Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 1.296-to-5.184Gb/s Transceiver with 2.4mW/(Gb/s) Burst-mode CDR using Dual-Edge Injection-Locked Oscillator

Since the I/O bandwidth demand for mobile consumer electronics has been growing rapidly, the importance of high-speed low-power I/O links has also been increasing. Among proposed I/O architectures, [1] and [2] are attractive solutions. However, for an application that needs the burst-mode operation, the lock-in time should be within the period of several tens of bits. Therefore, the PLL-based phase rotator with a longer lock-in time, is not suitable for this purpose. In this paper, a 1.296-to-5.184Gb/s transceiver uses an injection-locking-based CDR. The proposed CDR architecture, dual-edge injection-locked oscillator CDR (DILO-CDR), realizes fast lock (≪20 bits), continuous-rate capability (1.296 to 5.184Gb/s) and 2× power efficiency [2.4mW/(Gb/s)] of previous fast-lock continuous-rate CDRs [3, 4].
Randomized study on the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy in patients with virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy: the TIMIC study.

AIMS To evaluate the efficacy of immunosuppression in virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy. METHODS AND RESULTS This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 85 patients with myocarditis and chronic (>6 months) heart failure unresponsive to conventional therapy, with no evidence of myocardial viral genomes. Patients received either prednisone 1 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 4 weeks followed by 0.33 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 5 months and azathioprine 2 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 6 months (43 patients, Group 1) or placebo (42 patients, Group 2) in addition to conventional therapy for heart failure. Primary outcome was the 6 month improvement in left-ventricular function. Group 1 showed a significant improvement of left-ventricular ejection fraction and a significant decrease in left-ventricular dimensions and volumes compared with baseline. None of Group 2 patients showed improvement of ejection fraction, that significantly worsened compared with baseline. No major adverse reaction was registered as a result of immunosuppression. CONCLUSION These data confirm the efficacy of immunosuppression in virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy. Lack of response in 12% of cases suggests the presence of not screened viruses or mechanisms of damage and inflammation not susceptible to immunosuppression.
Quenched CLT for random toral automorphism

We establish a quenched Central Limit Theorem (CLT) for a smooth observable of random sequences of iterated linear hyperbolic maps on the torus. To this end we also obtain an annealed CLT for the same system. We show that, almost surely, the variance of the quenched system is the same as for the annealed system. Our technique is the study of the transfer operator on an anisotropic Banach space specifically tailored to use the cone condition satisfied by the maps.
Global internet access from space for humanitarian applications

The current internet of things leverages existing network infrastructures for communications and control. As devices proliferate in parallel with higher data rate communications and services, existing networks will become increasingly stressed, particularly in remote and underserved regions. There has been a renaissance in interest and investment in space - and suborbital-based high-data-rate communications networks - the internet of space (IoS). IEEE MTT-S, AP-S and EMC-S have joined together to create a technical community that provides global Internet Access from space-based or near-space platforms. Our goal is to ultimately provide Internet access to unreached 4.5B people of the world.
A Mobile-Sink Based Energy Efficiency Clustering Routing Algorithm for WSNs in Coal Mine

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is an important application for real time monitoring and detecting the phenomenon in a coal mine, which can ensure the workers' life safety and reduce the financial loss. But the drawback of WSNs is that the nodes are easy to die. To balance the traffic load and optimize the networks' routing seems more important. Clustering is an effective approach to prolong the network lifetime, but many existing clustering algorithms has a static sink node, which will result in a hot spots problem. In order to deal this problem, in this paper, we propose a mobile-sink based energy efficiency clustering routing protocol (MEC), it considers nodes' residual energy and uses a mobile sink to gather the data from the cluster heads. Simulation results reveal that our protocol is better than previous routing algorithms.
IL‐2 and IL‐10 serum levels in HIV‐1‐infected patients with or without active antiretroviral therapy

We analyzed IL‐2 and IL‐10 serum levels in 26 HIV‐1‐infected patients naive of antiretroviral treatment and in 34 patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). All patients without treatment were asymptomatic. When they were stratified according to levels of CD4+ T cells, IL‐2 levels were significantly increased in patients with ≥200 CD4+/μl and IL‐10 levels were significantly increased in patients with <200 CD4+/μl compared to controls. A significant negative correlation was observed between IL10 levels and CD4+ T‐cell counts. No correlation was observed between IL‐2 and IL‐10 levels and viral load due to the wide range of variability in the number of HIV copies/ml present in the different patients. However, IL‐2 levels were higher in patients with high viral load than in patients with low viral load. In patients with HAART, IL‐2 and IL‐10 levels were similar to the control group and no differences were detected respecting CD4+ T cells counts and viral load. Our findings show that the modifications in IL‐2 and IL‐10 serum levels in HIV‐1‐infected patients naive of antiretroviral treatment are associated with the progression of immunological damage. Furthermore, they show a dysbalance of type‐1/type‐2 cytokines with an involvement of type‐2 cytokines in later stages of HIV infection. Cytokine dysregulation can be reversed by HAART in the context of immune restoration and viral suppression.
A handbook on stuttering

