Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stochastic Minimization of the Makespan in Flow Shops with Identical Machines and Buffers of Arbitrary Size

Stochastic permutation flow shops of m identical machines and n jobs are considered. There exist buffers of arbitrary size between two consecutive machines. For particular types of job processing times, we present optimal schedules which minimize the makespan in the stochastic sense. Moreover, it will be shown that the optimal schedules are closely related to those of the no buffer case. Finally, our results are recaptured in the context of tandem queues.
Production and properties of a staphylococcin genetically controlled by the staphylococcal plasmid for exfoliative toxin synthesis

Previous data from this laboratory showed that certain phage group 2 staphylococci contain a large 56S virulence plasmid containing genes that code for both exfoliative toxin (ET) and a specific staphylococcin. Optimal cultural conditions for bacteriocin production were similar to those found for ET production. The bacteriocin is an extracellular product produced in small quantities that can be neither extracted from cell pellets with 1 M NaCl nor induced with mitomycin C. The staphylococcin is active against a wide variety of gram-positive organisms and also against group 2 staphylococcal strains that have been cured of the plasmid carrying the staphylococcin marker. The bacteriocin is not inactivated by oxidation, mechanical agitation, or boiling for 15 min. It is sensitive to the action of trypsin and Pronase but not lysostaphin and is stable within a pH range of 4 to 9. It has an isoelectric point of approximately 7.7. Removal of the ampholytes and glycerol from electrofocused staphylococcin preparations resulted in total loss of bacteriocin activity.
Monocyte adherence to fibronectin: role of CD11/CD18 integrins and relationship to other monocyte functions

Adherence of monocytes to extracellular matrix components is critical for their accumulation at sites of infection. To gain insight into the factors that regulate monocyte recruitment, we have studied monocyte adherence with regard to the regulatory effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the mechanisms involved; moreover, we have contrasted the phenotypes of adherent and nonadherent cells. Our results show that only a minor subpopulation of monocytes (20–25%) adhere spontaneously to fibronectin and that LPS stimulated a threefold increase in the proportion of adherent cells. Basal adherence and LPS‐stimulated adherence of monocytes to fibronectin were substantially mediated by CD11/CD18 integrins. Further studies revealed that spontaneously adherent monocytes were 14‐fold more actively phagocytic, released 1.6‐fold more superoxide anion, and contained 20‐fold more peroxidase activity than nonadherent cells, whereas LPS‐adherent cells had an intermediate phenotype. These results indicate that LPS may enhance the accumulation of monocytes with an antimicrobial phenotype and thereby promote resolution of tissue infection.
On some nonuniform cases of the weighted Sobolev and Poincaré inequalities

Weighted inequalities ‖f‖q,ν,B0 ≤ C ∑n j=1 ‖fxj‖p,ωj ,B0 of Sobolev type (supp f ⊂ B0) and of Poincaré type (f̄ν,B0 = 0) are studied, with different weight functions for each partial derivative fxj , for parallelepipeds B0 ⊂ En, n ≥ 1. Also, weighted inequalities ‖f‖q,ν ≤ C‖Xf‖p,ω of the same type are considered for vector fields X = {Xj}, j = 1, . , m, with infinitely differentiable coefficients satisfying the Hörmander condition. §
Growth of interorbital distance and skull thickness as observed in roentgenographic measurements.

During the first two and one half decades of man's life a great many physical changes in size and shape occur. The growth of the head is one interesting facet of this overall development. This paper presents the group patterns of change through which two areas of the cranium-the thickness of the skull and the distance between the orbits-must pass to reach their adult size. In addition, the closure of the major cranial sutures will be discussed. Variations from the usual status of these three measurements are a part of certain pathological conditions. For example, skeletal variations are frequently associated with mental retardation, and the state of the cranial sutures with changes in intracranial pressure. Percentile standards based on the roentgenographic measurements of interorbital distance and skull thickness for a group of healthy children are presented as a reference of comparison with less healthy children. The progress of the healthy individual within the group is still to be determined. Although.
Fractures After Thyroidectomy in Men: A Population‐Based Cohort Study

