Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Market Based Resource Allocation with Incomplete Information

Although there are some research efforts toward resource allocation in multi-agent systems (MAS), most of these work assume that each agent has complete information about other agents. This research investigates interactions among selfish, rational, and autonomous agents in resource allocation, each with incomplete information about other entities, and each seeking to maximize its expected utility. This paper presents a proportional resource allocation mechanism and gives a game theoretical analysis of the optimal strategies and the analysis shows the existence of equilibrium in the incomplete information setting. By augmenting the resource allocation mechanism with a deal optimization mechanism, trading agents can be programmed to optimize resource allocation results by updating beliefs and resubmitting bids. Experimental results showed that by having a deal optimization stage, the resource allocation mechanism produced generally optimistic outcomes (close to market equilibrium).
Additional rare variant analysis in Parkinson’s disease cases with and without known pathogenic mutations: evidence for oligogenic inheritance

Abstract Oligogenic inheritance implies a role for several genetic factors in disease etiology. We studied oligogenic inheritance in Parkinson’s (PD) by assessing the potential burden of additional rare variants in established Mendelian genes and/or GBA, in individuals with and without a primary pathogenic genetic cause in two large independent cohorts totaling 7,900 PD cases and 6,166 controls. An excess (≥30%) of cases with a recognised primary genetic cause had ≥1 additional rare variants in Mendelian PD genes, as compared with no known mutation PD cases (17%) and unaffected controls (16%), supporting our hypothesis. Carriers of additional Mendelian gene variants have younger ages at onset (AAO). The effect of additional Mendelian variants in LRRK2 G2019S mutation carriers, of which ATP13A2 variation is particularly common, may account for some of the variation in penetrance. About 10% of No Known Mutation-PD cases harbour a rare GBA variant compared to known pathogenic mutation PD cases (8%) and controls (5%), with carriers having earlier AAOs. Together, the data suggest that the oligogenic inheritance of rare Mendelian variants may be important in patient with a primary pathogenic cause, whereas GBA increases risk across all forms of PD. This study highlights the potential genetic complexity of Mendelian PD. The identification of potential modifying variants provides new insights into disease mechanisms by potentially separating relevant from benign variants and by the interaction between genes in specific pathways. In the future this may be relevant to genetic testing and counselling of patients with PD and their families.
3D printed micro/nanofluidic preconcentrator for charged sample based on ion concentration polarization

In this paper, we introduce a novel and simple method to fabricate a preconcentrator based on the ion concentration polarization phenomenon (ICP). Using a three-dimensional printed layer, the microchannels could be easily integrated with an ion exchange membrane which plays the role of the nanoporous junction needed for ICP. To demonstrate the preconcentration ability of the devices, we conducted experiments with negatively charged fluorescein sodium and positively charged rhodamine 6G. As a result, the negatively charged sample could be preconcentrated more than 18 fold by using a cation exchange membrane. The positively charged sample could be preconcentrated more than 40 fold by using an anion exchange membrane. This preconcentrator with a simple fabrication process could be implemented in various microfluidic systems for biochemical assays.
The Significance of the Fluctuations in the IRAS 1.2 Jy Galaxy Catalogue

In an analysis of the IRAS 1.2 Jy redshift catalogue, with emphasis on the separate examination of northern and southern parts (in galactic coordinates), we found that the clustering of galaxies differs significantly between north and south, showing fluctuations in the clustering properties at least on scales of 100 Mpc/h (Kerscher et al. 1997, astro-ph/9704028). We give a brief description of our morphological method which is based on Minkowski functionals and show the results obtained from the IRAS 1.2 Jy galaxy catalogue. We discuss several error estimates and select different subsamples from the 1.2 Jy catalogue according to flux and colour and validate the results for the whole sample. Furthermore we look closer at the spatial origin of the fluctuation and we compare with optically selected galaxies from the CfA1 survey.
Biodegradable and Elastomeric Poly(glycerol sebacate) as a Coating Material for Nitinol Bare Stent

