Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PRESGen: A Fully Automatic Equivalence Checker for Validating Optimizing and Parallelizing Transformations

Petri net has been a popular choice of model of computation (MoC) for representing parallel programs. PRES+ is an extension of the traditional Petri net model which is specially equipped to precisely model embedded systems. Since multi-core and multiprocessor systems have proliferated in the domain of embedded systems as well, it has become critical to validate the optimizing and parallelizing transformations which embedded system specifications go through before being implemented in the hardware. PRES+ model based equivalence checkers for validating such transformations already exist. However, construction of the PRES+ models from the original and the translated codes in these equivalence checkers was not done in an automated manner; thus, leaving scope for inaccurate representation of the PRES+ models since they had to be done manually. Moreover, PRES+ model tends to grow more rapidly with the program size when compared to other MoCs, such as FSMD. To tackle these problems, we propose a method for automated construction of PRES+ models from high-level language programs and using an existing translation scheme to convert PRES+ models to FSMD models, we validate the transformations using a state-of-the-art FSMD equivalence checker. Thus, we have effectively composed an end-to-end fully automatic equivalence checker for validating optimizing and parallelizing transformations. The experimental results demonstrate the practical applicability of our method.
Fortifying Android Patterns using Persuasive Security Framework

—Android Pattern, form of graphical passwords used on Android smartphones, is widely adopted by users. In theory, Android Pattern is more secure than a 5-digit PIN scheme. Users’ graphical passwords, however, are known to be very skewed. They often include predictable shapes (e.g., Z and N), biases in selection of starting point, and predictable sequences of the points that make them easy to guess. In practice, this decreases the security of Android Pattern to that of a 3-digit PIN scheme for at least half of the users. In this paper, we effectively increase the strength of Android Patterns by using a persuasive security framework, a set of principles to get users to behave more securely. Using these principles, we have designed two user interfaces that persuade users to choose stronger patterns. One of the user interfaces is called BLINK, where the starting point of the pattern is suggested to user, effectively nudging her to create a pattern with a signiﬁcantly less predictable starting point. The other user interface is called EPSM, where the system gives continuous feedback to user while she is creating a new pattern, effectively persuading her to create a complex pattern. Security and usability of our proposed designs evaluated by conducting a user study on 270 participants recruited from Amazon MTurk demonstrated that while only 49% of subjects choose strong patterns in Android Pattern user interface, our suggested designs increase it to 60% in BLINK and 77% in EPSM version.
Survey of Influential Nodes Identification in Online Social Networks

The increasing popularity of Online Social Networks (OSNs), its complex and rapidly growing structure, its potential impact on business, politics, healthcare and society has led to a great deal of interest in the development of efficient influential nodes identification algorithms. Different kind of business organizations are trying to use the social networking sites to reach the target audience quickly and efficiently in terms of cost and time. The influential nodes can play an important role in it. In this paper the features of social network, models of social networks and different models or approaches used for identifying influential nodes in online social networks have been studied.
Variability-aware NoC geometry and topology scaling

In this paper we study the effects of geometry and topology scaling on electrical properties variations among NoC links designed to be identical. The modeled process systematic and random variations of current in CM interconnect, as well as delay variations in VM interconnect are calculated as interconnect, device and mesh size scale at 45 nm. Results show that device geometry scaling mainly affects the current variations. On the other hand, interconnect geometry scaling affects both current and delay variations. Scaling the mesh size will not affect random variations. On the other hand as the NoC mesh size scales from 4×4 to 16×16, the CM interconnect systematic current variations increases by 100%, while the VM systematic delay variations increases by 50% .
The Literary Affinities of Exodus Xxxiv 6f

While much attention has been paid in recent years to the theological "credos" alleged to be preserved in Deut. xxvi 5b-9, vi 21-24, and Josh. xxiv 2b-13 1), no comparable interest has been shown in the equally remarkable, though altogether different, theological formula found in Exod. xxxiv 6f, and but little systematic study devoted to it 2), although it is more immediately appealing to the modern mind, and its similar appeal to the ancient Hebrews, at least in certain periods of their history, is attested by the fact that it is quoted in no less than eight OT passages 3), and echoed in still others 4). The dependence of at least the first group of these passages upon a common original is shown by the unique structure of thought and distinctive vocabulary which they share, and it seems clear that Exod. xxxiv 6f, by reason of the fullness of its form as well as by its strategic placement in the unfolding of the Sinai drama, is the original text upon which all the others are dependent. In its present setting, the passage is obviously related to the punning threat made
Cystathionine beta‐synthase c.844ins68 gene variant and non‐syndromic cleft lip and palate

