Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic Polyhedral Methods for Adaptive Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis: Theory and Application

Polyhedral methods for choice-based conjoint analysis provide a means to adapt choice-based questions at the individual-respondent level and provide an alternative means to estimate partworths when there are relatively few questions per respondent, as in a Web-based questionnaire. However, these methods are deterministic and are susceptible to the propagation of response errors. They also assume, implicitly, a uniform prior on the partworths. In this paper we provide a probabilistic interpretation of polyhedral methods and propose improvements that incorporate response error and/or informative priors into individual-level question selection and estimation. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that response-error modeling and informative priors improve polyhedral question-selection methods in the domains where they were previously weak. A field experiment with over 2,200 leading-edge wine consumers in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand suggests that the new question-selection methods show promise relative to existing methods.
Updating Description Logic ABoxes

Aus dem Abstract: Description logic (DL) ABoxes are a tool for describing the state of affairs in an application domain. In this paper, we consider the problem of updating ABoxes when the state changes. We assume that changes are described at an atomic level, i.e., in terms of possibly negated ABox assertions that involve only atomic concepts and roles. We analyze such basic ABox updates in several standard DLs by investigating whether the updated ABox can be expressed in these DLs and, if so, whether it is computable and what is its size.
Development of an odor-discriminating sensor-array for the Detection of the aroma of ascomycete tuber

An “electronic nose” based on a low-cost array of gas-sensors is developed and tested for the detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emanated from samples of the ascomecyte Tuber or truffle. These fungi have highly appreciated gastronomical and nutritive merits and they own a variable characteristic aroma depending on their stage of maturation and place of origin. A data acquisition system is developed and the response of the gas sensors to truffle samples is monitored. Preliminary results show that an intelligent odor-discriminating system based on a gas sensor array is possible and can contribute to the identification and classification of truffles.
Multiple Means to the Same End: The Genetic Basis of Acquired Stress Resistance in Yeast

In nature, stressful environments often occur in combination or close succession, and thus the ability to prepare for impending stress likely provides a significant fitness advantage. Organisms exposed to a mild dose of stress can become tolerant to what would otherwise be a lethal dose of subsequent stress; however, the mechanism of this acquired stress tolerance is poorly understood. To explore this, we exposed the yeast gene-deletion libraries, which interrogate all essential and non-essential genes, to successive stress treatments and identified genes necessary for acquiring subsequent stress resistance. Cells were exposed to one of three different mild stress pretreatments (salt, DTT, or heat shock) and then challenged with a severe dose of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Surprisingly, there was little overlap in the genes required for acquisition of H2O2 tolerance after different mild-stress pretreatments, revealing distinct mechanisms of surviving H2O2 in each case. Integrative network analysis of these results with respect to protein–protein interactions, synthetic–genetic interactions, and functional annotations identified many processes not previously linked to H2O2 tolerance. We tested and present several models that explain the lack of overlap in genes required for H2O2 tolerance after each of the three pretreatments. Together, this work shows that acquired tolerance to the same severe stress occurs by different mechanisms depending on prior cellular experiences, underscoring the context-dependent nature of stress tolerance.
Virtual machine placement using pre-fetching data transfer

In cloud environments, the use of data-intensive applications is becoming more common than ever. For efficient computation, data-intensive applications require a bigger volume of data. Approaches that are aimed at intensive computation, such as conventional meta-scheduling approaches, do not consider the data requirement of the application, which leads to poor performance. One of the big challenge in Cloud environment is scheduling the application data in an efficient manner. Additionally, average turnaround time and process utilization should be considered in such environments. An evaluation of a cloud scheduling strategys performance is not complete without taking into account the worst case turnaround time. In this paper, we proposed a VMs placement algorithm which takes into account three important factors that affect job completion time. These factors are data locality, processing time and queuing time. In the proposed scheme, the data transfer is taken as an important factor in the computation and is thus explicitly considered in the scheduling process. Additionally, the proposed algorithm is covered the wasting time during jobs queuing by applying overlap technique. In this technique the job data will transferring in advance during it queuing and other jobs in the processing stage. This could save some time and improve the application performance. Based on the simulation results, which shows that our proposed algorithm brings significant benefits to jobs that are data sensitive.
Crystallization behaviors of polypropylene/montmorillonite nanocomposites