We synthesized and evaluated biodegradable and elastomeric polyesters (poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS)) using polycondensation between glycerol and sebacic acid to form a cross-linked network structure without using exogenous catalysts. Synthesized materials possess good mechanical properties, elasticity, and surface erosion biodegradation behavior. The tensile strength of the PGS was as high as 0.28 ± 0.004 MPa, and Young's modulus was 0.122 ± 0.0003 MPa. Elongation was as high as 237.8 ± 0.64%, and repeated elongation behavior was also observed to at least three times the original length without rupture. The water-in-air contact angles of the PGS surfaces were about 60°. We also analyzed the properties of an electrospray coating of biodegradable PGS on a nitinol stent for the purpose of enhancing long-term patency for the therapeutic treatment of varicose veins disease. The surface morphology and thickness of coating layer could be controlled by adjusting the electrospraying conditions and solution parameters.
Fetal Growth and Preterm Birth Influence Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Arterial Health in Young Adults: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Objective—Impaired fetal growth is associated with cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The mechanisms of this association remain poorly described. We aimed to determine the associations of impaired fetal growth and preterm birth with cardiovascular risk factors and arterial health in a large cohort of young adults. Methods and Results—Carotid intima-media thickness, brachial flow-mediated dilatation and cardiovascular risk factors were compared between young adults (24–45 years) born at term with impaired fetal growth (birth weight <10th percentile; n=207), born preterm (<37 weeks' gestation; n=253), and a control group born at term with normal fetal growth (birth weight 50–90th percentile; n=835), in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Compared with controls, those with impaired fetal growth had elevated triglycerides (P=0.006), C-reactive protein (P=0.004), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (both P=0.06), and intima-media thickness and impaired flow-mediated dilatation (both P=0.02), the latter partially mediated by systolic blood pressure, C-reactive protein, and triglycerides. Those born preterm had higher intima-media thickness (P=0.005) and lower flow-mediated dilatation (P=0.03) compared with controls, although this was restricted to those with concurrent fetal growth restriction. Conclusion—Impaired fetal growth is associated with impaired endothelial function and elevated preclinical atherosclerosis in young adults, partly mediated by inflammation, blood pressure, and triglycerides. This association is most marked for those also born preterm.
Adaptive Random Test Case Generation for Combinatorial Testing

Random testing (RT), a fundamental software testing technique, has been widely used in practice. Adaptive random testing (ART), an enhancement of RT, performs better than original RT in terms of fault detection capability. However, not much work has been done on effectiveness analysis of ART in the combinatorial test spaces. In this paper, we propose a novel family of ART-based algorithms for generating combinatorial test suites, mainly based on fixed-size-candidate-set ART and restricted random testing (that is, ART by exclusion). We use an empirical approach to compare the effectiveness of test sets obtained by our proposed methods and random selection strategy. Experimental data demonstrate that the ART-based tests cover all possible combinations at a given strength more quickly than randomly chosen tests, and often detect more failures earlier and with fewer test cases in simulations.
miR-203 Acts as a Tumor Suppressor Gene in Osteosarcoma by Regulating RAB22A

microRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNAs of 19–25 nt, play an important roles in the pathological processes of tumorigenesis. The object of this study was to study the expression and function of miR-203 and to found its target gene in osteosarcoma. In our study, we found the expression level of miR-203 was significantly downregulated in osteosarcoma cell lines and tissues. In addition, overexpression of miR-203 inhibited the osteosarcoma cell proliferation and migration and inhibited Mesenchymal-to-Epithelial reversion Transition (MErT). Moreover, we identified RAB22A as a direct target of miR-203 and RAB22A overexpression blocks the roles of miR-203 in osteosarcoma cell. Furthermore, we demonstrated that RAB22A expression was upregulated in human osteosarcoma cell lines and tissues. Take together, our results demonstrated that miR-203 act as a tumor suppressor miRNA through regulating RAB22A expression and suggested its involvement in osteosarcoma progression and carcinogenesis.
The research of the resident user classification based on the maximum entropy in the smart grid

In this paper, a novel approach was proposed for recognizing resident user type in the power consumption field, based ME some interesting features had been discussed. The probabilistic feature functions are used instead of binary feature functions, it is one of the several differences between this model and the most of the previous ME based model. We also explore several novel features in our model, which includes peak load power consumption rate (PCRP), load rate (LR), user cooperation degree (UCD) and so on. Unlike those in some previous works, the maximum entropy algorithm was used firstly in the power consumption field.
The 5′ Guanosine Tracts of Human Telomerase RNA Are Recognized by the G-Quadruplex Binding Domain of the RNA Helicase DHX36 and Function To Increase RNA Accumulation

ABSTRACT Telomerase promotes telomere maintenance by copying a template within its integral RNA subunit to elongate chromosome ends with new telomeric repeats. Motifs have been defined within the telomerase RNA that contribute to mature RNA accumulation, holoenzyme catalytic activity, or enzyme recruitment to telomeres. Here, we describe a motif of human telomerase RNA (hTR), not previously characterized in a cellular context, comprised of several guanosine tracts near the RNA 5′ end. These guanosine tracts together are recognized by the DEXH box RNA helicase DHX36. The helicase domain of DHX36 does not mediate hTR binding; instead, hTR interacts with the N-terminal accessory domain of DHX36 known to bind specifically to the parallel-strand G-quadruplex substrates resolved by the helicase domain. The steady-state level of DHX36-hTR interaction is low, but hTR guanosine tract substitutions substantially reduce mature hTR accumulation and thereby reduce telomere maintenance. These findings suggest that G-quadruplex formation in the hTR precursor improves the escape of immature RNP from degradation, but subsequently the G-quadruplex may be resolved in favor of a longer terminal stem. We conclude that G-quadruplex formation within hTR can stimulate telomerase-mediated telomere maintenance.
Data Hiding Techniques in Steganography Using Sub-Fibonacci Sequences

