Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deflection relationships between the homogeneous Kirchhoff plate theory and different functionally graded plate theories

We derive field equations for a functionally graded plate whose deformations are governed by either the first-order shear deformation theory or the third-order shear deformation theory. These equations are further simplified for a simply supported polygonal plate. An exact relationship is established between the deflection of the functionally graded plate and that of an equivalent homogeneous Kirchhoff plate. This relationship is used to esplicitly express the displacements of a plate particle according to the first-order shear deformation theory in terms of the deflection of a homogeneous Kirchhoff plate. These relationships can readily be used to obtain similar correspondences between the deflections of a transversely laminated plate and a homogeneous Kirchhoff plate.
Comparative Study of VANET and MANET Routing Protocols

A Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET) is a type of Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) that is used to provide communications between nearby vehicles, and between vehicles and fixed infrastructure on the roadside. Though VANET is a type of MANET but the routing protocols of MANET are not feasible with VANET and if they are even feasible then they are not able to provide the optimum throughput required for a fast changing vehicular ad-hoc network. The difference between VANET and MANET is that in VANET, the nodes are moving on predefined roads, and their trails aren’t too complicated and this is where the routing protocols have to be modified or changed. The differences in the architecture and characteristics have been studied in this paper to suggest the best out of the existing routing protocols. This paper presents the various protocols optimized for both the MANET and VANET. A protocol is analyzed from the existing reactive protocols which will be efficient for both the MANET and VANET. Keywords— Mobile Ad hoc network (MANET), Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET), Proactive, Reactive, Mobility.
Large scale semi-supervised linear SVMs

Large scale learning is often realistic only in a semi-supervised setting where a small set of labeled examples is available together with a large collection of unlabeled data. In many information retrieval and data mining applications, linear classifiers are strongly preferred because of their ease of implementation, interpretability and empirical performance. In this work, we present a family of semi-supervised linear support vector classifiers that are designed to handle partially-labeled sparse datasets with possibly very large number of examples and features. At their core, our algorithms employ recently developed modified finite Newton techniques. Our contributions in this paper are as follows: (a) We provide an implementation of Transductive SVM (TSVM) that is significantly more efficient and scalable than currently used dual techniques, for linear classification problems involving large, sparse datasets. (b) We propose a variant of TSVM that involves multiple switching of labels. Experimental results show that this variant provides an order of magnitude further improvement in training efficiency. (c) We present a new algorithm for semi-supervised learning based on a Deterministic Annealing (DA) approach. This algorithm alleviates the problem of local minimum in the TSVM optimization procedure while also being computationally attractive. We conduct an empirical study on several document classification tasks which confirms the value of our methods in large scale semi-supervised settings.
On Kernelizing Mahalanobis Distance Learning Algorithms

This paper focuses on the problem of kernelizing an existing supervised Mahalanobis distance learner. The following features are included in the paper. Firstly, three popular learners, namely, “neighborhood component analysis”, “large margin nearest neighbors” and “discriminant neighborhood embedding”, which do not have kernel versions are kernelized in order to improve their classification performances. Secondly, an alternative kernelization framework called “KPCA trick” is presented. Implementing a learner in the new framework gains several advantages over the standard framework, e.g. no mathematical formulas and no reprogramming are required for a kernel implementation, the framework avoids troublesome problems such as singularity, etc. Thirdly, while the truths of representer theorems are just assumptions in previous papers related to ours, here, representer theorems are formally proven. The proofs validate both the kernel trick and the KPCA trick in the context of Mahalanobis distance learning. Fourthly, unlike previous works which always apply brute force methods to select a kernel, we investigate two approaches which can be efficiently adopted to construct an appropriate kernel for a given dataset. Finally, numerical results on various real-world datasets are presented.
E-voting Indonesia: Framing the research

Indonesia had only conducted two direct presidential elections in 2004 and 2009, respectively. Despite all the problems, it is understood that the country is trying hard to improve the quality of its elections, which includes using electronic voting (e-voting). However, the claim on how Indonesia is ready to implement e-voting in its presidential election is considered baseless, or at least is believed to be premature. There are many issues that need to be firstly addressed, such as infrastructure unreadiness, people's reluctance to accept the technology, and lacks of standard and framework prior to the implementation; before jumping into conclusion that the country needs the technology. This paper argues on the needs for a thorough study on e-voting and serves as a preliminary towards a standard and framework for implementing the technology in Indonesia. It looks at the problems lingering the country's previous elections and the issues with implementing e-voting in Indonesia. This paper suggests that such study should see through the perspective of development research. Finally, it proposes a framework that urges the application of participatory processes and promotes iterative development work.
Physiological Responses of the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon “Pyrococcus abyssi” to DNA Damage Caused by Ionizing Radiation

