Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comments on ‘Adaptive increase in sample size when interim results are promising: A practical guide with examples’ by C. R. Mehta and S. J. Pocock

Mehta and Pocock [1] have recently suggested a method for sample size reassessment with increases in sample size when interim results are promising. They briefly cite the paper by Müller and Schäfer [2] but do not explore the connections between the conditional error function (CEF) approach introduced by Müller and Schäfer and the approach of their paper. A closer examination of this connection is very instructive. It turns out that the two approaches are extremely close. In a two-stage design with one-sided test for the parameter ı, consider the stage 1 test statistic Z1 N. p n1ı; 1/ and let H0 W ı D 0. Let . :/ and ˆ. :/ be the probability distribution function and the cumulative distribution function of N.0; 1/, respectively. The CEF approach introduced by Proschan and Hunsberger [3] states that if A. ́1/ 2 . 0; 1/ is a function fulfilling R1 1A. ́1/ . ́1/d ́1 D ̨, then any test performed at level A. ́1/ by using only the stochastically independent stage 2 data (e.g. in the form of the stage 2 only test statistic Q́ 2) defines a valid level ̨ test of H0. Using Mehta and Pocock’s notation, Müller and Schäfer [2] suggest to use
Defining Emotionally Salient Regions Using Qualitative Agreement Method

Conventional emotion classification methods focus on predefined segments such as sentences or speaking turns that are labeled and classified at the segment level. However, the emotional state dynamically fluctuates during human interactions, so not all the segments have the same relevance. We are interested in detecting regions within the interaction where the emotions are particularly salient, which we refer to as emotional hotspots. A system with this capability can have real applications in many domains. A key step towards building such a system is to define reliable hotspot labels, which will dictate the performance of machine learning algorithms. Creating groundtruth labels from scratch is both expensive and time consuming. This paper also demonstrates that defining those emotionally salient segments using perceptual evaluation is a hard problem resulting in low inter-evaluator agreement. Instead, we propose to define emotionally salient regions leveraging existing time-continuous emotional labels. The proposed approach relies on the qualitative agreement (QA) method, which dynamically captures increasing or decreasing trends across emotional traces provided by multiple evaluators. The proposed method is more reliable than just averaging traces across evaluators, providing the flexibility to define hotspots at various reliability levels without having to recollect new perceptual evaluations.
Patatin-like proteins: a new family of lipolytic enzymes present in bacteria?

Patatins are a group of plant storage glycoproteins that show lipid acyl hydrolase activity (Andrews et al., 1988). The patatin-associated lipolytic activity may be a means of defence against plant parasites (Strickland et al., 1995) and has been shown to function in plant signal transduction (Holk et al., 2002). Hirschberg et al. (2001) found that potato patatin B2 and human cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) share conserved domains of protein homology and therefore predicted that patatin B2, like cPLA2, contains an active-site dyad instead of the more common Ser-His-Asp (or Glu) triad of lipolytic enzymes (Schrag & Cygler, 1997). This was confirmed by the crystal structure of the potato patatin isozyme Pat17 which together with mutagenesis studies revealed that the active site consists of a Ser-Asp dyad (Rydel et al., 2003). Recently, Sato et al. (2003) and Phillips et al. (2003) have shown that ExoU, a type III secreted cytotoxin and virulence factor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with lipase as well as phospholipase A activity, contains defined regions of protein homology to potato patatin B2 and cPLA2 with a putative catalytic Ser-Asp dyad. In animal models and human infections, the toxicity of ExoU has been linked to the development of lung injury, sepsis and bacterial dissemination (Allewelt et al., 2000; Finck-Barbançon et al., 1997; Hauser et al., 1998; Kurahashi et al., 1999). Thus, ExoU is both an important virulence factor of P. aeruginosa and the first patatin-like bacterial hydrolase characterized. However, it has yet to be determined whether patatin-like proteins (PLPs) are found in bacteria other than P. aeruginosa.
Max-product algorithm for low density lattice codes

