Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Slotting Saliency Extraction For Sensorless Torque Control of Standard Induction Machines

This paper proposes a new approach for separation of saliency signals of the induction machine at very low speed and heavy loads. The change of current responses due to the transient voltage pulse excitation is employed to obtain the inherent impedance saliency information. The proposed separation approach uses the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) in combination with Taylor's expansion and least square error (LSE) methods. The DWT removes the higher and lower harmonic orders to extract the operating frequency band based on the reference speed. Then, Taylor's expansion modeling processed by LSE algorithm is applied to extract the slotting saliency signal from the nearby frequency of the inter-modulation signal. The extracted slotting saliency signal is employed to estimate the rotor/flux position using the phase locked loop observer and current model. Experimental results are provided to prove the effectiveness of the proposed new separation approach at very low speed including zero electrical speed operations. It is found that the proposed new approach is accurate at very low speed and heavy load operations with less noise compared to previous methods.
Temperature effects on the shear behaviour of tack coat emulsions used in flexible pavements

In this paper, the authors present the experimental results obtained in the laboratory by using the ASTRA interface shear test for the performance-related characterisation of tack coat emulsions. The test focuses on the failure properties of bituminous multi-layered systems and yields results which may be modelled by means of a straightforward theoretical approach based on the identification of various strength components due to cohesion, pure friction and dilatancy. It was found that the latest version of the testing apparatus may be conveniently used to evaluate temperature-related effects. This was done in a research project in which test conditions were obtained by combining test temperatures and normal stress levels comprised within wide variation ranges.
Radicalar probes to measure the action of energy on granular materials

Abstract Measuring the action of energy on matter is a complex problem, especially in the case of granular materials. For example, particle size reduction by grinding generally shows poor overall energetic yields and a significant challenge in this area is to accurately estimate the energy consumed, including that stored in the particles. Fine or ultra-fine grinding processes require a lot of energy, part of which becomes internal energy and can lead to mechanochemical reactions and useful products. We studied the appearance of free radicals during the grinding of α-lactose monohydrate by means of electron spin resonance (ESR). These radicals are the same as those induced by γ-radiation and comparison of ESR spectra intensities with those from ground products allows the determination of an ‘equivalent γ-irradiation dose’. This gives a novel concept for characterizing the action of mechanical energy on matter in fine grinding by using molecular probes. This is the first example of the investigation of mechanochemical energy during the fine grinding process.
TTSA: An Effective Scheduling Approach for Delay Bounded Tasks in Hybrid Clouds

The economy of scale provided by cloud attracts a growing number of organizations and industrial companies to deploy their applications in cloud data centers (CDCs) and to provide services to users around the world. The uncertainty of arriving tasks makes it a big challenge for private CDC to cost-effectively schedule delay bounded tasks without exceeding their delay bounds. Unlike previous studies, this paper takes into account the cost minimization problem for private CDC in hybrid clouds, where the energy price of private CDC and execution price of public clouds both show the temporal diversity. Then, this paper proposes a temporal task scheduling algorithm (TTSA) to effectively dispatch all arriving tasks to private CDC and public clouds. In each iteration of TTSA, the cost minimization problem is modeled as a mixed integer linear program and solved by a hybrid simulated-annealing particle-swarm-optimization. The experimental results demonstrate that compared with the existing methods, the optimal or suboptimal scheduling strategy produced by TTSA can efficiently increase the throughput and reduce the cost of private CDC while meeting the delay bounds of all the tasks.
A comparison of resampling schemes for estimating model observer performance with small ensembles

In objective assessment of image quality, an ensemble of images is used to compute the 1st and 2nd order statistics of the data. Often, only a finite number of images is available, leading to the issue of statistical variability in numerical observer performance. Resampling-based strategies can help overcome this issue. In this paper, we compared different combinations of resampling schemes (the leave-one-out (LOO) and the half-train/half-test (HT/HT)) and model observers (the conventional channelized Hotelling observer (CHO), channelized linear discriminant (CLD) and channelized quadratic discriminant). Observer performance was quantified by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). For a binary classification task and for each observer, the AUC value for an ensemble size of 2000 samples per class served as a gold standard for that observer. Results indicated that each observer yielded a different performance depending on the ensemble size and the resampling scheme. For a small ensemble size, the combination [CHO, HT/HT] had more accurate rankings than the combination [CHO, LOO]. Using the LOO scheme, the CLD and CHO had similar performance for large ensembles. However, the CLD outperformed the CHO and gave more accurate rankings for smaller ensembles. As the ensemble size decreased, the performance of the [CHO, LOO] combination seriously deteriorated as opposed to the [CLD, LOO] combination. Thus, it might be desirable to use the CLD with the LOO scheme when smaller ensemble size is available.
Testosterone replacement therapy following radical prostatectomy.

