Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flow-shop Problems : A Heuristic Search Algorithm

This article presents an intelligent heuristic search algorithm (IHSA*) for solving flow-shop problems with two or three machines and an arbitrary number of jobs. Following its initial development the algorithm has been modified in two different ways in order to reduce backtracking and to improve its performance. The first modification concerns the choice of the best heuristic function to use, and the second modification concerns the way in which heuristic estimates at nodes on the search path are determined as the search progresses. Experimental evidence of the improved performance of the algorithm as a result of each of these modifications is presented.
Treating the Dysarthric Talker

John C. Rosenbek, Ph. D. Darley, Aronson, and Brown's seminal effort (1969a. b, 1975) to differentiate types . of dysarthria because of how they sound helped move the dysarthrias out of the clinical shadows. Equally helpful were the simultaneous contributions of several speech scientists, Hardy (1 967) and Netsell (1 976) among them, with a physiological orientation to the dysarthrias. These perceptual and physiological research approaches did more, however, than merely promote the dysarthrias. They improved speech pathologist's understanding of how dysarthric speakers sound and why they sound as they do, and, most important of all to this article, they caused a quickening of the clinical spirit. Data on treatment effectiveness began accumulating (Netsell and Daniel, 1979; Rubow, Koscnbek, Collins, and Celesia, 1984), and dysarthria therapy began maturing. Nurtured fi-om several sources, it is now a robust, if adolescent, practice. This article has two main purposes: to describe the sources and the results of that nurturing. Two secondary purposes are to identify where further growth is essential and to discuss what seems to be present weaknesses in character development.
Learning Mathematics From Examples and by Doing

This article demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of teaching several mathematical skills by presenting students with carefully chosen sequences of worked-out examples and problems - without lectures or other direct instruction. Thinking-aloud protocols of 20 students learning factorization by this method are analyzed to determine the kinds and depth of understanding students attained. Students did not simply memorize procedures but were able to recognize when the procedures were applicable and to apply them. Most students were also able to use their understanding of the concept of factorization to help learn the procedures and to check their results. The method of learning from examples has now been tested successfully with a class covering the entire 3-year curriculum in algebra and geometry in a Chinese middle school.
Role of the manganese efflux system mntE for signalling and pathogenesis in Streptococcus pneumoniae

The ability of bacteria to sense and respond to both environmental and intracellular metal concentrations plays an important role in pathogenesis. The acquisition of manganese is vital for the virulence of several bacterial species. Although manganese uptake systems have been well studied in bacteria, no manganese efflux system has yet been identified. In this study we have identified a cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) protein (Sp1552) of unknown substrate specificity that functions as a manganese export system in Streptococcus pneumoniae. We designated the gene for this manganese efflux system mntE and found that the mutant strain was highly sensitive to manganese stress. Although the mutant was more resistant to oxidative stress and produced more H2O2 and pili, it had reduced virulence in a murine model of infection, indicating that manganese export plays a role in host pathogenesis. There was a distinct differential transcriptional response to extracellular and intracellular manganese accumulation. Our study indicates that manganese efflux is required for invasive disease and may provide a useful antimicrobial target to devise future therapeutics.
Strengths and limitations of Ontario post‐secondary education accessibility plans: a review of one university accessibility plan

This paper examines the strengths and limitations of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) accessibility plan prepared by one post‐secondary education institution in Ontario, Canada, during the 2004/05 academic year. The paper focuses on ways the intersectionality between disability and gender is not voiced in the plan and its implications for female students with disabilities in post‐secondary educational institutions. It is argued that future accessibility plans need to pay attention to these intersections and, therefore, frame their initiatives in a manner that would address systemic sexism and inequitable power relations that serve to marginalize persons with disabilities, particularly women, hence rendering them marginal in post‐secondary educational contexts.
Annual Precise Time and Time Interval ( PTTI ) Meeting 369 THE PERFORMANCE OF ULTRA-STABLE OSCILLATORS FOR THE GRAVITY RECOVERY AND INTERIOR LABORATORY ( GRAIL )

In early 2010, JHU/APL delivered four ultra-stable oscillators (USOs) to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. GRAIL is a NASA Discovery lunar mission with the goals of mapping the entire lunar gravity field and, through the geodesy determined from this result, attempt to define the most likely model for the moon’s deep interior. Similar to its 2002 predecessor, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), GRAIL will use two formation flying spacecraft with a dual one-way ranging instrument to measure the relative line-of-sight distance between the spacecraft. From these measurements, the relative velocity between the spacecraft can be determined and gravitational force computed. Unlike GRACE, GRAIL has no continuous GPS viewpoint. To compensate for this lack of a continuous positioning reference system, the two spacecraft of GRAIL will form a time transfer link, periodically assisted by ground mission operations. The GRAIL time transfer link places an additional demand on the USO frequency stability requirements with a drift rate requirement of < 7E-11/day, nearly ten times better than the predecessor GRACE requirement. Along with achieving the drift rate, the delivered USOs showed Allan deviation of < 2 E-13 at 10 and 100 second time intervals, with two units measuring in the 7 to 9 E-14 region of stability. Our paper will present these performance details for each of the delivered USO’s and discuss the GRAIL USO requirements in the context of the emerging mission needs for both excellent short-term stability and low noise for metrology and long-term stability for assisting spacecraft navigation.
Finite automata and arithmetic.

