Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reverse Replication of Virtual Machines (rRVM) for Low Latency and High Availability Services

Virtualization supplies a straightforward approach to high availability through iterative replications of virtual machine (VM) checkpoints that encapsulate the protected services. Unfortunately, traditional VM replication solutions suffer from deficiencies in either response latency or state recovery consistency, which constrains the adoption of VM replication in production. In this paper, we extend the function of the secondary host to be the primary recipient of network requests so that the state of the primary VM (PVM) is retained by the secondary host in the form of network packets. In doing this, we redesign the typical consistency model and network architecture for virtual machine replication. Specifically, the secondary host is set for network redirection and packets recording. Should the primary host fail, the recorded packets are used to recreate the state on the secondary host. Experiments in this research demonstrate simultaneously strong recovery consistency and low response latency in our real-time fault tolerance system. We name the system reverse replication of virtual machines (rRVM).
RuvbL1 and RuvbL2 enhance aggresome formation and disaggregate amyloid fibrils

The aggresome is an organelle that recruits aggregated proteins for storage and degradation. We performed an siRNA screen for proteins involved in aggresome formation and identified novel mammalian AAA+ protein disaggregases RuvbL1 and RuvbL2. Depletion of RuvbL1 or RuvbL2 suppressed aggresome formation and caused buildup of multiple cytoplasmic aggregates. Similarly, downregulation of RuvbL orthologs in yeast suppressed the formation of an aggresome‐like body and enhanced the aggregate toxicity. In contrast, their overproduction enhanced the resistance to proteotoxic stress independently of chaperone Hsp104. Mammalian RuvbL associated with the aggresome, and the aggresome substrate synphilin‐1 interacted directly with the RuvbL1 barrel‐like structure near the opening of the central channel. Importantly, polypeptides with unfolded structures and amyloid fibrils stimulated the ATPase activity of RuvbL. Finally, disassembly of protein aggregates was promoted by RuvbL. These data indicate that RuvbL complexes serve as chaperones in protein disaggregation.
Direct observation of microtubule treadmilling by electron microscopy

Using an immunoelectron microscopic procedure, we directly observed the concurrent addition and loss of chicken brain tubulin subunits from the opposite ends of microtubules containing erythrocyte tubulin domains. The polarity of growth of the brain tubulin on the ends of erythrocyte microtubules was determined to be similar to growth off the ends of Chlamydomonas axonemes. The flux rate for brain tubulin subunits in vitro was low, approximately 0.9 micron/h. Tubulin subunit flux did not continue through the entire microtubule as expected, but ceased when erythrocyte tubulin domains became exposed, resulting in a metastable configuration that persisted for at least several hours. We attribute this to differences in the critical concentrations of erythrocyte and brain tubulin. The exchange of tubulin subunits into the walls of preformed microtubules other than at their ends was also determined to be insignificant, the exchange rate being less than the sensitivity of the assay, or less than 0.2%/h.
A sliding manner compensation control for affine TSK fuzzy control systems

This work proposed a methodology of designing controllers for affine TSK fuzzy models. For hybrid compensation control (HCC) design technique in which fuzzy controllers share the same premise parts with the considered fuzzy systems and that can design controllers directly for affine fuzzy systems. On the other hand, the closed loop performance can also be theoretically anticipated. The modeling error always exists between real model and TSK fuzzy model. Hence, the HCC fuzzy controller can not achieve the performance in the real application. We added the third term to compensate the modeling error by sliding concept. Thus, the performance can be achieved with the real model by means of this three terms compensation fuzzy controller.
A geometrically faithful memetic algorithm for searching sparse representations of EEG signals

This paper presents a memetic algorithm, christened the natural memetic pursuit (NMP), that was designed to search for sparse signal representations. This algorithm combines global sampling based on a Grassmannian dictionary of atomic signals with local search using natural gradient decent in the signal parameter space. Performance of the algorithm was demonstrated by analyzing Jung and Makig's ERP data sets. It can obtain unbiased sparse representations of EEG signals in far less iteration than its predecessor, the stochastic matching pursuit (SMP).
1310 nm Data transmission using silicon photonic integrated circuit comprising directly modulated DFB laser and SOA

A directly modulated silicon photonic DFB laser integrated with a SOA was used to validate error-free transmission over 25 km of standard single mode fiber at 1310 nm. Data in NRZ format at a rate of 10 Gbit/s with PRBS of length 231−1 were used in the experiment.
SdrC induces staphylococcal biofilm formation through a homophilic interaction

