Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of capacitated survivable networks with a single Facility

In this paper we focus on the single-facility capacitated survivable network design problem. We optimize simultaneously the network topology and the link dimensioning in order to route all traffic commodities according to survivability requirements. The latter are actually expressed in terms of the spare capacity required to address link failures in the context of different rerouting strategies. We present a mixed-integer linear programming model solved by combining several approaches. To tackle the high dimensionality and to separate the continuous and integer variables, we use Benders' decomposition and a cutting-plane approach. Going beyond the proposed method itself, we examine and compare two well-known restoration techniques: local and end-to-end reroutings. Numerous computational results for realistic network instances provide a comparison of these rerouting mechanisms in terms of installed capacities, network density as well as overall costs and CPU time.
Engineering Of Therapeutic Proteins

Protein Therapeutics versus Small Molecule Drugs . 154 Sources of Protein Therapeutics . 155 Targets of Protein Therapeutics and Modes of Action . 155 Engineering Effective Protein Therapeutics . 156 Challenges in Pharmaceutical Translation of New Therapeutic Proteins . 156 Strategies for Designing Effective Protein Therapeutics . 156 Strategies for Improving Pharmacokinetics . 157 Strategies for Reducing Immunogenicity . 158 Genetic Engineering . 159 Examples of Protein Therapeutics . 160 Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics. 161 Enzyme Therapeutics Acting on Extracellular Targets . 161 Protein Therapeutics as Replacements for Defective or Deficient Proteins . 162 Protein Hormones . 162 Coagulation Factors . 163 Enzyme Replacement Therapy . 163 Cytokines and Their Receptors as Protein Therapeutics . 164 Colony Stimulating Factors . 164 Interleukins and Their Receptors . 164 Interferons . 165 New Classes of Therapeutic Proteins under Development . 167 Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Proteins . 167 Phage Display . 167 Cell Surface Display . 167 T Cell Receptors (TCRs) . 168 Protein Fusions and Rational Design . 169 Phage Display . 170 Yeast Surface Display . 170 TCR-Like Antibodies . 170 Conclusion and Future Prospects . 171 References . 171
Don't Talk About Pink Elephants!

Speakers' descriptions sometimes inappropriately refer to information known only to them, thereby “leaking” knowledge of that private information. We evaluated whether speakers can explicitly control such leakage in light of its communicative consequences. Speakers described mutually known objects (e.g., a triangle) that had size-contrasting matches that were privileged to the speakers (e.g., a larger triangle visible to the speakers only), so that use of a contrasting adjective (e.g., small) involved referring to the privileged information. Half the time, speakers were instructed to conceal the identity of the privileged object. If speakers can control their leaked references to privileged information, this conceal instruction should make such references less likely. Surprisingly, the conceal instruction caused speakers to refer to privileged objects more than they did in the baseline condition. Thus, not only do speakers have difficulty not leaking privileged information, but attempts to avoid such leakage only make it more likely.
WALK-MAN humanoid lower body design optimization for enhanced physical performance

The deployment of robots to assist in environments hostile for humans during emergency scenarios require robots to demonstrate enhanced physical performance, that includes adequate power, adaptability and robustness to physical interactions and efficient operation. This work presents the design and development of the lower body of the new high performance humanoid WALK-MAN, a robot developed recently to assist in disaster response scenarios. The paper introduces the details of the WALK-MAN lower-body, highlighting the innovative design optimization features considered to maximize the leg performance. Starting from the general lower body specifications the objectives of the design and how they were addressed are introduced, including the selection of the leg kinematics, the arrangement of the actuators and their integration with the leg structure to maximize the range of motion, reduce the leg mass and inertia, and shape the leg mass distribution for better dynamic performance. Physical robustness is ensured with the integration of elastic transmission and impact energy absorbing covers. Experimental walking trials demonstrate the correct operation of the legs while executing a walking gait.
A novel mapping criterion scheme for MCS selection in CDMA based HARQ systems

Two important considerations in designing a HS-DPA system are algorithms for the selection of coding and modulation schemes based on the channel quality of the link and algorithms for the selection of the user to whom a particular slot is assigned. In this paper, our special focus is put on the mapping criteria between signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) and modulation and coding scheme (MCS), taking into account frame error rate (FER) and HARQ information. We propose a simple criterion to optimize the mapping between SINR and MCS to maximize the throughput. Supposed that the max transmission times is pre-determined, based on the SINR estimated, the FER and the probability of each retransmission contributing to the throughput are calculated. Simulation results comparing performance of the proposed methods and traditional counterparts are presented, it is shown that our new algorithm outperforms conventional methods and is more easily to be implemented.
Relativistic financial decisions: Context effects on retirement saving and investment risk preferences

