Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remote graphical processing for dual display of RTOS and GPOS on an embedded hypervisor

In this paper, we introduce a remote graphics library framework based on inter-virtual-machines communication in an embedded hypervisor. With this framework, there are no causality conflicts when multiple guest operating systems share one GPU. We adopted API remoting for GPU virtualization because it has relatively small overhead when connected with OpenGL ES standard library on embedded hypervisors. Interferences from the hypervisor during synchronization between front-end and back-end can be reduced by inter-VM commutation. To make improvement on size, weight and power for embedded systems, we opted for displaying both guest operating systems on a single display panel. The presented framework is applied to a real-world embedded hypervisor used for safety-critical systems. Our implementation runs an automotive digital instrument cluster on a real-time guest operating system and an in-vehicle infotainment application on a general purpose guest operating system within the hypervisor. We found it feasible for an embedded hypervisor to provide GPU service to heterogeneous industrial guest operating systems on a single hardware platform.
The Relationship between Neurocognitive Function and Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Background Biomechanical analyses suggest that the loss of neuromuscular control is associated with noncontact anterior cruciate ligament sprains; however, previous research has not explored the link between neurocognitive function and unintentional knee injuries. Purpose To determine if athletes who suffer a noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury demonstrate decreased baseline neurocognitive performance when compared with matched controls. Study Design Case control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods The baseline scores from a computerized neurocognitive test battery (ImPACT) were analyzed to compare verbal memory, visual memory, processing speed, and reaction time. Eighty intercollegiate athletes who, subsequent to testing, experienced noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries, were matched with 80 controls based on height, weight, age, gender, sport, position, and years of experience at the collegiate level. Results Statistical differences were found between the noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury group and the matched controls on all 4 neurocognitive subtests. Noncontact anterior cruciate ligament—injured athletes demonstrated significantly slower reaction time (F1,158 = 9.66, P = .002) and processing speed (F1,158 = 12.04, P = .001) and performed worse on visual (F1,158 = 19.16, P = .000) and verbal memory (F 1,158 = 4.08, P = .045) composite scores when compared with controls. Conclusion Neurocognitive differences may be associated with the loss of neuromuscular control and coordination errors, predisposing certain intercollegiate athletes to noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
Economics of Yam Production under Agroforestry System in Sapoba Forest Area, Edo State, Nigeria

This study was carried to determine the economics of yam production under agroforestry system in Sapoba forest area, Edo State, Nigeria. Sixty farmers were purposively selected. Cobb-Douglas production function was used to estimate the coefficients of the various variables analyzed. MPP, MVP and allocative efficiency index were used to estimate the efficiency of resource use in the study area. The results showed that farm size, yam seed and years of farming were significantly positive to yam production in the area. The results of the efficiency estimation, however, indicated that farm size (1.55), yam seed (1.5) were underutilized while hired labour (0.24), hoes (0.46) and matchete (0.32) were over-utilized. The regression also showed that the farmers were in the first stage of production which is increasing return to scale (using the elasticities). The study therefore recommends that farmers should be encouraged to increase their productivity and, by extension, profit by the provision of improved yam seed. They should also maximize the utilization of the farm land by increasing the number of yam sett planted per hectare.
Sigma Factor SigB Is Crucial to Mediate Staphylococcus aureus Adaptation during Chronic Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that causes a range of infections from acute invasive to chronic and difficult-to-treat. Infection strategies associated with persisting S. aureus infections are bacterial host cell invasion and the bacterial ability to dynamically change phenotypes from the aggressive wild-type to small colony variants (SCVs), which are adapted for intracellular long-term persistence. The underlying mechanisms of the bacterial switching and adaptation mechanisms appear to be very dynamic, but are largely unknown. Here, we analyzed the role and the crosstalk of the global S. aureus regulators agr, sarA and SigB by generating single, double and triple mutants, and testing them with proteome analysis and in different in vitro and in vivo infection models. We were able to demonstrate that SigB is the crucial factor for adaptation in chronic infections. During acute infection, the bacteria require the simultaneous action of the agr and sarA loci to defend against invading immune cells by causing inflammation and cytotoxicity and to escape from phagosomes in their host cells that enable them to settle an infection at high bacterial density. To persist intracellularly the bacteria subsequently need to silence agr and sarA. Indeed agr and sarA deletion mutants expressed a much lower number of virulence factors and could persist at high numbers intracellularly. SigB plays a crucial function to promote bacterial intracellular persistence. In fact, ΔsigB-mutants did not generate SCVs and were completely cleared by the host cells within a few days. In this study we identified SigB as an essential factor that enables the bacteria to switch from the highly aggressive phenotype that settles an acute infection to a silent SCV-phenotype that allows for long-term intracellular persistence. Consequently, the SigB-operon represents a possible target to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies against chronic and therapy-refractory infections.
Modular Outsourcing: Pattern and Selection

