Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-ant colony-based sequencing method for semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities with multi-bottleneck

In this paper, a multi-ant colony optimisation method is proposed to make a sequence plan for a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility (fab) with multi-bottleneck. Its main idea is to find a scheduling solution for each bottleneck of the fab with an ant colony optimisation (ACO) algorithm first, then synchronise these solutions to reunify a sequence plan for these bottlenecks satisfying job sequence constraints, and finally obtain the scheduling plans of non-bottlenecks of the fab subject to that of bottlenecks and job sequence constraints. The sequence plan of the whole fab is translated into the pheromones to guide ant colonies to make their next search processes. There are two kinds of ACO algorithms in the multi-ant colony optimisation method. One (ACO-1) is for common machines and the other (ACO-2) is for batch processing machines. The mini-fab model and a simplified model from a real wafer fab are used to verify and validate the proposed method. The simulation results show that the multi-ant colony optimisation method improves the total weighted tardiness of jobs and the utilities of the bottlenecks with better performances.
Likelihood‐based methods for regression analysis with binary exposure status assessed by pooling

The need for resource‐intensive laboratory assays to assess exposures in many epidemiologic studies provides ample motivation to consider study designs that incorporate pooled samples. In this paper, we consider the case in which specimens are combined for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a pool‐wise exposure, in lieu of assessing the actual binary exposure status for each member of the pool. We presume a primary logistic regression model for an observed binary outcome, together with a secondary regression model for exposure. We facilitate maximum likelihood analysis by complete enumeration of the possible implications of a positive pool, and we discuss the applicability of this approach under both cross‐sectional and case‐control sampling. We also provide a maximum likelihood approach for longitudinal or repeated measures studies where the binary outcome and exposure are assessed on multiple occasions and within‐subject pooling is conducted for exposure assessment. Simulation studies illustrate the performance of the proposed approaches along with their computational feasibility using widely available software. We apply the methods to investigate gene–disease association in a population‐based case‐control study of colorectal cancer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The toxicological evaluation of realistic emissions of source aerosols study: statistical methods

The Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols (TERESA) study involved withdrawal, aging, and atmospheric transformation of emissions of three coal-fired power plants. Toxicological evaluations were carried out in rats exposed to different emission scenarios with extensive exposure characterization. Data generated had multiple levels of resolution: exposure, scenario, and constituent chemical composition. Here, we outline a multilayered approach to analyze the associations between exposure and health effects beginning with standard ANOVA models that treat exposure as a categorical variable. The model assessed differences in exposure effects across scenarios (by plant). To assess unadjusted associations between pollutant concentrations and health, univariate analyses were conducted using the difference between the response means under exposed and control conditions and a single constituent concentration as the predictor. Then, a novel multivariate analysis of exposure composition and health was used based on Random Forests™, a recent extension of classification and regression trees that were applied to the outcome differences. For each exposure constituent, this approach yielded a nonparametric measure of the importance of that constituent in predicting differences in response on a given day, controlling for the other measured constituent concentrations in the model. Finally, an R2 analysis compared the relative importance of exposure scenario, plant, and constituent concentrations on each outcome. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is used to demonstrate how the multiple levels of the analysis complement each other to assess constituents most strongly associated with health effects.
The Tango: a tangible tangoreceptive whole-hand human interface

We describe the Tango, a new passive haptic interface for whole-hand interaction with 3D objects. The Tango is shaped like a ball and can be grasped comfortably in one hand. Its pressure sensitive skin measures the contact pressures exerted by the user's hand, and accelerometers within the device measure its motion and attitude. This information can be used for novel modes of interaction with three-dimensional objects. We describe the design of the device, and the software for interpreting the sensor data for user interaction. Accompanying this paper, there is a demonstration of the device at the Hands-On Demo session of the conference.
Enhancing Web services with diagnostic capabilities

Fault management in Web services composed by individual services from multiple suppliers currently relies on a local analysis that does not span across individual services, thus limiting the effectiveness of recovery strategies. We propose to address this limitation of current standards for Web service composition by employing model-based diagnosis to enhance fault analysis. We propose to add diagnostic Web services to the set of Web services providing the overall service, acting as supervisors of their execution, by identifying anomalies and explaining them in terms of faults to be repaired. This approach poses the basis for the development of specialized recovery and compensation techniques aimed at addressing different problems, which could not be otherwise discriminated.
Novel Mechanism of Positive versus Negative Regulation by Thyroid Hormone Receptor β1 (TRβ1) Identified by Genome-wide Profiling of Binding Sites in Mouse Liver*