Bone mass is purportedly reduced by an endogenous or exogenous excess of thyroid hormone or, perhaps, by calcitonin deficiency. Patients who have undergone thyroidectomy could be subject to all of these effects, yet their practical implications in terms of fracture risk are poorly defined. Interpretation is further hampered by the focus on women, where results may be influenced by involutional osteoporosis. Consequently, we assessed the potential for fractures among the 136 Rochester, Minnesota men who underwent thyroidectomy between 1935 and 1979, relative to a group of age‐matched control men from the community. With 2194 person‐years of follow‐up in each group, survival free of any fracture of vertebra, proximal humerus, distal forearm, pelvis, or proximal femur was similar in the two groups (p = 0.23), and the relative risk of any of these fractures for thyroidectomized patients versus their controls was increased only 1.5‐fold (95% CI, 0.7–3.2). The difference was entirely accounted for by a statistically significant excess of proximal femur fractures in the men with thyroidectomy. Risk factors for fractures among men with thyroidectomy included greater age at surgery, greater extent of surgery, and the presence of risk factors for secondary osteoporosis. Thus, thyroidectomy, performed mainly for adenoma or goiter, seems to have little overall influence on the risk of age‐related fractures in men. However, the association with hip fractures requires further evaluation.
5-Lipoxygenase pathway gene polymorphisms: lack of association with asthma in a Spanish population.

BACKGROUND Cysteinyl-leukotrienes are mediators of inflammatory responses in bronchial asthma. We studied the genes encoding the enzymes involved in their synthesis to identify risk factors for asthma. The promoter polymorphisms LTC4S -444 A/C, ALOX5 -176/-147, and ALOX5AP -169/-146 have been reported to be associated with bronchial asthma. METHODS We analyzed the effects of LTC4S -444 A/C, ALOX5 -176/-147, and ALOX5AP -169/-146 on asthma susceptibility by means of a case-control study with 193 ethnically matched, unrelated individuals. Participants were classified as severe asthmatics, nonsevere asthmatics, and nonasthmatics, using a combination of 2 techniques: polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism and multiplex capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS No association was found between these polymorphisms and asthma, neither individually nor in combination. CONCLUSION Although the studied polymorphisms have been previously reported to constitute risk factors for the disease, we found no association between LTC4S -444 A/C, ALOX5 -176/-147, and ALOX5AP -169/-146 polymorphisms and bronchial asthma.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a rescue device for postreperfusion cardiac arrest during liver transplantation

Intraoperative cardiac arrest is a dreaded complication of liver transplantation with a poor outcome. The majority of cardiac arrests occur during the neohepatic phase, especially during reperfusion, and most are caused by either postreperfusion syndrome or pulmonary thromboembolic events. Almost 20% of patients with intraoperative cardiac arrest cannot be successfully resuscitated and do not regain a spontaneous rhythm and circulation. Of those who regain a spontaneous rhythm and circulation with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), more than 12% will not survive the surgery. The mortality of intraoperative cardiac arrest increases exponentially with the duration of CPR. If spontaneous rhythm and circulation are not restored rapidly, the prognosis is usually poor. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has been used as an extension of CPR in many clinical scenarios with varying success. We describe a successful case of the use of VA-ECMO to treat postreperfusion cardiac arrest and discuss practical aspects of using VA-ECMO as rescue CPR during liver transplantation.
A shared-bus control mechanism and a cache coherence protocol for a high-performance on-chip multiprocessor