The molecular pathogenesis of many Staphylococcus aureus infections involves growth of bacteria as biofilm. In addition to polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) and extracellular DNA, surface proteins appear to mediate the transition of bacteria from planktonic growth to sessile lifestyle as well as biofilm growth, and can enable these processes even in the absence of PIA expression. However, the molecular mechanisms by which surface proteins contribute to biofilm formation are incompletely understood. Here we demonstrate that self‐association of the serine‐aspartate repeat protein SdrC promotes both bacterial adherence to surfaces and biofilm formation. However, this homophilic interaction is not required for the attachment of bacteria to abiotic surfaces. We identified the subdomain that mediates SdrC dimerization and subsequent cell‐cell interactions. In addition, we determined that two adjacently located amino acid sequences within this subdomain are required for the SdrC homophilic interaction. Comparative amino acid sequence analysis indicated that these binding sites are conserved. In summary, our study identifies SdrC as a novel molecular determinant in staphylococcal biofilm formation and describes the mechanism responsible for intercellular interactions. Furthermore, these findings contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that homophilic interactions between surface proteins present on neighbouring bacteria induce biofilm growth.
Changes in brain anatomy in focal hand dystonia

No consistent cerebral anatomical abnormality has ever been reported in primary focal hand dystonia (FHD). The present voxel‐based morphometry study showed a significant bilateral increase in gray matter in the hand representation area of primary somatosensory and, to a lesser extent, primary motor cortices in 36 patients with unilateral FHD compared with 36 controls. The presence of anatomical changes in the perirolandic cortex for the unaffected hand as well as that for the affected hand suggests that these disturbances may be, at least in part, primary.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Activity Death of Microglia via Inhibition of 1 Represses Activation and Resultant b TGF-Ki-Wan

Overactivation of microglial cells may cause severe brain tissue damage in various neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the overactivation of microglia should be repressed by any means. The present study investigated the potential mechanism and signaling pathway for the repressive effect of TGF- (cid:1) 1, a major anti-inﬂammatory cytokine, on overactivation and resultant death of microglial cells. A bacterial endotoxin LPS stimulated expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and caused death in cultured microglial cells. TGF- (cid:1) 1 markedly blocked these LPS effects. However, the LPS-evoked death of microglial cells was not solely attributed to excess production of NO. Because phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) was previously shown to play a crucial role in iNOS expression and cell survival signals, we further studied whether PI3K signaling was associated with the suppressive effect of TGF- (cid:1) 1. Like TGF- (cid:1) 1, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 blocked iNOS expression and death in cultured microglial cells. Both TGF- (cid:1) 1 and LY294002 decreased the activation of caspases 3 and 11 and the mRNA expression of various kinds of inﬂammatory molecules caused by LPS. TGF- (cid:1) 1 was further found to decrease LPS-induced activation of PI3K and Akt. TGF- (cid:1) 1 and LY294002 suppressed LPS-induced p38 mitogen-activated kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity. In contrast, TGF- (cid:1) 1 and LY294002 enhanced LPS-induced NF- (cid:2) B activity. Our data indicate that TGF- (cid:1) 1 protect normal or damaged brain
Initial Genomics of the Human Nucleolus

We report for the first time the genomics of a nuclear compartment of the eukaryotic cell. 454 sequencing and microarray analysis revealed the pattern of nucleolus-associated chromatin domains (NADs) in the linear human genome and identified different gene families and certain satellite repeats as the major building blocks of NADs, which constitute about 4% of the genome. Bioinformatic evaluation showed that NAD–localized genes take part in specific biological processes, like the response to other organisms, odor perception, and tissue development. 3D FISH and immunofluorescence experiments illustrated the spatial distribution of NAD–specific chromatin within interphase nuclei and its alteration upon transcriptional changes. Altogether, our findings describe the nature of DNA sequences associated with the human nucleolus and provide insights into the function of the nucleolus in genome organization and establishment of nuclear architecture.
Mirrors in motion: epipolar geometry and motion estimation

In this paper we consider the images taken from pairs of parabolic catadioptric cameras separated by discrete motions. Despite the nonlinearity of the projection model, the epipolar geometry arising from such a system, like the perspective case, can be encoded in a bilinear form, the catadioptric fundamental matrix. We show that all such matrices have equal Lorentzian singular values, and they define a nine-dimensional manifold in the space of 4 /spl times/ 4 matrices. Furthermore, this manifold can be identified with a quotient of two Lie groups. We present a method to estimate a matrix in this space, so as to obtain an estimate of the motion. We show that the estimation procedures are robust to modest deviations from the ideal assumptions.
First-Trimester Contingent Screening for Trisomies 21, 18 and 13 by Biomarkers and Maternal Blood Cell-Free DNA Testing

