Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Particle swarm optimization: Velocity initialization

Since its birth in 1995, particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been well studied and successfully applied. While a better understanding of PSO and particle behaviors have been obtained through theoretical and empirical analysis, some issues about the beavior of particles remain unanswered. One such issue is how velocities should be initialized. Though zero initial velocities have been advocated, a popular initialization strategy is to set initial weights to random values within the domain of the optimization problem. This article first illustrates that particles tend to leave the boundaries of the search space irrespective of the initialization approach, resulting in wasted search effort. It is also shown that random initialization increases the number of roaming particles, and that this has a negative impact on convergence time. It is also shown that enforcing a boundary constraint on personal best positions does not help much to address this problem. The main objective of the article is to show that the best approach is to initialize particles to zero, or random values close to zero, without imposing a personal best bound.
INCLUSION NUCLEATION, GROWTH, AND MIXING DURING STEEL DEOXIDATION

A computational model based on classic homogenous nucleation theory, thermodynamic analysis and numerical simulation, has been developed to study steel deoxidation by aluminum in a low carbon aluminum-killed steel ladle. The model calculates the nucleation and time evolution of the alumina inclusion size distribution due to Ostwald ripening, Brownian collision and turbulent collision. Starting with rapid supersaturation with Al2O3 “pseudo-molecules”, homogeneous nucleation is very fast, occurring mainly between 1µs and 10µs. The stable inclusion nuclei are predicted to be only about 10-20 A in diameter. The growth of inclusions smaller than 1µm in radii, is mainly controlled by diffusion of pseudo-molecules and Brownian collision, and inclusions in this range tend to be spherical. The growth of inclusions larger than 2µm in radii is mainly controlled by turbulent collisions, and inclusions in this range tend to form clusters which retain minimum feature sizes of 1~2µm. Inclusion size distribution can reach 0.1~1µm at 6s and 0.1~36µm at 100s. Stirring power has a significant effect on the inclusion size distribution. It is recommended to first stir vigorously to encourage the collision of small inclusions into large ones, followed by a “final stir” that slowly recirculates the steel to facilitate their removal into the slag while minimizing the generation of more large inclusions via collisions.
Internal Delorme’s Procedure for Treating ODS Associated With Impaired Anal Continence

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the medium-term outcomes of internal Delorme’s procedure for treating obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) patients with impaired anal continence. Patients and Methods: In a retrospective study, 41 ODS patients who underwent internal Delorme’s procedure between 2011 and 2015 were divided into 3 subgroups according to their associated symptoms of impaired continence, as urgency, passive fecal incontinence and both, before study. Then the patients’ preoperative statuses, perioperative complications, and postoperative outcomes were investigated and collected from standardized questionnaires, including Altomare ODS score, Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI), Patient Assessment of Constipation–Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAC-QoL), and Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQLS). All results with a 2-tailed P < . 05 were considered statistically significant. Results: At an average 2.8 years of follow-up, there were significant improvements (P < .01) in Altomare ODS score, FISI, PAC-QoL, and FIQLS in all patients when comparing scores from before the operation with those at the final follow-up. Similar results were also observed in both the urgency subgroup and passive fecal incontinence subgroup, but there were no statistically significant improvements (P > .05) in Altomare ODS score, FISI, PAC-QoL, or FIQLS in the urgency and passive fecal incontinence subgroups. Anorectal manometry showed the mean value of anal resting pressure increased 20%. Additionally, no major complications occurred. Conclusion: Internal Delorme’s procedure is effective without major morbidity for treating ODS associated with urgency or passive fecal incontinence, but it may be less effective for treating ODS associated with both urgency and passive fecal incontinence.
Parallel architectures for image processing

