Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation and Function of the Interleukin 13 Receptor α 2 During a T Helper Cell Type 2–dominant Immune Response

Highly polarized type 2 cytokine responses can be harmful and even lethal to the host if they are too vigorous or persist too long. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms that down-regulate these reactions. Interleukin (IL)-13 has emerged as a central mediator of T helper cell (Th)2-dominant immune responses, exhibiting a diverse array of functional activities including regulation of airway hyperreactivity, resistance to nematode parasites, and tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Here, we show that IL-13 receptor (R)α2 is a critical down-regulatory factor of IL-13–mediated tissue fibrosis induced by the parasitic helminth Schistosoma mansoni. IL-13Rα2 expression was induced after the onset of the fibrotic response, IL-10, IL-13, and Stat6 dependent, and inhibited by the Th1-inducing adjuvant IL-12. Strikingly, schistosome-infected C57BL/6 and BALB/c IL-13Rα2–deficient mice showed a marked exacerbation in hepatic fibrosis, despite displaying no change in granuloma size, tissue eosinophilia, or mastocytosis. Fibrosis increased despite the fact that IL-13 levels decreased significantly in the liver and serum. Importantly, pathology was prevented when IL-13Rα2–deficient mice were treated with a soluble IL-13Rα2-Fc construct, formally demonstrating that their exacerbated fibrotic response was due to heightened IL-13 activity. Together, these studies illustrate the central role played by the IL-13Rα2 in the down-regulation of a chronic and pathogenic Th2-mediated immune response.
3D Head Tracking using the Particle Filter with Cascaded Classifiers

We propose a method for real-time people tracking using multiple cameras. The particle filter framework is known to be effective for tracking people, but most of existing methods adopt only simple perceptual cues such as color histogram or contour similarity for hypothesis evaluation. To improve the robustness and accuracy of tracking more sophisticated hypothesis evaluation is indispensable. We therefore present a novel technique for human head tracking using cascaded classifiers based on AdaBoost and Haar-like features for hypothesis evaluation. In addition, we use multiple classifiers, each of which is trained respectively to detect one direction of a human head. During real-time tracking the most suitable classifier is adaptively selected by considering each hypothesis and known camera position. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our method.
Transition logic: How to reason about temporal properties in a compositional way

This paper addresses the problem of obtaining formal proof systems that support reasoning about temporal properties of parallel programs in a way that is compositional or 'syntax directed' - the distinctive feature of e.g. Hoare style proof systems. Now, temporal properties of programs express properties about execution traces of these programs. In the presence of concurrency, compositionality is obtained by concentrating exclusively on the execution traces associated with the atomic actions of programs - the so-called transitions of those programs. To reason about such transitions in a compositional way, 'Transition Logic' is proposed, expressing properties of the form “every transition of a program, say α, that starts in a state satisfying assertion p, must end in a state validating ”: [p]α[q]. Essential is that these assertions can express properties of control locations of programs, too. For this logic, a compositional proof system is obtained which is proved to be sound and relatively complete. An interesting feature of the proof system is the axiomatization of the flow-of-control of programs. The relevance of this logic is supported by the fact that the temporal behaviour of a program is ultimately provable in terms of properties of its transitions, as shown by the work of Z. Manna and A. Pnueli [16].
Efficiency of anthropometric indicators of obesity for identifying cardiovascular risk factors in a Chinese population

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) for the presence of several cardiovascular risk conditions—hypertension, dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome (MS), and type 2 diabetes—in a Chinese population in Jinan, China. Methods Data for a representative, cross-sectional sample of 3006 adults (mean age; range 20–74 years) in Jinan from 2007 to 2008 were studied. The association of BMI, WC, and WHtR with cardiovascular risk conditions was assessed by use of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis and by calculating the area under the ROC (AUC) and age adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for metabolic syndrome, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Results AUC cut-off values showed that the association of WHtR and WC was higher than that for BMI for all risk conditions for both sexes, except for hypertension in men. The AUC values for WC showed a higher association with hypertension and metabolic syndrome for women than men (p<0.01 for hypertension, p<0.05 for metabolic syndrome). The ORs were highest for WHtR for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and hypertension in women. The ORs were highest for BMI for hypertension in men. Conclusions Compared with BMI, measures of central obesity, particularly WHtR, show a better association with obesity related cardiovascular risk conditions for both sexes, except for hypertension in men, in Jinan, China.
Identification of Amino Acid Propensities That Are Strong Determinants of Linear B-cell Epitope Using Neural Networks

