Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Multifunctional Drilling Fluid for Coalbed Methane Drilling

With extremely complicated geological conditions, there is abundant coalbed methane in the China's Ordos Basin Area. As a result of coexistence of different pressure systems in the same one naked well section, there are so many problems taking place occasionally during the drilling process, such as the formation lost circulation and collapse, which require the drilling fluid with a perfect rheology behavior and inhibitive to improve the well-bore containment. The coalbed methane well completions are diverse, usually including vertical well, horizontal well, multi-branch well, and other different well types. So the drilling fluid must have cuttings carried effectively and protect formation damaged to ensure that the process of drilling is security and smooth. Lots of drilling methods are used in the coalbed methane drilling, besides normal nearly balanced drilling, the under balance drilling fluids such as the air, fog, foam, etc particularly improved. All this drilling fluids require itself working compatibility with other fluids in the hole. Therefore, the special state-funded science and technology project has developed a novel bionic Fuzzy-Ball drilling fluid to meet the coalbed methane. Without additional equipments, this novel drilling fluids can be made, with non-solid phase and low density, 0.8~1.0 g/cm3. The inert solids can also be used to adjust the property to more than 1.0g/cm3, matching the near/under-balanced drilling. The formation well-bore containment can effectively improve to meet to the more than 1000 meters coalbed methane drilling in the open or low pressure formation, To portable cuttings effectively under low rate, the ratio of yield point and plastic viscosity can be adjusted to 1.0Pa/mPa•s or more. Combined with the air drilling, this novel Fuzzy-Ball material could not be converted to fluid to solve the formation water production, cavings, completion and other operations. 10 wells application of using the Fuzzy-Ball drilling fluid to complete the coal bed methane wells overcoming water production, collapse, lost circulation and air drilling etc, taking five branches well FL-H2-L, "U" horizontal well DFS-02-H2, water production and collapse well J35, air drilling CLY22 for examples, are introduced to indicate the bionic Fuzzy-Ball fluid application on the coalbed methane drilling spot.
Adaptive optimal training of animal behavior

Neuroscience experiments often require training animals to perform tasks designed to elicit various sensory, cognitive, and motor behaviors. Training typically involves a series of gradual adjustments of stimulus conditions and rewards in order to bring about learning. However, training protocols are usually hand-designed, relying on a combination of intuition, guesswork, and trial-and-error, and often require weeks or months to achieve a desired level of task performance. Here we combine ideas from reinforcement learning and adaptive optimal experimental design to formulate methods for adaptive optimal training of animal behavior. Our work addresses two intriguing problems at once: first, it seeks to infer the learning rules underlying an animal's behavioral changes during training; second, it seeks to exploit these rules to select stimuli that will maximize the rate of learning toward a desired objective. We develop and test these methods using data collected from rats during training on a two-interval sensory discrimination task. We show that we can accurately infer the parameters of a policy-gradient-based learning algorithm that describes how the animal's internal model of the task evolves over the course of training. We then formulate a theory for optimal training, which involves selecting sequences of stimuli that will drive the animal's internal policy toward a desired location in the parameter space. Simulations show that our method can in theory provide a substantial speedup over standard training methods. We feel these results will hold considerable theoretical and practical implications both for researchers in reinforcement learning and for experimentalists seeking to train animals.
AMG 386 in combination with sorafenib in patients with metastatic clear cell carcinoma of the kidney

This study evaluated the tolerability and antitumor activity of AMG 386, a peptibody (a peptide Fc fusion) that neutralizes the interaction of angiopoietin‐1 and angiopoietin‐2 with Tie2 (tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin‐like and EGF‐like domains 2), plus sorafenib in patients with clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in a randomized controlled study.
A spectral conversion approach to feature denoising and speech enhancement

In this paper we demonstrate that spectral conversion can be successfully applied to the speech enhancement problem as a feature denoising method. The enhanced spectral features can be used in the context of the Kalman filter for estimating the clean speech signal. In essence, instead of estimating the clean speech features and the clean speech signal using the iterative Kalman filter, we show that is more efficient to initially estimate the clean speech features from the noisy speech features using spectral conversion (using a training speech corpus) and then apply the standard Kalman filter. Our results show an average improvement compared to the iterative Kalman filter that can reach 6 dB in the average segmental output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), in low input SNR’s.
High Sensitivity TSS Prediction: Estimates of Locations Where TSS Cannot Occur

