Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Renin, Genes, MicroRNAs, and Renal Mechanisms Involved in Hypertension

Renin was discovered by Robert Tigersted in 1898.1 A half century later, Pickering rediscovered renin2 and implicated it in Goldblatt’s model of renal hypertension3 that resembles renal artery stenosis in humans. In the 1960s, Borst argued that the primary defect responsible for essential hypertension resided in the kidney.4 Guyton provided support for this concept in the 1970s by means of physiological experiments and computer modeling.5 Dahl showed that kidneys transplanted from genetically hypertensive rats to a normotensive strain raised blood pressure (BP), and kidneys from normotensive rats lowered BP when transplanted into hypertensive rats.6 This suggested that the cause of hypertension was a genetic defect in the kidney. Support for this in humans was provided by Lifton, who showed that mutations in single genes involved in BP control by the kidney were responsible for rare monogenic forms of hypertension.7 Laragh and Sealey argued that in essential hypertension, plasma renin levels, even when below normal, were nevertheless too high for the prevailing BP, that is, were insufficiently suppressed, so implicating renin in hypertension.8,9 Recent reviews have highlighted the large body of experimental findings in support of abnormalities in renal processes being responsible for hypertension.10–13 The involvement of an intrarenal renin–angiotensin system now seems to be an important component of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in essential hypertension.12–19 In the present review, I will first provide a brief summary of my earlier contributions to the hypertension field, these having been addressed in more detail in a review arising from my Lewis K. Dahl Memorial Lecture in 2010.20 I will then review my more recent research, which has involved the determination of alterations in gene expression at the transcriptome-wide level in hypertension and the pivotal mechanistic insights …
Low phase noise wideband VCO using MEMS

Here I have attempted to design a low phase noise fully integrated VCO in 0.5/spl mu/m BiCMOS process with 10-20% tuning range. The VCO uses MOS capacitors for tuning and on-chip inductor as LC tank circuit. On-chip BiCMOS band gap bias network is implemented using MOSFETs operating in subthreshold region along with fast BJTs. It is giving precise response over desired range. Now primary aim is to maximize Q of the LC tank circuit to reduce phase noise. Now my attention is on incorporating on chip MEMS components for improving gain, power dissipation, phase noise, tuning performance of the VCO. For that two approaches are being in progress. First is to replace MOS capacitors by MEM tunable capacitors (using MEMS pro) technique of using reconfigurable comb drive mechanism is being incorporated. Its good for obtaining wide tuning but considering need for compact from factor presently MOS capacitor results dominates. Second is to design on-chip MEMS inductor. Also as designed inductor shows high loss translating into poor noise characteristic or low Q factors and becoming a major design bottleneck, moving toward MEMS inductor. I hope to optimize the tuning the tuning performance by tunable inductor.
DEBS Grand Challenge: StreamPipes - Solving the Challenge with Semantic Stream Processing Pipelines

We present StreamPipes, a semantics-based approach aiming to provide a description and management layer to deﬁne and execute stream processing pipelines consisting of multiple, potentially heterogeneous runtime implementations. StreamPipes consists of i) an ontology-based model to describe requirements and capabilities of stream processing services, (ii) a software development kit to describe and publish existing event patterns according to the StreamPipes protocol, (iii) a matchmaking engine to compute matchings between streams, event processing agents and actuators and (iv) a web-based authoring tool to model pipelines in a drag-and-drop style. We implemented the solution to the 2015 DEBS Grand Challenge with StreamPipes using two underlying open source frameworks as runtime implementations. Our approach decouples event pattern descriptions from their speciﬁc implementations and therefore facilitates reuse of implemented stream processing elements in multiple pipelines without any further development eﬀort.
A low-jitter 125-1250-MHz process-independent and ripple-poleless 0.18-μm CMOS PLL based on a sample-reset loop filter

This paper describes a low-jitter phase-locked loop (PLL) implemented in a 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process. A sample-reset loop filter architecture is used that averages the oscillator proportional control current which provides the feedforward zero over an entire update period and hence leads to a ripple-free control signal. The ripple-free control current eliminates the need for an additional filtering pole, leading to a nearly 90/spl deg/ phase margin which minimizes input jitter peaking and transient locking overshoot. The PLL damping factor is made insensitive to process variations by making it dependent only upon a bandgap voltage and ratios of circuit elements. This ensures tracking between the natural frequency and the stabilizing zero. The PLL has a frequency range of 125-1250 MHz, frequency resolution better than 500 kHz, and rms jitter less than 0.9% of the oscillator period.
DIALOG SYSTEMS IN THE TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENT

This paper focuses on specific problems of dialog systems in the car environment which are dealt with in two projects concerning navigation systems and information on the car itself. Drivers' capacities and traffic safety propose speech only dialog systems. We will give insight in some r equirements for the design of speech inter faces. As their possibilities are limited, however, graphical add-ons have to be elaborated. We will discuss the problems of the combination on the background of the main modus of speech.
Location and line orientation as distinguishable primitives in spatial vision

In geometry the same parameters define a straight line segment as its two endpoints, yet the human observer’s perception of spatial relations can differ depending whether an actual line is shown or merely its terminators. Experiments are reported that demonstrate that the position and orientation senses can be largely decoupled. Because both point localization and line orientation each in its own way has a quality of immediacy, yet manifests high performance in the hyperacuity range, both must be regarded as a primitive each with its own neural processing mechanisms. This can give rise to perceptual dissonances (visual illusions) of which one example is analysed.
A Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline Approach for Prediction of Maximum Shear Modulus and Minimum Damping Ratio

This study uses multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) for determination of maximum shear modulus (G max ) and minimum damping ratio (ξ min ) of synthetic reinforced soil. MARS employs confining pressure (σ, psi), rubber (r, %) and sand (s, %) as input variables. The outputs of the MARS are G max and ξ min . The developed MARS gives equations for determination of G max and ξ min . The results of MARS have been compared with the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), multi-layer perception (MLP) and multiple regression analysis method (MRM). A sensitivity analysis has been also carried out to determine the effect of each input variable on G max and ξ min . This study shows that the developed MARS is a robust model for prediction of G max and ξ min .
Limitations of Structural Superlubricity: Chemical Bonds versus Contact Size.

Structural superlubricity describes the state of virtually frictionless sliding if two atomically flat interfaces are incommensurate, that is, they share no common periodicity. Despite the exciting prospects of this low friction phenomenon, there are physical limitations to the existence of this state. Theory predicts that the contact size is one fundamental limit, where the critical size threshold mainly depends on the interplay between lateral contact compliance and interface interaction energies. Here we provide experimental evidence for this size threshold by measuring the sliding friction force of differently sized antimony particles on MoS2. We find that superlubric sliding with the characteristic linear decrease of shear stress with contact size prevails for small particles with contact areas below 15 000 nm2. Larger particles, however, show a transition toward constant shear stress behavior. In contrast, Sb particles on graphite show superlubricity over the whole size range. Ab initio simulations reveal that the chemical interaction energies for Sb/MoS2 are much stronger than for Sb/HOPG and can therefore explain the different friction properties as well as the critical size thresholds. These limitations must be considered when designing low friction contacts based on structural superlubricity concepts.
Carriers in Cell-Based Therapies for Neurological Disorders

There is a pressing need for long-term neuroprotective and neuroregenerative therapies to promote full function recovery of injuries in the human nervous system resulting from trauma, stroke or degenerative diseases. Although cell-based therapies are promising in supporting repair and regeneration, direct introduction to the injury site is plagued by problems such as low transplanted cell survival rate, limited graft integration, immunorejection, and tumor formation. Neural tissue engineering offers an integrative and multifaceted approach to tackle these complex neurological disorders. Synergistic therapeutic effects can be obtained from combining customized biomaterial scaffolds with cell-based therapies. Current scaffold-facilitated cell transplantation strategies aim to achieve structural and functional rescue via offering a three-dimensional permissive and instructive environment for sustainable neuroactive factor production for prolonged periods and/or cell replacement at the target site. In this review, we intend to highlight important considerations in biomaterial selection and to review major biodegradable or non-biodegradable scaffolds used for cell transplantation to the central and peripheral nervous system in preclinical and clinical trials. Expanded knowledge in biomaterial properties and their prolonged interaction with transplanted and host cells have greatly expanded the possibilities for designing suitable carrier systems and the potential of cell therapies in the nervous system.
Novel hybrid columns made of ultra-high performance concrete and fiber reinforced polymers

Over a decade of studies have demonstrated the benefits of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) in terms of damage tolerance, energy absorption, crack distribution, and deformation capacity. However, there is little information available on the confinement behavior of UHPC, especially when confined with fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP). Sixteen UHPC-filled FRP tubes with different fiber type and tube thickness were tested under monotonic uniaxial compression. All specimens failed by rupture of the tube at or near the mid-height. Similar to conventional concrete, test results showed significant enhancements in the ultimate strength and strain of UHPC – up to 98% and 195%, respectively, as compared to its unconfined counterpart. The experimental results were compared with a number of available confinement models. Although one of the models provided a reasonable fit for the stress-strain response in most cases, all models generally underestimated the effectiveness of FRP confinement at higher confinement ratios. The study demonstrated the need for confinement models that could accurately predict the behavior of FRP-confined UHPC in terms of stress-strain relationship and the respective ultimate strengths and strains.
Improved Input Data Splitting in MapReduce