The decomposition and integration of module are the most important processes in the outsourcing of complex products. Two typical patterns are analyzed, which are supplier integration mode and integrator integration mode. According to the contract theory, the two optimal models are set up through adding task conflicting variables to the classical incentive model. The rent of the two patterns paid by system integrating manufacturer is compared and analyzed. The conclusion indicates that the task confliction can influence outsourcing pattern selection of systems integrated manufacturer. It should choose multi-suppliers to finish the respective module task; otherwise, it should select single supplier to finish multi-module task.
A Study on Layout Design and Evaluation Methods of Passenger Drop Off Lanes on Elevated Roads in Large Railway Stations

In this paper, the optimum layout of passenger drop off lanes on elevated roads in large railway station is studied. Based on the discussion of the evolution of railway stations' functionality, solutions of passenger drop off lanes layout are proposed. In addition, traffic organization and corresponding evaluation parameters of passenger drop off area are discussed. New Zhenzhou high-speed railway station is used as a case study. Solution of how passenger drop off lanes should be designed in new Zhenzhou high-speed railway station is presented based on VISSIM simulation results. The practice of the proposed design has been proved to be applicable and successful.
Making Connections: Building Family Literacy through Technology.

The Migrant Educational Technology (MET) program is an afterschool program that introduces Latino migrant families in Detroit to basic computing and educational software applications, with the goal of supporting students' schoolwork and improving their academic achievement. The 1998-99 MET program was organized into three phases. In the introductory qualifying phase, migrant students had to meet academic, attendance, and citizenship requirements; maintain academic progress; and have a positive attitude toward peers and teachers. In the second phase, 50 qualifying students brought their families to after-school work sessions, and 22 families attended 60 hours of sessions and qualified to take home a computer and printer. In the third phase, these families received technical support for home use of the technology tools. Pedagogical models used in the program were project-based learning and participatory pedagogy. In a study of 14 families that regularly attended the program, critical discourse analysis of parents' conversations and talk during work sessions revealed several key discursive program features that shaped a collective, participatory orientation among participants. These included the framing and reframing of "driving questions" (the group's central concerns and goals), acknowledgement of the group's shared experiences, and the facilitator's use of inclusive, equitable language. The importance of social organization and discourse to promoting migrant families' program participation is discussed. (SV) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 1 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Multitask learning meets tensor factorization: task imputation via convex optimization

We study a multitask learning problem in which each task is parametrized by a weight vector and indexed by a pair of indices, which can be e.g, (consumer, time). The weight vectors can be collected into a tensor and the (multilinear-)rank of the tensor controls the amount of sharing of information among tasks. Two types of convex relaxations have recently been proposed for the tensor multilinear rank. However, we argue that both of them are not optimal in the context of multitask learning in which the dimensions or multilinear rank are typically heterogeneous. We propose a new norm, which we call the scaled latent trace norm and analyze the excess risk of all the three norms. The results apply to various settings including matrix and tensor completion, multitask learning, and multilinear multitask learning. Both the theory and experiments support the advantage of the new norm when the tensor is not equal-sized and we do not a priori know which mode is low rank.
The sensitive feature selection for both English and Chinese text chunking

Traditional text chunking approach is to identify many phrases using only one model, and the same features are used to identify these phrases too. So the helpful features of each phrase are ignored. In fact, different phrases have different helpful features. In this paper, the concept of “sensitive feature” is proposed, and the sensitive features of eleven English types and seven Chinese types of phrases are selected by dynamic comparison strategy. Through testing on the Multi-agent chunking model, the selected English and Chinese sensitive features are both effective.
Extraction of Kahn Process Networks from While Loops in Embedded Software

Many embedded applications such as multimedia, signal processing and wireless communications present a streaming processing behavior. In order to take full advantage of modern multi-and many-core embedded platforms, these applications have to be parallelized by describing them in a given parallel Model of Computation (MoC). One of the most prominent MoCs is Kahn Process Network (KPN) as it allows to express multiple forms of parallelism and it is suitable for efficient mapping and scheduling onto parallel embedded platforms. However, describing streaming applications manually in a KPN is a challenging task. Especially, since they spend most of their execution time in loops with unbounded number of iterations. These loops are in several cases implemented as while loops, which are difficult to analyze. In this paper, we present an approach to guide the derivation of KPNs from embedded streaming applications dominated by multiple types of while loops. We evaluate the applicability of our approach on an eight DSP core commercial embedded platform using realistic benchmarks. Results measured on the platform showed that we are able to speedup sequential benchmarks on average by a factor up to 4.3x and in the best case up to 7.7x. Additionally, to evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, we compared it against a state-of-the-art parallelization framework.
The Multiobjective H2/H8/Impulse-to-peak Output-Feedback Control via LMI Optimization

