Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Framework to Evaluate the Quality of Integrated Datasets

Evaluation is a bottleneck in data integration processes: it is performed by domain experts through manual onerous data inspections. This task is particularly heavy in real business scenarios, where the large amount of data makes checking all integrated tuples infeasible. Our idea is to address this issue by providing the experts with an unsupervised measure, based on word frequencies, which quantifies how much a dataset is representative of another dataset, giving an indication of how good is the integration process. The paper motivates and introduces the measure and provides extensive experimental evaluations, that show the effectiveness and the efficiency of the approach.
hAP: A Spatial-von Neumann Heterogeneous Automata Processor with Optimized Resource and IO Overhead on FPGA

Regular expression (REGEX) matching tasks drive much research on automata processors (AP). Among them, the von Neumann AP can efficiently utilize on-chip memory to process the Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA), but it is limited to small REGEX sets due to the DFA's state explosion problem. For large REGEX sets, the spatial AP based on Nondeterministic Finite Automaton (NFA) is the mainstream choice. However, there are two problems with previous FPGA-based spatial AP. First, it cannot obtain a balanced FPGA resource usage (LUT and BRAM), which easily leads to resource shortage. Second, to compress the report output data of large REGEX sets, it uses dynamic report compression, which not only consumes a lot of FPGA resources but also limits performance. This paper optimizes the resource and IO overhead of spatial AP. First, noticing the resource optimization ability of the von Neumann AP, we propose the flex-hybrid-FA algorithm to generate small hybrid-FAs (an NFA/DFA hybrid model) and further propose the Spatial-von Neumann Heterogeneous AP to deploy hybrid-FA. Under the constraints of the flex-hybrid-FA algorithm, we can obtain balanced and efficient FPGA resource usage. Second, we propose High-Efficient Automata Report Compression (HEARC) with a compression ratio of up to 5.5-47.6x, which can thoroughly release the performance from IO congestion, and consumes less FPGA resource compared to previous dynamic report compression approaches. As far as we know, this is the first work to deploy large REGEX sets on low-cost small-scale FPGAs (e.g. Xilinx XCZU3CG). The experimental results show that compared to the previous FPGA-based APs, we save 4.0-6.6x power consumption and improve 2.7-5.9x energy efficiency.
High-resolution study of the x-ray resonant Raman scattering process around the 1s absorption edge for aluminium, silicon, and their oxides

X-ray resonant Raman scattering (RRS) spectra of Al, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Si, and SiO{sub 2} were measured at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, using a high-resolution Bragg-type curved crystal spectrometer. The x-ray RRS spectra were collected at several beam energies tuned below the 1s absorption thresholds of Al and Si. Differences in the spectral features between the elemental samples and the oxide ones were clearly observed. The data were interpreted using the second-order perturbation theory within the Kramers-Heisenberg (KH) approach. It is shown that, using the KH formalism, oscillator strengths that are similar to the ones deduced from x-ray absorption measurements can be extracted from emission x-ray RRS spectra. The total cross sections for the x-ray RRS process were derived for the different photon beam energies and compared with theoretical predictions. For elemental silicon, the weak 1s-3p excitation was observed and found to be consistent with results of density of states calculations.
Men in Nursing: A Qualitative Examination of Students’ Stereotypes of Male Nurses through the Framework of Social Role Theory and Stereotype Content Model

Driven by overwhelming numerical dominance of women in the role of nurses, nursing profession over the last two centuries has been largely scripted with gendered characterizations. However, nuances that shape the language and wording choices that are evoked when describing the stereotypes targeting male nurses remain relatively unexplored. Our current research examined the way 117 female non-nursing and nursing students in Canada characterized male nurses using open-ended self-report measures and thematic qualitative analyses. We contribute to the literature on nursing, gender, and stereotypes by analyzing the personal attitudes and stereotypes held by young female students toward male nurses. Social role theory and the stereotype content model provided the theoretical underpinnings to explore and explain emergent stereotypes and stereotype content. Our findings suggest that students generate more communal, high-warmth characteristics for male nurses than agentic characteristics, suggesting possible paternalistic prejudice toward men in nursing.
Content analysis of Dutch newspaper coverage of three tobacco control policies, 2017–2019