The performance of MapReduce greatly depends on its data splitting process which happens before the map phase. This is usually done using naive methods which are not at all optimal. In this paper, an Improved Input Splitting technology based on locality is explained which aims at addressing the input data splitting problems which affects the job performance seriously. Improved Input Splitting clusters data blocks from a same node into the same single partition, so that it is processed by one map task. This method avoids the time for slot reallocation and multiple tasks initializing. Experiment results demonstrated that this can improve the MapReduce processing performance largely than the traditional Hadoop implementation.
The acceptance and use of workflow: The case of Tunisian industrial companies

This paper relates to socio-cultural determinants of the acceptance and use of information and communication technologies in a process of cooperative decision-making support with big companies adopting workflow as information system. We are looking to identify and to present the main determinants of the acceptance and efficient use of workflow information systems. It will permit to understand the phenomenon of technological innovation adoption in Tunisian industrial big companies using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology UTAUT.
Relation between Vickers Hardness and Bragg-Edge Broadening in Quenched Steel Rods Observed by Pulsed Neutron Transmission Imaging

The width of crystal lattice plane spacing (d-spacing) distribution related to microscopic-strain and crystallite size in a martensite phase in a 2 cm thick quenched-ferritic steel sample was quantitatively mapped in real space by a Bragg-edge broadening analysis of spectral data from a pulsed neutron transmission experiment. This analysis was performed under the condition that the instrumental resolution parameters, determined from the data of ferrite in the same sample without microscopic-strain and crystallite size effects, were unchanged over the sample area, and assuming that the d-spacing was distributed according to a Gaussian function in the martensite area. As a result, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Gaussian d-spacing distribution in the martensite was extracted at each position in a sample. Consequently, it was found that the real-space distribution of the FWHM of the d-spacing distribution is closely correlated with a real-space distribution of the Vickers hardness that corresponds to the quantity of martensite. Furthermore, it was indicated that the Vickers hardness was proportional to the FWHM of the d-spacing distribution. The results suggest that it will be possible to measure the Vickers hardness in the martensite non-destructively by using the Bragg-edge neutron transmission method. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2015049]
MagPIe: MPI's collective communication operations for clustered wide area systems

Writing parallel applications for computational grids is a challenging task. To achieve good performance, algorithms designed for local area networks must be adapted to the differences in link speeds. An important class of algorithms are collective operations, such as broadcast and reduce. We have developed MAGPIE, a library of collective communication operations optimized for wide area systems. MAGPIE's algorithms send the minimal amount of data over the slow wide area links, and only incur a single wide area latency. Using our system, existing MPI applications can be run unmodified on geographically distributed systems. On moderate cluster sizes, using a wide area latency of 10 milliseconds and a bandwidth of 1 MByte/s, MAGPIE executes operations up to 10 times faster than MPICH, a widely used MPI implementation; application kernels improve by up to a factor of 4. Due to the structure of our algorithms, MAGPIE's advantage increases for higher wide area latencies.
Effect of Hong Kong Consumers' Lifestyle on World Wide Web Shopping

Abstract The authors undertook a study of the effect of consumers' lifestyles on the popularity of World Wide Web shopping in Hong Kong. First, a review of the literature was conducted to gain an understanding of the shopping environment of the World Wide Web on the Internet, theories of consumers' lifestyles and consumer shopping behavior in Hong Kong. Second, company interviews and consumer questionnaires were used to obtain data to analyze consumers' lifestyles and buying behavior. AIO statements were used to test the lifestyle analysis of Hong Kong consumers. Three hypotheses were developed to test the relationship of consumers' lifestyles to consumers' buying behavior and their potential to shop on the World Wide Web of the Internet. The result indicated a negative finding and a negative consumers' perception of World Wide Web shopping with negative procurement reflecting that fashion consumers in Hong Kong are not ready to shop online.
Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss With Minimal Hearing Impairment