ABSTRACT The mechanisms by which hyperthermophilic Archaea, such as “Pyrococcus abyssi” and Pyrococcus furiosus, survive high doses of ionizing gamma irradiation are not thoroughly elucidated. Following gamma-ray irradiation at 2,500 Gy, the restoration of “P. abyssi” chromosomes took place within chromosome fragmentation. DNA synthesis in irradiated “P. abyssi” cells during the DNA repair phase was inhibited in comparison to nonirradiated control cultures, suggesting that DNA damage causes a replication block in this organism. We also found evidence for transient export of damaged DNA out of irradiated “P. abyssi” cells prior to a restart of chromosomal DNA synthesis. Our cell fractionation assays further suggest that “P. abyssi” contains a highly efficient DNA repair system which is continuously ready to repair the DNA damage caused by high temperature and/or ionizing radiation.
Network Utility Maximization and Pricing-Based Distributed Algorithms for Rate-Reliability Tradeoff

— The current framework of network utility maximization for rate allocation and its pricing-based algorithms assumes that each link provides a ﬁxed-size transmission ‘pipe’ and each user’s utility is a function of transmission rate only. These assumptions break down in many practical systems, where, by adapting the physical layer channel coding or transmission diversity, different tradeoffs between rate and reliability can be achieved. In network utility maximization problems formulated in this paper, the utility for each user depends on both transmission rate and signal quality, with an intrinsic tradeoff between the two. Each link may also provide a higher (lower) rate on the transmission ‘pipes’ by allowing a higher (or lower) decoding error probability. Despite non-separability and non-convexity of these optimization problems, we propose new pricing-based distributed algorithms and prove their convergence to the globally optimal rate-reliability tradeoff under readily-veriﬁable sufﬁcient conditions. Weﬁrstconsider networks in which the rate-reliability tradeoff is controlled by adapting channel code rates in each link’s physical layer error correction codes, and propose two distributed algorithms based on pricing, which respectively implement the ‘integrated’ and ‘differentiated’ policies of dynamic rate-reliability adjustment. In contrast to the classical pricing-based rate control algorithms, in our algorithms each user provides an offered price for its own reliability to the network while the network provides congestion prices to users. The proposed algorithms converge to a tradeoff point between rate and reliability, which we prove to be a globally optimal one for channel codes with sufﬁciently large coding length and utilities whose curvatures are sufﬁciently negative. Under these conditions, the proposed algorithms can thus generate the Pareto optimal tradeoff curves between rate and reliability for all the users. In addition, the distributed algorithms and convergence proofs are extended for wireless MIMO multi-hop networks, in which diversity and multiplexing gains of each link are controlled to achieve the optimal rate-reliability tradeoff. Numerical examples conﬁrm that there can be signiﬁcant enhancement of the network utility by distributively trading-off rate and reliability, even when only some of the links can implement dynamic reliability.
Modeling of Regional Hydroclimate Change over the Indian Subcontinent: Impact of the Expanding Thar Desert

AbstractThe Thar Desert between northwestern India and Pakistan is the most densely populated desert region in the world, and the vast surrounding areas are affected by rapid soil degradation and vegetation loss. The impact of an expanded desert (implemented by changing vegetation type and related greenness fraction, albedo, surface roughness length, emissivity, among others) on the South Asian summer monsoon hydroclimate is investigated by means of 7-month, 4-member ensemble sensitivity experiments with the Weather Research and Forecasting model.It is found that extended desertification significantly affects the monsoon at local and large scales. Locally, the atmospheric water cycle weakens because precipitation, evaporation, and atmospheric moisture convergence all decrease; soil moisture and runoff reduce too. Air temperature cools because of an increase in albedo (the desert makes the area brighter) and a reduction of surface turbulent fluxes; the cooling is partially offset by adiabatic descent, gene.
KREATIVITAS SISWA DALAM MEMECAHKAN MASALAH MATEMATIKA MATERI POLA BILANGAN DENGAN PENDEKATAN MATEMATIKA REALISTIK (PMR)