A new cache coherence solution is proposed for an over 500 MHz on-chip multiprocessor using advanced VLSI technology. In order to reduce shared-bus transaction time, the central coherence unit (CCU) is introduced. The CCU controls all shared-bus transactions, monitoring all cache rays every clock cycle, and executes a bus transaction in four clock cycles while a conventional bus mechanism requires eight clock cycles. A new cache coherence protocol (CRAC) is also introduced in order to reduce external memory access. The CRAC protocol makes it possible to load a desired data from any cache having a copy, and to transfer write-back responsibility to another cache having a copy. An implementation of CCU and CRAC is presented and evaluated using a cycle-based multiprocessor simulator. Simulation results show that introduction of CCU and CRAC is effective to reduce shared-bus traffic and total execution time. Furthermore, proposed multiprocessor model with CCU and CRAC is proved to be more scalable than a conventional multiprocessor model.
Improved fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology results with a near patient diagnosis service for breast lesions

This study is a review of the quality of FNA cytology results for breast lesions approximately 18 months before and 10 months after a change from a rapid diagnosis FNA service with consultant pathologist aspirators to a conventional FNA service with clinician aspirators of varied experience. The setting was symptomatic breast clinic in a large hospital in rural New Zealand acting as a tertiary referral centre for a population of 550000. The results were collected retrospectively and prospectively. The quality of results for pathologist aspirators (total 810) and clinician aspirators (total 403) was compared using the definitions of the NHS Breast Screening Program Guidelines for Cytology Procedures and Reporting in Breast Cancer Screening. There were statistically significant differences in specificity (biopsy cases only) with 73% for pathologists and 49% for clinicians, specificity (full) with 74% and 56%, inadequate rate with 23% and 37%, and complete sensitivity with 76% and 67%. The use of pathologist aspirators allowed the specimens to be reported in a few minutes. Specimens taken by clinicians took at least 30 min to report. The financial aspects of the two approaches are discussed. When compared with clinician aspirators, pathologist aspirators obtained better quality results and these were reported more quickly.
Sequential Learnable Evolutionary Algorithm: A Research Program

Evolutionary algorithms are typically run several times in design optimization problems and the best solution taken. We propose a novel online algorithm selection framework that learns to use the best algorithm based on previous runs, hence in effect using different and better algorithms as the search progresses. First, a set of algorithms are run on a benchmark problem suite. Given a new problem, a default algorithm is run and its convergence characteristics are recorded. This is used to map to the problem database to find the most similar problem. In turn, the database returns the best algorithm for this problem and this algorithm is run in the second iteration and so on, aiming to home onto the most suitable algorithm for the problem. The resulting algorithm, named Sequential Learnable Evolutionary algorithm (SLEA), outperforms Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) with multi-restarts. SLEA is also applied to a new problem, a real world application, and learns its characteristics. Experimental results show that it can correctly select the best algorithm for the problem. Finally, this paper proposes a new research program which learns the algorithm-problem mapping through solving real world problems accessed through the web and worldwide cooperation through Wikipedia.
Representations of workers with hearing loss in Canadian newspapers: a thematic analysis

Abstract Objective: Participation in the labour force with a hearing impairment presents a number of challenges. This study describes how Canadian newspapers represent workers with hearing loss. Design: Taking a critical framing theory approach, thematic analysis was performed through coding relevant articles, abstracting and hierarchically categorising themes. Study sample: Seven English-language Canadian newspapers were searched for publications between 1995 and 2016. Twenty-six articles met our criteria: discussing paid workers with hearing loss who used English rather than sign language on the job and making reference to workers’ competence. Results: We identified a global theme, Focussing on a good worklife or focussing on a limited worklife, composed of three organising themes (1) Prominent individuals struggle, take action, and continue despite hearing loss, (2) Workers with hearing loss in the community create their best day themselves, and (3) Workers with hearing loss, as a generalised whole, are portrayed as either competent or limited. Conclusions: The dominant framing portrays individual workers as ingenious, determined, and successful. Negative framings were predominantly generalisations to these workers as a group. To generate more positive framings, professionals can build relationships with consumer groups and, when contacted by the media, direct journalists to interview workers with hearing loss.
L'expérience humaine et la causalité physique

