Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DRAMPersist: Making DRAM Systems Persistent

Modern applications exercise main memory systems in different ways. A lot of scale-out, in-memory applications exploit a number of desirable properties provided by DRAM such as high capacity, low latency and high bandwidth. Although DRAM technology continues to scale aggressively, new resistive memory technologies are on the horizon, promising scalability, density and non-volatility. However, they still suffer from longer, asymmetric read-write latencies and have lower endurance as compared to DRAM. Considering these factors, scale-out, distributed applications will benefit greatly from main memory architectures that provide the non-volatility of new memory technologies, but still have DRAM-like latencies. To that end, we introduce DRAMPersist -- a novel mechanism to make main memory persistent and complement existing high speed storage, specifically geared for scale-out systems.
Nanodiamond reinforced ultra high molecular weight polyethylene for orthopaedic applications: dry versus wet ball milling manufacturing methods

Abstract Nanodiamonds (NDs) were investigated as reinforcement for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Dry and wet mixing with planetary ball milling was compared and analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimerty (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and contact angle measurements. The composites were mixed from one to four hours to study the dispersion of the nanoparticles. It was concluded that wet mixing is more effective at distributing nanodiamonds in comparison to dry mixing. It could also be concluded that dry mixing increases the temperature by 20°C more than wet mixing which resulted in a more distinct welding process of the UHMWPE powder.
Human detection by Haar-like filtering using depth information

We propose a high-accuracy human detection method featuring a Haar-like filter expressing the human shape and using depth information obtained by capturing people from above with a time-of-flight (TOF) camera. This method extracts object regions by performing background subtraction against this depth information, and passes these extracted object regions through a Haar-like filter based on a human model expressing the convex shape of shoulder-head-shoulder. Human detection is achieved by integrating the results of this filtering by mean-shift clustering. The proposed method improves detection rate by 5.7% compared to a human-detection technique that simply applies mean-shift clustering to depth information obtained by background subtraction. We show that our method can detect humans in real time at a frame rate of about 19 fps.
An importance weighted projection method for incremental learning under unstationary environments

In this paper, we propose a new projection method for incremental learning on a fixed number of kernels. If the number of the kernels reaches the upper bound, the learning machine has to dispose of part of the memory in varying degrees to make space for the recording of a new instance. If we assume that the environment is ergodic, where the learned samples will appear again later, the learning machine should minimize the disposing ratio to yield a correct response when it encounters the learned samples. To achieve this goal, we reconstruct a kernel-based projection method that minimizes the magnitude of forgetting as well as the current error to the new instance. Next, the method is extended to take into account the sample distribution. The experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to other kernel based learning methods for minimizing the mean square error of the given samples.
Improving Accuracy in word class tagging through the Combination of Machine Learning Systems

We examine how differences in language models, learned by different data-driven systems performing the same NLP task, can be exploited to yield a higher accuracy than the best individual system. We do this by means of experiments involving the task of morphosyntactic word class tagging, on the basis of three different tagged corpora. Four well-known tagger generators (hidden Markov model, memory-based, transformation rules, and maximum entropy) are trained on the same corpus data. After comparison, their outputs are combined using several voting strategies and second-stage classifiers. All combination taggers outperform their best component. The reduction in error rate varies with the material in question, but can be as high as 24.3 with the LOB corpus.
Influence of post-weld heat treatment on tensile properties of modified 9Cr–1Mo ferritic steel base metal

Abstract The paper presents the influence of post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) on tensile properties of modified 9Cr–1Mo ferritic steel base metal. Tensile tests at room and elevated temperatures (300–873 K) were performed on specimens in normalised and tempered condition as well as with additional PWHT (993 K for 1 h; 1013 K for 1 h and 1033 K for 1 h). The yield and ultimate tensile strengths decrease gradually up to intermediate temperatures followed by a rapid fall at high temperatures in all heat treatment conditions. At intermediate temperatures, the steel exhibited ductility minima, serrated flow, negative strain rate sensitivity on flow stress and peak in the average work hardening rate. The influence of additional PWHT is reflected in a systematic and gradual decrease in both the yield and tensile strength values with increasing PWHT temperature from 993 to 1033 K for 1 h. However, there has been no appreciable change in ductility values as well as the fracture mode in PWHT conditions compared with those observed in normalised and tempered condition. Comparison of strength values in PWHT conditions suggested that the strength values remained higher than the average values specified in the French Nuclear Design Code, RCC-MR.
Effects of Manidipine and Delapril in Hypertensive Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Delapril and Manidipine for Nephroprotection in Diabetes (DEMAND) Randomized Clinical Trial