The notion of sequence generated by a finite automaton, (or more precisely a finite automaton with output function, i. e. a “uniform tag system”) has been introduced and studied by Cobham in 1972 (see [19]; see also [24]). In 1980, Christol, Kamae, Mendes France and Rauzy, ([18]), proved that a sequence with values in a finite field is automatic if and only if the related formal power series is algebraic over the rational functions with coefficients in this field: this was the starting point of numerous results linking automata theory, combinatorics and number theory. Our aim is to survey some results in this area, especially transcendence results, and to provide the reader with examples of automatic sequences. We will also give a bibliography where more detailed studies can be found. See in particular the survey of Dekking, Mendes France and van der Poorten, [22], or the author’s, [2], where many relations between finite automata and number theory (and between finite automata and other mathematical fields) are described. For applications of finite automata to physics see [6]. In the first part of this paper we will recall the basic definitions and give the theorem of Christol, Kamae, Mendes France and Rauzy. We will also give five typical examples of sequences generated by finite automata. In the second part we will discuss transcendence results related to automata theory, giving in particular some results concerning the Carlitz zeta function. We will indicate in the third part of this paper the possible generalizations of these automatic sequences. Finally in an appendix we will give an elementary “automatic” proof of the transcendence of the Carlitz formal power series Π. ∗C. N. R. S. , Mathematiques, 351 cours de la Liberation, F-33405 Talence Cedex, (France).
Partner Symmetries, Group Foliation and ASD Ricci-Flat Metrics without Killing Vectors

We demonstrate how a combination of our recently developed methods of part- ner symmetries, symmetry reduction in group parameters and a new version of the group foliation method can produce noninvariant solutions of complex Monge{Amp ere equation (CMA) and provide a lift from invariant solutions of CMA satisfying Boyer{Finley equation to non-invariant ones. Applying these methods, we obtain a new noninvariant solution of CMA and the corresponding Ricci-flat anti-self-dual Einstein{Kahler metric with Euclidean signature without Killing vectors, together with Riemannian curvature two-forms. There are no singularities of the metric and curvature in a bounded domain if we avoid very spe- cial choices of arbitrary functions of a single variable in our solution. This metric does not describe gravitational instantons because the curvature is not concentrated in a bounded domain.
Interferon-based Adjuvant Chemoradiation for Resected Pancreatic Head Cancer: Long-term Follow-up of the Virginia Mason Protocol

Objective:To report the long-term impact of adjuvant interferon-based chemoradiation therapy (IFN-CRT) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Background:In 2003, we reported an actuarial 5-year overall survival (OS) of 55% (22 months median follow-up) using adjuvant IFN-CRT after PD. As the original cohort is now 10 years distant from PD, we sought to examine their actual survival, describe patterns of recurrence, and determine prognostic factors. Methods:From 1995 to 2002, 43 patients underwent PD for PDAC and received adjuvant IFN-CRT consisting of external-beam irradiation, continuous 5-fluorouracil infusion, weekly intravenous bolus cisplatin, and subcutaneous interferon-&agr;. Survival was calculated by the method of Kaplan and Meier, and prognostic factors were compared using a log-rank test and a Cox proportional hazards model. Results:With all patients at least 10 years from PD, the 5-year actual survival was 42% and 10-year actual survival was 28% with median OS of 42 months (95% confidence interval: 22–110 months). Nine patients survived beyond 10 years with 7 currently alive without evidence of disease. Initial recurrence included 4 local, 17 distant, and 4 combined sites at a median of 25 months. IFN-CRT was interrupted in 70% of patients because of grade 3 or 4 toxicity, whereas 42% of patients required hospitalization. Adverse prognostic factors included lymph node ratio of 50% or more, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1 or higher, and IFN-CRT treatment interruption. Conclusions:Adjuvant IFN-CRT after PD can provide long-term survival in resected PDAC. Further studies should focus on patient and tumor factors to maximize benefit and minimize toxicity.
The Mass Loss and Humification of Stumps and Roots in Masson Pine Plantations Based on Log File Records