Objective: To examine potential performance of screening for trisomies by cell-free (cf) DNA testing in maternal blood contingent on results of first-line testing by combinations of fetal translucency thickness (NT), fetal heart rate (FHR), ductus venosus pulsatility index (DV PIV), and serum-free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), placental growth factor (PLGF) and α-fetoprotein (AFP). Methods: Performance was estimated for firstly, screening by cfDNA in all pregnancies and secondly, cfDNA testing contingent on results of first-line testing by combinations of ultrasound and biochemical markers. Results: In first-line screening by cfDNA testing, the detection rate for trisomy 21 and trisomies 18 or 13 would be 99 and 96%, respectively, after invasive testing in 1% of the population. In contingent screening, a detection rate of 98% for trisomy 21 and 96% for trisomy 18 or 13, at an invasive testing rate of 0.7%, can be achieved by carrying out cfDNA testing in about 35, 20 and 11% of cases identified by first-line screening with the combined test alone (age, NT, FHR, β-hCG, PAPP-A), the combined test plus PLGF and AFP and the combined test plus PLGF, AFP and DV PIV, respectively. Conclusions: Effective first-trimester screening for trisomies can be achieved by contingent screening incorporating biomarkers and cfDNA testing.
The Spring Nucleus: A Microkemel for Objects

Copyright 1993 USENIX. Reprinted with permission. The Spring system is a distributed operating system that supports a distributed, object-oriented application framework. Each individual Spring system is based around a microkernel known as the nucleus, which is structured to support fast cross-address-space object invocations. This paper discusses the design rationale for the nucleus's IPC facilities and how they fit into the overall Spring programming model. We then describe how the internal structure of the nucleus is organized to support fast cross-address-space calls, including some specific details and performance information on the current implementation.
Analysis of the Voice Conversion Challenge 2016 Evaluation Results

The Voice Conversion Challenge (VCC) 2016, one of the special sessions at Interspeech 2016, deals with the well-known task of speaker identity conversion, referred as Voice Conversion (VC). The objective of the VCC is to compare various VC techniques on identical training and evaluation speech data. The full description of VCC 2016, the motivation, the database, the rules, the participants and main findings are presented in [1]. In the current paper, we describe the listening test design in more detail, we present the results of the listening test and the subsequent statistical analyses.
Personalized Product Recommendation through Interactive Query Management and Case-Based Reasoning

This position paper describes a novel approach to the design of personalized recommender systems. The approach integrates content-based and collaborative filtering techniques, case-based reasoning, and an HCI perspective to system evaluation and user modeling. Following this method, we developed and tested a system prototype that helps the user to construct a travel plan by recommending promising items or by proposing entire plan templates. The system aids the user to specify a query that winnows out unwanted products in electronic catalogs and then sorts the results according to a case-based similarity metric. A case is a rich hierarchical data structure, containing a user’s profile information and all the items previously selected by that user. If the search fails, the system supports the refinement of the query, interacting with the user in a mixed-initiative approach. The system has been empirically evaluated in a pilot study and it is currently undergoing a tighter test in a new experimental effort. The results of the pilot evaluation are discussed, with special reference to the user-system interaction aspects.
The Conceptualisation and Measurement of DSM-5 Internet Gaming Disorder: The Development of the IGD-20 Test

Background Over the last decade, there has been growing concern about ‘gaming addiction’ and its widely documented detrimental impacts on a minority of individuals that play excessively. The latest (fifth) edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) included nine criteria for the potential diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and noted that it was a condition that warranted further empirical study. Aim: The main aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable standardised psychometrically robust tool in addition to providing empirically supported cut-off points. Methods A sample of 1003 gamers (85.2% males; mean age 26 years) from 57 different countries were recruited via online gaming forums. Validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), criterion-related validity, and concurrent validity. Latent profile analysis was also carried to distinguish disordered gamers from non-disordered gamers. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed to determine an empirical cut-off for the test. Results The CFA confirmed the viability of IGD-20 Test with a six-factor structure (salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse) for the assessment of IGD according to the nine criteria from DSM-5. The IGD-20 Test proved to be valid and reliable. According to the latent profile analysis, 5.3% of the total participants were classed as disordered gamers. Additionally, an optimal empirical cut-off of 71 points (out of 100) seemed to be adequate according to the sensitivity and specificity analyses carried. Conclusions The present findings support the viability of the IGD-20 Test as an adequate standardised psychometrically robust tool for assessing internet gaming disorder. Consequently, the new instrument represents the first step towards unification and consensus in the field of gaming studies.
Spectroscopic, Electrochemical and DFT Studies of Phosphorescent Homoleptic Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes Based on Substituted 4-Fluorophenylvinyl- and 4-Methoxyphenylvinylquinolines