Conventional computers do not readily lend themselves to picture processing. Digital image manipulation by conventional computer is accomplished only at a tremendous cost in time and conceptual distraction. Computer image processing is the activity of modifying a picture such that retrieval of relevant pictorially encoded information becomes trivial. Algorithm development for image processing is an alternating sequence of inspired creative visualizations of desired processed results and the formal procedures implementing the desired process on a particular image processing system. But our process of creative visualization is of pictures as a whole. Implementation of the visualized image manipulation by conventional computer requires fragmentation of the pictorial concept into information units matched to the word oriented capabilities of general purpose machines. Conventional computer image processing could be broadly categorized as manipulation of pixel states rather than pictorial content.
How to read a funnel plot in a meta-analysis

Researchers undertook a meta-analysis of the effects of home blood pressure monitoring on blood pressure levels. Randomised controlled trials were included if home or “self” monitoring was compared with standard monitoring in the healthcare system. Participants were patients with essential hypertension, followed for two to 36 months. The main outcomes included measurements of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the achievement of hypertension targets.1 Eighteen trials were eligible for inclusion. When the results of the trials were combined, home monitoring resulted in significantly lower systolic blood pressure than standard monitoring (mean difference 4.2 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 6.9) and significantly lower diastolic blood pressure (2.4 mm Hg, 1.2 to 3.5). Home monitoring patients were more likely to achieve predetermined targets (relative risk 1.11, 1.00 to 1.11). The researchers presented funnel plots for the outcomes of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (figure⇓). Egger’s test gave P=0.038 for systolic blood pressure and P=0.095 for diastolic blood pressure. Funnel plots for the meta-analysis of the effects on blood pressure of home monitoring compared with standard monitoring in the healthcare system It was concluded that home monitoring results in lower blood pressure than standard monitoring. Although the difference in blood pressure between the two methods was small it may contribute to an important reduction in vascular complications in the hypertensive population. Which of the following statements, if any, are true?
Growth Hormone Receptor Ubiquitination Coincides with Recruitment to Clathrin-coated Membrane Domains*

Endocytosis of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) depends on a functional ubiquitin conjugation system. A 10-amino acid residue motif within the GHR cytosolic tail (the ubiquitin-dependent endocytosis motif) is involved in both GHR ubiquitination and endocytosis. As shown previously, ubiquitination of the receptor itself is not required. In this paper ubiquitination of the GHR was used as a tool to address the question of at which stage the ubiquitin conjugation system acts in the process of GHR endocytosis. If potassium depletion was used to interfere with early stages of coated pit formation, both GHR endocytosis and ubiquitination were inhibited. Treatment of cells with methyl-β-cyclodextrin inhibited endocytosis at the stage of coated vesicle formation. Growth hormone addition to methyl-β-cyclodextrin-treated cells resulted in an accumulation of ubiquitinated GHR at the cell surface. Using immunoelectron microscopy, the GHR was localized in flattened clathrin-coated membranes. In addition, when clathrin-mediated endocytosis was inhibited in HeLa cells expressing a temperature-sensitive dynamin mutant, ubiquitinated GHR accumulated at the cell surface. Together, these data show that the GHR is ubiquitinated at the plasma membrane, before endocytosis occurs, and indicate that the resident time of the GHR at the cell surface is regulated by the ubiquitin conjugation system together with the endocytic machinery.
Semi-blind channel estimation for block transmissions with non-zero padding

We focus on channel estimation algorithms for block transmissions that pad each information block with a fixed pilot block that is known at the receiver. For zero padding (ZP), such an algorithm (so-termed 'blind' algorithm) has been presented by Scaglione et al. (1998). In this paper, we present such an algorithm (so-termed 'semi-blind' algorithm) for nonzero padding (NZP). Similar to the existing blind algorithm for ZP, the proposed semi-blind algorithm for NZP operates on a group of received blocks and only requires a minimal redundancy of L symbols per transmitted block, where L represents a known upper bound on the channel order. However, while the existing blind algorithm for ZP can only identify the channel up to a scalar ambiguity the proposed semi-blind algorithm for NZP can fully identify the channel. Moreover, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed semi-blind algorithm for NZP outperforms the existing blind algorithm for ZP, even when the latter uses optimal (in practice infeasible) scalar ambiguity removal.
Programmed cell death 1 gene (PDCD1) polymorphism and pemphigus foliaceus (fogo selvagem) disease susceptibility