A max-product algorithm for approximating maximum-likelihood lattice decoding of low density lattice codes is derived, operating directly in the Euclidean space. First we derive the max-product algorithm for continuous channels by taking a factor graph based approach. Then, for the additive white Gaussian noise channel we show the relation between the sum-product and max-product algorithms for low density lattice codes. In both algorithms the messages consist of the same Gaussians. While in the sum-product algorithm we sum the Gaussians in each message, for the max-product we take the maximal envelope of these Gaussians. Finally, we extend the parametric approach to efficiently implement the max-product algorithm, and show decrease in the word error rate (WER).
Optimisation for the Ride-Sharing Problem: a Complexity-based Approach

The dial-a-ride problem is a classic challenge in transportation and continues to be relevant across a large spectrum of applications, e.g. door-to-door transportation services, patient transportation, etc. Recently a new variant of the dial-a-ride problem, called ride-sharing, has received attention due to emergence of the use of smartphone-based applications that support location-aware transportation services. The general dial-a-ride problem involves complex constraints on a time-dependent network. In ride-sharing riders (resp. drivers) specify transportation requests (resp. offers) between journey origins and destinations. The two sets of participants, namely riders and drivers, have different constraints; the riders have time windows for starting and finishing the journey, while drivers have a starting time window, a destination, and a vehicle capacity. The challenge is to maximise the overall utility of the participants in the system which can be defined in a variety of ways. In this paper we study variations of the ride-sharing problem, under different notions of utility, from a computational complexity perspective, and identify a number of tractable and intractable cases. These results provide a basis for the development of efficient methods and heuristics for solving problems of real-world scale.
Immunization of the Female Genital Tract with a DNA-Based Vaccine

ABSTRACT Vaccines are being sought for contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. However, progress is slow in this area largely because of lack of information on induction of protective immune responses in genital tract mucosa. In this study, we investigated whether in vivo transfection with a model DNA-based antigen delivered by gene gun technology would induce an antibody response detectable in vaginal secretions. Female rats were immunized with plasmids encoding human growth hormone (HGH) under the control of a cytomegalovirus promoter (pCMV/HGH) via vaginal mucosa (V), Peyer’s patch (PP), and/or abdominal skin (S) routes. Localization of HGH in the target tissues demonstrated that all three sites can be transfected in vivo with pCMV/HGH. Vaginal tissues expressed roughly the same level of plasmid as skin. Antibodies to HGH were detectable in serum and vaginal secretions in rats immunized with pCMV/HGH. In the rats primed and boosted vaginally, vaginal immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG antibody titers to HGH were sustained for at least 14 weeks, whereas rats immunized via other routes and protocols (S/V, S/S, PP/PP, or PP/V) did not consistently sustain significant vaginal antibody titers beyond week 6. DNA-based immunizations administered by the gene gun may be an effective method of inducing local immunity in the female genital tract.
Laboratory Investigation on Gelation Behavior of Xanthan Crosslinked with Borate Intended To Combat Lost Circulation

iv ÖZ . v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.ix TABLE OF CONTENTS . x LIST OF TABLES . xii LIST OF FIGURES.xiii NOMENCLATURE.xv CHAPTERS 1.INTRODUCTION. 1 2.LITERATURE REVIEW.3 3.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM . 11 4.THEORY. 13 4.1. Chemistry of crosslinking . 13 4.2. Rheological models . 15 5.EXPERIMENTAL WORK . 19 5.1. Materials . 19 5.2. Experimental method.21 5.3. Experimental procedure.22 6.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS.28 6.1 Effect of pH-controller on gelation . 28 6.2. Effect of poly-cross concentration on gelation . 31 6.3. Effect of magnesium chloride on gelation . 34 6.4. Effect of temperature on gelation.36 6.5. Effect of mixing time on gelation.39 6.6. Effect of Shear history on gelation.41
The Influence of Fitness Function on Quality of Neuro-Controllers Produced with Assembler Encoding