Non‐syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is a common birth defect with substantial clinical and social impact and whose causes include both genetic and environmental factors. Folate and homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism have been indicated to play a role in the etiology of CL/P, and polymorphisms in folate and Hcy genes may act as susceptibility factors. We investigated a common polymorphism in the cystathionine beta‐synthase (CBS) gene (c.844ins68) in 134 Italian CL/P cases and their parents using the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT). Although no overall linkage disequilibrium was observed, considering the parent‐of‐origin transmission of the CBS 68 bp insertion a significant (P = 0.002) transmission distortion was detected. When children receive the c.844ins68 allele from the mother compared to the father, they show a 18.7‐fold increase in risk for CL/P. This evidence suggests CBS as a candidate gene for CL/P and supports a role of maternal‐embryo interactions in the etiology of CL/P. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Probiotics: Which and When?

There is a natural feeling between our intestinal flora and the gut. These microorganisms, living in the various tracts of human intestine, may affect the host homeostasis. Some of these bacteria can perhaps be a source of infection and sepsis when the bowel barrier is physically or functionally breached. The term ‘probiotic’ dates from the beginning of the last century and in the last years a market for probiotics worldwide, estimated to be worth billions of pounds, has developed. Although there is persuasive advertising for probiotics and there have been methodological advances in the study of the intestinal microbiota, much remains unproven, e.g. how probiotics work, which strains are effective, what can be expected to be achieved, and what dosage is required for effectiveness. This review of the literature is an evidence-based guide through the developing microbial universe affecting our life.
Coverage Optimization with Connectivity Preservation for UAV Swarms Applying Chaotic Dynamics

Cooperative usage of multiple UAVs as a swarm can deliver high-quality surveillance performance. However, the communication capabilities within the UAV swarm must be maintained for local data propagation to swarm members in favor of achieving an efficient global behavior. In this paper, we address the problem of optimizing two adversary criteria for such a UAV swarm: (a) maximizing the area coverage, while (b) preserving network connectivity. Our approach, called CACOC², solves the problem with a novel chaotic ant colony optimization approach, which combines an Ant Colony Optimization approach (ACO) with a chaotic dynamical system. CACOC² employs swarming behavior to obtain UAV clustering that result in maximized area coverage and preserved network connectivity. We show by extensive simulations how the size of the UAV swarm influences the coverage and connectivity. A metrics comparison chart shows the correlation of coverage and connectivity metrics.
Conflicts of interest in cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines.

BACKGROUND Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) serve as standards of care in practice, quality improvement, and reimbursement. The extent of conflicts of interest (COIs) in cardiology guideline production has not been well studied. Herein, we describe the scope of COIs in CPGs. METHODS We examined the 17 most recent American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines through 2008. Using disclosure lists, we cataloged COIs for each participant as receiving a research grant, being on a speaker's bureau and/or receiving honoraria, owning stock, or being a consultant or member of an advisory board. We also cataloged the companies and institutions reported in each disclosure. "Episode" describes 1 instance of participation in 1 guideline by 1 person. "Individual" describes 1 person who may be involved in multiple episodes. "Company" describes a commercial or industry affiliation reported by an individual in a single episode. Analysis involved descriptive statistics and correlation analyses (Pearson correlation coefficient, χ(2) and R(2)). RESULTS Fifty-six percent of the 498 individuals reported a COI, corresponding to 56% of the 651 episodes. Being a consultant or member of an advisory board was the most common type. The percentage of episodes involving a COI varied between guidelines (range, 13%-87%). The number of episodes per individual was associated with both presence and number of disclosures (P < .001 for both comparisons). Of 478 companies, the number per guideline ranged from 2 to 242 companies (mean, 38 companies). One company was the most frequently reported company in 7 of 17 guidelines. CONCLUSION Conflicts of interest are prevalent in cardiology guidelines, but there seems to be a significant number of experienced experts without COIs.
A Controlled Study of Prednisone Therapy in Infantile Spasms

Summary: A controlled study of 12 patients with infantile spasms was performed to determine the effectiveness of prednisone treatment. Patients were monitored serially, using a time‐synchronized polygraphic and video system. Three patients (25%) showed prompt reduction in seizure frequency and normalization of the EEG after institution of treatment. The remaining patients showed no improvement in seizure frequency or significant change in the EEG.
The preventative effect of ramosetron on postoperative nausea and vomiting after total thyroidectomy

