Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CCL3L1 Copy Number Variation and Susceptibility to HIV-1 Infection: A Meta-Analysis

Background Although several studies have investigated whether CCL3L1 copy number variation (CNV) influences the risk of HIV-1 infection, there are still no clear conclusions. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis using two models to generate a more robust estimate of the association between CCL3L1 CNV and susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. Methods We divided the cases and controls into two parts as individuals with CCL3L1 gene copy number (GCN) above the population specific median copy number (PMN) and individuals with CCL3L1 GCN below PMN, respectively. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were given for the main analysis. We also conducted stratified analyses by ethnicity, age group and sample size. Relevant literatures were searched through PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge up to March 2010. Results In total, 9 studies with 2434 cases and 4029 controls were included. ORs for the main analysis were 1.35 (95% CI, 1.02–1.78, model: GCN ≤ PMN Vs. GCN > PMN) and 1.70 (95% CI, 1.30–2.23, model: GCN < PMN Vs. GCN ≥ PMN), respectively. Either in stratified analysis, statistically significant results can be detected in some subgroups. Conclusions Our analyses indicate that CCL3L1 CNV is associated with susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. A lower copy number is associated with an increased risk of HIV-1 infection, while a higher copy number is associated with reduced risk for acquiring HIV-1.
Field-induced metal-insulator transition in a two-dimensional organic superconductor.

The quasi-two-dimensional organic superconductor beta"-(BEDT-TTF)2SF5CH2CF2SO3 (Tc approximately 4.4 K) shows very strong Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations which are superimposed on a highly anomalous steady background magnetoresistance, Rb. Comparison with de Haas-van Alphen oscillations allows a reliable estimate of Rb which is crucial for the correct extraction of the SdH signal. At low temperatures and high magnetic fields insulating behavior evolves. The magnetoresistance data violate Kohler's rule, i.e., cannot be described within the framework of semiclassical transport theory, but converge onto a universal curve appropriate for dynamical scaling at a metal-insulator transition.
Interface and execution models in the Fluke kernel

We have defined and implemented a kernel API that makes every exported operation fully interruptible and restartable, thereby appearing atomic to the user. To achieve interruptibility, all possible kernel states in which a thread may become blocked for a long time are represented as kernel system calls, without requiring the kernel to retain any unexposable internal state. Since all kernel operations appear atomic, services such as transparent checkpointing and process migration that need access to the complete and consistent state of a process can be implemented by ordinary user-mode processes. Atomic operations also enable applications to provide reliability in a more straightforward manner. This API also allows us to explore novel kernel implementation techniques and to evaluate existing techniques. The Fluke kernel's single source implements either the process or the interrupt execution model on both uniprocessors and multiprocessors, depending on a configuration option affecting a small amount of code. We report preliminary measurements comparing fully, partially and non-preemptible configurations of both process and interrupt model implementations. We find that the interrupt model has a modest performance advantage in some benchmarks, maximum preemption latency varies nearly three orders of magnitude, average preemption latency varies by a factor of six, and memory use favors the interrupt model as expected, but not by a large amount. We find that the overhead for restarting the most costly kernel operation ranges from 2-8% of the cost of the operation.
Investigation of microstructure and thermoelectric properties of p‐type BiSbTe/ZnO composites

In this research work, p-type BiSbTe/ZnO (2 wt%) nanocomposite powders were fabricated by high-energy ball milling at different milling times, and subsequently, powders were consolidated by spark plasma sintering at 673 K temperature. The existence of nanoinclusions was confirmed by SEM-EDS mapping. Vickers hardness values greatly improved due to reduction in grain size which prevents the crack propagation and dispersion strengthening mechanism. The decrease in carrier density, which plays a critical role in thermoelectrics, dramatically increases the Seebeck coefficient, and subsequently, decreases the electrical conductivity upon the dispersion of ZnO nanorods into the BiSbTe matrix. The thermal conductivity was noticeably reduced by ~13% in BiSbTe/ZnO composites for 5-minute samples due to blocking of carriers/phonons at interfaces, and/or grain boundaries. The peak ZT of 0.92 was obtained for BiSbTe matrix, and 0.91 for BiSbTe/ZnO (5 minutes) composites at room temperatures.
Enhancing Constraints Manipulation in Semiring-Based Formalisms

Many “semiring-like” structures are used in Soft Constraint Satisfaction Problems (SCSPs). We review a few properties of semirings that are useful for dealing with soft constraints, highlighting the differences between alternative proposals in the literature. We then extend the semiring structure by adding the notion of division as a weak inverse operation of product. In particular, division is needed to apply constraint relaxation when the product operation of the semiring is not idempotent. The division operator is introduced via residuation and it is also able to deal with partial orders, generalizing the approach given for Valued CSPs.
Expanding Recognizable Distorted Characters Using Self-Corrective Recognition

