Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical simulation and experimental validation of self-piercing riveting (SPR) of 6xxx aluminium alloys for automotive applications

Two-dimensional axisymmetric models of the self-piercing riveting (SPR) process consisting of punch, blank holder, die, rivet, upper blank and lower blank were built using the finite element software package simufact.forming™. Three different joint configurations were modelled. An optical measurement system was used for capturing the actual geometries of both the die and the rivet which were then introduced into the simulation model. The stiffness of the riveting pliers was modelled as numerical spring. A combined model of Coulomb friction and shear friction was applied. Both friction coefficients were determined by inverse modelling. The deformation behaviour of the 6xxx aluminium alloy blanks to be joined was described with flow curves extrapolated from results of uniaxial tensile tests. In order to validate the results of the simulations self-piercing riveting experiments using 6xxx aluminium alloy blanks and coated steel rivets were conducted. Force-displacement curves of the punch were captured during the riveting process. Characteristic geometrical features of cross-sections of these joints including horizontal undercut of the rivet, bottom thickness of the lower blank and rivet head overlap were investigated using optical microscopy. The cross-sections of the self-piercing riveting joints obtained from simulations and experiments showed very good geometrical agreement, and just slight differences were observed between the force-displacement curves.
Using probe-microphone measurements to improve the match to target gain and frequency response slope, as a function of earmould style, frequency, and input level

Abstract Objective: Matching a prescription gain target at 60–65 dB SPL does not ensure audibility of lower input levels, nor does it mean the fitted frequency response slope is conducive to good sound quality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of probe-microphone measurements to match target gain and slope, as a function of earmould style, frequency, and input level. Design: The real-ear insertion gain was calculated for an input of 50, 65, and 80 dB SPL for the manufacturer’s ‘initial fit’ (IF) settings and after adjustment to target in 49 and 51 open slim-tube and custom earmould fittings, respectively. Study sample: One hundred adults with median age 74 years (range 32–93). Results: Some 18%–67% of the IF settings were within 10 dB of the target gain but this increased to >85% after adjustment. Some 47%–71% of the IF settings were within 10 dB of the target slope but, with the exception of 2–4 kHz, this increased to >88% after adjustment. Conclusions: The results indicate that IF settings are inadequate, at least for the model of hearing aid used in the present study; however, significant discrepancies remained, even after adjustment.
Fault Prediction using Early Lifecycle Data

The prediction of fault-prone modules in a software project has been the topic of many studies. In this paper, we investigate whether metrics available early in the development lifecycle can be used to identify fault-prone software modules. More precisely, we build predictive models using the metrics that characterize textual requirements. We compare the performance of requirements-based models against the performance of code-based models and models that combine requirement and code metrics. Using a range of modeling techniques and the data from three NASA projects, our study indicates that the early lifecycle metrics can play an important role in project management, either by pointing to the need for increased quality monitoring during the development or by using the models to assign verification and validation activities.
Reported childhood abuse is associated with low serotonin transporter binding in vivo in major depressive disorder

Background: Physical or psychological adversity in childhood is associated with a higher risk for depression in adulthood, and with persistent serotonergic abnormalities in humans and in animal models. We hypothesized that reported childhood abuse would be associated with lower brain serotonin transporter (5‐HTT) binding potential (BPP, proportional to the number of available transporters) in adults. We examined healthy volunteers and subjects with major depressive disorder, a sample enriched for childhood abuse. Methods: Regional brain 5‐HTT BPP was measured using positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]McN 5652 and a metabolite‐corrected arterial input function in 43 healthy volunteers and 23 subjects in a major depressive episode, ten of whom reported a history of sexual and/or physical abuse before age 15, and 13 of whom did not. As only two healthy volunteers reported childhood abuse, primary analyses were restricted to the depressed sample, with healthy controls presented as comparators. Results: Depressed subjects reporting childhood abuse had lower 5‐HTT BPP than nonabused depressed subjects across all brain regions examined (P = 0.017). The groups did not differ in relevant demographic or clinical variables. Genotype frequencies of a functional polymorphism in the 5‐HTT gene promoter (5‐HTTLPR) did not differ between the groups. Conclusions: Reported childhood abuse is associated with lower 5‐HTT BPP in this sample of subjects with major depression, consistent with other reports that childhood adversity can lower serotonergic function permanently. Lower 5‐HTT BPP may represent a biological pathway through which early life stress predisposes to the development of subsequent psychiatric illness, including major depressive disorder. Synapse 63:565–573, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Association and interaction of PPARα, δ, and γ gene polymorphisms with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in a Chinese Han population.