Objectives News media coverage can influence support for and implementation of tobacco control policies. This research aims to analyse and compare newspaper coverage of newly implemented policies: a substantial tobacco tax increase, point-of-sale display ban and plain packaging. Design We conducted a content analysis of articles covering the three policies from ten national Dutch newspapers. Articles published between November 2017 and November 2019 were coded for type and tone. The policy dystopia model was used to code arguments opposing the policies. Tobacco industry appearances in news articles were also analysed for frequency and type. Results A total of 134 news articles were analysed, of which the industry appeared in 28%. The majority of coverage was neutral in tone, although among articles that were coded as expressing a positive or negative tone, plain packaging and the point-of-sale ban were portrayed more negatively than positively. Negative coverage was predominantly accounted for by industry presence. Arguments opposing the policies focused on negative economic consequences, challenging the need for policy and adverse consequences for retailers for tax, plain packaging and the point-of-sale display ban, respectively. We identified six specific new arguments that fit within existing domains of the policy dystopia model. Conclusions The tobacco industry and its allies still appear in a substantial proportion of news articles in relation to tobacco policy. This study identifies contemporary industry arguments against tobacco control policies in Europe which, alongside the policy dystopia model, can be used to predict and counter the tobacco industry’s future attempts to oppose policies.
Theory amidst complexity – using process tracing in ex‐post evaluations

Evaluators who take a complexity‐aware approach must consider tradeoffs related to theoretical parsimony, falsifiability, and measurement validity. These tradeoffs may be particularly pronounced with ex‐post evaluation designs in which program theory development and monitoring frameworks are often completed before the evaluator is engaged. In this chapter, we argue that theory‐based evaluation (TBE) approaches can address unique ex‐post evaluation challenges that complexity‐aware evaluation (CAE) alone cannot, and that these two sets of approaches are complimentary. We will outline strategies that evaluators may use to conduct rigorous ex‐post evaluations of democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) interventions that merge CAE's inductive approaches with a theory‐testing structure. It will illustrate these strategies with two case studies of ex‐post evaluation using process tracing (PT).
Performance of mixed effects for clustered binary data models

Clustered binary responses are very common in many practical applications, as binary data are naturally grouped by sampling techniques or some property of the sampling units. Clusters may be balanced, which means they have an equal number of observations, or they may be unbalanced. Mixed effects models are appropriate in practice since, the random effects account for the variation across clusters. When using mixed effects models for clustered data with binary outcomes, a preferred model is the Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model (HGLM). This article compares the performance of Restricted Pseudo Likelihood estimation (RPL) of the mixed effects clustered binary data models with equal and unequal cluster sizes. This was evaluated in terms of Type I error rate, power, and standard error through computer simulation. The simulation is performed by using different numbers of clusters and different cluster sizes. The results show that the performance of the mixed effects clustered binary data model is similar, .
Systematic comparison of risky choices in humans and monkeys

The past decades have seen tremendous progress in fundamental studies on economic choice in humans. However, elucidation of the underlying neuronal processes requires invasive neurophysiological studies that are met with difficulties in humans. Monkeys as evolutionary closest relatives offer a solution. The animals display sophisticated and well-controllable behavior that allows to implement key constructs of proven economic choice theories. However, the similarity of economic choice between the two species has never been systematically investigated. We investigated compliance with the independence axiom (IA) of expected utility theory as one of the most demanding choice tests and compared IA violations between humans and monkeys. Using generalized linear modeling and cumulative prospect theory (CPT), we found that humans and monkeys made comparable risky choices, although their subjective values (utilities) differed. These results suggest similar fundamental choice mechanism across these primate species and encourage to study their underlying neurophysiological mechanisms.
Dynamic mapping of proteome trafficking within and between living cells by TransitID

