Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of Data Mining Techniques to Determine and Predict Length of Stay of Cardiac Patients

Objectives Predicting the length of stay (LOS) of patients in a hospital is important in providing them with better services and higher satisfaction, as well as helping the hospital management plan and managing hospital resources as meticulously as possible. We propose applying data mining techniques to extract useful knowledge and draw an accurate model to predict the LOS of heart patients. Methods Data were collected from patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The patient records of 4,948 patients who had suffered CAD were included in the analysis. The techniques used are classification with three algorithms, namely, decision tree, support vector machines (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN). LOS is the target variable, and 36 input variables are used for prediction. A confusion matrix was obtained to calculate sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Results The overall accuracy of SVM was 96.4% in the training set. Most single patients (64.3%) had an LOS ≤5 days, whereas 41.2% of married patients had an LOS >10 days. Moreover, the study showed that comorbidity states, such as lung disorders and hemorrhage with drug consumption have an impact on long LOS. The presence of comorbidities, an ejection fraction <2, being a current smoker, and having social security type insurance in coronary artery patients led to longer LOS than other subjects. Conclusions All three algorithms are able to predict LOS with various degrees of accuracy. The findings demonstrated that the SVM was the best fit. There was a significant tendency for LOS to be longer in patients with lung or respiratory disorders and high blood pressure.
Modeling of Environmental Effects in Genome-Wide Association Studies Identifies SLC2A2 and HP as Novel Loci Influencing Serum Cholesterol Levels

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 38 larger genetic regions affecting classical blood lipid levels without adjusting for important environmental influences. We modeled diet and physical activity in a GWAS in order to identify novel loci affecting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. The Swedish (SE) EUROSPAN cohort (N SE = 656) was screened for candidate genes and the non-Swedish (NS) EUROSPAN cohorts (N NS = 3,282) were used for replication. In total, 3 SNPs were associated in the Swedish sample and were replicated in the non-Swedish cohorts. While SNP rs1532624 was a replication of the previously published association between CETP and HDL cholesterol, the other two were novel findings. For the latter SNPs, the p-value for association was substantially improved by inclusion of environmental covariates: SNP rs5400 (p SE,unadjusted = 3.6×10−5, p SE,adjusted = 2.2×10−6, p NS,unadjusted = 0.047) in the SLC2A2 (Glucose transporter type 2) and rs2000999 (p SE,unadjusted = 1.1×10−3, p SE,adjusted = 3.8×10−4, p NS,unadjusted = 0.035) in the HP gene (Haptoglobin-related protein precursor). Both showed evidence of association with total cholesterol. These results demonstrate that inclusion of important environmental factors in the analysis model can reveal new genetic susceptibility loci.
The “Flint Depot” of prehistoric northern Israel: Comprehensive geochemical analyses of flint extraction and reduction complexes and implications for provenance studies

Recent research has demonstrated that the Eocene Timrat formation in northeastern Israel, which appears as an extensive land “strip” west of and parallel to the Rift Valley, was a major source of prehistoric flint. This supposition is supported by three large‐scale extraction and reduction (E&R) complexes identified within this region, which offer direct evidence of intense Lower and Middle Palaeolithic exploitation and limited Neolithic/Chalcolithic activities. Here, we present a first comprehensive overview of this “industrial strip” and of its E&R complexes (Nahal Dishon, Mt. Achbara, and Sede Ilan), demonstrating that these production areas were used mainly for the manufacture of large‐volume items such as Lower Palaeolithic hand axes, Middle Palaeolithic Levallois cores, and Neolithic/Chalcolithic axes/adzes. Furthermore, we integrate information from recently published field studies and lithic analyses with new intercomplex and intracomplex inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (inductively coupled plasma (ICP)‐MS) analyses of flint debitage. The relatively large number of analysed samples ( n = 69) constitutes the first robust reference database for provenance studies of this E&R “strip. ” The potential contribution for provenance studies is demonstrated by a detailed ICP‐MS comparison drawn between specific extraction and reduction localities within the Dishon complex and flint tools found in six occupation sites located up to 20 km from the sources. The detailed geochemical study also yielded methodological insights regarding challenges associated with flint heterogeneity and patination effects.
Automated Reasoning about XACML 3.0 Delegation Using Answer Set Programming

XACML is an XML-based declarative access control language standardized by OASIS. Its latest version 3.0 has several new features including the concept of delegation for decentralized administration of access control. Though it is important to avoid unintended consequences of ill-designed policies, delegation makes formal analysis of XACML policies highly complicated. In this paper, we present a logic-based approach to XACML 3.0 policy analysis. We formulate XACML 3.0 in Answer Set Programming (ASP) and use ASP solvers to perform automated reasoning about XACML policies. To the best of our knowledge this is the first work that fully captures the XACML delegation model in a formal executable language.
Pattern Lattice as a Model for Linguistic Knowledge and Performance

