Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Big data and learning analytics: Singular or plural?

Recent critiques of both the uses of and discourse surrounding big data have raised important questions as to the extent to which big data and big data techniques should be embraced. However, while the context-dependence of data has been recognized, there remains a tendency among social theorists and other commentators to treat certain aspects of the big data phenomenon, including not only the data but also the methods and tools used to move from data as database to data that can be interpreted and assigned meaning, in a homogenizing way. In this paper, we seek to challenge this tendency, and to explore the ways in which explicit consideration of the plurality of big data might inform particular instances of its exploitation. We compare one currently popular big data-inspired innovation — learning analytics — with three other big data contexts — the physical sciences, business intelligence and public health. Through these comparisons, we highlight some dangers of learning analytics implemented without substantial theoretical, ethical and design effort. In so doing, we also highlight just how plural data, analytical approaches and intentions are, and suggest that each new big data context needs to be recognized in its own singularity.
Desire for a child and eating disorders in women seeking infertility treatment

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of EDs in women seeking treatment for infertility, and to better characterize their clinical profile. Study design Sixty participants completed self-report measures that assessed EDs, desire for a child, body preoccupations, quality of life, anxiety and depression. Results Ten patients (17%) met criteria for a past or current ED. We showed a significant association between greater body dissatisfaction and a more ambivalent desire for a child. Furthermore, an ED was associated with (i) a lower quality of life, and (ii) more anxiety disorders. Conclusion Screening for a history of ED in infertile women is recommended to plan for adapted care regarding infertility but also regarding ED and psychiatric comorbidities. Therefore, the assessment has to take into account the desire for a child and the body satisfaction, that are essential parts of the ED process on the one hand and infertility process on the other. This could help with the infertility treatment and the prevention of negative maternal and fetal outcomes.
MECHANICAL LOOSENING OF TOTAL HIP PROSTHESES

Twenty patients were examined by standard radiography and roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) during a two-year period after total hip arthroplasty. Eleven of the acetabular components migrated cranially and three femoral components migrated distally. This migration was most rapid during the first four months after operation. Our findings support the possibility that mechanical loosening is initiated by thermal injury during polymerisation of the cement; the less frequent migration of the metallic femoral component compared with the polyethylene acetabular component may be because the metal acts as a heat sink. Standard radiographs were inadequate for assessment of early mechanical loosening, whereas RSA could reveal migration within four months of the arthroplasty.
Acceso al financiamiento de las PYMES en Argentina: Estado de situación y propuestas de política

El presente documento analiza el grado de acceso al credito por parte de las pequenas y medianas empresas en Argentina. A tal efecto, el estudio revisa criticamente diversos preconceptos de amplia difusion entre los encargados de politica e incluso entre especialistas en el tema. En particular, se cuestiona el real alcance de la demanda insatisfecha de credito y el proceso de seleccion de deudores y la transparencia de los programas publicos. A partir de este diagnostico, fundamentado en argumentos teoricos y en distintas fuentes de evidencia para Argentina y otros paises, se brindan recomendaciones practicas para el diseno de politicas publicas orientadas a mejorar la insercion de las pymes en el mercado crediticio.
On Deadlock Problem of On-Chip Buses Supporting Out-of-Order Transactions

Modern on-chip communication protocols such as advanced eXtensible interface and open core protocol support advanced transactions to improve communication efficiency. Out-of-order transactions that allow responses to be returned in an order different from their request order play an important role in this improvement. However, a deadlock situation may occur if these transactions are not properly manipulated. In this paper, we address the deadlock problem in an on-chip bus system supporting out-of-order transactions. We present a graphic model that can well represent the status of a bus system and show that a cycle exists in the graph if and only if the bus system is in an unsafe state that may lead to a bus deadlock. Based on this model, we propose a novel bus design technique that can efficiently resolve the bus deadlock problem. Experimental results show that buses with the proposed technique can be up to 3.3 times faster than those with the currently available techniques.
Modeling strategic behavior of distribution company in wholesale energy and reserve markets

