Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RIPL

Specialized FPGA implementations can deliver higher performance and greater power efficiency than embedded CPU or GPU implementations for real-time image processing. Programming challenges limit their wider use, because the implementation of FPGA architectures at the register transfer level is time consuming and error prone. Existing software languages supported by high-level synthesis (HLS), although providing a productivity improvement, are too general purpose to generate efficient hardware without the use of hardware-specific code optimizations. Such optimizations leak hardware details into the abstractions that software languages are there to provide, and they require knowledge of FPGAs to generate efficient hardware, such as by using language pragmas to partition data structures across memory blocks. This article presents a thorough account of the Rathlin image processing language (RIPL), a high-level image processing domain-specific language for FPGAs. We motivate its design, based on higher-order algorithmic skeletons, with requirements from the image processing domain. RIPL’s skeletons suffice to elegantly describe image processing stencils, as well as recursive algorithms with nonlocal random access patterns. At its core, RIPL employs a dataflow intermediate representation. We give a formal account of the compilation scheme from RIPL skeletons to static and cyclostatic dataflow models to describe their data rates and static scheduling on FPGAs. RIPL compares favorably to the Vivado HLS OpenCV library and C++ compiled with Vivado HLS. RIPL achieves between 54 and 191 frames per second (FPS) at 100MHz for four synthetic benchmarks, faster than HLS OpenCV in three cases. Two real-world algorithms are implemented in RIPL: visual saliency and mean shift segmentation. For the visual saliency algorithm, RIPL achieves 71 FPS compared to optimized C++ at 28 FPS. RIPL is also concise, being 5x shorter than C++ and 111x shorter than an equivalent direct dataflow implementation. For mean shift segmentation, RIPL achieves 7 FPS compared to optimized C++ on 64 CPU cores at 1.1, and RIPL is 10x shorter than the direct dataflow FPGA implementation.
Research on Cross-platform Measurement method of online Advertising

There are a large number of competing ADXs on the Internet. It is the primary demand to identify and compare the advertising performance of ADX. Traditional method relies on training artificial online personas to represent behavioral traits. Then it uncovers existing correlation between users each exhibiting a certain behavioral trait and the display ads shown to them. This approach only measures and evaluates the performance of a single ADX. Due to without common measurement basis, this method does not able to apply to the comparative study of the performance of multiple ADXs. Therefore, in this tech report, a synchronous cross-platform measurement method is proposed and implemented. This method can realize the comparison of the performance of different ADXs, and help advertisers select the appropriate ADX.
EAACI consensus statement for investigation of work‐related asthma in non‐specialized centres

Work‐related asthma (WRA) is a relevant problem in several countries, is cause of disability and socioeconomic consequences for both the patient and the society and is probably still underdiagnosed. A correct diagnosis is extremely important to reduce or limit the consequences of the disease. This consensus document was prepared by a EAACI Task Force consisting of an expert panel of allergologists, pneumologists and occupational physicians from different European countries. This document is not intended to address in detail the full diagnostic work‐up of WRA, nor to be a formal evidence‐based guideline. It is written to provide an operative protocol to allergologists and physicians dealing with asthma useful for identifying the subjects suspected of having WRA to address them to in‐depth investigations in a specialized centre. No evidence‐based system could be used because of the low grade of evidence of published studies in this area, and instead, ‘key messages’ or ‘suggestions’ are provided based on consensus of the expert panel members.
Distributed Transactions: Dissecting the Nightmare

