Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A GENETIC SEARCH BASED ARRANGEMENT OF

The existing codes of practice propose the live load arrangements in such a way that they result the maximum internal forces in structural analysis. When this rule is utilized for high-rise buildings, a high number of load combinations is required to be applied. Since the use of computers in structural analysis is wide-spread in recent years, an automatic load combination arrangements needs to be developed within a computer environment. Such high number of load combinations and solutions are time consuming and difficult in manual calculations. However, insufficient investigations on this subject have been published, recently. The primary purpose of this study is faster and more precise calculation of the section forces due to the live load arrangements. For this purpose a genetic algorithm based load arrangement program was developed. The results obtained from the genetic search based method give more precise and rapid results compared to the existing methods. Environmental loads consist mainly of snow loads, wind pressure and suction, earthquake loads (i.e., inertia forces caused by earthquake motions), soil pressures on subsurface portions of structures, loads from possible ponding of rainwater on flat surfaces, and forces caused by temperature differentials. The structural elements are generally constructed continuously. Therefore, behaviour of each element is effected by the others. The effect of continuity is most simply illustrated by a continuous beam, such as shown in Fig.1a.
On the method for automatic determination of semantic similarity of the document texts

The paper describes the methods for automatic generation of the formalized semantic document description and determining of semantic proximity of document texts. These methods are based on the use of semantic-syntactic and conceptual analysis procedures providing the identification of the conceptual text content and the assignment of the characteristics to the concept names, corresponding to their semantic role in the text. Automatic thematic text content similarity assessment is made by comparison of the conceptual text content.
A low-power subthreshold LNA for mobile applications

A fully integrated low power LNA is implemented using 65-nm RF CMOS technology for 2.14-GHz band. By taking the advantage of higher transition frequency of recent technologies, transistors are biased in the moderate inversion region and this permitted scaling down the supply voltage to 0.7 V. Further, the exploration of design spaces from strong to weak inversion led to the development of a low power LNA which consumes a DC power of only 315 μW. For LNA design, PCSNIM (Power Constrained Simultaneous Noise and Input Matching) technique is used to improve noise figure at a given power. With this, a good power match is also achieved at the input where the simulated S11 parameter shows an excellent value of -22 dB. Compared to other existing subthreshold cascode LNAs reported in the literature, it shows reasonably better performance in terms of noise level and power consumption with a noise figure of 3.74 dB and a moderate power gain of 8.7 dB at a core device current consumption of 450 μA.
Longitudinal and simultaneous imaging of retinal ganglion cells and inner retinal layers in a mouse model of glaucoma induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate.

PURPOSE To investigate the longitudinal profile of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) injection-induced damage in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by imaging retinal Thy 1-cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) expression and inner retinal layers using a custom-made imaging device containing short-wavelength confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (scSLO) and speckle noise-reduced spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS Simultaneous scSLO and SD-OCT examinations were performed in Thy 1-CFP mice injected with NMDA (1-20 nanomoles). CFP-expressing RGCs were counted using scSLO images. Ganglion cell complex (GCC: retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer, and inner plexiform layer) thickness around the optic disc was measured in SD-OCT images. RESULTS The RGCs rapidly decreased 1 day after NMDA injection in a dose-dependent manner (65.3%, 71.7%, 49.5%, and 27.1% of the preinjection level, 2, 5, 10, and 20 nanomoles, respectively) and continued to decrease slightly (to 53.7%, 44.1%, 28.3%, and 20.2% of the preinjection level on days 14, 2, 5, 10, and 20 nanomoles, respectively). In contrast, dose-dependent reduction of GCC thickness was first detected 4 days after injection. The thickness further decreased to 84.6%, 75.7%, 76.5%, and 71.4% of the preinjection level on day 14 (2, 5, 10, and 20 nanomoles, respectively). CONCLUSIONS NMDA-induced RGC damage is characterized by rapid RGCs loss followed by gradual reduction in GCC thickness. Simultaneous imaging of CFP expression in the RGCs and inner retinal layers provides a sensitive, reliable, and new method for longitudinal evaluation of progressive RGC damage in experimental models of glaucoma.
Cloning and characterization of p97MAPK, a novel human homolog of rat ERK-3

