Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Threshold Algorithm: From Middleware Systems to the Relational Engine

The answer to a top-k query is an ordered set of tuples, where the ordering is based on how closely each tuple matches the query. In the context of middleware systems, new algorithms to answer top-k queries have been recently proposed. Among these, the threshold algorithm (TA) is the most well-known instance due to its simplicity and memory requirements. TA is based on an early-termination condition and can evaluate top-k queries without examining all the tuples. This top-k query model is prevalent not only over middleware systems, but also over plain relational data. In this work, we analyze the challenges that must be addressed to adapt TA to a relational database system. We show that, depending on the available indices, many alternative TA strategies can be used to answer a given query. Choosing the best alternative requires a cost model that can be seamlessly integrated with that of current optimizers. In this work, we address these challenges and conduct an extensive experimental evaluation of the resulting techniques by characterizing which scenarios can take advantage of TA-like algorithms to answer top-k queries in relational database systems
ZSim: fast and accurate microarchitectural simulation of thousand-core systems

Architectural simulation is time-consuming, and the trend towards hundreds of cores is making sequential simulation even slower. Existing parallel simulation techniques either scale poorly due to excessive synchronization, or sacrifice accuracy by allowing event reordering and using simplistic contention models. As a result, most researchers use sequential simulators and model small-scale systems with 16-32 cores. With 100-core chips already available, developing simulators that scale to thousands of cores is crucial. We present three novel techniques that, together, make thousand-core simulation practical. First, we speed up detailed core models (including OOO cores) with instruction-driven timing models that leverage dynamic binary translation. Second, we introduce bound-weave, a two-phase parallelization technique that scales parallel simulation on multicore hosts efficiently with minimal loss of accuracy. Third, we implement lightweight user-level virtualization to support complex workloads, including multiprogrammed, client-server, and managed-runtime applications, without the need for full-system simulation, sidestepping the lack of scalable OSs and ISAs that support thousands of cores. We use these techniques to build zsim, a fast, scalable, and accurate simulator. On a 16-core host, zsim models a 1024-core chip at speeds of up to 1,500 MIPS using simple cores and up to 300 MIPS using detailed OOO cores, 2-3 orders of magnitude faster than existing parallel simulators. Simulator performance scales well with both the number of modeled cores and the number of host cores. We validate zsim against a real Westmere system on a wide variety of workloads, and find performance and microarchitectural events to be within a narrow range of the real system.
Healthcare-Seeking Behavior of Patients with Epileptic Seizure Disorders Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital, Kolkata

Introduction: Neurological diseases are very important causes of prolonged morbidity and disability, leading to profound financial loss. Epilepsy is one of the most important neurological disorders Healthcare seeking by epilepsy patients is quite diverse and unique. Aims and Objectives: The study was conducted among the epilepsy patients, to assess their healthcare-seeking behavior and its determinants. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and fifteen epilepsy patients, selected by systematic random sampling, in the neuromedicine outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital were interviewed with a predesigned, pretested, semi-structured proforma. Results and Conclusion: More than 90% sought healthcare just after the onset of a seizure. The majority opted for allopathic medicine and the causes for not seeking initial care from allopaths were ignorance, faith in another system, constraint of money, and so on. A significant association existed between rural residence and low social status of the patients with initial care seeking from someone other than allopaths. No association was found among sex, type of seizure, educational status of the patients, and care seeking. The mean treatment gap was 2.98 ± 10.49 months and the chief motivators were mostly the family members. Patients for anti epileptic drugs preferred neurologists in urban areas and general practitioners in rural areas. District care model of epilepsy was proposed in the recommendation.
Greed is super: A new iterative method for super-resolution

We present a new greedy algorithm for super-resolution. Given the low-frequency part of the spectrum of a sequence of impulses, our objective is to estimate their positions. The backbone of our work is the fundamental work of Slepian et al. involving discrete prolate spheroidal wave functions and their unique properties. By its greedy nature, our work differs from the approach of Candès et al. based on convex optimization. By its use of prolate functions, our work also differs from the greedy algorithm presented by Fannjiang et al.
Towards a better description of cardiovascular function in pulmonary hypertension

