Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detailed Measurement of NEHRP Site Classifications Throughout Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, for Building Code Enforcement by Clark County

Rapid growth of the Las Vegas, Nevada urban area over the past 50 years resulted in a population of over 2 million exposed to earthquake risks. Federal agencies did not allocate funds to protect this new population and economy. Local municipalities thus sponsored the measurement of an “Earthquake Parcel Map” in 2007. With implementation of the IBC and its NEHRP provisions, local property owners, builders, developers, and engineers agreed it would be most costeffective for municipalities to provide consistent and efficient site measurements. Building departments of Clark County and the City of Henderson contracted with the Nevada System of Higher Ed. and Optim to make over 10,000 standardized Vs30 measurements using the SeisOpt ReMiTM method across 1500 km of urban area within 3 years. The municipalities funded the Parcel Map for less than $20 per household. The Parcel Map shows boundaries between NEHRP soil classes are complex and impossible to predict without dense measurements. Urban planners, developers, and landowners use the Parcel Map to intelligently avoid over-strengthening buildings on stiffer sites, and properly assess the higher costs of developing softer sites. With a spacing of 300 m or less, the Parcel Map classifies every parcel on the NEHRP scale. While Vs30 average values are unable to capture all the variability in the shallow surface that affect site conditions, the parcel mapping exposed details of localized harder and softer locations. Existing geological maps do not reveal the random patches of Class C that are scattered within the general region classified as Class D area, nor the isolated patches of Class D within wider areas classified as Class C, as directly measured by the Vs30 Parcel Mapping. Identification of such anomalies is only possible through direct measurements of shallow shear-wave velocities at the parcel scale. The detailed Vs30 mapping also delineated the location and boundaries of a previously unknown buried alluvial fan surface. The detailed Parcel Map shows that current parametric approaches applied to create site-condition maps cannot account for distinctions between closely related units, and fail where relationships between the parameters and velocity vary spatially. Additionally, the 1D velocitydepth profiles obtained towards the Parcel Mapping provide information on velocities, soil thicknesses, interface depths, and resonant frequencies towards further building-code development and seismic hazard mapping.
Detection of cryptic chromosome aberrations in a patient with a balanced t(1;9)(p34.2;p24) by array‐based comparative genomic hybridization

Mental retardation (MR) is one of the most common phenotypes in congenital disorders, but in many cases the pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we report on a 5‐year‐old boy with mild developmental disability, cranial malformation, minor anomalies, and moderate MR. G‐banded chromosome analysis revealed that he carried an apparent balanced translocation, t(1;9)(p34.2;p24). However, our array‐based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH‐array) analysis detected a cryptic genomic duplication and a deletion at the breakpoints. Further fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed that the duplication was approximately 7.9 Mb in size at 1p34.3‐p33, and the deletion was 4 Mb at 9pter‐p24. Although some features of the patient were consistent with those of monosomy 9p‐syndrome, his features were not typical of cases of the syndrome, suggesting that the small deletion region involved in 9p may limit his phenotype. On the other hand, interstitial duplication at 1p34.3‐p33 is very rare and his phenotype did not match with that in previous reports. CGH‐array is a potentially useful technique for investigating cryptic copy‐number alterations in cases of apparently balanced chromosome rearrangements in patients with unexpected clinical features. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Technologies in Support of Knowledge Management Systems

Knowledge management systems (KMSs) support the various knowledge management (KM) functions of knowledge capture, storage, search, retrieval, and use. To do this, KMSs utilize a variety of technologies and enterprise systems. This chapter surveys the various technologies and enterprise systems. Specific attention is placed on enterprise systems that integrate KM into organizational business processes, and technologies that enhance the effectiveness of these implementations. The chapter is based primarily on research summarized in Case Studies in Knowledge Management (Jennex, 2005a) and articles published by the Knowledge Management Track at the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). Background
Modeling IPMC Actuators for Model Reference Motion Control

Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) produce large bending motions under a low driving voltage and can be used in underwater applications. In this work, the control of ionic polymer metal composite actuators is investigated from a practical perspective. The control of IPMC is important in many processes and applications including underwater applications. This work develops an approach for model reference control of IPMCs. The main idea is to settle the behavior of IPMC adjustable from reference model. This strategy is demonstrated on an experimental rig using real time control. Experimental results confirm that a reference control of the IPMC is achievable.
Identifying Critical Areas for Improvement in Agile Multi-site Co-development