Background Identification of amino acid propensities that are strong determinants of linear B-cell epitope is very important to enrich our knowledge about epitopes. This can also help to obtain better epitope prediction. Typical linear B-cell epitope prediction methods combine various propensities in different ways to improve prediction accuracies. However, fewer but better features may yield better prediction. Moreover, for a propensity, when the sequence length is k, there will be k values, which should be treated as a single unit for feature selection and hence usual feature selection method will not work. Here we use a novel Group Feature Selecting Multilayered Perceptron, GFSMLP, which treats a group of related information as a single entity and selects useful propensities related to linear B-cell epitopes, and uses them to predict epitopes. Methodology/ Principal Findings We use eight widely known propensities and four data sets. We use GFSMLP to rank propensities by the frequency with which they are selected. We find that Chou's beta-turn and Ponnuswamy's polarity are better features for prediction of linear B-cell epitope. We examine the individual and combined discriminating power of the selected propensities and analyze the correlation between paired propensities. Our results show that the selected propensities are indeed good features, which also cooperate with other propensities to enhance the discriminating power for predicting epitopes. We find that individually polarity is not the best predictor, but it collaborates with others to yield good prediction. Usual feature selection methods cannot provide such information. Conclusions/ Significance Our results confirm the effectiveness of active (group) feature selection by GFSMLP over the traditional passive approaches of evaluating various combinations of propensities. The GFSMLP-based feature selection can be extended to more than 500 remaining propensities to enhance our biological knowledge about epitopes and to obtain better prediction. A graphical-user-interface version of GFSMLP is available at: http://bio.classcloud. org/GFSMLP/.
Serrated chip formation mechanism based on mixed mode of ductile fracture and adiabatic shear

Serrated chip is the frequent chip morphology during high-speed machining of ductile materials, while the mechanism of serrated chip formation still remains some ambiguous aspects. This article presents the investigation of chip morphology from the viewpoint of chip free surface and cross section. Experiments of orthogonal cutting hardened AISI 1045 steel and 7050-T7451 aluminum alloy were carried out. The cutting speed of AISI 1045 steel was varied from 100 to 1000 m/min, while 7050-T7451 aluminum alloy was machined at the cutting speed of 100–2500 m/min. The feed rate per tooth was varied from 0.025 to 0.20 mm/z corresponding to each experimental cutting speed. The research shows that the microstructure of chip free surface evolves from lamellae to folds and then to dimples. According to the experimental results, a new model of serrated chip formation based on mixed mode of ductile fracture and adiabatic shear is proposed. For the “ductile fracture–adiabatic shear” serrated chips, two distinct zones of ductile fracture and dimples were observed on the slide surface of serrated segments. Through studying chip morphology evolution under different combinations of cutting speed and feed rate, it is found that the degree of chip segmentation has positive correlation with the two parameters. The concept of “critical cutting load” is then proposed to illustrate the conditions under which serrated chips may occur. And the critical cutting load of AISI 1045 steel and 7050-T7451 aluminum alloy is determined by experiments as 0.024 and 0.10 m2/(min z), respectively.
A Decentralized Second-Order Method with Exact Linear Convergence Rate for Consensus Optimization

This paper considers decentralized consensus optimization problems where different summands of a global objective function are available at nodes of a network that can communicate with neighbors only. The proximal method of multipliers is considered as a powerful tool that relies on proximal primal descent and dual ascent updates on a suitably defined augmented Lagrangian. The structure of the augmented Lagrangian makes this problem nondecomposable, which precludes distributed implementations. This problem is regularly addressed by the use of the alternating direction method of multipliers. The exact second-order method (ESOM) is introduced here as an alternative that relies on: First, the use of a separable quadratic approximation of the augmented Lagrangian, and second, a truncated Taylor's series to estimate the solution of the first-order condition imposed on the minimization of the quadratic approximation of the augmented Lagrangian. The sequences of primal and dual variables generated by ESOM are shown to converge linearly to their optimal arguments when the aggregate cost function is strongly convex and its gradients are Lipschitz continuous. Numerical results demonstrate advantages of ESOM relative to decentralized alternatives in solving least-squares and logistic regression problems.
Bedside analysis of human milk for adjustable nutrition strategy

Aim: Mother's milk is optimum for preterm infants, but human milk fortifier is required at times, because some nutrients are sometimes insufficient for infant growth. It is important to measure the nutrients in breast milk at bedside so that the amount of nutrients that need to be supplemented can be determined. A human milk analyser (HMA, Miris®) is currently available. We examined if the macronutrient values measured by human milk analyser are comparable with those measured by conventional methods. We also sought to discover whether we could dilute the milk sample used for the human milk analyser measurement if the amount of milk available for testing was insufficient.
Dynamic cycle times for adaptive manufacturing control in automotive flow shops

