Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of intrinsic parallel programming methodologies

This work provides a comparative report on intrinsic parallel programming (IPP) methodologies: Structured, Descriptive, and Component-based. Its main objective is lo develop an aid for programmers that will allow them to select suitable tools which will enable them to construct hardware-independent application programs. It is true that every problem addressed using parallel methods does not necessarily employ IPP methodologies. Nonwithstanding, however, the hardware-independence of IPP methods makes them particularly suitable for software development in heterogeneous parallel arid distributed systems. This comparison ranks the three programming paradigms using a pairwise method. The rating criteria is thus; maturity, adoption, implicitness, and standardization; all having equal weights. It is concluded that structured parallelism is the highest ranked methodology.
Simplified digital calibration for multi-stage analog-to-digital converters

A digital-domain code-error calibration, modified to work with a reduced number of error measurements, greatly simplifies the task of self-calibrating multi-step analog-digital converters (ADCs) and opens up the possibility of moving all self-calibration hardwares into the digital domain, leaving only switching functions for calibration in the analog domain. By digitally subtracting pro-rated interstage gain errors from the code errors of the following stage, the proposed method achieves gain matching between multistage code errors individually measured. Simulations of multi-step ADCS based on a capacitor-array multiplying digital-analog converter (MDAC) demonstrate a substantial saving in the number of measured code errors and digital computations during normal conversions. <<ETX>>
GINGER: a minimizing-effects reprogramming paradigm for distributed sensor networks

Reprogramming the applicative behaviour of distributed sensor networks is becoming a more and more important ability in real-working monitoring applications to include new functionalities or modify the existing ones. Several approaches for reprogramming have been presented in the literature suggesting efficient reprogramming mechanisms. The aim of this paper is to address a problem that received less attention in the scientific community: minimizing the reprogramming effects on the applications running at the networks nodes. This issue is of paramount importance in complex distributed monitoring systems, where the network's behaviour is characterized by several (possibly concurrent) applications running at nodes. This paper suggests a novel reprogramming paradigm, called GINGER, designed to minimize the reprogramming effects on the nodes of distributed sensor networks. Critical aspects, advantages and open points are deeply described and critically commented.
Presentation support for distributed multimedia applications

The work documented in this report also features in the following available papers: The Opera multimedia research group are investigating storage architectures, database paradigms and programming support for emerging multimedia uses. Bacon93b] and Moody93] describe overviews of this work. Chapter 5 of this dissertation is partly concerned with active objects and their connguration. Bates93] describes an approach to this problem. A paper based entirely on the work in this dissertation is published as Bates94]. A demonstration video showing experimental applications is also available. Acknowledgements I am grateful to all members of the Computer Laboratory who have been of assistance. My Ph.D. supervisor Jean Bacon is wonderful. She has been a great source of encouragement and advice. She has also made many useful suggestions regarding the contents of this report. Ken Moody has good advice for all occasions. Cormac Sreenan, now of Bell Laboratories, has been a great source of help. I enjoyed and beneetted from discussions with Heather Brown, of the University of Kent, during her sabbatical year in Cambridge. Derek McAuley has been helpful with equipment requisition and system advice. Thanks are also due to the following people for reading and commenting on parts of this report: who have been of assistance. I am indebted to Andy Hopper for the use of a Pandora box in my third year of research. Damian Gilmurray and Andy Jackson have always been ready to help with Pandora system issues. I would like to thank all my friends at Lancaster University for their continuing encouragement. Andy Colebourne has been particularly helpful with aspects of the X window system. UNIX is a registered trademark of Novell ii Summary Distributed computing environments can now support digital continuous media (such as audio and video) in addition to still media (such as text and pictures). The work presented in this dissertation is motivated by the desire of application developers to create applications which utilise these multimedia environments. Many important application areas are emerging such as Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Working (CSCW). Building multimedia applications is currently a diicult and time-consuming process. At run-time, an application must manage connections to a range of heterogeneous services to access data. Building applications directly on top of environment-speciic features roots them to those features. Continuous media introduces new problems into application management such as control of Quality of Service (QoS) and synchronisation of data items. An application may also …
Managing firms' innovation capabilities through strategically aligning combinative IT and dynamic capabilities

