Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanical and crystalline properties of monomer casting Nylon-6/Sio2 composites prepared via in situ polymerization

A series of monomer casting (MC) nylon-6/SiO2 composites were prepared via in situ polymerization. It was found that the tensile strength, storage modulus, and notched charpy impact strength of the composites were improved and reached maximum at 3–5 wt% loading of SiO2. The α relaxation peak corresponding to the glass transition temperature (Tg) shifted to high temperature with increasing SiO2 content. Addition of SiO2 led to an increase of the melting and crystallization temperatures, and crystallinity. It also reduced the induction time of crystallization, advance the crystallization process of MC nylon-6, and improve the crystal growth rate. The self-nucleation crystallization analysis indicated that SiO2 particles played the role of facilitating the crystallization of the matrix mainly via accelerating the generation of crystal nucleus. By addition of SiO2 particles, the fracture surface of MC nylon-6 changed to distant striations with many yield folds accompanied by a large number of stress whitening, displaying much obvious character of tough fracture. SiO2 particles can be pulled-out under stress by being covered with MC nylon-6 resin due to strong interfacial interaction and presented a skin–core structure. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.
On the Complexity of Approximating Extremal Determinants in Matrices

For a d × n matrix A, let B = B(A) be the set of all nondegenerate d × d submatrices (bases) of A, and let ? (A) = min{|det B| : B ? B}. We show that for any polynomial p = poly(d, n) in the dimension of A, the problem of approximating ? (A) within a factor of 2p is NP-hard. We also show that it is NP-hard to determine whether a set of n rational points in d dimensions is affinely or linearly degenerate. On the other hand, we give an algorithm for approximating ? (A) = max{|det B| : B ? B} within a factor of (1 + ? )d](d ? 1)/2 in O(nd2(? 1 + log d + log log n)) arithmetic operations and comparisons over the reals.
Physiological and Transcriptional Characterization of Escherichia Coli Strains Lacking Interconversion of Phosphoenolpyruvate and Pyruvate When Glucose and Acetate are Coutilized

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) is a precursor involved in the biosynthesis of aromatics and other valuable compounds in Escherichia coli. The PEP:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) is the major glucose transport system and the largest PEP consumer. To increase intracellular PEP availability for aromatics production purposes, mutant strains of E. coli JM101 devoid of the ptsHIcrr operon (PB11 strain) have been previously generated. In this derivative, transport and growth rate on glucose decreased significantly. A laboratory evolved strain derived from PB11 that partially recovered its growth capacity on glucose was named PB12. In the present study, we blocked carbon skeletons interchange between PEP and pyruvate (PYR) in these ptsHIcrr− strains by deleting the pykA, pykF, and ppsA genes. The PB11 pykAF− ppsA− strain exhibited no growth on glucose or acetate alone, but it was viable when both substrates were consumed simultaneously. In contrast, the PB12 pykAF− ppsA− strain displayed a low growth rate on glucose or acetate alone, but in the mixture, growth was significantly improved. RT‐qPCR expression analysis of PB11 pykAF− ppsA− growing with both carbon sources showed a downregulation of all central metabolic pathways compared with its parental PB11 strain. Under the same conditions, transcription of most of the genes in PB12 pykAF− ppsA− did not change, and few like aceBAK, sfcA, and poxB were overexpressed compared with PB12. We explored the aromatics production capabilities of both ptsHIcrr− pykAF− ppsA− strains and the engineered PB12 pykAF− ppsA− tyrR− pheAev2+/pJLBaroGfbrtktA enhanced the yield of aromatic compounds when coutilizing glucose and acetate compared with the control strain PB12 tyrR− pheAev2+/pJLBaroGfbrtktA. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1150–1160. © 2013 The Authors. Biotechnology and Bioengineering Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preliminary Investigation on Friction Spot Welding of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

Friction spot welding (FSpW) is a recent solid state welding process developed and patented by GKSS Forschungszentrum (now Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht), Germany. A spot-like connection is produced by means of an especially designed non-consumable tool consisting of pin, sleeve and clamping ring that creates a joint between sheets in overlap configuration through frictional heat and plastic deformation. FSpW offers many advantages over conventional spot joining techniques including high energy efficiency, surface quality and environmental compatibility. Comparing with friction stir spot welding, FSpW produces a weld without keyhole on the surface at the end of the joining process. In the present study, the possibility of joining AZ31 magnesium alloy by FSpW technique was evaluated by using different welding parameters (rotational speed, plunge depth and dwell time), aiming to produce high quality connections. Microstructural features were analyzed by light optical microscope and mechanical performance was investigated by microhardness test and lap shear test. Microstructure analysis revealed that defects free welds could be produced. A slight decrease in grain size of the stir zone was observed causing a slight increase in the microhardness of this region. The preliminary lap shear data demonstrated that the weld strength is comparable to other welding process.
Face Alignment with Unified Subspace Optimization of Active Statistical Models