To assess whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and third-generation dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers ameliorate diabetic complications, we compared glomerular filtration rate (GFR; primary outcome), cardiovascular events, retinopathy, and neuropathy in 380 hypertensive type 2 diabetics with albuminuria <200 mg/min included in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (DEMAND [Delapril and Manidipine for Nephroprotection in Diabetes]) and randomized to 3-year treatment with manidipine/delapril combination (10/30 mg/d; n=126), delapril (30 mg/d; n=127), or placebo (n=127). GFR was centrally measured by iohexol plasma clearance. Median monthly GFR decline (interquartile range [IQR]) was 0.32 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (IQR: 0.16–0.50 mL/min per 1.73 m2) on combined therapy, 0.36 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (IQR: 0.18–0.53 mL/min per 1.73 m2) on delapril, and 0.30 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (IQR: 0.12–0.50 mL/min per 1.73 m2) on placebo (P=0.87 and P=0.53 versus combined therapy or delapril, respectively). Similar findings were observed when baseline GFR values were not considered for slope analyses. Albuminuria was stable in the 3 treatment groups. The hazard ratio (95% CI) for major cardiovascular events between combined therapy and placebo was 0.17 (0.04–0.78; P=0.023). Among 192 subjects without retinopathy at inclusion, the hazard ratio for developing retinopathy between combined therapy and placebo was 0.27 (0.07–0.99; P=0.048). Among 200 subjects with centralized neurological evaluation, the odds ratios for peripheral neuropathy at 3 years between combined therapy or delapril and placebo were 0.45 (0.24–0.87; P=0.017) and 0.52 (0.27–0.99; P=0.048), respectively. Glucose disposal rate decreased from 5.8±2.4 to 5.3±1.9 mg/kg per min on placebo (P=0.03) but did not change on combined or delapril therapy. Treatment was well tolerated. In hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients, combined manidipine and delapril therapy failed to slow GFR decline but safely ameliorated cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy and stabilized insulin sensitivity.
Extending julius seizure, a bang-sensitive gene, as a model for studying epileptogenesis: Cold shock, and a new insertional mutation

ABSTRACT The bang-sensitive (BS) mutants of Drosophila are an important model for studying epilepsy. We recently identified a novel BS locus, julius seizure (jus), encoding a protein containing two transmembrane domains and an extracellular cysteine-rich loop. We also determined that jussda iso7.8, a previously identified BS mutation, is an allele of jus by recombination, deficiency mapping, complementation testing, and genetic rescue. RNAi knockdown revealed that jus expression is important in cholinergic neurons and that the critical stage of jus expression is the mid-pupa. Finally, we found that a functional, GFP-tagged genomic construct of jus is expressed mostly in axons of the neck connectives and of the thoracic abdominal ganglia. In this Extra View article, we show that a MiMiC GFP-tagged Jus is localized to the same nervous system regions as the GFP-tagged genomic construct, but its expression is mostly confined to cell bodies and it causes bang-sensitivity. The MiMiC GFP-tag lies in the extracellular loop while the genomic construct is tagged at the C-terminus. This suggests that the alternate position of the GFP tag may disrupt Jus protein function by altering its subcellular localization and/or stability. We also show that a small subset of jus-expressing neurons are responsible for the BS phenotype. Finally, extending the utility of the BS seizure model, we show that jus mutants exhibit cold-sensitive paralysis and are partially sensitive to strobe-induced seizures.
Hospital information systems quality: a customer satisfaction assessment tool

Hospital information systems (HIS) play a significant role in providing quality healthcare services. However, HIS lag behind their industrial counterparts in providing quality (i.e., timely, accurate, complete) information and have been the target of many criticisms for alleged shortcomings. The aim of this research is to identify the requirements for HIS to assist in providing quality healthcare service. To this end, questionnaires were designed to assess the level of satisfaction of different HIS users. In addition, this research introduces the concept of loss function and relates it to repercussions of HIS customer dissatisfaction.
Primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding.

The first choice for primary prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding is an NSBB, such as propranolol, as these agents are cheaper than EVL and easy to administer. Carvedilol could be an alternative option.29 NSBBs are effective for controlling variceal hemorrhage and bleeding from gastric mucosa, as well as providing potential benefits related to the reduction of bacterial translocation and infections.30 EVL should be offered to patients who are unable to use NSBBs, as in the case presented by Nikoloff and coworkers, or patients in whom drug therapy has failed.3,31 Patient preference should also be taken into account whenever possible. EVL is a relatively safe technique for primary prophylaxis of esophageal varices, with a low rate of complications (although serious complications may occur, as in the reported case).
Agents Everywhere , All the Time 1

Moore’s Law is pushing us inevitably towards a world of pervasive, wireless, spontaneously networked computing devices. Whatever these devices do, they will have to talk to and negotiate with one another, and so software agents will have to represent them. Whereas conventional services on intranets will continue to be distributed using established middleware standards, internet services are being built on top of http, wap or other protocols, and exchange information in HTML, XML, and just about anything that can be wrapped as a MIME type or streamed. This situation leads us to three software problems: (i) How can we simplify the task of programming these agents? (i.e., Java is not enough), (ii) How can agents interact and interoperate in an open, evolving network environment? (i.e., XML is not enough), (iii) How can we reason about the services that agents provide and use? (i.e., IDL is not enough). We discuss these questions in the context of our work on Piccola, a small composition language, and outline ongoing and further research.
Environmental stress, ageing and glial cell senescence: a novel mechanistic link to Parkinson's disease?