Mitogen-activated protein kinases, or extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), are serine/threonine protein kinases that are activated in response to a wide variety of extracellular stimuli and are encoded by a multigene family. Little is known about the function of the ERK-3 subfamily. To explore the molecular diversity of the ERK-3 subfamily, we isolated a novel human cDNA, designated Hu-ERK-3, from a fetal skeletal muscle library. Analysis of the complete 3,920-bp nucleotide sequence revealed that this clone encodes a predicted protein of 721 amino acids. In vitro transcription-translation generates a 97-kDa protein referred to as p97MAPK. Of all of the sequences compared, p97MAPK is the most homologous to rat ERK-3. Interestingly, although p97MAPK is highly (98%) homologous to ERK-3 at the amino acid level within the N-terminal two-thirds of the coding region, it diverges at the carboxyl terminus as a result of a unique extension of 178 amino acids. Although expression of p97MAPK was detected in all of the tissues tested by Northern (RNA) analysis, the most abundant expression was seen in skeletal muscle. An antibody raised against the unique C terminus recognized a 97-kDa protein in human cells. By using this antibody in an immune complex protein kinase assay, we have shown that treatment of human fibroblasts with serum or phorbol esters activates a myelin basic protein and histone H1 kinase activity in immunoprecipitates. p97MAPK appears to be the human homolog of rat ERK-3, and a member of this family is an active protein kinase.
Implementation of improved direct torque control method of brushless doubly-fed reluctance machines for wind turbine

The Direct Torque Control (DTC) method is an excellent technique for torque and flux control of doubly-fed machines such as the Brushless Doubly-Fed Reluctance Machine (BDFRM). However, the conventional DTC method has some disadvantages. A previous paper proposed an improved DTC method for the BDFRM in a wind power generation system. The proposed DTC method can overcome the issues with the conventional DTC method and improve the system operational performance. The preliminary studies in this paper show the experimental results. A real time digital controller is described and this is based on the improved DTC method for the BDFRM. The hardware arrangement is discussed.
Strain rate imaging using two-dimensional speckle tracking

Strain rate images (SRI) of the beating heart have been proposed to identify non-contracting regions of myocardium. Initial attempts used spatial derivatives of tissue velocity (Doppler) signals. Here, an alternate method is proposed based on two-dimensional phase-sensitive speckle tracking applied to very high frame rate, real-time images. This processing can produce high resolution maps of the time derivative of the strain magnitude (i.e., square root of the strain intensity). Such images complement traditional tissue velocity images (TVI), providing a more complete description of cardiac mechanics. To test the proposed approach, SRI were both simulated and measured on a thick-walled, cylindrical, tissue-equivalent phantom modeling cardiac deformations. Real-time ultrasound images were captured during periodic phantom deformation, where the period was matched to the data capture rate of a commercial scanner mimicking high frame rate imaging of the heart. Simulation results show that SRI with spatial resolution between 1 and 2 mm are possible with an array system operating at 5 MHz. Moreover, these images are virtually free of angle-dependent artifacts present in TVI and simple strain rate maps derived from these images. Measured results clearly show that phantom regions of low deformation, which are difficult to identify on tissue velocity-derived SRI, are readily apparent with SRI generated from two-dimensional phase-sensitive speckle tracking.
Evaluation of the force acting on the back of the horse with an English saddle and a side saddle at walk, trot and canter.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Force transmission under an English saddle (ES) at walk, trot and canter is commonly evaluated, but the influence of a side saddle (SS) on the equine back has not been documented. HYPOTHESIS Force transmission under a SS, with its asymmetric construction, is different from an ES in walk, trot and canter, expressed in maximum overall force (MOF), force in the quarters of the saddle mat, and centre of pressure (COP). The biomechanics of the equine back are different under a SS compared to ES. METHODS Thirteen horses without clinical signs of back pain ridden in an indoor riding school with both saddles were measured using an electronic saddle sensor pad. Synchronous kinematic measurements were carried out with tracing markers placed along the back in front of (withers, W) and behind the saddle (4th lumbar vertebra, L4). At least 6 motion cycles at walk, trot and canter with both saddles (ES, SS) were measured. Out of the pressure distribution the maximum overall force (MOF) and the location of the centre of pressure (COP) were calculated. RESULTS Under the SS the centre of pressure was located to the right of the median and slightly caudal compared to the COP under the ES in all gaits. The MOF was significantly different (P<0.01) between saddles. At walk, L4 showed significantly larger (P<0.01) vertical excursions under the ES. Under the SS relative horizontal movement of W was significantly reduced (P<0.01) at trot, and at canter the transversal movement was significantly reduced (P<0.01) . In both trot and canter, no significant differences in the movement of L4 were documented. CONCLUSIONS AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE The results demonstrate that the load under a SS creates asymmetric force transmission under the saddle, and also influences back movement. To change the load distribution on the back of horses with potential back pain and as a training variation, a combination of both riding styles is suitable.
Balance Sheet Driven Probability Factorization for Inferring Bank Holdings: Extended Abstract

