Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asymptotically Optimal Heuristics for Bottleneck and Capacity Optimization Problems

Our goal is to design simple and asymptotically optimal heuristic algorithms for a class of bottleneck and capacity optimization problems. Our approach is applied to a wide variety of bottleneck problems including vehicle routing problems, location problems, and communication network problems. In particular, we present simple and asymptotically optimal heuristic algorithms that solve the bottleneck assignment problem, the bottleneck spanning tree problem and the directed bottleneck traveling salesman problem in O(n 2 ) with high probability (our algorithm runs in O(n3+e ) for the undirected version of the bottleneck traveling salesman problem). In addition, we extend our results to the d-th best solution for some bottleneck optimization problems. "This research was supported in part by the NSF grants CCR-8900305 (its extension CCR-9201078), and NCR-9206315 and INT-8912631, in part by AFOSR grant 90-0107, and by NATO Collaborative Grant 0057/89, and by Grant R01 LM05118 from the National Library of Medicine. This paper was revised while the author was visiting INRIA, Rocquencourt, France, and he wishes to thank INRIA (projects ALGa, MEVAL and REFLECS) for a generous support.
Duplication-correcting codes for data storage in the DNA of living organisms

The ability to store data in the DNA of a living organism has applications in a variety of areas including synthetic biology and watermarking of patented genetically-modified organisms. Data stored in this medium is subject to errors arising from various mutations, such as point mutations, indels, and tandem duplication, which need to be corrected to maintain data integrity. In this paper, we provide error-correcting codes for errors caused by tandem duplications, which create a copy of a block of the sequence and insert it in a tandem manner, i.e., next to the original. In particular, we present a family of codes for correcting errors due to tandem-duplications of a fixed length and any number of errors. We also study codes for correcting tandem duplications of length up to a given constant k, where we are primarily focused on the cases of k = 2, 3.
Signal and power integrity analysis in 2.5D integrated circuits (ICs) with glass, silicon and organic interposer

2.5D integration using interposer and through via technologies is one of the promising solutions to enable systems with higher electrical performance and at the same time reducing size of the whole systems. To maximize benefits of the interposer, power distribution network (PDN) and channels should be well-designed. PDN and channel properties are heavily affected by the material properties of the interposer substrate. Depending on the substrate material, anti-resonance frequency of PDN can coincide with ICs' switching frequencies. Therefore analysis and comparison of hierarchical PDN are important. Also channels can be affected by the PDN design, especially channels escaping/entering interposers are affected by the properties of the interposer PDN. Therefore, when designing interposers, co-design and co-analysis of PDNs and channels are required.
Query-dependent selection of retrieval alternatives

The main goal of this thesis is to investigate query-dependent selection of retrieval alternatives for Information Retrieval (IR) systems. Retrieval alternatives include choices in representing queries (query representations), and choices in methods used for scoring documents. For example, an IR system can represent a user query without any modification, automatically expand it to include more terms, or reduce it by dropping some terms. The main motivation for this work is that no single query representation or retrieval model performs the best for all queries. This suggests that selecting the best representation or retrieval model for each query can yield improved performance. The key research question in selecting between alternatives is how to estimate the performance of the different alternatives. We treat query dependent selection as a general problem of selecting between the result sets of different alternatives. We develop a relative effectiveness estimation technique using retrieval-based features and a learning formulation that directly predict differences between the results sets. The main idea behind this technique is to aggregate the scores and features used for retrieval (retrieval-based features) as evidence towards the effectiveness of the results set. We apply this general technique to select between alternatives reduced versions for long queries and to combine multiple ranking algorithms. Then, we investigate the extension of query-dependent selection under specific efficiency constraints. Specifically, we consider the black-box meta-search scenario, where querying all available search engines can be expensive and the features and scores used by the search engines are not available. We develop easy-to-compute features based on the results page alone to predict when querying an alternate search engine can be useful. Finally, we present an analysis of selection performance to better understand when query-dependent selection can be useful.
Implementation of prime decomposition of polynomial ideals over small finite fields

An algorithm for the prime decomposition of polynomial ideals over small finite fields is proposed and implemented. Here "small" means that the order of a finite field is small enough to fit in a single machine word. In particular, we are interested in cases where the order is so small that we cannot apply usual methods which is suc- cessful in cases of characteristic 0. To overcome this difficulty, [8] introduced the notion of "separable ideals" and "separable closure of ideals", and we propose a precise algorithm for the prime decomposition of polynomial ideals over small finite fields based on [8]. Our final goal is to develop a practical algorithm for the primary decomposition of a polynomial ideal over a finite field. For this purpose we can apply the "localization technique" of [7], which enables us to extract primary components from prime divisors. This does not depend on the characteristic of the coefficient field. Therefore primary decomposition computations can be efficiently reduced to prime decomposition computations.
Technological Innovation Capabilities and Firm Performance

