Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanical and tribological properties of phenolic resin-based friction composites filled with several inorganic fillers

The calcined petroleum coke (CPC), talcum powder (TP) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) were used as the friction modifiers to improve the mechanical and tribological properties of phenolic resin-based friction composites (the resin matrix was coded as PHE). Thus the composites filled with the inorganic particulates of laminar structures were prepared by compression molding. The hardness and bending strength of the friction composites were measured. The tribological properties of the composites sliding against cast iron were evaluated using a pin-on-disc test rig. The morphologies of the worn surfaces of the composites and the transfer films on the counterpart cast iron disc were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy, and the elemental plane distributions on the transfer films were analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). It was found that the friction composites of different compositions showed different friction and wear behaviors, which was highly dependent on the volume fractions of the friction modifiers in the composites. Namely, the inclusion of CPC, h-BN, and TP at a volume fraction of 10% helped to greatly increase the bending strength and wear resistance of the composites, and in these cases the coefficients of friction for the composites were ranged within 0.43–0.47. In particular, the PHE-based composite with 10% h-BN had excellent friction stability at various testing conditions and showed the best wear resistance above 125 ◦C, which was attributed to the formation of a compact friction film (third-body-layer) on the rubbing surface of the composite and of a durable transfer film on the rubbing surface of the counterpart cast iron. The PHE-based composite with 10% CPC showed the best wear resistance below 125 ◦C, which was ascribed to the same reasons mentioned above. The different actions of various friction modifiers in terms of their effects on the friction and wear behavior of the phenolic resin-based friction composites could be related to their different bonding strengths with the resin matrix and their different abilities to form friction films (third-body-layer) on the surfaces of the composites and transfer films on the counterpart cast iron surface as well.
Depthwise Separable Convolutions for Neural Machine Translation

Depthwise separable convolutions reduce the number of parameters and computation used in convolutional operations while increasing representational efficiency. They have been shown to be successful in image classification models, both in obtaining better models than previously possible for a given parameter count (the Xception architecture) and considerably reducing the number of parameters required to perform at a given level (the MobileNets family of architectures). Recently, convolutional sequence-to-sequence networks have been applied to machine translation tasks with good results. In this work, we study how depthwise separable convolutions can be applied to neural machine translation. We introduce a new architecture inspired by Xception and ByteNet, called SliceNet, which enables a significant reduction of the parameter count and amount of computation needed to obtain results like ByteNet, and, with a similar parameter count, achieves new state-of-the-art results. In addition to showing that depthwise separable convolutions perform well for machine translation, we investigate the architectural changes that they enable: we observe that thanks to depthwise separability, we can increase the length of convolution windows, removing the need for filter dilation. We also introduce a new "super-separable" convolution operation that further reduces the number of parameters and computational cost for obtaining state-of-the-art results.
Production of inulinase from Kluyveromyces marxianus using dahlia tuber extract

Various carbon sources were evaluated for production of inulinase by yeast, Kluyveromyces marxianus MTCC 3995. Highest inulinase activity was observed with Dahlia extract (25.3 nkat mL-1) as carbon source. The enzyme activity was 1.4 folds higher than that observed in media containing pure chicory inulin (17.8 nkat mL-1). The yeast showed good growth on a simple medium containing dahlia extract (20% w/v) and yeast extract (2%w/v) as carbon and nitrogen source respectively, in 96 h. at 28°C and 120 rpm. Lowest inulinase yield (4.8 nkat mL-1) was seen in the medium containing glucose as C-source. Although varied inulinase levels were noticed on different C- sources, Inulinase: Sucrase (I/S) ratios were noticed to be similar. Among various protein sources tested, yeast extract was found to be the best source followed by beef extract (17.9 nkat mL-1) and peptone (13.8 nkat mL-1). The enzyme was optimally active at pH (4.0) and 50°C. TLC analysis of end product revealed that inulinase hydrolyzed inulin exclusively into fructose. Results suggest that the dahlia extract induced exoinulinase synthesis in Kluyveromyces marxianus and can be utilized as a potential substrate for inulinase production.
Online Learning Rate Adaptation with Hypergradient Descent