AIMS Elevated low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) is regarded as one of major risks of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerotic events. It has been previously reported that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolism. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of PPARα/δ/γ gene polymorphisms on LDL-C level. Eight hundred twenty unrelated participants were recruited. Ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped to analyze the gene-gene interactions among these polymorphisms using the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method. RESULTS The results of single-locus analyses indicated that the genotypes with minor allele variants at the rs1800206, rs9794, rs1805192, rs709158, and rs3856806 loci are associated with higher LDL-C levels (p<0.05) after adjusting for covariates. In contrast, individuals that were homozygous for the major allele (CC) of rs10865710 had significantly higher LDL-C than those with either one or more minor type alleles (CG+GG, mean difference: -0.21 mM; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.37 to -0.04 mM; p=0.013). Significant gene-gene interactions among PPAR gene polymorphisms on LDL-C were identified by a generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) approach in 2- to 8-locus models (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Our results provide evidence that multiple PPARα/δ/γ gene polymorphisms are individually associated with increased LDL-C, and that interactions, among these alleles result in additional increased risk suggesting that PPAR genes may contribute substantially to the risk of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis.
A Novel Diversity-Based Replacement Strategy for Evolutionary Algorithms

Premature convergence is one of the best-known drawbacks that affects the performance of evolutionary algorithms. An alternative for dealing with this problem is to explicitly try to maintain proper diversity. In this paper, a new replacement strategy that preserves useful diversity is presented. The novelty of our method is that it combines the idea of transforming a single-objective problem into a multiobjective one, by considering diversity as an explicit objective, with the idea of adapting the balance induced between exploration and exploitation to the various optimization stages. Specifically, in the initial phases, larger amounts of diversity are accepted. The diversity measure considered in this paper is based on calculating distances to the closest surviving individual. Analyses with a multimodal function better justify the design decisions and provide greater insight into the working operation of the proposal. Computational results with a packing problem that was proposed in a popular contest illustrate the usefulness of the proposal. The new method significantly improves on the best results known to date for this problem and compares favorably against a large number of state-of-the-art schemes.
Gastrointestinal , Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Pathology Neutrophil Depletion Blocks Early Collagen Degradation in Repairing Cholestatic Rat Livers

From the Department of Surgery * and Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island and Hasbro Children’s Hospitals, Providence, Rhode Island; the Department of Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island; and The Hepatic Fibrosis Group, ‡ The Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Analytical evaluation of improved access techniques in deflection routing networks

This paper presents an extension of a known analytical model for the performance evaluation of nonpriority deflection routing networks in uniform traffic. The extension allows the analysis of improved access techniques. The key features of the analytical technique are described by casting it in a very simple setting: nonpriority hot-potato in a two-connected slotted shufflenet (SN) network. Results are presented for three access techniques: transmit-no-hold (TXNH), transmit-hold (TXH), and bypass queuing (BQ).
Visuospatial and verbal memory in mental arithmetic

Working memory allows complex information to be remembered and manipulated over short periods of time. Correlations between working memory and mathematics achievement have been shown across the lifespan. However, only a few studies have examined the potentially distinct contributions of domain-specific visuospatial and verbal working memory resources in mental arithmetic computation. Here we aimed to fill this gap in a series of six experiments pairing addition and subtraction tasks with verbal and visuospatial working memory and interference tasks. In general, we found higher levels of interference between mental arithmetic and visuospatial working memory tasks than between mental arithmetic and verbal working memory tasks. Additionally, we found that interference that matched the working memory domain of the task (e.g., verbal task with verbal interference) lowered working memory performance more than mismatched interference (verbal task with visuospatial interference). Findings suggest that mental arithmetic relies on domain-specific working memory resources.
An alternative approach in muscle fatigue evaluation from the surface EMG signal

The aim of this study was to compare the intervals of time between adjacent zero crossings (ZCI), an alternative frequency-temporal parameter, with the root-mean-square (RMS) value and the median frequency (Fmed) from the surface EMG (sEMG) signal in muscle fatigue analysis. Twenty right-handed volunteers performed isometric contractions of right biceps brachii muscle while sEMG signals were collected from it at three different and arbitrary load levels until fatigue. The mean ZCI presented a significant correlation with Fmed but not with RMS value and it also presented lower coefficients of variation than others. The results pointed that mean ZCI properties can contribute more than Fmed and RMS value on the interpretation of the muscle function under fatigue conditions.
Absence of Face-specific Cortical Activity in the Complete Absence of Awareness: Converging Evidence from Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Event-related Potentials

