Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eulerian solid simulation with contact

Simulating viscoelastic solids undergoing large, nonlinear deformations in close contact is challenging. In addition to inter-object contact, methods relying on Lagrangian discretizations must handle degenerate cases by explicitly remeshing or resampling the object. Eulerian methods, which discretize space itself, provide an interesting alternative due to the fixed nature of the discretization. In this paper we present a new Eulerian method for viscoelastic materials that features a collision detection and resolution scheme which does not require explicit surface tracking to achieve accurate collision response. Time-stepping with contact is performed by the efficient solution of large sparse quadratic programs; this avoids constraint sticking and other difficulties. Simulation and collision processing can share the same uniform grid, making the algorithm easy to parallelize. We demonstrate an implementation of all the steps of the algorithm on the GPU. The method is effective for simulation of complicated contact scenarios involving multiple highly deformable objects, and can directly simulate volumetric models obtained from medical imaging techniques such as CT and MRI.
Er/sup 3+//Yb/sup 3+/ Co-doped P/sub 2/O/sub 5/-Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/-Na/sub 2/O-Ga/sub 2/O/sub 3/-PbCl/sub 2/ glasses for optical waveguide laser and amplifier

Er/sup 3+//Yb/sup 3+/ Co-doped lead niobium-phosphate glasses suitable for waveguide laser and amplifier at 1.53 /spl mu/m operation are prepared, the host compositions of which are P/sub 2/O/sub 5/, Na/sub 2/O, Ga/sub 2/O/sub 3/, Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/and PbCl/sub 2/ and allow us to add high rare earth concentration. The measured absorption is analyzed by Judd-Ofelt and McCumber theory in order to obtain the spectroscopic properties of the glasses. The results show that, compared with the traditional phosphate glasses and silicate glasses, the peak value of emission cross section (6.20/spl times/10/sup -21/ cm/sup 2/) and effective bandwidth (56.6nm) of the lead niobium-phosphate glass are larger. The fluorescence lifetime of metastable state /sup 4/I/sub 13-2/ is long enough to make the glass suitable to be used in optical amplification devices.
Adaptive Sequential Feature Selection for Pattern Classification

Feature selection helps to focus resources on relevant dimensions of input data. Usually, reducing the input dimensionality to the most informative features also simplifies subsequent tasks, such as classification. This is, for instance, important for systems operating in online mode under time constraints. However, when the training data is of limited size, it becomes difficult to define a single small subset of features sufficient for classification of all data samples. In such situations, one should select features in an adaptive manner, i.e. use different feature subsets for every testing sample. Here, we propose a sequential adaptive algorithm that for a given testing sample selects features maximizing the expected information about its class. We provide experimental evidence that especially for small data sets our algorithm outperforms two the most similar information-based static and adaptive feature selectors.
Preparation of rat synovial membrane for studies of cytokine secretion

The objective of this work was to devise an in vitro system for studies on cytokine secretion by synovial membrane treated as a whole organ with various synoviocyte populations. Synovial membrane from knee joints of WAG rats was dissected and incubated in culture medium without serum for 4 48 h. The level of IL-1α was determined in synovial lysates and IL-6 in culture medium. The synovial membrane from left and right knee joint of the same rat produced similar amount of cytokines both in lysates and in the medium. Synovial membrane stimulated by LPS for 4 or 24 h gave significantly stronger cytokine response than the membrane from the opposite (control) knee. After 48 h incubation of synovial membrane drastic drop in cytokine level was noted, which indicated on deterioration of the membranes. The test may be useful in studies on factors affecting cytokine secretion by synoviocytes.
Critical Appraisal of Reports on the Treatment of Perioral Dermatitis

Background: Presently, problems exist with the rationale of oral therapy and the nature and indication of topical and accompanying treatment of perioral dermatitis. Objective: Providing the basis to overcome these problems by a quality evaluation of treatment reports and assessment of the consistency of treatment experience. Methods: Sources were Medline (1964–2004), Embase (1966–2004), the Cochrane Central (1971–2004) and 526 ref erences of 3 textbooks, 2 recent reviews and 30 papers on perioral dermatitis. Thirty English and German articles were selected. These studies were evaluated according to principles of evidence-based medicine and related criteria. Evaluation of 28 papers was carried out by the authors and of our own 2 papers by 2 other reviewers. Consistency of results was qualitatively assessed by the authors. Results: There wereonly 2 therapeutic trials of medium-range quality. The other studies were of low quality. Consistency was noted concerning treatment with oral tetracycline (with 1 exception), discontinuation of topical corticosteroids and cosmetics and, to a lesser extent, regarding no therapy. There was inconsistency in respect to topical therapy. Conclusion: The presented data help to interpret and conduct studies on the treatment of perioral dermatitis.
Parallel Computation of Wrench Model for Commutated Magnetically Levitated Planar Actuator

