Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design validation of ZCSP with SPIN

We consider the problem of specifying a model of the zero copy secured protocol for the purpose of LTL verification with the SPIN model checker. ZCSP is based on direct memory access. Data is directly read/written in user space memory, decreasing latency and saving processor computing time. We first introduce the ZCSP protocol before analysing different ways of modelling it. Two main steps were performed: a finite and a nonfinite sequences model. The first model gave us an overview of the protocol robustness. The second allowed us to test realistic properties. We also describe LTL properties that were checked with the SPIN model checker. Unfortunately, the size of the system was frequently prohibitive. Thus, we explain all minimization steps we had to perform: variables' domains restriction, interleaving reduction, realistic environment representation by fairness constraints.
UK smoke-free legislation: changes in PM2.5 concentrations in bars in Scotland, England, and Wales.

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the effect of smoke-free legislation on fine particulate [particulate matter <2.5 microm in diameter (PM(2.5))] air pollution levels in bars in Scotland, England, and Wales. DESIGN Air quality was measured in 106 randomly selected bars in Scotland, England, and Wales before and after the introduction of smoking restrictions. METHODS PM(2.5) concentrations were measured covertly for 30-min periods before smoke-free legislation was introduced, again at 1-2 months post-ban (except Wales) and then at 12-months post-baseline (except Scotland). In Scotland and England, overt measurements were carried out to assess bar workers' full-shift personal exposures to PM(2.5). Postcode data were used to determine socio-economic status of the bar location. RESULTS PM(2.5) levels prior to smoke-free legislation were highest in Scotland (median 197 microg m(-3)), followed by Wales (median 184 microg m(-3)) and England (median 92 microg m(-3)). All three countries experienced a substantial reduction in PM(2.5) concentrations following the introduction of the legislation with the median reduction ranging from 84 to 93%. Personal exposure reductions were also within this range. There was evidence that bars located in more deprived postcodes had higher PM(2.5) levels prior to the legislation. CONCLUSIONS Prior to legislation PM(2.5) concentrations within bars across the UK were much higher than the 65 microg m(-3) 'unhealthy' threshold for outdoor air quality as set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations in Scottish and Welsh bars were, on average, two or more times greater than in English bars for which seasonal influences may be responsible. Legislation in all three countries produced improvements in indoor air quality that are consistent with other international studies.
Sensory Neuron-Specific Deletion of TRPA1 Results in Mechanical Cutaneous Sensory Deficits

Abstract The nonselective cation channel transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is known to be a key contributor to both somatosensation and pain. Recent studies have implicated TRPA1 in additional physiologic functions and have also suggested that TRPA1 is expressed in nonneuronal tissues. Thus, it has become necessary to resolve the importance of TRPA1 expressed in primary sensory neurons, particularly since previous research has largely used global knock-out animals and chemical TRPA1 antagonists. We therefore sought to isolate the physiological relevance of TRPA1 specifically within sensory neurons. To accomplish this, we used Advillin-Cre mice, in which the promoter for Advillin is used to drive expression of Cre recombinase specifically within sensory neurons. These Advillin-Cre mice were crossed with Trpa1fl/fl mice to generate sensory neuron-specific Trpa1 knock-out mice. Here, we show that tissue-specific deletion of TRPA1 from sensory neurons produced strong deficits in behavioral sensitivity to mechanical stimulation, while sensitivity to cold and heat stimuli remained intact. The mechanical sensory deficit was incomplete compared to the mechanosensory impairment of TRPA1 global knock-out mice, in line with the incomplete (∼80%) elimination of TRPA1 from sensory neurons in the tissue-specific Advillin-Cre knock-out mice. Equivalent findings were observed in tissue-specific knock-out animals originating from two independently-generated Advillin-Cre lines. As such, our results show that sensory neuron TRPA1 is required for mechanical, but not cold, responsiveness in noninjured skin.
Edge-basedInferenceandControlin theInternet AleksandarZ