In this study, we explored the neural correlates of perceptual awareness during a masked face detection task. To assess awareness more precisely than in previous studies, participants employed a 4-point scale to rate subjective visibility. An event-related fMRI and a high-density ERP study were carried out. Imaging data showed that conscious face detection was linked to activation of fusiform and occipital face areas. Frontal and parietal regions, including the pre-SMA, inferior frontal sulcus, anterior insula/frontal operculum, and intraparietal sulcus, also responded strongly when faces were consciously perceived. In contrast, no brain area showed face-selective activity when participants reported no impression of a face. ERP results showed that conscious face detection was associated with enhanced N170 and also with the presence of a second negativity around 300 msec and a slow positivity around 415 msec. Again, face-related activity was absent when faces were not consciously perceived. We suggest that, under conditions of backward masking, ventral stream and fronto-parietal regions show similar, strong links of face-related activity to conscious perception and stress the importance of a detailed assessment of awareness to examine activity related to unseen stimulus events.
Gate-Induced Thermally Stimulated Current on the Ferroelectric-like Dielectric Properties of (BEDT-TTF)(TCNQ) Crystalline Field Effect Transistor

A gate-induced thermally stimulated current (TSC) on β′-(BEDT-TTF)(TCNQ) crystalline FET were conducted to elucidate the previously observed ferroelectric-like behaviors. TSC which is symmetric for the polarization of an applied VPG and has a peak at around 285 K was assigned as a pyroelectric current. By integrating the pyroelectric current, temperature dependence of the remnant polarization charge was obtained and the existence of the ferroelectric phase transition at 285 K was clearly demonstrated. We have tentatively concluded that the phase transition between dimer Mott insulator and charge ordered phase occurred at around the interface of organic crystal and substrate.
Modeling Exposure-Lag-Response Associations with Penalized Piece-wise Exponential Models

We present a novel approach for the flexible modeling of exposure-lag-response associations, i.e., time-to-event data where multiple past exposures are cumulatively associated with the hazard after a certain temporal delay. Our method is based on piece-wise exponential models and allows estimation of a wide variety of effects, including potentially smooth and time-varying effects as well as cumulative effects with leads and lags, taking advantage of the advanced inference methods that have recently been developed for generalized additive mixed models.
A comparison of microvascular responses to visible and near‐infrared lasers

Pulsed dye laser (PDL) is a commonly used treatment for Port Wine Stain birthmarks (PWS). However, deeper components of PWS are often resistant to PDL. Deeper penetrating lasers, including the long pulsed Neodymium:Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser have been used, but carry greater risk. This study evaluates the distinct blood vessel thermal responses to visible (595 nm) and near infrared (1,064 nm) lasers using animal and numerical models.
Factorizing Complex Discrete Data “with Finesse”

Can we mine latent patterns from discrete, non-numeric heterogeneous data? Many modern data sets contain heterogeneous non-numerical information measured over Boolean, ordinal and ternary scales. Values for features like these are "mixable" in the sense that they have intuitive non-linear analogs to classical "addition" (e.g. logical OR for Boolean data). We present a novel, general and extensible matrix factorization framework for any such "mixable" features. The framework lets us support heterogeneous data and encourages us to deduce other interesting "mixable" features, like those which encapsulate sub-trees over an ontology. We present Finesse, an algorithm with linear run-time complexity in the size of the data. Finesse outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in the special cases in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, and yields insightful patterns from its novel application to large real-world heterogeneous data.
Impairments in daily functioning after heavy and extreme episodic drinking in university students.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major public health issue in university students. The dangers of heavy drinking are well known, with both acute and long-term consequences; however, there is limited information on patterns of extreme drinking (twice over the recommended threshold for low-risk drinking), and the differential effects of heavy versus extreme drinking on immediate consequent functioning in daily life. The current study investigated drinking patterns in a sample of university students and the association of different levels of alcohol consumption with self-reported physical, cognitive and emotional function the day after the drinking episode. DESIGN AND METHODS Data for this study were collected from a sample of 281 University of Otago students using a 21 day Internet-based daily diary. Participants reported on their drinking the previous night and their physical, cognitive and emotional functioning on that day. RESULTS Participants reported drinking on 26.8% days overall and consuming an average of 7.2 standard drinks per occasion. Only heavy drinking (7+standard drinks for men, 5+standard drinks for women) and particularly extreme drinking (14+for men, 10+for women) predicted significant decreases in physical and cognitive functioning the next day. However, low-risk drinking (≤ 6 drinks for men,≤ 4 for women) was not associated with next-day impairment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that there are adverse, intermediate consequences of excessive drinking on dimensions relevant to students' lives. Drinking within low-risk guidelines is recommended.
Challenges in Measuring Outcomes Following Digital Replantation