The isothermal crystallization kinetics of polypropylene/montmorillonite (PP/MMT) nanocomposites synthesized via intercalation polymerization were investigated by using differential scanning calorimeter and polarizing optical microscope (POM). The crystallinity of the nanocomposites decreased with the increase of the montmorillonite content, indicating that the MMT layers dispersed in the PP matrices confined the PP chains and hindered the crystallization of the PP chains. The POM photographs showed that the spherulites of the PP/MMT nanocomposites were greatly decreased in size as MMT was introduced. On the other hand, the crystallization rate increased dramatically with the increasing of MMT content. The interfacial free-energy per unit area perpendicular to PP chains in PP/MMT nanocomposites decreased with increasing MMT content, suggesting that the MMT layers acted as heterogeneous nuclei in the nucleation of crystallization. The nucleus density increased with the increasing of MMT content, leading to a positive effect on the crystallization. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1978–1985, 2002
Online Hunting and Gathering: An Evolutionary Perspective on Sex Differences in Website Preferences and Navigation

Despite numerous sex differences found in spatial navigation, perception, and verbal abilities, the manner in which these differences manifest themselves in terms of online navigation has yet to be explored. We propose a unified framework based on evolutionary psychology and supported by recent findings in cognitive neuroscience for understanding sex differences in cognition and how they relate to online navigation and website preferences. The literature on sex differences in navigation, object location, spatial rotation, the perception of color, form, and movement, and verbal fluency is reviewed within the context of their evolutionary underpinnings. Based on these findings, specific website design recommendations are proposed. Results of a pilot study examining sex differences in web navigation provide evidence that utilizing an evolutionary approach can engender findings with significant implications for e-communication researchers and practitioners alike.
Image Fusion Based on Grey Polynomial Interpolation

In this paper, an image fusion approach based on grey polynomial interpolation (GPI) is presented to enhance the visual quality for a high contrast image. The objective of image fusion is to integrate different source images and to produce an image with higher visual quality than the source images. In this paper, two source images are obtained by a camera with different exposure parameters. One is of high exposure and the other low. With the GPI, two source images are fused. The results for the given examples indicate that the proposed approach has achieved the goal and is of better visual quality when compared with the scheme in [1].
An analysis of hip joint loading during walking, running, and skiing.

PURPOSE It was the purpose of this study to investigate loading of the hip joint during various skiing activities and to compare the results with walking and running. The results are relevant to determine which skiing activities can be recommended for patients after total hip replacement. METHODS Nine male subjects were instrumented with a 12-channel accelerometer system mounted on the upper body. Data were collected during walking, running, and six skiing activities and used as input for an inverse dynamic analysis that resulted in the time histories of the intersegmental force and moment at the supporting hip joint. Joint contact force was computed using a simple muscle model. Peak values were determined, averaged over all loading cycles, and compared between activities. RESULTS Intersegmental force, indicating the influence of upper body weight and accelerations, was highest during running. Intersegmental moments were highest during the alpine skiing activities and indicated large extensor muscle forces at the hip joint. The peak joint contact force during walking at 1.5 m x s(-1) was 2.5+/-0.3 times body weight (BW). Running at 3.5 m x s(-1) produced a joint contact force of 5.2+/-0.4 BW during the push-off phase. Joint contact forces during four different alpine skiing conditions ranged from 4.1+/-0.6 BW (long turns, flat slope) to 7.8+/-1.5 BW (short turns, steep slope). Cross-country skiing had lower hip joint loading than running but higher than walking: 4.0+/-1.1 BW for classical technique and 4.6+/-0.6 BW for skating technique. CONCLUSIONS Assuming that walking is a "safe" activity for a hip prosthetic patient, controlled alpine skiing and cross-country skiing appear relatively safe with respect to the magnitude of loading. However, the skiing activities showed considerably higher mediolateral and anterior-posterior forces than walking. Mechanical testing of prosthetic devices with loading conditions specific to these activities is needed to assess the effect of these force components on hip prostheses and to allow interpretation with respect to potential effects of skiing for a hip prosthetic patient.
Hyaluronate in normal human synovial fluid.