This paper outlines a theoretical model, called the Pattern Lattice Model (PLM) of human linguistic knowledge and performance, and presents a simple implementation of this model. Any ex- pressions found in a natural language L are structured in some ways, and linguists are willing to assume that those expressions are the products of what they call the grammar of L. In contrast, the PLM embodies a "radically memory-based" view of L, and provides a viable alternative to the traditional "grammar-based" model of L. The PLM is also expected to lay the theoretical foundations for the so-called "usage-based model" of language, which lacks solid foundations.
Towards a Sustainable Future: Exploring the Role of Integrated Management Systems in Enhancing Export Competitiveness and Domestic Sales in Textile Industry

In today's globalized industrial landscape, marked by fierce competition and evolving consumer preferences, the imperative of ensuring product quality, environmental sustainability, and occupational health and safety has intensified for firms operating in both domestic and international markets. Integrated Management Systems (IMS) transcend mere compliance, serving as a strategic framework for firms to fortify their environmental sustainability credentials and mitigate reputational risks effectively. By fostering environmentally friendly production practices, enhancing employee skills, reducing accidents, and enhancing institutional image, IMS drives competitiveness through continual enhancements in product quality, workforce capabilities, resource utilization, and waste reduction. This study investigates the transformative potential of IMS in stimulating export growth and domestic sales within Pakistan's industrial sector. Utilizing panel data analysis of 94 textile firms spanning listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange from 2009 to 2022, the findings underscore the significant role of IMS in fostering export growth and improving environmental performance, highlighting its crucial contribution to achieving business success and broader societal and environmental objectives.
Clock Skew Scheduling with Delay Padding for Prescribed Skew Domains

Clock skew scheduling is a technique that intentionally introduces skews to memory elements to improve the performance of a sequential circuit. It was shown in (Ravindran, 2003) that the full optimization potential of clock skew scheduling can be reliably implemented using a few skew domains. In this paper we present an optimal skew scheduling algorithm for sequential circuits with flip-flops. Given a finite set of prescribed skew domains, the algorithm finds a domain assignment for each flip-flop such that the clock period is minimized with possible delay padding. Experimental results validate the efficiency of our algorithm and show 17% improvement on average in clock period.
Hyperlipidemia and Reduced White Matter Hyperintensity Volume in Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose— White matter hyperintensity (WMH), or leukoaraiosis, is a radiologic finding generally assumed to reflect diseased small cerebral vasculature. WMH has significant functional impact through its relation to cognitive decline and risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Accumulating evidence suggests that some manifestations of small-vessel disease such as intracerebral hemorrhage are associated with low levels of cholesterol. We sought to determine the relation between hyperlipidemia and WMH severity in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods— We analyzed 2 independent, hospital-based AIS cohorts. Demographic and clinical data were collected prospectively. WMH was measured using semiautomated volumetric image analysis and a semiquantitative visual grading scale. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the relation between WMH severity and study variables. Results— A total of 631 and 504 subjects in the first and second cohorts, respectively, were included. In univariate analyses, advancing age and hypertension were associated with severity of WMH (P<0.001) in both cohorts. In the multivariable analysis, after controlling for age, sex, and significant risk factors in the univariate and age-adjusted analyses, patients with a history of hyperlipidemia had less severe WMH in both cohorts (P<0.01). Conclusions— Results from 2 independent cohorts demonstrate that AIS patients with a history of hyperlipidemia have less severe WMH at the time of stroke. These data support the hypothesis that hyperlipidemia may play a relatively protective role in cerebral small-vessel disease.
Make it home: automatic optimization of furniture arrangement

We present a system that automatically synthesizes indoor scenes realistically populated by a variety of furniture objects. Given examples of sensibly furnished indoor scenes, our system extracts, in advance, hierarchical and spatial relationships for various furniture objects, encoding them into priors associated with ergonomic factors, such as visibility and accessibility, which are assembled into a cost function whose optimization yields realistic furniture arrangements. To deal with the prohibitively large search space, the cost function is optimized by simulated annealing using a Metropolis-Hastings state search step. We demonstrate that our system can synthesize multiple realistic furniture arrangements and, through a perceptual study, investigate whether there is a significant difference in the perceived functionality of the automatically synthesized results relative to furniture arrangements produced by human designers.
Calibration of a magnetometer in combination with inertial sensors