The automotive industry has to deal with an increasing complexity of production processes and various kinds of disturbances along the supply chain. This requires a higher level of flexibility through an intelligent production planning from the engineering phase. Today's manufacturing flexibility is mostly provided during the operational phase (so-called runtime) by methodologies for order re-scheduling and re-sequencing. The focus of this paper is a novel concept, which adds the intelligent production planning to these methodologies and uses the synergies of the holistic system. This approach enables flexible automated manufacturing processes by the dynamic use of machine capabilities during run-time. The paper shows in details how the adaption of operating speeds both in manufacturing and material handling processes leads to dynamic cycle times with maximized Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This concept is based on so-called production variants defined and validated during the engineering phase. First results show stability and good response of the test system.
Advances in cryogenic engineering : transactions of the cryogenic engineering conference - CEC, Anchorage, Alaska 22-26 September 2003

All papers have been peer-reviewed. The Cryogenic Engineering Conference covers applications and systems at temperatures where ordinary gases are liquids or solids, generally less than 150 K (-120°C or 185°F). It covers the newest approaches to producing low temperatures and to the use of systems at low temperatures, such as new superconducting magnets, high temperature superconducting electrical power applications, space applications and the properties of fluids and materials at these temperatures. Design, construction, testing, and characterization of cryogenic systems are presented. Topics include: Hydrogen: Past, Present, and Future; Liquefied Natural Gas; Liquid Helium: Refrigeration and Supply; Large Scale Cryogenic Systems; Large Scale Cryogenic Test Facilities; Expanders, Pumps, and Compressors; Large Cryosystem Components and Issues; Cryogenic Instrumentation, Controls, and Measurements; Cryostats: Design and Performance; Cryostates and Cryogenics for Herschel-Planck Mission; Superconducting RF Systems; Thermal Insulation; Material, Property Measurements; Low Temperature Superconducting Magnet Systems; High Temperature Superconducting Magnet Systems; High Temperature Superconducting Cables; High Current Leads; Helium II Phenomena; Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, and Thermodynamics; Cryogenics at Zero G; Cryocooler Programs Overviews; Cryocooler Reliability; Stirling Cryocoolers; Pulse Tube - G-M Type; Pulse Tube JT and Heat Exchanger Modeling and Performance Issues; Brayton, Collins, Sorption Cryocoolers; JT and Thermoacoustic Cryocoolers; Magnetic Refrigeration; Hybrid Cycle Cryocoolers; Terrestrial Applications of Cryocoolers; and Novel Concepts or Devices.
Genome-Scale Reconstruction and Analysis of the Pseudomonas putida KT2440 Metabolic Network Facilitates Applications in Biotechnology

A cornerstone of biotechnology is the use of microorganisms for the efficient production of chemicals and the elimination of harmful waste. Pseudomonas putida is an archetype of such microbes due to its metabolic versatility, stress resistance, amenability to genetic modifications, and vast potential for environmental and industrial applications. To address both the elucidation of the metabolic wiring in P. putida and its uses in biocatalysis, in particular for the production of non-growth-related biochemicals, we developed and present here a genome-scale constraint-based model of the metabolism of P. putida KT2440. Network reconstruction and flux balance analysis (FBA) enabled definition of the structure of the metabolic network, identification of knowledge gaps, and pin-pointing of essential metabolic functions, facilitating thereby the refinement of gene annotations. FBA and flux variability analysis were used to analyze the properties, potential, and limits of the model. These analyses allowed identification, under various conditions, of key features of metabolism such as growth yield, resource distribution, network robustness, and gene essentiality. The model was validated with data from continuous cell cultures, high-throughput phenotyping data, 13C-measurement of internal flux distributions, and specifically generated knock-out mutants. Auxotrophy was correctly predicted in 75% of the cases. These systematic analyses revealed that the metabolic network structure is the main factor determining the accuracy of predictions, whereas biomass composition has negligible influence. Finally, we drew on the model to devise metabolic engineering strategies to improve production of polyhydroxyalkanoates, a class of biotechnologically useful compounds whose synthesis is not coupled to cell survival. The solidly validated model yields valuable insights into genotype–phenotype relationships and provides a sound framework to explore this versatile bacterium and to capitalize on its vast biotechnological potential.
Mining Frequent Patterns Based on Data Characteristics

Frequent pattern mining is crucial part of association rule mining and other data mining tasks with many practical applications. Current popular algorithms for frequent pattern mining perform differently: some are good for dense databases while the others are ideal for sparse ones. In our previous research, we developed a new frequent pattern mining algorithm named FEM that runs fast on both sparse and dense databases. FEM combines the mining strategies of FP-growth and Eclat and given a userspecified threshold it adapts its mining behaviors to the data characteristics to efficiently find all short and long patterns from different database types. However, for best performance of FEM, an appropriate threshold value used to control the switching between its two mining tasks need to be selected by the user. In this paper, we present DFEM, an improved algorithm of FEM that automatically adopts a runtime dynamic threshold to better fit to the characteristics of the databases. The experimental results show that DFEM outperforms FEM and other popular frequent pattern mining algorithms including Apriori, Eclat, FP-growth on both sparse and dense databases.
Development of Performance-Based Guidelines for Selection of Bituminous-BasedHot-Poured Pavement Crack Sealant: An Executive Summary Report