Recently, several steganographic methods, based on bitplane analysis have been developed. These methods improve the classical LSB method, generally by increasing the number of bitplanes via sophisticated encodings. In this paper, we show that these methods can be unified with the use of sub-Fibonnaci sequences. The huge number (trillions of them) of these sequences gives us the advantage to use them as cryptographic keys.
A phrase-based hidden Markov model approach to machine translation

Current statistical machine translation systems are based on phrases heuristically extracted. In this work, a new approach for phrase-based statistical machine translation is proposed which can properly described as a hidden Markov model. The proposed model, its associated forward and backward recurrences, and its EMbased maximum likelihood estimation is detailed. Empirical results are reported on a spanish-english translation task.
Design and Modelling Methodologies of an Efficient and Lightweight Carbon-fiber Reinforced Epoxy Monocoque Chassis, Suitable for an Electric Car

The design of an electric urban car’s chassis for the “Shell Eco Marathon” competition takes into account the usage and the type of the vehicle. The most critical factors of designing the new chassis are: the reduction of the weight, improvement of strength and stiffness and reduction of material and manufacturing cost. Towards this direction, a new design approach for a lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE) monocoque chassis, is proposed, which conforms to structural, ergonomic and aesthetic requirements. For the development of this innovative approach, the parametric design method was chosen, in order for the design to be modified easily. The chassis efficiency, in terms of high strength in low mass, was obtained by following appropriate design steps and rules which conform to the vehicle structural and dynamical constraints and by choosing the composite material CFRE. Additionally, a method that calculates the mechanical properties of the composite material CFRE is presented. Furthermore, a model has been created, which calculates automatically the total loads applied on the vehicle’s chassis. Worst case stress scenario was chosen and the model’s output was evaluated for the new chassis design.
An exploratory study of end‐of‐life prognostic communication needs as reported by widowed fathers due to cancer

Effective physician communication about prognosis is a critical aspect of quality care for families affected by terminal illness. This is particularly important for spousal caregivers of terminally ill parents of dependent children, who may have unique needs for communication about anticipated death. The objective of this study was to explore end‐of‐life prognostic communication experiences reported by bereaved fathers whose wives died from cancer.
Particle swarm optimisation algorithm for solving shortest path problems with mixed fuzzy arc weights

Shortest path problem is one of the most fundamental components in the fields of transportation and communication networks. This paper concentrates on a shortest path problem on a network where arc weights are represented by different kinds of fuzzy numbers. Recently, a genetic algorithm has been proposed for finding the shortest path in a network with mixed fuzzy arc weights due to the complexity of the addition of various fuzzy numbers for larger problems. In this paper, a particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm in fuzzy environment is used for the same due to its superior convergence speed. The main contribution of this paper is the reduction of the time complexity of the existing genetic algorithm. Additionally, to compare the obtained results of the proposed PSO algorithm with those of the existing algorithm, two shortest path problems having mixed fuzzy arc weights are solved. The comparative examples illustrate that the algorithm proposed in this paper is more efficient than the existing algorithm in terms of time complexity.
Derivation of Unit Hydrographs for Ungauged Catchments

Snyder based on a study of a large number of catchments in Appalachian Highlands of eastern United States developed a set of empirical equation for synthetic unit hydrograph in those areas. These empirical equations are of regional validity, which relates the salient hydrograph characteristics to the basin characteristics. For developing unit hydrograph of catchments detailed information about the rainfall and the resulting flood hydrographs are needed. But such information would be available only at few locations and that for remote locations would be normally very scanty. These empirical equations of regional validity will help in constructing the unit hydrograph for the particular region. In this paper attempt has been made to derive synthetic unit hydrograph for the Krishna Pennar river basin area in Maharashtra. The model which has been used for a statistical fitting on the data of the catchments within the sub zone is Y=CXP. Knowing L, Lc and S of a catchments under study, the various parameters of the unit hydrograph such as tr, tp, tm, Qp, qp, W50, W75, WR50, WR75, and tb. can be determined for ungauged catchments located in the sub zone. The equations are derived to determine the various parameters of unit hydrograph.
Promoting effective self-management programmes to improve COPD

