Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanostructured Boron Nitride: From Molecular Design to Hydrogen Storage Application

The spray-pyrolysis of borazine at 1400 °C under nitrogen generates boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles (NPs). The as-prepared samples form elementary blocks containing slightly agglomerated NPs with sizes ranging from 55 to 120 nm, a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)-specific surface area of 34.6 m2 g−1 and a helium density of 1.95 g cm−3. They are relatively stable in air below 850 °C in which only oxidation of the NP surface proceeds, whereas under nitrogen, their lower size affects their high temperature thermal behavior in the temperature range of 1450–2000 °C. Nitrogen heat-treated nanostructures have been carefully analyzed using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The high temperature treatment (2000 °C) gives hollow-cored BN-NPs that are strongly facetted, and after ball-milling, hollow core-mesoporous shell NPs displaying a BET-specific surface area of 200.5 m2·g−1 and a total pore volume of 0.287 cm3·g−1 were produced. They have been used as host material to confine, then destabilize ammonia borane (AB), thus improving its dehydrogenation properties. The as-formed AB@BN nanocomposites liberated H2 at 40 °C, and H2 is pure in the temperature range 40–80 °C, leading to a safe and practical hydrogen storage composite material.
Feature expansion using word embedding for tweet topic classification

One of Online Social Network (OSN) roles is a source of information, especially during an emergency. Twitter is an OSN service that enables users to send and read message but is limited to only 140 characters. Therefore, the tweet is written very short, not always using grammatically correct and using a lot of word variations. The use of word variations increase the likelihood of vocabulary mismatch and make the tweets difficult to understand without some kind of context. In this paper, we used word embeddings based on word2vec to reduce the vocabulary mismatch for tweet topic classification.
Novel Mode of ISG15-Mediated Protection against Influenza A Virus and Sendai Virus in Mice

ABSTRACT ISG15 is a diubiquitin-like modifier and one of the most rapidly induced genes upon type I interferon stimulation. Hundreds of host proteins and a number of viral proteins have been shown to be ISGylated, and understanding how these modifications affect the interferon response and virus replication has been of considerable interest. ISG15−/− mice exhibit increased susceptibility to viral infection, and in the case of influenza B virus and vaccinia virus, ISG15 conjugation has been shown to restrict virus replication in vivo. A number of studies have also found that ISG15 is capable of antagonizing replication of some viruses in tissue culture. However, recent findings have demonstrated that ISG15 can protect mice from Chikungunya virus infection without affecting the virus burden. In order to better understand the function of ISG15 in vivo, we characterized the pathogenesis of influenza A virus and Sendai virus in ISG15−/− mice. We found that ISG15 protects mice from virus induced lethality by a conjugation-dependent mechanism in both of these models. However, surprisingly, we found that ISG15 had minimal effect on virus replication and did not have an obvious role in the modulation of the acute immune response to infection. Instead, we observed an increase in the number of diseased small airways in mice lacking ISG15. This ability of ISG15 to protect mice in a conjugation-dependent, but nonantiviral, manner from respiratory virus infection represents a previously undescribed role for ISG15 and demonstrates the importance of further characterization of ISG15 in vivo. IMPORTANCE It has previously been demonstrated that ISG15−/− mice are more susceptible to a number of viral infections. Since ISG15 is one of the most strongly induced genes after type I interferon stimulation, analysis of ISG15 function has largely focused on its role as an antiviral molecule during acute infection. Although a number of studies have shown that ISG15 does have a small effect on virus replication in tissue culture, few studies have confirmed this mechanism of protection in vivo. In these studies we have found that while ISG15−/− mice are more susceptible to influenza A virus and Sendai virus infections, ISGylation does not appear to mediate this protection through the direct inhibition of virus replication or the modulation of the acute immune response. Thus, in addition to showing a novel mode of ISG15 mediated protection from virus infection, this study demonstrates the importance of studying the role of ISG15 in vivo.
q-Deformed KP Hierarchy and q-Deformed Constrained KP Hierarchy

Using the determinant representation of gauge transformation operator, we have shown that the general form of tau function of the q-KP hierarchy is a q-deformed generalized Wronskian, which includes the q-deformed Wronskian as a special case. On the basis of these, we study the q-deformed constrained KP (q-cKP) hierarchy, i.e. l-constraints of q-KP hierarchy. Similar to the ordinary constrained KP (cKP) hierarchy, a large class of solutions of q-cKP hierarchy can be represented by q-deformed Wronskian determinant of functions satisfying a set of linear q-partial differential equations with constant coefficients. We obtained additional conditions for these functions imposed by the constraints. In particular, the effects of q-deformation (q-effects) in single q-soliton from the simplest tau function of the q-KP hierarchy and in multi-q-soliton from one-component q-cKP hierarchy, and their dependence of x and q, were also presented. Finally, we observe that q-soliton tends to the usual soliton of the KP equation when x -> 0 and q -> 1, simultaneously.
Evolutionary Network Analysis