Background Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) frequently develops in patients undergoing thyroidectomy, and propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) has been reported to reduce the incidence of PONV. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of ramosetron on PONV in women following total thyroidectomy under TIVA. Methods One hundred and thirty women scheduled for thyroidectomy were allocated to either a control group (n = 65) or a ramosetron group (n = 65). Propofol in combination with remifentanil was used for TIVA in all patients. 2 ml of either intravenous saline (control group) or 0.3 mg of ramosetron (ramosetron group) were administered at the end of the surgery. Fentanyl-based patient-controlled analgesia was implemented for 48 h after surgery in all patients. The incidences and severities of PONV, pain scores, administrations of rescue antiemetics, and the side effects of the antiemetics were documented during the first 48 h after surgery. Results The incidences of complete response (no PONV, no rescue) in the control and ramosetron groups were 71% and 88%, respectively, during the first 6 h (P = 0.029), 85% and 94% during the next 6 to 24 h period (P = 0.155), and 97% and 95% during the last 24 to 48 h period (P = 1.00). During the first 6 h, the severity of nausea and the use of rescue antiemetic medication were significantly lower in the ramosetron group. Conclusions Ramosetron was found to be effective at reducing the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea in women that underwent total thyroidectomy with propofol-based TIVA, especially during the first 6 hours postoperatively.
High MIP-1&bgr; Levels in Plasma Predict Long-Term Immunological Nonresponse to Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV Infection

Background:HIV-infected patients who fail to reconstitute their CD4 T-cell counts during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) have increased risk of both AIDS-related and non–AIDS-related morbidity and mortality. Improved understanding of immunological nonresponse (INR) is necessary to enable earlier clinical intervention. Methods:In a cohort of 112 HIV-infected patients starting ART, we performed a serial analysis of 32 plasma-soluble markers, assessed by multiplex cytokine and enzyme immunoassay. Samples were drawn pre-ART and during the first 3 years of treatment, with a final observation time of 8.4 years (interquartile range, 7.0–10.7 years) on ART. Long-term INR (LT-INR) was defined as failure to reach a CD4 T-cell count >350 cells per microliter. Marker stability was evaluated by parallel analysis of samples from ART-naïve and HIV-seronegative controls. Results:Baseline CD4 T-cell counts predicted subsequent LT-INR (n = 15) [odds ratio, 1.10 (95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 1.19) pr. 10 cells/&mgr;L reduction in CD4 count, P = 0.030] in the cohort as a whole, but not in patients with baseline CD4 counts <200 cells per microliter (n = 78). LT-INR was best characterized by elevated plasma levels of the CC chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein 1&bgr; (MIP-1&bgr;), both at baseline (pre-ART) and during ART. In patients with baseline CD4 counts <200 cells per microliter, baseline MIP-1&bgr; predicted LT-INR [odds ratio 1.23 (95% confidence interval: 1.02 to 1.47) per 10 pg/mL increase in MIP-1&bgr;, P = 0.029]. Conclusions:Elevated pre-ART levels of MIP-1&bgr; identified LT-INR patients who started ART at CD4 counts <200. INR was characterized by persistently high MIP-1&bgr; during suppressive ART. Thus, MIP-1&bgr; may be of use for early identification of LT-INR.
Region-of-interest material decomposition from truncated energy-resolved CT.

PURPOSE Energy-resolved CT using photon-counting detectors has the potential to provide improved material decomposition compared to dual-kVp approaches. However, available photon-counting detectors are susceptible to pulse-pileup artifacts, especially at the periphery of the field of view (FOV) where the object attenuation is low compared to the center of the FOV. Pulse pileup may be avoided by imaging a region-of-interest (ROI) where the dynamic range is expected to be limited. This work investigated performing material decomposition and reconstructing ROI basis images from truncated energy-resolved data. METHODS A method is proposed to reconstruct images of basis functions primarily contained within the ROI, such as targeted or localized K-edge contrast agents. Material decomposition is performed independently for each ray in the sinogram, followed by filtered backprojection from the truncated data encompassing the ROI. A second method is proposed that uses a prior conventional energy-integrating image to estimate energy-resolved data outside the ROI. The measured and estimated energy-resolved data are decomposed into basis projections and merged into basis sinograms of the full FOV. Basis images of the ROI are then reconstructed through filtered backprojection. This method is most easily applied to objects that do not contain K-edge contrast agents outside the ROI. Simulations of a voxelized thorax phantom with iodine in the blood pool and a detector with five energy bins were performed. Full FOV, truncated, and truncated data merged with data estimated from the prior energy-integrating image were decomposed into Compton, photoelectric, and iodine basis functions. An empirical weighting factor was determined to blend the merged sinogram at the boundary of the truncated data. The effects of noise and misalignment in the prior image were also quantified. Basis images of the central 15 cm × 15 cm ROI containing the heart were reconstructed via filtered backprojection. Basis image accuracy was quantified relative to gold-standard basis images reconstructed from full FOV energy-resolved data. RESULTS The error in the iodine basis image reconstructed from truncated energy-resolved data without prior information was less than 1% for the central 7 cm of the 7.5-cm-radius ROI and 3% at the edge of the ROI. When the truncated and estimated basis sinograms were blended, the error was below 1% throughout the ROI for photoelectric basis images and ranged from 1% at the center of the ROI to 4% at the edge for the Compton basis image. CONCLUSIONS The density of localized K-edge contrast agents can be estimated to within 1% error using filtered back projection without prior information. For noncontrast and localized-contrast scans, ROI images of general basis functions can be reconstructed to within a few percent error using a prior energy-integrating image. The ability to perform material decomposition for a limited ROI may facilitate energy-resolved CT with available photon-counting detectors.
Proteomic analysis to dissect mitoxantrone resistance-associated proteins in a squamous lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Mitoxantrone resistance has been related to the expression of a drug efflux pump breast cancer resistance pump (BCRP) but little is known of the intracellular protein changes. In this work, differential protein expression in a squamous lung carcinoma cell line, DLKP, and its mitoxantrone-resistant variant (DLKP-Mitox) was investigated to elucidate other changes associated with mitoxantrone resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Differential protein expression between DLKP and DLKP-Mitox was investigated using 2D-DIGE technology. Proteins of interest were identified by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. Western blotting was used to confirm and validate some of these changes. RESULTS Biological variation analysis in Decyder software revealed a total of 343 proteins to be differentially regulated with p < 0.05. Identification of 61 proteins of interest by mass spectrometry revealed changes in proteins involved in many cellular processes including apoptosis and differentiation. CONCLUSION Alterations in these cellular processes and proteins present alternative sites to circumvent resistance to mitoxantrone.
A 1V CMOS up-converter for dual-band GPS/Galileo receivers