Large datasets are always demanded for better recognition performance. However, it is not easy to produce them because costly and slow human operators have been necessary for labeling. In the current paper, in order to resolve the problem on yielding large datasets, we propose a scenario for automatic labeling based on the self-corrective recognition algorithm. The strong point of the proposed method is the capability of expanding recognizable distorted characters unlike existing methods. In the experiments, we show a possibility to realize automatic labeling by the method.
Phase change memory in enterprise storage systems: silver bullet or snake oil?

Storage devices based on Phase Change Memory (PCM) devices are beginning to generate considerable attention in both industry and academic communities. But whether the technology in its current state will be a commercially and technically viable alternative to entrenched technologies such as flash-based SSDs still remains unanswered. To address this it is important to consider PCM SSD devices not just from a device standpoint, but also from a holistic perspective. This paper presents the results of our performance measurement study of a recent all-PCM SSD prototype. The average latency for 4 KB random read is 6.7 μs, which is about 16x faster than a comparable eMLC flash SSD. The distribution of I/O response times is also much narrower than the flash SSD for both reads and writes. Based on real-world workload traces, we model a hypothetical storage device which consists of flash, HDD, and PCM to identify the combinations of device types that offer the best performance within cost constraints. Our results show that - even at current price points - PCM storage devices show promise as a new component in multi-tiered enterprise storage systems.
Combining Translation Memories and Syntax-Based SMT: Experiments with Real Industrial Data

One major drawback of using Translation Memories (TMs) in phrase-based Machine Translation (MT) is that only continuous phrases are considered. In contrast, syntax-based MT allows phrasal discontinuity by learning translation rules containing non-terminals. In this paper, we combine a TM with syntax-based MT via sparse features. These features are extracted during decoding based on translation rules and their corresponding patterns in the TM. We have tested this approach by carrying out experiments on real English–Spanish industrial data. Our results show that these TM features significantly improve syntax-based MT. Our final system yields improvements of up to +3.1 BLEU, +1.6 METEOR, and -2.6 TER when compared with a stateof-the-art phrase-based MT system.
Synthesis and characterization of bismuth ferrite and lead zirconium titanate (BFO-PZT) laminate composite

In this study, pure BiFeO3 (BFO) and Pb(Zr0.52Ti 0.48)O3/BiFeO3 laminate composite was prepared by sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the formation of single phase polycrystalline BFO and PZT with distorted rhombohedra perovskite structure and tetragonal structure respectively. The effect of PZT layer on the ferroelectric and dielectric properties of BFO has been studied. The composite structure exhibits the good ferroelectric and dielectric properties at room temperature. The electric properties of composite are improved by stacking of PZT layer on BFO. The relative dielectric constant of pure BFO and composite BFO-PZT were found to be 240 and 270 respectively. The saturation polarization ( ) was found to be 20 for pure BFO and 40 for BFO-PZT composite structure. List of
Hamster and Murine Models of Severe Destructive Lyme Arthritis

Arthritis is a frequent complication of infection in humans with Borrelia burgdorferi. Weeks to months following the onset of Lyme borreliosis, a histopathological reaction characteristic of synovitis including bone, joint, muscle, or tendon pain may occur. A subpopulation of patients may progress to a chronic, debilitating arthritis months to years after infection which has been classified as severe destructive Lyme arthritis. This arthritis involves focal bone erosion and destruction of articular cartilage. Hamsters and mice are animal models that have been utilized to study articular manifestations of Lyme borreliosis. Infection of immunocompetent LSH hamsters or C3H mice results in a transient synovitis. However, severe destructive Lyme arthritis can be induced by infecting irradiated hamsters or mice and immunocompetent Borrelia-vaccinated hamsters, mice, and interferon-gamma- (IFN-γ-) deficient mice with viable B. burgdorferi. The hamster model of severe destructive Lyme arthritis facilitates easy assessment of Lyme borreliosis vaccine preparations for deleterious effects while murine models of severe destructive Lyme arthritis allow for investigation of mechanisms of immunopathology.
Generalized-Spatial-Modulation-Based Reduced-RF-Chain Millimeter-Wave Communications