Measurements from magnetometers and inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) can be combined to give 3D orientation estimates. In order to obtain accurate orientation estimates it is imperative that the magnetometer and inertial sensor axes are aligned and that the magnetometer is properly calibrated for both sensor errors as well as presence of magnetic distortions. In this work we derive an easy-to-use calibration algorithm that can be used to calibrate a combination of a magnetometer and inertial sensors. The algorithm compensates for any static magnetic distortions created by the sensor platform, magnetometer sensor errors and determines the alignment between the magnetometer and the inertial sensor axes. The resulting calibration procedure does not require any additional hardware. We make use of probabilistic models and obtain the calibration algorithm as the solution to a maximum likelihood problem. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is illustrated using experimental data collected from a sensor unit placed in a magnetically disturbed environment onboard a jet aircraft.
Surface wave propagation in a dielectric waveguide loaded with an anisotropic, conductive, and spatially dispersive substrate

Surface Wave Propagation in a Dielectric Waveguide Loaded with an Anisotropic, This thesis presents an analytical treatment of surface waves inside a dielectric slab loaded with a conductive and spatially dispersive semiconductor-like substrate. The work is primarily focused on the modelling of the substrate and getting the field solutions out from the Helmholtz equation. Appropriate boundary conditions have been used in order to get a unique dispersion relation. The surface wave modes are then extracted from the relation by using a root-searching algorithm, which in this work is the MATLAB Genetic Algorithm toolbox. Many different substrate configurations have been considered, starting from the very basic isotropic case to the most complex spatial dispersion case. In between, anisotropicity has also been added to the substrate by turning the static magnetic field on. The permittivity tensors are derived from the fluid transport equations and through the course of the thesis, extra terms such as plasma oscillations, damping, cyclotron resonance, and density perturbations are added. Many assumptions, approximations, and limitations of this analytical treatment have also been addressed. Simulations results have been shown to see the effects of these various terms. The substrates analyzed in the chapters are only a theoritical approximation of an actual substrate. The main idea behind this study is to get a feel for how the transport equations can be utilized to obtain properties that might be on iv a macroscopic scale. The physical significance of this expose has also been discussed in the last chapter. Issues such as scalability to space plasmas and future ramifications are also included. The study done thus far will be useful in investigating such plasma mediums. Acknowledgments I wish to thank my parents, my sister, my parrot, and my beloved grandparents, who complete my life and without whose support, this work would not have been possible. I really want to thank my advisor, Dr. Edmund Spencer, for giving me the opportunity to do research under him. I also would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Bedri Cetiner and Dr. Jacob Gunther, who were understanding and patient with me. I wish to thank all my friends in Workshop and in Allahabad who were with me and remembered me in their prayers and helped me through my troubled times. Lastly, I thank my labmates with whom I have had the privilege to work.
Deployment of the Deere Production System in a primary manufacturing environment

Due to financial and performance pressures, Deere & Company created the Deere Production System (DPS) to, among other things, reduce assets and inventory in its manufacturing facilities. This thesis describes the DPS implementation within the Harvester Works facility, focusing mainly on the upstream batch-and-queue operations of its Sheet Metal Division (X-building). The analysis starts by understanding the not-so-understood operations of the X-building, using an ABC analysis to categorize all parts produced within X-building into different inventory classifications. A simulation tool was then developed to determine the optimal relationships between these inventory classifications and their production frequencies, which were used to create optimal batch sizes. The results of the analysis provide the foundation for the DPS implementation. By optimizing the current production, a potential for $350,000 reduction in inventory, 30,000 hours of eliminated setups, and a 7% improvement in delivery performance were identified. More importantly, the optimization reduces the turbulence of the X-building operations and provides much needed time and energy to focus on the DPS implementation. This thesis also links the importance of setup time reductions and other improvements to the final DPS state sought by Harvester Works. Paralleling the operational analysis, this thesis presents an organizational analysis of Harvester Woks and highlights the obstacles for change. Given the high number of stakeholders, the functional structure of Harvester Works, and an established culture, leadership's understanding of the situation and commitment to the implementation are identified as critical success factors. Thesis Supervisor: Thomas Kochan Title: George M. Bunker Professor of Management Thesis Supervisor: David Cochran Title: Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Thesis Reader: Fred Moavenzadeh Title: Professor of Engineering Systems and Civil and Environmental Engineering
A dose-escalating phase I study with valproic acid (VPA) in patients (pts) with advanced cancer.