Stumps account for a large proportion of coarse woody debris in managed forests, but their decay dynamics are poorly understood. The loss of mass and the degree of humification of the above-ground woody debris, below-ground woody debris, bark and root system (R1, 10 mm ≥ diameter > 0 mm; R2, 25 mm ≥ diameter >10 mm; 100 mm ≥ R3 > 25 mm; R4 > 100 mm) of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) stump systems were evaluated in southwestern China in a chronosequence of plantations cut 1–15 years prior to the study. The results indicated that above-ground woody debris decomposed more quickly than below-ground woody debris and bark, whereas the degree of humification followed the opposite trend. Compared with one-year stumps, the mass losses of 15-year stump systems were 60.4% for above-ground woody debris, 42.1% for below-ground woody debris, 47.3% for bark, 69.9% for R1, 47.3% for R2, 51.0% for R3, and 83.2% for R4. In contrast, below-ground woody debris showed a greater degree of humification compared with other components in the stump system. Among the root system, fine roots (R1, diameter ≤ 10 mm) had the largest k value (0.09), whereas the decay rate of coarser roots (R2, R3, R4; diameter > 10 mm) increased with increasing root diameter. However, coarse roots showed a larger degree of humification (0.2–0.6) than fine roots (0.3–0.4). These results suggest that below-ground woody debris and coarse roots may display a higher degree of humification, showing greater short-term contributions to overall humification when compared with the other components in the stump system.
Implementing regularization implicitly via approximate eigenvector computation

Regularization is a powerful technique for extracting useful information from noisy data. Typically, it is implemented by adding some sort of norm constraint to an objective function and then exactly optimizing the modified objective function. This procedure often leads to optimization problems that are computationally more expensive than the original problem, a fact that is clearly problematic if one is interested in large-scale applications. On the other hand, a large body of empirical work has demonstrated that heuristics, and in some cases approximation algorithms, developed to speed up computations sometimes have the side-effect of performing regularization implicitly. Thus, we consider the question: What is the regularized optimization objective that an approximation algorithm is exactly optimizing? We address this question in the context of computing approximations to the smallest nontrivial eigenvector of a graph Laplacian; and we consider three random-walk-based procedures: one based on the heat kernel of the graph, one based on computing the the PageRank vector associated with the graph, and one based on a truncated lazy random walk. In each case, we provide a precise characterization of the manner in which the approximation method can be viewed as implicitly computing the exact solution to a regularized problem. Interestingly, the regularization is not on the usual vector form of the optimization problem, but instead it is on a related semidefinite program.
Clinical evaluation of the use of fiber posts and direct resin restorations for endodontically treated teeth.

PURPOSE Restoration of root-treated teeth is routinely performed in clinical practice with a choice of therapeutic options, considering many factors to provide optimal mechanical properties, esthetics, and longevity. The aim of the present work was to present a preliminary clinical report on the use of fiber posts and direct resin composites for restoring root-treated teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-eight anterior and 62 posterior endodontically treated teeth were selected from 3 private prosthodontic offices. The protocol used included endodontic treatment, with translucent fiber posts (DT post) bonded to the post-space using a '1-bottle' adhesive (One-Step, Bisco) and a dual-cure resin cement (DuoLink, Bisco). Direct resin restorations were performed using a micro-hybrid resin composite (Gradia Direct, GC) and a layering technique. Both opaque dentin and enamel and translucent enamel shades were used. RESULTS Patients were recalled after 6, 12, 24, and 30 months, and the restorations assessed according to predetermined clinical and radiographic criteria. These clinician-mediated evaluation methods confirmed the good clinical performance of the restorations. CONCLUSION Restoration of endodontically treated teeth with fiber posts and direct resin composites is a treatment option, that in the short term conserves remaining tooth structure and results in good patient compliance.
First Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Foreground Emission

The WMAP mission has mapped the full sky to determine the geometry, content, and evolution of the universe. Full sky maps are made in five microwave frequency bands to separate the temperature anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from foreground emission, including diffuse Galactic emission and Galactic and extragalactic point sources. We define masks that excise regions of high foreground emission, so CMB analyses can be carried out with minimal foreground contamination. We also present maps and spectra of the individual emission components, leading to an improved understanding of Galactic astrophysical processes. The effectiveness of template fits to remove foreground emission from the WMAP data is also examined. These efforts result in a CMB map with minimal contamination and a demonstration that the WMAP CMB power spectrum is insensitive to residual foreground emission. We use a Maximum Entropy Method to construct a model of the Galactic emission components. The observed total Galactic emission matches the model to <1% and the individual model components are accurate to a few percent. We find that the Milky Way resembles other normal spiral galaxies between 408 MHz and 23 GHz, with a synchrotron spectral index that is flattest (βs ∼ −2.5) near star-forming regions, especially in the plane, and steepest (βs ∼ −3) in the halo. This is consistent with a picture of relativistic cosmic ray electron generation in star-forming regions and diffusion and convection within the plane. The significant synchrotron index steepening out of the plane suggests a diffusion process in which the halo electrons are WMAP is the result of a partnership between Princeton University and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Scientific guidance is provided by the WMAP Science Team. Code 685, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI), 10210 Greenbelt Road, Suite 600 Lanham, Maryland 20706 Dept. of Physics, Jadwin Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 Dept of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 UCLA Astronomy, PO Box 951562, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1562 Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1 National Research Council (NRC) Fellow Depts. of Astrophysics and Physics, EFI and CfCP, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 Dept. of Physics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
Presurgical setting of secondary hyperparathyroidism using high-resolution sonography and color Doppler.