We introduce a general method for improving the convergence rate of gradient-based optimizers that is easy to implement and works well in practice. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in a range of optimization problems by applying it to stochastic gradient descent, stochastic gradient descent with Nesterov momentum, and Adam, showing that it significantly reduces the need for the manual tuning of the initial learning rate for these commonly used algorithms. Our method works by dynamically updating the learning rate during optimization using the gradient with respect to the learning rate of the update rule itself. Computing this "hypergradient" needs little additional computation, requires only one extra copy of the original gradient to be stored in memory, and relies upon nothing more than what is provided by reverse-mode automatic differentiation.
Randomised controlled trial of stand-alone tailored emails for smoking cessation

Introduction Digital technology has created opportunities for delivering smoking cessation assistance at the population level. However, the efficacy of sending multiple, automated, tailored emails providing motivation, support and information for quitting is unknown. Methods Smokers planning to quit (n=1070) were randomly assigned to (1) 27 tailored cessation emails (deluxe email group (DEG)), (2) 3 to 4 tailored emails with links to downloadable booklets (basic email group (BEG)) or (3) a single non-tailored email (single email group (SEG)). All emails included links to quitting resources. Self-reported 7-day point-prevalence abstinence was assessed at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months postenrolment. Results Across follow-ups, abstinence was significantly greater for smokers in the DEG (34%) compared with the SEG (25.8%; OR=1.47, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.02, p=0.02) but there was no difference between the BEG (30.8%) and the SEG (p=0.13). Results were independent of baseline cigarettes per day, interest in quitting, smoker in household, use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or varenicline and gender, themselves associated with abstinence (ps<0.05). Missing=smoking and multiple imputation analyses based on 25 data sets corroborated results. Participants in the DEG were also more likely to use non-medication aids (eg, quit smoking website, cessation class/clinic) compared with the SEG (OR=1.34, p=0.02, CI 1.06 to 1.71), but use of these or NRT by the 4-week follow-up (vs no use) increased abstinence across follow-ups primarily for those in the SEG. Conclusions Stand-alone tailored, multiple emails providing support, motivation and information during a quit attempt are an easily deployable, inexpensive mode of providing effective cessation assistance to large numbers of smokers planning to quit.
Dynamic Computational Time for Visual Attention

We propose a dynamic computational time model to accelerate the average processing time for recurrent visual attention (RAM). Rather than attention with a fixed number of steps for each input image, the model learns to decide when to stop on the fly. To achieve this, we add an additional continue/stop action per time step to RAM and use reinforcement learning to learn both the optimal attention policy and stopping policy. The modification is simple but could dramatically save the average computational time while keeping the same recognition performance as RAM. Experimental results on CUB-200-2011 and Stanford Cars dataset demonstrate the dynamic computational model can work effectively for fine-grained image recognition. The source code of this paper can be obtained from https://github.com/baidu-research/DT-RAM
MRI Features and IDH Mutational Status of Grade II Diffuse Gliomas: Impact on Diagnosis and Prognosis.