Symptomatology -- Theories of stuttering -- Prevalence and incidence -- The person who stutters: central neurological findings -- The person who stutters: motor abilities -- The person who stutters: other physical findings -- The person who stutters: personality -- The person who stutters: cognitive and linguistic abilities -- The person who stutters: developmental history and home environment -- Stuttering as a response -- Stuttering as a response: some controversial phenomena -- Early stuttering and normal disfluency -- Inferences and conclusions -- Treatment.
Compressed Block-Decomposition Algorithm for Fast Capacitance Extraction

A novel algorithm, the compressed block decomposition, is presented for highly accelerated direct (noniterative) method-of-moment capacitance extraction. The algorithm is based on a blockwise subdivision of the method-of-moment potential coefficient matrix. Matrix subblocks corresponding to distant subregions of the problem geometry are not calculated directly but approximated in a compressed form. Subsequently, the matrix is decomposed using an algorithm that preserves the compression. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated on a common benchmark problem - a 6 times 6 bus crossing. The numerical cost of the algorithm is shown, both theoretically and numerically, to scale with N log3 N and the storage space with N log2 N.
A neuro fuzzy PI controller used for speed control of a direct torque to twelve sectors controlled induction machine drive

This paper presents a new speed controller based on the theory of adaptive fuzzy inference system based on neural (ANFIS) for a direct torque to twelve sectors controlled of the induction motor. The proposed controller integrates fuzzy logic algorithm with a structure of artificial neural network (ANN) five-layer in order to reap the benefits of both methods, the learning abilities of the first and readability and flexibility of the second. The controller replaces the conventional PI is the rule fuzzy inference system with the hybrid learning algorithm. This makes learning the fuzzy system. The performance of the proposed neuro-fuzzy control for induction motor speed was studied at different operating conditions. The simulation study shows the robustness and relevance of control for applications in high performance driving.
Secure multi-party computation for analytics deployed as a lightweight web application

We would like to acknowledge all the members of the Boston Women’s Workforce Council, and to thank in particular MaryRose Mazzola, Christina M. Knowles, and Katie A. Johnston, who led the efforts to organize participants and deploy the protocol as part of the 100% Talent: The Boston Women’s Compact [31], [32] data collections. We also thank the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), and in particular Executive Director Katherine Lusk, who brought this potential application of secure multi-party computation to our attention. The BWWC, the IOC, and several sponsors contributed funding to complete this work. Support was also provided in part by Smart-city Cloud-based Open Platform and Ecosystem (SCOPE), an NSF Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships PFI:BIC project under award #1430145, and by Modular Approach to Cloud Security (MACS), an NSF CISE CNS SaTC Frontier project under award #1414119.
Who came first – Dracula or the Tourist? New Perspectives on Dracula Tourism at Bran Castle

The emergence of the Dracula figure within popular culture has caused strong associations to vampire myths with the Romanian region of Transylvania. Bran Castle, set on the southern borders to Walachia has somewhat become a centre for ‘Dracula Tourism’, being connected not only to the fictional Dracula, but increasingly also to the historical legend of the ‘Dracul’ Vlad. In her study, Banyai (2010) examined post visitors’ images held of the Castle and the compliance of these images with tour guides on-site interpretations, identifying an imbalance between the images held and interpretations provided. This study takes its point of departure from her qualitative records and attempts a supra-analysis of these by further elaborating upon destination images being influenced by popular culture and by extending upon her framework when discussing visitors’ co-creations of experiences at Bran Castle. Findings reinforce the richness and variety of images held by visitors as well as by other stakeholders of tourism. It is furthermore highlighted that the discrepancy of images held may not necessarily need to be addressed since this rather adds to the overall experience and the contested space (some may even refer to this as the ‘mystic’ space) of Bran Castle. Rather, recommendations are made to better align images and servicescapes originating in the immediate surroundings with those represented at the Castle.
“Words are more or less superfluous”: the Case of more or less in Academic Lingua Franca English