Realizing new services on the Internet ultimately requires edge-based solutions for bothdeployability andscalability. I proposeto design, implement,andevaluate a seriesof threeedge-basedalgorithmsandprotocolsfor efficient inferenceandcontrol of theInternet from its endpoints. Theproposedsolutionstogether form a new foundation for quality-ofservicecommunicationvia ascalable edge-based architecturewherethenovel functionality is added strictly at either edgerouters or end hosts. In particular, this thesis proposes techniquesfor multi-classservice inference, active probing for available bandwidth, and end-point-basedprotection againstDenial of Service(DoS)attacks. The proposedmulti-classservice inferencetechniques reveal the sophisticated multiclassnetwork componentssuchasservice disciplinesandrate limiters usingsolely passive packet monitoring at the network edges. Theseinferencessignificantly enhance the network monitoring andservice validation capabiliti esandprovide vital information for makingefficient useof resources.Theproposedactive probing schemeinfers andutil izes only the available network bandwidth andaimsto realize a low-priority service from the network endpoints,afunctionality thatwouldotherwiserequireamulti-priority or separate network. Finally, the end-point-basedprotection against DoSresearchaimsto detect the main fragile points of TCP from the perspective of a DoS attacker. This would not just help to significantly improve therobustnessof TCPin presenceof DoSattacksbut would indicatethat the protection mechanismsagainst DoS should be implemented not only in thenetwork core asconventionally donebut alsoat thenetwork edge.
Power Efficient Design of Polar Code

Polar codes are the family of the codes which are first ones to achieve channel capacity of any binary discrete memory less channel (B-DMC) with an explicit construction. The method relates with polar codes, channel polarization and encoding & decoding of polar code is considered that in the live structure of polar code when BER gets increase, channel capacity is satisfied but overall power of data transmition in channel gets increase. So here in this analysis the main issue is related with the power consumption. Encoding & decoding construction of polar codes is based on XOR-XNOR gates. The XOR-XNOR circuits’ design which uses 6 transistors instead of conventional structure is designed and it is suitable for lowvoltage and low-power application by achieving lower delay, power consumption and power-delay product (PDP). So by using this design phenomenon of XOR-XNOR gate it is possible to construct power efficient encoding and decoding of polar codes.
Male great tits eavesdrop on simulated male–to–male vocal interactions

Animal communication generally occurs in the environment of a network of several potential signallers and receivers. Within a network environment, it is possible to gain relative information about conspecifics by eavesdropping on signalling interactions. We presented male great tits with the opportunity to gain such information by simulating singing interactions using two loudspeakers. Interactions were presented so that relevant information was not available in the absolute singing behaviour of either individual, only in the relative timing of their songs in the interaction as a whole. We then assayed the information extracted by focal males by subsequently introducing one of the ‘interactants’ (i.e. loudspeakers) into the territory of the focal male. Focal males responded with a reduced song output to males that had just ‘lost’ an interaction. Focal males did not respond significantly differently to ‘winners’ as compared with intruders recently involved in an interaction that contained no consistent information. Focal males also responded by switching song types more often when encountering males that had recently been involved in a low–intensity interaction. These results provide the clearest evidence yet that male songbirds extract information from signal interactions between conspecifics in the field.
Robust linear programming discrimination of two linearly inseparable sets

A single linear programming formulation is proposed which generates a plane that of minimizes an average sum of misclassified points belonging to two disjoint points sets in n-dimensional real space. When the convex hulls of the two sets are also disjoint, the plane completely separates the two sets. When the convex hulls intersect, our linear program, unlike all previously proposed linear programs, is guaranteed to generate some error-minimizing plane, without the imposition of extraneous normalization constraints that inevitably fail to handle certain cases. The effectiveness of the proposed linear program has been demonstrated by successfully testing it on a number of databases. In addition, it has been used in conjunction with the multisurface method of piecewise-linear separation to train a feed-forward neural network with a single hidden layer.
On the Ground State of the Supersymmetric Five-brane