Technological innovation capability (TIC) is defined as a comprehensive set of characteristics of a firm that facilities and supports its technological innovation strategies. An audit to evaluate the TICs of a firm may trigger improvement in its future practices. Such an audit can be used by the firm for self assessment or third-party independent assessment to identify problems of its capability status. This paper attempts to develop such an auditing framework that can help to determine the subtle links between innovation capabilities and business performance; and to enable the auditor to determine whether good practice is in place. The seven TICs in this study include learning, R&D, resources allocation, manufacturing, marketing, organization and strategic planning capabilities. Empirical data was acquired through a survey study of 200 manufacturing firms in the Hong Kong/Pearl River Delta (HK/PRD) region. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the relationships among TICs and various performance indicators: sales performance, innovation performance, product performance, and sales growth. The results revealed that different TICs have different impacts on different performance measures. Organization capability was found to have the most influential impact. Hong Kong manufacturers are now facing the challenge of high-mix-low-volume customer orders. In order to cope with this change, good capability in organizing different activities among various departments is critical to the success of a company. Keywords—Hong Kong/Pearl River Delta, Innovation audit, Manufacturing, Technological innovation capability Richard C.M. Yam* is Associate Professor in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong. His current research interests are in the areas of product innovation and technology management. William Lo is a PhD graduate in Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong. His current research interests are in the areas of technology management and advanced manufacturing practices in Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta region. Esther P.Y. Tang is Associate Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her current research interest is in the area of marketing and manufacturing interface. Antonio, K.W. Lau is a former teaching staff of the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management at the City University of Hong Kong. His current research interests are in the areas of new product development and innovation management. *Corresponding author
Near-recursive optical flow from disturbance fields

We derive a formal link between temporally weighted frame differences, or disturbance fields, which carry limited information commonly used for motion detection, and the optic flow, which carries rich information on local image motion. We use this to formulate a novel, simple, near-recursive optic flow algorithm based on a recursive-filter formulation. Most quantities involved are computed recursively, using only data from the current and previous frame. Experimental results with well-known synthetic, ground-truthed test sequences and standard performance metrics indicate good quantitative performance. Test with real sequences suggest similar or better performance than a similar algorithm.
Development of siRNA Technology to Prevent Scar Formation in Tendon Repair

Abstract : Tendons are exquisite tissues that connect muscle to bone and couple muscle contraction to movement of the skeletal elements. The development of adhesions is a major complication associated with injury to muscles and tendons. Adhesions most commonly occur in intrasynovial locations and are common in Zone II flexor injuries of the hand (up to 30-40% of patients). Despite careful microscopic surgical approaches, optimal suture techniques and materials, and aggressive hand rehabilitation protocols tendon scarring/adhesions continues as an unsolved medical problem, particularly in severe in complex battlefield wounds. The scar tissues that form can severely compromise otherwise successful reconstructions of bone and other tissues. Continued outstanding progress has been made on our goal of establishing an innovative new method to prevent scar formation. This is based on the use of anti-sense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that target and inhibit the expression of TGF-beta1, Smad3, and CTGF (all members of the TGF-beta signaling pathway). Using an animal model of tendon injury and repair, biomechanical, histological, and gene expression analysis all show evidence of reduced scar formation while not impairing the strength of the tendon repair. This approach has tremendous relevance for translation to human studies to improve function in the injured soldier.
Enhancing peer-to-peer systems through redundancy

Peer-to-peer systems can share the computing resources and services by directly communicating within a widely distributed network. It is important that these systems can efficiently locate, in as few hops as possible, the node storing the desired data in a large system. Thus, it is worth consuming some extra storage to obtain better routing performance. In this paper, we propose redundant strategies to improve the routing performance and data availability on Chord and De Bruijn topologies. Hybrid-Chord combines multiple chord rings and successors, and Redundant D2B maintains successors, to improve the routing performance. The proposed systems can reduce the number of lookup hops significantly (by as much as 50%) compared to the original ones, and have better fault tolerance capabilities, with a small storage overhead.
Human and Mouse Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells: Convergent and Divergent Mechanisms of Myogenesis