In the past fifty years, English has turned into the leading language of international communication. Despite its well-established status as a global lingua franca, there is a lack of descriptive research on how people actually use English as a global language. The aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge of lingua franca English, and more specifically to investigate a linguistic phenomenon that is common to all languages, namely lexical vagueness. This study provides a detailed description of how non-native speakers of English use the vague expression more or less in international settings. Concordance analyses showed that more or less is among the most frequent markers of vagueness in academic lingua franca English. A detailed contextual analysis indicated that the expression is used to carry out various communicative functions in lingua franca discourse. This paper aims to show that non-native speakers of English are aware of the communicative potential vague expressions have and that divergence from native use does not result in communication breakdown.
Effects of a Selective Endothelin A Receptor Antagonist on the Expressions of iNOS and eNOS in the Heart of Early Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Vascular tone is regulated through the actions of locally produced agents. Among the vasoconstrictors, the most potent agent is endothelin (ET), which exerts its vasoconstrictor actions principally through ET type A (ETA) receptors. Of the vasodilators, nitric oxide (NO) seems to be the most important contributor to the acute regulation of vascular tone. Vasculopathy is an important feature of diabetes mellitus (DM). Endogenous ET-mediated vasoconstrictor tone is augmented in diabetic states, and conflicting results persist concerning the NO system in diabetes. The present study investigated the expressions of inducible NO synthases (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) in the heart of diabetic animals and the effects of a selective ETA receptor antagonist on these alterations. Type I diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats, while control (Con) rats received only citrate buffer. After 1 week, the streptozotocin-administered rats were randomly divided into two groups: the selective ETA receptor antagonist–administered group (DM+TA-0201, 1 mg/kg/day, by osmotic minipump for 2 weeks) and the DM+vehicle group (comprising the diabetic rats that received saline). The random blood glucose level was 405 ± 103 mg/dl in DM animals, and this level was unchanged by ET antagonism. Body weight was more greatly decreased in DM rats than in Con rats, but the left ventricle to body weight ratio was increased in the DM group and was unaffected by ET antagonism. Protein expressions of eNOS and iNOS were assessed in the left ventricular tissues. eNOS expression was significantly increased in DM heart and was greatly inhibited by the treatment with ET antagonist. The expression of iNOS was also increased in early DM heart but was reversed by the ET antagonist. Thus, endothelin antagonism might be beneficial for DM heart by reversing the upregulated eNOS and iNOS expressions.
Playful versus serious instruction giving in a 3 D game environment

In this paper we introduce two NLG systems that we developed for the GIVE challenge, which was aimed at the evaluation of natural language generation (NLG) systems. The Challenge involved automatically generating instructions for users to carry out a task in a 3D game environment. One of our systems focused on generating optimally helpful ‘serious’ instructions while the other focused on entertainment, providing more playful instructions. We used the data gathered in the Challenge – both subjective user ratings and objective task performance data – to compare the efficiency and entertainment value of both systems. We found a clear difference in efficiency, but were unable to prove that one system was more entertaining than the other. This could be explained by the fact that the set-up and evaluation methods of the GIVE Challenge were not aimed at measuring entertainment. Based on our experiences, we give some suggestions for the set-up of future installments of the Challenge.
Activation of the wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway in Polymyositis, Dermatomyositis and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Background and Purpose The wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a critical role in embryonic development and adult-tissue homeostasis. Recent investigations implicate the importance of wnt/β-catenin signaling in normal wound healing and its sustained activation being associated with fibrogenesis. We investigated the immunolocalization and activation of wnt/β-catenin in polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis of β-catenin were performed in muscle specimens from 6 PM, 8 DM, and 6 DMD subjects. The β-catenin/Tcf4 DNA-binding activity in muscle was studied using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and serum wnt/β-catenin/Tcf transcriptional activity was measured using a luciferase reporter gene assay. Results Immunoreactivity for β-catenin was found in the cytoplasm and nuclei of muscle fibers in PM, DM, and DMD. The protein level of β-catenin was elevated, and EMSA analysis confirmed the activation of wnt/β-catenin signaling. The transcriptional activities of β-catenin/Tcf in the circulation were increased in patients with PM, DM, and DMD, especially in those with interstitial lung disease, and these transcriptional activities decreased when PM or DM patients exhibited obvious clinical improvements. Conclusions Our findings indicate that wnt/β-catenin signaling is activated in PM, DM, and DMD. Its activation in muscle tissue and the circulation may play a role in modulating muscle regeneration and be at least partly involved in the process of muscle and pulmonary fibrosis.
Smooth Geometry Images

