Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tree-Based State Tying for High Accuracy Modelling

A process for increasing the proportion of a gas in a gaseous mixture comprising such gas and at least two other constituents. The gaseous mixture in a substantially unpressurized condition is drawn successively through two beds of absorbent which adsorbs the two other constituents respectively by the action of a reduced pressure applied to an outlet of the second adsorbent bed in the series. The beds are then regenerated prior to a further admission of gaseous mixture thereto.
Atmospheric‐Pressure Glow Discharge CVD of Composite Metallic Aluminium Thin Films

We present the first reported investigation exploring the deposition of composite metal/metal oxide thin films using APGD CVD. The approach taken employs a parallel-plate dielectric barrier configuration, and the deposition of such materials is discussed with respect to their influence on discharge conditions. Controlled and variable composition films were produced based on aluminium which showed metallic-like reflection (up to 60% visible), and were conductive (≈1 Ω per square). The films are analysed by RBS, SEM, AFM and optical spectroscopy. This new class of APGD-CVD-derived thin-film material, when combined with the associated low thermal load and attractions for industrial scaling, offers significant potential for new applications.
A Process Algebra-Based Detection Model for Multithreaded Programs in Communication System

Concurrent behaviors of multithreaded programs cannot be described effectively by automata-based models. Thus, concurrent program intrusion attempts cannot be detected. To address this problem, we proposed the process algebra-based detection model for multithreaded programs (PADMP). We generate process expressions by static binary code analysis. We then add concurrency operators to process expressions and propose a model construction algorithm based on process algebra. We also present a definition of process equivalence and behavior detection rules. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately detect errors in multithreaded programs and has linear space? time complexity. The proposed method provides effective support for concurrent behavior modeling and detection.
Supporting diverse traffic types in information centric networks

In this paper we focus on the issue of transferring diverse kinds of information through information-centric networks (ICNs). We argue that the one request per packet mode of operation suggested in the early development of ICN applications is not a good fit for some types of traffic, such as media streams and real-time notifications. To efficiently deliver all kinds of information, we argue that an ICN should not only identify information by its name, it should also be aware of the nature of its traffic. We classify information traffic types based on two characteristics: a) reliable vs. unreliable transfer and b) real-time vs. on-demand delivery. The combination of these two characteristics leads to three broad categories: a) channels, b) on-demand documents and c) real-time documents. To handle all traffic types, we propose two extensions to the CCN architecture: Persistent Interests and Reliable Notifications. We describe how these additions, together with a careful selection of information names, can efficiently support these three categories of information traffic types.
Passive and Active Ways of Unique Tagging/Labeling of Long-term Stored Nuclear Waste Copper Canisters

New passive and active tags/labels are suggested to provide a long-term security identification of nuclear waste containers. An active version of the tag is based on the use of a mixture of alpha-emitting isotopes, such as Am with materials, e.g. B and Na, which easily undergo alpha-induced reactions with emission of specific gamma-lines, i.e. 2313 keV and 1809 keV, respectively. Thus, the use of high-energy signature eliminates the problem with radiation background coming from the fuel. The passive version of the tag, on the contrary, counts on/requires the radiation background coming from the nuclear waste. It represents a tungsten/lead insert that is placed inside the container. In this case, the tungsten/lead is marked with the code. It is suggested that the passive tag is read in two alternative ways, i.e. by radiation detector and ultrasound. In a case of radiation detection, the variation in the gamma background from the spent nuclear fuel caused by the passive tungsten/lead tag gives an image of the code marked in the insert. As regards to the ultrasound reading, discontinuities in the material (the code which is cut out in the tungsten/lead insert) lead to the reconstruction of the original code. The combination of two methods offers several advantages, as compared to existing tagging techniques, i.e. long operating time, environmental safety, noncontact reader system, large and unique tag memory, security technique against falsification of data, errors/multiple verification. In the present paper we describe the results of experimental and Monte-Carlo evaluation of the feasibility of the proposed approach. In a long term run, this approach might give the possibility of maintaining continuity of knowledge of nuclear waste in containers for a time scale up to a few thousands years without comprising of the environmental safety aspect of containers.
Reversed Micelle Structures in PFPE Lubricant Thin Films on Magnetic Disk Surface Observed by Non-Contact AFM

PFPE lubricants (Fomblin Z-dol) for hard disk surface lubrication have two hydroxyl groups, one at each end of the molecules, and form stable insoluble monolayers at the water surface. In this study, molecular weight-fractionated PFPE lubricant monolayers were transferred from the water surface to solid substrates such as a hydrophilized silicon wafer, gold-sputtered mica, and a hard disk after adjusting the two-dimensional density of the lubricant molecules. The molecular structures of the PFPE lubricant molecules at the solid surfaces were observed by the cryogenic non-contact AFM under ultra-high vacuum. At the hydrophilic silicon wafer surface we could observe a single lubricant molecule in a random coil sphere shape. However, at the non-polar gold surface we confirmed the formation of reversed micelle structures. At the hard disk surface we detected various sizes of reversed micelles of PFPE lubricant in a flat oval shape.
Limitations of Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry Applied to Spectrometric Oil Analysis