Pemphigus foliaceus, also known as fogo selvagem, is an autoimmune disease of the epidermis characterized by superficial blisters and antibodies against desmoglein 1. It is a multifactorial disease and genetic susceptibility is oligogenic or polygenic. Considering the crucial function of the programmed cell death 1 molecule (PD-1) in the immune response, the aim of this study was to verify if variants of the PDCD1 gene influence susceptibility and resistance to pemphigus foliaceus, in a case - control disease association study. We analyzed patients (n = 154) and unaffected control individuals (n = 325) of the Brazilian population, in respect to the PD1.3(G,A) PD1.5(C,T) and PD1.6(A,G) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and also investigated, for the first time, the exon 5 PDCD1 microsatellite (CTG)n. The patient and control samples were divided into strata, according to the predominant ancestry of the individuals (African or European). The PD1.5 genotype distribution in the patients sample was almost indistinguishable from that in the control sample, in both population strata. A possible negative association between pemphigus foliaceus and allele PD1.3A was observed in the total African and European ancestry population sample (odds ratio (OR) = 0.55, p = 0.066) and should be investigated in forthcoming studies. The PD1.6A allele was over-represented among the patients of predominantly European ancestry due to an increase of both the G/A and the A/A genotypes (OR = 2.12 and 1.74, respectively; p = 0.035). We conclude that polymorphisms of the PDCD1 gene may influence susceptibility to pemphigus foliaceus, at least in Brazilians of predominantly European ancestry.
Flow-aware WPT k-nearest neighbours regression for short-term traffic prediction

Robust and accurate traffic prediction is critical in modern intelligent transportation systems (ITS). One widely used method for short-term traffic prediction is k-nearest neighbours (kNN). However, choosing the right parameter values for kNN is problematic. Although many studies have investigated this problem, they did not consider all parameters of kNN at the same time. This paper aims to improve kNN prediction accuracy by tuning all parameters simultaneously concerning dynamic traffic characteristics. We propose weighted parameter tuples (WPT) to calculate weighted average dynamically according to flow rate. Comprehensive experiments are conducted on one-year real-world data. The results show that flow-aware WPT kNN performs better than manually tuned kNN as well as benchmark methods such as extreme gradient boosting (XGB) and seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA). Thus, it is recommended to use dynamic parameters regarding traffic flow and to consider all parameters at the same time.
A  $2\times (4)\times 128$  Multitime-Gated SPAD Line Detector for Pulsed Raman Spectroscopy

A time-gated 2 × (4) × 128 single photon avalanche diode line detector for pulsed laser Raman spectroscopy has been developed and fabricated in a 0.35-μm high-voltage CMOS technology. The sample is illuminated with short laser pulses (~100 ps) at a rate of ~50 kHz and four time gates synchronized with these pulses and having selectable widths within the subnanoseconds range are used to measure the Raman photons and fluorescence background simultaneously. The fluorescence background measurement is used to suppress the residual fluorescence level to improve the quality of the Raman spectrum. The variation in the width of the time window was measured to be approximately ±17.5 ps along the spectral axis when set externally to a nominal value of 100 ps. Measurements with a reference sample demonstrate the effect of nonhomogeneities in the time gates on the quality of the recorded Raman spectrum and the residual fluorescence correction.
Exhumation of the central Wasatch Mountains, Utah: 1. Patterns and timing of exhumation deduced from low-temperature thermochronology data