The time-varying elastance concept provides a comprehensive description of the intrinsic mechanical properties of the left ventricle that are assumed to be load independent. Based on pressure-volume measurements obtained with combined pressure conductance catheterization in six open-chest anesthetized sheep, we show that the time to reach end systole (defined as maximal elastance) is progressively prolonged for increasing ventricle pressures, which challenges the original (load-independent) time-varying elastance concept. Therefore, we developed a method that takes into account load dependency by normalization of time course of the four cardiac phases (isovolumic contraction, ejection, isovolumic relaxation, filling) individually. With this normalization, isophase lines are obtained that connect points in pressure-volume loops of different beats at the same relative time in each of the four cardiac phases, instead of isochrones which share points at the same time in a cardiac cycle. The results demonstrate that pressure curves can be predicted with higher accuracy if elastance curves are estimated using isophase lines instead of using isochrones [root-mean-square error (RMSE): 3.8 ± 1.0 vs. 14.0 ± 7.4 mmHg (p<0.001), and variance accounted for (VAF): 94.8 ± 1.3% vs. 78.6 ± 14.8% (p<0.001)]. Similar results were found when the intercept volume was assumed to be time-varying [(RMSE: 1.7 ± 0.3 vs. 13.4 ± 7.4 mmHg (p<0.001), and VAF: 97.4 ± 0.5% vs. 81.8 ± 15.5% (p<0.001)]. In conclusion, phase-dependent time normalization reduces cardiac load dependency of timing and increases accuracy in estimating time-varying elastance.
Nitric oxide mediates interleukin-1 induced inhibition of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in rat articular cartilage

Interleek-1β (IL-1) is a key mediator of cartilage matrix degradation in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It was found that the IL-1-induced suppression of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis in rat articular cartilage occurred simultaneously with the accumulation of nitrite (a metabolite of nitric oxide (NO) in aqueous milieu) in the culture medium. NO-synthase inhibitors, L-NMMA and L-NIO, inhibited both these IL-1 effects. Dexamethasone suppressed GAG synthesis additively to IL-1, but did not alter nitrite accumulation. Three NO-donors (GEA 3175, SNAP and SIN-1) also had an inhibitory effect on cartilage GAG synthesis. Therefore, it is concluded that IL-1 induced suppression of GAG synthesis in rat articular cartilage is mediated by the production of NO.
Persuasion by Cheap Talk

We consider the credibility, persuasiveness, and informativeness of multidimensional cheap talk by an expert to a decision maker. We find that an expert with state-independent preferences can always make credible comparative statements that trade off the expert's incentive to exaggerate on each dimension. Such communication benefits the expert--cheap talk is "persuasive"--if her preferences are quasiconvex. Communication benefits a decision maker by allowing for a more informed decision, but strategic interactions between multiple decision makers can reverse this gain. We apply these results to topics including product recommendations, voting, auction disclosure, and advertising. (JEL D44, D72, D82, D83, M37)
Topographic Progression of Keratoconus in the Korean Population

Purpose To develop a criterion for determining the topographic progression of keratoconus and to analyze the prognostic factors of progression. Methods Medical records of 211 eyes of 128 patients who had been followed up for more than 2 years on three or more occasions were retrospectively reviewed. Topographic parameters, including simulated K, corneal astigmatism, irregular astigmatism at 3 and 5 mm, thinnest-point pachymetry, anterior and posterior elevation, and inferior minus superior index, were used to determine topographic progression. Topographic progression was determined by the greatest kappa value associated with progression to corneal graft surgery. Eyes were separated into progressed and non-progressed groups on the basis of topographic progression. The association of clinical factors with topographic progression, including demographic factors, contact lens use, corneal erosion, and atopic history at the time of diagnosis, was assessed by logistic regression. Results When topographic progression was defined as five or more progressed topographic parameters, the greatest kappa value (0.354) was obtained. Ninety-four of the 211 keratoconic eyes (44.5%) were identified as topographically progressed. Age at diagnosis was significantly different between the progressed and non-progressed groups (22.2 vs. 24.7 years, p = 0.014). Logistic regression revealed that younger age at diagnosis was a risk factor for topographic progression (odds ratio, 0.948; 95% confidence interval, 0.907 to 0.991; p = 0.010). Conclusions We developed a criterion for evaluating topographic progression of keratoconus using diverse topographic indices. Younger age at diagnosis was associated with topographic progression of keratoconus.
Gametic differentiation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. III. Cell wall lysis and microfilament-associated mating structure activation in wild- type and mutant strains

Cell fusion between mating type plus (mt+) and minus (mt-) gametes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is analyzed structurally and subjected to experimental manipulation. Cell wall lysis, a necessary prelude to fusion, is shown to require flagellar agglutination between competent gametes; glutaraldehyde-fixed gametes ("corpses") of one mating type will elicit both agglutination and cell wall lysis in the opposite mating type, whereas nonagglutinating impotent (imp) mutant strains are without effect. The fusion process is mediated by a narrow fertilization tubule which extends from the mt+ gamete and establishes contact with the mt- gamete. Formation of the tubule requires the "activation" of a specialized mating structure associated with the ml+ cell membrane; activation causes microfilaments to polymerize from the mating structure into the growing fertilization tubule. Mating structure activation is shown to depend on gametic flagellar agglutination; isoagglutination mediated by the lectin concanavalin A has no effect. Gametes carrying the imp-l mt+ mutation are able to agglutinate but not fuse with mt- cells; the imp-l gametes are shown to have structurally defective mating structures that do not generate microfilaments in response to gametic agglutination.
Cell Surface Sialic Acid Modulates Extracellular Matrix Adhesion and Migration in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Cells