We report a study of the effects the choice set on financial decision making related to retirement savings and risky investment. The participants were presented with either a full range of choice options or a limited subset of the feasible options. The choices of saving and risk are affected by the position of each option in the range of presented options. This result demonstrated that the range of the options offered as possible saving rates and levels of investment risk influences decisions about saving and risk. The study was conducted on a sample of working people, and we controlled whether the participants can financially afford in their real life the decisions taken in the test. In addition, various measures of risk aversion did not account for the risk taken in each condition. Surprisingly, only the simplest and most direct risk preference measure was a significant predictor of the responses within a particular choice set context, although the actual choices were still very much influenced by the range. Thus, the results reported here suggest that financial judgments and choices are relative, which corroborates, in an important practical domain, previous related work with abstract gambles and hypothetical risky investments.
Frequency Domain Analysis for Extending Time Domain Reflectometry Water Content Measurement in Highly Saline Soils

Water content and electrical conductivity of soils are routinely determined using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) based on analysis of signal travel time and attenuation along embedded probes. In soils with appreciable salinity, time domain analysis becomes progressively inaccurate due to signal attenuation to the point of failure. Our objectives were to test whether dielectric permittivity, which is inextricable using TDR travel time analysis (TTA) in saline soils could be extracted using frequency domain techniques applied to waveforms from shorter TDR probes that reduce signal attenuation. The methodology was tested using coaxial cells and three-wire TDR probes in sand and silt loam soil under a wide range of saturated solution soil electrical conductivities. Three different interpretation techniques were compared; conventional TTA, scatter function fitting (SFF), and resonant frequency analysis (RFA). Using a range of probe lengths (2, 3, 6, 10, and 15 cm) soil bulk dielectric permittivity estimates were obtained using all three techniques in solution electrical conductivities up to 48 dS m -1 . Both SFF and RFA produced similar permittivity estimates, which generally increased with increasing solution electrical conductivity. Network analyzer permittivity measurements (0.5-1.5 GHz) were greater than estimates using TTA, which were both greater than values from SFF and RFA in a saturated silt loam soil. Although dependent upon dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity, frequency domain analysis results indicate a 3-cm probe is optimal for maintaining a interpretable scatter function in the TDR frequency band while providing maximum extension of dielectric determination under lossy conditions in saturated soils.
Variable Selection in Nonparametric Random Effects Models

In analyzing longitudinal or clustered data with a mixed effects model (Laird and Ware, 1982), one may be concerned about violations of normality. Such violations can potentially impact subset selection for the fixed and random effects components of the model, inferences on the heterogeneity structure, and the accuracy of predictions. This article focuses on Bayesian methods for subset selection in nonparametric random effects models in which one is uncertain about the predictors to be included and the distribution of their random effects. We characterize the unknown distribution of the individual-specific regression coefficients using a weighted sum of Dirichlet process (DP)distributed latent variables. By using carefully-chosen mixture priors for coefficients in the base distributions of the component DPs, we allow fixed and random effects to be effectively dropped out of the model. A stochastic search Gibbs sampler is developed for posterior computation, and the methods are illustrated using simulated data and real data from a multi-laboratory bioassay study.
The Radiometric Bode’s Law and Extrasolar Planets

We predict the radio flux densities of the extrasolar planets in the current census, making use of an empirical relation—the radiometric Bode's law—determined from the five "magnetic" planets in the solar system (the Earth and the four gas giants). Radio emission from these planets results from solar wind-powered electron currents depositing energy in the magnetic polar regions. We find that most of the known extrasolar planets should emit in the frequency range 10-1000 MHz and, under favorable circumstances, have typical flux densities as large as 1 mJy. We also describe an initial, systematic effort to search for radio emission in low radio frequency images acquired with the Very Large Array (VLA). The limits set by the VLA images (≈300 mJy) are consistent with, but do not provide strong constraints on, the predictions of the model. Future radio telescopes, such as the Low Frequency Array and the Square Kilometer Array, should be able to detect the known extrasolar planets or place austere limits on their radio emission. Planets with masses much lower than those in the current census will probably radiate below 10 MHz and will require a space-based array.
Fault Tolerance on Large Scale Systems using Adaptive Process Replication