OBJECTIVE Grade II diffuse gliomas (DGs) with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations are associated with better prognosis than their IDH wild-type counterparts. We sought to determine the MRI characteristics associated with IDH mutational status and ascertain whether MRI considered in combination with IDH mutational status can better predict the clinical outcomes of grade II DGs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Preoperative MRI examinations were retrospectively studied for qualitative tumor characteristics, including location, extent, cortical involvement, margin sharpness, cystic component, mineralization or hemorrhage, and contrast enhancement. Quantitative diffusion and perfusion metrics were also assessed. Logistic regression and ROC analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between MRI features and IDH mutational status. The association between IDH mutational status, 1p19q codeletion, MRI features, extent of resection, and clinical outcomes was assessed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Of 100 grade II DGs, 78 were IDH mutant and 22 were IDH wild type. IDH wild-type tumors were associated with older age, multifocality, brainstem involvement, lack of cystic change, and a lower apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Multivariable regression showed that age older than 45 years as well as low minimum ADC (ADCmin), mean ADC, and maximum ADC values were independently associated with IDH mutational status. Of these, an ADCmin threshold of 0.9 × 10-3 mm2/s or less provided the greatest sensitivity and specificity (91% and 76%, respectively) in defining IDH wild-type grade II DGs. Combining low ADCmin with IDH wild-type status conferred worse outcomes than did IDH wild-type status alone. CONCLUSION IDH wild-type grade II DGs are associated with a lower ADC and poor clinical outcomes. Combining IDH mutational status and ADC may allow more accurate prediction of clinical outcomes for patients with grade II DGs.
Prevalence of Biofilm Formation and Wide Distribution of Virulence Associated Genes among Vibrio spp. Strains Isolated from the Monastir Lagoon, Tunisia

Abstract In the current study, 65 Vibrio spp. were isolated from the Monastir lagoon water, were characterized phenotypically and genotypically. In addition, we looked for the presence of three Vibrio parahaemolyticus virulence genes (tlh, trh and tdh) and ten Vibrio cholerae virulence genes (ctxA, vpi, zot, ace, toxR, toxT, tosS, toxRS, tcpA and cpP). We also investigated the antibiotic susceptibilities and the adherence ability of the identified strains to abiotic material and to biotic surfaces. The cytotoxicity activity against HeLa and Vero cell lines were also carried out for all tested strains. All Vibrio isolates were identified to the species level and produced several hydrolytic exoenzymes. The results also revealed that all strains were expressing high rates of resistance to tested antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values showed that tetracycline and chloramphenicol were the most effective antibiotics against the tested bacteria. Vibrio alginolyticus and V. cholerae species were the most adhesive strains to both biotic and abiotic surfaces. Besides, V. alginolyticus isolates has the high levels of recombination of genes encoding V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus virulence factors. In vitro cytotoxic activities of several Vibrio extracellular product were also observed among HeLa and Vero cells.
GEOPOLYMER BINDER FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTES: A REVIEW

This paper summarizes the review of literature on geopolymer binders as alternative to ordinary portland cement. The major factors affecting geopolymerization are identified as type and nature of raw materials, alkaline activators and curing conditions. Raw materials rich in reactive silica and alumina are commonly used. Alkali concentration is a significant factor in controlling the leaching of alumina and silica from raw material. Silicate activation increases the dissolution of raw materials and gives rise to favourable mechanical properties. For different raw materials the optimum alkaline concentration, activator liquid to raw material mass ratio and sodium silicate/sodium hydroxide solution ratio would be different. Different curing conditions are reported for different raw materials and different activators. Area for future research is also suggested.
Latency Analysis and Reduction in a 4 G Network by

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS . 3 LIST OF FIGURES . 5 LIST OF TABLES . 7 INTRODUCTION . 8 LATENCY IN A MOBILE NETWORK . 10 LATENCY DEFINITIONS FOUND IN THE LITERATURE, WHITE PAPERS AND STANDARDS . 10 NEED FOR LOW LATENCY AND COMMON LATENCY TARGETS . 12 UNCERTAINTIES AND LIMITATIONS OF USER PLANE LATENCY DEFINITIONS . 14 LATENCY DEFINITION CONSIDERED FOR THIS RESEARCH . 15 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND RELEVANT CONCEPTS . 17 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES . 17 MOBILE NETWORK AND ITS COMPONENTS . 17 Evolved Universal Terrestrial Access Network . 18 Evolved Packet Core . 18 REASONS FOR LATENCY IN NETWORK COMPONENTS . 19 Processing delay in the radio network . 20 Scheduling latency . 23 FACTORS AFFECTING PACKET LATENCY . 24 Parameters affecting packet latency . 24 STATE OF THE ART IN LATENCY MEASUREMENT IN LTE . 26 REQUIREMENTS FOR MEASUREMENT SETUPS . 28 NEED FOR REALISTIC EFFECTS ON MEASUREMENT SETUPS . 28 Realistic radio network . 28 Realistic core network . 29 Realistic user and service characteristics . 29 ABILITY TO MEASURE ONE-WAY LATENCY . 29 Access to network . 30 Placement of measurement points . 30 Appropriate transport protocol . 31 Placement of the application server . 31 Eliminating measurement error . 32 MEASUREMENT SETUP . 33 THE USER EQUIPMENT . 35 Traffic generator . 35 Ostinato architecture . 36 THE RADIO NETWORK . 37 Realistic radio network . 37 KauNetEm overview . 38 Radio network simulator . 39 Integrating radio network and KauNetEm . 44 THE CORE NETWORK . 45
Conic-Sector-Based Analysis and Control Synthesis for Linear Parameter Varying Systems