Evolutionary network analysis has found an increasing interest in the literature because of the importance of different kinds of dynamic social networks, email networks, biological networks, and social streams. When a network evolves, the results of data mining algorithms such as community detection need to be correspondingly updated. Furthermore, the specific kinds of changes to the structure of the network, such as the impact on community structure or the impact on network structural parameters, such as node degrees, also needs to be analyzed. Some dynamic networks have a much faster rate of edge arrival and are referred to as network streams or graph streams. The analysis of such networks is especially challenging, because it needs to be performed with an online approach, under the one-pass constraint of data streams. The incorporation of content can add further complexity to the evolution analysis process. This survey provides an overview of the vast literature on graph evolution analysis and the numerous applications that arise in different contexts.
The Effect of Input Data on Program Vulnerability

The System Vulnerability Stack is a novel method to compute a system’s vulnerability to transient faults (see Figure 1). The vulnerability stack observes that a system consists of multiple independent layers that interact through well-defined interfaces (e.g., the ISA). Therefore, the vulnerability stack quantifies fault masking within an individual layer by focusing on its interfaces: a fault that does not propagate to a layer’s interfaces will be masked. These layer-level measurements can then be combined to yield a full-system vulnerability measure. The vulnerability stack can have myriad benefits for architects interested in system vulnerability calculation. For instance, the vulnerability stack isolates hardware-level from software-level fault masking effects. This allows softwarebased reliability studies to report program-level fault masking (e.g., Program Vulnerability Factor [1]) instead of systemlevel fault masking (e.g., Architectural Vulnerability Factor [2]). For instance, Jones et al. examine the impact of compiler optimizations on AVF [3]. The authors report that compiler flag -freorder-blocks reduces AVF across a range of benchmarks. However, we do not know whether the optimization affected the benchmarks’ application derating (software vulnerability) or the machine derating (hardware vulnerability) of the system under test [4]. If the latter, the compiler flag may have a different effect on different hardware. In principle, the vulnerability stack can also eliminate much redundant computation currently required for design-time AVF analysis. The PVF of a program can be computed once, and the results used in all further simulations that use this program. Since benchmark programs typically have a useful life of many years, this can lead to a significant reduction in overall simulation time, potentially reducing the time-to-market for new products. Finally, through fault abstraction, the vulnerability stack enables a much broader segment of the computer architecture and software engineering communities to participate in the vulnerability assessment process. Currently, these activities are performed by architects equipped with a microarchitecture simulator. By defining the effects of a fault on the ISA, the vulnerability stack allows a software architect to assess the vulnerability an application without the need for a microarchitecture model. In this work, we first present an introduction to the System Vulnerability Stack. We then examine a limitation of the vulnerability stack: its dependence on input data. Specifically, program vulnerability calculations depend on the inputs to a program, but the extent of this dependence has yet to be determined. For example, the PVF of a program can be measured at compile time, when real inputs are not available. It is important to understand whether these compile-time vulnerability measurements will accurately reflect the behavior of the application when running with real input data. That is the goal of this work.
Brief questions to identify patients with inadequate health literacy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES No practical method for identifying patients with low heath literacy exists. We sought to develop screening questions for identifying patients with inadequate or marginal health literacy. METHODS Patients (n=332) at a VA preoperative clinic completed in-person interviews that included 16 health literacy screening questions on a 5-point Likert scale, followed by a validated health literacy measure, the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (STOHFLA). Based on the STOFHLA, patients were classified as having either inadequate, marginal, or adequate health literacy. Each of the 16 screening questions was evaluated and compared to two comparison standards: (1) inadequate health literacy and (2) inadequate or marginal health literacy on the STOHFLA. RESULTS Fifteen participants (4.5%) had inadequate health literacy and 25 (7.5%) had marginal health literacy on the STOHFLA. Three of the screening questions, "How often do you have someone help you read hospital materials? " "How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself? " and "How often do you have problems learning about your medical condition because of difficulty understanding written information? " were effective in detecting inadequate health literacy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87, 0.80, and 0.76, respectively). These questions were weaker for identifying patients with marginal health literacy. CONCLUSIONS Three questions were each effective screening tests for inadequate health literacy in this population.
Computation of Protonation Patterns for Organic Compounds and Transition Metal Complexes

