Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discrete event optimization: Single-run integrated simulation-optimization using mathematical programming

Optimization of discrete event systems conventionally uses simulation as a black-box oracle to estimate performance at design points generated by a separate optimization algorithm. This decoupled approach fails to exploit an important advantage: simulation codes are white-boxes, at least to their creators. In fact, the full integration of the simulation model and the optimization algorithm is possible in many situations. In this contribution, a framework previously proposed by the authors, based on the mathematical programming methodology, is presented under a wider perspective. We show how to derive mathematical models for solving optimization problems while simultaneously considering the dynamics of the system to be optimized. Concerning the solution methodology, we refer back to retrospective optimization (RO) and sample path optimization (SPO) settings. Advantages and drawbacks deriving from the use of mathematical programming as work models within the RO (SPO) framework will be analyzed and its convergence properties will be discussed.
Variability over 1 Week in the Urinary Concentrations of Metabolites of Diethyl Phthalate and Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate among Eight Adults: An Observational Study

Background Phthalates are metabolized and eliminated in urine within hours after exposure. Several reports suggest that concentrations of phthalate metabolites in a spot urine sample can provide a reliable estimation of exposure to phthalates for up to several months. Objectives We examined inter- and intraperson and inter- and intraday variability in the concentrations of monoethyl phthalate (MEP), the major metabolite of diethyl phthalate, commonly used in personal care products, and mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), a metabolite of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a polyvinyl chloride plasticizer of which diet is the principal exposure source, among eight adults who collected all urine voids (average, 7.6 samples/person/day) for 1 week. Methods We analyzed the urine samples using online solid-phase extraction coupled to isotope dilution–high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results Regardless of the type of void (spot, first morning, 24-hr collection), for MEP, interperson variability in concentrations accounted for > 75% of the total variance. By contrast, for MEHHP, within-person variability was the main contributor (69–83%) of the total variance. Furthermore, we observed considerable intraday variability in the concentrations of spot samples for MEHHP (51%) and MEP (21%). Conclusions MEP and MEHHP urinary concentrations varied considerably during 1 week, but the main contributors to the total variance differed (interday variability, MEHHP; interperson variability, MEP) regardless of the sampling strategy (spot, first morning, 24-hr collection). The nature of the exposure (diet vs. other lifestyle factors) and timing of urine sampling to evaluate exposure to phthalates should be considered. For DEHP and phthalates to which people are mostly exposed through diet, collecting 24-hr voids for only 1 day may not be advantageous compared with multiple spot collections. When collecting multiple spot urine samples, changing the time of collection may provide the most complete approach to assess exposure to diverse phthalates.
Feature Selection and Kernel Design via Linear Programming

The definition of object (e.g., data point) similarity is critical to the performance of many machine learning algorithms, both in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. However, it is often the case that a similarity function is unknown or chosen by hand. This paper introduces a formulation that given relative similarity comparisons among triples of points of the form object i is more like object j than object k, it constructs a kernel function that preserves the given relationships. Our approach is based on learning a kernel that is a combination of functions taken from a set of base functions (these could be kernels as well). The formulation is based on defining an optimization problem that can be solved using linear programming instead of a semidefinite program usually required for kernel learning. We show how to construct a convex problem from the given set of similarity comparisons and then arrive to a linear programming formulation by employing a subset of the positive definite matrices. We extend this formulation to consider representation/evaluation efficiency based on formulating a novel form of feature selection using kernels (that is not much more expensive to solve). Using publicly available data, we experimentally demonstrate how the formulation introduced in this paper shows excellent performance in practice by comparing it with a baseline method and a related state-of-the art approach, in addition of being much more efficient computationally.
HLA ‐A,‐B,‐DR HAPLOTYPE FREQUENCIES IN FRANCE—IMPLICATIONS FOR RECRUITMENT OF POTENTIAL BONE MARROW DONORS