This study reports the synthesis and comparative investigation of the substituent effects of a new series of highly luminescent homoleptic tris-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes of the type [Ir(N˄C)3]. These are based on two ligand type derivatives comprising of 4-fluorophenylvinylquinolines and 4-methoxyphenylvinylquinolines with electron-donating and/or electron-withdrawing groups as aryl substituents at 2-position. The structures of the ligands and their complexes were characterized by means of FT-IR, UV-Vis and NMR spectrometry complemented with photoluminescence and cyclic voltammetry. The photophysical properties of 2-aryl-4-(4-fluorophenylvinyl)quinoline and its corresponding complex were also studied using the density functional theory method. The photoluminescent properties of the ligands and the corresponding complexes showed high fluorescent intensities and quantum yields in solvents of different polarities. The photoluminescence spectra of the complexes in solid film, showed common transmission curves at longer wavelengths maximum (λem = 697 nm) possibly originating from the interference of scattered light of higher-order transmission of monochromators.
DoBISCUIT: a database of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters

This article introduces DoBISCUIT (Database of BIoSynthesis clusters CUrated and InTegrated, http://www.bio.nite.go.jp/pks/), a literature-based, manually curated database of gene clusters for secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Bacterial secondary metabolites often show pharmacologically important activities and can serve as lead compounds and/or candidates for drug development. Biosynthesis of each secondary metabolite is catalyzed by a number of enzymes, usually encoded by a gene cluster. Although many scientific papers describe such gene clusters, the gene information is not always described in a comprehensive manner and the related information is rarely integrated. DoBISCUIT integrates the latest literature information and provides standardized gene/module/domain descriptions related to the gene clusters.
Identification of a Two-Partner Secretion Locus of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) remains a formidable cause of diarrheal illness worldwide. At present, there is no vaccine that provides broad-based protection against ETEC. A ′phoA-based self-cloning mutagenesis system, TnphoA.ts, employed to identify novel ETEC surface antigens, led to identification of an ETEC two-partner secretion locus (etpBAC) on the pCS1 virulence plasmid of prototype strain H10407. Cloning and expression of etpBAC in recombinant E. coli LMG194(pJY019) resulted in secretion of a high-molecular-weight (HMW) glycosylated exoprotein. This glycoprotein, EtpA, exhibits linear peptide sequence and predicted structural homologies with known HMW adhesins produced by other two-partner secretion loci. Antibodies directed against recombinant EtpA (anti-rEtpA.6H) recognized an HMW protein in culture supernatants of ETEC strains H10407 and LMG194(pJY019) but not in culture supernatant of strain H10407-P, which lacks the 92-kb pCS1 plasmid, or an isogenic etpA mutant. etpA mutants were deficient in adherence to intestinal epithelial cells in vitro, and anti-rEtpA.6H antibodies inhibited association of H10407 with target epithelial cells. Cloning and expression of etpB in recombinant E. coli were sufficient to confer adherence. Screening of multiple ETEC isolates for the etpBAC locus by colony hybridization and by EtpA immunoblotting suggested that EtpA is one of the most common antigens secreted by these pathogens. Together, these results indicate that the newly identified ETEC two-partner secretion locus directs the secretion of a high-molecular-weight glycosylated protein, EtpA, that in concert with the putative EtpB transporter participates in adherence of H10407 to epithelial cells, thereby expanding the repertoire of potential ETEC virulence proteins and vaccine candidates.
Energy Efficient Routing Protocols in Mobile Ad Hoc Network ( MANET ) – A Review

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) represent distributed systems that consist of wireless mobile nodes that can freely organize it into temporary ad hoc network topologies. A mobile ad hoc network is a collection of nodes that is connected through a wireless medium forming dynamic topologies. If a node is used frequently for transmission or overhearing of data packets, more energy is consumed by that node and after certain amount of time the energy level may not be sufficient for data transmission resulting in link failure. MANET’s are generally battery-powered devices, the critical aspect is to reduce the energy consumption of nodes, so that the network lifetime can be extended. Since the network interface is a significant consumer of power, considerable research has been done to low-power design of the entire network protocol stack of wireless networks in an effort to enhance energy efficiency. This paper presents a review on the energy efficient routing protocols in Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET).
Carbon black reinforced natural rubber/butadiene rubber and natural rubber/butadiene rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber composites: Part II. Dynamic mechanical properties and fatigue behavior

Carbon black reinforced natural rubber (NR)/butadiene rubber (BR), NR/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and NR/BR/SBR composites were prepared by using two types of BR with highly linear chain structure (higher viscosity and molecular weight) and branched chain structure (lower viscosity and molecular weight). NR/BR composite consisting of BR with higher viscosity has the highest fatigue strength. Damping factors of NR, NR/SBR and NR/BR/SBR composites as a function of frequency were systematically compared at constant temperatures of -40, 0, 25 and 60  C. Based on dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results, the elasticity of NR/carbon black composite improves, its heat buildup character and tan  decreases with the addition of BR. The addition of 20 phr BR to NR/SBR composites provides 4-5 times better fatigue strength due to the decrease of tan  . Lastly, using a higher viscosity BR in carbon black filled NR or NR/SBR is quite favorable in terms of using these composites as anti-vibrational rubber bushings in automotive applications where high fatigue resistance and lower damping factor