The response of atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) to iron-based wear debris in gas-turbine lubricating oils was measured. It was discovered that the absolute content of wear metal in oil samples was not attainable because of two factors. First, the engine filter system removed substantial amount of debris and secondly, under normal working conditions, the AAS was completely insensitive to iron metal particles and only partially sensitive to iron oxide. Engine health monitoring based on selecting maximum wear debris cutoff values can be misleading if an AAS is used. AAS results however, can be of practical value to show wear metal accumulation trends.
Capillary Growth in Anemia-Induced Ventricular Wall Remodeling in the Rat Heart

To determine whether anemia-induced cardiac hypertrophy affects ventricular size and shape and the component structures of the capillary network of the left and right ventricles, young male rats were fed an iron- and copper-deficient diet for 7 weeks. By that time, blood hemoglobin content fell to 5 ± 1 g/dl, and packed cell volume fell to 18 ± 3%. To further characterize the implications of anemia, red blood cell number, hemoglobin corpuscular content, systemic arterial pressure, heart rate, and blood viscosity were measured. Moreover, the changes in ventricular weights were analyzed in terms of the alterations in ventricular wall area and ventricular wall thickness to establish the impact of the elevation in load associated with a high cardiac output state on ventricular remodeling. The quantitative properties of the capillary circulation were also examined biventriculariy by low power electron microscopic morphometry to evaluate the adaptive growth potential of the coronary microcirculation in this form of cardiac hypertrophy. Anemia was found to interfere with the production of red blood cells and their mean corpuscular hemoglobin content and resulted in a 40% reduction in blood viscosity and a 12% and 27% decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. The changes in heart rate were not statistically significant. In comparison with control animals, heart weight increased by 50%, but the enlargement in right ventricular mass (65%) was greater than that of the left ventricle (47%). Ventricular hypertrophy occurred with increases in wall area and wall thickness although the former increased consistently more than the latter in either ventricle. Tissue growth was accompanied by a 60% lengthening of the capillary network, which in combination with an increase in capillary diameter resulted in a 65% and 34% expansion in capillary luminal volume and 56% and 20% larger luminal surface density in the left and right sides of the heart, respectively. In conclusion, hypochromic microcytic anemia leads to eccentric ventricular hypertrophy with a significant amount of capillary proliferation that may tend to protect the myocardium from the increased potential for ischemic injury.
CXCL12 Mediates Aberrant Costimulation of B Lymphocytes in Warts, Hypogammaglobulinemia, Infections, Myelokathexis Immunodeficiency

The Warts, Hypogammaglobulinemia, Infections, Myelokathexis (WHIM) syndrome is an immunodeficiency caused by mutations in chemokine receptor CXCR4. WHIM patient adaptive immunity defects remain largely unexplained. We have previously shown that WHIM-mutant T cells form unstable immunological synapses, affecting T cell activation. Here, we show that, in WHIM patients and WHIM CXCR4 knock-in mice, B cells are more apoptosis prone. Intriguingly, WHIM-mutant B cells were also characterized by spontaneous activation. Searching for a mechanistic explanation for these observations, we uncovered a novel costimulatory effect of CXCL12, the CXCR4 ligand, on WHIM-mutant but not wild-type B cells. The WHIM CXCR4-mediated costimulation led to increased B-cell activation, possibly involving mTOR, albeit without concurrently promoting survival. A reduction in antigenic load during immunization in the mouse was able to circumvent the adaptive immunity defects. These results suggest that WHIM-mutant CXCR4 may lead to spontaneous aberrant B-cell activation, via CXCL12-mediated costimulation, impairing B-cell survival and thus possibly contributing to the WHIM syndrome defects in adaptive immunity.
"Last-Place Aversion": Evidence and Redistributive Implications

We present evidence from laboratory experiments showing that individuals are "last-place averse. " Participants choose gambles with the potential to move them out of last place that they reject when randomly placed in other parts of the distribution. In modified dictator games, participants randomly placed in second-to-last place are the most likely to give money to the person one rank above them instead of the person one rank below. Last-place aversion suggests that low-income individuals might oppose redistribution because it could differentially help the group just beneath them. Using survey data, we show that individuals making just above the minimum wage are the most likely to oppose its increase. Similarly, in the General Social Survey, those above poverty but below median income support redistribution significantly less than their background characteristics would predict. JEL Codes: H23, D31, C91. Copyright 2014, Oxford University Press.
Suicidal ideation in UK HIV clinic attenders