Satellite cells are the chief contributor to skeletal muscle growth and regeneration. The study of mouse satellite cells has accelerated in recent years due to technical advancements in the isolation of these cells. The study of human satellite cells has lagged and thus little is known about how the biology of mouse and human satellite cells compare. We developed a flow cytometry-based method to prospectively isolate human skeletal muscle progenitors from the satellite cell pool using positive and negative selection markers. Results show that this pool is enriched in PAX7 expressing cells that possess robust myogenic potential including the ability to give rise to de novo muscle in vivo. We compared mouse and human satellite cells in culture and identify differences in the elaboration of the myogenic genetic program and in the sensitivity of the cells to cytokine stimulation. These results indicate that not all mechanisms regulating mouse satellite cell activation are conserved in human satellite cells and that such differences may impact the clinical translation of therapeutics validated in mouse models. Thus, the findings of this study are relevant to developing therapies to combat muscle disease.
Crystal Structures of Modulated Martensitic Phases of FSM Heusler Alloys

Multifunctional ferromagnetic shape memory Heusler alloys are frequently characterized by structural modulation in martensitic phases. In particular, modulated martensitic phases, showing the higher magnetic field induced strain (MFIS) performance, are the most promising candidates for technological applications. Depending on the composition, as well as pressure and temperature conditions, this periodic structural distortion, consisting of shuffling of atomic layers along defined crystallographic directions, accompanies the martensitic transformation. Over the years, different Ni-Mn-Ga modulated martensitic structures have been observed and classified depending upon the periodicity of corresponding ideal nM superstructure (where n indicates the number of basic unit cells constituting the superlattices). On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that in most cases such structural modulation is incommensurate and the crystal structure has been fully determined by applying superspace formalism. The results, obtained by structure refinements on powder diffraction data, suggest a unified crystallographic description of the modulated martensitic structures, here presented, where every different “nM” periodicity can be straightforwardly represented.
Optimization Case Studies in the NEOS Guide

We describe several of the case studies in the NEOS Guide, a site on the World Wide Web that contains informational and educational material about optimization. These studies show how optimization relates to practical applications. They guide the user through relevant details of the application, formulation, solution, and interpretation of the results. The studies use interactivity to build intuition, allowing users to define their own problems and examine the corresponding solutions. The studies can be used for assignments in optimization and operations research courses and as small self-guided units equivalent to one or two lecture classes.
Management of bleeding and transfusion during liver transplantation before and after the introduction of a rotational thromboelastometry–based algorithm

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains a potentially hemorrhagic procedure. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) is a point‐of‐care device used to monitor coagulation during OLT. Whether it allows blood loss and transfusions to be reduced during OLT remains controversial. Excellent correlations and predictive values have been found between ROTEM parameters and fibrinogen. We hypothesized that the use of a ROTEM‐based transfusion algorithm during OLT would lead to more fibrinogen transfusion and decreased bleeding and blood transfusion. Sixty adult patients were consecutively included in a prospective, without‐versus‐with study: 30 in the group without ROTEM results and 30 in the group with the ROTEM‐based algorithm. A small and nonsignificant increase in median fibrinogen transfusions was found for the with group (6.0 g versus 4.5 g, P = 0.50). It was not associated with a decrease in blood transfusions or in the number of patients exposed to blood products. Liver Transpl 21:169‐179, 2015. © 2014 AASLD.
DNAPL Characterization Methods and Approaches, Part 1: Performance Comparisons

Contamination from the use of chlorinated solvents, often classified as dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) when in an undissolved state, represents an environmental challenge with global implications. Mass‐transfer limitations due to rate‐limited dissolution can lead to long‐term aquifer persistence for even small volumetric fractions. The identification of DNAPL source zones located beneath the water table is critical to ultimately achieve site remediation and aquifer restoration. This paper provides a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of many of the methods being used for detecting and delineating DNAPL contaminant source zones. The objective is to determine which options are best to pursue based on site characteristics, method performance, and method costs. DNAPL characterization methods are grouped into approaches, which include site preparation, characterization, and data‐processing activities necessary to design an effective remediation system. We compare the different approaches based on the level of chemical and hydrogeologic resolution, and the need for additional data requirements. Our findings can be used to assist with selection of appropriate site remediation management options.
Application of 3D magnetic resonance microscopy to the anatomy of woody tissues