Objectives The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of patients who did not match the audiometric criteria of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) but complained of acute hearing loss. Methods By thorough medical chart reviews, historical cohort study was performed with consecutive data of 589 patients complaining of acute unilateral sensorineural hearing loss without identifiable causes between 2005 and 2013. Those patients demonstrating a hearing loss of at least 30 dB at three consecutive frequencies based on pure tone audiometry were classified as group I; the others were classified as group II. Patients' characteristics, final hearing, and hearing improvement rate (HIR) between the two groups were compared. Results Group II exhibited distinctive characteristics, including an early age of onset of the hearing loss (P<0.01), an absence of accompanying diabetes (P<0.01) and hypertension (P<0.01), and better unaffected hearing and final hearing compared with group I (P<0.001). However, the HIR of the patients in the two groups was not significantly different (P>0.05). Conclusion Patients who did not meet the audiological criteria of SSNHL exhibited distinctive characteristics compared to SSNHL patients.
Genetic trends in maternal and neonatal behaviors and their association with perinatal survival in French Large White swine

Genetic trends in maternal abilities were studied in French Large White sows. Two lines representing old-type and modern-type pigs were obtained by inseminating modern sows with semen from boars born in 1977 or 1998. Successive generations were produced by inter-se mating. The maternal performance of sows from the second generation was compared in farrowing crates. Video analysis was performed for the 1st h after the onset of 43 and 36 farrowing events, and for the 6 first hours for 23 and 21 events, in old-type and modern-type sows, respectively. Genetic trends were estimated as twice the difference in estimates between the 2 lines. The contribution of behavior to the probability of stillbirth and piglet death in the first 2 days was estimated as the percentage of deviance reduction (DR) due to the addition of behavior traits as factors in the mortality model. Sow activity decreased strongly from the 1st to the 2nd h in both lines (P < 0.001). In the first 6 h, old-type sows sat (1st parity), stood (2nd parity) and rooted (both parities) for longer than modern-type sows, which were less active, especially in 2nd parity. In modern-type sows, stillbirth was associated positively with lying laterally in the first 6 h (4.6% DR) and negatively in the 1st h (9.1% DR). First-parity old-type sows were more attentive to piglets (P = 0.003) than modern-type sows which responded more to nose contacts at 2nd parity (P = 0.01). Maternal reactivity of modern-type sows was associated with a higher risk of piglet death (4.6% DR). Respiratory distress at birth tended to be higher in modern-type piglets than in old-type piglets (P < 0.10) and was associated with a higher risk of piglet death in both lines (2.7–3.1% DR). Mobility at birth was lower in modern-type than old-type piglets (P < 0.0001). Genetic trends show that sow and piglet behaviors at farrowing have changed. Our results indicate reduced welfare in parturient modern-type sows and their newborn piglets.
An Arc Welding Robot Control for a Shaped Metal Deposition Plant: Modular Software Interface and Sensors

This paper is focused on the study and the control of a process of robotic arc welding. The system developed has been used to study the whole process and to develop an automatic controller for the arc process of deposition. The process consists of a shaped metal deposition (SMD) system that is an innovative method for the manufacturing of metal objects, which uses a layer-by-layer deposition technique. A useful software interface has been implemented in a Labview environment to study the system and to develop and tune the parameters of an automatic controller.
Defining OCL expressions using templates.

OCL expressions are an essential part of UML. The current versions of OCL fail to have a meta-model which means that the integration of OCL with the UML meta-model cannot be formally defined [1]. This can result in ambiguous descriptions of systems which may compromise designs. The need to redesign the OCL has been addressed by a number of proposals submitted to the OMG. In this paper we demonstrate how a definition for OCL can be stamped out from a small number of templates. Such an approach enables a high level of reuse and an increased confidence that the definition is correct. This work forms part of the 2U consortium’s efforts for the definition of UML 2.0.
Childhood cancer incidence rates and hazardous air pollutants in California: an exploratory analysis.

Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are compounds shown to cause cancer or other adverse health effects. We analyzed population-based childhood cancer incidence rates in California (USA) from 1988 to 1994, by HAP exposure scores, for all California census tracts. For each census tract, we calculated exposure scores by combining cancer potency factors with outdoor HAP concentrations modeled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We evaluated the relationship between childhood cancer rates and exposure scores for 25 potentially carcinogenic HAPs emitted from mobile, area, and point sources and from all sources combined. Our study period saw 7,143 newly diagnosed cancer cases in California; of these, 6,989 (97.8%) could be assigned to census tracts and included in our analysis. Using Poisson regression, we estimated rate ratios (RRs) adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and sex. We found little evidence for elevated cancer RRs for all sites or for gliomas among children living in high-ranking combined-source exposure areas. We found elevated RRs and a significant trend with increasing exposure level for childhood leukemia in tracts ranked highest for exposure to the combined group of 25 HAPs (RR = 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.03, 1.42) and in tracts ranked highest for point-source HAP exposure (RR = 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.11, 1.57). Our findings suggest an association between increased childhood leukemia rates and high HAP exposure, but studies involving more comprehensive exposure assessment and individual-level exposure data will be important for elucidating this relationship.