Agile processes potentially ease distributed software development by demanding regular communication and self-management of virtual team members. However, being designed for collocated teams, extensions to the regular process need to be made. We investigate critical areas of improvement based on a case of distributed Scrum involving two unaffiliated Austrian IT organizations that collaborate to build software. We identified eight critical areas for improvement originating from interviews, retrospective meetings and an in-depth case analysis. Key suggestions for practice include the establishment of long-lived single-site Scrum teams and the application of Behavior Driven Development (BDD) to make implicit requirement knowledge explicit and transparent to all of the distributed parties.
Detecting the person of interest using agent based video processing

This paper presents a novel solution for finding a person of interest using a mobile agent platform developed with Raspberry PI III module in indoor dynamic environments. This method is capable of extracting human figures from complex backgrounds while the platform is still moving and compare the identified human figures against the query image using features like clothing and other accessories. The proposed method processes the video near real time with limited resources on the Raspberry PI III module and communicate the findings to the central control system using a specially designed communication protocol. System is capable of identifying the person of interest with the accuracy level of more than 90%. The proposed method can either work on its own or be and be integrated with an existing CCTV systems improving its capabilities further.
smad2 and smad3 Are Required for Mesendoderm Induction by Transforming Growth Factor-β/Nodal Signals in Zebrafish*

The transforming growth factor-β ligands Nodal, activin, and Vg1 play important roles in mesendoderm induction and patterning during vertebrate embryogenesis. These ligands are believed to transduce the signal through the receptor-activated transcription factors Smad2 and Smad3. However, the roles of smad2/3 genes in development of zebrafish embryos are largely unknown because the presence of multiple smad2/3 genes and their maternal expression have hampered the investigation of their developmental roles. We generated potent and specific dominant-negative forms of zebrafish Smad2, Smad3a, and Smad3b by mutating multiple amino acids. Overexpression of these mutants abolished mesendoderm induction by ectopic Nodal signaling in zebrafish embryos. Expression of dominant-negative smad2/3 abrogated Smad2/3 activities in wild-type embryos and caused various mesendodermal defects similar to those in Nodal-deficient embryos. Smad2/3-deficient cells transplanted into the blastodermal margin of wild-type hosts preferentially differentiated into ectodermal tissues rather than mesendodermal tissues, supporting the idea that response of cells to mesendoderm inducers requires Smad2/3 activities. Interference with Smad2/3 activities in Zoep, Moep, and MZoep mutant embryos resulted in more severe mesendodermal defects. Thus, our data reveal that Nodal signaling and mesendoderm induction depend on Smad2/3 and suggest that transforming growth factor-β signals other than Nodal also contribute to Smad2/3 signaling and embryonic patterning.
Principal component analysis-based occupancy detection with ultra wideband radar

Occupancy detection is becoming more popular with the growing demand for energy saving in homes and work places. Ultra wideband (UWB) radar is an attractive solution for such applications because of its low power non-ionizing emissions, low cost, high spatial resolution and ability to penetrate solid objects. In this paper, a principal component analysis-based (PCA) solution to identify the occupancy of a room using UWB radar is proposed. Preliminary tests were performed with up to 2 subjects within the detection range of the radar. The algorithm was able to determine occupancy with 100% accuracy. Furthermore, the PCA-based solution was able to determine the number of persons in the room. When one and two persons were occupying the room, PCA-based solution detected accurately the number of occupants in the room with an accuracy of 81% and 83%. The algorithm is able to distinguish two people separated by only 0.8m with 86% accuracy.
The Capital Crunch and Corporate Cash Holdings: Does Listing Status Matter?

This paper reveals that listing status affects corporate cash holdings during a financial crisis. Using the banking crisis in Japan as an exogenous shock, we compare cash-holding behavior between public and private firms during the crisis. Since private firms largely rely on bank lending, the shock in the banking sector and the subsequent decline in lending are strong incentives for private firms to save cash because of the precautionary motive. Consistent with this prediction, we find that private firms tend to increase their cash holdings after the crisis. This situation is more pronounced in private firms that have less cash prior to the crisis. Lastly, we find that private firms reduce investments and employment in order to increase cash.
Title of Document : PARALLEL COMPUTATION OF NONRIGID IMAGE REGISTRATION