An accurate wrench model is significant for the simulation, manufacture, and control of the commutated magnetically levitated planar actuator (CMLPA). With plenty of coils and permanent magnets employed in the coil set and magnet array of CMLPA, the computational burden of the corresponding wrench model can be substantial. This paper proposes an accurate, universal, and robust parallel massive-thread wrench model (PMWM) for the CMLPA. In PMWM, the magnetic node, Gaussian quadrature, and coordinate transformation are employed to express the interaction between magnet array and coil set. All of these calculation modules are implemented on the graphics processing unit in a massively parallel framework by CUDA. In order to highlight the performance of this PMWM, the wrench model of three different CMLPAs is computed. The computation accuracy and efficiency of proposed PMWM are compared with the finite-element method software Ansys Maxwell and a boundary element method software package named Radia, respectively. The same wrench model is also implemented on a multicore CPU through OpenMP and the comparative results are presented to show significant acceleration of the proposed massive-thread model.
Automated Analysis of Basal Ganglia Intensity Distribution in Multisequence MRI of the Brain - Application to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

We present a method for the analysis of basal ganglia (including the thalamus) for accurate detection of human spongiform encephalopathy in multisequence MRI of the brain. One common feature of most forms of prion protein infections is the appearance of hyperintensities in the deep grey matter area of the brain in T2-weighted MR images. We employ T1, T2 and Flair-T2 MR sequences for the detection of intensity deviations in the internal nuclei. First, the MR data is registered to a probabilistic atlas and normalised in intensity. Then smoothing is applied with edge enhancement. The segmentation of hyperintensities is performed using a model of the human visual system. For more accurate results, a priori anatomical data from a segmented atlas is employed to refine the registration and remove false positives. The results are robust over the patient data and in accordance to the clinical ground truth. Our method further allows the quantification of intensity distributions in basal ganglia. The caudate nuclei are highlighted as main areas of diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), in agreement with the histological data. The algorithm permitted to classify the intensities of abnormal signals in sporadic CJD patient FLAIR images with a more significant hypersignal in caudate nuclei (10/10) and putamen (6/10) than in thalami. Using normalised measures of the intensity relations between the internal grey nuclei of patients, we robustly differentiate sporadic CJD and new-variant CJD patients, as a first attempt towards an automatic classification tool of human spongiform encephalopathies.
The external ties of top executives: Implications for strategic choice and performance.

We are grateful to Eric Abrahamson, Ron Burt, Eric Leifer, Aneil Mishra, and Bob Yavitz for their contributions on earlier drafts of this manuscript. The paper has also benefited from the constructive comments of Associate Editor Mark Mizruchi and three anonymous ASO reviewers. We examine the extent to which executives' boundary spanning relations inside and outside their industry affect organizational strategy and performance. We posit that the informational and social influences of external ties will be reflected in the degree to which the organization's strategy conforms to or deviates from the central tendencies of its industry and that the alignment of executives' external ties with the firm's strategy will be beneficial to firm performance. Using a multiyear sample of firms in the branded foods and computer industries, we find that executives' intraindustry ties are related to strategic conformity, that extraindustry ties are associated with the adoption of deviant strategies, and that alignment of executives' external ties with the informational requirements of the firm's strategy enhances organizational performance. Our results also show that a unique or differentiated strategy is not universally advantageous and that the benefits accruing from strategic conformity are especially strong in the more uncertain computer industry. '
Large Scale Sparse Clustering

Large-scale clustering has found wide applications in many fields and received much attention in recent years. However, most existing large-scale clustering methods can only achieve mediocre performance, because they are sensitive to the unavoidable presence of noise in the large-scale data. To address this challenging problem, we thus propose a large-scale sparse clustering (LSSC) algorithm. In this paper, we choose a two-step optimization strategy for large-scale sparse clustering: 1) k-means clustering over the large-scale data to obtain the initial clustering results; 2) clustering refinement over the initial results by developing a spare coding algorithm. To guarantee the scalability of the second step for large-scale data, we also utilize nonlinear approximation and dimension reduction techniques to speed up the sparse coding algorithm. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the promising performance of our LSSC algorithm.
A Framework for Intelligent Decision Support System for Traffic Congestion Management System

Traffic congestion problem is one of the major problems that face many transportation decision makers for urban areas. The problem has many impacts on social, economical and development aspects of urban areas. Hence the solution to this problem is not straight forward. It requires a lot of effort, expertise, time and cost that sometime are not available. Most of the existing transportation planning software, specially the most advanced ones, requires personnel with lots practical transportation planning experience and with high level of education and training. In this paper we propose a comprehensive framework for an Intelligent Decision Support System (IDSS) for Traffic Congestion Management System that utilizes a state of the art transportation network equilibrium modeling and providing an easy to use GIS-based interaction environment. The developed IDSS reduces the dependability on the expertise and level of education of the transportation planners, transportation engineers, or any transportation decision makers.
Ranking Entity Based on Both of Word Frequency and Word Sematic Features