Many distributed storage systems are transactional and a lot of work has been devoted to optimizing their performance, especially the performance of read-only transactions that are considered the most frequent in practice. Yet, the results obtained so far are rather disappointing, and some of the design decisions seem contrived. This paper contributes to explaining this state of affairs by proving intrinsic limitations of transactional storage systems, even those that need not ensure strong consistency but only causality. We first consider general storage systems where some transactions are read-only and some also involve write operations. We show that even read-only transactions cannot be "fast": their operations cannot be executed within one round-trip message exchange between a client seeking an object and the server storing it. We then consider systems (as sometimes implemented today) where all transactions are read-only, i.e., updates are performed as individual operations outside transactions. In this case, read-only transactions can indeed be "fast", but we prove that they need to be "visible". They induce inherent updates on the servers, which in turn impact their overall performance.
How to Perform High-Quality Endoscopic Mucosal Resection During Colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy with polypectomy reduces mortality from colorectal cancer. A small fraction of polyps are>2 cm and termed lateral spreading lesions (LSLs) of the colon. These polyps require advanced resection techniques such as endoscopic EMR. It is important to emphasize to the patient the differences between standard polypectomy and EMR, and to ensure the patient is fully consented to the procedure and its alternatives. Thepatient’smedical history includingmedication list need to be reviewed thoroughly and the patient’s comorbidities constantly factored into the therapeutic process. Be prepared and organized. Preferably, a dedicated list should be scheduled for such procedures. All the required equipment should be readily available in the endoscopy suite and both physician and nurse need to be familiar with their use (Table 1). Before commencing resection, take time to meticulously inspect the lesion with high-definition white light and mucosal resection (EMR) for safe and effective removal. However, colonic EMR is not routinely part of the general endoscopic curriculum available to gastroenterologists upon completion of their training. It requires dedicated training in advanced endoscopic resection techniques, the acquisition of clinical and interpretive skills, and the knowledge and ability to manage complications. Performing high-quality, safe, and effective colonic EMR requires a team effort both inside and outside the endoscopy suite. To achieve this, colonic EMR for advanced lesions should be performed preferably in tertiary referral centers. This provides a large case volume for training fellows and the opportunity for a multidisciplinary team structure including surgical, radiologic, and anesthetic support. This multifaceted and comprehensive approach provides the necessary context for advanced endoscopic tissue resection procedures. Over the last decade, a steady accumulation of scientific evidence has elucidated the technical aspects of colonic EMR, including safety and efficacy, long-term outcomes, and the clinical and economic benefits comparedwith surgery. An intimate knowledge of the evidence base is critical to achieve technical competence. Herein we review the step-by-step evidence-based methodology for performing best practice colonic EMR.
Using the Lee–Carter Method to Forecast Mortality for Populations with Limited Data *

The Lee–Carter method for modeling and forecasting mortality has been shown to work quite well given long time series of data. Here we consider how it can be used when there are few observations at uneven intervals. Assuming that the underlying model is correct and that the mortality index follows a random walk with drift, we find the method can be used with sparse data. The central forecast depends mainly on the first and last observation, and so can be generated with just two observations, preferably not too close in time. With three data points, uncertainty can also be estimated, although such estimates of uncertainty are themselves highly uncertain and improve with additional observations. We apply the methods to China and South Korea, which have 3 and 20 data points, respectively, at uneven intervals.
Reducing postnatal depression, anxiety and stress using an infant sleep intervention

Objective To examine the psychological well-being of mothers following participation in a behavioural modification programme previously shown to improve infant sleep. Design, setting and participants A 45 min consultation with either a general practitioner (GP) or trained nurse providing verbal and written information describing sleep physiology in infants and strategies to improve infant sleep. Eighty mothers of infants 6−12 months of age with established infant sleep problems at a single general practice, Adelaide, South Australia. Main outcome measures The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS21) immediately prior to the first consultation and again at follow-up approximately 3 weeks later. The number of infant nocturnal awakenings requiring parental support was also reported by mothers on both occasions. Results All measures of maternal well-being and infant nocturnal awakenings improved significantly. The mean number of maximum nocturnal awakenings decreased from 5.0 to 0.5 (mean difference 4.4, 95% CI 3.4 to 5.5). All measures of DASS21 improved significantly. The mean total DASS21 decreased from 29.1 to 14.9 (mean decrease 14.2, 95% CI 10.2 to 18.2); mean depression decreased from 7.9 to 2.8 (mean difference 5.2, 95% CI 3.7 to 6.7); mean anxiety decreased from 4.6 to 2.6 (mean difference 2.0, 95% CI 0.7 to 3.2); mean stress decreased from 16.6 to 9.5 (mean difference 7.0, 95% CI 5.1 to 9.0). The proportion of mothers assessed as having any degree of depression decreased by 85% from 26/80 (32.5%) to 4/80 (5%). Conclusions The number of nocturnal awakenings requiring parental support among infants aged 6−12 months significantly decreased following a single consultation on infant sleep physiology and teaching behavioural strategies to improve sleep. Significant improvements in maternal stress, anxiety and depression were also observed.
Learning in Robotics using Bayesian Nonparametrics