We examine if there exists a zero-energy supersymmetric ground state for the fundamental five-brane. Looking for an $SO(6)\times SO(2)$- invariant ground state, we construct, in the light-cone gauge, perturbatively a Nicolai map up to third order in the inverse five-brane tension. We show that the Nicolai map equilibrates and the five-brane has a zero-energy normalizable supersymmetric vacuum state. For the other p-branes, we argue that only the three-brane has a zero-energy ground state.
Fostering Academic Major Satisfaction, Career Curiosity, and Job Search Behaviors Among Electrical/Electronic Technology Education Undergraduates

This study investigates the effect of practical skills-based career training intervention in electrical/electronic works on graduating students’ academic major satisfaction, career curiosity, and self-defeating job search behaviors (SDJSBs). We employed the quasi-experimental design, with a three-wave longitudinal survey. The participants were 101 electrical/electronic technology education undergraduates from two publicly owned universities in Nigeria. Our intervention procedures were guided by the tenets of social cognitive career theory and the theory of planned behavior. The findings revealed significant positive increase in the students’ satisfaction with their academic major, and career curiosity, as well as significant decrease in SDJSBs (viz., procrastination, impulsiveness, and failure to network). We also found mediating effects of learning self-efficacy and perseverance of effort on academic major satisfaction, career curiosity, and SDJSBs.
A low-complexity high-performance decoding algorithm for fixed-point LDPC decoders

The bit-error-rate (BER) performance of an LDPC decoding algorithm will be seriously degraded when the algorithm is realized with fixed-point implementation in practical applications, due to the introduced quantization errors and rounding errors. To remedy the problem, this paper proposes an improved min-sum algorithm (MSA), called CMVP algorithm. It achieves better performances than the popular min-sum algorithm (MSA), under the condition of the same fixed-point precision. Besides, the hardware overhead of the new algorithm over conventional MSA is small. On the other hand, under the condition of comparable performances, MSA algorithm needs a higher fixed-point precision and hardware costs than the new CMVP algorithm, according to the simulations and hardware synthesis results. The new algorithm also works well in a wide range of code rates and code lengths.
Salinity, microbe and carbonate mineral relationships in brackish and hypersaline lake sediments: A case study from the tropical Pacific coral atoll of Kiritimati

Microbiological activity can exert a substantial influence on carbonate mineral precipitation, but linking specific microbiological processes to carbonate minerals in an environmental setting is complex, as both abiotic and biotic factors ultimately influence carbonate mineral precipitation. The coral atoll of Kiritimati, Republic of Kiribati (1.9°N, 157.4°W), in the central tropical Pacific Ocean, contains hundreds of shallow water brackish to hypersaline lakes that contain a range of carbonate and evaporite minerals. Previous studies of Kiritimati lakes have investigated the microbial communities of finely laminated microbial mats and associated microbialites found in several of the more hypersaline lakes on the island. However, the microbial communities of the more brackish lakes are unknown. These brackish lakes precipitate metres of fine‐grained carbonate muds, which are useful for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Here, the relationships between carbonate abundance, mineralogy, water chemistry, and bacterial and archaeal communities are investigated in a suite of brackish to hypersaline lakes (8.7‐190 ppt) on Kiritimati. Next generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacteria and archaea indicate that brackish lake sediments contain distinct microbial communities. In relation to carbonate precipitation, the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria, Choloroflexi and Deltaproteobacteria is greater in the brackish lake sediments, suggesting photosynthesis and sulphate reduction associated with these taxa may strongly influence alkalinity and carbonate precipitation in brackish lakes. The presence of dolomite in certain hypersaline lakes also coincided with the presence of a methanogenic family, indicating that methogenesis may contribute to dolomite precipitation in these lakes.
Robust quasi NID aircraft 3D flight control under sensor noise