Background:HIV has been associated with elevated suicidal ideation. Although new treatments have changed prognosis, they also bring new challenges. This study measured suicidal ideation in HIV clinic attenders in the United Kingdom (London/Southeast) and explored associated factors. Method:All 1006 attenders at five HIV clinics were approached, of which 903 met inclusion criteria and 778 participated (86% response). Participants provided detailed information on suicidal ideation, demographics, treatment, adherence, symptoms (psychological and physical on Memorial Symptom Assessment Schedule), quality of life (EuroQol) information, HIV disclosure, clinical variables, sexual risk behaviour and treatment optimism. Results:There was a 31% prevalence of suicidal ideation. Factors associated with suicidal ideation were being a heterosexual man, black ethnicity, unemployment, lack of disclosure of HIV status, having stopped antiretroviral treatment (compared to treatment or treatment naive), physical symptoms, psychological symptoms and poorer quality of life. There was no association with sexual risk behaviour. Sex/sexuality and ethnicity were independently associated with suicidal ideation: the odds of suicidal ideation increased almost two-fold for heterosexual men compared with gay men or women and for black respondents compared with White or Asian respondents. Lack of disclosure was independently associated with a two-fold increase in odds of suicidal ideation. Elevated physical and psychological symptoms were strong independent predictors of suicidal ideation. Independent predictors of suicidal ideation were very similar among the subgroup of 492 patients on antiretroviral treatment. Conclusion:Despite advances in treatment, suicidal ideation rates among HIV-positive clinic attenders are high. Emotional support and attention to mental health provision and social context are strongly endorsed.
Efficacy and toxicity of pemetrexed as a third-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE Pemetrexed has been approved for second-line treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the role of third-line pemetrexed therapy in NSCLC has not yet been generally accepted. We attempted to validate third-line pemetrexed therapy and evaluate predictive factors for pemetrexed therapy for NSCLC. METHODS Medical records of NSCLC patients who received pemetrexed therapy that progressed after systemic therapy were reviewed retrospectively. We stratified patients according to clinicopathologic characteristics to find predictive factors for pemetrexed therapy. RESULTS A total of 100 patients were eligible for analysis, and overall progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.03 months. The objective response rate was 12%, and the toxicity profile was favorable. Pemetrexed was used as a second-line treatment in 30% of patients, and as third- or further-line treatment in 70%. Comparing the efficacy of pemetrexed in these two settings (second-line versus third- or further-line), there was no significant difference in terms of PFS (3.07 versus 2.83 months, P = 0.86). When we evaluated predictive factors by multivariate analysis, performance status significantly influenced PFS. CONCLUSIONS Pemetrexed is a suitable third-line treatment option with good efficacy and tolerable toxicity profile for NSCLC.
Competitive Regulation of E-Cadherin JuxtaMembrane Domain Degradation by p120-Catenin Binding and Hakai-Mediated Ubiquitination

p120-Catenin binding to, and Hakai-mediated ubiquitination of the E-cadherin juxtamembrane domain (JMD) are thought to be involved in regulating E-cadherin internalization and degradation. However, the relationship between these two pathways is not understood. We targeted the E-cadherin JMD to mitochondria (WT-JMD) to isolate this domain from the plasma membrane and internalization, and to examine protein modifications and degradation. WT-JMD localized to mitochondria, but did not accumulate there except when proteasome activity was inhibited. We found WT-JMD was ubiquitinated, and arginine substitution of lysines at position 5 (K5R) and 83 (K83R) resulted in the stable accumulation of mutant JMD at mitochondria. p120-Catenin did not localize, or bind to WT-JMD even upon proteasome inhibition, whereas the K5,83R-JMD mutant bound and localized p120-catenin to mitochondria. Mutation of the p120-catenin binding site in combination with these lysine mutations inhibited p120-catenin binding, but did not decrease JMD stability or its accumulation at mitochondria. Thus, increased stability of JMD lysine mutants was due to inhibition of ubiquitination and not to p120-catenin binding. Finally, mutation of these critical lysines in full length E-cadherin had similar effects on protein stability as WT-JMD. Our results indicate that ubiquitination of the JMD inhibits p120-catenin binding, and targets E-cadherin for degradation.
Investigating the nematic-smectic-A transition by capillary-length measurements near an apparent tricritical point.