We have undertaken a study of the haplotypes among French potential bone marrow donors in order to define the geographical regions of France with the maximum of polymorphism and also to develop a strategy for optimal donor recruitment. A maximum likelihood estimator was used to calculate haplotype frequencies and their support limits for each region and for the whole of France. The observed differences between the regions were statistically significant. For each region, the minimum number of haplotypes necessary to explain 50% of the total frequency was calculated and compared with the equivalent values, and confidence intervals, obtained by repeated random samplings from the overall file. This approach shows that some regions (e.g., Provence) appear to be richer in terms of the numbers of haplotypes observed, and others (e.g., Bretagne) poorer. In the latter case however, the frequencies of the most common haplotypes are greater. The haplotype frequencies of the whole sample were used to calculate the probability of finding a match for the next potential recipient for given sizes of the donor file, assuming random selection of donors. They were also used to calculate expected numbers of the major phenotypes, assuming Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and these were compared with those observed in the real data file. In this way, a large number of under-represented and nonrepresented phenotypes were identified. For each of these phenotypes, the most probable haplotypes and the regions in which these have the greatest frequencies have been identified. A search for donors with such particular phenotypes would be much more fruitful if directed towards these regions.
Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors Are Crucial for Tuning of E/I Balance in Prelimbic Cortex and for Decision-Making Processes

Rationale Decision-making is an essential component of our everyday life commonly disabled in a myriad of psychiatric conditions, such as bipolar and impulsive control disorders, addiction and pathological gambling, or schizophrenia. A large cerebral network encompassing the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the nucleus accumbens is activated for efficient decision-making. Methods We developed a mouse gambling task well suited to investigate the influence of uncertainty and risk in decision-making and the role of neurobiological circuits and their monoaminergic inputs. Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of the PFC are important for decision-making processes but their presumed roles in risk-taking and uncertainty management, as well as in cellular balance of excitation and inhibition (E/I) need to be investigated. Results Using mice lacking nAChRs – β2−/− mice, we evidence for the first time the crucial role of nAChRs in the fine tuning of prefrontal E/I balance together with the PFC, insular, and hippocampal alterations in gambling behavior likely due to sensitivity to penalties and flexibility alterations. Risky behaviors and perseveration in extinction task were largely increased in β2−/− mice as compared to control mice, suggesting the important role of nAChRs in the ability to make appropriate choices adapted to the outcome.
An SDP-based algorithm for linear-sized spectral sparsification

For any undirected and weighted graph G=(V,E,w) with n vertices and m edges, we call a sparse subgraph H of G, with proper reweighting of the edges, a (1+Îµ)-spectral sparsifier if (1-ε)xTLGx≤xT LH x≤(1+ε)xTLGx holds for any xΕℝn, where LG and LH are the respective Laplacian matrices of G and H. Noticing that Ω(m) time is needed for any algorithm to construct a spectral sparsifier and a spectral sparsifier of G requires Ω(n) edges, a natural question is to investigate, for any constant ε, if a (1+ε)-spectral sparsifier of G with O(n) edges can be constructed in Ο(m) time, where the Ο notation suppresses polylogarithmic factors. All previous constructions on spectral sparsification require either super-linear number of edges or m1+Ω(1) time. In this work we answer this question affirmatively by presenting an algorithm that, for any undirected graph G and ε>0, outputs a (1+ε)-spectral sparsifier of G with O(n/ε2) edges in Ο(m/εO(1)) time. Our algorithm is based on three novel techniques: (1) a new potential function which is much easier to compute yet has similar guarantees as the potential functions used in previous references; (2) an efficient reduction from a two-sided spectral sparsifier to a one-sided spectral sparsifier; (3) constructing a one-sided spectral sparsifier by a semi-definite program.
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Activity in the Gulf Coast Region of Mexico, 2003–2010

