Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
2-D Analytical Magnetic Field Prediction for Consequent-Pole Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines

Consequent-pole permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machines (PMSMs) provide especial features by the use of alternate PM and ferromagnetic poles. The design of these types of electric machines requires an accurate model due to the asymmetrical flux distribution in the air gap under adjacent poles. The equivalent magnetic circuit technique can hardly offer an accurate model for consequent-pole PMSMs. To this end, a 2-D analytical model is presented for consequent-pole slotted stator PMSMs to accurately compute the magnetic field distribution due to PMs and armature reaction. The slotting effects and the tooth-tip effects are taken into consideration by using the subdomain technique. The proposed model is used to calculate the magnetic flux density distributions of three consequent-pole PMSMs: an 8-pole, 9-slot machine with a non-overlapping winding; a 4-pole, 15-slot machine with an overlapping winding; and a 10-pole, 12-slot machine with a non-overlapping winding, each with three different magnetization patterns, i.e., radial, parallel, and Halbach. Based on the magnetic flux distribution, the electromagnetic torque, the self- and mutual-inductances, and the unbalanced magnetic forces have been analytically calculated. The analytical results are compared with those obtained from the finite-element method to show the accuracy and efficacy of the proposed 2-D analytical model.
Tamarin: Concolic Disequivalence for MIPS

Given two MIPS programs, when are they equivalent? At first glance, this is tricky to define, because of the unstructured nature of assembly code. We propose the use of alternating concolic execution to detect whether two programs are disequivalent. We have implemented our approach in a tool called Tamarin, which includes a MIPS emulator instrumented to record symbolic traces, as well as a concolic execution engine that integrates with the Z3 solver. We show that Tamarin is able to reason about program disequivalence in a number of scenarios, without any a-priori knowledge about the MIPS programs under consideration.
The Rise and Fall of NGAL in Acute Kidney Injury

For many years, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been considered the most promising biomarker of acute kidney injury (AKI). Commercial assays and point-of-care instruments, now available in many hospitals, allow rapid NGAL measurements intended to guide the clinician in the management of patients with or at risk of AKI. However, these assays likely measure a mixture of different NGAL forms originating from different tissues. Systemic inflammation, commonly seen in critically ill patients, and several comorbidities contribute to the release of NGAL from haematopoietic and non-haematopoietic cells. The unpredictable release and complex nature of the molecule and the inability to specifically measure NGAL released by tubular cells have hampered its use a specific marker of AKI in heterogeneous critically ill populations. In this review, we describe the nature and cellular sources of NGAL, its biological role and diagnostic ability in AKI and the increasing concerns surrounding its diagnostic and clinical value.
Link-Time Enforcement of Confined Types for JVM Bytecode

Confined types enforce a form of encapsulation stronger than what the standard Java type system offers. It is known that confined types effectively prevent a ccidental reference leaks that could lead to security breaches in object-oriented programs. Because existing formulations of confined types target the Java source language, they can only be en forced by the code producer at compile time. As such these formulations fail to qualify as practica l languagebased protection mechanisms for the Java platform. This paper presents a capability-based formulation of confined types for JVM bytecode, and reports the first implementation to enforce confined types at link time, on the code consumer side. This novel formulation of confined types is backward compatible , modular, and interoperable with lazy dynamic linking. The paper also demonstrates how this bytecode-level formulation of confined types can be applied to facilitate a form of secure co operation between mutually suspicious code units.
Detection and estimation of improper complex random signals

Nonstationary complex random signals are in general improper (not circularly symmetric), which means that their complementary covariance is nonzero. Since the Karhunen-Loeve (K-L) expansion in its known form is only valid for proper processes, we derive the improper version of this expansion. It produces two sets of eigenvalues and improper observable coordinates. We then use the K-L expansion to solve the problems of detection and estimation of improper complex random signals in additive white Gaussian noise. We derive a general result comparing the performance of conventional processing, which ignores complementary covariances, with processing that takes these into account. In particular, for the detection and estimation problems considered, we find that the performance gain, as measured by deflection and mean-squared error (MSE), respectively, can be as large as a factor of 2. In a communications example, we show how this finding generalizes the result that coherent processing enjoys a 3-dB gain over noncoherent processing.
Scheduling shared scans of large data files