Objectives Tumor cells modulate their extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion and migration to become more metastatic. Moreover, they show an increase in sialic acid, which could have an effect on their ECM adhesion and migration. This work describes the influence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell surface &agr;2,3- and &agr;2,6-sialic acid determinants on the aforementioned processes. Methods We have characterized the cell surface &agr;2,3- and &agr;2,6-sialic acids, and sialyl-Lewis x levels and the integrin levels of 2 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines, Capan-1 and MDAPanc-28, grown at different cell densities, and also of the ST3Gal III overexpressing Capan-1 cells, C31. We have measured their adhesion to several ECM proteins and their migration through collagen with and without blocking their sialic acid determinants. Results Adhesion to ECM proteins of Capan-1 and MDAPanc-28 grown at different cell densities, and of C31, depended on their cell surface sialic acid determinants repertoire, correlating the higher &agr;2,6-sialic acid levels with their increased ECM adhesion. Cell migration also depended on their sialic acid determinants expression; and in this case, higher &agr;2,3-sialic acid levels correlated with a more migratory phenotype. Conclusion This study shows how the intrinsic heterogeneity of cell membrane sialylation regulates the adhesive and migratory potential of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells.
CD antigens 2001

The process of categorizing the antigenic molecules and epitopes associated with human white cells, via the collaborative study of monoclonal antibodies, dates back to the early 1980s, when the first HLDA (Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigen) Workshop was held in Paris. This initial meeting listed only 15 agreed molecular entities, but it created an internationally agreed basis for the nomenclature of leukocyte molecules (the CD scheme), and also provided a forum for reporting studies on their function and practical relevance. A further six HLDA meetings have been held since the first Paris meeting. The most recent of these (“HLDA7”) took place last year in Harrogate, GB, and the proceedings of the meeting will be published later this year (Leucocyte Typing VII, Oxford University Press).
Performance of multiuser MIMO and network coordination in downlink cellular networks

We consider a wireless network with multiple cells where base stations with multiple antennas transmit to multiple users, each with multiple antennas. Using single-user (SU) MIMO as a baseline, we evaluate the system throughput performance of multiuser (MU) MIMO with generalized zero-forcing beamforming under a multiuser proportional fair scheduling metric. We consider network MIMO extensions of this technique by coordinating transmission among clusters of spatially distributed bases. By significantly mitigating intercell interference, network MIMO provides a tradeoff between improved performance and increased backhaul complexity that depends on the coordination cluster size. We describe a general technique for simulating cellular networks that is applicable to next-generation packet-based cellular standards, and we evaluate the performance of MU and network MIMO in heavily loaded networks. Compared to the SU MIMO baseline, median system throughput can be doubled by coordinating MU MIMO transmission among clusters of 3 adjacent cells.
Survey for Tick-Borne Zoonoses in the State of Espirito Santo, Southeastern Brazil

Blood samples collected from 201 humans, 92 dogs, and 27 horses in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, were tested by polymerase chain reaction, indirect immunofluorescence assays, and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tick-borne diseases (rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, borreliosis, babesiosis). Our results indicated that the surveyed counties are endemic for spotted fever group rickettsiosis because sera from 70 (34.8%) humans, 7 (7.6%) dogs, and 7 (25.9%) horses were reactive to at least one of the six Rickettsia species tested. Although there was evidence of ehrlichiosis ( Ehrlichia canis ) and babesiosis ( Babesia canis vogeli, Theileria equi ) in domestic animals, no human was positive for babesiosis and only four individuals were serologically positive for E. canis . Borrelia burgdorferi -serologic reactive sera were rare among humans and horses, but encompassed 51% of the canine samples, suggesting that dogs and their ticks can be part of the epidemiological cycle of the causative agent of the Brazilian zoonosis, named Baggio- Yoshinari Syndrome.
Clinical and Bacteriological Profile of Neonatal Sepsis in King Khaleed Civilian Hospital, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Neonatal sepsis is defined as a clinical syndrome of bacteremia with systemic signs and symptoms of infection in the first 28 days of life. Of newborns with early-onset sepsis, 85% present within 24 hours, 5% present at 24-48 hours, and a smaller percentage present within 48-72 hours. The present study included 38 septic neonates. They were divided into two groups: Group with early onset neonatal sepsis (29) and another group with late onset neonatal sepsis (9). The study group with early-onset sepsis showed 18 (62.1%) males, 11 (37.9%) females, mean gestational age (weeks) 34.28±4.7, mean body weight (gm) 2.1±0.8, mean Apgar score at 1 min. 6.7±1.8. 21 (72.4%) delivered by CS, 8 (27.6%) delivered by NVD. E. coli was the commonest organism identified in blood culture of septic neonates. Maternal anemia, PROM, and fever were significant risk factors for neonatal sepsis. Prematurity and low birth weights were among the most common neonatal risk factors. Respiratory manifestations were the commonest manifestations of neonatal sepsis in both groups. Treating maternal anemia during pregnancy will help to reduce the incidence of neonatal sepsis E. coli is still an important cause of early-onset neonatal sepsis. Blood cultures need to be done strictly before the start of the first dose of antibiotic.
How to construct small probabilistic roadmaps with a good coverage?