La vaste et minutieuse enquete a laquelle vient de se livrer M. Leon Brunschvicg sur les rapports entre l'experience et la causalite physique est la suite et le complement attendu de ses reflexions sur le developpement de la pensee mathematique2. Elle obeit a la meme preoccupation et vise le meme but : rompre avec les metaphysiques perimees et degager le rationalisme des liens qui l'attachent encore a des doctrines n'ayant plus aujourd'hui qu'un interet retrospectif, asseoir la philosophie des sciences et l'epistemologie sur une conception moderne de l'idealisme et sur un savoir puise directement aux sources de la science ; elle suit la meme methode, la methode historico-critique. La constitution, les progres, les tâtonnements, les crises et les « tournants » de la physique sont des faits qui sollicitent l'interpretation du philosophe. Mais cette interpretation n'est pas une reconstruction. Il ne s'agit pas de refaire la science, et par la de la justifier, au moyen de principes extrinseques ou d'une plus grande extension. Sans doute, l'objet proprement philosophique n'est pas la nature des choses, c'est la nature de l'esprit qui la scrute et s'efforce d'en penetrer les secrets. Mais, dans ce repliement sur soi, ou, si l'on prefere une autre image, dans ce passage a un niveau superieur de la reflexion, il ne saurait etre fait appel a des notions premieres qui ne seraient pas issues du devenir meme de la science et qui ne lui seraient pas exclusivement redevables de leur contenu et de leur signification, ayant par ailleurs recu l'investiture d'une autorite transcendante, 1. L'Experience humaine et la Causalite physique, par Leon Brunschvicg ; Paris, 1922. 2. Les Etapes de la Philosophie mathematique ; Paris, 1912.
MULTISCALE ENTROPY IDENTIFIES COMPLEXITY CHANGES IN POSTURAL CONTROL OF ADOLESCENT IDOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is characterized by three-dimensional deformation of the spine resulting in alterations of body posture and segment alignment [1]. Changes in body posture have been found to relate to stability deficits in AIS patients, which may be exacerbated by AIS severity [2]. Previous work has related AIS patients have reduced postural stability characterized by requiring greater neuromuscular control to maintain standing balance in the AP direction [4] and increased lateral sway [5].
Neurophysiological Organization of the Middle Face Patch in Macaque Inferior Temporal Cortex

While early cortical visual areas contain fine scale spatial organization of neuronal properties, such as orientation preference, the spatial organization of higher-level visual areas is less well understood. The fMRI demonstration of face-preferring regions in human ventral cortex and monkey inferior temporal cortex (“face patches”) raises the question of how neural selectivity for faces is organized. Here, we targeted hundreds of spatially registered neural recordings to the largest fMRI-identified face-preferring region in monkeys, the middle face patch (MFP), and show that the MFP contains a graded enrichment of face-preferring neurons. At its center, as much as 93% of the sites we sampled responded twice as strongly to faces than to nonface objects. We estimate the maximum neurophysiological size of the MFP to be ∼6 mm in diameter, consistent with its previously reported size under fMRI. Importantly, face selectivity in the MFP varied strongly even between neighboring sites. Additionally, extremely face-selective sites were ∼40 times more likely to be present inside the MFP than outside. These results provide the first direct quantification of the size and neural composition of the MFP by showing that the cortical tissue localized to the fMRI defined region consists of a very high fraction of face-preferring sites near its center, and a monotonic decrease in that fraction along any radial spatial axis. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The underlying organization of neurons that give rise to the large spatial regions of activity observed with fMRI is not well understood. Neurophysiological studies that have targeted the fMRI identified face patches in monkeys have provided evidence for both large-scale clustering and a heterogeneous spatial organization. Here we used a novel x-ray imaging system to spatially map the responses of hundreds of sites in and around the middle face patch. We observed that face-selective signal localized to the middle face patch was characterized by a gradual spatial enrichment. Furthermore, strongly face-selective sites were ∼40 times more likely to be found inside the patch than outside of the patch.
Evolutionary potential of morphological traits across different life‐history stages