The decision making framework in power system has changed due to presence of distributed energy resources (DERs). These resources are installed in distribution networks to meet demand locally. Therefore, distribution companies (Discos) are enabled to supply energy through these resources to meet their demand at a minimum operation cost. Moreover, in this framework, the Disco will change its role in the wholesale energy market from price taker to price maker as a decision maker. Moreover, DERs can serve reserve in their normal operation. This opportunity facilitates Disco to provide reserve to the wholesale reserve market. The strategic behavior of a Disco in wholesale energy and reserve markets is modeled in this paper as a bi-level optimization problem. The operation problem of the Disco and the Independent System Operator (ISO) are modeled in the upper- and lower-level problems, respectively. Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) dualilty theory conditions are employed to transform the proposed nonlinear bi-level problem to a linear single level one. Numerical studies demonstrate the proficiency of the proposed model and the solution methodology.
Error-resilient design of branch predictors for effective yield improvement

Speculative execution methods have been long employed in microprocessors in order to boost their performance. Being speculative, their implementation is self-correcting functionally, as the speculation needs always to be verified, and, if incorrect, its effect nullified. Hence, the actions of a faulty speculative component self-correct, albeit at the cost of some performance degradation. As speculation techniques are aggressively employed to enhance microprocessor's performance, however, such performance faults may result in frequent violation of their expected speculation accuracy, significantly degrading the overall performance of the system. Hence, microprocessors with defective speculative components are discarded, resulting in yield loss. In this work, we propose several error-resilient design strategies for branch predictors; a representative example of speculative processor subsystems. The proposed methods support indexing mechanisms that can effectively re-map the history information, used for predicting branches, to fault-free entries, mitigating the impact of faults in heavily-used entries. Experimental results indicate that the proposed error-resilient design methods significantly reduce the impact of performance faults, effectively improving yield.
Blood glucose and its prognostic implications in patients hospitalised with acute myocardial infarction

Elevated blood glucose and its potential link with adverse outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been the subject of intense study over more than 40 years. The numerous observational studies performed to date have addressed some of the questions in this field, but many critically important questions are still poorly understood, and remain subjects of debate. This review summarises current epidemiological data on the prevalence of hyperglycemia in the AMI patient population and its relationship to patient outcomes, and addresses some of the existing controversies in the field.
In Memoriam: Jane Douglas Case-Smith (September 5, 1953 – July 30, 2014)

In his essay The Servant as Leader, Robert Greenleaf (1970) described a style of leadership based on a foundation of “my success comes from your success” and coined the term servant leader. These leaders embody the qualities of listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community (Spears, 2004). In his case study, Dillon (2001) noted four tenants of servant leadership in occupational therapy: (a) Enabling Others, (b) Focusing on the Greater Good, (c) Collaborative Visioning, and (d) Leadership Through Caring and Service. There can be no doubt that Greenleaf and Dillon were describing individuals like Jane Case-Smith. In fact, in 2013, Jane received the Sister Genevieve Scholar award from St. Catherine University, an award given in honor of the servant leader described by Dillon. Throughout her entire career, Jane consistently embodied the essence of a servant leader as a practitioner and scholar, educator and mentor, colleague and confidant.
Opdivo (Nivolumab): Second PD-1 Inhibitor Receives FDA Approval for Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma.