 Assistant Professor of Operations, Technology and Information Management, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, 2015 – Present o Graduate Field Member in Statistics, 2017 – Present  Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, 2013 – 2015 o Affiliate Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation, University of Maryland, 2014 – 2015  Federal Contractor, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 2009 – 2013  Dissertation Intern, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Summer 2012
Dynamic Relationship between Interest Rate and Stock Price : Empirical Evidence from Colombo Stock Exchange

This study examines the causal relationship between stock price and interest rate, using monthly data for the period from January 2007 to December 2013. All Share Price Index (ASPI) in Colombo Stock Exchange is used for the stock prices and the details on interest rate have been collected from the data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Augmented Dickey Fuller test was used to find out the stationary of the data series and the results of the test showed that, ASPI data and the interest rate was stationary at first difference. The Granger Causality test was used to check any causal relationship between stock returns and interest rate and outcomes showed that, there is one way causal relationship between variables. That is stock returns does not Granger Cause interest rate but interest rate does Granger Cause stock returns. Finally, to check the result of the Granger Causality Test, a regression was run. The result of the regression shows that interest rate is a significant factor for stock return changes and interest rate has significant negative relationship with ASPI.
Demo paper: The BBC Desktop Jukebox music recommendation system: A large scale trial with professional users

Recommending music for professional use presents challenges that are substantially different from those faced by systems targeting recreational listeners and other classes of end users. This paper describes a trial system and survey for assessing the utility of content and metadata-based recommendation technology targeting television and radio producers. First, we briefly assess the applicability of existing recommendation technologies. We then describe the trial system and the applied recommendation methodologies used in the context of a music database exceeding one million tracks. Finally we draw conclusions from a small user study conducted with professional programme producers.
Support vector machines for traffic signs recognition

In many traffic sign recognition system, one of the main tasks is to classify the shapes of traffic sign. In this paper, we have developed a shape-based classification model by using support vector machines. We focused on recognizing seven categories of traffic sign shapes and five categories of speed limit signs. Two kinds of features, binary image and Zernike moments, were used for representing the data to the SVM for training and test. We compared and analyzed the performances of the SVM recognition model using different feature representations and different kernels and SVM types. Our experimental data sets consisted of 350 traffic sign shapes and 250 speed limit signs. Experimental results have shown excellent results, which have achieved 100% accuracy on sign shapes classification and 99% accuracy on speed limit signs classification. The performance of SVM model highly depends on the choice of model parameters. Two search algorithms, grid search and simulated annealing search have been implemented to improve the performances of our classification model. The SVM model were also shown to be more effective than Fuzzy ARTMAP model.
Optimal reactive power planning using risk analysis

In this paper, the optimal reactive power planning problem under risk is presented. The classical mixed-integer nonlinear model for reactive power planning is expanded into two stage stochastic model considering risk. This new model considers uncertainty on the demand load. The risk is quantified by a factor introduced into the objective function and is identified as the variance of the random variables. Finally numerical results illustrate the performance of the proposed model, that is applied to IEEE 30-bus test system to determine optimal amount and location for reactive power expansion.
Running Head: Nucleolin in Arabidopsis patterning and development

Nucleolin is a major nucleolar protein implicated in many aspects of ribosomal biogenesis, including early events such as processing of the large 35S preribosomal RNA. We found that that the Arabidopsis parallel1 (parl1) mutant, originally identified by its aberrant leaf venation, corresponds to the Arabidopsis nucleolin gene. parl1 mutants display parallel leaf venation, aberrant localization of the provascular marker Athb8:GUS and the auxin-sensitive reporter DR5:GUS, and auxin-dependent growth defects. PARL1 is highly similar to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae nucleolin NUCLEAR SIGNAL RECOGNITION 1 (NSR1) multifunctional protein; the Arabidopsis PARL1 gene can rescue growth defects of yeast nsr1 null mutants. This suggests that PARL1 protein may have roles similar to those of the yeast nucleolin in nuclear signal recognition, ribosomal processing and ribosomal subunit accumulation. Based on the range of auxin-related defects in parl1 mutants, we propose that auxin-dependent organ growth and patterning is highly sensitive to the efficiency of nucleolindependent ribosomal processing.
Promotion of motoneuron survival and branching in rapsyn‐deficient mice