We study how best to schedule scans of large data files, in the presence of many simultaneous requests to a common set of files. The objective is to maximize the overall rate of processing these files, by sharing scans of the same file as aggressively as possible, without imposing undue wait time on individual jobs. This scheduling problem arises in batch data processing environments such as Map-Reduce systems, some of which handle tens of thousands of processing requests daily, over a shared set of files. As we demonstrate, conventional scheduling techniques such as shortest-job-first do not perform well in the presence of cross-job sharing opportunities. We derive a new family of scheduling policies specifically targeted to sharable workloads. Our scheduling policies revolve around the notion that, all else being equal, it is good to schedule nonsharable scans ahead of ones that can share IO work with future jobs, if the arrival rate of sharable future jobs is expected to be high. We evaluate our policies via simulation over varied synthetic and real workloads, and demonstrate significant performance gains compared with conventional scheduling approaches.
ORGANISATIONAL RESTRUCTURING – THE CASE OF THE LEARNING ORGANISATION : CONTRADICTION OR NECESSITY ?

ACADEMIC TRACK The quality of individual and collective learning has been held to be a key determinant of organisational success (Hayes and Allinson, 1998), and perhaps even a prerequisite for business excellence (Eskildsen, Dahlgaard and Norgaard, 1999; Evans and Lindsay, 1999). Lank and Lank (1995) strongly advocated the ‘continuously learning organisation’ and many academics and practitioners have asserted that the greatest business value in an organisation now lies not in physical assets, but in the various elements of intellectual capital that have been developed (Antal et al., 1994; Bontis, 1996; Brooking, 1996; Cascio, 1998; Darling, 1996; Drucker, 1993; Edvinsson and Sullivan, 1996; Handy, 1989; Osland and Yaprak, 1995; Quinn, 1992; Reich, 1991; Saint-Onge, 1996; Senge, 1990; Stewart, 1991, 1994; Sveiby, 1997; Toffler, 1990). Is there a contradiction then, between the planned ‘brain-drain’ (e.g. downsizing, restructuring, outsourcing, or flattening), incurred by organisations and their purported efforts to become learning organisations? Or is there in fact an inverse relationship between the two? Could it be that, in the face of such ‘loss of capital’, organisations are becoming more systematic in identifying remedial measures to overcome this loss by proactively developing learning systems to update, record and manage such capital? This paper will examine these questions, firstly by discussing the nature of the planned ‘brain-drain’ phenomenon, the concept of the learning organisation, and the conceptual relationship between the two, and secondly by analysing two empirical case studies which demonstrate that, because both restructuring and organizational learning can lead to better competitive position, it is imperative to understand how these activities are related to avoid inadvertently damaging one while pursuing the other. Organisational Restructuring – The Case of the Learning Organisation: Contradiction or Necessity
Supersensitivity to anandamide and enhanced endogenous cannabinoid signaling in mice lacking fatty acid amide hydrolase

The medicinal properties of marijuana have been recognized for centuries, but clinical and societal acceptance of this drug of abuse as a potential therapeutic agent remains fiercely debated. An attractive alternative to marijuana-based therapeutics would be to target the molecular pathways that mediate the effects of this drug. To date, these neural signaling pathways have been shown to comprise a cannabinoid receptor (CB1) that binds the active constituent of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and a postulated endogenous CB1 ligand anandamide. Although anandamide binds and activates the CB1 receptor in vitro, this compound induces only weak and transient cannabinoid behavioral effects in vivo, possibly a result of its rapid catabolism. Here we show that mice lacking the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH−/−) are severely impaired in their ability to degrade anandamide and when treated with this compound, exhibit an array of intense CB1-dependent behavioral responses, including hypomotility, analgesia, catalepsy, and hypothermia. FAAH−/−-mice possess 15-fold augmented endogenous brain levels of anandamide and display reduced pain sensation that is reversed by the CB1 antagonist SR141716A. Collectively, these results indicate that FAAH is a key regulator of anandamide signaling in vivo, setting an endogenous cannabinoid tone that modulates pain perception. FAAH may therefore represent an attractive pharmaceutical target for the treatment of pain and neuropsychiatric disorders.
CXCR4 blockade augments bone marrow progenitor cell recruitment to the neovasculature and reduces mortality after myocardial infarction