Assembler Encoding is a neuro-evolutionary method in which neural networks are represented in the form of evolutionary created programs. Each program consists of operations and data evolving in many separate populations. To enable the evolution to produce effective programs and in consequence neural networks, operations and data from each population have to be reliably evaluated. The paper presents and compares several methods that can be used for that purpose. The comparative tests were carried out on the predator-prey problem.
A UV-Excess Optical Candidate for the Luminous Globular Cluster X-ray Source in NGC1851

The intense, bursting X-ray source in the globular cluster NGC 1851 was one of the first cluster sources discovered, but has remained optically unidentified for 25 years. We report here on results from Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 multicolor images in NGC 1851. Our high spatial resolution images resolve ∼200 objects in the 3 radius Einstein X-ray error circle, 40 times as many as in previous ground-based work. A color-magnitude diagram of the cluster clearly reveals a markedly UV-excess object with B∼21, (U−B) ∼ −0.9 only 2 from the X-ray position. The UV-excess candidate is 0 . 12 distant from a second, unremarkable star that is 0.5 mag brighter in B; thus ground-based studies of this field are probably impractical. Three other UV-excess objects are also present among the ∼16,000 objects in the surveyed region of the cluster, leaving a ∼5% probability that a UV-excess object has fallen in the X-ray error circle by chance. No variability of the candidate is seen in these data, although a more complete study is required. If this object is in fact the counterpart of the X-ray source, previous inferences that some globular cluster X-ray sources are optically subluminous with respect to low-mass X-ray binaries in the field are now exacerbated. Subject headings: globular clusters: individual (NGC 1851) — stars: neutron — ultraviolet: stars — X-rays: bursts — X-rays: stars 1 Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.
Detection of microcalcifications in digital mammograms using wavelets

This paper presents an approach for detecting micro-calcifications in digital mammograms employing wavelet-based subband image decomposition. The microcalcifications appear in small clusters of few pixels with relatively high intensity compared with their neighboring pixels. These image features can be preserved by a detection system that employs a suitable image transform which can localize the signal characteristics in the original and the transform domain. Given that the microcalcifications correspond to high-frequency components of the image spectrum, detection of microcalcifications is achieved by decomposing the mammograms into different frequency subbands, suppressing the low-frequency subband, and, finally, reconstructing the mammogram from the subbands containing only high frequencies. Preliminary experiments indicate that further studies are needed to investigate the potential of wavelet-based subband image decomposition as a tool for detecting microcalcifications in digital mammograms.
Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Mica-filled Epoxy Composite Using Various Mechanical Models

This paper reports an investigation on the prediction of tensile properties of mica-filled epoxy composites. Various mechanical models were used to predict the tensile properties of mica-filled epoxy composites at several mica concentrations (5-30 vol%). The tensile properties of mica-filled epoxy at various mica contents were determined experimentally and modeled using Nielsen, Nicolais-Narkis, Verbeek, Halpin-Tsai, Guth, and Novak models. It was found that the tensile modulus of epoxy increases with increasing mica content, whereas the elongation at break and tensile strength decrease. Predictions, which have been offered by the models on tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus, are in good agreement with experimental data over the range of mica contents studied. The Halpin-Tsai model shows best agreement in predicting the Young’s modulus (accuracy > 93 %), and Novak curve fitting shows best prediction for elongation at break (accuracy > 99%) for mica-filled composites. In the case of tensile strength, good agreement with Nicolais-Narkis models (accuracy > 99%) was obtained.
Static type inference in a dynamically typed language

We present a type inference system for FL based on an operational, rather than a denotational, formulation of types. The essential elements of the system are a type language based on regular trees and a type inference logic that implements an abstract interpretation of the operational semantics of FL. We use a non-standard approach to type inference because our requirements—using type information in the optimization of functional programs—differ substantially from those of other type systems.
Women smokers' perceptions of smoking-related health risks.