This study explores how firms’ incremental and radical innovation capabilities can be explained from technological and dynamic capabilities and specifically their combinative alignment. We propose a strategic alignment model—grounded on dynamic capabilities and modular systems theory—and examine to what extent strategic alignment affects a firm’s innovation capabilities and how this potentially can be enhanced in practice. We then empirically validate our main proposition using regression analyses on a sample of 322 international firms. Results suggest that there is a positive relationship between a firm’s degree of alignment and innovation capabilities. Strategic alignment can therefore be seen as important condition that drives sustainable advantage in constantly changing environments. The proposed model helps firms assess and improve their level of IT flexibility, dynamic capabilities, absorptive capacity and their interdependent synchronization. Results are discussed and theoretical and practical implications are highlighted. We conclude with suggestions for future research.
SENP1-Mediated Desumoylation of DBC1 Inhibits Apoptosis Induced by High Glucose in Bovine Retinal Pericytes

Pericyte loss is an early characteristic change in diabetic retinopathy, but its precise molecular mechanisms have not been elucidated. This study investigated the role of SENP1 in pericyte loss in diabetic retinopathy. We demonstrated that a high concentration of glucose inhibited the expression of the Sentrin/SUMO-specific protease 1 (SENP1), which resulted in an increase in DBC1 sumoylation in bovine retinal pericytes (BRPCs). Furthermore, SENP1 overexpression attenuated hyperemia-induced apoptosis of BPRCs, and SENP1 knockdown aggravated this effect. We also provide evidence that DBC1 sumoylation/desumoylation is involved in the SENP1-regulated apoptosis of BRPCs under high glucose conditions. Understanding the role of SENP1 in the pathogenesis of high glucose induced pericyte loss could help elucidate important targets for future pharmacological interventions.
Effect of genetic variation in Kv1.3 on olfactory function

Olfactory function is reduced in aged humans and diabetes mellitus patients. However, little is known about the pathogenic mechanisms leading to olfactory dysfunction. Recently, it has been shown that the voltage‐gated potassium channel Kv1.3 is regulated by insulin and is highly expressed in the olfactory bulb. Furthermore, the function of this channel is associated with olfaction in mice and with glucose metabolism in mice and men. We therefore hypothesized that a functionally relevant polymorphism in Kv1.3 might alter olfactory function.
Inventory of human skin fibroblast proteoglycans. Identification of multiple heparan and chondroitin/dermatan sulphate proteoglycans.

Heparan sulphate and chondroitin/dermatan sulphate proteoglycans of human skin fibroblasts were isolated and separated after metabolic labelling for 48 h with 35SO4(2-) and/or [3H]leucine. The proteoglycans were obtained from the culture medium, from a detergent extract of the cells and from the remaining 'matrix', and purified by using density-gradient centrifugation, gel and ion-exchange chromatography. The core proteins of the various proteoglycans were identified by electrophoresis in SDS after enzymic removal of the glycosaminoglycan side chains. Skin fibroblasts produce a number of heparan sulphate proteoglycans, with core proteins of apparent molecular masses 350, 250, 130, 90, 70, 45 and possibly 35 kDa. The major proteoglycan is that with the largest core, and it is principally located in the matrix. A novel proteoglycan with a 250 kDa core is almost entirely secreted or shed into the culture medium. Two exclusively cell-associated proteoglycans with 90 kDa core proteins, one with heparan sulphate and another novel one with chondroitin/dermatan sulphate, were also identified. The heparan sulphate proteoglycan with the 70 kDa core was found both in the cell layer and in the medium. In a previous study [Fransson, Carlstedt, Cöster & Malmström (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 5657-5661] it was suggested that skin fibroblasts produce a proteoglycan form of the transferrin receptor. However, the core protein of the major heparan sulphate proteoglycan now purified does not resemble this receptor, nor does it bind transferrin. The principal secreted proteoglycans are the previously described large chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (PG-L) and the small dermatan sulphate proteoglycans (PG-S1 and PG-S2).
Assembly of intermediates for rapid membrane fusion