A generalized spatial modulation (GSM)-based millimeter-wave communications system is proposed. The GSM transmitter is characterized by a lower number of radio frequency (RF) chains than the number of transmit antennas; hence, it is capable of reducing both the transmitter cost and the energy consumption. The antenna array alignment is optimized so as to maximize the rank of the channel matrix encountered. Furthermore, we employ an array of analog beamformers, which allows us to benefit both from the beamforming gain and from the GSM scheme's high rate. It is demonstrated that the constrained capacity of the GSM transmitter equipped with as few as two RF chains is capable of approaching the performance of the full-RF spatial multiplexing having eight RF chains.
Don't work. Can't work? Why it's time to rethink security warnings

As the number of Internet users has grown, so have the security threats that they face online. Security warnings are one key strategy for trying to warn users about those threats; but recently, it has been questioned whether they are effective. We conducted a study in which 120 participants brought their own laptops to a usability test of a new academic article summary tool. They encountered a PDF download warning for one of the papers. All participants noticed the warning, but 98 (81.7%) downloaded the PDF file that triggered it. There was no significant difference between responses to a brief generic warning, and a longer specific one. The participants who heeded the warning were overwhelmingly female, and either had previous experience with viruses or lower levels of computing skills. Our analysis of the reasons for ignoring warnings shows that participants have become desensitised by frequent exposure and false alarms, and think they can recognise security risks. At the same time, their answers revealed some misunderstandings about security threats: for instance, they rely on anti-virus software to protect them from a wide range of threats, and do not believe that PDF files can infect their machine with viruses. We conclude that security warnings in their current forms are largely ineffective, and will remain so, unless the number of false positives can be reduced.
Application of microRNAs in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Innovative, more stringent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and effective treatment options are needed to lessen its burden. In recent years, microRNAs have emerged as master regulators of gene expression – they bind to complementary sequences within the mRNAs of their target genes and inhibit their expression by either mRNA degradation or translational repression. microRNAs have been implicated in all major cellular processes, including cell cycle, differentiation and metabolism. Their unique mode of action, fine‐tuning gene expression rather than turning genes on/off, and their ability to simultaneously regulate multiple elements of relevant pathways makes them enticing potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Indeed, cardiovascular patients have specific patterns of circulating microRNA levels, often early in the disease process. This article provides a systematic overview of the role of microRNAs in the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of CVD.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IN YOUNG COLOMBIAN ADULTS

The aim of this article was to observe the correlation between executive function (EF) variables, and to determine the factor structure of the EF in young university students, as mathematical models for supporting its multidimensional structure. Participants were both males and females, aged 16 to 21 years (N = 100) and with normal Full Scale IQ selected in a randomized and representative approach in private universities of Medell n, Colombia. They were students of verbal, visual-spatial, and mathematical careers. An executive function assessment battery was applied and which included: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B, verbal fluency test (FAS) by phonologic and semantic cues, and Stroop's conflict word/color test. The results were as follows: An orthogonal structure of five factors, which explained 74.9% of the variance, was found. Factor 1 was formed by WCST variables (organization and flexibility), and explained 25.8% of the variance. Errors from the Stroop reading and naming were assigned to factor 2, which explained 17.3% of the variance. Factor 3 was the time for executing Stroop's test, and explained 13.1% of the variance. Factor 4 was TMT A and B (10.1%). Factor 5 was verbal fluency (8.5% of the variance). In conclusion, executive function in young university students was conformed by five orthogonal cognitive dimensions.
Design of an access control module for an instrumentation gateway

This paper describes some of the preliminary work performed on a resource access control module for an instrumentation gateway. The access control module employs a variation of the popular RBAC (role based access control) scheme described by various authors including Ferraiolo et al. (1999). The gateway has very little security, hence, any user able to log on to the system is able to control any resource. This module aims to implement a pluggable module whereby users are granted access to various parts of the system depending on their user rights whilst giving the administrator a very powerful method of restricting access without sacrificing ease of administration.
Combining pose control and angular velocity control for motion balance of humanoid robot soccer EROS

This paper proposes a research about the humanoid robot system stability to the basic movements in playing football (walking, running, and kicking a ball). The system controls the stability of the robot body angle in order to remain in an ideal position, using the hand as a function of the feedback that has been controlled the actuator separately with leg function on the robot. The hand has a function as robot body tilt actuator controller and the foot has a function as gait motion control system that controls the robot to walk. This system has deficiency to disorders the high impulse, resulting in added angular velocity control system functions, which can reduce the foot force moment generated when stopping suddenly and unexpectedly ran. System control used PID control while in motion pattern and kinematic control system using Fuzzy algorithm. We applied the combination between the control and speed control angle pose at EROS (EEPIS Robosoccer).
ContextJ: Context-oriented Programming with Java