INTRODUCTION Controversy exists regarding testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in men following radical prostatectomy (RP). Many clinicians are hesitant to offer patients TRT after an RP, out of concern that the increased androgen levels may promote tumor progression or recurrence from residual tumor. Recently, several small studies have demonstrated the use of TRT in men following an RP and have shown an improvement in serum testosterone levels with no increase in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values. AIMS The aim of this article is to assess changes in PSA and testosterone values in hypogonadal patients on TRT after RP and also to evaluate the impact of pathologic Gleason grade on ultimate PSA values. METHODS All hypogonadal men who were treated with TRT by members of our department following RP were retrospectively reviewed. PSA values before RP, after RP, and after TRT were evaluated. Serum testosterone levels before and after TRT were also examined. Only patients with undetectable PSA values and negative surgical margins on pathologic specimen were offered TRT and included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Main outcome measures were changes in PSA and testosterone values after initiation of TRT. RESULTS Fifty-seven men, ages 53-83 years (mean 64), were identified as having initiated TRT following RP. Men received TRT for an average of 36 months following RP (range 1-136 months). Patients were followed an average of 13 months after initiation of TRT (range 1-99 months). The mean testosterone values rose from 255 ng/dL before TRT to 459 ng/dL after TRT (P < 0.001). There was no increase in PSA values after initiation of TRT and thus no patient had a biochemical PSA recurrence. CONCLUSION TRT is effective in improving testosterone levels, without increasing PSA values, in hypogonadal men who have undergone RP.
Modeling residual-geometric flow sampling

Traffic monitoring and estimation of flow parameters in high speed routers have recently become challenging as the Internet grew in both scale and complexity. In this paper, we focus on a family of flow-size estimation algorithms we call Residual-Geometric Sampling (RGS), which generates a random point within each flow according to a geometric random variable and records all remaining packets in a flow counter. Our analytical investigation shows that previous estimation algorithms based on this method exhibit certain bias in recovering flow statistics from the sampled measurements. To address this problem, we derive a novel set of unbiased estimators for RGS, validate them using real Internet traces, and show that they provide an accurate and scalable solution to Internet traffic monitoring.
Learning Multi-Item Auctions with (or without) Samples

We provide algorithms that learn simple auctions whose revenue is approximately optimal in multi-item multi-bidder settings, for a wide range of bidder valuations including unit-demand, additive, constrained additive, XOS, and subadditive. We obtain our learning results in two settings. The first is the commonly studied setting where sample access to the bidders distributions over valuations is given, for both regular distributions and arbitrary distributions with bounded support. Here, our algorithms require polynomially many samples in the number of items and bidders. The second is a more general max-min learning setting that we introduce, where we are given approximate distributions, and we seek to compute a mechanism whose revenue is approximately optimal simultaneously for all true distributions that are close to the ones we were given. These results are more general in that they imply the sample-based results, and are also applicable in settings where we have no sample access to the underlying distributions but have estimated them indirectly via market research or by observation of bidder behavior in previously run, potentially non-truthful auctions.All our results hold for valuation distributions satisfying the standard (and necessary) independence-across-items property. They also generalize and improve upon recent works of Goldner and Karlin \cite{GoldnerK16} and Morgenstern and Roughgarden \cite{MorgensternR16, which have provided algorithms that learn approximately optimal multi-item mechanisms in more restricted settings with additive, subadditive and unit-demand valuations using sample access to distributions. We generalize these results to the complete unit-demand, additive, and XOS setting, to i.i. d. subadditive bidders, and to the max-min setting.Our results are enabled by new uniform convergence bounds for hypotheses classes under product measures. Our bounds result in exponential savings in sample complexity compared to bounds derived by bounding the VC dimension and are of independent interest.
The economic burden of overactive bladder (OAB) and its effects on the costs associated with other chronic, age‐related comorbidities in the United States

The prevalence of OAB increases with age and is associated with several chronic comorbidities. However, the impact of OAB on the healthcare costs of patients with such comorbidities is not well‐understood. This study aimed to quantify the impact of OAB on healthcare costs and assess the potential moderating effects of OAB on the costs of patients with chronic comorbidities.
On the use of mobility data for discovery and description of social ties