Active statistical models including active shape models and active appearance models are very powerful for face alignment. They are composed of two parts: the subspace model(s) and the search process. While these two parts are closely correlated, existing efforts treated them separately and had not considered how to optimize them overall. Another problem with the subspace model(s) is that the two kinds of parameters of subspaces (the number of components and the constraints on the components) are also treated separately. So they are not jointly optimized. To tackle these two problems, an unified subspace optimization method is proposed. This method is composed of two unification aspects: (I) unification of the statistical model and the search process: the subspace models are optimized according to the search procedure; (2) unification of the number of components and the constraints: the two kinds of parameters are modelled in an unified way, such that they can be optimized jointly. Experimental results demonstrate that our method can effectively find the optimal subspace model and significantly improve the performance
Safe side effects commitment for OS-level virtualization

A common application of virtual machines (VM) is to use and then throw away, basically treating a VM like a completely isolated and disposable entity. The disadvantage of this approach is that if there is no malicious activity, the user has to re-do all of the work in her actual workspace since there is no easy way to commit (i.e., merge) only the benign updates within the VM back to the host environment. In this work, we develop a VM commitment system called Secom to automatically eliminate malicious state changes when merging the contents of an OS-level VM to the host. Secom consists of three steps: grouping state changes into clusters, distinguishing between benign and malicious clusters, and committing benign clusters. Secom has three novel features. First, instead of relying on a huge volume of log data, it leverages OS-level information flow and malware behavior information to recognize malicious changes. As a result, the approach imposes a smaller performance overhead. Second, different from existing intrusion detection and recovery systems that detect compromised OS objects one by one, Secom classifies objects into clusters and then identifies malicious objects on a cluster by cluster basis. Third, to reduce the false positive rate when identifying malicious clusters, it simultaneously considers two malware behaviors that are of different types and the origin of the processes that exhibit these behaviors, rather than considers a single behavior alone as done by existing malware detection methods. We have successfully implemented Secom on the Feather-weight Virtual Machine (FVM) system, a Windows-based OS-level virtualization system. Experiments show that the prototype can effectively eliminate malicious state changes while committing a VM with small performance degradation. Moreover, compared with the commercial anti-malware tools, the Secom prototype has a smaller number of false negatives and thus can more thoroughly clean up malware side effects. In addition, the number of false positives of the Secom prototype is also lower than that achieved by the on-line behavior-based approach of the commercial tools.
Bone‐marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells inhibit gastric aspiration lung injury and inflammation in rats

Gastric aspiration lung injury is one of the most common clinical events. This study investigated the effects of bone‐marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on combined acid plus small non‐acidified particle (CASP)‐induced aspiration lung injury. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP+) or EGFP− BMSCs or 15d‐PGJ2 were injected via the tail vein into rats immediately after CASP‐induced aspiration lung injury. Pathological changes in lung tissues, blood gas analysis, the wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of the lung, levels of total proteins and number of total cells and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined. The cytokine levels were measured using ELISA. Protein expression was determined by Western blot. Bone‐marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells treatment significantly reduced alveolar oedema, exudation and lung inflammation; increased the arterial partial pressure of oxygen; and decreased the W/D of the lung, the levels of total proteins and the number of total cells and neutrophils in BALF in the rats with CASP‐induced lung injury. Bone‐marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells treatment decreased the levels of tumour necrosis factor‐α and Cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)‐1 and the expression of p‐p65 and increased the levels of interleukin‐10 and 15d‐PGJ2 and the expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ in the lung tissue in CASP‐induced rats. Tumour necrosis factor‐α stimulated BMSCs to secrete 15d‐PGJ2. A tracking experiment showed that EGFP+ BMSCs were able to migrate to local lung tissues. Treatment with 15d‐PGJ2 also significantly inhibited CASP‐induced lung inflammation and the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Our results show that BMSCs can protect lung tissues from gastric aspiration injury and inhibit lung inflammation in rats. A beneficial effect might be achieved through BMSC‐derived 15d‐PGJ2 activation of the PPAR‐γ receptor, reducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines.
HIS Standardization in Developing Countries: Use of Boundary Objects to Enable Multiple Translations