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) has been the causative agent for sporadic epidemics and equine epizootics throughout the Americas since the 1930s. In 1969, an outbreak of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) spread rapidly from Guatemala and through the Gulf Coast region of Mexico, reaching Texas in 1971. Since this outbreak, there have been very few studies to determine the northward extent of endemic VEEV in this region. This study reports the findings of serologic surveillance in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico from 2003–2010. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed on viral isolates from this region to determine whether there have been substantial genetic changes in VEEV since the 1960s. Based on the findings of this study, the Gulf Coast lineage of subtype IE VEEV continues to actively circulate in this region of Mexico and appears to be responsible for infection of humans and animals throughout this region, including the northern State of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas.
A lamin A protein isoform overexpressed in Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome interferes with mitosis in progeria and normal cells

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by dramatic premature aging. Classic HGPS is caused by a de novo point mutation in exon 11 (residue 1824, C → T) of the LMNA gene, activating a cryptic splice donor and resulting in a mutant lamin A (LA) protein termed “progerin/LAΔ50” that lacks the normal cleavage site to remove a C-terminal farnesyl group. During interphase, irreversibly farnesylated progerin/LAΔ50 anchors to the nuclear membrane and causes characteristic nuclear blebbing. Progerin/LAΔ50's localization and behavior during mitosis, however, are completely unknown. Here, we report that progerin/LAΔ50 mislocalizes into insoluble cytoplasmic aggregates and membranes during mitosis and causes abnormal chromosome segregation and binucleation. These phenotypes are largely rescued with either farnesyltransferase inhibitors or a farnesylation-incompetent mutant progerin/LAΔ50. Furthermore, we demonstrate that small amounts of progerin/LAΔ50 exist in normal fibroblasts, and a significant percentage of these progerin/LAΔ50-expressing normal cells are binucleated, implicating progerin/LAΔ50 as causing similar mitotic defects in the normal aging process. Our findings present evidence of mitotic abnormality in HGPS and may shed light on the general phenomenon of aging.
A Transparent Architecture for Agent Based Resource Management

A vital issue in context of modern distributed com puting environments is a simple and safe use of the computing storage and communication facilities present on the network In this paper we propose an agent based architectural concept for such an envi ronment which should assist the user in submitting requests to the distributed system in a transparent way The user should not need speci c knowledge of hardware and software architectures available or of the mechanisms for their activation and execution Instead a hierarchy of agents will perform the tasks of resource management and allocation As an example we will consider the remote execution of processes in a transparent and cost e cient way We will discuss strategies for agents to retrieve information on the current load in the system and to allocate resources based on this information
Presentes-pasados del 68 mexicano: Una historización de las memorias públicas del movimiento estudiantil, 1968-2007

THIS ARTICLE STUDIES THE MEMORIES IN THE MEXICAN PUBLIC SPACE OVER THE PAST FORTY YEARS. ALTHOUGH IT OF 1968 IS POSSIBLETO FIND A MEMORY OF THE DENUNCIATION OF REPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH OCTOBER 2 SINCE 1969, IT IS ONLY FROM THE MID-1980S THAT WE CAN LOCATE A MEMORY OF PRAISE OF THESTUDENT MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE, SINCE IT IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE COUNTRY. THE ARTICLE ANALYZES WHAT PRESENT NARRATIVES ARE ENUNCIATED ANDEVENTS RECALLED, AND WHAT KIND OF PAST IS RECO-VERED. WHIT THIS PURPOSE PUBLIC MEMORIES AREHISTORICIZED FROM THE VARIOUS POLITICAL PRESENTS FROM WHICH THEY ARE EXPRESSED.
A General Method for Maximizing the Error-Detecting Ability of Distributed Algorithms

The bound on component failures and their spatial distribution govern the fault tolerance of any candidate error-detecting algorithm. For distributed memory multiprocessors, the specific algorithm and the topology of the processor interconnection network define these bounds. This paper introduces the maximal fault index, derived from the system topology and local communication patterns, to demonstrate how a maximal number of simultaneous component failures can be tolerated for a particular interconnection network and error-detecting algorithm. The index is used to design a mapping of processes to processor groups such that the error-detecting ability of the algorithm is preserved for certain multiple simultaneous processor failures.
High-resolution 3T and 7T extension of the Colin27 atlas for deep-brain targeting