Membrane fusion is essential for intracellular protein sorting, cell growth, hormone secretion, and neurotransmission. Rapid membrane fusion requires tethering and Sec1-Munc18 (SM) function to catalyze R-, Qa-, Qb-, and Qc-SNARE complex assembly in trans, as well as SNARE engagement by the SNARE-binding chaperone Sec17/αSNAP. The hexameric vacuolar HOPS (homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting) complex in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae tethers membranes through its affinities for the membrane Rab GTPase Ypt7. HOPS also has specific affinities for the vacuolar SNAREs and catalyzes SNARE complex assembly, but the order of their assembly into a 4-SNARE complex is unclear. We now report defined assembly intermediates on the path to membrane fusion. We found that a prefusion intermediate will assemble with HOPS and the R, Qa, and Qc SNAREs, and that this assembly undergoes rapid fusion upon addition of Qb and Sec17. HOPS-tethered membranes and all four vacuolar SNAREs formed a complex that underwent an even more dramatic burst of fusion upon Sec17p addition. These findings provide initial insights into an ordered fusion pathway consisting of the following intermediates and events: 1) Rab- and HOPS-tethered membranes, 2) a HOPS:R:Qa:Qc trans-complex, 3) a HOPS:4-SNARE trans-complex, 4) an engagement with Sec17, and 5) the rapid lipid rearrangements during fusion. In conclusion, our results indicate that the R:Qa:Qc complex forms in the context of membrane, Ypt7, HOPS, and trans-SNARE assembly and serves as a functional intermediate for rapid fusion after addition of the Qb-SNARE and Sec17 proteins.
Outcomes in Nontumor Adults Fitted With the Auditory Brainstem Implant: 10 Years' Experience

Objectives: Recently, open-set speech recognition performance has been observed with electric stimulation of the brainstem in some nontumor (NT) patients. These outcomes require that we reevaluate the criteria for patient selection and the rationale for expanding the application for the auditory brainstem implant (ABI) to NT adult patients with profound hearing loss. This study presents results from up to 10 years in adults, with analysis based on cause. Materials and Methods: In our Department, from April 1997 to September 2007, ABIs have been implanted in 112 patients (83 adults and 29 children) with tumor (T) and NT disorders. Of the 112 patients, 15 have previously had a cochlear implant elsewhere with no sound detection. This article presents speech recognition results from the 80 patients (32 neurofibromatosis type 2 and 48 NT) who had achieved at least 1-year follow-up. The retrosigmoid approach was used in all NT patients, and the retrosigmoid-transmeatal approach was used in all T patients. Results: All patients had a functioning implantation, and no complications were observed during the operation, activation, or long-term use of the ABI. At the most recent follow-up, NT adults scored from 10 to 100% in open-set speech perception tests (average, 59%), and T patients scored from 5 to 31% (average, 10%). The differences between these results are statistically significant (p = 0.0007). The best performance was observed in patients who lost their nerve VIII from head trauma or severe ossification. Lowest performance (although still highly beneficial to the patient) was observed in patients with neurologic disorders, neuropathy, and cochlear malformations. Conclusion: Our experience clearly indicates that the ABI is an effective tool for hearing rehabilitation in patients with profound hearing loss who cannot be fitted with cochlear implants.
Electroosmotic Flow Control in Complex Microgeometries

A high-order (h/p type) spectral element method is developed, and verified for numerical simulation of combined electroosmotic and pressure driven flows in complex microgeometries. Analytical relations for wall shear stress, velocity and pressure distributions in straight channels are obtained. The electrokinetic pumping action is demonstrated. Electroosmotic flows in groove-channels, microchannel junctions and Y-split junctions are analyzed. Precise flow adjustment and separation control techniques using the electroosmotic forces are demonstrated. In the Stokes flow regime, the flow control is shown to have linear dependence on the magnitude of the external electric field. Hence, the electroosmotic forces can be used as linear actuators for various microfluidic applications.
NEURAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE CONTROL OF SALIVARY GLAND DEGENERATION IN THE IXODID TICK AMBLYOMMA HEBRAEUM