The ability to map trafficking for thousands of endogenous proteins at once in living cells would reveal biology currently invisible to both microscopy and mass spectrometry. Here we report TransitID, a method for unbiased mapping of endogenous proteome trafficking with nanometer spatial resolution in living cells. Two proximity labeling (PL) enzymes, TurboID and APEX, are targeted to source and destination compartments, and PL with each enzyme is performed in tandem via sequential addition of their small-molecule substrates. Mass spectrometry identifies the proteins tagged by both enzymes. Using TransitID, we mapped proteome trafficking between cytosol and mitochondria, cytosol and nucleus, and nucleolus and stress granules, uncovering a role for stress granules in protecting the transcription factor JUN from oxidative stress. TransitID also identifies proteins that signal intercellularly between macrophages and cancer cells. TransitID introduces a powerful approach for distinguishing protein populations based on compartment or cell type of origin.
VO2max prediction based on submaximal cardiorespiratory relationships and body composition in male runners and cyclists: a population study

Objectives Oxygen uptake (VO2) is one of the most important measures of fitness and critical vital sign. CPET is a valuable method of assessing fitness in sport and clinical settings. This study aimed to: (1) derive prediction models for maximal VO2 (VO2max) based on exercise variables at anaerobic threshold (AT) or respiratory compensation point (RCP) or only somatic and (2) internally validate provided equations. Methods 4424 male endurance athletes (EA) underwent maximal symptom-limited CPET on a treadmill (n=3330) or cycle ergometer (n=1094). The cohort was randomly divided between: variables selection (nrunners=1998; ncyclist=656), model building (nrunners=666; ncyclist=219) and validation (nrunners=666; ncyclist=219). Random Forest was used to select the most significant variables. Models were derived and internally validated with Multiple Linear Regression. Results Runners were 36.24±8.45 yrs. ; BMI=23.94±2.43 kg·m−2; VO2max=53.81±6.67 mL·min−1·kg−1. Cyclists were 37.33±9.13 yr. ; BMI=24.34±2.63 kg·m−2; VO2max=51.74±7.99 mL·min−1·kg−1. VO2 at AT and RCP were the most contributing variables to exercise equations. Body mass and body fat had the highest impact on the somatic equation. Model performance for VO2max based on variables at AT was R2=0.81, at RCP was R2=0.91, at AT&RCP was R2=0.91 and for somatic-only was R2=0.43. Conclusions Derived prediction models were highly accurate and fairly replicable. Formulae allow for precise estimation of VO2max based on submaximal exercise performance or somatic variables. Presented models are applicable for sport and clinical settling. They are a valuable supplementary method for fitness practitioners to adjust individualised training recommendations. Funding The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.
Regional assessment of male murine bone exposes spatial heterogeneity in osteocyte lacunar volume associated with intracortical canals and regulation by VEGF

The porous bone cortex comprises an interconnected network of intracortical vascular canals and osteocyte lacunae, embedded within the bone mineral. Increases in cortical porosity reduce bone strength and increase fracture risk. To date, our understanding of mechanisms coupling the arrangements of the vascular: lacunar network in the bone cortex is poorly understood yet it could be key in establishing regulation of cortical porosity evident with age. Using synchrotron radiation-based computed tomography we develop automated tools to characterise the 3D spatial organisation and morphology of osteocyte lacunae, and the bone vasculature at the tibiofibular junction (TFJ), defining posterior, medial, lateral, and anterior regions in male C57BL/6 mice (n = 3). We also investigate the role of osteoblast-derived VEGF in regulating the 3D spatial arrangement by conditional disruption of VEGF in osteocalcin-expressing cells (OcnVEGFKO versus WT, n = 3). Regional lacunar phenotypes were assessed by 3D distance mapping of lacunar organisation surrounding the vascular compartments, including endosteal and periosteal surfaces, or intracortical canals. Surface-associated lacunae were indistinct in size across posterior, medial, lateral and anterior regions. However, lacunae associated with intracortical canals were significantly larger exclusively within the posterior region. In the absence of VEGF, the increased lacunar volume associated with posterior intracortical canals was lost. Our results suggest that the influence of intracortical canals on lacunar volumes is spatially regulated and sensitive to locally produced growth factors such as osteoblast-derived VEGF.
Decoupling cell size homeostasis in diatoms from the geometrical constraints of the silica cell-wall

