Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cutting metastability using aperture transformation

Aperture transformation reduces metastability by trading unsafe edge arrival times with control signal metastability. We improve this further by providing 1) a new runt-free Schmitt trigger-based hardening technique using a controlled clock signal and 2) a new detection/compensation technique that overwrites controlled-clock metastability using set&clear controls.
A complete characterization of invariant jointly rank-r convex quadratic forms and applications to composite materials

The theory of compensated compactness of Murat and Tartar links the algebraic condition of rank-r convexity with the analytic condition of weak lower semicontinuity. The former is an algebraic condition and therefore it is, in principle, very easy to use. However, in applications of this theory, the need for an efficient classification of rank-r convex forms arises. In the present paper, we define the concept of extremal 2 -forms and characterize them in the rotationally invariant jointly rank-r convex case.
Predictive saccade in the absence of smooth pursuit: interception of moving targets in the archer fish

SUMMARY Interception of fast-moving targets is a demanding task many animals solve. To handle it successfully, mammals employ both saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements in order to confine the target to their area centralis. But how can non-mammalian vertebrates, which lack smooth pursuit, intercept moving targets? We studied this question by exploring eye movement strategies employed by archer fish, an animal that possesses an area centralis, lacks smooth pursuit eye movements, but can intercept moving targets by shooting jets of water at them. We tracked the gaze direction of fish during interception of moving targets and found that they employ saccadic eye movements based on prediction of target position when it is hit. The fish fixates on the target’s initial position for ∼0.2 s from the onset of its motion, a time period used to predict whether a shot can be made before the projection of the target exits the area centralis. If the prediction indicates otherwise, the fish performs a saccade that overshoots the center of gaze beyond the present target projection on the retina, such that after the saccade the moving target remains inside the area centralis long enough to prepare and perform a shot. These results add to the growing body of knowledge on biological target tracking and may shed light on the mechanism underlying this behavior in other animals with no neural system for the generation of smooth pursuit eye movements.
Characterizing Vertical Particle Structure of Precipitating Cloud System From Multiplatform Measurements of A‐Train Constellation

Multiplatform measurements of the active and passive instruments from A‐Train were employed to observationally characterize particle structures over a spectrum of precipitating clouds from shallow cumulus to deep convection. Radar reflectivity profiles were composited as a function of temperature, with particle type superimposed to depict how storm regimes exert different particle habit structures. The deep convective system was found to have a relatively simple structure, which is dominated by randomly oriented ice, followed by snow and rain at the bottom, whereas the shallow cold system consisting high cloud tops with precipitation far below contains various hydrometeors, such as ice plates and drizzles. The deep convective system was further analyzed to demonstrate how the vertical microphysical structure tends to systematically transition from nonprecipitating to precipitating characteristics with differing cloud top buoyancies indicative of the “life stage” of convective development. The analysis offers a link between dynamical characteristics of convective systems and their inner hydrometeors structures.
Interaction of Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron with the kallikrein–kinin system

Many bacterial pathogens interfere with the contact system (kallikrein–kinin system) in human plasma. Activation of this system has two consequences: cleavage of high-molecular-mass kininogen (HK) resulting in release of the potent proinflammatory peptide bradykinin, and initiation of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation. In this study, two species of the Gram-negative anaerobic commensal organism Bacteroides, namely Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, were found to bind HK and fibrinogen, the major clotting protein, from human plasma as shown by immunoelectron microscopy and Western blot analysis. In addition, these Bacteroides species were capable of activating the contact system at its surface leading to a significant prolongation of the intrinsic coagulation time and also to the release of bradykinin. Members of the genus Bacteroides have been known to act as opportunistic pathogens outside the gut, with B. fragilis being the most common isolate from clinical infections, such as intra-abdominal abscesses and bacteraemia. The present results thus provide more insight into how Bacteroides species cause infection.
Dynamic Allocation of Pharmaceutical Detailing and Sampling for Long-Term Profitability

The U.S. pharmaceutical industry spent upwards of $18 billion on marketing drugs in 2005; detailing and drug sampling activities accounted for the bulk of this spending. To stay competitive, pharmaceutical managers need to maximize the return on these marketing investments by determining which physicians to target as well as when and how to target them. In this paper, we present a two-stage approach for dynamically allocating detailing and sampling activities across physicians to maximize long-run profitability. In the first stage, we estimate a hierarchical Bayesian, nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model to assess the short-and long-term effects of pharmaceutical marketing activities. The model captures physicians' heterogeneity and dynamics in prescription behavior. In the second stage, we formulate a partially observable Markov decision process that integrates over the posterior distribution of the hidden Markov model parameters to derive a dynamic marketing resource allocation policy across physicians. We apply the proposed approach in the context of a new drug introduction by a major pharmaceutical firm. We identify three prescription-behavior states, a high degree of physicians' dynamics, and substantial long-term effects for detailing and sampling. We find that detailing is most effective as an acquisition tool, whereas sampling is most effective as a retention tool. The optimization results suggest that the firm could increase its profits substantially while decreasing its marketing spending. Our suggested framework provides important implications for dynamically managing customers and maximizing long-run profitability.
The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: Factor Structure of a Large Sample

The Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) is a semi-structured interview considered to be the gold standard in the measurement of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity, yet findings about its factorial structure are conflicting. This study aimed at comparing different models, and testing whether factorial structure differs along various sub-groups. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on Y-BOCS scores of a large OCD patient group (n = 544). A three-factor structure (obsessions, compulsions, and resistance) provided the best fit for the data across different factor analytic procedures. The difference in goodness of fit between the original two factor (obsessions and compulsions) and the three-factor solutions seemed, however, very small. Since the two-factor solution is the original theory-driven structure, and the most widely used, we recommend the use of this factor.
Self-Expandable Nitinol Stent Placement in Homocysteinemic Porcine Aorta

PURPOSE To compare aortic intimal thickening of normal and hyperhomocysteinemic pigs (induced with a methionine-rich diet) following placement of a self-expanding nitinol stent. METHODS Eighteen Macau pigs were used. They were older than eight weeks in age and had an average weight of 30 kg. Pigs were randomly divided into two groups. The first, Group C (control), was fed a regular diet, and the second group, Group M, was fed a methionine-rich diet for 30 days to induce hyperhomocysteinemia. The self-expandable nitinol stents were 25mm in length and 8 mm in diameter after expansion. Blood samples were collected to measure total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and homocysteine concentrations. All animals were subjected to angiography. Thirty days after the procedure, the animals were sacrificed, and the abdominal aorta was removed for histological and digital morphometry analysis. RESULTS Under microscopic evaluation, the intima was significantly thicker in Group C than in Group M. When groups were compared by digital morphometric analysis, intimal thickening of the vessel wall was higher in Group C than in Group M. There was no significant change in total cholesterol, triglycerides or HDL concentrations in either group. In group C the levels of plasma homocysteine ranged from 14,40 to 16,73μmol/l; in Group M, plasma homocysteine levels ranged from 17.47 to 59.80 μmol/l after 30 days of a methionine-rich diet. CONCLUSION Compared to normal pigs, less intimal hyperplasia was observed in the abdominal aortas of hyperhomocysteinemic pigs thirty days after the insertion of a self-expandable nitinol stent.
Identification of moisture sources in the Atlantic Ocean for cyclogenesis processes

We used the Lagrangian model FLEXPART to identify the moisture sources of 110 tropical cyclones with cyclogenesis within an area comprised between 15 – 45 W and 8 – 20 N. The model computes changes in the specific humidity from a 10-day period before the day of cyclogenesis of each tropical cyclone is and its contribution to the moisture budget of the region of interest. We calculated the values of the anomalies of the moisture budget to identify the main regions of moisture sources: the African coasts in the North Atlantic, the continental region over western Africa and along the South African coast. We also calculated the contribution of moisture sources from the South Atlantic to the cyclogenesis. The frequency distribution of these percentages shows two main peaks, one in ~20% and other in ~50%. The result shows that the path of tropical cyclones with ~50% of moisture contribution from the South Atlantic made landfall more often than those with ~20%.
Sparse Representation of Deformable 3D Organs with Spherical Harmonics and Structured Dictionary

This paper proposed a novel algorithm to sparsely represent a deformable surface (SRDS) with low dimensionality based on spherical harmonic decomposition (SHD) and orthogonal subspace pursuit (OSP). The key idea in SRDS method is to identify the subspaces from a training data set in the transformed spherical harmonic domain and then cluster each deformation into the best-fit subspace for fast and accurate representation. This algorithm is also generalized into applications of organs with both interior and exterior surfaces. To test the feasibility, we first use the computer models to demonstrate that the proposed approach matches the accuracy of complex mathematical modeling techniques and then both ex vivo and in vivo experiments are conducted using 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for verification in practical settings. All results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm features sparse representation of deformable surfaces with low dimensionality and high accuracy. Specifically, the precision evaluated as maximum error distance between the reconstructed surface and the MRI ground truth is better than 3 mm in real MRI experiments.
On the independence of naming and locating masked targets in visual search.