Inhibition of programmed cell death of motoneurons during embryonic development requires the presence of their target muscle and coincides with the initial stages of synaptogenesis. To evaluate the role of synapse formation on motoneuron survival during embryonic development, we counted the number of motoneurons in rapsyn‐deficient mice. Rapsyn is a 43 kDa protein needed for the formation of postsynaptic specialisations at vertebrate neuromuscular synapses. Here we show that the rapsyn‐deficient mice have a significant increase in the number of motoneurons in the brachial lateral motor column during the period of naturally occurring programmed cell death compared to their wild‐type littermates. In addition, we observed an increase in intramuscular axonal branching in the rapsyn‐deficient diaphragms compared to their wild‐type littermates at embryonic day 18.5. These results suggest that deficits in the formation of the postsynaptic specialisation at the neuromuscular synapse, brought about by the absence of rapsyn, are sufficient to induce increases in both axonal branching and the survival of the innervating motoneuron. Moreover, these results support the idea that skeletal muscle activity through effective synaptic transmission and intramuscular axonal branching are major mechanisms that regulate motoneuron survival during development. J. Comp. Neurol. 429:156–165, 2001. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antiblurry Dejitter Image Stabilization Method of Fuzzy Video for Driving Recorders

Video images captured by vehicle cameras often contain blurry or dithering frames due to inadvertent motion from bumps in the road or by insufficient illumination during the morning or evening, which greatly reduces the perception of objects expression and recognition from the records. Therefore, a real-time electronic stabilization method to correct fuzzy video from driving recorders has been proposed. In the first stage of feature detection, a coarse-to-fine inspection policy and a scale nonlinear diffusion filter are proposed to provide more accurate keypoints. Second, a new antiblurry binary descriptor and a feature point selection strategy for unintentional estimation are proposed, which brought more discriminative power. In addition, a new evaluation criterion for affine region detectors is presented based on the percentage interval of repeatability. The experiments show that the proposed method exhibits improvement in detecting blurry corner points. Moreover, it improves the performance of the algorithm and guarantees high processing speed at the same time.
Evangelizing the Chosen People: Missions to the Jews in America, 1880–2000. By Yaakov Ariel. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. xii + 367 pp. $49.95 cloth; $19.95 paper.

Observing that most previous works on missions to Jews in America have been either hagiographical or vitriolic, author Ariel breaks new ground with a valuable and informative report on this complex activity. It seems to start off on the wrong foot, claiming that such activities have "played an important role in American religious history" (2). But it quickly corrects that disproportionate assertion by noting that evangelical outreach to Jews in this country began as, and has largely remained, a function of conservative, fundamentalist segments of American Protestantism. Over the course of more than a century, the ideological motivation that sustained these people has changed little. It derives from a premillennial, dispensationalist reading of scriptures that posits a messianic image of Jewish Christians. As zealous conversion efforts succeeded, it was believed that redeemed Jews would establish an independent state of Israel and that this national restoration is crucial to eschatological fulfillment. Evangelism, conversion, and Jews in Israel finally believing in Jesus as messiah—all of these play central roles in a divine plan that will culminate in the End Times. While the thinking behind such mission work has changed little, techniques used to achieve results have changed a great deal, corresponding to three separate time periods. The first era lasted from the 1880s, when dispensationalist categories became popular, through the 1910s. Most Jews were then newly arrived, Yiddish speaking, immigrants from Eastern Europe. They lived in poor neighborhoods of major cities, and most missions were storefront establishments, notable among them the Chicago Hebrew Mission. The second period stretched from the 1920s through 1960, during which time many Jews moved to suburbia and became more fully integrated into mainstream culture. More sophisticated leaders and procedures came to the fore during those years, notably those trained at Moody Bible Institute who worked for the American Board of Missions to the Jews. Thirdly, the turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s featured a generation of Jewish baby boomers, critical of inherited middle-class complacency and willing to explore a variety of counterculture options. Jews for Jesus and Messianic Judaism exemplify this latest time frame, and they exhibit more radical approaches to retaining Jewish identity within Christian commitment. In each of these chronological divisions, Ariel provides richly detailed information about institutions and personalities, relating as well the anxieties many converts experienced in the process of redefining themselves plus sample reactions of those in Jewish communities with variously negative reactions to any missionary efforts in their midst.
Functionally and Temporally Correct Simulation of Cyber-Systems for Automotive Systems

The current simulation tools used in the automotive industry do not correctly model timing behaviors of cyber-systems such as varying execution times and preemptions. Thus, they cannot correctly predict the real control performance. Motivated by this limitation, this paper proposes functionally and temporally correct simulation for the cyber-side of an automotive system. The key idea is to keep the data and time correctness only at physical interaction points and enjoy freedom of scheduling simulated jobs for all other cases. This way, the proposed approach significantly improves the real-time simulation capacity of the state-of-the-art simulation methods while keeping the functional and temporal correctness.