Background: Examining the TRβ1 cistrome in mouse liver is critical to understanding thyroid hormone signaling. Results: Novel mechanisms of positive versus negative regulation by biotinylated TRβ1 were identified. Conclusion: TRβ1 regulates transcription by changes in relative binding and use of preferred binding motifs. Significance: This study demonstrates that a mechanism other than differential co-regulator recruitment is involved in transcriptional regulation by TRβ1 Triiodothyronine (T3) regulates key metabolic processes in the liver through the thyroid hormone receptor, TRβ1. However, the number of known target genes directly regulated by TRβ1 is limited, and the mechanisms by which positive and especially negative transcriptional regulation occur are not well understood. To characterize the TRβ1 cistrome in vivo, we expressed a biotinylated TRβ1 in hypo- and hyperthyroid mouse livers, used ChIP-seq to identify genomic TRβ1 targets, and correlated these data with gene expression changes. As with other nuclear receptors, the majority of TRβ1 binding sites were not in proximal promoters but in the gene body of known genes. Remarkably, T3 can dictate changes in TRβ1 binding, with strong correlation to T3-induced gene expression changes, suggesting that differential TRβ1 binding regulates transcriptional outcome. Additionally, DR-4 and DR-0 motifs were significantly enriched at binding sites where T3 induced an increase or decrease in TRβ1 binding, respectively, leading to either positive or negative regulation by T3. Taken together, the results of this study provide new insights into the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation by TRβ1 in vivo.
Milos: A Multimedia Content Management System

This paper describes the architecture of the MILOS Content Management System. MILOS supports the storage and content based retrieval of any XML document, as well as multimedia documents whose descriptions are provided by using heterogenous metadata models represented in XML. MILOS is flexible in the management of documents containing different types of data and content descriptions; it is efficient and scalable in the storage and content based retrieval of these documents. The paper illustrates the solutions adopted to support the management of different metadata descriptions of multimedia documents in the same repository, and it illustrates the experiments performed by using the MILOS system to archive documents belonging to three different and heterogenous collections which contain news agencies, scientific papers, and audiovideo documentaries.
Methods of the Definition Analysis of Fine Details of Images

Definition is one of the most important parameters of the color image quality and is determined by the resolution of channel brightness and chromaticity. System resolution is traditionally determined by a number of the television lines, calculated on the maximal spatial frequency value at which threshold contrast of the reproduced image is provided. Traditional methods of definition analysis are developed for standard analog color TV systems. Specific kind of distortions in digital vision systems is associated with the restrictions imposed by a particular compression algorithm, used for handling static and dynamic images. Such distortions may lead to an inconsistency between a subjective estimate of the decoded image quality and the program estimate based on the standard calculation methods. Till now, the most reliable way of image quality estimation is the method of subjective estimation which allows estimating serviceability of a vision system on the basis of visual perception of the decoded image. Procedures of subjective estimation demand great amount of tests and a lot of time. In practice, this method is quite laborious and restricts making control, tuning and optimization of the codec parameters. The most frequently used root-mean-square criterion (RMS) for the analysis of static image quality does not always correspond to the subjective estimation of fine details definition, since a human vision system processes an image on local characteristic features, rather than averaging it elementwise. In particular, RMS criterion can give "good" quality estimations in vision systems even at disappearance of fine details in low contrast image after a digital compression. A number of leading firms suggest hardware and software for the objective analysis of dynamic image quality of MPEG standard (Glasman, 2004). For example Tektronix PQA 300 analyzer; Snell & Wilcox Mosalina software; Pixelmetrix DVStation device. Principles of image quality estimation in these devices are various. For example, PQA 300 analyzer measures image quality on algorithm of “Just Noticeable Difference – JND”, developed by Sarnoff Corporation. PQA 300 analyzer carries out a series of measurements for each test sequence of images and forms common PQR estimation on the basis of JND measurements which is close to subjective estimations. To make objective analysis of image quality Snell & Wilcox firm offers a PAR method – Picture Appraisal Rating. PAR technology systems control artifacts created by compression
Chinese remainder theorem based centralised group key management for secure multicast communication

Designing a centralised group key management with minimal computation complexity to support dynamic secure multicast communication is a challenging issue in secure multimedia multicast. In this study, the authors propose a Chinese remainder theorem-based group key management scheme that drastically reduces computation complexity of the key server. The computation complexity of key server is reduced to O (1) in this proposed algorithm. Moreover, the computation complexity of group member is also minimised by performing one modulo division operation when a user join or leave operation is performed in a multicast group. The proposed algorithm has been implemented and tested using a key-star-based key management scheme and has been observed that this proposed algorithm reduces the computation complexity significantly.
Effect of nano-hydroxyapatite modification of bamboo fiber on the properties of bamboo fiber/polylactic acid composites