1. 1. We have developed a simple, quantitative assay to monitor salivary gland function in ixodid ticks. 2. 2. Salivary glands of engorged (1.0-3.0g), or partially engorged (0.40-1.0g), Amblyomma hebraeum Koch lose virtually all secretory function within 4 days after engorgement. 3. 3. Salivary glands from partially-fed ticks (0.20-0.30 g) lose 75 % of their secretory ability by 4 days post-removal, but retain this level of function for at least another 11 days. 4. 4. Partially-fed ticks (0.20-0.30 g) removed from the host for 4 days and then allowed to re-attach and resume feeding for a further 2 days, recover much of their lost function. 5. 5. Cutting the opisthosomal nerves of partially-fed ticks (0.40-1.0 g) inhibits salivary gland degeneration. 6. 6. Excising the seminal receptacle from partially-fed ticks (0.40-1.0 g) inhibits salivary gland degeneration. Replacement of the seminal receptacle permits salivary gland degeneration to proceed normally. The factor from the seminal receptacle appears to be distinct from tick salivary gland degeneration factor (TSGDF; Harris & Kaufman, 1981). 7. 7. Injecting a crude extract of male genital tracts into large, partially-fed ticks (0.40-1.0 g), which had had their seminal receptacles removed, caused virtually complete salivary gland degeneration. Such ticks, when injected with an extract of male salivary glands, showed no such degeneration. This suggests that the factor associated with mating originates in the male and is transferred to the female during copulation.
DNA structures common for chironomid telomeres terminating with complex repeats

Tandem repeats, 340 bp long, have been shown to terminate the chromosomes in Chironomus pallidivittatus and similar DNA may be used for this purpose by related insects. In view of the importance of Chironomus in telomere studies, representing in principle a third system after short repeats and Drosophila telomeric retrotransposons, we have investigated the related Chironomus dilutus, to learn what DNA structures are conserved at the chromosome ends. Interspersed subrepeats in the telomeric repeats, which contain a long palindrome, and a zone of about 100 bp of relatively constant subtelomeric DNA towards the junction to the telomeric DNA, are characteristic for C. dilutus as for previously investigated species. C. dilutus has similar subtelomeric DNA at all chromosome ends, but typical telomeric repeats in only seven of the pairs since the eighth telocentric pair contains centromere‐specific repeats.
A method for directly fitting the time derivative of sedimentation velocity data and an alternative algorithm for calculating sedimentation coefficient distribution functions.

The time-derivative method for deriving the sedimentation coefficient distribution, g(s*), from sedimentation velocity data that was developed by Walter Stafford has many advantages and is now widely used. By fitting Gaussian functions to the g(s*) distribution both sedimentation and diffusion coefficients (and therefore molecular masses) for individual species can be obtained. However, some of the approximations used in these procedures limit the accuracy of the results. An alternative approach is proposed in which the dc/dt data are fitted rather than g(s*). This new approach gives improved accuracy, extends the range to sedimentation coefficients below 1 S, and enhances resolution of multiple species. For both approaches the peaks from individual species are broadened when the data cover too wide a time span, and this effect is explored and quantified. An alternative algorithm for calculating ĝ(s*) from the dc/dt curves is presented and discussed. Rather than first averaging the dc/dt data for individual scan pairs and then calculating ĝ(s*) from that average, the ĝ(s*) distributions are calculated for every scan pair and then subsequently averaged. This alternative procedure yields smaller error bars for g(s*) and somewhat greater accuracy for fitted hydrodynamic properties when the time span becomes large.
The turnover of tritium in cell nuclei, chromatin, DNA, and histone.