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease is an effective treatment however challenges remain in accurate targeting of the deep brain structures. Existing indirect DBS targeting relies on registration of 2D histological atlases [1] since many deep brain structures are not clearly visible in traditional images. Gradient echo images obtained with ultra-high-field 7 Tesla MRI can reveal superior contrast of deep-brain structures, with a degree of detail rivaling histology [2]. Although pre-surgical imaging of patients at 7T for direct targeting has been demonstrated [3], cost and availability limit its feasibility, thus, registration of high-resolution 3D atlases depicting structural targets could provide cost-effective and improved indirect targeting in DBS planning.
Characteristics of Valid Biographical Items

This study assessed the relationships between characteristics of biographical items from the Armed Services Applicant Profile and the items' validity in predicting the retention of enlisted military personnel. Item characteristics were appraised with ratings by expert judges and test takers, word and alternative counts, and response latencies. Item content was also appraised with ratings by expert judges. The more valid items involved overt behavior or experiences, dealt with discrete behavior or experiences, and had heterogeneous content. After controlling for item content, only the latter characteristic was related to validity. Item characteristics and item content interacted in several instances.
HEURÍSTICAS PARA AVALIAÇÃO DE GAMEPLAY DIRECIONADAS A ADULTOS MAIS VELHOS

Currently it has been observed that the worldwide population of the elderly people is growing. So it becomes increasingly necessary to provide leisure, socialization, physical and mental challenges for the improvement of living conditions of these people. Such benefits can be found in digital games provided they are appropriate to the public in this study, considering inherent difficulties and limitations due to age. This paper presents a set of heuristics for evaluating gameplay compiled from a literature review. It also shows the results of an evaluation with 60-92 year-old users to evaluate the compiled heuristics, conducted through the use of the mobile game “Viajando pelo Mundo” (“Traveling the World”), which was designed exclusively for older adults. The evaluation results highlight the importance of developing specific mobile casual games for the elderly, and confirms the need for appropriate heuristics for evaluating gameplay geared towards older adults.
Design of High-Sensitivity Cantilever and Its Monolithic Integration With CMOS Circuits

Rectangular piezoresistive cantilevers with stress concentration holes opened were designed and fabricated in order to increase the response signals of piezoresistive cantilever first. Both the simulations and the measurements on the cantilever sensitivity show that this design can obviously result in an improvement on the displacement sensitivity of the piezoresistive cantilever. After a characterization study on the piezoresistive cantilever, a monolithic integration of the microcantilever array with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) readout circuitry based on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS and the SOI micromachining technologies was designed. A cantilever array, a digital controlled multiplexer, and an instrumentation amplifier compose the integrated sensor system, and post-CMOS process was designed to fabricate the integrated system. The measurement results on the SOI CMOS circuitry of the integrated system prove a feasibility of the integration design
Analysis of O-Acetyl-ADP-ribose as a Target for Nudix ADP-ribose Hydrolases*