We demonstrate the use of high-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance microscopy (3D MRM) for anatomical studies of woody tissues. Samples of normal and pathological structures in the branches of four tree species were imaged by 3D MRM immediately after removal from the tree, without additional tissue preparation. MRM data sets were displayed in 2D sections and in a 3D volume rendered mode. Good image contrasts between identical anatomical structures in different tree species suggest that 3D MRM may be a promising method in comparative wood anatomy. MRM can be used for general morphological observations, as well as for positioning and examination of a particular portion of tissue in the investigated object. This is demonstrated by examples of a needle trace within the xylem in Norway spruce and by localisation of the protection zone at the base of a dead branch in beech. Visualisation of a wound scar in beech demonstrates the efficiency of 3D MRM in revealing the spatial dimensions of any moisture-related structural defects within wood. It can provide relatively high and isotropic resolution, thus enabling non-destructive and accurate determination of the moisture content of any wood structure. High-resolution 3D MRM has great potential in studying the anatomy of woody plants due to the non-destructive nature of the technique, the simplicity of tissue preparation and very versatile information retrieval by choosing an appropriate MRM method and its parameter set.
A stand-alone integrated test core for time and frequency domain measurements

An area efficient and robust integrated test core for mixed-signal circuits is described. The core consists of a completely digital implementation, except for a simple reconstruction filter and a comparator. It is capable of both generating arbitrary band-limited waveforms (for excitation purposes) and coherently digitizing arbitrary periodic analog waveforms (for DSP-based test and measurement). A prototype IC was fabricated in a 3.3 V 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS process. It was demonstrated to perform various curve tracing, timing, and spectrum analysis tasks at a sampling frequency of 20 MHz (which was only limited by our experimental setup) while taking up an area equivalent to only about five thousand standard-cell 2-input NAND gates.
Distributed handler architecture

Over the last couple of decades, distributed systems have been demonstrated an architectural evolvement based on models including client/server, multi-tier, distributed objects, messaging and peer-to-peer. One recent evolutionary step is Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), whose goal is to achieve loose-coupling among the interacting software applications for scalability and interoperability. The SOA model is engendered in Web Services, which provide software platforms to build applications as services and to create seamless and loosely-coupled interactions. Web Services utilize supportive functionalities such as security, reliability, monitoring, logging and so forth. These functionalities are typically provisioned as handlers, which incrementally add new capabilities to the services by building an execution chain. Even though handlers are very important to the service, the way of utilization is very crucial to attain the potential benefits. Every attempt to support a service with an additive functionality increases the chance of having an overwhelmingly crowded chain: this makes Web Service fat. Moreover, a handler may become a bottleneck because of having a comparably higher processing time. In this dissertation, we present Distributed Handler Architecture (DHArch) to provide an efficient, scalable and modular architecture to manage the execution of the handlers. The system distributes the handlers by utilizing a Message Oriented Middleware and orchestrates their execution in an efficient fashion. We also present an empirical evaluation of the system to demonstrate the suitability of this architecture to cope with the issues that exist in the conventional Web Service handler structures.
Targeting of the "insulin-responsive" glucose transporter (GLUT4) to the regulated secretory pathway in PC12 cells [published erratum appears in J Cell Biol 1993 Sep;122(5):following 1143]

Insulin-activated glucose transport depends on the efficient sorting of facilitated hexose transporter isoforms to distinct subcellular locales. GLUT4, the "insulin-responsive" glucose transporter, is sequestered intracellularly, redistributing to the cell surface only in the presence of hormone. To test the hypothesis that the biosynthesis of the insulin-responsive compartment is analogous to the targeting of proteins to the regulated secretory pathway, GLUT4 was expressed in the neuroendocrine cell line, PC12. Localization of the transporter in differentiated PC12 cells by indirect immunofluorescence revealed GLUT4 to be in the perinuclear region and in the distal processes. Although, by immunofluorescence microscopy, GLUT4 co-localized with the endosomal protein transferrin receptor and the small synaptic vesicle (SSV) marker protein synaptophysin, fractionation by velocity gradient centrifugation revealed that GLUT4 was excluded from SSV. Immunoelectron microscopic localization indicated that GLUT4 was indeed targeted to early and late endosomes, but in addition was concentrated in large dense core vesicles (LDCV). This latter observation was confirmed by the following experiments: (a) an antibody directed against GLUT4 immunoadsorbed the LDCV marker protein secretogranin, as assayed by Western blot; (b) approximately 85% of secretogranin metabolically labeled with 35S-labeled sulfate and allowed to progress into secretory vesicles was coadsorbed by an antibody directed against GLUT4; and (c) GLUT4 was readily detected in LDCV purified by ultracentrifugation. These data suggest that GLUT4 is specifically sorted to a specialized secretory compartment in PC12 cells.