Abstract In the early period of replantation surgery, the emphasis was on digit survival. Subsequently, with better microsurgical techniques and instrumentation, the focus has shifted to function and in recent years to consideration of cost-effectiveness. Despite over 40 years of effort in refining digital replantation surgery, a rigorous evaluation of the outcomes of digital replantation has not been performed. This is because of the many confounding variables that influence outcome comparisons. These variables include the mechanism of injury (guillotine, crush, avulsion), the injury itself (total, near total, subtotal, partial amputation), and the surgical procedure (replantation, revascularization). In addition, the traditional outcome measures (two-point discrimination, range of motion, grip strength, or the ability to return to work) are reported inconsistently and vary widely among publications. All these factors make meaningful comparison of outcomes difficult. The recent emphasis on outcome research and cost-effectiveness necessitates a rethinking in the way we report outcomes of digital replantation. In this article, the authors summarize the challenges in assessing outcomes of digital replantation and explain the need to measure outcomes using rigorous clinical research designs that incorporate cost-effectiveness studies in the research protocol.
A comparative study of the bias corrected estimates in logistic regression

Logistic regression is frequently used in many areas of applied statistics. The maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) of the logistic regression parameters are usually computed using the iterative Newton—Raphson method. It is well known that these estimates are biased. Several methods are proposed to correct the bias of these estimates. Among them Firth (1993) and Cordeiro and McCullagh (1991) proposed two promising methods. The conditional exact method (CMLE) is popular for small-sample estimates, and is available in many software packages. In this article we compare these methods in terms of their bias. In general, our extensive simulations show that the methods proposed by Cordeiro and McCullagh and by Firth work well, though Cordeiro and McCullagh is slightly better in our simulations. In case of separation, Firth or CMLE can be used; however, a judicious approach is required when there is a wide variation in results. Two real data analyses are given exhibiting these properties. The data analysis also includes bootstrap results.
Trends in Lower-Extremity Amputations in People With and Without Diabetes in Spain, 2001–2008

OBJECTIVE To examine trends in nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations (LEAs) over an 8-year period in patients with and without diabetes in Spain. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We identified all patients who underwent an LEA using national hospital discharge data. Discharges were grouped by diabetes status: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and no diabetes. The incidence of discharges attributed to amputations were calculated overall and stratified by diabetes status and year. We calculated length of stay and in-hospital fatality stratified by diabetes status and type of LEA. RESULTS From 2001 to 2008, 46,536 minor LEAs and 43,528 major LEAs were performed. In patients with type 1 diabetes, the incidence of minor and major amputations decreased significantly from 2001 to 2008 (0.88–0.43 per 100,000 inhabitants and 0.59–0.22 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively). In patients with type 2 diabetes, the incidence of minor and major LEAs increased significantly (9.23–10.9 per 100,000 inhabitants and 7.12–7.47 per 100,000 inhabitants). Hospital stay was similar among type 1 diabetic and type 2 diabetic subjects, according to the type of LEA. Only in-hospital mortality for minor LEAs among type 1 diabetic subjects decreased significantly (4.0% in 2001 vs. 1.6% in 2008). CONCLUSIONS Our national data show a decrease in the incidence of major and minor LEAs in patients with type 1 diabetes and an increase among patients with type 2 diabetes. Further improvement is necessary in the preventive care and early treatment of patients with diabetes. The management of foot lesions, especially among type 2 diabetic patients, is particularly urgent.
Differential Susceptibility of Allogeneic Targets to Indirect CD4 Immunity Generates Split Tolerance1

CD4 T cells frequently help to activate CD8 T and B cells that effect transplant rejection. However, CD4 T cells alone can reject transplants, either directly or indirectly. The relative effectiveness of indirect CD4 immunity in rejecting different types of allogeneic grafts is unknown. To address this, we used a TCR transgenic mouse model in which indirect CD4 alloimmunity alone can be studied. We challenged transgenic recipients with hematopoietic cells and shortly thereafter skin transplants that could only be rejected indirectly, and observed Ag-specific indirect donor B cell and skin rejection, but not T cell elimination, reflecting a state of split tolerance. Deficiency of indirect CD4 alloimmunity in donor T cell rejection was also apparent when acute indirect rejection of donor islets occurred despite generation and maintenance of mixed T cell chimerism, due to migration of the few passenger T cells into recipient circulation. Although passenger lymphocytes delayed indirect islet rejection, they enhanced rejection by a full repertoire capable of both direct and indirect reactivity. Interestingly, the persistence of chimerism was associated with the eventual development of tolerance, as demonstrated by acceptance of donor skin grafts given late to hematopoietic cell recipients, and hyporesponsiveness of transgenic T cells from islet recipients in vitro. Mechanistically, tolerance was recessive and associated with progressive down-regulation of CD4. Collectively, our data indicate that indirect CD4 immunity is not equally destructive toward different types of allogeneic grafts, the deficiency of which generates split tolerance. The futility of these responses can convert immunity into tolerance.