3169 Background: Altered histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity has been identified in several cancers. Recently a number of HDAC inhibitors (e.g. VPA) have been characterized that inhibit tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. The following study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose and toxicity of infusional VPA in cancer patients. METHODS 26 pts with pretreated and progressive malignant disease were enrolled in escalating dose-level cohorts of 3 patients. The pts received VPA as an 1-hour infusion split in two doses daily for 5 consecutive days. After a two weeks therapy-free interval the treatment was repeated. We started at a dose of 30 mg/kg and day and escalated to 60, 75, 90 and 120 mg/kg. RESULTS 26 pts were evaluable for toxicity. Main toxicity was neurological (grade 3/ 4) occurring in 9 of 26 pat at dose levels of 75 mg, 90mg and 120 mg/kg. No hematological toxicity grade 3/ 4 was observed. The maximum tolerated dose of infusional VPA was 60 mg/kg. Biomonitoring of peripheral blood cells demonstrated the induction of hyperacetylation in the majority of pts Conclusions: Neurotoxicity was the dose limiting factor of infusional VPA in the treatment of pts with advanced cancer. The maximum tolerated dose of 60 mg/kg is used in an ongoing Phase II study to further confirm the efficacy of VPA to inhibit HDAC activity in tumor tissue and to evaluate tumor response in pts with pre-treated malignant disease. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
MILP design of frequency-response masking FIR filters with few SPT terms

In this work we formulate a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problem that minimizes the number of signed-power-of- two (SPT) terms given a filter specification for linear-phase frequency-response masking (FRM) filters. The proposed method designs the filters in two steps. The model filter and the masking filters are designed separately, but subject to each other. Hence, it is not guaranteed that the global minimum is obtained. However, each solution is optimal given the other filter(s), and iteration may improve the overall solution. The filter design problems are formulated using normalized peak ripple magnitude (NPRM), which for FRM filters introduces some implications, which is also discussed in this work.
The segmentation of news video into story units

The segmentation of news video into single-story semantic units is a challenging problem. This research proposes a two-level, multi-modal framework to tackle this problem. The video is analyzed at the shot and story unit (or scene) levels using a variety of features and techniques. At the shot level, we employ a decision tree to classify the shot into one of 13 predefined categories. At the scene level, we perform HMM (hidden Markov models) analysis to locate the story boundaries. We test the performance of our system using two days of news video obtained from the MediaCorp of Singapore. Our initial results indicate that we could achieve a high accuracy of over 95% for shot classification, and over 89% in F/sub 1/ measure on scene/story boundary detection.
Self-Assembly of Diamondoid Molecules and Derivatives (MD Simulations and DFT Calculations)

We report self-assembly and phase transition behavior of lower diamondoid molecules and their primary derivatives using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Two lower diamondoids (adamantane and diamantane), three adamantane derivatives (amantadine, memantine and rimantadine) and two artificial molecules (ADM•Na and DIM•Na) are studied separately in 125-molecule simulation systems. We performed DFT calculations to optimize their molecular geometries and obtained atomic electronic charges for the corresponding MD simulation, by which we predicted self-assembly structures and simulation trajectories for the seven different diamondoids and derivatives. Our radial distribution function and structure factor studies showed clear phase transitions and self-assemblies for the seven diamondoids and derivatives.
Practical First-Order Temporal Reasoning

In this paper we consider the specification and verification of infinite-state systems using temporal logic. In particular, we describe parameterised systems using a new variety of first-order temporal logic that is both powerful enough for this form of specification and tractable enough for practical deductive verification. Importantly, the power of the temporal language allows us to describe (and verify) asynchronous systems, communication delays and more complex liveness and fairness properties. These aspects appear difficult for many other approaches to infinite-state verification.
Strategies for Imaging Androgen Receptor Signaling Pathway in Prostate Cancer: Implications for Hormonal Manipulation and Radiation Treatment

Prostate cancer (Pca) is a heterogeneous disease; its etiology appears to be related to genetic and epigenetic factors. Radiotherapy and hormone manipulation are effective treatments, but many tumors will progress despite these treatments. Molecular imaging provides novel opportunities for image-guided optimization and management of these treatment modalities. Here we reviewed the advances in targeted imaging of key biomarkers of androgen receptor signaling pathways. A computerized search was performed to identify all relevant studies in Medline up to 2013. There are well-known limitations and inaccuracies of current imaging approaches for monitoring biological changes governing tumor progression. The close integration of molecular biology and clinical imaging could ease the development of new molecular imaging agents providing novel tools to monitor a number of biological events that, until a few years ago, were studied by conventional molecular assays. Advances in translational research may represent the next step in improving the oncological outcome of men with Pca who remain at high risk for systemic failure. This aim may be obtained by combining the anatomical properties of conventional imaging modalities with biological information to better predict tumor response to conventional treatments.