[1] The Wasatch Mountains are often cited as an example of normal fault growth and footwall flexure. They represent a tilted footwall at the edge of the Basin and Range extensional province, a major rift basin. Thus understanding the detailed spatial and elevation changes in coupled thermochronometer data, and how these changes can be interpreted, may aid in the analysis of thermochronometer data from other extensional regions around the world. We present a dense data set from the Cottonwood Intrusive Belt (CIB) of the Wasatch that includes apatite fission track (AFT), zircon fission track (ZFT), and apatite (U-Th)/He ages. ZFT, AFT, and apatite (U-Th)/He ages are 10, 5, and 3 Ma, respectively, adjacent to the Wasatch fault. AFT and (U-Th)/He ages increase slightly with distance east of the fault until about 15–20 km, where a more abrupt increase in these ages occurs at or near the Silver Fork-Superior fault zone. ZFT and AFT ages are concordant with 31–38 Ma pluton emplacement ages on the eastern side of range. Modeling of the data leads to the following interpretation: (1) Early cooling and � 3–4 km of exhumation for the middle and eastern parts of the range occurred in the late Oligocene-middle Miocene. (2) Beginning at 10–12 Ma, the locus of exhumation shifted westward toward the present range front, where the rocks cooled from >200� C in the last 10–12 Myr. Our data and interpretations are consistent with a model in which the locus of faulting and exhumation shifted opposite the direction of tilt, similar to that predicted by rolling-hinge extensional models. However, this westward shift and rapid Miocene to recent exhumation may be a local effect superimposed on lower fault displacement and exhumation rates elsewhere along the Wasatch. INDEX TERMS: 8109 Tectonophysics: Continental tectonics—extensional (0905); 1035 Geochemistry: Geochronology; 8010 Structural Geology: Fractures and faults; 8015 Structural Geology: Local crustal structure; KEYWORDS: Wasatch Mountains, exhumation, fission track, helium dating Citation: Armstrong, P. A. , T. A. Ehlers, D. S. Chapman, K. A. Farley, and P. J. J. Kamp, Exhumation of the central Wasatch Mountains, Utah: 1. Patterns and timing of exhumation deduced from low-temperature thermochronology data, J. Geophys. Res., 108(B3), 2172, doi:10.1029/2001JB001708, 2003.
β-Catenin-related Anomalies in Apoptosis-resistant and Hormone-refractory Prostate Cancer Cells

Purpose: β-Catenin is a critical end component of the wnt signaling pathway that regulates cell growth, apoptosis, and migratory behavior in response to intercellular adhesion molecules. The aim of this study was to evaluate abnormalities of β-catenin protein expression, subcellular localization, and activity in an in vitro model of acquired apoptosis-resistance in cultured PC cells and in primary human prostate cancers (PrCa). Experimental Design: Apoptosis-resistant human prostate cancer cell line variants were derived from parental LNCaP cells by repeated brief exposure to apoptotic stimuli. The derivative and parental cells were analyzed for β-catenin expression and intracellular localization using cell fractionation and Western blotting procedures. Endogenous transcriptional activity from the TCF/LEF-1 response element was also studied in these variants after transfection with a β-catenin sensitive reporter plasmid. Finally, β-catenin protein expression and intracellular localization were evaluated on 212 patients [122 localized PrCa and 90 hormone-refractory (HRPC) PrCa specimens by immunohistochemistry]. Results: Western blot analysis showed that the intracellular partitioning of β-catenin was shifted from the membrane fraction in parental cells to the cytoplasmic/nuclear fractions of the apoptosis-resistant cell lines. Coordinately, transcriptional activity from a TCF/LEF-promoted reporter plasmid was increased significantly in the apoptosis-resistant lines. In the primary prostate tumors analyzed, cytoplasmic and/or nuclear β-catenin expression was correlated statistically with the HRPC status and Gleason score. In the group of localized PrCa, abnormal β-catenin expression tended to be associated with a higher Gleason score and with pT3 disease. No mutation was found in patients with HRPC and abnormal β-catenin expression. Conclusion: These data suggest that anomalies of β-catenin expression occur in PrCa and that these anomalies are associated with disease progression, especially to the therapeutic-resistant state.
Enhancing emotion using an emotion model