PURPOSE High-resolution sonography (US) with color Doppler imaging (CDI) is a simple, noninvasive, safe and repeatable technique able to highlight the presence of hyperplastic parathyroid glands and changes in their volume, structure, and vascularization during uremia. The primary aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of US and the sensitivity for localizing parathyroid glands with a volume ≥ 500 mm(3). The secondary aim was to assess the parameters that define parathyroid glandular perfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS The diagnostic use of US was assessed in 40 consecutive uremic patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) who were receiving maintenance hemodialysis or conservative therapy with a hypoproteic-hypophosphoric diet and had undergone parathyroidectomy. Prior to surgery (99m)TC-sestamibi scintigraphy (SM) was performed in all patients. RESULTS The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy of US were 74 %, 75 %, 98 %, and 74 %, respectively. The sensitivity for localizing glands with a volume ≥ 500 mm(3) was 90 %. US and SM had a combined sensitivity of 83 %. The vascularization of parathyroid glands became more evident with increasing glandular volume. With CDI, the signs of hypervascularization (i. e. an enlarged feeding artery at the hilum, a peripheral arc of vascularity and/or ray-like endonodular vessels) were present in 77 % of glands with a volume ≥ 500 mm(3). CONCLUSION The sensitivity of US is higher than that of SM, but it cannot be compared with that of parathyroidectomy (74 vs. 95 %). However, US/CDI is able to characterize glands with different volumes and vascular patterns. Since glandular volume and vascularization are indicative of the severity of sHPT, this study suggests that the main role of US/CDI in the setting of sHPT should be to complete the diagnosis and to evaluate the morphological changes of enlarged glands during uremia in order to define surgical timing, rather than to assess the presurgical location of glands.
Social marketing, individual responsibility and the “culture of intoxication”

Purpose – Social marketing initiatives designed to address the UK's culture of unhealthy levels of drinking among young adults have achieved inconclusive results to date. The paper aims to investigate the gap between young people's perceptions of alcohol consumption and those of government agencies who seek to influence their behaviour set within a contextualist framework.Design/methodology/approach – The authors present empirical evidence from a major study that suggests that the emphasis of recent campaigns on individual responsibility may be unlikely to resonate with young drinkers. The research included a meaning‐based and visual rhetoric analysis of 261 ads shown on TV, in magazines, on billboards and on the internet between 2005 and 2006. This was followed by 16 informal group discussions with 89 young adults in three locations.Findings – The research identified the importance of the social context of young people's drinking. The research reveals how a moral position has been culturally constructed .
Reticulocytes bearing C4d as biomarkers of disease activity for systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE There is an urgent need for biomarkers with which to monitor disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We recently showed that abnormal levels of C4d, an activation-derived fragment of complement component C4, are deposited on the surface of erythrocytes from patients with SLE. This study focused on reticulocytes, the youngest and shortest-lived erythrocytes (lifespan 24-48 hours), with the objective of testing our hypothesis that when reticulocytes emerge from the bone marrow, they are immediately exposed to and acquire C4d at levels proportionate to the extent of complement activation at that time, thereby reflecting disease activity in SLE. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of 156 patients with SLE, 140 patients with other diseases, and 159 healthy controls. Levels of C4d on the surface of reticulocytes were examined using a 2-color flow cytometric assay. The results were analyzed for correlations with SLE disease activity. RESULTS A wide range of increased levels of reticulocyte C4d was specifically detected in SLE patients. These levels fluctuated in SLE patients and correlated with clinical disease activity, as determined by the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus: National Assessment (SELENA) version of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and the Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM). Specifically, in cross-sectional analyses, patients with reticulocyte C4d levels in the highest quartile compared with those in the lowest quartile had significantly higher SELENA-SLEDAI (P = 0.00002) and SLAM (P = 0.02) scores. Longitudinal observation demonstrated that the reticulocyte C4d levels changed in relation to the clinical course in individual patients. CONCLUSION These findings support our hypothesis that C4d-bearing reticulocytes may serve as biomarkers of disease activity in patients with SLE.