Ever-increasing emergence of location-aware ubiquitous devices has facilitated collection of time-stamped mobility data. This large volume of data not only provides trajectory information but also information about social interaction between individuals. Unlike trajectory representation and discovery, discovery of social ties and interactions hidden in mobility data has not yet been fully explored. To identify such interaction, social network analysis has been recently used. However, compared with data from emails, phone calls, and messages, which are commonly used for social network analysis, mobility data convey less information about interaction between entities. Therefore, identifying the type of tie between two entities using only mobility data is a great challenge. In this paper, we propose a method for measuring the strength and type of social ties between people only based on their spatio-temporal correlations. Using mutual information metric, we propose utilization of two types of measures for identifying the purpose of being in a certain location. Our experimental results using a location-aware sensing device show that our method can identify different social ties between various entities successfully.
Design and Implementation of Adaptive Terminal Sliding-Mode Control on a Steer-by-Wire Equipped Road Vehicle

This paper proposes a novel adaptive terminal sliding-mode (ATSM) control scheme for a Steer-by-Wire (SBW) vehicle. It is shown that the developed ATSM controller can drive the closed-loop error dynamics to converge to zero in a finite time, where adaptive laws are applied to estimate the uncertain bounds of the system parameters and disturbances in Lyapunov sense. Compared with the sliding-mode-based SBW control systems, the proposed ATSM control not only assures the finite-time error convergence and strong robustness with respect to parameter uncertainties and varying driving conditions, but also requires no prior knowledge of the system parameters and road information. Experimental results from an SBW vehicle are demonstrated to verify the remarkable performance of the proposed control in terms of the robustness, error convergence, and road disturbance attenuation, in comparison with other control strategies.
Strategies for improving dabigatran adherence for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: education and drug intake reminders (FACILITA study)

Abstract Objective To assess the efficacy of a mixed intervention, educational, and reminder calendar of the intake, as a strategy to improve therapeutic adherence with dabigatran in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods This was a prospective, longitudinal, multi-center study, carried out in 110 specialized healthcare centers in Spain. Seven hundred and twenty-six patients treated with dabigatran prescribed for stroke prevention were included. A cluster randomization was performed based on two groups: (1) Control Group (CG) as usual clinical practice, and (2) Intervention Group (IG) with a mixed strategy: (a) Healthcare education, and (b) Use of a reminder calendar for taking the anticoagulant medication. Three visits took place: baseline and follow-up at 6 and 12 months. Compliance was measured by using electronic monitors (MEMS). Average adherence percentage (%; Average AP) and daily compliance (%; Daily AP) was calculated. A patient was considered adherent when AP was 80–100%. Results Six hundred and twenty-five patients completed the study (315 in the IG and 310 in the CG). Daily AP was 91.97% at 6 months and 91.05% after 12 months in the IG and 82.26% and 82.63% in the CG. Average adherence was 90.79% and 89.20% in the IG and 64.51% and 63.22% in the CG at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Significant differences were observed in the Daily AP and Average AP, with higher percentages in the IG. In the non-adherents group, the number of concomitant drugs, baseline, and 6 months SBP values, 6 and 12 months DBP values, and weight, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were significantly higher. The number needed to treat (NNT) was 3.84 patients to prevent one non-adherence. Conclusions A mixed intervention, consisting of patient education and a simple calendar reminder of drug intake, is an effective strategy to improve dabigatran therapeutic adherence in patients with NVAF. The percentage of adherence with dabigatran was high.
Adenosine Concentration in Umbilical Cord Blood of Newborn Infants after Vaginal Delivery and Cesarean Section