Unicellular organisms are known to exert tight control over their cell size. In the case of diatoms, abundant eukaryotic microalgae, the layout of the rigid silica cell wall imposes geometrical restrictions on cell size. A generally accepted theory states that the need to fit any new silica element into a previously formed structure causes a reduction in size with each vegetative division cycle, until cell size restoration is achieved by a switch to another life-cycle stage. Nevertheless, several reported exceptions cast doubt on the generality of this theory. Here, we monitored clonal cultures of the diatom Stephanopyxis turris for up to two years, recording the sizes of thousands of cells, in order to follow the distribution of cell sizes in the population. Our results show that all S. turris cultures above a certain size threshold undergo a gradual size reduction, in accordance with the postulated geometrical driving force. However, once the cell size reaches a lower threshold, a constant size range is maintained by different cellular strategies. These observations suggest two distinct mechanisms to regulate the cell size of diatoms, reduction and homeostasis. The interplay between these mechanisms can explain the behavior of different diatoms species in various environments.
A note on balanced controller reduction

The standard linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) optimal controller is not minimal in general, even if the plant is minimal. Hence, the order of the optimal controller can be less than that of the plant. This note shows that the original balancing method of Moore [1] can be used to generate these reduced order optimal controllers, but the newer balancing methods recently proposed for controller reduction might not generate the reduced order optimal controllers, even when they exist.
Detection of Activated Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Human Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) has a high mutational burden and poor prognosis, even with immunotherapy. In the Lux-Lung 8 trial, afatinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, showed a long-term benefit in 5.3% of patients with LSCC. Because activating mutations of EGFR are rare in LSCC, the response was likely due to wild-type EGFR being activated by an unknown mechanism. All receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) proteins, both wild-type and mutated, are activated by phosphorylation of specific tyrosines which serve as binding sites for various SH2 proteins. The aim of this feasibility study was to determine whether enhanced chemiluminescent western blotting (WB) with a phosphotyrosine (pTyr) antibody is sufficiently sensitive to detect pTyr-RTK proteins in human LSCC tissues. We performed WB analysis on 25 resected human lung tissue samples, including 12 LSCC, two adenocarcinomas (LADC), and 11 control (non-tumor) lung samples. The analysis showed ∼220 kDa pTyr-protein bands in two LSCC samples that were much more abundant than the corresponding bands in controls or LADC samples. To identify pTyr-RTKs, pTyr WB patterns of the two samples were compared to those of five RTK candidates: EGFR, platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRB), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, anaplastic lymphoma receptor, and mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor. The strong pTyr signal in one sample matched EGFR, whereas the other matched a combination of EGFR and PDGFRB. We conclude that pTyr WB is sufficiently sensitive to detect pTyr-RTK drivers in flash-frozen tumor tissues and might identify LSCC patient subsets responsive to RTK inhibitors.
Temporal control by co-factors prevents kinetic trapping in retroviral Gag lattice assembly