We hypothesized that a small molecule CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100 (AMD), could augment the mobilization of bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), thereby enhancing neovascularization and functional recovery after myocardial infarction. Single-dose AMD injection administered after the onset of myocardial infarction increased circulating EPC counts and myocardial vascularity, reduced fibrosis, and improved cardiac function and survival. In mice transplanted with traceable BM cells, AMD increased BM-derived cell incorporation in the ischemic border zone. In contrast, continuous infusion of AMD, although increasing EPCs in the circulation, worsened outcome by blocking EPC incorporation. In addition to its effects as a CXCR4 antagonist, AMD also up-regulated VEGF and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression, and the benefits of AMD were not observed in the absence of MMP-9 expression in the BM. These findings suggest that AMD3100 preserves cardiac function after myocardial infarction by enhancing BM-EPC–mediated neovascularization, and that these benefits require MMP-9 expression in the BM, but not in the ischemic region. Our results indicate that AMD3100 could be a potentially useful therapy for the treatment of myocardial infarction.
Difference in Risk Factors for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Background It is commonly stated that risk factors for postoperative nausea are the same as for vomiting. The authors designed a prospective study to identify and differentiate the risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting in various surgical populations in a clinical audit setting. Methods The study included 671 consecutive surgical inpatients, aged 15 yr or more, undergoing various procedures. The study focused on postoperative nausea visual analog scale scores every 4 h and vomiting episodes within 72 h. Both vomiting and retching were considered as emetic events. Patient-, anesthesia-, and surgery-related variables that were considered to have a possible effect on the proportion of patients experiencing postoperative nausea and/or vomiting were examined. The bivariate Dale model for binary correlated outcomes was used to identify selectively the potential risk factors of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Results Among the 671 patients in the study, 126 (19%) reported one or more episodes of nausea, and 66 patients (10%) suffered one or more emetic episodes during the studied period. There was a highly significant association between the two outcomes. Some risk factors were predictive of both nausea and vomiting (female gender, nonsmoking status, and general anesthesia). History of migraine and type of surgery were mainly responsible for nausea but not for vomiting. The predictive effect of risk factors was controlled for postoperative pain and analgesic drugs. Conclusion This study shows that differences exist in risk factors of postoperative nausea and vomiting. These could be explained by differences in the physiopathology of the two symptoms.
An Evidence-Based Review of Impacts, Strategies and Tools to Mitigate Urban Heat Islands

The impacts of climate changes on cities, which are home to over half of the world’s population, are already being felt. In many cases, the intensive speed with which urban centres have been growing means that little attention has been paid to the role played by climatic factors in maintaining quality of life. Among the negative consequences of rapid city growth is the expansion of the problems posed by urban heat islands (UHIs), defined as areas in a city that are much warmer than other sites, especially in comparison with rural areas. This paper analyses the consistency of the UHI-related literature in three stages: first it outlines its characteristics and impacts in a wide variety of cities around the world, which poses pressures to public health in many different countries. Then it introduces strategies which may be employed in order to reduce its effects, and finally it analyses available tools to systematize the initial high level assessment of the phenomenon for multidisciplinary teams involved in the urban planning process. The analysis of literature on the characteristics, impacts, strategies and digital tools to assess on the UHI, reveals the wide variety of parameters, methods, tools and strategies analysed and suggested in the different studies, which does not always allow to compare or standardize the diagnosis or solutions.
WUCC: Joint WCET and Update Conscious Compilation for cyber-physical systems

The cyber-physical system (CPS) is a desirable computing platform for many industrial and scientific applications. However, the application of CPSs has two challenges: First, CPSs often include a number of sensor nodes. Update of preloaded code on remote sensor nodes powered by batteries is extremely energy-consuming. The code update issue in the energy sensitive CPS must be carefully considered; Second, CPSs are often real-time embedded systems with real-time properties. Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) is one of the most important metrics in real-time system design. While existing works only consider one of these two challenges at a time, in this paper, a compiler-level optimization, Joint WCET and Update Conscious Compilation (WUCC), is proposed to jointly consider WCET and code update for cyber-physical systems. The novelty of the proposed approach is that the WCET problem and code update problem are considered concurrently such that a balanced solution with minimal WCET and minimal code difference can be achieved. The experimental results show that the proposed technique can minimize WCET and code difference effectively.
ClC Channels and Transporters: Structure, Physiological Functions, and Implications in Human Chloride Channelopathies

The discovery of ClC proteins at the beginning of the 1990s was important for the development of the Cl- transport research field. ClCs form a large family of proteins that mediate voltage-dependent transport of Cl- ions across cell membranes. They are expressed in both plasma and intracellular membranes of cells from almost all living organisms. ClC proteins form transmembrane dimers, in which each monomer displays independent ion conductance. Eukaryotic members also possess a large cytoplasmic domain containing two CBS domains, which are involved in transport modulation. ClC proteins function as either Cl- channels or Cl-/H+ exchangers, although all ClC proteins share the same basic architecture. ClC channels have two gating mechanisms: a relatively well-studied fast gating mechanism, and a slow gating mechanism, which is poorly defined. ClCs are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including regulation of resting membrane potential in skeletal muscle, facilitation of transepithelial Cl- reabsorption in kidneys, and control of pH and Cl- concentration in intracellular compartments through coupled Cl-/H+ exchange mechanisms. Several inherited diseases result from C1C gene mutations, including myotonia congenita, Bartter’s syndrome (types 3 and 4), Dent’s disease, osteopetrosis, retinal degeneration, and lysosomal storage diseases. This review summarizes general features, known or suspected, of ClC structure, gating and physiological functions. We also discuss biophysical properties of mammalian ClCs that are directly involved in the pathophysiology of several human inherited disorders, or that induce interesting phenotypes in animal models.
Metabolic engineering of monoterpene synthesis in yeast