This paper presents a IV 0.13 mum CMOS low-power low-noise up-converter for the E2-L1- El/L5-E5a dual-band GPS/Galileo dual-mode receivers. The up-converter includes a low noise amplifier with an embedded image rejection filter (IRF), a mixer and a phase-locked LO source.
A distributed cloud-based cyberinfrastructure framework for integrated bridge monitoring

This paper describes a cloud-based cyberinfrastructure framework for the management of the diverse data involved in bridge monitoring. Bridge monitoring involves various hardware systems, software tools and laborious activities that include, for examples, a structural health monitoring (SHM), sensor network, engineering analysis programs and visual inspection. Very often, these monitoring systems, tools and activities are not coordinated, and the collected information are not shared. A well-designed integrated data management framework can support the effective use of the data and, thereby, enhance bridge management and maintenance operations. The cloud-based cyberinfrastructure framework presented herein is designed to manage not only sensor measurement data acquired from the SHM system, but also other relevant information, such as bridge engineering model and traffic videos, in an integrated manner. For the scalability and flexibility, cloud computing services and distributed database systems are employed. The information stored can be accessed through standard web interfaces. For demonstration, the cyberinfrastructure system is implemented for the monitoring of the bridges located along the I-275 Corridor in the state of Michigan.
Final report from the NSF Workshop on Future Directions in Wireless Networking

Wireless communication networks are closely intertwined with the very fabric of both civilian and military environments, and their continued growth and well-being is critical to the success and health of our nation. Today's wireless communication industry worldwide is a trillion-dollar business that represents a substantial fraction of the global economy. Over the past two decades, it has had a transformative impact on our society and has revolutionized almost all aspects of human interaction. Through the use of smartphones, personal tablets and increasing number of wireless-based sensors in our environments, wireless networking systems touch every aspect of human lives today. Nonetheless, with exponential spread of mobile wireless devices, continued improvements in spectrum utilization, resource allocation, hardware miniaturization, and development of new renewable energy sources, we find ourselves still very much in the infancy of the development of such networks, which have the potential to grow and become orders-of-magnitude more sophisticated.
Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism, Materialism, Money Attitudes, and Consumption Preferences

ABSTRACT Narcissism is increasingly being investigated in the context of consumer attitudes and behavior. Previous research showed that narcissism is reflected in materialistic tendencies and money-related attitudes. However, almost all of these studies concerned the grandiose type of narcissism. We examined relationships of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism with materialism, money attitudes, and consumption preferences in a nonstudent sample. The results showed that the two types of narcissism are equally associated with materialism and a tendency to conspicuous (public) consumption. Differences between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism with regard to money attitudes were observed. Materialism mediated most of the relationships between narcissism, money attitudes, and consumption preferences, but the patterns of mediation were different for grandiose and vulnerable subtypes. Mutual suppression occurred when grandiose narcissism and materialism predicted anxiety associated with money and when vulnerable narcissism and materialism predicted money perceived as a source of evil. The results suggested that not only grandiose, but also vulnerable narcissists may be prone to excessive consumption and that this can be explained by their materialistic tendencies.