Although less common than other skin cancers, melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.1 According to data collected between 2004 and 2010, the 5-year relative survival rate for Americans with distant melanoma is only 16% for all ages, races, and sexes.2 The National Cancer Institute estimated that there were 76,100 new cases of skin melanoma in 2014, and more than 9700 patients died from this disease during the same period.2 The incidence of melanoma continues to rise, particularly among children and adolescents.3 Analysis of first-time melanoma diagnoses between 1970 and 2009 in patients aged 18 to 39 years showed that the number of new cases of skin melanoma increased 8-fold among young women and 4-fold among young men.3 Using data from 1973 to 2009, another study documented an average increase in melanoma of 2% annually in individuals aged between 0 and 19 years.4
Development of TFET 0.13 μm standard cell library for ultra-low power applications

Wearable medical devices and smart meters usually need low standby power consumption and ultra-low operating voltage, the shortcoming of traditional CMOS shutoff feature due to sub-threshold swing, limit the size narrowing. TFET devices exhibit ideal static power characteristics in recent research. This paper discusses the design of TFET standard cell library use 0.13-μm CMOS technology and a complete library establishment framework is proposed. The library contains different drive strength logic cells and timing cells to support the whole digital circuit design, as well as library models include power, timing characteristic in formations. The design rules of TFET standard cell is set to meet the requirements of CMOS. The simulation results of performance comparison between our TFET standard cell library and CMOS standard cell library using a 65-order FIR filter show that our library obtains a dynamic power saving of 43.86% and a static power reduction of 97.70%.
Randomized studies on mechanical ventilation in laparoscopic surgery as reported according the year of publication

Genel anestezi, solunum sistemini bir çok farklı şekilde etkileyerek, rezidüel fonksiyonel kapasitenin değişmesi veya atelektazi gibi ameliyat sırası ve sonrası komplikasyonlara neden olabilir. Bu derlemenin amacı: 1) laparoskopik, açık karın ve kalp cerrahileri sırasında kullanımı önerilen koruyucu ventilasyon stratejilerini incelemek ve 2) ameliyathanede, genel anestezi sırasında sık kullanılan ventilasyon modları hakkında bilgi vermektir.
Mesenchymal stromal cells promote or suppress the proliferation of T lymphocytes from cord blood and peripheral blood: the importance of low cell ratio and role of interleukin-6.

BACKGROUND AIMS Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been shown to possess immunomodulatory functions and proposed as a tool for managing or preventing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) as well as promoting clinical transplantation tolerance. We investigated the capacity of human bone marrow (BM) MSC to modulate the proliferation of T cells obtained from peripheral blood (PB) and umbilical cord blood (CB). We addressed the importance of the MSC:T-cell ratio, requirement for cell contact and impact of soluble factors on the MSC-mediated effects. We also analyzed whether regulatory T cells could be modulated by MSC in co-cultures. METHODS The effect of different MSC concentrations on T-cell proliferation induced by allogeneic, mitogenic or CD3/CD28 stimulation was analyzed using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and carboxyfluorescein diacetate-succinimidyl ester (CFDA-SE) labeling. The level of regulatory T cells was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS MSC induced a dose- and contact-dependent inhibition of T-cell proliferation but lymphocytes from CB and PB were differentially affected. At low concentrations, MSC supported both CB and PB T-cell proliferation, rather than inhibiting their proliferation. This supportive effect was contact independent and soluble factors such interleukin-6 (IL-6) appeared to be involved. Interestingly, among the expanded T-cell population in both CB and PB, regulatory T cells were increased and were a part of the new cells promoted by MSC at low doses. CONCLUSIONS MSC represent an attractive tool for reducing the lymphocyte response by inhibiting T-cell activation and proliferation as well as promoting tolerance by maintaining and promoting the expansion of regulatory cells. Nevertheless, the dual ability of MSC to either sustain or suppress T-cell proliferation according to conditions should be considered in the context of clinical applications.
Conformance test development with the Java modeling language

In order to claim conformance with a Java Specification Request, a Java implementation has to pass all tests in an associated Technology Compatibility Kit. This paper presents a model‐based development of a Technology Compatibility Kit test suite and a test execution tool for the draft safety‐critical Java profile specification. The Java Modeling Language is used to model conformance constraints for the profile. Java Modeling Language annotations define contracts for classes and interfaces. The annotations are translated by a tool into runtime assertion checks. Hereby, the design and elaboration of the concrete test cases are simplified, because the expected results are derived from contracts and thus do not need to be provided explicitly. Bottom‐up testing is applied for testing methods of the safety‐critical Java classes, whereas top‐down testing is applied for testing global properties, such as protocols, memory management, and real‐time properties, including scheduling. The tests are executed using a simplified version of JUnit, which makes the test suite executable on resource‐constrained platforms. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
i-BEP: A non-redundant and high-concurrency memory persistency model