This PhD thesis summarizes my research work for the past years related to the computation of protonation patterns in organic compounds and transition metal complexes. The work is written in a partially cumulative fashion, based on the following peer-reviewed journal publication as well as the material not yet published at the time of preparation of this thesis: During my PhD study I also administered our local IT infrastructure at the Macromolecular Modeling Group, involving Linux based computer cluster for grid and GPU computing. Proton transfer in the K-channel analogue of B-type cytochrome c oxidase from thermus thermophilus Biophysical Journal, submitted. 5 The text of this thesis skips the detailed overview of the formalisms of the quadratic configuration interaction, density functional, and Poisson-Boltzmann continuum electrostatics theories, as well as the numerical techniques for solution of the associated Schrödinger, Kohn-Sham and Poisson-Boltzmann equations extensively used in this work. The detailed description of the least squares procedure for numerical derivation of electrostatic potential charges are also omitted. All these information is very well documented, and an interested reader is recommended to address the comprehensive literature or the manuals of the associated software cited as required in the text of this work. I deeply acknowledge my supervisor Prof. Ernst-Walter Knapp for providing the opportunity to work in his group, for sharing his valuable experience during numerous discussions, for the opportunity to master so many computational methods, such as quantum mechanics, electrostatics, molecular mechanics etc., as well as for the solid skills obtained in administration of computer clusters and grid computing. I am grateful to my brother and colleague Dr. Artur Galstyan for introducing me to computational methods and techniques that I learned during this time, for the useful scientific discussions, and for introducing me to the local IT infrastructure and administration of the computer cluster. I like to thank my colleagues Ilkay Sakalli and Tim Meyer for helping me in administrative duties and user support. Special thanks go also to my colleagues Anna-Lena Wölke and Ma Lin for finding practical use to my skills in their projects. I like to acknowledge Dr. Boris Proppe from the High Performance Computing center (ZEDAT) for support, as well as ZEDAT for providing generously CPU time to perform computations with Gaussian09. 7 I gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in the framework of the collaborative research center (CRC) 1078 project C2 and a project …
Controversy in mechanistic modelling with Gaussian processes

Parameter inference in mechanistic models based on non-affine differential equations is computationally onerous, and various faster alternatives based on gradient matching have been proposed. A particularly promising approach is based on nonparametric Bayesian modelling with Gaussian processes, which exploits the fact that a Gaussian process is closed under differentiation. However, two alternative paradigms have been proposed. The first paradigm, proposed at NIPS 2008 and AISTATS 2013, is based on a product of experts approach and a marginalization over the derivatives of the state variables. The second paradigm, proposed at ICML 2014, is based on a probabilistic generative model and a marginalization over the state variables. The claim has been made that this leads to better inference results. In the present article, we offer a new interpretation of the second paradigm, which highlights the underlying assumptions, approximations and limitations. In particular, we show that the second paradigm suffers from an intrinsic identifiability problem, which the first paradigm is not affected by.
A Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria in Peru

Background Multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria is an important health problem in the Peruvian Amazon region. We carried out a randomised open label clinical trial comparing mefloquine-artesunate, the current first line treatment in this region, with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. Methods and Findings Between July 2003 and July 2005, 522 patients with P. falciparum uncomplicated malaria were recruited, randomized (260 with mefloquine-artesunate and 262 with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine), treated and followed up for 63 days. PCR-adjusted adequate clinical and parasitological response, estimated by Kaplan Meier survival and Per Protocol analysis, was extremely high for both drugs (99.6% for mefloquine-artesunate and 98.4% and for dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine) (RR: 0.99, 95%CI [0.97−1.01], Fisher Exact p = 0.21). All recrudescences were late parasitological failures. Overall, gametocytes were cleared faster in the mefloquine-artesunate group (28 vs 35 days) and new gametocytes tended to appear more frequently in patients treated with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (day 7: 8 (3.6%) vs 2 (0.9%), RR: 3.84, 95%CI [0.82–17.87]). Adverse events such as anxiety and insomnia were significantly more frequent in the mefloquine-artesunate group, both in adults and children. Conclusion Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is as effective as mefloquine-artesunate in treating uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria but it is better tolerated and more affordable than mefloquine-artesunate (US$1.0 versus US$18.65 on the local market). Therefore, it should be considered as a potential candidate for the first line treatment of P.falciparum malaria in Peru. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00373607
Existence of traveling waves for Lipschitz discrete dynamics. Monostable case as a limit of bistable cases

We study discrete monostable dynamics with general Lipschitz non-linearities. This includes also degenerate non-linearities. In the positive monostable case, we show the existence of a branch of traveling waves solutions for velocities c ≥ c, with non existence of solutions for c > 1, the traveling waves are constructed as perturbations of solutions of an associated ODE. Finally to fill the gap between c = c and large c, we use certain hull functions that are associated to correctors of a homogenization problem.
Characterizing stability in evolving frameworks