Twelve Ss were required to name or locate masked letters in arrays containing noise elements. Accuracy in locating was lower when target letters were presented among Vs than when presented among triangles or with no noise. Naming was as accurate when Vs and triangles were presented with the target as when no noise was presented. Since noise did not affect naming in the same way it affected locating, it was concluded that naming is independent of locating. RECENTLY, BARON (1973) AND SNYDER (1972) SUGGESTED that the target in visual search tasks must be located before it can be named; thus naming is thought to be contingent on locating. The experiment reported here tested two predictions derived from this hypothesis. The first prediction was based on the contention that the encoding of a character's location must occur prior to the encoding of its identity. If this is true, locating responses should be more accurate than naming responses. This prediction is readily confirmed in studies where single letters are presented (Dick & Dick, 1969; Logan, in press), but when noise items are simultaneously present in the array, a different picture emerges. When the target and noise are easy to discriminate, locating is more accurate than naming, but when the discrimination is difficult, locating and naming are equally accurate (Logan, in press). In terms of a strong interpretation of the first prediction (i.e., that locating must be more accurate than naming in oil conditions), these latter results speak against the notion of contingent processing. However, a weaker interpretation is possible: the prediction may merely serve to differentiate conditions where processing is contingent from those where it is not. Because of this ambiguity, the second prediction was derived. The notion of a contingency between locating and naming implies that manipulations which impair locating accuracy should produce a similar
Investigation of Bioterrorism-Related Anthrax, United States, 2001: Epidemiologic Findings

In October 2001, the first inhalational anthrax case in the United States since 1976 was identified in a media company worker in Florida. A national investigation was initiated to identify additional cases and determine possible exposures to Bacillus anthracis. Surveillance was enhanced through health-care facilities, laboratories, and other means to identify cases, which were defined as clinically compatible illness with laboratory-confirmed B. anthracis infection. From October 4 to November 20, 2001, 22 cases of anthrax (11 inhalational, 11 cutaneous) were identified; 5 of the inhalational cases were fatal. Twenty (91%) case-patients were either mail handlers or were exposed to worksites where contaminated mail was processed or received. B. anthracis isolates from four powder-containing envelopes, 17 specimens from patients, and 106 environmental samples were indistinguishable by molecular subtyping. Illness and death occurred not only at targeted worksites, but also along the path of mail and in other settings. Continued vigilance for cases is needed among health-care providers and members of the public health and law enforcement communities.
Mineral Intake and Lung Cancer Risk in the NIH-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study

Background: Using data from a case-control study, we previously reported that low dietary intakes of magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), but not selenium (Se) and calcium (Ca), were associated with increased lung cancer risk. Due to dietary recall bias in case-control studies, our objective was to assess whether these findings hold in a prospective cohort study. Methods: We analyzed data from the NIH-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health study of 482,875 subjects (288,257 men and 194,618 women) who were cancer-free and completed a food frequency questionnaire at enrollment between 1995 and 2003. Cox proportional hazards models were computed to estimate the relative risk adjusted for potential confounders. Results: During a mean follow-up of 7 years, 7,052 lung cancer cases were identified. For all subjects, we observed no significant associations between total (diet + supplement) Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Se, and Zn intakes and lung cancer risk. Total Ca intake was protective (P trend < 0.05) for current smokers and subjects with adenocarcinomas. Total Mg intake increased risk (P trend < 0.05) in men and current smokers. Total Fe intake was inversely associated with risk in women (P trend < 0.01). For dietary minerals, Mg increased risk (P trend < 0.05) in all subjects, among men and current smokers. Increased dietary Ca intake reduced risk in women (P trend = 0.05). Dietary Fe decreased risk in all subjects and among women (P trend < 0.05). Mineral intake from supplements did not affect lung cancer risk. Conclusions: Dietary minerals are risk factors for lung cancer. Impact: Dietary mineral consumption may influence lung cancer risk, but the associations differ by type of mineral and population subgroups. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(8); 1976–83. ©2010 AACR.
Differential Conditioned Place Preference Responses to Endomorphin-1 and Endomorphin-2 Microinjected into the Posterior Nucleus Accumbens Shell and Ventral Tegmental Area in the Rat

An unbiased conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm was used to evaluate the reward effects of endogenous μ-opioid receptor ligands endomorphin-1 (EM-1) and endomorphin-2 (EM-2) from the mesolimbic posterior nucleus accumbens (Acb) shell and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in CD rats. EM-1 (1.6-8.1 nmol) microinjected into posterior Acb shell produced CPP, whereas EM-2 (8.7-17.5 nmol) given into the same Acb shell produced conditioned place aversion (CPA). EM-1 (1.6-16.3 nmol) microinjected into the VTA produced CPP, whereas EM-2 (8.7 and 17.5 nmol) given into the same VTA site did not produce any effect, but at a high dose (35 nmol) produced CPP. EM-1 (3.3 nmol) or EM-2 (17.5 nmol) microinjected into the nigrostriatal substantia nigra was not significantly different from vehicle-injected groups. d-Phe-Cys-Tyr-d-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP) at 94.13 pmol or 3-methoxynaltrexone at 0.64 pmol microinjected into the posterior Acb shell blocked EM-1-induced CPP and EM-2-induced CPA. At a higher dose, CTOP (941.3 pmol) and 3-methoxynaltrexone (6.4 pmol) produced CPA and CPP, respectively. Coadministration with antiserum against dynorphin A(1-17) (Dyn) (10 μg) microinjected into the posterior Acb shell blocked EM-2-induced CPA. However, it did not affect EM-1-induced CPP. It is concluded that EM-1 and EM-2 produce site-dependent CPP and CPA, respectively, by stimulation of different subtypes of μ-opioid-receptors; stimulation of one subtype of μ-opioid-receptor at the posterior Acb shell and VTA by EM-1 induces CPP, whereas stimulation of another subtype of μ-opioid receptor at the posterior Acb shell, but not the VTA, by EM-2 induces the release of Dyn to produce CPA.
Beam-forecast: Facilitating mobile 60 GHz networks via model-driven beam steering