Context-oriented programming (COP) allows for the modularization of context-dependent behavioral variations. So far, COP has been implemented for dynamically-typed languages such as Lisp, Smalltalk, Python, and Ruby relying on reflection mechanisms, and for the statically-typed programming language Java based on a library and a pre-processor. ContextJ is our COP implementation for Java. It properly integrates COP’s layer concept into the Java type system. ContextJ is compiler-based. As confirmed by a benchmark and a case study, it provides both better performance and higher-level abstraction mechanisms than its Java-based predecessors. In this paper, we present the ContextJ language and explain its constructs and semantics. Further, we give an overview of the implementation of our compiler and discuss run-time benchmarks.
Memory-Centric Data Storage for Mobile Systems

Current data storage on smartphones mostly inherits from desktop/server systems a flash-centric design: The memory (DRAM) effectively acts as an I/O cache for the relatively slow flash. To improve both app responsiveness and energy efficiency, this paper proposes MobiFS, a memory-centric design for smartphone data storage. This design no longer exercises cache writeback at short fixed periods or on file synchronization calls. Instead, it incrementally checkpoints app data into flash at appropriate times, as calculated by a set of app/user-adaptive policies. MobiFS also introduces transactions into the cache to guarantee data consistency. This design trades off data staleness for better app responsiveness and energy efficiency, in a quantitative manner. Evaluations show that MobiFS achieves 18.8× higher write throughput and 11.2× more database transactions per second than the default Ext4 filesystem in Android. Popular real-world apps show improvements in response time and energy consumption by 51.6% and 35.8% on average, respectively.
Modeling of Marine Immersion Corrosion for Mild and Low-Alloy Steels—Part 1: Phenomenological Model

Abstract A model is proposed for general corrosion of mild and low-alloy steels under fully aerated at-sea immersion conditions as measured by weight loss. Because all factors influencing corrosion have inherent uncertainties, the proposed model is probabilistic, composed of a mean-value function and a zero-mean uncertainty function. The mean-value function is nonlinear in time, controlled by distinctly different phases—kinetic, diffusion, and anaerobic. Literature field data as well as new field observations indicate that seawater temperature has a strong influence on each phase. The model is used to interpret literature data together with additional inferred or collected environmental data. These are then used to calibrate the parameters for the mean-value function of the model. The calibrated parameters are used to predict a consolidated plot of expected corrosion loss—time-temperature. An example application is given.
Water diffusion compartmentation and anisotropy at high b values in the human brain

Biexponential diffusion decay is demonstrated in the human brain in vivo using b factors up to 4000 sec mm−2. Fitting of the signal decay data yields values for the slow and fast diffusion components and volume fractions in agreement with previous studies in rat and human brain. In addition, differences in the fitted parameters are demonstrated in the white and gray matter and diffusion anisotropy is demonstrated in both the slow and fast diffusing components. Apparent anisotropy in the component fractions is discussed in terms of directionally dependent exchange rates between the compartments. The lack of a relationship between the estimated contribution to the signal of the fast and slow components and echo time appears to rule out T2 differences in the observed water compartments. Values obtained for the fast diffusion coefficient, including differences between white and gray matter and the degree of anisotropy are compatible with the predictions of extracellular diffusion of water based on tortuosity models and the diffusion of tetramethylammonium ions in rat brain. Magn Reson Med 44:852–859, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PATTERN OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE AT PUDUCHERRY

Background: The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) varies widely from region to region in our country. Aims: To highlight the pattern of STIs and the profile of patients with HIV infection in STD patients as seen at our hospital. Methods: A retrospective chart analysis of clients attending STI clinic, JIPMER, Puducherry, from June 2004 to June 2006 was done. Results: A total of 866 clients attended our STI clinic, out of whom 435 (50.2%) had proven STI. STIs were more common in men, with a male (290): female (145) ratio of 2:1. Their age ranged from 1 year to 75 years (mean age = 32.38 years) with the maximum number of patients in the age group of 21-30 years, while children constituted only 2.8%. Herpes genitalis (107 patients, 32.8%) was the most common ulcerative STI, while genital wart was the most common nonulcerative STI (56 patients, 17.1%). Non-gonococcal urethritis (46 patients, 14.1%) was more common than gonococcal urethritis. HIV infection was the most common STI in our study, at an alarmingly high rate of 34.5% (151/435). HIV seropositivity was more common in patients who presented with ulcerative STIs than with nonulcerative STIs. Conclusions: Herpes genitalis was the most common ulcerative STD, while genital wart was the most common nonulcerative STI in our study. The prevalence of HIV among STI clients in India has been on the rise, but has quite alarmingly become the most common STI in our study.