Several methods were used in the present study to determine the hyaluronate content of normal synovial fluid. Weighing rather than pipetting the small samples of viscous fluid made it possible to measure hyaluronate in 0.25 Gm. of synovial fluid. Hyaluronate was precipitated in mucin clots formed by adding acid or a polyvalent cation to synovial fluid, and was measured indirectly by determining hexosamine in these clots. Since a part of the hexosamine of synovial fluid is not a component of hyaluronate, an important aspect of this work was the demonstration that no nonhyaluronate hexosamine was precipitated in mucin clots, and that no hyaluronate hexosamine remained in the supernatant after a mucin clot was formed. Hyaluronate content of synovial fluid was also measured by determining the fall in hexosamine after hyaluronidase digestion and dialysis of whole synovial fluid. Figures for hyaluronate in synovial fluid as determined by mucin clot technique, and by hyaluronidase digestion and dialysis of synovial fluid agreed, lending confidence in the validity of these methods.
Medicines in Pharmacy Students’ Residence and Self-medication Practices

This study was aimed at identifying the types of medicines in pharmacy students′ residence and to determine if a relationship exists between keeping medicines in students′ accommodation and self-medication practices. A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 240 undergraduate pharmacy students of the University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria, was carried out. Participating students were given a self-administered questionnaire, and only 188 students returned their filled questionnaire. The data collected were entered and analyzed using SPSS 16, and the χ2 -test was used to determine associations between the variables. The results revealed that 66.0% of respondents had medicines in their room. A total of 318 medicines items (2.56 items per student′s room) of which 37.1% were leftover medicines were present in respondents′ rooms. Analgesics (34.3%) and antibiotics (25.2%) were the common classes of medicines present in respondents′ rooms. Respondents reported getting these medicines on prescription (25.8%) and self-medication (56.5%) or both (17.7%). Self-medication practice was common among respondents (53.2%); however, no significant relationship (P>0.05) existed between having medicine in students′ room and self-medication practices. Common reasons given by respondents for having medicines in their rooms were that they were leftover medicines and that they were keeping them for emergency use or for use in an event of a similar illness. Most respondents (72.2%) reported disposing of their unused medicines in a trash can/dust bin. This study demonstrated that the prevalence of medicine storage in students′ room and self-medication practice is high. Analgesics and antibiotics were the most common types of medicines present in students′ residence.
Time characteristic of input passenger in urban rail transit stations among high density residential areas

To describe the time characteristic of input passenger flow in urban rail transit stations among high density residential areas, the paper brings in the three concepts: peak hour, peak hour factor (PHF) and extra peak hour factor (EPHF). In the case of two typical stations (Hui-Long-Guan and North Tian-Tong-Yuan) in Beijing, it draws the main conclusions that the peak period lasts longer in Hui-Long-Guan than in North Tian-Tong-Yuan while the peak hour of Hui-Long-Guan lags 30 minutes on working days. Moreover, the average PHF of working days is as high as 0.38 in Hui-Long-Guan while 0.28 in North Tian-Tong-Yuan. However, the different reasons result in the low20min-EPHF in both of them on both working days and rest days.
The effect of temperature on the mechanical properties of adhesives for the automotive industry

The application of adhesively bonded joints in structural components made of composite materials for automotive industry applications has increased significantly in recent years and provides many benefits that will ultimately lead to lighter-weight vehicles, fuel savings, and reduced emissions. The principal benefits are design flexibility, opportunity for part consolidation, and joining of dissimilar materials. While much work has been conducted in adhesive bonding for the aerospace industry, the automotive industry does not currently have a full portfolio of processes and methods for evaluating candidate adhesives for use in bonding structural automotive components. Aerospace techniques and materials are not generally applicable, since the automotive industry must be more cognizant of cost and high volume production. In this article, the performances of two different adhesive types, an epoxy and a polyurethane, have been studied through bulk specimen and adhesive joint tests. Results showed that the failure loads of both the bulk test and joint test specimens vary with temperature and this needs to be considered in any design procedure. Also, for the polyurethane adhesive, the single lap joint is sufficient to determine the adhesive shear strength.
Safety and prolonged activity of recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein in hemophilia A patients.