Previous parametric representations of smooth genus-zero surfaces require a collection of abutting patches (e.g. plines, NURBS, recursively subdivided polygons). We introduce a simple construction for these surfaces using a single uniform bi-cubic B-spline. Due to its tensor-product structure, the spline control points are conveniently stored as a geometry image with simple boundary symmetries. The bicubic surface is evaluated using subdivision, and the regular structure of the geometry image makes this computation ideally suited for graphics hardware. Specifically, we let the fragment shader pipeline perform subdivision by applying a sequence of masks (splitting, averaging, limit, and tangent) uniformly to the geometry image. We then extend this scheme to provide smooth level-of-detail transitions from a subsampled base octahedron all the way to a finely subdivided, smooth model. Finally, we show how the framework easily supports scalar displacement mapping.
Multiple keratoses and squamous carcinoma after PUVA treatment of vitiligo

PUVA is known to be carcinogenic when used in the treatment of psoriasis. To date skin cancer has not been demonstrated after PUVA treatment of vitiligo. We report a patient in whom multiple squamous cell carcinomata and keratoses developed in vitiligo areas after a prolonged course of PUVA.
Climate, Culture, and the Evolution of Cognition

2 Introduction What are the causes of the evolution of complex cognition? Discussions of the evolution of cognition sometimes seem to assume that more complex cognition is a fundamental advance over less complex cognition, as evidenced by a broad trend toward larger brains in evolutionary history. Evolutionary biologists are suspicious of such explanations since they picture natural selection as a process leading to adaptation to local environments, not to progressive trends. Cognitive adaptations will have costs, and more complex cognition will evolve only when its local utility outweighs them. In this chapter, we argue that Cenozoic trends in cognitive complexity represent adaptations to an increasingly variable environment. The main support for this hypothesis is a correlation between environmental deterioration and brain size increase in many mammalian lineages. We would also like to understand the sorts of cognitive mechanisms that were favored in building more complex cognitions. The problem is difficult because little data exists on the adaptive tradeoffs and synergies between different cognitive strategies for adapting to variable environments. Animals might use information rich, innate decision-making abilities, individual learning, social learning, and, at least in humans, complex culture, alone or in various combinations, to create sophisticated cognitive systems. We begin with a discussion of the correlated trends in environmental deterioration and brain size evolution and then turn to the problem of what sorts of cognitive strategies might have served as the impetus for brain enlargement. The deterioration of climates during the last few million years should have dramatically increased selection for traits increasing animals' abilities to cope with more variable environments. These traits include more complex cognition. Using a variety of indirect measures of past temperature, rainfall, ice volume, and the like, mostly from cores of ocean sediments, lake sediments, and ice caps, paleoclimatologists have constructed a stunning picture of climate The Earth's mean temperature has dropped several degrees and the amplitudes of fluctuations in rainfall and temperature have increased. For reasons that are as yet ill understood, glaciers wax and wane in concert with changes in ocean circulation, carbon dioxide, methane and dust content of the atmosphere, and changes in 3 average precipitation and the distribution of precipitation. The resulting pattern of fluctuation in climate is very complex. As the deterioration has proceeded, different cyclical patterns of glacial advance and retreat involving all these variables have dominated the pattern. A 21,700 year cycle dominated the early part of the …
Effects of radiation and surgery on healing of femoral fractures in a rat model

Management of soft tissue sarcoma involves multimodality treatment, including surgery and radiotherapy. Pathologic fracture of the femur after such treatment in the thigh is one serious, late complication and nonunion rates of 80–90% are reported. We hypothesize that the combination of radiotherapy and periosteal stripping (during tumor resection) leads to greater impairment of the fracture repair process than either intervention alone. Female Wistar retired breeder rats were randomized into four treatment groups (control, radiotherapy, surgery, and combination of radiotherapy and surgery) and three end‐points (21, 28, and 35 days post‐fracture). Designated animals first underwent radiotherapy, followed by surgical stripping of the periosteum 3 weeks later and femoral fracture with fixation after another 3 weeks. Animals were sacrificed and fractures examined using microCT and histomorphometry. Simple transverse or short oblique femoral fractures were produced. By 35 days, control animals formed unions, periosteum‐stripped animals formed hypertrophic non‐unions and irradiated animals formed atrophic non‐unions. Histomorphometry revealed an absence of chondroid and osteoid production in animals undergoing radiotherapy. The relative contribution of periosteal stripping to occurrence of non‐union was statistically insignificant. Radiation prior to fracture reliably resulted in atrophic non‐union in our model. The contribution of periosteal stripping was negligible. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:1323–1331, 2013