Terpenoids are one of the largest and most diverse families of natural compounds. They are heavily used in industry, and the trend is toward engineering modified microorganisms that produce high levels of specific terpenoids. Most studies have focused on creating specific heterologous pathways for sesquiterpenes in Escherichia coli or yeast. We subjected the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERG20 gene (encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase) to a set of amino acid mutations in the catalytic site at position K197. Mutated strains have been shown to exhibit various growth rate, sterol amount, and monoterpenol‐producing capacities. These results are discussed in the context of the potential use of these mutated strains for heterologous expression of monoterpenoid synthases, which was investigated using Ocimum basilicum geraniol synthase. The results obtained with up to 5 mg/L geraniol suggest a major improvement compared with previous available expression systems like Escherichia coli or yeast strains with an unmodified ERG20 gene that respectively delivered amounts in the 10 and 500 µg/L range or even a previously characterized K197E mutation that delivered amounts in the 1 mg/L range. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011; 108:1883–1892. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hydrology of Johnson Creek Basin, a Mixed-Use Drainage Basin in the Portland, Oregon, Metropolitan Area

Johnson Creek forms a wildlife and recreational corridor through densely populated areas of the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area and through rural and agricultural land in unincorporated Multnomah and Clackamas Counties. Johnson Creek has had a history of persistent flooding and water-quality problems. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted streamflow monitoring and other hydrologic studies in the basin since 1941.
Lung Function as a Risk Factor for Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background and Purpose— The etiology of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is poorly understood. Reduced lung function, expressed as low forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and low forced vital capacity (FVC), is a predictor of cardiovascular disease, but whether reduced lung function is a risk factor for SAH is not known. The association between lung function and incidence of SAH was investigated in a prospective cohort study. Methods— Between 1974 and 1992, 20 534 men and 7237 women (mean age, 44 years) were examined in a health screening program including spirometry. The incidence of SAH was studied during a mean follow-up of 26 years in relation to age- and height-standardized FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. Results— One hundred forty-five subjects had a SAH (18.3 per 100 000 person-years in men and 26.5 per 100 000 person-years in women). The hazard ratio for SAH in the lowest compared to the highest quartile of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC was 2.24 (95% CI, 1.32–3.81; P for trend=0.014) and 1.92 (95% CI, 1.14–3.23; P for trend=0.003), respectively, after adjustment for several confounding factors including smoking and hypertension. The results persisted when analysis was restricted to nonsmokers. FVC showed no significant association with incidence of SAH. Conclusions— Baseline lung function, expressed as low FEV1 or FEV1/FVC, is a risk factor for SAH, independently of smoking.
Wallaby: A scalable semantic configuration service for grids and clouds

Job schedulers for grids and clouds can offer great generality and configurability, but they typically do so at the cost of increased administrator complexity. In this paper, we present Wallaby, an open-source, scalable configuration service for compute resources managed by the Condor high-throughput computing system. Wallaby offers several notable advantages over similar systems: it lets administrators write declarative specifications of user-visible functionality on groups of nodes instead of low-level configuration file fragments; it presents a high-level semantic model of Condor features and their interactions and dependencies; it validates configurations before pushing them to nodes; it supports version control, "undo," and configuration differencing; and it includes a networked API that enables extensions and advanced functionality. Wallaby allows administrators to extend pools to include more physical, virtual, or cloud nodes with minimal explicit con figuration. Finally, it is scalable, supporting pools consisting of thousands of nodes with hundreds of configuration parameters each.
Like Solving a Giant Puzzle: Supporting Collaborative Scheduling at a Film Festival

In collaborative scheduling tasks, large surfaces are often crucial. Pin&Play is a novel technology that combines physical and digital information on an interactive pin-board, which can improve collaborative scheduling. In order to explore this and to develop a prototype, we conducted observations of the scheduling of a film festival program. We found that several tasks in the scheduling are demanding and time consuming, which could be improved with technology. More findings as well as some design implications will be presented below.