Pendidikan matematika selama ini tidak berhasil meningkatkan pemahaman matematika yang baik pada siswa, tetapi berhasil menumbuhkan perasaan takut, persepsi terhadap matematika sebagai ilmu yang sukar dikuasai, tidak bermakna, membosankan, menyebabkan stres pada diri siswa. Kreativitas dalam berfikir sangat mempengaruhi proses belajar. Kemampuan matematika bagi siswa dalam proses belajar selanjutnya maka masalah rendahnya hasil belajar matematika siswa dan sikap siswa terhadap matematika yang cenderung negatif perlu diupayakan pemecahannya. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif deskriptif. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode tes. Validitas data dalam penelitian ini dilakukan dengan meningkatkan ketekunan dan triangulasi waktu. Adapun teknik analisis data dilakukan dengan reduksi data dilakukan dengan cara memilih hasil pengerjaan siswa. Hasil reduksi yang telah dipaparkan, kemudian dipaparkan dalam bentuk analisis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: 1) Mempelajari pola bilangan lebih menarik dan mudah jika menggunakan pendekatan matematika realistik. 2). Pembelajaran matematika realistik memperkenalkan masalah yang bersifat aplikatif dalam kehidupan sehari-hari sehingga pembelajaran akan lebih bermakna. 3) Pembelajaran matematika realistik menekankan pada penanaman konsep pemahaman, kreativitas siswa dan poses nalar dalam matematika.
Demography of Symbiotic Nitrogen-Fixing Trees Explains Their Rarity and Successional Decline in Temperate Forests in the United States

Symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation is the major N input to many ecosystems. Although temperate forests are commonly N limited, symbiotic N-fixing trees (“N fixers”) are rare and decline in abundance as succession proceeds–a challenging paradox that remains unexplained. Understanding demographic processes that underlie N fixers’ rarity and successional decline would provide a proximate answer to the paradox. Do N fixers grow slower, die more frequently, or recruit less in temperate forests? We quantified demographic rates of N-fixing and non-fixing trees across succession using U.S. forest inventory data. We used an individual-based model to evaluate the relative contribution of each demographic process to community dynamics. Compared to non-fixers, N fixers had lower growth rates, higher mortality rates, and lower recruitment rates throughout succession. The mortality effect contributed more than the growth effect to N fixers’ successional decline. Canopy and understory N fixers experienced these demographic disadvantages, indicating that factors in addition to light limitation likely contribute to N fixers’ successional decline. We show that the rarity and successional decline of N-fixing trees in temperate forests is due more to their survival disadvantage than their growth disadvantage, and a recruitment disadvantage might also play a large role.
A Method for Automatic Determination of the Feature Vector Size for Text Categorization

In this paper, we propose a feature selection method for text categorization based on the filtering approach named Automatic Feature Subsets Analyzer (AFSA). The AFSA extends the Class-dependent Maximum Features per Document (cMFDR) algorithm and automatically defines the best number of features per document. In the cMFDR algorithm, the number of features is selected after a repetitive application of the methods which is a time-consuming strategy. In contrast, AFSA finds the best number of features in a data-driven way which is faster than cMFDR. The experiments with the Naïve Bayes Multinomial classifier, using four benchmark datasets, and three Feature Evaluation Function showed that the AFSA outperforms or presents similar results when compared with the cMFDR.
A New Approach to Pseudoword Generation

Sense-tagged corpora are used to evaluate word sense disambiguation (WSD) systems. Manual creation of such resources is often prohibitively expensive. That is why the concept of pseudowords - conflations of two or more unambiguous words - has been integrated into WSD evaluation experiments. This paper presents a new method of pseudoword generation which takes into account semantic-relatedness of the candidate words forming parts of the pseudowords to the particular senses of the word to be disambiguated. We compare the new approach to its alternatives and show that the results on pseudowords, that are more similar to real ambiguous words, better correspond to the actual results. Two techniques assessing the similarity are studied - the first one takes advantage of manually created dictionaries (wordnets), the second one builds on the automatically computed statistical data obtained from large corpora. Pros and cons of the two techniques are discussed and the results on a standard task are demonstrated.
Lyophilized allografts without pre-treatment with glutaraldehyde are more suitable than cryopreserved allografts for pulmonary artery reconstruction

Various methods are available for preservation of vascular grafts for pulmonary artery (PA) replacement. Lyophilization and cryopreservation reduce antigenicity and prevent thrombosis and calcification in vascular grafts, so both methods can be used to obtain vascular bioprostheses. We evaluated the hemodynamic, gasometric, imaging, and macroscopic and microscopic findings produced by PA reconstruction with lyophilized (LyoPA) grafts and cryopreserved (CryoPA) grafts in dogs. Eighteen healthy crossbred adult dogs of both sexes weighing between 18 and 20 kg were used and divided into three groups of six: group I, PA section and reanastomosis; group II, PA resection and reconstruction with LyoPA allograft; group III, PA resection and reconstruction with CryoPA allograft. Dogs were evaluated 4 weeks after surgery, and the status of the graft and vascular anastomosis were examined macroscopically and microscopically. No clinical, radiologic, or blood-gas abnormalities were observed during the study. The mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) in group III increased significantly at the end of the study compared with baseline (P=0.02) and final [P=0.007, two-way repeat-measures analysis of variance (RM ANOVA)] values. Pulmonary vascular resistance of groups II and III increased immediately after reperfusion and also at the end of the study compared to baseline. The increase shown by group III vs group I was significant only if compared with after surgery and study end (P=0.016 and P=0.005, respectively, two-way RM ANOVA). Microscopically, permeability was reduced by ≤75% in group III. In conclusion, substitution of PAs with LyoPA grafts is technically feasible and clinically promising.
Developing of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol for Public Hospitals in Iran