What is the order of the nematic--smectic-[ital A] ([ital NA]) transition The answer to this question has flip-flopped over the years as ever more sophisticated theories and ever more careful experiments have addressed the issue. The Landau theory predicts that the transition can be either first or second order, depending on material parameters. de Gennes and McMillan [Solid State Commun. 10, 753 (1972); Phys. Rev. A 14, 1238 (1971)] showed that nematic fluctuations would drive the transition to first order as the temperature of the [ital NA] transition approached that of the nematic-isotropic transition. Halperin, Lubensky, and Ma [Phys. Rev. Lett. 32, 292 (1974)] (HLM) then argued that the effect of nematic fluctuations is more subtle and concluded that the transition is always at least weakly first order. Monte Carlo simulations indicate, however, that for a large enough nematic range, the transition becomes second order. We investigate the order of the [ital NA] transition experimentally by measuring the capillary length (ratio of the surface tension to the latent heat) near an apparent tricritical point in a binary liquid-crystal mixture. Our measurements confirm the existence of the extra free-energy term predicted by the HLM theory and yield, as a by-product, surface-tensionmore » measurements of the [ital NA] interface. Although we cannot currently detect the tricritical point suggested by numerical work, we have not approached any fundamental sensitivity limits either. « less
Enteric Parasitic Infections in Relation to Diarrhoea in HIV Infected Individuals with CD4 T Cell Counts <1000 Cells/μl in Chennai, India.

AIM This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of enteric parasites in HIV patients in Chennai and to correlate with CD4 counts and diarrhoeal status. MATERIAL AND METHODS Faecal specimens from 100 HIV infected individuals with CD4 < 1000/μl were screened for enteric parasites with wet mounts, modified acid-fast stain for coccidian parasites, modified trichrome stain for Microsporidia, before and after the stool concentration. Agar plate culture for Strongyloides was put up. Chi-square and ANOVA tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Study group comprised of 38 subjects with acute diarrhoea, 30 with chronic diarrhoea (> 2 weeks) and remaining 32 without diarrhoea. Enteric parasites were detected in 33% of subjects; Isoapora belli (21) being the commonest followed by E.histolyt/Entamoeba dispar (5), Entamoeba coli (2), Cryptosporidium spp (2), Hookworms (2), Strongyloides stercoralis (2), Giardia lamblia (1) and Microsporidium spp (1). There was a significant inverse relation between CD4 counts and duration of diarrhoea. Opportunistic parasites were isolated from the subjects with wide range of CD4 counts and different diarrhoeal status but most commonly from chronic diarrhoea patients. CONCLUSION The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in HIV patients is high in Chennai, India, especially at CD4 <1000/μl, I.belli infection being the commonest. Routine screening of all HIV patients with low CD4 counts for coccidian parasitic infections by using simple stool microscopic techniques can help in early diagnosis and treatment.
Metal fatigue in engineering

Introduction and Historical Overview. Fatigue Design Methods. Macro/Micro Aspects of Fatigue of Metals. Fatigue Tests and Stress-Life (S-N) Approach. Cyclic Deformation and the Strain-Life (-N) Approach. Fundamentals of LEFM and Applications to Fatigue Crack Growth. Notches and Their Effects. Residual Stresses and Their Effects on Fatigue Resistance. Fatigue from Variable Amplitude Loading. Multiaxial Stresses. Environmental Effects. Fatigue of Weldments. Statistical Aspects of Fatigue. Appendix. Indexes.
Neural blackboard architectures of combinatorial structures in cognition

Human cognition is unique in the way in which it relies on combinatorial (or compositional) structures. Language provides ample evidence for the existence of combinatorial structures, but they can also be found in visual cognition. To understand the neural basis of human cognition, it is therefore essential to understand how combinatorial structures can be instantiated in neural terms. In his recent book on the foundations of language, Jackendoff described four fundamental problems for a neural instantiation of combinatorial structures: the massiveness of the binding problem, the problem of 2, the problem of variables, and the transformation of combinatorial structures from working memory to long-term memory. This paper aims to show that these problems can be solved by means of neural “blackboard” architectures. For this purpose, a neural blackboard architecture for sentence structure is presented. In this architecture, neural structures that encode for words are temporarily bound in a manner that preserves the structure of the sentence. It is shown that the architecture solves the four problems presented by Jackendoff. The ability of the architecture to instantiate sentence structures is illustrated with examples of sentence complexity observed in human language performance. Similarities exist between the architecture for sentence structure and blackboard architectures for combinatorial structures in visual cognition, derived from the structure of the visual cortex. These architectures are briefly discussed, together with an example of a combinatorial structure in which the blackboard architectures for language and vision are combined. In this way, the architecture for language is grounded in perception. Perspectives and potential developments of the architectures are discussed.
Azithromycin-Nonsusceptible Shigella flexneri 3a in Men Who Have Sex with Men, Taiwan, 2015–2016

We report an outbreak of azithromycin-nonsusceptible Shigella flexneri 3a infection in Taiwan associated with men who have sex with men. The bacterial strains belonged to the sublineage A of a recently reported outbreak lineage associated with men who have sex with men, characterized by reduced azithromycin susceptibility and circulation in shigellosis low-risk regions.