Entity search is a new application meeting either precise or vague requirements from the search engines users. Baidu Cup 2016 Challenge just provided such a chance to tackle the problem of the entity search. We achieved the first place with the average MAP scores on 4 tasks including movie, tvShow, celebrity and restaurant. In this paper, we propose a series of similarity features based on both of the word frequency features and the word semantic features and describe our ranking architecture and experiment details.
Place-based social contact and mixing: a typology of generic meeting places of relevance for infectious disease transmission

SUMMARY This study aims to develop a typology of generic meeting places based on social contact and mixing of relevance for infectious disease transmission. Data were collected by means of a contact diary survey conducted on a representative sample of the Swedish population. The typology is derived from a cluster analysis accounting for four dimensions associated with transmission risk: visit propensity and its characteristics in terms of duration, number of other persons present and likelihood of physical contact. In the analysis, we also study demographic, socio-economic and geographical differences in the propensity of visiting meeting places. The typology identifies the family venue, the fixed activity site, the family vehicle, the trading plaza and the social network hub as generic meeting places. The meeting place typology represents a spatially explicit account of social contact and mixing relevant to infectious disease modelling, where the social context of the outbreak can be highlighted in light of the actual infectious disease.
Formalizing and extending C ] type inference ( Work in progress )

The current release of C ] (version 2.0) introduces a number of new features intended to increase the expressivity of the la ngu ge. The most significant is the addition of generics; classes, interfaces, delegates and methods can all be parameterized on types. To make using generic methods easier, C ] allows the programmer to drop the type arguments in method invocations, and the com piler implements “ type inference ” to reconstruct the arguments. Unfortunately this part of the published language specification i s a l ttle terse, and hence this feature can often behave in surprising ways for the programmer. Moreover, this process is quite differe nt from the better known one implemented in Java 5.0. In this paper we attempt a formal reconstruction of the type inference process as it is currently implemented in C 2.0. We also consider a number of proposed extensions to support new language features that will appear in C3.0.
Simulation, Modeling, and Performance Evaluation Tools for Cloud Applications

As cloud computing adoption and deployment increase, the performance evaluation of the cloud environments is becoming very important. Cloud applications have different composition, configuration, and deployment requirements. Simulation and modeling techniques are suitable to quantify the performance of resource allocation policies and application scheduling algorithms in Cloud computing environments for different application and service models according to different work loads, energy performance and system size. In this paper, we give an overview of the existing distributed systems simulation and modeling tools in order to outline the main characteristics and peculiarities. We then present an outlook on new requirements to be addressed for performance evaluation of cloud applications through simulation and modeling.
AUGMENTED QUAD-EDGE – 3 D DATA STRUCTURE FOR MODELLING OF BUILDING INTERIORS

This work presents a new approach towards the construction and manipulation of 3D cells complexes, stored in the Augmented Quad-Edge (AQE) data structure. Each cell of a complex is constructed using the usual Quad-Edge structure, and the cells are then linked together by the dual edge that penetrates the face shared by two cells. We developed a new set of atomic operators that allow for a significant improvement of the related construction and navigation algorithms in terms of computational complexity. The idea is based on simultaneous construction of both the 3D Voronoi Diagram and its dual the Delaunay Triangulation. We expect that the increase of the efficiency related to the simultaneous manipulation of the both duals will allow for many new applications, like real-time analysis and simulation of modelled structures.
Enteral or Parenteral Nimodipine Treatment: A Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study

Abstract Background and Study Aims/Object Oral nimodipine is recommended to reduce poor outcome related to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In addition, animal experiments and clinical trails revealed a beneficial effect of enteral and parenteral nimodipine for the regeneration of cranial nerves following skull base, laryngeal, and maxillofacial surgery. Despite these findings there is a lack of pharmacokinetic data in the literature, especially concerning its distribution in nerve tissue. Patients/Material and Methods Samples were taken from a consecutive series of 57 patients suffering from skull base lesions and treated with nimodipine prophylaxis from the day before surgery until the seventh postoperative day. Both groups received standard dosages for enteral (n = 25) and parenteral (n = 32) nimodipine . Nimodipine levels were measured in serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and tissue samples, including vestibular nerves. Results Nimodipine levels were significantly higher following parenteral as compared with enteral administration for intraoperative serum (p < 0.001), intraoperative CSF (p < 0.001), tumor tissues (p = 0.01), and postoperative serum (p < 0.001). In addition, nimodipine was significantly more frequently detected in nerve tissue following parenteral administration (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.015). Conclusions From a pharmacokinetic point of view, parenteral nimodipine medication leads to higher levels in serum and CSF. Furthermore, traces are more frequently found in nerve tissue following parenteral as compared with enteral nimodipine administration, at least in the early course.
The Influence of Early Language on Reading Achievement, Problem, and Prosocial Behavior in Elementary School