ABSTRACT: Umbilical blood was collected immediately at birth (<30 s) in full-term infants after vaginal deliveries (n = 33) and elective cesarean sections (n = 11). Blood gases, plasma adenosine, hypoxanthine, and catecholamine concentrations were determined. In vaginally born infants the median arterial adenosine concentration was found to be 0.46 μM (range 0.13-2.06) and the venous 0.48 μM (0.09-1.62). These levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in infants delivered by elective cesarean section; 0.16 μM (0.04-0.42) in the artery and 0.17 μM (0.02-0.56) in the vein. Vaginally born infants showed about a 4-fold higher level of umbilical arterial catecholamines than infants born by elective cesarean section. There was a strong inverse correlation between arterial hypoxanthine concentration and pH (r =-0.81, p < 0.01). It is suggested that increased adenosine release at vaginal delivery modulates the stress response elicited by the strong catecholamine surge and may furthermore exert protective effects in perinatal asphyxia.
Challenging Sinusoidal Ripple-Current Charging of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Sinusoidal ripple-current charging has previously been reported to increase both charging efficiency and energy efficiency and decrease charging time when used to charge lithium-ion battery cells. In this paper, we show that no such effect exists in lithium-ion battery cells, based on an experimental study of large-size prismatic cells. Additionally, we use a physics-based model to show that no such effect should exist, based on the underlying electrochemical principles.
A Review of Platelet-Rich Plasma: History, Biology, Mechanism of Action, and Classification

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is currently used in different medical fields. The interest in the application of PRP in dermatology has recently increased. It is being used in several different applications as in tissue regeneration, wound healing, scar revision, skin rejuvenating effects, and alopecia. PRP is a biological product defined as a portion of the plasma fraction of autologous blood with a platelet concentration above the baseline. It is obtained from the blood of patients collected before centrifugation. The knowledge of the biology, mechanism of action, and classification of the PRP should help clinicians better understand this new therapy and to easily sort and interpret the data available in the literature regarding PRP. In this review, we try to provide useful information for a better understanding of what should and should not be treated with PRP.
Changes in extra-striatal functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia in a psychotic episode

Background In patients with schizophrenia in a psychotic episode, intra-striatal intrinsic connectivity is increased in the putamen but not ventral striatum. Furthermore, multimodal changes have been observed in the anterior insula that interact extensively with the putamen. Aims We hypothesised that during psychosis, putamen extra-striatal functional connectivity is altered with both the anterior insula and areas normally connected with the ventral striatum (i.e. altered functional connectivity distinctiveness of putamen and ventral striatum). Method We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance images from 21 patients with schizophrenia in a psychotic episode and 42 controls. Results Patients had decreased functional connectivity: the putamen with right anterior insula and dorsal prefrontal cortex, the ventral striatum with left anterior insula. Decreased functional connectivity between putamen and right anterior insula was specifically associated with patients' hallucinations. Functional connectivity distinctiveness was impaired only for the putamen. Conclusions Results indicate aberrant extra-striatal connectivity during psychosis and a relationship between reduced putamen–right anterior insula connectivity and hallucinations. Data suggest that altered intrinsic connectivity links striatal and insular pathophysiology in psychosis.
CNS embryonal tumours: WHO 2016 and beyond

Embryonal tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) present a significant clinical challenge. Many of these neoplasms affect young children, have a very high mortality and therapeutic strategies are often aggressive with poor long‐term outcomes. There is a great need to accurately diagnose embryonal tumours, predict their outcome and adapt therapy to the individual patient's risk. For the first time in 2016, the WHO classification took into account molecular characteristics for the diagnosis of CNS tumours. This integration of histological features with genetic information has significantly changed the diagnostic work‐up and reporting of tumours of the CNS. However, this remains challenging in embryonal tumours due to their previously unaccounted tumour heterogeneity. We describe the recent revisions made to the 4th edition of the WHO classification of CNS tumours and review the main changes, while highlighting some of the more common diagnostic testing strategies.
Sustainable use of recycled glass: biosolids blends in road applications

The growing quantities and type of waste materials, shortage of landfill spaces and lack of natural earth materials impose pressure on urgency of finding innovative ways of recycling and reusing waste materials. To overcome the deficiencies of recycled glass and biosolids when used alone and to enhance their strength properties, the innovative idea of blending these recycled glass and waste water biosolids was studied. Study results proved that the RG-Bio blend has the advantage of combining the high friction characteristics of recycled glass with the cohesive characteristics of biosolids and can be used in road embankment fills with recommended provisions.
Free complete Wasserstein algebras

We present an algebraic account of the Wasserstein distances $W_p$ on complete metric spaces, for $p \geq 1$. This is part of a program of a quantitative algebraic theory of effects in programming languages. In particular, we give axioms, parametric in $p$, for algebras over metric spaces equipped with probabilistic choice operations. The axioms say that the operations form a barycentric algebra and that the metric satisfies a property typical of the Wasserstein distance $W_p$. We show that the free complete such algebra over a complete metric space is that of the Radon probability measures with finite moments of order $p$, equipped with the Wasserstein distance as metric and with the usual binary convex sums as operations.