We recently reported extraordinary successes for reinforcement learning in robotics and control using nonparametric Bayesian models [2, 3]. In particular, our approach needs only very little data to be collected from a physical system. Hence, it speeds up learning by an order of magnitude for a benchmark problem. This speed of learning allows us to apply our data efficient RL method to both robotic manipulators and relatively high-dimensional tasks that have not yet been learned from scratch. In this paper, we provide evidence that explicitly averaging out model uncertainties during planning and decision making is the key to success. 1 Bayesian Nonparametrics for Robot Learning Reinforcement learning (RL) methods that learn from scratch and can be applied to robotic systems do hardly exist: It would require RL methods that succeed with very small data sets. The reason for RL’s wide inapplicability to robotic systems is that model-free RL methods (they learn control strategies solely using samplings from the real system) require thousands or millions of “interactions” with the robot, which is often physically infeasible because robots can quickly wear out [3]. On the other hand, model-based learning methods (they learn a dynamics model based on a few samples and use this dynamics model to “emulate” the system to learn a control strategy) suffer from model errors, i.e., they assume that the learned model closely resembles the real physical system. In the case of only a few samples from the system, this assumption is often heavily violated [4, 1]. Therefore, the common approach is to collect more samples and then fit a regressor to more data points, which somewhat defeats the purpose of model-based learning. Fig. 1 illustrates how model errors affect learning. Given a small data set of observed deterministic transitions (left), multiple transition functions plausibly could have generated the data (center). Choosing a single one causes severe consequences: When long-term predictions (or sampling trajectories from this model) leave the training data, the predictions of the function approximator are essentially arbitrary, but they are claimed with full confidence! By contrast, a probabilistic function −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 −2 0 2 (x t−1 , u t−1 ) x t −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 −2 0 2 (x t−1 , u t−1 ) x t −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 −2 0 2 (x t−1 , u t−1 ) x t Figure 1: Small data set of observed transitions (left), multiple plausible deterministic (nonparametric) function approximators (center), probabilistic (nonparametric) function approximator (right). The probabilistic approximator models uncertainty about the latent function and allows for coherent predictions far away from the training data.
A Possible Role for the Asymmetric C-Terminal Domain Dimer of Rous Sarcoma Virus Integrase in Viral DNA Binding