Low robustness under mobility is the Achilles' heel of the emerging 60 GHz networking technology. Instead of using omni-directional antennas as in existing Wi-Fi/cellular networks, 60 GHz radios communicate via highly-directional links formed by phased-array beam-forming, so as to upgrade wireless link throughput to multi-Gbps. However, user motion causes misalignment between the Tx's and Rx's beam directions, and often leads to link outage. Legacy 60 GHz protocols realign the beams by scanning alternative Tx/Rx beams. But unfortunately this tedious process can easily overwhelm the useful channel time, leaving the Tx/Rx in misalignment most of the time during mobility. In this paper, we propose Beam-forecast, a novel model-driven beam steering approach that can sustain high performance for mobile 60 GHz links. Beam-forecast is built on the observation that 60 GHz channel profiles at nearby locations are highly-correlated. By exploiting this correlation, Beam-forecast can reconstruct the channel profile as the Tx/Rx moves, without explicit channel scanning. In this way, it can predict new optimal beams and realign links for mobile users with minimal overhead. We evaluate Beam-forecast using a reconfigurable 60 GHz testbed along with a trace-driven simulator. Our experiments demonstrate multi-fold throughput gain compared with state-of-the-art under various practical scenarios.
Development of glacial lakes and evaluation of related outburst hazard at Adygine glacier complex, Northern Tien Shan

Abstract. Formation and development of glacial lakes in mountain regions is one of the consequences of glacier recession. Such lakes may drain partially or completely when the stability of their dam is disturbed. We presented a case study from Central-Asian mountain range of Tien Shan, a north-oriented tributary valley Adygine, where a glacier retreat resulted in formation of several generations of lakes. The aim of this study was to analyse past development of different types of glacial lakes influenced by the same glacier, to project site's future development, and to evaluate the hazard of individual lakes with an outlook for expected future change. We addressed the problem with a combination of methods, namely bathymetric, geodetic, and geophysical on-site survey, satellite image and DEM analysis, and modelling of glacier runoff evolution. Based on the case of glacial lakes of varied age and type, we demonstrate the significance of glacier ice in lake's development. Lake 3, which is in contact with glacier terminus, has changed rapidly over the last decade, expanding both in area and depth and increasing its volume more than 13 times (7 800 m 3 to 106 000 m 3 ). Hydrological connections and routing of glacier meltwater proved to be an important factor as well, since most lakes in the region are drained by subsurface channels. Within the hazard evaluation of lakes, we highlighted the importance of field data which can provide crucial information on lake stability. In our case, the understanding of site's hydrological system and its regime helped to categorise Lake 2 into low outburst hazard, while Lake 1 and Lake 3 were labelled as medium hazard lakes. Further development of the site will be driven mainly by rising air temperature and increasingly negative glacier mass balance. All three scenarios predict a significant glacier area decrease by 2050, specifically leaving 73.2 % (A1B), 62.3 % (A2), and 55.6 % (B1) of the 2012 glacier extent. The glacier retreat will be accompanied by changes in glacier runoff with first peak expected around the year 2020.
Nonlinear Learning using Local Coordinate Coding

This paper introduces a new method for semi-supervised learning on high dimensional nonlinear manifolds, which includes a phase of unsupervised basis learning and a phase of supervised function learning. The learned bases provide a set of anchor points to form a local coordinate system, such that each data point x on the manifold can be locally approximated by a linear combination of its nearby anchor points, and the linear weights become its local coordinate coding. We show that a high dimensional nonlinear function can be approximated by a global linear function with respect to this coding scheme, and the approximation quality is ensured by the locality of such coding. The method turns a difficult nonlinear learning problem into a simple global linear learning problem, which overcomes some drawbacks of traditional local learning methods.
The Replace Operator

This paper introduces to the calculus of regular expressions a replace operator and defines a set of replacement expressions that concisely encode alternate variations of the operation. Replace expressions denote regular relations, defined in terms of other regular expression operators. The basic case is unconditional obligatory replacement. We develop several versions of conditional replacement that allow the operation to be constrained by context.