In the paper the design of an aircraft motion controller based on the Dynamic Contraction Method is presented. The control task is formulated as a tracking problem for Euler angles, where the desired decoupled output transients are accomplished under assumption of high-level, high-frequency sensor noise and incomplete information about varying parameters of the system and external disturbances. The resulting controller has a simple form of a combination of a low-order linear dynamical system and a matrix whose entries depend nonlinearly on certain measurable flight variables.
Modeling of failure probability and statistical design of Spin-Torque Transfer Magnetic Random Access Memory (STT MRAM) array for yield enhancement

Spin-torque transfer magnetic RAM (STT MRAM) is a promising candidate for future universal memory. It combines the desirable attributes of current memory technologies such as SRAM, DRAM and flash memories. It also solves the key drawbacks of conventional MRAM technology: poor scalability and high write current. In this paper, we analyzed and modeled the failure probabilities of STT MRAM cells due to parameter variations. Based on the model, we developed an efficient simulation tool to capture the coupled electro/magnetic dynamics of spintronic device, leading to effective prediction for memory yield. We also developed a statistical optimization methodology to minimize the memory failure probability. The proposed methodology can be used at an early stage of the design cycle to enhance memory yield.
The interaction of natural hepatitis C virus with human scavenger receptor SR‐BI/Cla1 is mediated by ApoB‐containing lipoproteins

The possible role of candidate receptors in the cellular penetration of HCV from serum of infected patients remains unclear. SR‐BI/Cla1 interacts with plasma HDL, native and modified LDL, and VLDL, and facilitates cellular cholesterol efflux to lipoprotein acceptors. SR‐BI/Cla1 binds HCV E2 protein and interacts with HCV pseudotypes via the HVR1 of the E2 envelope glycoprotein. Our data reveal that functional SR‐BI/Cla1 expressed on the surface of CHO cells mediates the binding and uptake of HCV from the sera of infected patients. Interaction between HCV and SR‐BI/Cla1 is not sensitive to either anti‐E2 or anti‐HVR1 antibodies but is effectively inhibited by anti‐βlipoprotein antibodies and competed out by apoB‐containing lipoproteins and notably by VLDL. We interpret our data to indicate that VLDL associated with or incorporated into HCV plays a critical role in the primary interaction of HCV with SR‐BI/Cla1, whereas the HCV E2 protein does not. In addition, our findings in hepatoma cell lines suggest that the interaction of HCV with human hepatocytes is equally mediated, at least in a part, by VLDL, and as such may represent an alternative pathway for infection. The association of HCV with ApoB‐containing lipoproteins may promote cellular uptake of this virus in the presence of neutralizing antibodies.
Cardiomyopathy in Africa: heredity versus environment

Summary Summary Unlike other parts of the world in which cardiomyopathy is rare, heart muscle disease is endemic in Africa. The major forms of cardiomyopathy in Africa are dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF). Whereas DCM is a major cause of heart failure throughout the continent, EMF is restricted to the tropical regions of East, Central, and West Africa. Although epidemiological studies are lacking, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy seem to have characteristics similar to those of other populations elsewhere in the world. Recent advances in the genetic analysis of DCM in other parts of the world indicate that it is a genetically heterogeneous disorder in which some cases have a Mendelian cause and others have a non-genetic or multifactorial cause. This heterogeneous pattern of inheritance has been confirmed in small studies that have been conducted so far in Africa. The advent of human immunodeficiency virus infection and its association with cardiomyopathy has emphasised the role of inflammatory agents in the pathogenesis of DCM. By contrast with DCM in which some cases have major genetic contributions, there is scanty evidence for the role of genetic factors in the aetiology of EMF. Although the pathogenesis of EMF is not fully understood, it appears that the conditioning factor may be geography (in its widest sense, to include climate and socio-economic status), the triggering factor may be an as yet unidentified infective agent, and the perpetuating factor may be eosinophilia. There is a need for renewed effort to identify genetic and non-genetic factors in EMF and other forms of heart muscle disease that are prevalent on the continent of Africa.
The Linguistic Structure of English Web-Search Queries