For retroviruses like HIV to proliferate, they must form virions shaped by the self-assembly of Gag polyproteins into a rigid lattice. This immature Gag lattice has been structurally characterized and reconstituted in vitro, revealing the sensitivity of lattice assembly to multiple co-factors. Due to this sensitivity, the energetic criterion for forming stable lattices is unknown, as are their corresponding rates. Here, we use a reaction-diffusion model designed from the cryo-ET structure of the immature Gag lattice to map a phase diagram of assembly outcomes controlled by experimentally constrained rates and free energies, over experimentally relevant timescales. We find that productive assembly of complete lattices in bulk solution is extraordinarily difficult due to the large size of this ∼3700 monomer complex. Multiple Gag lattices nucleate before growth can complete, resulting in loss of free monomers and frequent kinetic trapping. We therefore derive a time-dependent protocol to titrate or ‘activate’ the Gag monomers slowly within the solution volume, mimicking the biological roles of co-factors. This general strategy works remarkably well, yielding productive growth of self-assembled lattices for multiple interaction strengths and binding rates. By comparing to the in vitro assembly kinetics, we can estimate bounds on rates of Gag binding to Gag and the cellular co-factor IP6. Our results show that Gag binding to IP6 can provide the additional time-delay necessary to support smooth growth of the immature lattice with relatively fast assembly kinetics, mostly avoiding kinetic traps. Our work provides a foundation for predicting and disrupting formation of the immature Gag lattice via targeting specific protein- protein binding interactions.
The stability of ink-jet printed lines of liquid with zero receding contact angle on a homogeneous substrate

We have studied the stability of ink-jet printed lines of liquid with zero receding contact angle on a homogeneous substrate. Such lines can become unstable by forming a series of liquid bulges, at various wavelengths, connected by a ridge of liquid. The instability was studied with a simple dynamic model. It was shown that the line becomes unstable when the contact angle of the liquid with the substrate is larger than the advancing contact angle. This condition, however, is not a sufficient condition. When the transported flow rate is sufficiently small compared to the applied flow rate a printed line can be shown to be stable, i.e. the width of the printed line is constant. This was found to depend on the advancing contact angle of the liquid over the substrate.
Anthelmintic efficacy of Holarrhena pubescens against Raillietina spp. of domestic fowl through ultrastructural, histochemical, biochemical and GLCM analysis

Holarrhena pubescens is a well-known medicinal plant used in ethno-traditional medicine and tribal folklore medicine in West Bengal, India. This article focuses on depicting the anthelmintic efficacy of ethanolic extract and Ethyl acetate fraction of the stem bark of Holarrhena pubescens against the cestode Raillietina spp. through efficacy testing, ultra-structural observations, histochemical and biochemical studies on some tegumental enzymes i.e., Acid Phosphatase (AcPase), Alkaline Phosphatase (AlkPase), Adenosine Triphosphatase (ATPase) and 5’-Nucleotidase (5’-Nu) along with Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) analysis of histochemistry images. Praziquantel was used as the reference drug. Investigations revealed 10mg/ml of crude extract was determined as the most efficacious dose and the Ethyl acetate fraction showed the most anthelmintic property. Ultrastructural studies through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) clearly showed the damage in head, sucker, proglottids, proximal and distal cytoplasm (DC), microtriches (MT), basal lamina (BL), nuclear membrane (NM), and, nucleolus (NL) in the treated worms. Histochemical studies revealed decrease in staining intensity for all the tegumental enzymes in the treated worms compared to control. The GLCM analysis strongly supported the result of histochemical studies. Biochemical studies revealed marked reduction in enzyme activity in the treated worms with maximum reduction in the activity of 5’-Nu (77.8%) followed by ATPase (63.17%).
Artificial physics engine for real-time inverse dynamics of arm and hand movement

Simulating human body dynamics requires detailed and accurate mathematical models. When solved inversely, these models provide a comprehensive description of force generation that evaluates subject morphology and can be applied to control real-time assistive technology, for example, orthosis or muscle/nerve stimulation. Yet, model complexity hinders the speed of its computations and may require approximations as a mitigation strategy. Here, we use machine learning algorithms to provide a method for accurate physics simulations and subject-specific parameterization. Several types of artificial neural networks (ANNs) with varied architecture were tasked to generate the inverse dynamic transformation of realistic arm and hand movement (23 degrees of freedom). Using a physical model to generate the training and testing sets for the limb workspace, we developed the ANN transformations with low torque errors (less than 0.1 Nm). Multiple ANN implementations using kinematic sequences solved accurately and robustly the high-dimensional kinematic Jacobian and inverse dynamics of arm and hand. These results provide further support for the use of ANN architectures that use temporal trajectories of time-delayed values to make accurate predictions of limb dynamics.