Current factor VIII (FVIII) products display a half-life (t(1/2)) of ∼ 8-12 hours, requiring frequent intravenous injections for prophylaxis and treatment of patients with hemophilia A. rFVIIIFc is a recombinant fusion protein composed of a single molecule of FVIII covalently linked to the Fc domain of human IgG(1) to extend circulating rFVIII t(1/2). This first-in-human study in previously treated subjects with severe hemophilia A investigated safety and pharmacokinetics of rFVIIIFc. Sixteen subjects received a single dose of rFVIII at 25 or 65 IU/kg followed by an equal dose of rFVIIIFc. Most adverse events were unrelated to study drug. None of the study subjects developed anti-rFVIIIFc antibodies or inhibitors. Across dose levels, compared with rFVIII, rFVIIIFc showed 1.54- to 1.70-fold longer elimination t(1/2), 1.49- to 1.56-fold lower clearance, and 1.48- to 1.56-fold higher total systemic exposure. rFVIII and rFVIIIFc had comparable dose-dependent peak plasma concentrations and recoveries. Time to 1% FVIII activity above baseline was ∼ 1.53- to 1.68-fold longer than rFVIII across dose levels. Each subject showed prolonged exposure to rFVIIIFc relative to rFVIII. Thus, rFVIIIFc may offer a viable therapeutic approach to achieve prolonged hemostatic protection and less frequent dosing in patients with hemophilia A. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as NCT01027377.
Perfect metamaterial absorbers in the ultra-high frequency range

Metamaterial absorbers synthesized by extremely-thin High-Impedance Surfaces (HIS) are analyzed by resorting to a simple transmission line model. The equivalent circuit representation, which takes into account also the high-order Floquet modes effects, allows to interpret the absorption properties of the analyzed structure and to derive closed form relations containing all the degree of freedom involved in the design. By exploiting the guidelines achieved from the circuital analysis, a λ0/108 thick absorber operating within the UHF RFID frequency band has been designed and tested.
On Minimizing the Cubic Metric of OFDM Signals Using Convex Optimization

A main disadvantage of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals is the large envelope fluctuation that limits transmitter power efficiency. Peak-to-average power ratio and cubic metric (CM) are two metrics commonly used to quantify this envelope fluctuation, and now the latter is attracting increasing attention as it can more accurately predict the power de-rating of power amplifier. In this paper, convex optimization is introduced to minimize CM, subject to the constraints on error vector magnitude (EVM) and spectral mask. To solve the formulated optimization problem, a customized interior-point method (IPM) is developed. Simulation results verify the high efficiency of the proposed IPM. For an 802.11a compliant OFDM system, subject to the maximum allowed EVM=5%, 10%, 15% and spectral mask constraints, after three iterations the performance gaps between our IPM and the optimal solution are less than 0.2dB for 99.9% of the symbols.
Decision Making for Symbolic Probability

This paper proposes a decision theory for a symbolic generalization of probability theory (SP). Darwiche and Ginsberg [2, 3] proposed SP to relax the requirement of using numbers for uncertainty while preserving desirable patterns of Bayesian reasoning. SP represents uncertainty by symbolic supports that are ordered partially rather than completely as in the case of standard probability. We show that a preference relation on acts that satisfies a number of intuitive postulates is represented by a utility function whose domain is a set of pairs of supports. We argue that a subjective interpretation is as useful and appropriate for SP as it is for numerical probability. It is useful because the subjective interpretation provides a basis for uncertainty elicitation. It is appropriate because we can provide a decision theory that explains how preference on acts is based on support comparison.
Repression of Tropolone Production and Induction of a Burkholderia plantarii Pseudo-Biofilm by Carot-4-en-9,10-diol, a Cell-to-Cell Signaling Disrupter Produced by Trichoderma virens