Title of Document: PARALLEL COMPUTATION OF NONRIGID IMAGE REGISTRATION Frances Kimpik Leung, Master of Science, 2010 Directed By: Professor Raj Shekhar, Dept of Diagnostic Radiology (University of Maryland, Baltimore) and Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering Automatic intensity-based nonrigid image registration brings significant impact in medical applications such as multimodality fusion of images, serial comparison for monitoring disease progression or regression, and minimally invasive imageguided interventions. However, due to memory and compute intensive nature of the operations, intensity-based image registration has remained too slow to be practical for clinical adoption, with its use limited primarily to as a pre-operative too. Efficient registration methods can lead to new possibilities for development of improved and interactive intraoperative tools and capabilities. In this thesis, we propose an efficient parallel implementation for intensity-based three-dimensional nonrigid image registration on a commodity graphics processing unit. Optimization techniques are developed to accelerate the computeintensive mutual information computation. The study is performed on the hierarchical volume subdivision-based algorithm, which is inherently faster than other nonrigid registration algorithms and structurally well-suited for data-parallel computation platforms. The proposed implementation achieves more than 50-fold runtime improvement over a standard implementation on a CPU. The execution time of nonrigid image registration is reduced from hours to minutes while retaining the same level of registration accuracy. PARALLEL COMPUTATION OF NON-RIGID IMAGE REGISTRATION
Study of Changes in Lipid Profile , Lipid Peroxidation and Superoxide Dismutase during Normal Pregnancy

Altered metabolic and hormonal status of the body in pregnancy leads to changes in lipid profile and oxidative stress. The present study was conducted to assess serum total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglycerides (TG) in healthy pregnant females and correlate these values with markers of oxidative stress; serum malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker for lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant enzyme in the same subjects during the three trimesters of pregnancy. In this case control study, 54 pregnant females were assessed and compared with 60 healthy nonpregnant females who served as controls. Five pregnant females developed pregnancy related complications in the 2 nd trimester & were dropped out and three more were not available for follow-up in the 3 rd trimester. The outcome of the study revealed increased serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein and triglycerides values as gestation progressed. Serum high density lipoprotein showed a progressive rise till 2 nd trimester and tapered off in the 3 rd trimester. Serum MDA and SOD levels also increased during the entire course of pregnancy. Conclusively, increased lipid profile parameters can account for increased lipoperoxidation seen in the form of rising MDA which is counterbalanced by a rise in antioxidant enzyme SOD. As lipid excess and oxidative stress can provoke endothelial dysfunction, lipid profile estimation and monitoring should be made a part of routine investigations during antenatal period and the pregnant subjects should be supplemented with antioxidants to prevent overwhelming of oxidative stress.
Aging Results in Increased Autophagy of Mitochondria and Protein Nitration in Rat Hepatocytes Following Heat Stress

The natural breakdown of cells, tissues, and organ systems is a significant consequence of aging and is at least partially caused by a decreased ability to tolerate environmental stressors. Based on quantitative ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy and computer imaging, we show significant differences in hepatocyte morphology between young and old rats during a 48-hr recovery period following a 2-day heat stress protocol. Mitochondrial injury was greater overall in old compared with young rats. Autophagy was observed in both young and old rats, with autophagy greater overall in old compared with young hepatocytes. Lipid peroxidation and protein nitration were evaluated by localization and quantification of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE)–modified protein adducts and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) levels, respectively. Levels of 3-NT but not 4-HNE-protein adducts were significantly elevated in hepatocytes of old rats in comparison with young at 90 min after heat stress, suggesting a major role for reactive nitrogen species in the pathology observed at this time point. These results show a differential response of hepatocyte mitochondria to heat stress with aging, as well as greater levels of both autophagic and nitrative damage in old vs young hepatocytes. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc. org. Please visit this article online to view these materials.
Research on Simulation of Water Waves Combined with Illumination Model

In these years, the simulation of nature scenery is a defiant problem all the time. As one of its most important parts, simulating water and waves has been give more and more attention. This paper uses a fast algorithm which takes approximate value, combines with illumination model, and implements the water wave animation. The results show that the models and methods are effective and efficient. They can even satisfy the requirements of real time animation under generic PC.
Polarization artefacts of an FTIR microscope and the consequences for intensity measurements on anisotropic materials