Background Although transcription in mammalian genomes can initiate from various genomic positions (e.g., 3′UTR, coding exons, etc.), most locations on genomes are not prone to transcription initiation. It is of practical and theoretical interest to be able to estimate such collections of non-TSS locations (NTLs). The identification of large portions of NTLs can contribute to better focusing the search for TSS locations and thus contribute to promoter and gene finding. It can help in the assessment of 5′ completeness of expressed sequences, contribute to more successful experimental designs, as well as more accurate gene annotation. Methodology Using comprehensive collections of Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) and other transcript data from mouse and human genomes, we developed a methodology that allows us, by performing computational TSS prediction with very high sensitivity, to annotate, with a high accuracy in a strand specific manner, locations of mammalian genomes that are highly unlikely to harbor transcription start sites (TSSs). The properties of the immediate genomic neighborhood of 98,682 accurately determined mouse and 113,814 human TSSs are used to determine features that distinguish genomic transcription initiation locations from those that are not likely to initiate transcription. In our algorithm we utilize various constraining properties of features identified in the upstream and downstream regions around TSSs, as well as statistical analyses of these surrounding regions. Conclusions Our analysis of human chromosomes 4, 21 and 22 estimates ∼46%, ∼41% and ∼27% of these chromosomes, respectively, as being NTLs. This suggests that on average more than 40% of the human genome can be expected to be highly unlikely to initiate transcription. Our method represents the first one that utilizes high-sensitivity TSS prediction to identify, with high accuracy, large portions of mammalian genomes as NTLs. The server with our algorithm implemented is available at http://cbrc.kaust. edu.sa/ddm/.
A Broken Fork in the Hand is Worth Two in the Grammar : A Spatio-Temporal Bias in Children ’ s Interpretation of Quantifiers and Plural Nouns

We investigated the role of spatio-temporal and kind information in children’s early counting and quantification of sets. Previous studies report that children exhibit a spatio-temporal bias when counting, and count parts of broken objects as distinct individuals (Shipley & Shepperson, 1990). We explored whether this bias is restricted to counting, or reflects early linguistic set representations more generally. When tested with a quantity judgment task, nearly 75% of 4-year-olds judged that an object broken in three – e.g., a broken fork – was more forks than two whole objects. In an elicitation task, we found that the bias is also present in children’s pluralization. Children labeled broken objects using plural morphology 30% of the time (e.g., calling a broken fork “some forks”). These results indicate that a spatio-temporal bias exists for multiple forms of linguistic quantification. We suggest that children’s early set representations are defined over spatio-temporal individuals.
Multi-agent perimeter patrolling subject to mobility constraints

In this paper we study the problem of real-time optimal distributed partitioning for perimeter patrolling in the context of multi-camera networks for surveillance. The objective is to partition a given segment into non-overlapping sub-segments, each assigned to a different camera to patrol. Each camera has both physical mobility range and limited speed, and it must patrol its assigned sub-segment by sweeping it back and forth at maximum speed. Here we first review the solution for the centralized optimal partitioning. Then we propose two different distributed control strategies to determine the extremes of the optimal patrolling areas of each camera. Both these strategies require only local communication with the neighboring cameras but adopt different communication schemes, respectively, symmetric gossip and asynchronous asymmetric broadcast. The first scheme is shown to be provably convergent to the optimal solution. Some theoretical insights are provided also for the second scheme whose effectiveness is validated through numerical simulations.
Predicting a switching sequence of graph labelings

We study the problem of predicting online the labeling of a graph. We consider a novel setting for this problem in which, in addition to observing vertices and labels on the graph, we also observe a sequence of just vertices on a second graph. A latent labeling of the second graph selects one of K labelings to be active on the first graph. We propose a polynomial time algorithm for online prediction in this setting and derive a mistake bound for the algorithm. The bound is controlled by the geometric cut of the observed and latent labelings, as well as the resistance diameters of the graphs. When specialized to multitask prediction and online switching problems the bound gives new and sharper results under certain conditions.
A* CCG Parsing with a Supertag and Dependency Factored Model

We propose a new A* CCG parsing model in which the probability of a tree is decomposed into factors of CCG categories and its syntactic dependencies both defined on bi-directional LSTMs. Our factored model allows the precomputation of all probabilities and runs very efficiently, while modeling sentence structures explicitly via dependencies. Our model achieves the state-of-the-art results on English and Japanese CCG parsing.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus heterogeneously resistant to vancomycin in a Turkish university hospital.