Object-oriented application frameworks present one of the most successful approaches to developing reusable assets in industry, but developing frameworks is both difficult and expensive. Frameworks generally evolve through a number of iterations due to the incorporation of new requirements and better domain understanding. Since changes to frameworks have a large impact on the applications build based on the asset, it is important to assess the stability of a framework. Recently, an approach for assessing framework stability has been proposed. We have extended and applied the assessment approach on one proprietary telecommunication framework and two commercial GUI application frameworks. Based on our findings we formulate a set of hypotheses, which characterize the stability of an object-oriented application framework. We believe these hypotheses to be the most promising ones for further studies of framework stability.
P2X Receptor Trafficking in Neurons Is Subunit Specific

P2X receptors within the CNS mediate excitatory synaptic transmission and also act presynaptically to modulate neurotransmitter release. We have studied the targeting and trafficking of P2X4 and P2X2 receptors heterologously expressed in cultured olfactory bulb neurons. Homomeric P2X4 receptors had a punctate distribution, and many of the puncta colocalized with early endosomes. In contrast, P2X2 receptors were primarily localized at the plasma membrane. By antibody-labeling of surface receptors in living neurons, we showed that P2X4 receptors undergo rapid constitutive internalization and subsequent reinsertion into the plasma membrane, whereas P2X2 receptors were not regulated in such a way. The internalization of P2X4 receptors was dynamin-dependent, and the binding of ATP enhanced the basal rate of retrieval in a Ca2+-independent manner. The presence of the P2X4 subunit in a P2X4/6 heteromer governed the trafficking properties of the receptor. P2X receptors acted presynaptically to enhance the release of glutamate, suggesting that the regulated cycling of P2X4-containing receptors might provide a mechanism for modulation of synaptic transmission.
Twelve-year longitudinal study of respiratory status in dairy farmers

To evaluate respiratory risk in dairy farmers, the present authors conducted a longitudinal study in the Doubs region of France. From a cohort constituted in 1986 (T1), 157 (62.8%) dairy farmers and 159 (63.6%) controls were re-evaluated in 1998 (T3). The study protocol comprised a medical and occupational questionnaire, spirometric tests at both evaluations, and noninvasive measure of blood oxygen saturation with pulse oximetry (Sp,O2) at T3. In 1998, the prevalence of chronic bronchitis was higher in dairy farmers. In cross-sectional analyses, all respiratory function parameters and Sp,O2 were significantly lower in dairy farmers. In a multiple linear regression model, farming, age, male sex and smoking were significantly and negatively correlated with Sp,O2. However, the mean annual decline in respiratory function parameters did not differ significantly between groups. After adjustment of covariables, accelerated decline in vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second was associated with age, smoking and male sex. Decline in vital capacity was accelerated in dairy farmers working in traditional farms and those currently foddering. The current study demonstrates that dairy farming is associated with an increased risk of lung disorders and a decrease in blood oxygen saturation and suggests that respiratory function impairment is correlated with cumulated exposure to organic dusts.
Identifiability of flow distributions from link measurements with applications to computer networks

We study the problem of identifiability of distributions of flows on a graph from aggregate measurements collected on its edges. This is a canonical example of a statistical inverse problem motivated by recent developments in computer networks. In this paper (i) we introduce a number of models for multi-modal data that capture their spatio-temporal correlation, (ii) provide sufficient conditions for the identifiability of nth order cumulants and also for a special class of heavy tailed distributions. Further, we investigate conditions on network routing for the flows that prove sufficient for identifiability of their distributions (up to mean). Finally, we extend our results to directed acyclic graphs and discuss some open problems.
Bio-Robustness and Fault Tolerance: A New Perspective on Reliable, Survivable and Evolvable Network Systems

Biological structures and organizations in nature, from gene, molecular, immune systems, and biological populations, to ecological communities, are built to stand against perturbations and biological robustness is therefore ubiquitous. Furthermore, it is intuitively obvious that the counterpart of bio-robustness in engineered systems is fault tolerance. With the objective to stimulate inspiration for building reliable and survivable computer networks, this paper reviews the state-of-the-art research on bio-robustness at different biological scales (level) including gene, molecular networks, immune systems, population, and community. Besides identifying the biological/ecological principles and mechanisms relevant to biological robustness, we also review major theories related to the origins of bio-robustness, such as evolutionary game theory, self-organization and emergent behaviors. Evolutionary game theory, which we present in a relative comprehensive introduction, provides an ideal framework to model the reliability and survivability of computer networks, especially the wireless sensor networks. We also present our perspectives on the reliability and survivability of computer networks, particularly wireless sensor and ad hoc networks, based on the principles and mechanisms of bio-robustness reviewed in the paper. Finally, we propose four open questions including three in engineering and one in DNA code robustness to demonstrate the bidirectional nature of the interactions between bio-robustness and engineering fault tolerance.