We present a conic sector theorem for linear parameter varying (LPV) systems in which the traditional definition of conicity is violated for certain values of the parameter. We show that such LPV systems can be defined to be conic in an average sense if the parameter trajectories are restricted so that the system operates with such values of the parameter sufficiently rarely. We then show that such an average definition of conicity is useful in analyzing the stability of the system when it is connected in feedback with a conic system with appropriate conic properties. This can be regarded as an extension of the classical conic sector theorem. Based on this modified conic sector theorem, we design conic controllers that allow the closed-loop system to operate in nonconic parameter regions for brief periods of time. Due to this extra degree of freedom, these controllers lead to less conservative performance than traditional designs, in which the controller parameters are chosen based on the largest cone that the plant dynamics are contained in. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design in stabilizing a power grid with very high penetration of renewable energy while minimizing power transmission losses.
Synergetic Effect for Diatomite-catalysed Sono-catalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

Diatomite and ultrasonic irradiation can be used for chemical separation and water purification.Diatomite was used to degrade methylene blue under ultrasonic irradiation,and the synergetic effect was analyzed.According to the analysis by surface morphology and X-ray diffraction,natural diatomite particles used are discoid plates like lotus head,porous and compact.Diatomite consists mainly of amorphous SiO_2 and a small amount of quartz.The catalysed sonocatalytic degradation with diatomite is 1.24 times greater than the degradation with either diatomite adsorption or ultrasonic irradiation alone,indicating a significant synergetic effect.The increase of diatomite dosage and solution pH can considerably increase the decolorization efficiency.The hydroxyl radical oxidation mechanism is confirmed in the interfacial regions of cavitation bubbles and aqueous solution.It was the properties of diatomite particles and surface roughness that generated the significant synergetic effect.
Metabolic Pathway Analysis : from small to genome-scale networks

The need for mathematical modelling of biological processes has grown alongside with the achievements in the experimental field leading to the appearance and development of new fields like systems biology. Systems biology aims at generating new knowledge through modelling and integration of experimental data in order to develop a holistic understanding of organisms. In the first part of my PhD thesis, I compare two different levels of abstraction used for computing metabolic pathways, constraint-based and graph theoretical methods. I show that the current representations of metabolism as a simple graph correspond to wrong mathematical descriptions of metabolic pathways. On the other hand, the use of stoichiometric information and convex analysis as modelling framework like in elementary flux mode analysis, allows to correctly predict metabolic pathways. In the second part of the thesis, I present two of the first methods, based on elementary flux mode analysis, that can compute metabolic pathways in such large metabolic networks: the K-shortest EFMs method and the EFMEvolver method. These methods contribute to an enrichment of the mathematical tools available to model cell biology and more precisely, metabolism. The application of these new methods to biotechnological problems is also explored in this part. In the last part of my thesis, I give an overview of recent achievements in metabolic network reconstruction and constraint-based modelling as well as open issues. Moreover, I discuss possible strategies for integrating experimental data with elementary flux mode analysis. Further improvements in elementary flux mode computation on that direction are put forward.
Surrealistic Bohm Trajectories