OBJECTIVES We investigated vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and heterogeneously vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hetero-VISA) isolates from clinical specimens of hospitalized patients at Hacettepe University over a 4 year period. METHODS Strains were screened for VISA and hetero-VISA by using brain heart infusion agar containing 4 mg/L vancomycin (BHI-V4) and macro Etest. Confirmation of the isolates that were found to have intermediate susceptibility to vancomycin with either of the methods was done by population analysis of subpopulations with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin. The MIC of vancomycin for the isolates grown on BHI-V4 was determined by the microdilution method. RESULTS Among 256 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates, 145 grew on BHI-V4. Forty-six of these were also found to be heterogeneously vancomycin-intermediate strains when screened with the macro Etest. There were no VISA among 256 MRSA tested but 46 (17.97%) S. aureus strains with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin were identified by population analysis. Vancomycin MIC values for all isolates with reduced susceptibility were between <or=0.125 and 4 mg/L. Twelve of the 46 patients with hetero-VISA had a history of previously being treated with vancomycin or teicoplanin. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this study is the first publication showing the presence of hetero-VISA in Turkey. In order to understand the epidemiological relationship between our isolates, molecular typing methods are needed.
On-line algorithms for Steiner tree problems (extended abstract)

The generalized Steiner tree problem is defined as follows. Given a graph with non-negative weights and a set of pairs of vertices find the minimum network of edges such that each pair of vertices is in the same connected component. We present an algorithm for the on-line Generalized Steiner Tree (GST) problem, and two other problems: Rectilinear Steiner Arborescence(RSA) and Symmetric Rectilinear Steiner Arborescence (SRSA). For each of these problems we provide polynomial time algorithms with performance ratios of O(log n). The constant factors hidden in the O-notation are small, in the case of the GST, we are within factor 2 from the proven lower bound. The previous best on-line GST algorithm (Awerbuch et at [2]) was 0(log2 n)
Shadow Economy and Entrepreneurial Entry

Shadow Economy and Entrepreneurial Entry We analyze theoretically and empirically the impact of the shadow economy on entrepreneurial entry, utilising 1998-2005 individual-level Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data merged with macro level variables. A simple correlation coefficient suggests a positive linear link between the size of the shadow economy and entrepreneurial entry. However, this masks more complex relationships. With appropriate controls and instrumenting for potential endogeneity where required, the impact of the shadow economy on entry is found to be negative, based on a linear specification. Moreover, there is also evidence of nonlinearity: entrepreneurial entry is least likely when the shadow economy is of medium size. We attribute the negative effects of shadow economy on entry to perceived strong competition faced by new entrants when the shadow economy is widespread. At the individual level, an extensive shadow economy has a more negative impact on respondents who are risk averse. In addition, in the economies where property rights are strong, the negative impact of the shadow economy is weaker. JEL Classification: O17, D2, L26, P14
Spectral Sharpening of Color Sensors: Diagonal Color Constancy and Beyond

It has now been 20 years since the seminal work by Finlayson et al. on the use of spectral sharpening of sensors to achieve diagonal color constancy. Spectral sharpening is still used today by numerous researchers for different goals unrelated to the original goal of diagonal color constancy e.g., multispectral processing, shadow removal, location of unique hues. This paper reviews the idea of spectral sharpening through the lens of what is known today in color constancy, describes the different methods used for obtaining a set of sharpening sensors and presents an overview of the many different uses that have been found for spectral sharpening over the years.
A Game Theory-Based Obstacle Avoidance Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

The obstacle avoidance problem in geographic forwarding is an important issue for location-based routing in wireless sensor networks. The presence of an obstacle leads to several geographic routing problems such as excessive energy consumption and data congestion. Obstacles are hard to avoid in realistic environments. To bypass obstacles, most routing protocols tend to forward packets along the obstacle boundaries. This leads to a situation where the nodes at the boundaries exhaust their energy rapidly and the obstacle area is diffused. In this paper, we introduce a novel routing algorithm to solve the obstacle problem in wireless sensor networks based on a game-theory model. Our algorithm forms a concave region that cannot forward packets to achieve the aim of improving the transmission success rate and decreasing packet transmission delays. We consider the residual energy, out-degree and forwarding angle to determine the forwarding probability and payoff function of forwarding candidates. This achieves the aim of load balance and reduces network energy consumption. Simulation results show that based on the average delivery delay, energy consumption and packet delivery ratio performances our protocol is superior to other traditional schemes.
Properties of the elongation factors from Escherichia coli. Exchange of elongation factor G during elongation of polypeptide chain.

The interaction of elongation factor G (EF-G) with ribosomes has been studied during or in the absence of elongation of the polypeptide chain in a system from Escherichia coli in vitro. Mutual saturation curves of ribosomes and EF-G suggest a rapid exchange of the factor from ribosome to ribosome. In the GTPase reaction, V/2 was reached at [ribosomes]/[EF-G] ∼ 14 and at [EF-G]/[ribosomes] ∼ 33. In the poly(U)-directed poly(phenylalanine) synthesis, V/2 was obtained at [ribosomes]/[EF-G] ∼ 12 and at [EF-G]/[ribosomes] ∼ 6. Kinetics of the exchange of EF-G between two pure acetyl-aminoacyl-tRNA ·mRNA · ribosome complexes containing synthetic homo- or heteropolymeric mRNAs were investigated by following their respective EF-G-dependent incorporation of differently labelled amino acids into the corresponding polypeptides in experimental conditions in which EF-G was either added free or already prebound to one of the complexes prior to addition of the second one. In all experiments the rates of incorporation showed that the exchange of EF-G between the two complexes was immediate and complete. These observations indicate that EF-G behaves as a virtually free component which interacts catalytically with ribosomes during each round of elongation of the polypeptide chain.
The Macroeconomics of Delegated Management