This report summarizes research presented in separate technical reports, papers, and journal articles that collectively document the development of a systematic process to aid in the selection of appropriate bituminous hot-poured sealants for pavement cracks and joints. The following process elements are summarized herein: Apparent Viscosity Test for Hot-Poured Crack Sealants, Development of a Short-Term Aging Test and Low-Temperature Testing Bibliography, Sealant Flow and Deformation by Dynamic Shear Rheometry in Summer Temperatures, Characterization of Low Temperature Creep Properties of Crack Sealants Using Crack Sealant Bending Beam Rheometry, Characterization of Low Temperature Mechanical Properties of Crack Sealants Using Crack Sealant Direct Tension Test, and Development of Adhesion Tests for Crack Sealants at Low Temperature. This report brings the results of this cumulative research together to introduce a set of tests and performance parameters for sealant at installation and service temperatures; an aging procedure to simulate sealant weathering; and most important, a simplified chart with thresholds for all performance parameters for the straightforward selection of crack sealant.
Frequency offset mitigation of cooperative ofdm system in wireless digital broadcasting

Mobile digital broadcasting is expected to become a promising application in future wireless communication. To improve the system performance in limitation of size and cost, the OFDM and MIMO techniques are adopted. Recently, cooperative diversity techniques are developed to be a solution. In this paper, we propose the carrier frequency offset mitigation scheme in cooperative communication using multi-symbol encapsulated orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MSE-OFDM), in which one cyclic prefix (CP) is used for multiple OFDM symbols. We use the FFT size-reduced MSE-OFDM system which can be used to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and improve the robustness to carrier frequency offset. The cooperative communication uses not only direct path from source to destination but also indirect path via relay station. Each different relays require more precise frequency synchronization and lower PAPR, so we adopt the MSEOFDM to increase the system performance. The performance analysis of cooperative MSE-OFDM in multipath fading channels has been done and the effect of carrier frequency offset and PAPR have been studied.
Probabilistic Assignment : A Two-fold Axiomatic Approach

We study the problem of allocating objects by means of probabilistic mechanisms. Each agent has strict preferences over objects and ex post receives exactly one object. A standard approach in the literature is to extend agents' preferences over objects to preferences over lotteries de ned on those objects, using the rst-order stochastic dominance criterion, or the sd-extension. In a departure from this practice, we work with a general mapping, called an extension, from preferences over objects to preferences over lotteries. Our objective is to connect the extension operator theory in Cho (2012) with probabilistic assignment while maintaining an axiomatic perspective on each. Our main results concern axioms associated with the sd-, dl-, and ul-extensions. First, sd-e ciency, dl-e ciency, and ul-e ciency are equivalent (axioms are pre xed by the extensions they are associated with). Also, for each e ∈ {sd, dl, ul}, e-adjacent strategy-proofness is equivalent to e-strategy-proofness. For each e ∈ {sd, dl, ul}, a rule is e-strategy-proof i the welfare of each agent weakly decreases as he reports preference relations that are further and further away from the truth. Moreover, sd-strategy-proofness is equivalent to dl-strategy-proofness and ul-strategy-proofness. Finally, we propose a family of rules that generalizes the serial rule. Journal of Economic Literature Classi cation Numbers: C70, C78, D61, D63
Signalling Cost Evaluation of Handover Management Schemes in LTE-Advanced Femtocell

Femtocell is a small access point using the wire broadband connections or wireless technologies to access the mobile operator's network for the user equipment(UE), which can provide better indoor coverage and satisfy the upcoming demand of high data rate for wireless communication system.Femtocell related handover cost reduction is one of the important targets in LTE-Advanced SON (Self-Organising Networks). In this paper, a handover optimization algorithm based on the UE's mobility state is proposed. An analytical model was presented for the handover signalling cost analysis. Numerical results are provided to compare the signalling cost of different handover management schemes. The comparison between the proposed algorithm and the traditional handover control algorithm shows that the algorithms proposed in this paper have a signiﬁcant reduction in the signalling overhead.
Design Processes and Constructive Ergonomics

This paper discusses some central issues in the concept of constructive ergonomics. It does so by reflecting on experiences from ergonomics intervention projects carried out in Denmark. Constructive ergonomics has a huge potential as a new way to go for ergonomics research and practice. However, many challenges are to be overcome. They relate among others to education and training of ergonomist, and the cultural and institutional setting of ergonomics in specific countries.