Standardization and integration of Health Information Systems (HIS) in most developing countries haves been reported as a complex undertaking due to poverty, multiplicity of diseases and diverse actors working in various initiatives within the healthcare context. The need for collaborative investments in HIS strengthening is highlighted by major actors such as WHO, as significant to achieve an integrated HIS. However, despite the fact that the involvement of multiple partners is desirable as a vehicle to attain an integrated HIS, entailed challenges should be understood and well managed. By drawing on the concept of translation from the actor network theory supplemented by the notion of boundary objects, we examine the HIS standardization challenges and the strategies to curb them in the context of several different actors engaging in HIS integration process in Tanzania. The article stresses the need to coordinate the standardization process through circulation of boundary objects across the multiple actors involved.
A reuse repository with automated synonym support and cluster generation

Having a code reuse repository available can be a great asset for a programmer. But locating components can be difficult if only static documentation is available, due to vocabulary mismatch. Identifying informal synonyms used in documentation can help alleviate this mismatch. The cost of creating a reuse support system is usually fairly high, as much manual effort goes into its construction. This project has resulted in a fully functional reuse support system with clustering of search results. By automating the construction of a reuse support system from an existing code reuse repository, and giving the end user a familiar interface, the reuse support system constructed in this project makes the desired functionality available. The constructed system has an easy to use interface, due to a familiar browser-based front-end. An automated method called LSI is used to handle synonyms, and to some degree polysemous words in indexed components. In the course of this project, the reuse support system has been tested using components from two sources, the retrieval performance measured, and found acceptable. Clustering usability is evaluated and clusters are found to be generally helpful, even though some fine-tuning still has to be done.
Automated microaneurysm detection using local contrast normalization and local vessel detection

Screening programs using retinal photography for the detection of diabetic eye disease are being introduced in the U.K. and elsewhere. Automatic grading of the images is being considered by health boards so that the human grading task is reduced. Microaneurysms (MAs) are the earliest sign of this disease and so are very important for classifying whether images show signs of retinopathy. This paper describes automatic methods for MA detection and shows how image contrast normalization can improve the ability to distinguish between MAs and other dots that occur on the retina. Various methods for contrast normalization are compared. Best results were obtained with a method that uses the watershed transform to derive a region that contains no vessels or other lesions. Dots within vessels are handled successfully using a local vessel detection technique. Results are presented for detection of individual MAs and for detection of images containing MAs. Images containing MAs are detected with sensitivity 85.4% and specificity 83.1%
The EBR-II materials-surveillance program. 5: Results of SURV-5.

In March of 1965, a set of surveillance (SURV) samples was placed in the EBR-II reactor to determine the effect of irradiation, thermal aging, and sodium corrosion on reactor materials. Eight subassemblies were placed into row 12 positions of EBR-II to determine the effect of irradiation at 370 C. Two subassemblies were placed into the primary sodium basket to determine the effect of thermal aging at 370 C. One half of all samples were exposed to primary system sodium while one half were sealed in capsules with a helium atmosphere. Fifteen different structural materials were tested in the SURV program. In this work, the properties of these materials irradiated at 370 C to a total fluence of 3.2 {times} 10{sup 22} n/cm{sup 2} were determined. These materials are the fifth set of irradiated subassemblies to be examined as part of the SURV program (SURV-5). The properties analyzed were weight, density, microstructure, hardness, tensile and yield strength, and fracture resistance. Of all the alloys examined in SURV-5, only Berylco-25 showed any significant weight loss. Stainless steel (both 304 and 347) had the largest density decrease, although the density decrease from irradiation for all alloys was less than 0.4 percent. The microstructure of both Berylco-25 and the aluminum-bronze alloy was altered significantly. Iron- and nickel-base alloys showed little change in microstructure. Austenitic steels (304 and 347) harden with irradiation. The hardness of Inconel X750 did not change significantly with irradiation. The ultimate tensile strength of Inconel X750, 304 stainless steel, 420 stainless steel and welded 304 changed little due to a fluence increase from 2.2 {times} 10{sup 22} n/cm{sup 2} (the maximum fluence of the SURV-4 samples) to 3.2 {times} 10{sup 22} n/cm{sup 2}.
A Study to Realize A Box-Shaped 3D Display: A Calibration Method to Align Lens Array and Display

We propose a handheld box-shaped 3D display as a communication tool for realizing natural human-object interactions in face-to-face communications. The display employs an integral photography technique for each surface. However, misalignment of the lens array and the LCD module occurs, and so adjustment is necessary. In this paper, we analyze the error factors caused by this misalignment and propose a convenient calibration method to minimize them. The method estimates the actual positions of each lens using one camera and several stripe pattern images. After brief manual alignment the method computes the calibration parameters. We verify the suitableness of the proposed method by applying the computed parameters into the image-rendering process.
Towards a characterization of truthful combinatorial auctions