Exascale systems of the future are predicted to have mean time between failures (MTBF) of less than one hour. At such low MTBFs, employing periodic checkpointing alone will result in low efficiency because of the high number of application failures resulting in large amount of lost work due to rollbacks. In such scenarios, it is highly necessary to have proactive fault tolerance mechanisms that can help avoid significant number of failures. In this work, we have developed a mechanism for proactive fault tolerance using partial replication of a set of application processes. Our fault tolerance framework adaptively changes the set of replicated processes periodically based on failure predictions to avoid failures. We have developed an MPI prototype implementation, PAREP-MPI that allows changing the replica set. We have shown that our strategy involving adaptive process replication significantly outperforms existing mechanisms providing up to 20 percent improvement in application efficiency even for exascale systems.
LOCAL SURFACE MODIFICATION AT THE MICROSCALE ENABLED BY LIQUID DIELECTROPHORESIS

This paper reports a new protocol on-chip for functionalization purpose enabled by liquid dielectrophoresis (LDEP) technique at the microscale, and its adaptation to the nanoscale for the MEMS/NEMS applications. In a previous study, circular spots (diameter: 25-100 µm), made of polymer, have been accurately positioned onto a surface using LDEP. In this study, doped polysilicon LDEP structures have been fabricated with submicronic electrodes widths, to displace weak amount of liquids and create femtoliter sessile droplets. The final goal consists in dispensing fL droplets localized at the submicronic electrodes tip, and then implementing such structures to address MEMS/NEMS cantilevers local functionalization.
Predictive Modelling of Bone Age through Classification and Regression of Bone Shapes

Bone age assessment is a task performed daily in hospitals worldwide. This involves a clinician estimating the age of a patient from a radiograph of the non-dominant hand. Our approach to automated bone age assessment is to modularise the algorithm into the following three stages: segment and verify hand outline; segment and verify bones; use the bone outlines to construct models of age. In this paper we address the final question: given outlines of bones, can we learn how to predict the bone age of the patient? We examine two alternative approaches. Firstly, we attempt to train classifiers on individual bones to predict the bone stage categories commonly used in bone ageing. Secondly, we construct regression models to directly predict patient age. We demonstrate that models built on summary features of the bone outline perform better than those built using the one dimensional representation of the outline, and also do at least as well as other automated systems. We show that models constructed on just three bones are as accurate at predicting age as expert human assessors using the standard technique. We also demonstrate the utility of the model by quantifying the importance of ethnicity and sex on age development. Our conclusion is that the feature based system of separating the image processing from the age modelling is the best approach for automated bone ageing, since it offers flexibility and transparency and produces accurate estimates
Embodied values and ethical principles in somatic dance classes: Considering implicit motor learning

Articulating the embodied ways of knowing integral to living in the world, as a dancer, has been a long-term commitment in my own research and practice as both an artist and an educator. Consideration of how somatic practices might be integrated into the institutional structures and knowledge in higher education has led me to investigate underlying values in somatic dance and related movement pedagogies. I have been interested to extend discussion about what is valued in somatic dance education, what movement we choose to teach and for what purposes in higher education, and how we might teach movement ethically and inclusively. An initial discussion about embodied somatic values and ethical principles frames description of somatic dance classes. I then ‘massage’ particular ‘tensions’ between different pedagogical approaches including facilitated experiential, discovery-based somatic processes and motor skill learning, to offer some reflections on embodied values and ethical principles for somatic dance.
Integrating Technology Addiction and Adoption: An Empirical Investigation of Online Auction Websites

Technology addiction is a relatively new, but important, concept that has not yet been well integrated into mainstream IS models. This study bridges this gap, and integrates technology addiction and technology adoption in the context of online auction websites. The findings of an empirical study of 132 eBay users indicate that addiction to online auction websites augments user perceptions of the usefulness and enjoyment attributed to the technology, which in turn influence future usage. Post-hoc analysis further indicates that addiction is not a proximal concept, and as such, it affects future usage through key system-referenced perceptions. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Hiding Secret Information in Movie Clip: A Steganographic Approach

Establishing hidden communication is an important subject of discussion that has gained increasing importance nowadays with the development of the internet. One of the key methods for establishing hidden communication is steganography. Modern day steganography mainly deals with hiding information within files like image, text, html, binary files etc. These file contains small irrelevant information that can be substituted for small secret data. To store a high capacity secret data these carrier files are not very supportive. To overcome the problem of storing the high capacity secret data with the utmost security fence, we have proposed a novel methodology for concealing a voluminous data with high levels of security wall by using movie clip as a carrier file.
Discovery and recognition of unknown activities