An investigation was conducted of the modification of bamboo fibers (BF) by nano-hydroxyapatite (N-HA) and its impact on the mechanical and thermal properties of BF/PLA composites. The functional groups, and crystallinity of the N-HA modified BF were investigated with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The effects of different N-HA contents on the properties of the BF/PLA composites were evaluated using mechanical testing (bending, tensile, and impact properties), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the most suitable N-HA content was 7.5 wt. %. Treating BF with an optimum concentration of N-HA decreased the polarity of the bamboo fiber, while maintaining the crystal structure of the cellulose. Compared with the control group, the mechanical properties and the crystallinity of the modified BF/PLA composites were improved, and the flexural, tensile, and impact strengths increased by 10.2%, 11.6%, and 28.1%, respectively. The thermogravimetric analysis results indicated modified BF/PLA composites has higher thermal stability.
Sexual attraction and relationships in adolescents with Autism

Past research suggests more variation in sexual attraction in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using clinical samples. This study utilised a population representative group of 14/15 year olds from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Ninety-four adolescents (73 males, 21 females) with ASD and 3454 (1,685 males, 1,675 females) without self-reported on sexual attraction and past sexual relationships. Females with ASD reported lower rates of heterosexual preference (adjusted odds ratio: 0.14, p <.001), higher rates of bisexuality (adjusted odds ratio: 6.05, p <.001) and uncertainty in attraction (adjusted odds ratio: 10.44, p <.001) compared with non-ASD females. ASD males reported fewer prior boyfriends/girlfriends. Findings confirm female adolescents with ASD have differences in sexual attraction compared with non-ASD females.
Bootstrap percolation on the random regular graph

The k‐parameter bootstrap percolation on a graph is a model of an interacting particle system, which can also be viewed as a variant of a cellular automaton growth process with threshold k ≥ 2. At the start, each of the graph vertices is active with probability p and inactive with probability 1 − p, independently of other vertices. Presence of active vertices triggers a bootstrap percolation process controlled by a recursive rule: an active vertex remains active forever, and a currently inactive vertex becomes active when at least k of its neighbors are active. The basic problem is to identify, for a given graph, p− and p+ such that for p < p− (p > p+ resp.) the probability that all vertices are eventually active is very close to 0 (1 resp.). The bootstrap percolation process is a deterministic process on the space of subsets of the vertex set, which is easy to describe but hard to analyze rigorously in general. We study the percolation on the random d‐regular graph, d ≥ 3, via analysis of the process on the multigraph counterpart of the graph. Here, thanks to a “principle of deferred decisions,” the percolation dynamics is described by a surprisingly simple Markov chain. Its generic state is formed by the counts of currently active and nonactive vertices having various degrees of activation capabilities. We replace the chain by a deterministic dynamical system, and use its integrals to show—via exponential supermartingales—that the percolation process undergoes relatively small fluctuations around the deterministic trajectory. This allows us to show existence of the phase transition within an interval [p−(n),p+(n)], such that (1) p±(n) → p* = 1 − miny∈(0,1)y/ℙ(Bin(d − 1,1 − y) < k); (2) p+(n) − p−(n) is of order n−1/2 for k < d − 1, and n −ε n , (εn ↓ 0,εn log n →∞), for k = d − 1. Note that p* is the same as the critical probability of the process on the corresponding infinite regular tree. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. , 30, 257–286, 2007
Patriot: delivering instant heart observation with a miniature wearable ECG and cloud platform

Healthcare is expected to undergo a transformation in the near future thanks to wearable health monitoring that makes it possible to offer such services as ubiquitous monitoring of patients' physiological parameters and health condition. The continuous monitoring of vital patient signals has been primarily motivated by the need to put a barrier in ever increasing healthcare costs. Recent technological advances in miniaturized healthcare sensing devices, wireless communications, microelectronics and embedded systems have contributed towards this end. The PATRIOT system comprises a miniature, wearable, non-invasive, real time electrocardiography system alongside a relevant Cloud platform for the support of proactive personal health management of cardiology patients.
Anxiety and Depression among Families of Deceased Donors in China

IntroductIon There is consensus that organ transplantation is an optimal way to address organ failure, and organ donation is becoming increasingly accepted. Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to the families of deceased donors, especially with respect to anxiety and depression. In China, where traditional values count, particularly Confucianism, which emphasizes that the body should be kept intact after death out of respect,[1] anxiety or depression may be more prevalent in the families of deceased donors. A meta‐analytic review showed that irritable bowel syndrome, nonulcer dyspepsia, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome were related to anxiety and depression. [2] Whether donor families suffer anxiety or depression and what effects may result remain unknown. Social support is known to be a moderator of life stress,[3] but whether donor families possess comparative social support remains unclear. Therefore, we designed a study, and potential risk factors and correlations among social support, anxiety, and depression were then analyzed.
Microbiological interactions with cold plasma