The Sir2 family of NAD+-dependent histone/protein deacetylases has been implicated in a wide range of biological activities, including gene silencing, life span extension, and chromosomal stability. Recent evidence has indicated that these proteins produce a novel metabolite O-acetyl-ADP-ribose (OAADPr) during deacetylation. Cellular studies have demonstrated that this metabolite exhibits biological effects when microinjected in living cells. However, the molecular targets ofOAADPr remain to be identified. Here we have analyzed the ADP-ribose-specific Nudix family of hydrolases as potential in vivo metabolizing enzymes of OAADPr. In vitro, we found that the ADP-ribose hydrolases (yeast YSA1, mouse NudT5, and human NUDT9) cleaved OAADPr to the products AMP and acetylated ribose 5′-phosphate. Steady-state kinetic analyses revealed that YSA1 and NudT5 hydrolyzed OAADPr with similar kinetic constants to those obtained with ADP-ribose as substrate. In dramatic contrast, human NUDT9 was 500-fold less efficient (k cat/K m values) at hydrolyzing OAADPr compared with ADP-ribose. The inability of OAADPr to inhibit the reaction of NUDT9 with ADP-ribose suggests that NUDT9 binds OAADPr with low affinity, likely due to steric considerations of the additional acetylated-ribose moiety. We next explored whether Nudix hydrolytic activities against OAADPr could be observed in cell extracts from yeast and human. Using a detailed analysis of the products generated during the consumption of OAADPr in extracts, we identified two robust enzymatic activities that were not consistent with the known Nudix hydrolases. Instead, we identified cytoplasmic esterase activities that hydrolyze OAADPr to acetate and ADP-ribose, whereas a distinct activity residing in the nucleus is consistent with an OAADPr-specific acetyltransferase. These findings establish for the first time that select members of the ADP-ribose hydrolases are potential targets ofOAADPr metabolism. However, the predominate endogenous activities observed from diverse cell extracts represent novel enzymes.
Heuristics and metaheuristics in forward-chaining planning

Forward-chaining heuristic search is a well-established and popular paradigm for planning. It is, however, characterised by two key weaknesses. First, search is guided by a domain-independent heuristic which although applicable in a wide range of domains, can often give poor guidance. Second, the metaheuristics used to control forward-chaining planning are often weak, using simple local-search or exhaustive-search algorithms. This thesis contributes work to address both of these issues. To improve the quality of the domain-independent heuristic used, the ‘generic type’ information provided by an existing static analysis tool is used to provide the basis to address known weaknesses in the heuristic concerning the behaviour of recognised generic types. To improve search control, a local-search algorithm based on hill-climbing search is introduced, making use of restarts and a powerful neighbourhood function. This local-search planning algorithm is then used within a multi-point constructive search framework. These two approaches are used to produce two planners, based on Marvin— an existing forward-chaining heuristic-search planner. Results presented indicate that the two approaches are able to improve the performance of the planner. The local-search planner is able to provide better performance across a range of domains; and the use of multi-point constructive search is able to improve the performance of the local-search planner further in some domains. The planner making use of the generic type information is able to provide better performance in domains in which the known generic types can be recognised, having addressed known weaknesses of the heuristic.
Changes in Psychological Distress among East German Adolescents Facing German Unification

Abrupt social change, such as the breakdown of a political system of the former communist states, presents a major adaptive challenge to the individual. The authors analyzed whether commitment to the old political system and high self-efficacy beliefs measured before German unification would predict change in psychological distress in East German adolescents in the first 2 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Adolescents who were highly committed to the old East German political system showed a stronger increase in distress after unification, however only if they had low preunification self-efficacy beliefs. In adolescents with average and high levels of preunification self-efficacy, previous identification with the East German system was not related to change in psychological distress. In addition, higher self-efficacy predicted a decrease in psychological distress over time.
Nuclear mitochondrial‐like sequences in ants: evidence from Atta cephalotes (Formicidae: Attini)

Nuclear mitochondrial‐like sequences (numts) are copies of mitochondrial DNA that have migrated to the genomic DNA. We present the first characterization of numts in ants, these numts being homologues to a mitochondrial DNA fragment containing loci the 3′ portion of the cytochrome oxidase I gene, an intergenic spacer, the tRNA leucine gene and the 5′ portion of the cytochrome oxidase II gene. All 67 specimens of Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini) investigated had these homologues, which are within two monophyletic groups that we called numt1 and numt2. Numt1 and numt2 sequences are less variable than mitochondrial sequences and released from the severe purifying selection constraining the evolution of mitochondrial genes. Their formation probably involved bottlenecks related to two distinct transfer events of ancient and fast evolving mitochondrial DNA fragments to comparative slowly evolving nuclear DNA regions.