OBJECTIVE Unrealistic perceptions of personal susceptibility to the health hazards of smoking may be an important determinant of cigarette smoking and a barrier to smoking cessation. This study was undertaken to assess perceptions of smoking-related health risks among women smokers. METHODS A secondary analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data collected from 1184 (response rate 61%) perimenopausal women patients from one university-affiliated health system. RESULTS The majority of respondents were white and college-educated and had an annual household income of over $60,000. Twelve percent of respondents were current smokers, 37% were former smokers, and 51% were never smokers. Sixty percent of current smokers rated their lifetime risk for developing heart disease or lung cancer as average or below average, and 75% of current smokers rated their lifetime risk for developing osteoporosis as average or below average. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that any smoking history (past or current) was associated with perception of above average risk for developing lung cancer, but only heavier smoking (> or =10 cigarettes per day) was associated with perception of above average risk for developing heart disease. No level of smoking was associated with perception of above average risk for developing osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS The majority of women smokers surveyed perceived their lifetime risk for developing heart disease, lung cancer, and osteoporosis as average or below average. It appears that women smokers are more aware of their increased risk for developing lung cancer than their increased risk for developing heart disease or osteoporosis.
How to use the DEGseq Package

5 Examples 5 5.1 Example for DEGexp . 5 5.2 Example for DEGseq . 7 5.3 Example for samWrapper . 9 5.4 Example for getGeneExp . 10 5.5 Example for readGeneExp . 10
Association of MYOC and APOE promoter polymorphisms and primary open-angle glaucoma: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form of glaucoma with a genetic predisposition. The relationship between polymorphisms in MYOC or APOE promoter region and POAG has been addressed in many case-control studies, but the published results were not consistent. METHODS A meta-analysis assessing the association between five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (in MYOC promoter: rs12035719 and rs2075648; in APOE promoter: rs405509, rs769446 and rs449647) and the risk of POAG was performed based on included studies from literature research. In fixed effect model or random effect model, the Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to evaluate the genetic association. Stratification analysis was also conducted to test the association within Asian or Caucasian populations. RESULTS Twenty five case-control studies within multiple populations were identified and no publish bias was observed. Significant association was detected between POAG risk and MYOC rs2075648 in Caucasian (GA+AA vs. GG, OR=0.587, 95% CI=0.437-0.788, P < 0.001). For other SNPs and in other ethnic populations, no statistic evidence was detected for significant association between them and the development of POAG. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis suggested a genetic association between one of MYOC polymorphism (rs2075648) and the risk of POAG only in Caucasian population. The significant heterogeneity for this locus might imply the different POAG genetic basis among different populations.
Road detection in dense urban areas using SAR imagery and the usefulness of multiple views

This paper deals with the automatic extraction of the road network in dense urban areas using a few-meters-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The first part presents the proposed method, which is an adaptation of previous work to the specific case of urban areas. The major modifications are 1) the clique potentials of the Markov random field that extracts the road network are adapted and 2) a multiscale framework is used. Results on shuttle mission and aerial SAR images with different resolutions are presented. The second part is dedicated to road extraction combining two SAR images taken with different flight directions (orthogonal and antiparallel passes), and the obtained improvement is analyzed.
Semi-Blind Approaches for Source Separation and Independent component Analysis

This paper is a survey of semi-blind source separation ap- proaches. Since Gaussian iid signals are not separable, simplest priors suggest to assume non Gaussian iid signals, or Gaussian non iid signals. Other priors can also been used, for instance discrete or bounded sources, positivity, etc. Although providing a generic framework for semi-blind source separation, Sparse Component Analysis and Bayesian ICA will just sketched in this paper, since two other survey papers develop in depth these approaches.
Locomotion of a Tensegrity Robot via Dynamically Coupled Modules