Exposure to environmental toxins is associated with a variety of age‐related diseases including cancer and neurodegeneration. For example, in Parkinson's disease (PD), chronic environmental exposure to certain toxins has been linked to the age‐related development of neuropathology. Neuronal damage is believed to involve the induction of neuroinflammatory events as a consequence of glial cell activation. Cellular senescence is a potent anti‐cancer mechanism that occurs in a number of proliferative cell types and causes the arrest of proliferation of cells at risk of malignant transformation following exposure to potentially oncogenic stimuli. With age, senescent cells accumulate and express a senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP; that is the robust secretion of many inflammatory cytokines, growth factors and proteases). Whereas cell senescence in peripheral tissues has been causally linked to a number of age‐related pathologies, little is known about the induction of cellular senescence and the SASP in the brain. On the basis of recently reported findings, we propose that environmental stressors associated with PD may act in part by eliciting senescence and the SASP within non neuronal glial cells in the ageing brain, thus contributing to the characteristic decline in neuronal integrity that occurs in this disorder.
Failure Investigation of a Low Chrome Long-Seam Weld in a High-Temperature Refinery Piping System

The results of an investigation of a long-seam welded low chrome pipe that failed in a high-temperature refinery piping system are presented in this paper. Based upon the results of a metallurgical investigation, which included a creep testing program and a detailed finite element stress analysis, the cause of the failure has been attributed to creep damage at the weld seam. The metallurgical investigation and creep testing program indicated that the 1-1/4 Cr-1/2 Mo pipe material was normalized and exhibited greater than average creep strength and creep ductility. The results of a piping stress analysis indicated that all pressure, weight, and thermal stresses were in compliance with the ASME B31.3 Piping Code (ASME, 1993a). Nonetheless, the pipe failed after only 100,000 h at a nominal hoop stress of 6 ksi (41.4 MPa) with an operating temperature range of 970°F (521°C) to 1000°F (538°C). Results from subsequent detailed finite element stress analyses of the failed pipe indicated that very high localized bending stresses were present in the pipe due to peaking at the long-seam weld. These stresses partially relax by creep, but after 100,000 h they were still approximately 38 percent higher than the nominal hoop stress. The creep strains resulting from stress relaxation and those associated with the long-term value of the sustained stresses cause severe creep damage at the weld seam. As a result of this damage, cracks initiated at the inside of the pipe and primarily grew through the HAZ/fusion line until an 18-in. through-wall crack developed. The pipe was produced to ASTM A691, Grade 1-1/4 Cr, Class 41 (ASTM, 1989), and the peaked geometry was found to satisfy the fabrication tolerances of this standard. The need for the development of an acceptable tolerance for peaking in addition to the outside diameter and out-of-roundness fabrication tolerances currently included in this standard is highlighted for long-seam welded pipe that is to operate in the creep range.
Compiler optimizations for code density of variable length instructions

Variable length encoding can considerably decrease code size in VLIW processors by decreasing the amount of bits wasted on encoding No Operation(NOP)s. A processor may have different instruction templates where different execution slots are implicitly NOPs, but all combinations of NOPs may not be supported by the instruction templates. The efficiency of the NOP encoding can be improved by the compiler trying to place NOPs in such way that the usage of implicit NOPs is maximized. Two different methods of optimizing the use of the implicit NOP slots are evaluated: prioritizing function units that have fewer implicit NOPs associated to them, and a post-pass to the instruction scheduler which utilizes the slack of the schedule by rescheduling operations with slack into different instruction words so that the available instruction templates are better utilized. The post-pass optimizer saved an average of 2.5 % and at best of 9.1 % instruction memory, without performance loss. Prioritizing function units gave best case instruction memory savings of 12.7 % but the average savings were only 1.0 % and there was in average 5.7 % slowdown for the program.
LMP1 Transmembrane Domain 1 and 2 (TM1-2) FWLY Mediates Intermolecular Interactions with TM3-6 To Activate NF-κB