This paper analyzes incentive compatible (truthful) mechanisms over restricted domains of preferences, the leading example being combinatorial auctions. Our work generalizes the characterization of Roberts (1979) who showed that truthful mechanisms over unrestricted domains with at least 3 possible outcomes must be "affine maximizers". We show that truthful mechanisms for combinatorial auctions (and related restricted domains) must be "almost affine maximizers" if they also satisfy an additional requirement of "independence of irrelevant alternatives". This requirement is without loss of generality for unrestricted domains as well as for auctions between two players where all goods must be allocated. This implies unconditional results for these cases, including a new proof of Roberts' theorem. The computational implications of this characterization are severe, as reasonable "almost affine maximizers" are shown to be as computationally hard as exact optimization. This implies the near-helplessness of such truthful polynomial-time auctions in all cases where exact optimization is computationally intractable.
The correlation of metrics in complex networks with applications in functional brain networks

An increasing number of network metrics have been applied in network analysis. If metric relations were known better, we could more effectively characterize networks by a small set of metrics to discover the association between network properties/metrics and network functioning. In this paper, we investigate the linear correlation coefficients between widely studied network metrics in three network models (Bárabasi–Albert graphs, Erdös–Rényi random graphs and Watts–Strogatz small-world graphs) as well as in functional brain networks of healthy subjects. The metric correlations, which we have observed and theoretically explained, motivate us to propose a small representative set of metrics by including only one metric from each subset of mutually strongly dependent metrics. The following contributions are considered important. (a) A network with a given degree distribution can indeed be characterized by a small representative set of metrics. (b) Unweighted networks, which are obtained from weighted functional brain networks with a fixed threshold, and Erdös–Rényi random graphs follow a similar degree distribution. Moreover, their metric correlations and the resultant representative metrics are similar as well. This verifies the influence of degree distribution on metric correlations. (c) Most metric correlations can be explained analytically. (d) Interestingly, the most studied metrics so far, the average shortest path length and the clustering coefficient, are strongly correlated and, thus, redundant. Whereas spectral metrics, though only studied recently in the context of complex networks, seem to be essential in network characterizations. This representative set of metrics tends to both sufficiently and effectively characterize networks with a given degree distribution. In the study of a specific network, however, we have to at least consider the representative set so that important network properties will not be neglected.
A simple pose estimation method based on co-planar feature points

This paper presents a simple method to solve the P4P problem based on co-planar feature points. By enhancing the geometric constraints of the feature points which attached to the target previously, we obtain the three-dimensional camera coordinates of the feature points in two different formulas. Then the translation vector and three rotation angles describing the relationship between target coordinate system and camera coordinate system are computed using a closed-form solution directly. In order to improve the precision about the extraction of the image center coordinate of the feature point, we use the morphology expansion operation to achieve it. The experimental results and theoretical analysis which were compared with the previous method demonstrate that our method is more fast and effective.
The capacity region of the binary dirty MAC

The general two-user memoryless multiple-access channel with partial or full channel state information among the encoders has no single-letter solution which explicitly characterizes its capacity region. In this paper a binary dirty multiple-access channel with interference known at one/both encoders is considered. Specifically, we derive formulas for the capacity region of the doubly-dirty multiple-access channel where each encoder knows one of two independent interference sequences and for the binary dirty multiple-access channel with a single informed user where the interference is known to only one encoder.
A Remote-Sensing Driven Tool for Estimating Crop Stress and Yields

Biophysical crop simulation models are normally forced with precipitation data recorded with either gauges or ground-based radar. However, ground-based recording networks are not available at spatial and temporal scales needed to drive the models at many critical places on earth. An alternative would be to employ satellite-based observations of either precipitation or soil moisture. Satellite observations of precipitation are currently not considered capable of forcing the models with sufficient accuracy for crop yield predictions. However, deduction of soil moisture from space-based platforms is in a more advanced state than are precipitation estimates so that these data may be capable of forcing the models with better accuracy. In this study, a mature two-source energy balance model, the Atmosphere Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) model, was used to deduce root zone soil moisture for an area of North Alabama, USA. The soil moisture estimates were used in turn to force the state-of-the-art Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop simulation model. The study area consisted of a mixture of rainfed and irrigated cornfields. The results indicate that the model forced with the ALEXI moisture estimates produced yield simulations that compared favorably with observed yields and with the rainfed model. The data appear to indicate that the ALEXI model did detect the soil moisture signal from the mixed rainfed/irrigation corn fields and this signal was of sufficient strength to produce adequate simulations of recorded yields over a 10 year period.