Byte-addressable, non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies enable fast persistent updates but incur potential data inconsistency upon a failure. Recent proposals present several persistency models to guarantee data consistency. However, they fail to express the minimal persist ordering as a result of inducing unnecessary ordering constraints. In this paper, we propose i-BEP, a non-redundant high concurrency memory persistency model, which expresses epoch dependency via persist directed acyclic graph instead of program order. Additionally, we propose two techniques, background persist and deferred eviction, to enhance the performance of i-BEP. We demonstrate that i-BEP can improve the performance by 15% for typical data structures on average over buffered epoch persistency (BEP) model.
Clinical stability of a new method for fixation and explanation of epiretinal implants

Editor, S ince the first electrical stimulation of the retina in blind patients (Humayun et al. 1996), epiretinal prostheses to restore vision have been developed (Velikay-Parel et al. 2006). Epiretinal implants are commonly fixed to the posterior pole with a retinal tack (Majji et al. 1999; Walter et al. 1999). In order to provide the option for a later exchange with subsequent generations of implant, the removal of the implant should not cause substantial intraocular trauma. We therefore developed a new method for epiretinal implant fixation which should provide for firm fixation and allow an atraumatic explantation. The clinical stability of the new method and the feasibility of the implant explantation were tested in an experimental study in 11 Gottinger minipigs. This animal trial was approved by the Austrian legal authorities and the Medical University of Graz and the animals were treated according to the guidelines of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Surgical procedures for the implantation and explantation of epiretinal implant dummies (Fig. 1) were performed in sterile conditions under general anaesthesia. After combined vitrectomy with lensectomy, a retinal titanium tack was inserted at the posterior pole above the upper vessel arcade using a retinal forceps (Fig. 2) (Geuder AG, Heidelberg, Germany). Then, a limbus-based scleral flap was prepared on the upper temporal globe and the polyimide strip was introduced into the vitreous cavity through a 5-mm incision, 2 mm from the limbus. Intraocularly, the polyimide strip was grasped with an endoforceps and docked onto the tack (Fig. 3A). The retainer tool with the fixed silicone tube was docked onto the tack (Fig. 3B). The silicone tube was then released on the tack by squeezing the handle. Next, the extraocular portion was sutured to the sclera at the upper temporal quadrant and the scleral flap, vitrectomy ports and conjunctiva were sutured. Special care was taken to make a watertight wound closure. Immediately after the tack insertion a minor subretinal haemorrhage was observed in three of 11 eyes. After observation periods of 3– 8 weeks, the eyes were clinically examined and the implants subsequently explanted. In all eyes the implants had remained in place with no dislocation of the silicone tube. Pupillary membranes and vitreous strands were observed in all animals. In three of 11 animals, the retinal architecture remained unchanged, whereas in four animals vitreous strands caused localized traction
Natural Killer Cells in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection: Spotlight on the Impact of Human Cytomegalovirus