Integration of the retrovirus linear DNA genome into the host chromosome is an essential step in the viral replication cycle, and is catalyzed by the viral integrase (IN). Evidence suggests that IN functions as a dimer that cleaves a dinucleotide from the 3′ DNA blunt ends while a dimer of dimers (tetramer) promotes concerted integration of the two processed ends into opposite strands of a target DNA. However, it remains unclear why a dimer rather than a monomer of IN is required for the insertion of each recessed DNA end. To help address this question, we have analyzed crystal structures of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) IN mutants complete with all three structural domains as well as its two-domain fragment in a new crystal form at an improved resolution. Combined with earlier structural studies, our results suggest that the RSV IN dimer consists of highly flexible N-terminal domains and a rigid entity formed by the catalytic and C-terminal domains stabilized by the well-conserved catalytic domain dimerization interaction. Biochemical and mutational analyses confirm earlier observations that the catalytic and the C-terminal domains of an RSV IN dimer efficiently integrates one viral DNA end into target DNA. We also show that the asymmetric dimeric interaction between the two C-terminal domains is important for viral DNA binding and subsequent catalysis, including concerted integration. We propose that the asymmetric C-terminal domain dimer serves as a viral DNA binding surface for RSV IN.
Cdc42 coordinates proliferation, polarity, migration, and differentiation of small intestinal epithelial cells in mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Cdc42 is a Rho GTPase that regulates diverse cellular functions, including proliferation, differentiation, migration, and polarity. In the intestinal epithelium, a balance among these events maintains homeostasis. We used genetic techniques to investigate the role of Cdc42 in intestinal homeostasis and its mechanisms. METHODS We disrupted Cdc42 specifically in intestinal epithelial cells by creating Cdc42flox/flox-villin-Cre+ and Cdc42flox/flox-Rosa26-CreER+ mice. We collected intestinal and other tissues, and analyzed their cellular, molecular, morphologic, and physiologic features, compared with the respective heterozygous mice. RESULTS In all mutant mice studied, the intestinal epithelium had gross hyperplasia, crypt enlargement, microvilli inclusion, and abnormal epithelial permeability. Cdc42 deficiency resulted in defective Paneth cell differentiation and localization without affecting the differentiation of other cell lineages. In mutant intestinal crypts, proliferating stem and progenitor cells increased, compared with control mice, resulting in increased crypt depth. Cdc42 deficiency increased migration of stem and progenitor cells along the villi, caused a mild defect in the apical junction orientation, and impaired intestinal epithelium polarity, which can contribute to the observed defective intestinal permeability. The intestinal epithelium of the Cdc42flox/flox-villin-Cre+ and Cdc42flox/flox-Rosa26-CreER+ mice appeared similar to that of patients with microvillus inclusion disease. In the digestive track, loss of Cdc42 also resulted in crypt hyperplasia in the colon, but not the stomach. CONCLUSIONS Cdc42 regulates proliferation, polarity, migration, and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells in mice and maintains intestine epithelial barrier and homeostasis. Defects in Cdc42 signaling could be associated with microvillus inclusion disease.
Migration from full‐head mask to “open‐face” mask for immobilization of patients with head and neck cancer

To provide an alternative device for immobilization of the head while easing claustrophobia and improving comfort, an “open‐face” thermoplastic mask was evaluated using video‐based optical surface imaging (OSI) and kilovoltage (kV) X‐ray radiography. A three‐point thermoplastic head mask with a precut opening and reinforced strips was developed. After molding, it provided sufficient visible facial area as the region of interest for OSI. Using real‐time OSI, the head motion of ten volunteers in the new mask was evaluated during mask locking and 15 minutes lying on the treatment couch. Using a nose mark with reference to room lasers, forced head movement in open‐face and full‐head masks (with a nose hole) was compared. Five patients with claustrophobia were immobilized with open‐face masks, set up using OSI and kV, and treated in 121 fractions, in which 61 fractions were monitored during treatment using real‐time OSI. With the open‐face mask, head motion was found to be 1.0 ± 0.6 mm and 0.4° ± 0.2° in volunteers during the experiment, and 0.8 ± 0.3 mm and 0.4° ± 0.2° in patients during treatment. These agree with patient motion calculated from pre‐/post‐treatment OSI and kV data using different anatomical landmarks. In volunteers, the head shift induced by mask‐locking was 2.3 ± 1.7 mm and 1.8° ± 0.6°, and the range of forced movements in the open‐face and full‐head masks were found to be similar. Most (80%) of the volunteers preferred the open‐face mask to the full‐head mask, while claustrophobic patients could only tolerate the open‐face mask. The open‐face mask is characterized for its immobilization capability and can immobilize patients sufficiently (< 2 mm) during radiotherapy. It provides a clinical solution to the immobilization of patients with head and neck (HN) cancer undergoing radiotherapy, and is particularly beneficial for claustrophobic patients. This new open‐face mask is readily adopted in radiotherapy clinic as a superior alternative to the standard full‐head mask. PACS numbers: 87.19. xj, 87.63. L‐, 87.59. ‐e, 87.55. tg, 87.55. ‐x
One-dimensional solidification of the CuFe2S3 melt