In this paper we formulate a problem of multiobjective dynamic output feedback synthesis for LTI systems which incorporate nominal H2, H∞ and Impulse-to-peak performances. There is as yet no exact solution to this problem. We present a method based on that proposed by Scherer (Scherer et al. 1997). The problem is formulated as a convex semi definite program (SDP) using the LMI formulation of these specifications.
A Novel Basal Promoter Element Is Required for Expression of the Rat Tyrosine Hydroxylase Gene

Transcription of the rat tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene is controlled by enhancer sequences in its 5′ flanking region; these enhancers include the AP1, dyad, and cAMP response element (CRE) motifs. We show that a novel basal promoter element (−17 GCCTGCCTGGCGA −5) positioned between the TATA box and +1 works in conjunction with the upstream AP1-dyad and CRE enhancers but cannot support transcription by itself. A mutation of this element, termed partial dyad, reduces basal expression of a reporter gene in TH-positive cell lines and TH-negative lines but has no effect on cAMP- or KCl-induced expression. A double mutant at positions −17 and −11 of the partial dyad reduces transcriptional activation by 80%. Conversely, insertion of this element into a heterologous promoter restores basal expression to levels mediated by the native TH promoter. The partial dyad is a novel activational element that is required for full expression of the TH gene and may assist in the function of the AP1, dyad, and CRE motifs and also other enhancers further upstream. Hence, the rat TH gene is unusual in that its enhancers will not function with a heterologous promoter but require a specific TH promoter sequence for full activation.
LARGE DEVIATIONS IN MULTIFACTOR PORTFOLIO CREDIT RISK

The measurement of portfolio credit risk focuses on rare but significant large‐loss events. This paper investigates rare event asymptotics for the loss distribution in the widely used Gaussian copula model of portfolio credit risk. We establish logarithmic limits for the tail of the loss distribution in two limiting regimes. The first limit examines the tail of the loss distribution at increasingly high loss thresholds; the second limiting regime is based on letting the individual loss probabilities decrease toward zero. Both limits are also based on letting the size of the portfolio increase. Our analysis reveals a qualitative distinction between the two cases: in the rare‐default regime, the tail of the loss distribution decreases exponentially, but in the large‐threshold regime the decay is consistent with a power law. This indicates that the dependence between defaults imposed by the Gaussian copula is qualitatively different for portfolios of high‐quality and lower‐quality credits.
The attraction of personalized service for users in mobile commerce: an empirical study

There has been a notable increase in consumer use of mobile applications. Consumers begin to adopt mobile commerce applications. In response, firms have been investing billions of dollars in order to enhance the hardware and software platforms for mobile commerce. Consequently, with such large investments, firms are highly motivated to attract new clients and retain their old customers. In the present study, the strategic parameters have been studied in order to determine the ways in which mobile service providers acquire new customers. For the purpose of analysis, the dependent variable is the service subscribers' intention to switch to a new service provider with personalized services. Four main constructs have been studied - the amount and the perceived usefulness of general advertisements, the perceived usefulness and privacy issues about personalized advertisements. This empirical study indicates that all four constructs are significant in affecting the decision by subscribers to change to a new mobile service provider.
Vision-based detection and labelling of multiple vehicle parts

This paper presents a method for the visual detection of parts of interest on the outer surface of vehicles. The proposed method combines computer vision techniques and machine learning algorithms to process images of lateral views of automobiles. The aim of this approach is to determine the location of a set of car parts in ordinary scenes. The approach can be used in the intelligent transportation industry to construct advanced monitoring and security applications. The key contributions of this work are the introduction of a methodology to locate multiple patterns in cluttered scenes of vehicles which makes use of a probabilistic technique to reduce false detection, and the proposal of a method for inferring the location of regions of interest using a priori knowledge. The results demonstrate excellent performance in the task of detecting up to fourteen different car parts over a vehicle.
Background Light Produces a Recoverin-Dependent Modulation of Activated-Rhodopsin Lifetime in Mouse Rods