The infrared beam on both the main Nicolet Nexus bench and the attached Spectra‐Tech Continuum microscope has been shown to be partially polarized. The degree of polarization is ≈ 30%. Although the state of polarization of the infrared beam is of no consequence when measuring the spectra of isotropic materials (gases, liquids), there is a potential problem when considering the spectra of anisotropic materials. Single band intensities are particularly prone to error as small changes in sample thickness or orientation directly affect the intensity. Thickness effects can be overcome by measuring intensity ratios. However, because of the partially polarized nature of the infrared beam, even intensity ratios, illustrated here by the ratio amide I/II of collagen fibres, vary with sample orientation. If overlooked, this effect can be problematic when measuring infrared spectra with an FTIR microscope from samples that are anisotropic or contain anisotropic domains, even though they may appear isotropic on a macroscopic scale. Because dichroic ratios remain unaffected, the intensity ratio from two bands with different transition moments may be used to give a strong indication of the orientation of the sample. This work is illustrated by reference to the FTIR spectra of orientated polyethylene, collagen tape and human trabecular bone.
Variable directional perturbation with one-bit feedback for collaborative beamforming

In this paper, a new one-bit feedback algorithm is proposed for collaborative beamforming to achieve carrier phase alignment at the receiver. The purposed algorithm uses directional factor to decrease the number of times for unsuccessful perturbation. Meanwhile, the new algorithm adjusts the step of random perturbation and the size of directional factor to improve the convergence speed. Compared with the existing algorithms, the purposed algorithm makes better use of the one-bit information and has better convergence performance.
Non-relevance Feedback for Document Retrieval

We need to find documents that relate to human interesting from a large data set of documents. The relevance feedback method needs a set of relevant and non-relevant documents to work usefully. However, the initial retrieved documents, which are displayed to a user, sometimes don't include relevant documents. In order to solve this problem, we propose a new feedback method using information of non-relevant documents only. The non-relevance feedback document retrieval is based on One-class Support Vector Machine. Our experimental results show that this method can retrieve relevant documents using information of nonrelevant documents only.
Breast mass detection using slice conspicuity in 3D reconstructed digital breast volumes

In digital breast tomosynthesis, the three dimensional (3D) reconstructed volumes only provide quasi-3D structure information with limited resolution along the depth direction due to insufficient sampling in depth direction and the limited angular range. The limitation could seriously hamper the conventional 3D image analysis techniques for detecting masses because the limited number of projection views causes blurring in the out-of-focus planes. In this paper, we propose a novel mass detection approach using slice conspicuity in the 3D reconstructed digital breast volumes to overcome the above limitation. First, to overcome the limited resolution along the depth direction, we detect regions of interest (ROIs) on each reconstructed slice and separately utilize the depth directional information to combine the ROIs effectively. Furthermore, we measure the blurriness of each slice for resolving the degradation of performance caused by the blur in the out-of-focus plane. Finally, mass features are extracted from the selected in focus slices and analyzed by a support vector machine classifier to reduce the false positives. Comparative experiments have been conducted on a clinical data set. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the conventional 3D approach by achieving a high sensitivity with a small number of false positives.
Association of Serum Vitamin D Level and Carotid Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis. To explore the potential link of the serum vitamin D level with carotid atherosclerosis, this meta‐analysis assessed the correlation between vitamin D and carotid intima‐media thickness as well as carotid atherosclerotic plaque. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched until the end of March 2017. Clinical studies investigating the relationship between vitamin D and carotid atherosclerosis were included. The outcome data were extracted according to the inclusion criteria and pooled for an effect estimate by a random‐effects model. Of the 506 initially retrieved studies, 11 studies involving a total of 16,434 participants were included in the meta‐analysis. Newcastle‐Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale scores suggested that the included studies were of high quality. The pooled effects estimate showed that the serum vitamin D level was negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93–0.96), with substantial heterogeneity among the individual studies (I2 = 54%). Furthermore, a subgroup analysis suggested that hypovitaminosis D was associated with an 0.85‐fold decrease in the odds of having a higher carotid intima‐media thickness (95% CI, 0.76–0.96; P < .05; I2 = 69%). Additionally, the pooled analysis also indicated that the serum vitamin D level was a protective factor against increased carotid plaque (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.97; P < .05; I2 = 29%). Funnel plots and the Egger regression test showed the absence of a publication bias. In this meta‐analysis, we comprehensively revealed a close link between vitamin D deficiency and carotid atherosclerosis. Patients with hypovitaminosis D might have extra requirements for preventive and therapeutic measures against early atherosclerosis, thus reducing the cardiovascular disease risk in the long term.