Web-search queries are known to be short, but little else is known about their structure. In this paper we investigate the applicability of part-of-speech tagging to typical English-language web search-engine queries and the potential value of these tags for improving search results. We begin by identifying a set of part-of-speech tags suitable for search queries and quantifying their occurrence. We find that proper-nouns constitute 40% of query terms, and proper nouns and nouns together constitute over 70% of query terms. We also show that the majority of queries are noun-phrases, not unstructured collections of terms. We then use a set of queries manually labeled with these tags to train a Brill tagger and evaluate its performance. In addition, we investigate classification of search queries into grammatical classes based on the syntax of part-of-speech tag sequences. We also conduct preliminary investigative experiments into the practical applicability of leveraging query-trained part-of-speech taggers for information-retrieval tasks. In particular, we show that part-of-speech information can be a significant feature in machine-learned search-result relevance. These experiments also include the potential use of the tagger in selecting words for omission or substitution in query reformulation, actions which can improve recall. We conclude that training a part-of-speech tagger on labeled corpora of queries significantly outperforms taggers based on traditional corpora, and leveraging the unique linguistic structure of web-search queries can improve search experience.
Mirna Adriani and Ruli

The Faculty of Computer Science, University of Indonesia, has been conducting research concerning the computational modelling and processing of various aspects of bahasa Indonesia since the mid-1990s. This paper serves as a historical account of that work, as a convenient bibliographic reference, and as a platform from which to identify future research.
Advances in drug delivery via electrospun and electrosprayed nanomaterials

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) techniques refer to procedures that utilize electrostatic forces to fabricate fibers or particles of different shapes with sizes in the nano-range to a few microns through electrically charged fluid jet. Employing different techniques, such as blending, surface modification, and coaxial process, there is a great possibility of incorporating bioactive such molecules as drugs, DNA, and growth factors into the nanostructures fabricated via EHD techniques. By careful selection of materials and processing conditions, desired encapsulation efficiency as well as preserved bioactivity of the therapeutic agents can be achieved. The drug-loaded nanostructures produced can be applied via different routes, such as implantation, injection, and topical or oral administration for a wide range of disease treatment. Taking advantage of the recent developments in EHD techniques like the coaxial process or multilayered structures, individually controlled delivery of multiple drugs is achievable, which is of great demand in cancer therapy and growth-factor delivery. This review summarizes the most recent techniques and postmodification methods to fabricate electrospun nanofibers and electrosprayed particles for drug-delivery applications.
Periventricular cerebral white matter lesions predict rate of cognitive decline

The prospect of declining cognitive functions is a major fear for many elderly persons. Cerebral white matter lesions, as commonly found with magnetic resonance imaging, have been associated with cognitive dysfunction in cross‐sectional studies. Only a few longitudinal studies using small cohorts confirmed these findings. We examined the relation between severity of white matter lesions and cognitive decline over a nearly 10‐year period in 563 elderly subjects sampled from the general nondemented Dutch population. Severity of white matter lesions was scored for periventricular and subcortical regions separately using an extensive semiquantitative scale. Cognitive function was measured by the Mini‐Mental State Examination at regular time intervals during 1990 to 2000, and magnetic resonance imaging scans were made in 1995 to 1996. More severe white matter lesions were associated with more rapid cognitive decline over a mean follow‐up period of 7.3 years (standard deviation, 1.5). After adjusting for age, gender, educational level, measures of depression, and brain atrophy and infarcts, subjects with severe periventricular white matter lesions experienced cognitive decline nearly three times as fast (0.28 Mini‐Mental State Examination points/year [95% confidence interval, 0.20–0.36]) as the average (0.10 points/year [95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.11]). There was no independent relationship between severity of subcortical white matter lesions and rate of cognitive decline.