Tensegrity structures dynamically stable systems consis ting of disjoint rigid elements (rods) connected by tensile e lements (strings) are an intriguing robotic platform due to their relatively high strength-to-weight ratio, resilien ce to deformation, and collapsability. Furthermore, the homogene ity of the rigid elements lends itself to a modular design . However, for any such design which requires centralized contro l, as the scale of these robots increases, inter-modular communication becomes a challenge (not just in terms of logistics, but also in the risk of tangled wires during locomotion ). An alternative proposed here is to treat each module as a completely autonomous agent, with no explicit inter-modul ar communication between them. Rather, the only information transmitted and received between modules is through the ten sion on their respective strings. As such, locomotion arise s through the complex interplay of dynamical forces throughout the structure. In this extended abstract we describe a de sign for such a system, present an assembled model, and describe a means by which controllers can be evolved in order to produce locomotion.
Numerical simulations and modeling of the effective plastic flow surface of a biporous material with pressurized intergranular voids

This study is devoted to the eﬀective plastic ﬂow surface of a biporous polycrystalline material, with an intragranular porosity consisting of spherical voids, and an intergranular porosity consisting of larger elongated voids along the grain boundaries. These two populations of voids (or bubbles) with well separated scales and shapes are saturated by a ﬂuid and therefore are subjected to internal pressures. The eﬀect of the intragranular voids is modeled through a GTN (Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman) criterion in the matrix. Numerical simulations are performed with a FFT-based (Fast Fourier Transforms) method. A particular attention is paid to the eﬀect of the distribution of the intergranular bubbles on the eﬀective plastic ﬂow surface. Diﬀerent microstructures with diﬀerent volume fractions and sizes for the intergranular bubbles are tested under three loading conditions (the mean size of the grains being ﬁxed). Two main results are exhibited. First, it is shown that the eﬀect of the relative size of the intergranular bubbles on the eﬀective plastic ﬂow surface depends on the loading direction. Secondly, a comparison is made with the analytical model of (Vincent et al., 2014) and a correction of the porosity relative to the intergranular bubbles is introduced in this analytical model in order to take into account the speciﬁc distribution of the intergranular bubbles along the grain boundaries. This correction is expressed as a sum of two power law functions, each of them being signiﬁcant either for low or for large values of the porosity of intergranular bubbles.
Effective method to minimize molybdenum content of 99Molybdenum-99mTechnetium generator eluate

99mTc is the work horse of every nuclear medicine department. It is obtained by the elution of a 99Molybdenum-99mTechnetium (99Mo-99mTc) generator. Molybdenum-99 (t1/2 = 66 h) decays by beta emission to 99mTc (87%) and 99Tc (13%), emitting photons of 740 and 778 keV.1 Ideally, 99mTc eluates contain no radionuclide impurity. However, as a consequence of generator aging or possible occurrence of a mechanical defect, 99Mo may also be extracted from the column during this elution process (Molybdenum breakthrough), becoming a contaminant in the eluate to be administered to the patient. (.more in full text)
Positive subtyping

The statement <italic>S</italic>≤<italic>T</italic> in a λ-calculus with subtyping is traditionally interpreted by a semantic coercion function of type [[<italic>S</italic>]]→[[<italic>T</italic>]] that extracts the “<italic>T</italic> part” of an element of <italic>S</italic>. If the subtyping relation is restricted to covariant positions, this interpretation may be enriched to include both the implicit coercion and an overwriting function <italic>put</italic>[<italic>S,T</italic>] <inline-equation> <f>∈</f> <? pub Caret> </inline-equation> [[<italic>S</italic>]]→[[<italic>T</italic>]]→[[<italic>S</italic>]] that updates the <italic>T</italic> part of an element of <italic>S</italic>. We give a realizability model and a sound equational theory for a second-order calculus of positive subtyping. Though weaker than familiar calculi of bounded quantification, positive subtyping retains sufficient power to model objects, encapsulation, and message passing. Moreover, inheritance may be implemented very straightforwardly in this setting, using the <italic>put</italic> functions arising from ordinary subtyping of records in place of the sophisticated systems of record extension and update often used for this purpose. The equational laws relating the behavior of coercions and <italic>put</italic> functions can be used to prove simple properties of the resulting classes in such a way that proofs for superclasses are “inherited” by subclasses.