Background: Employment of utilization review instruments is a method for managing costs and efficiency in the healthcare systems. Objectives: This study developed an instrument for measuring the level of inappropriate acute hospital admissions and days of care in Iran. Patients and Methods: The American version of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) was modified, using the agreement method, by a multidisciplinary group of physicians. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of 273 randomly selected patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. For the reliability study, two nurses were asked to review patients’ medical records using the instrument. Validity was appraised by pairs of clinicians, including two general surgeons, two internists and two gynecologists. The degree of consensus between the three pairs of clinicians was compared with that of the nurses. Results: Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability testing revealed an excellent level of consensus between the two nurses employing the AEP in all the studied departments. Overall agreement was > 92%, while the specific appropriate agreement and specific inappropriate agreement were > 88% and > 83%, respectively. External validity testing of the instrument yielded a sensitivity > 0.785, specificity > 0.55, and positive and negative predictive values > 0.775 and > 0.555, respectively. The kappa statistic for the nurses who applied the AEP and clinicians using personal judgment were perfect (k > 0.85) and substantial (k > 0.68), respectively. Conclusions: The results illustrate that the Iranian version of the AEP (IR-AEP) could be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the level of inappropriate acute hospital admissions and days of care in the Iranian context.
Phylogenetic trees and the future of mammalian biodiversity

Phylogenies describe the origins and history of species. However, they can also help to predict species' fates and so can be useful tools for managing the future of biodiversity. This article starts by sketching how phylogenetic, geographic, and trait information can be combined to elucidate present mammalian diversity patterns and how they arose. Recent diversification rates and standing diversity show different geographic patterns, indicating that cradles of diversity have moved over time. Patterns in extinction risk reflect both biological differences among mammalian lineages and differences in threat intensity among regions. Phylogenetic comparative analyses indicate that for small-bodied mammals, extinction risk is governed mostly by where the species live and the intensity of the threats, whereas for large-bodied mammals, ecological differences also play an important role. This modeling approach identifies species whose intrinsic biology renders them particularly vulnerable to increased human pressure. We outline how the approach might be extended to consider future trends in anthropogenic drivers, to identify likely future battlegrounds of mammalian conservation, and the likely casualties. This framework could help to highlight consequences of choosing among different future climatic and socioeconomic scenarios. We end by discussing priority-setting, showing how alternative currencies for diversity can suggest very different priorities. We argue that aiming to maximize long-term evolutionary responses is inappropriate, that conservation planning needs to consider costs as well as benefits, and that proactive conservation of largely intact systems should be part of a balanced strategy.
Relationship between non-thermal electron energy spectra and GOES classes

Aims. We investigate influence of variations in the energy spectrum of non-thermal electrons on the resulting GOES classes of solar flares. Methods. Twelve observed flares with various soft-to-hard X-ray emission ratios were modeled using different non-thermal electron energy distributions. Initial values of the flare physical parameters including geometrical properties were estimated using observations. Results. We found that, for a fixed total energy of non-thermal electrons in a flare, the resulting GOES class of the flare can change significantly by varying the spectral index and low energy cut-off of the non-thermal electron distribution. Thus, the GOES class of a flare depends not only on the total non-thermal electrons energy but also on the electron beam parameters. For example, we were able to convert a M2.7 class solar flare into a merely C1.4 class one and a B8.1 class event into a C2.6 class flare. The results of our work also suggest that the level of correlation between the cumulative time integral of HXR and SXR fluxes can depend on the considered HXR energy range.
WAVELET APPROACH FOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND DIAGNOSIS OF A HYDRAULIC PUMP

Hydraulic pump performance monitoring methods that can detect failures by using the outlet pressure signals of the pump are investigated. Two faults diagnosis methods, namely conventional spectral analysis method based on FFT and wavelet based multi-resolution analysis method, are introduced and their efficiency and reliability are discussed. The performance of both diagnoses methods were evaluated based on simulation results and experimental results. Validation results obtained from using both methods in analyzing the same sets of data indicated that the wavelet transform based fault diagnosis method showed a more sensitive and robust detecting results for all three tested pump faults than that obtained from a spectrum analyses approach.