To elucidation the mechanisms of cubanite formation, a sample composed of Fe 33.3, Cu 16.7, S 50.0 at. % is subjected to quasi-equilibrium directional crystallization. The crystallized ingot consisted of three parts: (1) a pyrrhotine solid solution (poss), (2) a cubanite (cb), and (3) poss + cb? Curves of the component distribution in the sample are plotted; their partition coefficients between solid and sulfide melt are measured, the change of microstructures in the sample at cooling is defined. The obtained data indicate the existence of the primary crystallization field of cubanite on Cu-Fe-S phase diagram.
FLCRM: Functional linear cox regression model

We consider a functional linear Cox regression model for characterizing the association between time‐to‐event data and a set of functional and scalar predictors. The functional linear Cox regression model incorporates a functional principal component analysis for modeling the functional predictors and a high‐dimensional Cox regression model to characterize the joint effects of both functional and scalar predictors on the time‐to‐event data. We develop an algorithm to calculate the maximum approximate partial likelihood estimates of unknown finite and infinite dimensional parameters. We also systematically investigate the rate of convergence of the maximum approximate partial likelihood estimates and a score test statistic for testing the nullity of the slope function associated with the functional predictors. We demonstrate our estimation and testing procedures by using simulations and the analysis of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data. Our real data analyses show that high‐dimensional hippocampus surface data may be an important marker for predicting time to conversion to Alzheimer's disease. Data used in the preparation of this article were obtained from the ADNI database (adni.loni.usc.edu).
Creativity as a Web Service: A Vision of Human and Computer Creativity in the Web Era

The marketplace for definitions and theories of creativity is crowded indeed. No hard consensus exists on the elements of an all-embracing theory, or on what specific sub-processes and representations are required to support creativity, either in humans or in machines. Yet commonalities do exist across theories: a search for novelty and utility is implied by most theories, as is the notion that an innovation can be considered creative only if it is not too novel, and can be adequately grounded in the familiar and the understandable. Computational creativity (CC) is the pursuit of creative behavior in machines, and seeks inspiration from both AI and from human psychology. As a practical engineering endeavor, CC can afford to adopt a cafeteria approach to theories of creativity, taking what it needs from different theories and frameworks. In this paper we present a vision for CC research in the age of the Web, in which CC is provided on tap, via a suite of Web services, to any third-party application that needs it. We argue that this notion of Creativity as a Service ‐ which is already a popular business model for human organizations ‐ will allow CC researchers and developers to build ad-hoc mash-ups of whatever processes and representations are most suited to a given application. By offering CC as a centralized service, we can collect statistics on the most useful mash-ups, and therein obtain a new empirical basis for theorizing about creativity in humans and in machines.
Historical limits on species co‐occurrence determine variation in clade richness among New World passerine birds

Species richness is unevenly distributed among clades, reflecting differences in the extent to which species co‐occur, their rates of geographical turnover and total area occupied. Here, we study richness variation among 10 large clades of New World passerine birds, assessing the dynamics of range expansion and diversification that led to the build‐up of co‐occurring species.
A review on particulate-reinforced titanium matrix composites

The current status of particulate-reinforced titanium matrix composites is reviewed. The different types of reinforcements being used, together with the alternative processing routes, are described. The mechanical properties of these composites are influenced by a wide range of factors. Particulate reinforcements can affect properties by enhancing modulus and strength or by refining the grain size. Mechanical properties such as elastic modulus, low and high temperature strength, fracture toughness and compressive creep are discussed as functions of reinforcement size/shape and volume fraction. The review concludes by underlining the importance of further research in some critical areas to fully realise the industrial potential of these composites.