Human activity recognition plays a significant role in enabling pervasive applications as it abstracts low-level noisy sensor data into high-level human activities, which applications can respond to. In this paper, we identify a new research question in activity recognition -- discovering and learning unknown activities that have not been pre-defined or observed. As pervasive systems intend to be deployed in a real-world environment for a long period of time, it is infeasible, to expect that users will only perform a set of pre-defined activities. Users might perform the same activities in a different manner, or perform a new type of activity. Failing to detect or update the activity model to incorporate new patterns or activities will outdate the model and result in unsatisfactory service delivery. To address this question, we explore the solution space and propose an estimation-based approach to not only discover and learn new activities over time, but also benefit from no need to store any historic sensor data.
Carriage rates of Neisseria meningitidis serogroups: determination among freshmen conscripts before vaccination

Background and Objectives: Neisseria meningitidis is transmitted from person-to-person. Thus, close contact with a healthy carrier can facilitate the spread of the bacteria and lead to life-threatening meningococcal disease. The aim of this study was to identify oropharyngeal carriers of N. meningitidis in volunteers preparing for military service before vaccination. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 226 volunteers entering military service were referred to the Shemiranat Health Center for meningococcal vaccination and assayed. Before vaccination, the participants underwent sampling of the throat using separate swabs. Thayer-Martin Agar medium and microbiological standard methods were used for culture and isolation of the organisms. The bacterial isolates were subjected to DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction. The obtained data were descriptively analyzed. Results: Out of the 226 (100%) young volunteers, only 18 (8%) yielded Gram-negative diplococci. The results showed the presence of N. meningitidis (carriage rate: 8%) in their oropharyngeal regions. The isolated serogroups were C, A, Y, W-135, and X with frequencies of 50, 22.2, 16.6, 5.5, and 5.5, respectively. Discussion: This study showed that the carriage rate in young volunteers for military service is around 8% before vaccination. Although the rates for serogroups A and C were dominant, the existence of serogroups Y and W indicate the necessary revision of the A/C vaccine. More research is needed to determine serogroup diversity and decrease the risk of meningococcal disease in individual groups.
Activation of phospholipase C pathways by a synthetic chondroitin sulfate‐E tetrasaccharide promotes neurite outgrowth of dopaminergic neurons

In dopaminergic neurons, chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans play important roles in neuronal development and regeneration. However, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of CS, the precise structure of CS with biological activity and the molecular mechanisms underlying its influence on dopaminergic neurons are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the ability of synthetic CS oligosaccharides and natural polysaccharides to promote the neurite outgrowth of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons and the signaling pathways activated by CS. CS‐E polysaccharide, but not CS‐A, ‐C or ‐D polysaccharide, facilitated the neurite outgrowth of dopaminergic neurons at CS concentrations within the physiological range. The stimulatory effect of CS‐E polysaccharide on neurite outgrowth was completely abolished by its digestion into disaccharide units with chondroitinase ABC. Similarly to CS‐E polysaccharide, a synthetic tetrasaccharide displaying only the CS‐E sulfation motif stimulated the neurite outgrowth of dopaminergic neurons, whereas a CS‐E disaccharide or unsulfated tetrasaccharide had no effect. Analysis of the molecular mechanisms revealed that the action of the CS‐E tetrasaccharide was mediated through midkine‐pleiotrophin/protein tyrosine phosphatase ζ and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase B receptor pathways, followed by activation of the two intracellular phospholipase C (PLC) signaling cascades: PLC/protein kinase C and PLC/inositol 1,4,5‐triphosphate/inositol 1,4,5‐triphosphate receptor signaling leading to intracellular Ca2+ concentration‐dependent activation of Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent kinase II and calcineurin. These results indicate that a specific sulfation motif, in particular the CS‐E tetrasaccharide unit, represents a key structural determinant for activation of midkine, pleiotrophin and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor‐mediated signaling, and is required for the neuritogenic activity of CS in dopaminergic neurons.
Sonification of particle systems via de Broglie's Hypothesis

Quantum mechanics states a particle can behave as either a particle or a wave. Thus systems of particles might be likened to a complex superposition of dynamic waves. Motivated by this, the author develops methods for the sonification of particle systems in a logical manner. Many systems and physical phenomena have thus far been simulated, producing a wide range of unique sonic events. The applications that have been explored are for algorithmic sound synthesis and music composition. Of critical importance is addressing the issue of latencies, caused by large complex numerical operations at audio sampling rates. This becomes painfully clear when particles interact with each other. Further applications of this system include scientific sonification, with an appropriate integration of psychoacoustic principles; creating an application for physics and music students to extend and enrich their comprehension of both topics; and inspiring philosophical dialogue regarding the similarities, intersections, and interdependence of Art and Science. Future work aims to produce a real-time application for simulated and real systems, and a deeper integration of quantum mechanics into these techniques.