Mice were exposed to constant internal levels of tritiated water starting at conception and continuing until they were 8 months old. At this point, exposure was discontinued and at various intervals thereafter nuclei, chromatin, and chromatin components were isolated from several tissues and analyzed for nonexchangeable tritium. Initially, about two-thirds of the nonexchangeable tritium in cell nuclei is present in components other than chromatin, but after 8 weeks these labeled components have either vanished or dwindled into relative insignificance and essentially all tritium remaining in the nucleus is in DNA or histone. Although the amount of tritium initially present in DNA and histone is small compared to that in nuclear water, it remains much longer. Consequently the radiation dose from tritium in DNA plus histone may exceed that from tritiated water in cells with a long life span. However, tritium is incorporated into DNA and histones of cells only when they reproduce. Therefore, after transient exposure to tritiated water, this component will contribute significantly to the radiation of only those nuclei from cells with a long life span which happen to reproduce at the time of exposure. Such cells are rare in adults but common in juveniles and embryos.
Periodontal changes following molar intrusion with miniscrews

Background: With the introduction of skeletal anchorage system, recently it is possible to successfully intrude molar teeth. On the other hand, there have been concerns about periodontal changes associated with intrusion and there are few studies on this topic, especially for posterior teeth. Materials and Methods: Ten female patients were enrolled in this study. Maxillary molar intrusion was achieved by inserting two miniscrews and a 17 × 25 titanium molybdenum alloy spring. Crestal height changes were evaluated at three intervals including: Baseline (T0), end of active treatment (T1) and 6 months after retention (T2). Other variables including probing depth, gingival recession, attachment level and bleeding on probing were evaluated by clinical measurements in the three above mentioned intervals. One-sample Kolmogrov-Smirnov test ascertained the normality of the data. For all patients, the changes in tooth position and crestal height were evaluated using one-sample t-test. (P < 0.05) Results: Supra-erupted molars were successfully intruded a mean of 2.1 ± 0.9 mm during active treatment (T0-T1). A mean bone resorption of 0.9 ± 0.9 mm in mesial crest and 1 ± 0.8 mm in distal crest had occurred in total treatment (T0-T2). A mean of 0.6 ± 1.4 mm bone was deposited on mesial crest during the retention period (T1-T2) following tooth relapse. On average, 0.8 ± 0.4 mm attachment gain was obtained. Gingival margin coronalized a mean of 0.8 ± 0.6 mm throughout the entire treatment. Probing depth showed no significant change during treatment. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, these results suggest that not only periodontal status was not negatively affected by intrusion, but also there were signs of periodontal improvement including attachment gain and shortening of clinical crown height.
Localization of a Disease-associated Mutation Site in the Three-dimensional Structure of the Cardiac Muscle Ryanodine Receptor*

The cardiac muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR2) functions as a calcium release channel in the heart. Up to 40 mutations in RyR2 have been linked to genetic forms of sudden cardiac death. These mutations are largely clustered in three regions of the sequence of the polypeptide: one near the N terminus, one in the central region, and the third in the C-terminal region. The central region includes 11 mutations, and an isoleucine-proline motif (positions 2427 and 2428) in the same region is predicted to contribute to the binding of FKBP12.6 protein. We have mapped the central mutation site in the three-dimensional structure of RyR2 by green fluorescent protein insertion, cryoelectron microscopy, and single-particle image processing. The central mutation site was mapped to a “bridge” of density that connects cytoplasmic domains 5 and 6, which have been suggested to undergo conformational changes during channel gating. Moreover, the location of this central mutation site is not close to that of the FKBP12.6-binding site mapped previously by cryoelectron microscopy.
Query Languages for BagsExpressive Power and Complexity 1 St ephane

One of the characteristics of advanced database systems is that they must handle data which no longer ts the traditional relational style. The present column summarizes recent results on one such extension, where databases handle bags (multisets) rather than just sets. The results illustrate an important research direction in Database Theory. Abstract Most database theory focused on investigating databases containing sets of tuples. In practice databases often implement relations using bags, i.e. sets with duplicates. In this paper we study how database query languages are aaected by the use of duplicates. We consider query languages that are simple extensions of the (nested) relational algebra, and investigate their resulting expressive power and complexity.