In this paper, we enhance the emotion of visual contents based on a scheme established using Russells emotion model and Kansei engineering. We present a mapping between the emotions defined in Russells emotion space and the colour, tone and contrast. For an efficient mapping, we present a scheme that enables users to conveniently segment the contents into foreground and background and to apply our emotion motion selectively. The segmentation of the foreground from the background is implemented by the support of an image abstraction algorithm. This method can be applied to a variety of visual contents such as images, movies and animations. We finally prove the effectiveness of our scheme by executing a user test.
Risk factors for relapse after complete remission with high-dose therapy for multiple myeloma

Complete remission (CR) is an important surrogate for long-term survival for patients with multiple myeloma. However, most patients achieving CR eventually relapse and die from their disease. To better define the predictors of relapse, we conducted a retrospective review of outcomes for patients who achieved CR after autografting at our institution. From January 1990 to December 2002, among >400 patients transplanted, 81 (54 males and 27 females) achieved CR. With a median follow up of 58 months for all surviving patients, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 33% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 23 – 44] and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 67% (95% CI = 54 – 77). Median PFS was 37 months and median OS has not yet been reached. On multivariate analysis, high tumor mass at diagnosis emerged as a predictor of poor outcome. We conclude that high tumor mass at diagnosis predicts a significantly shorter remission duration for myeloma patients undergoing autografting.
Parallel functional programming on recursively defined data via data-parallel recursion

This article proposes a new language mechanism for data-parallel processing of dynamically allocated recursively defined data. Different from the conventional array-based data- parallelism, it allows parallel processing of general recursively defined data such as lists or trees in a functional way. This is achieved by representing a recursively defined datum as a system of equations, and defining new language constructs for parallel transformation of a system of equations. By integrating them with a higher-order functional language, we obtain a functional programming language suitable for describing data-parallel algorithms on recursively defined data in a declarative way. The language has an ML style polymorphic type system and a type sound operational semantics that uniformly integrates the parallel evaluation mechanism with the semantics of a typed functional language. We also show the intended parallel execution model behind the formal semantics, assuming an idealized distributed memory multicomputer.
Terminal chop: New technique for full thickness nuclear segmentation in mature hard cataract

We describe an efficient technique, “Terminal Chop,” for full thickness nuclear segmentation in mature hard cataracts. Terminal chop utilizes the principle of secondary rock breakage system with stress concentration to break these hard nuclei. In this technique consonant to drag picks, a specially designed chopper “Terminator” is used to initiate a unique dispersive mechanical force to create a full thickness nuclear crack (crack formation) at the weakest soft and thin equator, which automatically traverses through the center and to the equator on the other side. Lateral separation of both the instruments placed at the equator, propagates the initial full thickness nuclear crack (crack propagation), breaking the entire nucleus into two complete pieces including the posterior plate. The direction of splitting follows the cleavage plane in a more direct manner, thus requiring least fracture force, least manipulation and stress, much lower than compressive stress, causing minimal trauma, and highly satisfactory postoperative results.
Sequential morphological changes at the site of carotid endarterectomy.

✓ Nineteen carotid arteries were examined post mortem after endarterectomy had been performed from 1 hour to 11 years previously. The sequential morphological changes at the endarterectomy site were divided into acute, reparative, and mature phases. All nine occluded arteries thrombosed during the acute phase postoperatively. The degree of medial necrosis, acute inflammation and adventitial exposure was more marked in these thrombosed acute phase arteries. By 30 days new intima covered the endarterectomy site and thereafter thrombosis was not seen. Avoidable technical errors led to thrombosis of three arteries. Anticoagulation after surgery may reduce the incidence of postoperative thrombosis. Recurrent symptomatic atheroma occurred in two cases at the original endarterectomy site 16 months and 11 years after operation.