We investigate how we can construct small probabilistic roadmaps in a reasonable time while still keeping a good coverage and connectivity. We propose a new neighborhood-based method that can reduce the size of the roadmaps by filtering out unnecessary nodes. We then experimentally test it against a basic probabilistic roadmap planner and a visibility-based planner. We use both a uniform sampling and a bridge test sampling in our tests. The results show that the neighborhood-based method can reduce the number of nodes considerably. The neighborhood-based method is simple to implement, it works well with a uniform sampling, and it does not need any additional parameters when compared with the basic planner.
Dopamine receptors in a songbird brain

Dopamine is a key neuromodulatory transmitter in the brain. It acts through dopamine receptors to affect changes in neural activity, gene expression, and behavior. In songbirds, dopamine is released into the striatal song nucleus Area X, and the levels depend on social contexts of undirected and directed singing. This differential release is associated with differential expression of activity‐dependent genes, such as egr1 (avian zenk), which in mammalian brain are modulated by dopamine receptors. Here we cloned from zebra finch brain cDNAs of all avian dopamine receptors: the D1 (D1A, D1B, D1D) and D2 (D2, D3, D4) families. Comparative sequence analyses of predicted proteins revealed expected phylogenetic relationships, in which the D1 family exists as single exon and the D2 family exists as spliced exon genes. In both zebra finch and chicken, the D1A, D1B, and D2 receptors were highly expressed in the striatum, the D1D and D3 throughout the pallium and within the mesopallium, respectively, and the D4 mainly in the cerebellum. Furthermore, within the zebra finch, all receptors, except for D4, showed differential expression in song nuclei relative to the surrounding regions and developmentally regulated expression that decreased for most receptors during the sensory acquisition and sensorimotor phases of song learning. Within Area X, half of the cells expressed both D1A and D2 receptors, and a higher proportion of the D1A‐only‐containing neurons expressed egr1 during undirected but not during directed singing. Our findings are consistent with hypotheses that dopamine receptors may be involved in song development and social context‐dependent behaviors. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:741–769, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Heuristics and Biases in the ln _ tuitive . Proiection of Retail Sales

Retail merchandise buyers are shown to exhibit a nonregressive bias when making sales projections. A quantitative model based on the principle of statistical regression is found to outperform the judgmental sales predictions of experienced buyers. Implications for the appropriate roles of intuitive and model-based decision making in retail merchandise buying are discussed. Over the years, marketing scholars have argued that managers' judgments are indispensable in marketing decisions (cf. Little 1970; Levitt 1978), spurring a growing body of research into marketing managers' judg-mental processes (cf. Though these studies have shed much light on marketing decision making, they have largely overlooked a great potential resource in the study of this phenomenon: the rich psychological literature on heuristics and biases in human judgment (for a review, see Einhorn and Hogarth 1981). We apply findings from the human judgment literature to an important but little studied domain of marketing decision making, item sales projections of professional retail buyers. After describing this decision setting, we discuss its normative and behavioral implications. We then present empirical results on the heuristics used by, and biases of, actual retail buyers. Finally, we develop and test a model designed to improve on buyers' forecasts. THE DECISION SETTING Retail merchandise buyers, according to one retail CEO, are "the most important factor in the success or failure of any retail venture" (Rachman 1979, p. 42). One of the most important and difficult tasks of these buyers is extrapolating the initial sales rates of new styles of merchandise (Seegal 1979). One reason these sales projec-290 tions are so difficult is that they must be made quickly. In some cases a reorder placed beyond the second or third week an item is on the floor may arrive after the item is out of style or season (Seegal 1979). In addition, manufacturers, particularly in the apparel industry, commonly produce little if any merchandise in excess of their advance orders from retailers; therefore, retail buyers must place reorders very quickly if they want to receive additional stock (Goldberg 1979). Because of this urgency, buyers often must project sales on the basis of very limited data. Consider, for example, a buyer who places an initial order on 10 styles of sport shirts, all from the same vendor , differing primarily in the print on the fabric. When ordering these items, the buyer may have no significant prior information indicating which style will sell best. Therefore, the …