ABSTRACT The Epstein-Barr virus oncoprotein LMP1 has six transmembrane domains (TMs) that enable intermolecular aggregation and constitutive signaling through two C-terminal cytosolic domains. Expression of both TMs 1 and 2 without the C terminus (TM1-2ΔC) and TMs 3 to 6 fused to the C terminus (TM3-6) results in partial association, which is substantially decreased by TM1 F38WLY41 mutation to A38ALA41. We now investigate whether TM1-2ΔC can functionally interact with TM3-6. TM1-2ΔC induced TM3-6 to mediate NF-κB activation at 59% of LMP1 levels, and the effect was dependent on TM1-2 F38WLY41. TM1-2ΔC even induced TM3-4 C terminus-mediated NF-κB activation to 44% of LMP1 levels. Surprisingly, this effect was TM1 F38WLY41 independent, indicative of a role for TMs 5 and 6 in TM1 F38WLY41 effects. TM3 W98 was also important for TM1-2ΔC induction of TM3-6-mediated NF-κB activation, for association, and for TM1 F38WLY41 dependence on C-terminal NF-κB activation. These data support models in which the TM1 F38WLY41 effects are at least partially dependent on TM3 W98 and a residue(s) in TMs 5 and 6.
The cytoskeleton in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: 100 years old but still youthful

The hepatocellular cytoskeleton consists of three filamentous systems: microfilaments, microtubules and keratins (Ks). While the alterations in microfilaments and microtubules during nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are largely unexplored, K8/K18 reorganization into Mallory–Denk bodies (MDBs) represents a NASH hallmark, and serological K18 fragments constitute an established tool to monitor NASH severity. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first description of MDBs, this article summarizes the composition and function of the hepatocellular cytoskeleton, as well as the importance of cytoskeletal alterations in NASH. The significance of MDBs in clinical routine is illustrated, as are the findings from MDB mouse models, which shape our current view of MDB pathogenesis. Even after 100 years, the cytoskeleton represents a fascinating but greatly understudied area of NASH biology.
A framework for ultra high resolution 3D imaging

We present an imaging framework to acquire 3D surface scans at ultra high-resolutions (exceeding 600 samples per mm2). Our approach couples a standard structured-light setup and photometric stereo using a large-format ultra-high-resolution camera. While previous approaches have employed similar hybrid imaging systems to fuse positional data with surface normals, what is unique to our approach is the significant asymmetry in the resolution between the low-resolution geometry and the ultra-high-resolution surface normals. To deal with these resolution differences, we propose a multi-resolution surface reconstruction scheme that propagates the low-resolution geometric constraints through the different frequency bands while gradually fusing in the high-resolution photometric stereo data. In addition, to deal with the ultra-high-resolution images, our surface reconstruction is performed in a patch-wise fashion and additional boundary constraints are used to ensure patch coherence. Based on this multi-resolution reconstruction scheme, our imaging framework can produce 3D scans that show exceptionally detailed 3D surfaces far exceeding existing technologies.
Monitoring and analysis of local mould thermal behaviour in continuous casting of round billets

Abstract A thermocouple based thermal monitoring system, employing a specially designed heat flux sensor to measure temperature and heat flux simultaneously, has been developed for the mould of a round billet caster. Based on the measured data, mould temperature and heat flux distributions are analszed for a wide range of casting conditions. The results show that the heat flux profiles along the mould length and around the mould circumference are frequently variable, especially in the area 70–110 mm below the meniscus where heat flux is much higher and more sensitive to operational parameters such as pouring temperature, casting speed, carbon content and mould powder. The local temperature and heat flux responses are also studied in abnormal heat transfer conditions, i.e.scale. Finally, through analysing the fluctuations of heat flux measurements, an optimised thermocouple layout is proposed. The experimental and analytical results lay the foundation for an intelligent mould with online detection of defects, adjustment of operational parameters, optimisation of the monitoring system and even prediction of abnormal heat transfer.
Meal-related structured self-monitoring of blood glucose: effect on diabetes control in non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of meal-related self-monitoring of blood glucose on glycemic control and well-being in non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This 6-month study, which included 6 months of follow-up, adopted a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled design. Subjects were randomized to two groups: one group used a blood glucose-monitoring device, kept a blood glucose/eating diary, and received standardized counseling; the control group received nonstandardized counseling on diet and lifestyle. The primary efficacy parameter was the change in HbA(1c). Secondary efficacy variables included changes in body weight, lipids, and microalbumin and changes in treatment satisfaction and well-being. RESULTS In the per-protocol analysis, the use of a self-monitoring blood glucose device significantly reduced HbA(1c) levels by 1.0 +/- 1.08% compared with 0.54 +/- 1.41% for the control group (P = 0.0086); subgroup analysis showed three types of responders. Body weight, total cholesterol, and microalbumin improved when using a glucometer, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Treatment satisfaction increased in both groups to a similar extent (P = 0.9). Self-monitoring resulted in a marked improvement of general well-being with significant improvements in the subitems depression (P = 0.032) and lack of well-being (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Meal-related self-monitoring of blood glucose within a structured counseling program improved glycemic control in the majority of non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients in this study. The finding of three types of responders will be important for future planning of counseling and educational interventions.