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been closely associated with the human race across evolutionary time. HCMV co-infection is nearly universal in human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals and remains an important cofactor in HIV-1 disease progression even in the era of effective antiretroviral treatment. HCMV infection has been shown to have a broad and potent influence on the human immune system and has been linked with the discovery and characterization of adaptive natural killer (NK) cells. Distinct NK-cell subsets, predominately expressing the activating receptor NKG2C and the marker of terminal differentiation CD57, expand in response to HCMV. These NK-cell populations engaged in the long-lasting interaction with HCMV, in addition to characteristic but variable expression of surface receptors, exhibit reduced expression of signaling proteins and transcription factors expressed by canonical NK cells. Broad epigenetic modifications drive the emergence and persistence of HCMV-adapted NK cells that have distinct functional characteristics. NKG2C+ NK-cell expansions have been observed in HIV-1 infected patients and other acute and chronic viral infections being systematically associated with HCMV seropositivity. The latter is potentially an important confounding variable in studies focused on the cellular NK-cell receptor repertoire and functional capacity. Here, focusing on HIV-1 infection we review the evidence in favor of “adaptive” changes likely induced by HCMV co-infection in NK-cell subsets. We highlight a number of key questions and how insights into the adaptive behavior of NK cells will inform new strategies exploiting their unique properties in the fight against HIV-1.
Effects of energy level and protein source on nitrogen kinetics in steers fed wheat straw-based diets.

A 4 x 4 Latin square metabolism trial with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was conducted to determine N kinetics in steers. Steers were fed either untreated (UNT-WS) or alkaline hydrogen peroxide-treated wheat straw (AHP-WS) based diets supplemented with soybean meal (SBM) or blood meal (BM). Single doses of (15NH4)2SO4 were infused into ruminal pools to determine N kinetics. Ruminal NH3N concentrations (main effects) were 3.81, 1.65, 3.18, and 2.28 mg/dL in steers when fed diets that contained UNT-WS, AHP-WS, SBM, and BM, respectively. Ruminal N pool size was greater (P < .05) for UNT-WS than for AHP-WS diets and also was greater (P < .10) for SBM than for BM diets. Nitrogen flux rate into the rumen was not affected (P > .10) by diet. However, production rate of N from the ruminal pool was greater (P < .05) for UNT-WS than for AHP-WS diets and greater (P < .10) for SBM than for BM diets. Nitrogen recycled into the rumen was 33% greater (P < .05) for AHP-WS than for UNT-WS diets and 26% greater (P < .05) for BM than for SBM diets. Nitrogen recycling (percentage of N intake) was 33, 56, 36, and 49% for UNT-WS, AHP-WS, SBM, and BM diets, respectively. The blood urea N (BUN) concentrations were 10.23, 4.58, 7.15, and 7.65 mg/dL for UNT-WS, AHP-WS, SBM, and BM diets, respectively. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mutational Uncoupling of the Role of Sus1 in Nuclear Pore Complex Targeting of an mRNA Export Complex and Histone H2B Deubiquitination

Sus1 is an evolutionary conserved protein that functions both in transcription and mRNA export and has been proposed to contribute to coupling these processes in yeast. Sus1 mediates its different roles as a component of both the histone H2B deubiquitinating module (Sus1-Sgf11-Ubp8-Sgf73) of the SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase) transcriptional co-activator and the mRNA export complex, TREX-2 (Sus1-Sac3-Thp1-Cdc31). We have dissected the different functions of Sus1 with respect to its partitioning in transcription and export complexes using a mutational approach. Here we show that the sus1–10 (E18A, S19A, and G20A) and sus1–12 (V73A and D75A) alleles of Sus1 can be dissociated from TREX-2 while leaving its interaction with SAGA largely intact. Conversely, the binding to both TREX-2 and SAGA was impaired in the sus1–11 allele (G37A and W38A), in which two highly conserved residues were mutated. In vitro experiments demonstrated that dissociation of mutant Sus1 from its partners is caused by a reduced affinity toward the TREX-2 subunit, Sac3, and the SAGA factor, Sgf11, respectively. Consistent with the biochemical data, these sus1 mutant alleles showed differential genetic relationships with SAGA and mRNA export mutants. In vivo, all three sus1 mutants were impaired in targeting TREX-2 (i.e. Sac3) to the nuclear pore complexes and exhibited nuclear mRNA export defects. This study has implications for how Sus1, in combination with distinct interaction partners, can regulate diverse aspects of gene expression.