There is a diverse range of microbiological challenges facing the food, healthcare and clinical sectors. The increasing and pervasive resistance to broad‐spectrum antibiotics and health‐related concerns with many biocidal agents drives research for novel and complementary antimicrobial approaches. Biofilms display increased mechanical and antimicrobial stability and are the subject of extensive research. Cold plasmas (CP) have rapidly evolved as a technology for microbial decontamination, wound healing and cancer treatment, owing to the chemical and bio‐active radicals generated known collectively as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This review outlines the basics of CP technology and discusses the interactions with a range of microbiological targets. Advances in mechanistic insights are presented and applications to food and clinical issues are discussed. The possibility of tailoring CP to control specific microbiological challenges is apparent. This review focuses on microbiological issues in relation to food‐ and healthcare‐associated human infections, the role of CP in their elimination and the current status of plasma mechanisms of action.
The LIMP-2 / SCARB 2 Binding Motif on Acid-Glucosidase BASIC AND APPLIED IMPLICATIONS FOR GAUCHER DISEASE AND ASSOCIATED NEURODEGENERATIVE

Background: Acid -glucosidase is trafficked to the lysosome by LIMP-2. Results: A unique 11-amino acid sequence on acid -glucosidase was critical for its LIMP-2-dependent targeting to the lysosome. Conclusion: This sequence is essential for oligosaccharide-independent targeting of synthesized acid -glucosidase to the lysosome. Significance: Modification of this sequence has basic/therapeutic implications for Gaucher disease and its comorbidities (e.g. Parkinson disease).
Comparisons of creatinine and cystatin C for detection of kidney disease and prediction of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected women

Background:Cystatin C could improve chronic kidney disease (CKD) classification in HIV-infected women relative to serum creatinine. Design:Retrospective cohort analysis. Methods:Cystatin C and creatinine were measured from specimens taken and stored during the 1999–2000 examination among 908 HIV-infected participants in the Women's Interagency HIV study (WIHS). Mean follow-up was 10.2 years. Predictors of differential glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimates were evaluated with multivariable linear regression. The associations of baseline categories (<60, 60–90, and >90 ml/min per 1.73 m2) of creatinine estimated GFR (eGFRcr), cystatin C eGFR (eGFRcys), and combined creatinine-cystatin C eGFR (eGFRcr-cys) with all-cause mortality were evaluated using multivariable Cox regression. The net reclassification index (NRI) was calculated to evaluate the effect of cystatin C on reclassification of CKD staging. Results:CKD risk factors were associated with lower eGFRcys and eGFRcr-cys values compared with eGFRcr. Relative to eGFR more than 90, the eGFR less than 60 category by eGFRcys (Adjusted hazard ratio: 2.56; 95% confidence interval: 1.63–4.02), eGFRcr-cys (3.11; 1.94–5.00), and eGFRcr (2.34; 1.44–3.79) was associated with increased mortality risk. However, the eGFR 60–90 category was associated with increased mortality risk for eGFRcys (1.80; 1.28–2.53) and eGFRcr-cys (1.91; 1.38–2.66) but not eGFRcr (1.20; 0.85–1.67). The overall NRI for mortality was 26% when reclassifying from eGFRcr to eGFRcys (P < 0.001) and was 20% when reclassifying from eGFRcr to eGFRcr-cys (P < 0.001). Conclusion:The addition of cystatin C may improve mortality risk prediction by stages of kidney function relative to creatinine. CKD risk factors are associated with an overestimate of GFR by serum creatinine relative to cystatin C.
A New Method of Object Segmentation in the Basketball Videos

Object segmentation is one of key issues in object based video analysis and retrieval. In this paper, a basketball segmentation algorithm is proposed. The algorithms involve a hierarchical basketball detection algorithm and a motion tracking algorithm based on adaptive object model. Basketball detection algorithm is started firstly, only when a basketball is detected, the tracking algorithm is started in the next frame. Moreover, there is a tracking result evaluation module in motion tracking algorithm, if it is true, the tracking algorithm is used in the next frame, otherwise, the detection module is started again. The experimental results from real basketball video confirm the efficiency of the proposed algorithms
Supervisory and Monitor Systems

A survey of the development of executive systems, covering very primit ive as well as more refined concepts, is presented. It is arranged chronologically, from the early 1950's through the present time, and is based upon representative systems of each period which were in active use at several installations and which implicitly defined the then existing state-of-the-art. The material is presented in a progression from the very simple to the most complex developments, in the same way they occurred during the period considered.
On the use of low-discrepancy sequences in non-holonomic motion planning

In this article, a recently developed approach for robot motion planning is extended and applied to non-holonomic mobile robots. This approach replace random sampling by deterministic one. We present several implementations of PRM-based planners: 1) Classical PRM with deterministic sampling and random sampling, 2) Deterministic and random Lazy-PRM, and 3) Lattice-based PRM. We have used several low-discrepancy sequences (Halton, Hammersley, Faure, and Sobol) and low-discrepancy lattices. Experimental results show that the deterministic variants of the PRM offer performance advantages in comparison to the original PRM.