Despite accumulating examples of selection acting on heritable traits in the wild, predicted evolutionary responses are often different from observed phenotypic trends. Various explanations have been suggested for these mismatches. These include within‐individual changes across lifespan that can create important variation in genetic architecture of traits and selection acting on them, but also potential problems with the methodological approach used to predict evolutionary responses of traits. Here, we used an 8‐year data set on tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) to first assess the effects of differences among three nestling life‐history stages on the genetic (co)variances of two morphological traits (body mass and primary feather length) and the selection acting on them over three generations. We then estimated the evolutionary potential of these traits by predicting their evolutionary responses using the breeder's equation and the secondary theorem of selection approaches. Our results showed variation in strength and direction of selection and slight changes in trait variance across ages. Predicted evolutionary responses differed importantly between both approaches for half of the trait–age combinations we studied, suggesting the presence of environmentally induced correlations between focal traits and fitness possibly biasing breeder's equation predictions. Our results emphasize that predictions of evolutionary potential for morphological traits are likely to be highly variable, both in strength and direction, depending on the life stage and method used, thus mitigating our capacity to predict adaptation and persistence of wild populations.
Distinct primary structures, ligand‐binding properties and tissue‐specific expression of four human muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

To investigate the molecular basis for the diversity in muscarinic cholinergic function, we have isolated the genes encoding the human M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors (mAChR) as well as two previously undiscovered mAChR subtypes, designated HM3 and HM4. The amino acid sequence of each subtype reflects a structure consisting of seven, highly conserved transmembrane segments and a large intracellular region unique to each subtype, which may constitute the ligand‐binding and effector‐coupling domains respectively. Significant differences in affinity for muscarinic ligands were detected in individual mAChR subtypes produced by transfection of mammalian cells. Each subtype exhibited multiple affinity states for agonists; differences among subtypes in the affinities and proportions of such sites suggest the capacity of mAChR subtypes to interact differentially with the cellular effector‐coupling apparatus. Subtype‐specific mRNA expression was observed in the heart, pancreas and a neuronal cell line, indicating that the regulation of mAChR gene expression contributes to the differentiation of cholinergic activity.
Commande sous contraintes de systèmes dynamiques multi-agents

L'objectif de cette these est de proposer des solutions aux problemes lies a la commande optimale de systemes dynamiques multi-agents en presence de contraintes. Des elements de la theorie de commande et d'optimisation sont appliques a differents problemes impliquant des formations de systemes multi-agents. La these examine le cas d'agents soumis a des contraintes dynamiques. Pour faire face a ces problemes, les concepts bien etablis tels que la theorie des ensembles, la platitude differentielle, la commande predictive (Model Predictive Control - MPC), la programmation mixte en nombres entiers (Mixed-Integer Programming - MIP) sont adaptes et ameliores. En utilisant ces notions theoriques, ce travail de these a porte sur les proprietes geometriques de la formation d'un groupe multi-agents et propose un cadre de synthese original qui exploite cette structure. En particulier, le probleme de conception de formation et les conditions d'evitement des collisions sont formules comme des problemes geometriques et d'optimisation pour lesquels il existe des procedures de resolution. En outre, des progres considerables dans ce sens ont ete obtenus en utilisant de facon efficace les techniques MIP (dans le but d'en deduire une description efficace des proprietes de non convexite et de non connexion d'une region de faisabilite resultant d'une collision de type multi-agents avec des contraintes d'evitement d'obstacles) et des proprietes de stabilite (afin d'analyser l'unicite et l'existence de configurations de formation de systemes multi-agents). Enfin, certains resultats theoriques obtenus ont ete appliques dans un cas pratique tres interessant. On utilise une nouvelle combinaison de la commande predictive et de platitude differentielle (pour la generation de reference) dans la commande et la navigation de vehicules aeriens sans pilote (UAVs).