of a thesis at the University of Miami. Thesis supervised by Dr. Marygrace Yale-Kaiser. No. of pages in text. (80) The current study examined the link between early language ability and literacy and behavioral outcomes in children prenatally exposed to cocaine. Prenatal exposure to cocaine places children at risk for language delays and early language problems are linked to both literacy and behavior problems in elementary school. ((Bandstra, 2002; Beitchman et al., 2001; Cantwell & Baker, 1977). Participants included 141 primarily African-American children from low SES backgrounds who were enrolled in a birth through three intervention program. Children were followed through first and second grade to evaluate the impact early language ability had on literacy and behavior in elementary school. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that after controlling for gender, treatment group, cognitive ability, and behavior at age three, receptive language at age three was a significant predictor of picture vocabulary in elementary school (F(4, 125)=6.76, p<. 01, bReceptive= . 42, p<. 01). Receptive language was also a significant predictor of Parent-reported prosocial behavior (F(7, 72) = 2.24, p<. 05, bReceptive =-. 03 , p<. 05). Contrary to previous findings, early language did not significantly predict parent reported problem behavior in elementary school in this high risk sample. Future studies should explore risk and resiliency in this sample, along with increasing sample size to allow for more advanced statistical analyses. Findings support the importance of early language experiences on both later literacy and behavioral outcomes for children.
A study of advanced D2D transmission for use in 5G cellular systems

Device-to-device transmission technology can help base stations achieve high transmission rates and meet high-capacity requirements. It is also a key technology for future markets. Additionally, the coexistence of licensed and unlicensed bands will be relevant to the landscape of the emerging 5th-generation cellular systems. However, there is a shortage of research on efficient transmission during the simultaneous use of licensed and unlicensed bands. To address this practical issue, in the present study, we propose an efficient transmission scheme involving both link mode switching and resource allocation for use in such system environments. The proposed scheme can significantly improve overall system performance while also maintaining satisfactory transmission rates for all users. Evaluations of our simulations suggest that the proposed scheme is feasible, and due to its simple yet effective design, it can be implemented easily and can serve as a good reference for mobile operators.
Exploring the Potential of Computational Self- Representations for Enabling Learning: Examining At-risk Youths' Development of Mathematical/Computational Agency

This paper reports on a study conducted within an alternative high school for students evicted from the mainstream and that utilized the virtual world (Teen Second Life or TSL). The use of selfrepresentations in virtual worlds to enable and facilitate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning is a promising endeavor. At the same time, it is not clear how the ability to construct imaginative self-representations can impact students’ abilities to view themselves as STEM learners and doers. Furthermore, questions over whether students should view avatars instrumentally to accomplish virtual tasks, as virtual selves for playful identity construction and performance, or to what degree the avatars should accommodate representing aspects of students’ real selves vs. extraordinary fantastic characters. This paper provides pilot evidence, elicited using grounded theory techniques on data collected in a three-year design-based research study into fostering at-risk students STEM learning. We propose a three-axis model of students’ stances in relationship to their avatars. Using insights from the cognitive science theory of conceptual blending in order to characterize students’ perspectives of their avatars as imaginative integrations of their real and virtual selves, we present a set of case studies illustrating students’ stances in terms of our three axes. The upshot is that students in the study tended to fall into three one of three categories: (1) viewing their avatars as necessarily reflections of their real world identities, (2) viewing their avatars as mere proxies for building artifacts in the world, and (3) viewing avatars as characters external to themselves for engaging in a play of identity performance and presentation. Group (1) found the affordances of TSL to be inadequate, hence serving the needs of this group may require alternative design solutions in light of real world behavior.
Manager Characteristics and Employee Job Insecurity Around a Merger Announcement: The Role of Status and Crossover

Most existing research theorizes individual factors as predictors of perceived job insecurity. Incorporating contextual and organizational factors at an information technology organization where a merger was announced during data collection, we draw on status expectations and crossover theories to investigate whether managers' characteristics and insecurity shape their employees' job insecurity. We find having an Asian as opposed to a White manager is associated with lower job insecurity, whereas managers' own insecurity positively predicts employees' insecurity. Also contingent on the organizational climate, managers' own tenure buffers, and managers' perceived job insecurity magnifies insecurity of employees interviewed after a merger announcement, further specifying status expectations theory by considering context.