Abstract A study of interferometers with one-bit which-way detectors demonstrates that the trajectories, which David Bohm invented in his attempt at a realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics, are in fact surrealistic, because they may be macroscopically at variance with the observed track of the particle. We consider a two-slit interferometer and an incomplete Stern-Gerlach interferometer, and propose an experimentum crucis based on the latter.
Crk proteins transduce FGF signaling to promote lens fiber cell elongation

Specific cell shapes are fundamental to the organization and function of multicellular organisms. Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) signaling induces the elongation of lens fiber cells during vertebrate lens development. Nonetheless, exactly how this extracellular FGF signal is transmitted to the cytoskeletal network has previously not been determined. Here, we show that the Crk family of adaptor proteins, Crk and Crkl, are required for mouse lens morphogenesis but not differentiation. Genetic ablation and epistasis experiments demonstrated that Crk and Crkl play overlapping roles downstream of FGF signaling in order to regulate lens fiber cell elongation. Upon FGF stimulation, Crk proteins were found to interact with Frs2, Shp2 and Grb2. The loss of Crk proteins was partially compensated for by the activation of Ras and Rac signaling. These results reveal that Crk proteins are important partners of the Frs2/Shp2/Grb2 complex in mediating FGF signaling, specifically promoting cell shape changes.
Meta-Analysis of Personality Traits in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Comparison with Healthy Subjects

Background: The role of specific personality traits as factor risks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been consistently found, whereas personality traits specifically related to AD (after the diagnosis) have not been outlined yet. Objective: A meta-analysis of published studies was performed to determine whether AD patients have a distinctive personality trait profile compared to healthy subjects (HC), similar to or different from a premorbid personality profile consistently reported in previous studies. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using PsycInfo (PROQUEST), PubMed, and Scopus. The meta-analysis pooled results from primary studies using Hedges’ g unbiased approach. Results: The meta-analysis included 10 primary studies and revealed that, when the personality was evaluated by informant-rated measures, AD patients had significantly higher levels of Neuroticism, lower levels of Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion than HCs. When the personality was evaluated by self-rated measures, the results obtained from informants were confirmed for Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion but not for Agreeableness and Conscientiousness where AD patients and HCs achieved similar scores. Conclusions: The meta-analysis revealed that high Neuroticism and low Openness and Extraversion are distinctive personality traits significantly associated with a diagnosis of AD when evaluated both self-rated and informant-rated measures. This personality trait profile is similar to premorbid one, which contributes to development of AD over time. Therefore, our findings indirectly support the idea of specific premorbid personality traits as harbingers of AD.
A Grounded Theory of Effective Reading by Profoundly Deaf Adults

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to uncover and describe psycholinguistic and sociocognitive factors facilitating effective reading by signing adults who are profoundly deaf and do not use hearing technology. The sample comprised four groups, each consisting of 15 adults, for a total of 60 participants. The four groups were deaf high-achieving, deaf low-achieving, hearing high-achieving, and hearing low-achieving. Measurements included a language background interview and think-aloud reading discussion. Through the lens of a grounded theory approach, the conditions that facilitate effective reading were uncovered—by coding and categorizing themes, relating the codes and categories, and determining a central theme. It was found that there are similarities and differences in how deaf and hearing people process phonological codes and conceptualize language, and that access to varied instructional strategies and meaningful language experiences is an overarching theme in effective reading.
Trade Openness and Volatility

This paper examines the mechanisms through which output volatility is related to trade openness using an industry-level panel data set of manufacturing production and trade. The main results are threefold. First, sectors more open to international trade are more volatile. Second, trade is accompanied by increased specialization. These two forces imply increased aggregate volatility. Third, sectors that are more open to trade are less correlated with the rest of the economy, an effect that acts to reduce overall volatility. The point estimates indicate that each of the three effects has an appreciable impact on aggregate volatility. Added together they imply that the relationship between trade openness and overall volatility is positive and economically significant.