The Ca2+-binding protein recoverin is thought to regulate rhodopsin kinase and to modulate the lifetime of the photoexcited state of rhodopsin (Rh*), the visual pigment of vertebrate rods. Recoverin has been postulated to inhibit the kinase in darkness, when Ca2+ is high, and to be released from the disk membrane in light when Ca2+ is low, accelerating rhodopsin phosphorylation and shortening the lifetime of Rh*. This proposal has remained controversial, in part because the normally rapid turnoff of Rh* has made Rh* modulation difficult to study in an intact rod. To circumvent this problem, we have made mice that underexpress rhodopsin kinase so that Rh* turnoff is rate limiting for the decay of the rod light response. We show that background light speeds the decay of Rh* turnoff, and that this no longer occurs in mice that have had recoverin knocked out. This is the first demonstration in an intact rod that light accelerates Rh* inactivation and that the Ca2+-binding protein recoverin may be required for the light-dependent modulation of Rh* lifetime.
Comparative Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Curcuminoids, Turmerones, and Aqueous Extract of Curcuma longa

Curcuma longa is widely known for its anti-inflammatory activity in traditional system of medicine for centuries and has been scientifically validated extensively. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of curcuminoids and oil-free aqueous extract (COFAE) of C. longa and compare it with that of curcuminoids and turmerones (volatile oil), the bioactive components of C. longa that are proven for the anti-inflammatory potential. The activity against inflammation was evaluated in xylene-induced ear edema, cotton pellet granuloma models in albino Swiss mice and albino Wistar rats, respectively. The results showed that COFAE of C. longa at three dose levels significantly (P ≤ 0.05) inhibited inflammation in both models, as evidenced by reduction in ear weight and decrease in wet as well as dry weights of cotton pellets, when compared to the vehicle control. The COFAE of C. longa showed considerable anti-inflammatory effects against acute and chronic inflammation and the effects were comparable to those of curcuminoids and turmerones.
Dissociation of Intracellular Signaling Pathways in Response to Partial Agonist Ligands of the T Cell Receptor

The T cell receptor (TCR) is a versatile receptor able to generate different signals that result in distinct T cell responses. The pattern of early signals is determined by the TCR binding kinetics that control the ability of the ligand to coengage TCR and coreceptor. Coengagement of TCR and CD4 results in an agonist signaling pattern with complete tyrosine phosphorylation of TCR subunits, and recruitment and activation of ZAP-70. In contrast, TCR engagement without CD4 coengagement causes a partial agonist type of signaling, characterized by distinct phosphorylation of TCR subunits and recruitment but no activation of ZAP-70. The pathways triggered by partial agonist signaling are unknown. Here, we show that agonists cause association of active lck and active ZAP-70 with p120-GTPase–activating protein (p120-GAP). These associations follow engagement of CD4 or CD3, respectively. In contrast, partial agonists do not activate lck or ZAP-70, but induce association of p120-GAP with inactive ZAP-70. Despite these differences, both agonist and partial agonist signals activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. However, MAPK activation by partial agonists is transient, supporting a kinetic, CD4-dependent model for the mechanism of action of variant TCR ligands. Transient MAPK activation may explain some of the responses to TCR partial agonists and antagonists.
Scale-free Network with Variable Scaling Exponent

In line with the BA model, we propose a new growing network, Group preferential model, which incorporates a precise evolving mechanism. And from the perspective of Markov chain, explicit formulas are derived analytically characterizing the evolution and distribution of degree, which is scale-free with scaling exponent related with parameter m.
Mutational analysis of the herpes simplex virus virion host shutoff protein: evidence that vhs functions in the absence of other viral proteins

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) virions contain one or more factors that trigger rapid shutoff of host protein synthesis and accelerated decay of cellular and viral mRNAs in infected cells. HSV isolates bearing mutations at the virion host shutoff (vhs) locus (gene UL41) are defective for both processes, indicating that the vhs protein is required; however, it is not clear whether the role of vhs in shutoff is direct or indirect and if other virion components are also necessary. We therefore used a transient-cotransfection assay to determine if the vhs protein displays activity in the absence of other viral gene products. We found that a vhs expression vector strongly suppressed expression of a cotransfected lacZ reporter gene and that this effect was eliminated by the vhs1 point mutation that abolishes virion-induced host shutoff during HSV infection. Further evidence for the biological relevance of the transfection assay came from the demonstration that five vhs in-frame linker insertion mutations yielded concordant results when assayed in cotransfected cells and following transfer into the viral genome: three mutations eliminated activity in both assays, while two had no effect. On the basis of these results, we conclude that the vhs protein can trigger host shutoff in the absence of other HSV proteins. The cotransfection assay was used to rapidly assess the activities of a panel of linker insertion mutants spanning the vhs polypeptide. All mutations that mapped to regions conserved among the vhs homologs of alphaherpesvirus inactivated function; in contrast, four of five mutations that mapped to regions that are absent from several vhs homologs had no effect. These results further support the biological relevance of the transfection assay and begin to delineate functional domains of the vhs polypeptide.