We are interested in the macroeconomic implications of the separation of ownership and control. We propose an alternative decentralized interpretation of the stochastic growth model, one where shareholders hire a self-interested manager who is in charge of the firmâ€™s hiring and investment decisions. Under imperfect monitoring and incomplete contracting, delegation is seen to give rise to a generic conflict of interests between shareholders and managers. This conflict fundamentally results from the different income base of both types of agents, once aggregate market clearing conditions are taken into account. We derive the dynamic consequences of this divergence in intertemporal marginal rates of substitution and discuss the likelihood that appropriate incentive contracts offered the manager will mitigate the consequences of this divergence
Identification of Residues Involved in Substrate Specificity and Cytotoxicity of Two Closely Related Cutinases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The enzymes belonging to the cutinase family are serine enzymes active on a large panel of substrates such as cutin, triacylglycerols, and phospholipids. In the M. tuberculosis H37Rv genome, seven genes coding for cutinase-like proteins have been identified with strong immunogenic properties suggesting a potential role as vaccine candidates. Two of these enzymes which are secreted and highly homologous, possess distinct substrates specificities. Cfp21 is a lipase and Cut4 is a phospholipase A2, which has cytotoxic effects on macrophages. Structural overlay of their three-dimensional models allowed us to identify three areas involved in the substrate binding process and to shed light on this substrate specificity. By site-directed mutagenesis, residues present in these Cfp21 areas were replaced by residues occurring in Cut4 at the same location. Three mutants acquired phospholipase A1 and A2 activities and the lipase activities of two mutants were 3 and 15 fold greater than the Cfp21 wild type enzyme. In addition, contrary to mutants with enhanced lipase activity, mutants that acquired phospholipase B activities induced macrophage lysis as efficiently as Cut4 which emphasizes the relationship between apparent phospholipase A2 activity and cytotoxicity. Modification of areas involved in substrate specificity, generate recombinant enzymes with higher activity, which may be more immunogenic than the wild type enzymes and could therefore constitute promising candidates for antituberculous vaccine production.
Distributed vs. centralized power systems frequency control

This paper considers a distributed control algorithm for frequency control of electrical power systems. We propose a distributed controller which retains the reference frequency of the buses under unknown load changes, while asymptotically minimizing a quadratic cost of power generation. For comparison, we also propose a centralized controller which also retains the reference frequency while minimizing the same cost of power generation. We derive sufficient stability criteria for the parameters of both controllers. The controllers are evaluated by simulation on the IEEE 30 bus test network, where their performance is compared.
A Systematic Review of the Role of Surgical Approaches on the Outcomes of the Tibia Pilon Fracture

Background. The role of each surgical approach on the outcomes of pilon fractures has not been investigated in a systematic review. Methods. This systematic review was conducted with a thorough literature search on PubMed using the keywords (“pilon” OR “plafond”) “fracture. ” Only articles written in the English language that have been published within the past 15 years and discussed the surgical approach were considered. Results. A total of 733 patients were included in this review. All the fractures were either OTA Type B or C fractures: 157 were Type B and 576 were Type C. Anterior and medial approaches have some of the best results in the literature with respect to complication rate. The posterolateral and anteromedial approaches have markedly higher complication rates. Conclusions. The anterolateral group had the largest number of patients—comprising one third of the entire study population. The anterior approach had one of the lowest complication rates with a patient base that had a high proportion of OTA Type C fractures. The medial approach produced a low complication rate over a larger patient base that had a higher proportion of OTA Type B fractures. Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV: Systematic review
Comparing Virus Classification using genomic Materials According to Different Taxonomic Levels

In this paper, three genomic materials--DNA sequences, protein sequences, and regions (domains) are used to compare methods of virus classification. Virus classes (categories) are divided by various taxonomic level of virus into three datasets for 6 order, 42 family, and 33 genera. To increase the robustness and comparability of experimental results of virus classification, the classes are selected that contain at least 10 instances, and meanwhile each instance contains at least one region name. Experimental results show that the approach using region names achieved the best accuracies--reaching 99.9%, 97.3%, and 99.0% for 6 orders, 42 families, and 33 genera, respectively. This paper not only involves exhaustive experiments that compare virus classifications using different genomic materials, but also proposes a novel approach to biological classification based on molecular biology instead of traditional morphology.