to foster exchanges among researchers specializing in the various classes of active OB stars.
EFFICIENT IMPLEMENATION OF DYNAMIC ROUTING WITH SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

(DSDV) protocol in wireless networks, without introducing extra control messages. This improves security as well as controls traffic in the network. A clear study on the proposed algorithm is presented, and a series of simulation experiments are conducted to verify the results and to show the capability of the proposed algorithm. I. INTRODUCTION An ad hoc network is a collection of wireless computers(nodes), communicating among themselves over possibly multi-hop paths, without the help of any infrastructure are popularly such as base stations or access points[1,2]. Unlike conventional mobile wireless networks, ad hoc networks greatly improve have no fixed infrastructure. Mobile nodes that are within each other's radio range communicate directly via wireless links, while those far apart rely on other nodes to relay messages as routers. In ad hoc network each node acts both as a host (which is capable of sending and receiving) and a router which forwards the data intended for some other node. Applications of ad hoc network range from military operations and crisis disaster relief, to commercial uses such as community networking and interaction between attendees at a meeting or students during a lecture. Most of these applications demand a secure and reliable communication. The objective of this work is to explore a security enhanced routing algorithm based on distributed routing information widely supported in existing wired and wireless networks. We aim at the randomization of delivery paths for data transmission to provide considerably small path similarity (i.e., the number of common
Cytopathological Effects of Bacillus sphaericus Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa Toxin on Binary Toxin-Susceptible and -Resistant Culex quinquefasciatus Larvae

ABSTRACT The Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa mosquitocidal two-component toxin was recently characterized from Bacillus sphaericus strain IAB59 and is uniquely composed of a three-domain Cry protein toxin (Cry48Aa) and a binary (Bin) toxin-like protein (Cry49Aa). Its mode of action has not been elucidated, but a remarkable feature of this protein is the high toxicity against species from the Culex complex, besides its capacity to overcome Culex resistance to the Bin toxin, the major insecticidal factor in B. sphaericus-based larvicides. The goal of this work was to investigate the ultrastructural effects of Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa on midgut cells of Bin-toxin-susceptible and -resistant Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. The major cytopathological effects observed after Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa treatment were intense mitochondrial vacuolation, breakdown of endoplasmic reticulum, production of cytoplasmic vacuoles, and microvillus disruption. These effects were similar in Bin-toxin-susceptible and -resistant larvae and demonstrated that Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa toxin interacts with and displays toxic effects on cells lacking receptors for the Bin toxin, while B. sphaericus IAB59-resistant larvae did not show mortality after treatment with Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa toxin. The cytopathological alterations in Bin-toxin-resistant larvae provoked by Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa treatment were similar to those observed when larvae were exposed to a synergistic mixture of Bin/Cry11Aa toxins. Such effects seemed to result from a combined action of Cry-like and Bin-like toxins. The complex effects caused by Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa provide evidence for the potential of these toxins as active ingredients of a new generation of biolarvicides that conjugate insecticidal factors with distinct sites of action, in order to manage mosquito resistance.