Background The tropolone-tolerant Trichoderma virens PS1-7 is a biocontrol agent against Burkholderia plantarii, causative of rice seedling blight. When exposed to catechol, this fungus dose-dependently produced carot-4-en-9,10-diol, a sesquiterpene-type autoregulatory signal molecule that promotes self-conidiation of T. virens PS1-7 mycelia. It was, however, uncertain why T. virens PS1-7 attenuates the symptom development of the rice seedlings infested with B. plantarii. Methodology/Principal Findings To reveal the antagonism by T. virens PS1-7 against B. plantarii leading to repression of tropolone production in a coculture system, bioassay-guided screening for active compounds from a 3-d culture of T. virens PS1-7 was conducted. As a result, carot-4-en-9,10-diol was identified and found to repress tropolone production of B. plantarii from 10 to 200 µM in a dose-dependent manner as well as attenuate virulence of B. plantarii on rice seedlings. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that transcriptional suppression of N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone synthase plaI in B. plantarii was the main mode of action by which carot-4-en-9,10-diol mediated the quorum quenching responsible for repression of tropolone production. In addition, the unique response of B. plantarii to carot-4-en-9,10-diol in the biofilm formed in the static culture system was also found. Although the initial stage of B. plantarii biofilm formation was induced by both tropolone and carot-4-en-9,10-diol, it was induced in different states. Moreover, the B. plantarii biofilm that was induced by carot-4-en-9,10-diol at the late stage showed defects not only in matrix structure but also cell viability. Conclusions/Significance Our findings demonstrate that carot-4-en-9,10-diol released by T. virens PS1-7 acts as an interkingdom cell-to-cell signaling molecule against B. plantarii to repress tropolone production and induces pseudo-biofilm to the cells. This observation also led to another discovery that tropolone is an autoregulatory cell-to-cell signaling molecule of B. plantarii that induces a functional biofilm other than a simple B. plantarii virulence factor.
Effector CD4+ T-Cell Involvement in Clearance of Infectious Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 from Sensory Ganglia and Spinal Cords

ABSTRACT In primary infection, CD8+ T cells are important for clearance of infectious herpes simplex virus (HSV) from sensory ganglia. In this study, evidence of CD4+ T-cell-mediated clearance of infectious HSV type 1 (HSV-1) from neural tissues was also detected. In immunocompetent mice, HSV-specific CD4+ T cells were present in sensory ganglia and spinal cords coincident with HSV-1 clearance from these sites and remained detectable at least 8 months postinfection. Neural CD4+ T cells isolated at the peak of neural infection secreted gamma interferon, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-2 (IL-2), or IL-4 after stimulation with HSV antigen. HSV-1 titers in neural tissues were greatly reduced over time in CD8+ T-cell-deficient and CD8+ T-cell-depleted mice, suggesting that CD4+ T cells could mediate clearance of HSV-1 from neural tissue. To examine possible mechanisms by which CD4+ T cells resolved neural infection, CD8+ T cells were depleted from perforin-deficient or FasL-defective mice. Clearance of infectious virus from neural tissues was not significantly different in perforin-deficient or FasL-defective mice compared to wild-type mice. Further, in spinal cords and brains after vaginal HSV-1 challenge of chimeric mice expressing both perforin and Fas or neither perforin nor Fas, virus titers were significantly lower than in control mice. Thus, perforin and Fas were not required for clearance of infectious virus from neural tissues. These results suggest that HSV-specific CD4+ T cells are one component of a long-term immune cell presence in neural tissues following genital HSV-1 infection and play a role in clearance of infectious HSV-1 at neural sites, possibly via a nonlytic mechanism.