The recent priority focus on integrated chronic care is not surprising given the burden of chronic disease. This focus has led to the development of integrated care programmes for chronically ill patients. Despite important heterogeneity in these programmes, there is a commonality of objectives i.e. to reduce fragmentation of care, and to increase continuity and coordination of care 1. Self-management interventions are an important component of integrated chronic care and the most commonly mentioned 2. An increasing number of healthcare professionals agree that patients with chronic disease should receive support to help them self-manage their disease as effectively as possible. Current evidence in chronic diseases suggests that patients with effective self-management skills make better use of healthcare professionals’ time and have enhanced self-care 3, 4. Through their daily decisions about medication, self-measurements and exercise, people with chronic diseases play a central role in determining the course of their disease. Unfortunately, what is already common practice in other chronic diseases is not yet applied in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We now urgently need to tackle COPD and ensure that effective self-management interventions, as an important part of integrated chronic care, are implemented when present. We now have sufficient scientific evidence to recommend self-management interventions for patients with COPD. Two recent systematic reviews have shown positive outcomes for patients with COPD 5, 6. In the most recent update of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews , it was demonstrated that self-management programmes reduce the probability of COPD-related hospital admissions 6. Another systematic review demonstrated a significant reduction in healthcare utilisation (unscheduled/emergency centre visits, number of hospitalisations and length of hospital stay) in trials that implemented self-management with other components of the chronic care model compared to trials with self-management alone 5. Self-management also …
Inter-Operator Spectrum Sharing from a Game Theoretical Perspective

We address the problem of spectrum sharing where competitive operators coexist in the same frequency band. First, we model this problem as a strategic non-cooperative game where operators simultaneously share the spectrum according to the Nash Equilibrium (NE). Given a set of channel realizations, several Nash equilibria exist which renders the outcome of the game unpredictable. Then, in a cognitive context with the presence of primary and secondary operators, the inter-operator spectrum sharing problem is reformulated as a Stackelberg game using hierarchy where the primary operator is the leader. The Stackelberg Equilibrium (SE) is reached where the best response of the secondary operator is taken into account upon maximizing the primary operator's utility function. Moreover, an extension to the multiple operators spectrum sharing problem is given. It is shown that the Stackelberg approach yields better payoffs for operators compared to the classical water-filling approach. Finally, we assess the goodness of the proposed distributed approach by comparing its performance to the centralized approach.
The Effect of Graphene and Natural Rubber Content on Mechanical and Electrical Conductivity Properties of Epoxy/Natural Rubber/Graphene Conductive Materials

The effect of graphene and natural rubber content on the mechanical and electrical performance of two- matrix system epoxy/ natural rubber with graphene nano-platelets (GNP) as a conductive nano-filler were investigated. Natural rubber (SMRL) was used as a toughening agent to improve the toughness properties of thermosetting epoxy resins. Graphene nano-platelets which acted as a conductive nano-filler were incorporated into two- matrix system to produced the outstanding electrical performance. There is an insulator to condutor transition at a significantly lower graphene loading to formed percolated pathway for the electron transfer. The percolation threshold were achieved at 0.8 vol% of graphene nano-filler. The result showed an improvement of the fracture toughness of the epoxy resins with the presence of graphene and natural rubber. The XRD result concluded that the conductive materials have intercalated structure.
Novel agar–stearyl alcohol oleogel-based bigels as structured delivery vehicles

ABSTRACT The present study describes the synthesis of novel bigels as delivery matrices for controlled delivery applications. The bigels were prepared by mixing agar hydrogel and stearyl alcohol oleogel in different proportions. The microscopic analysis of the bigels suggested the formation of biphasic bigels at lower proportions of oleogel and bicontinuous bigel at higher proportions. Stress relaxation study was used to analyze the mechanical properties. The viscoelastic property of the bigels was estimated by modeling the relaxation profile using Weichert model of viscoelasticity. The analysis of the electrical property of the bigels showed an increase in the impedance values as the oleogel content was increased. Further, a corresponding decrease in the electrical stability of the bigels was observed with an increase in the oleogel proportion. The analysis was prepared using (RQ)Q equivalent electrical circuit model. The ciprofloxacin hydrochloride release from the bigels was predominantly diffusion-mediated as analyzed by Korsmeyer–Pappas and Peppas–Sahlin models. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Experimental analysis and theoretical modeling of the mechanical behavior of starch‐grafted‐polypropylene/kenaf fibers composites

Mechanical properties of starch-grafted-polypropylene/kenaf fibers (KF) composites were investigated and compared to different theoretical models. In this work, the composites were prepared via melt compounding and compression molding processes at different KF loadings, that is, 10, 20, and 30 wt%. Tensile, fracture toughness and fatigue tests were performed. Generally, the mechanical properties increased with increasing kenaf fiber loadings. This is attributed to the good filler-matrix interactions between KF and starch-grafted-polypropylene, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Tensile properties were modeled using the rule of mixture, the Kelly-Tyson and the Halpin-Tsai models. Fatigue data were also modeled using different theoretical models to fit both S–N and normalized S–N curves with simple linear model and Boltzmann sigmoidal function. POLYM. COMPOS. , 00:000– 000, 2017. VC 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers