Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation of the joint survival function for successive duration times

ABSTRACT In incident cohort studies, survival data often include subjects who have experienced an initiate event but have not experienced a subsequent event at the calendar time of recruitment. During the follow-up periods, subjects may undergo a series of successive events. Since the second/third duration process becomes observable only if the first/second event has occurred, the data are subject to left-truncation and dependent censoring. In this article, using the inverse-probability-weighted (IPW) approach, we propose nonparametric estimators for the estimation of the joint survival function of three successive duration times. The asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators are established. The simple bootstrap methods are used to estimate standard deviations and construct interval estimators. A simulation study is conducted to investigate the finite sample properties of the proposed estimators.
Powering Spoken Language Interactions With the Crowd

Spoken language interfaces (SLIs) have the potential to facilitate more natural interactions between people and computers, but realizing this potential requires spoken language interfaces to not only recognize the words people say but also the meaning and intent behind them. These problems are very difficult to solve individually and each must be solved for the other to perform optimally. As a result, it is very difficult to build prototype systems that work well enough to allow spoken language interaction to be studied in the real world. This has limited our ability to understand how users would want to interact with such systems and largely prevented the collection of general high-quality training data that could improve these systems. In this paper, we present a crowd-powered pipeline that allows robust, interactive SLIs to be prototyped and deployed today. The pipeline is at first entirely powered by human intelligence, but smoothly scales towards being fully automated by using the data it collects to improve the system.
Phospholipids and Alzheimer’s Disease: Alterations, Mechanisms and Potential Biomarkers

Brain is one of the richest organs in lipid content. Phospholipids (glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids) are important building blocks of cell membranes, which provide an optimal environment for protein interactions, trafficking and function. Because of that, alterations in their cellular levels could lead to different pathogenic processes in the brain, such as in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia among older populations. There is increasing evidence that phospholipid changes occur during pathogenic processes in AD. It is known that lipids are tightly connected with metabolism of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), which produces Amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ), the main component of senile plaques, which represent the main pathological hallmark of AD. However, the mechanism(s) of the lipid-effect on Aβ metabolism and AD pathogenesis is still not completely understood. This review summarizes the current knowledge on phospholipid changes occurring during normal aging and discusses phospholipid changes in the human brain associated with different stages of AD, as well changes in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood/plasma, which are interesting potential biomarkers for AD diagnosis and disease monitoring. At the end, we have discussed future perspectives of phospholipid changes as potential biomarkers and as targets for development of novel treatment strategies against AD.
Study of the application of meta-fractal graphics design

Meta-fractal design is the new method and idea of graphic design. By utilizing the fractal self-similarity principle and using the definition of function or software extraction process, we may extract the relatively independent unit-meta-fractal in which to a certain extent contains the basic information and characteristics of the whole fractal graph. By utilizing computer CAD software and following aesthetic rules, meta-fractal can be developed into a variety of pattern designs.
Nonisothermal Decomposition Kinetics of Nylon 1010/POSS Composites

The thermal stability of nylon 1010/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) composites prepared by melt blending was investigated with thermogravimetric analysis. The octavinyl POSS (vPOSS) and epoxycyclohexyl POSS (ePOSS) were used, and it was found that nylon/vPOSS composites have higher integral procedure decomposition temperature and char yield at 800°C than nylon/ePOSS composites. The Doyle–Ozawa (model-free) and Friedman (model-fitting) methods were used to characterize the nonisothermal decomposition kinetics of nylon 1010 and its composites. The activation energy (Ea), reaction order (n), and the natural logarithm of frequency factor of nylon 1010 were 267 kJ/mol, 1.0, and 47 min−1, respectively, in nitrogen. After the addition of POSS, the Ea of nylon 1010 considerably increased, whereas n had less change. The Ea steadily increased with increasing conversion and with increasing heating rate. The lifetime of nylon 1010 and its composites decreased with increasing temperature. At a given temperature, POSS significantly prolonged the lifetime of nylon 1010. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Directional Greedy Routing Protocol (DGRP) in Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

Position based routing protocols are becoming popular over topology based routing protocols due to advancement and availability of GPS devices. Most of the existing position based routing protocols depends upon the beacon interval to collect its current position due to limitations of GPS systems. Delay in collecting the current position forces the routing protocol to use inaccurate position information in highly mobile network that leads to low throughput and high overhead. So in this paper we propose a directional greedy routing protocol (DGRP) which predicts the position of it neighboring nodes during the beacon interval, using the speed and direction information provided in beacon packets. Simulation result in ns2.31 shows that DGRP achieves the better packet delivery ratio, throughput, and overhead compared to the existing GPSR protocol.
Structural Damage Identification Using Improved Particle Swarm Optimization

In order to solve structural damage identification problem, a damage identification method based on improved Particle Swarm Optimization (IPSO) is presented. First, structural frequency and modal strain energy are utilized to obtain damage information. Then, evidence fusion theory is utilized to integrate the information and preliminarily identify structural damage locations. After the damaged locations are determined, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used to identify structural damage extent. Some improved strategies are presented to enhance the search efficiency. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can estimate the damage locations and extent with good accuracy.
Checking Beliefs in Dynamic Networks

Network Verification is a form of model checking in which a model of the network is checked for properties stated using a specification language. Existing network verification tools lack a general specification language and hardcode the network model. Hence they cannot, for example, model policies at a high level of abstraction. Neither can they model dynamic networks; even a simple packet format change requires changes to internals. Standard verification tools (e.g., model checkers) have expressive specification and modeling languages but do not scale to large header spaces. We introduce Network Optimized Datalog (NoD) as a tool for network verification in which both the specification language and modeling languages are Datalog. NoD can also scale to large to large header spaces because of a new filter-project operator and a symbolic header representation. As a consequence, NoD allows checking for beliefs about network reachability policies in dynamic networks. A belief is a high-level invariant (e.g., "Internal controllers cannot be accessed from the Internet") that a network operator thinks is true. Beliefs may not hold, but checking them can uncover bugs or policy exceptions with little manual effort. Refuted beliefs can be used as a basis for revised beliefs. Further, in real networks, machines are added and links fail; on a longer term, packet formats and even forwarding behaviors can change, enabled by OpenFlow and P4. NoD allows the analyst to model such dynamic networks by adding new Datalog rules. For a large Singapore data center with 820K rules, NoD checks if any guest VM can access any controller (the equivalent of 5K specific reachability invariants) in 12 minutes. NoD checks for loops in an experimental SWAN backbone network with new headers in a fraction of a second. NoD generalizes a specialized system, SecGuru, we currently use in production to catch hundreds of configuration bugs a year. NoD has been released as part of the publicly available Z3 SMT solver.
Regulation of the transcriptome by ER stress: non-canonical mechanisms and physiological consequences

The mammalian unfolded protein response (UPR) is propagated by three ER-resident transmembrane proteins, each of which initiates a signaling cascade that ultimately culminates in production of a transcriptional activator. The UPR was originally characterized as a pathway for upregulating ER chaperones, and a comprehensive body of subsequent work has shown that protein synthesis, folding, oxidation, trafficking, and degradation are all transcriptionally enhanced by the UPR. However, the global reach of the UPR extends to genes involved in diverse physiological processes having seemingly little to do with ER protein folding, and this includes a substantial number of mRNAs that are suppressed by stress rather than stimulated. Through multiple non-canonical mechanisms emanating from each of the UPR pathways, the cell dynamically regulates transcription and mRNA degradation. Here we highlight these mechanisms and their increasingly appreciated impact on physiological processes.
Resource-aware algorithm for virtual machine placement in cloud environment

Cloud computing emerged as a new computing paradigm for on-demand provisioning of IT services over the Internet. One challenging research issues in cloud environment it to develop any energy efficient and resource-aware algorithm for virtual machine placement (VMP) problem. If the problem is not dealt properly, it affects the performance of cloud data centers in terms of resource utilization and power consumption. In this paper, we propose a new VM placement for a cloud environment, to address VMP problem. The objective of the proposed algorithm is to maximize resource utilization and minimize the number of active physical machines. We adopt a clever strategy to assign ranks to VMs and placing VMs based on their ranks. We simulate the proposed algorithm as well as existing algorithm. The simulation results show that the performance of the proposed is better than the existing algorithm.
Diamond-Machined Geodesic Lenses In LiNbO3

The application of single point diamond turning to the fabrication of aberration-corrected, aspheric geodesic lenses in LiNb03 for use in integrated optics is reported. F/5 lenses with useful apertures of 4 mm and 5 mm have been produced. Lens profile accuracies ranging between 1.5 and 3 pm total indicator reading and depth accuracies of 0.25 to 2.0 μm have been achieved. The machined surfaces require only light polishing, which produces little effect on the figure accuracy, to remove residual machining marks. Waveguides grown by Ti-indiffusion are found to be characterized by very low scattering losses. Optical image spot sizes of 1.35 to 2.23 times diffraction-limited have been measured for input beam widths of 1.0 to 3.28 mm for a lens in which the edge rounding has not been incorporated into the aspheric correction. The edge rounding has been included in the correction for subsequent lenses.
pH NEUTRALIZATION IN CSTR USING MODELREFERENCE NEURAL NETWORK AND FUZZY LOGIC ADAPTIVE CONTROLLING SCHEMES

Control of the pH neutralization process plays an important role in many applications. Model reference adaptive controller base controlling is applied for pH process and intelligent controller such as fuzzy and neural network is added along with this adaptive controller in order to improve the response. A comparative study of these 3 controller was done in this paper.
The Influence of Frailty on Outcomes in Cardiovascular Disease Influencia de la fragilidad del paciente en las enfermedades cardiovasculares

Physicians practicing in the modern era are confronted with an ever aging and comorbid population. A working knowledge of the principles of frailty and its application to distinct medical conditions can help the clinician tailor recommendations to optimize both patient-centered goals and traditional outcomes. In this article, we will define frailty and synthesize the recent evidence on its role in affecting outcomes across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Frailty is defined as a state of susceptibility in which a person has decreased physical reserve that leads to a greater likelihood of an adverse outcome when a stressor is applied. The concept of frailty came to prominence after a seminal publication by Fried et al, in which frailty was described as low overall physical activity level, unintentional weight loss, slow walking speed, fatigue, and loss of physical strength. Later works broadened this definition to include a variety of other factors, ie, comorbid medical conditions, loss of independence for activities of daily living, low albumin levels, and cognitive impairments. The pathophysiologic basis of frailty involves an interplay of aging-associated biologic changes and long-term ‘‘wear and tear’’ leading to subclinical organ dysfunction. The application of a stressor (in the form of an illness) makes ‘‘subclinical’’ disease become ‘‘clinical’’ and may result serious adverse outcomes (Figure). The overall prevalence of frailty in adults age 65 years and older has been estimated at approximately 10%. However, in patients with significant CVD, the prevalence may be as high as 60%. In 2009, Afilalo et al conducted a systematic review evaluating the risk of concomitant frailty and CVD. The study pooled 54 250 elderly patients from 9 studies and demonstrated an increased risk of death in those with concomitant frailty and CVD with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) ranging from 1.6 to 4.0 across the evaluated studies. The frail phenotype is even more pervasive in valvular heart disease patients, particularly in calcific aortic stenosis (primarily seen in patients older than 70 years of age). In high risk transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients with calcific aortic stenosis, the prevalence of frailty was as high as 86%. FRAILTY PREDICTION SCORES
Phase-change recording/readout with a high-throughput fiber probe

We applied a super-wavelength apertured fiber probe to phase-change recording/readout. Though the fiber probe had a super-wavelength aperture, the spot size at the aperture was as small as 150 nm (< λ/5). An as-deposited SiO2/AgInTe2/glass substrate was used as a recording medium. For recording, a laser diode with a pulsewidth of 2 μs (λ=850 nm) was used. By scanning the probe for reading, we obtained resolved images of the recorded dot with a width of 250 nm.
Grouping of Adenoviruses and Identification of Restriction Endonuclease Cleavage Patterns of Adenovirus DNAs Using Infected Cell DNA: Simple and Practical Methods

Simple and practical methods for grouping of adenoviruses and for identification of restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns of viral DNA were established by using infected cell DNA. DNA homology groupings of adenoviruses could be examined by spot hybridization, and restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns of viral DNAs could be obtained by Southern blot hybridization, by using infected cell DNA. The method was very sensitive and allowed the identification of the cleavage pattern of viral DNA of the inoculum by means of cell DNA extracted from infected cells with undetectable cytopathic effect (CPE). In ethidium bromide‐stained gels without Southern blot hybridization, the restriction endonuclease cleavage pattern of viral DNA could be detected precisely in spite of background staining due to cellular DNA. The preparation of infected cell DNA used in these procedures was technically much easier than that of viral DNA. These methods require only a small number of infected cells and allow many isolates to be investigated with ease.
The “permanent” component of NBTI revisited: Saturation, degradation-reversal, and annealing

While the defects constituting the recoverable component R of NBTI have been very well analyzed recently, the slower defects forming the more “permanent” component P are much less understood. Using a pragmatic definition for P, we study the evolution of P at elevated temperatures in the range 200°C to 350°C to accelerate these very slow processes. We demonstrate for the first time that P not only clearly saturates, with the saturation value depending on the gate bias, but also that the degradation at constant gate bias can also slowly reverse. Furthermore, at temperatures higher than about 300° C, a significant amount of additional defects is created, which are primarily uncharged around Vth but contribute strongly to P at higher VG. Our new data are consistent with our recently suggested hydrogen release model which will be studied in detail using newly acquired long-term data.
Development and Comparative Evaluation of a Plate Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Based on Recombinant Outer Membrane Antigens Omp28 and Omp31 for Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis

ABSTRACT Brucellosis is an important zoonotic infectious disease of humans and livestock with worldwide distribution and is caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. The diagnosis of brucellosis always requires laboratory confirmation by either isolation of pathogens or detection of specific antibodies. The conventional serological tests available for the diagnosis of brucellosis are less specific and show cross-reactivity with other closely related organisms. These tests also necessitate the handling of Brucella species for antigen preparation. Therefore, there is a need to develop reliable, rapid, and user-friendly systems for disease diagnosis and alternatives to vaccine approaches. Keeping in mind the importance of brucellosis as an emerging infection and the prevalence in India, we carried out the present study to compare the recombinant antigens with the native antigens (cell envelope and sonicated antigen) of Brucella for diagnosis of human brucellosis by an indirect plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Recombinant outer membrane protein 28 (rOmp28) and rOmp31 antigens were cloned, expressed, and purified in the bacterial expression system, and the purified proteins were used as antigens. Indirect plate ELISAs were then performed and standardized for comparison of the reactivities of recombinant and native antigens against the 433 clinical samples submitted for brucellosis testing, 15 culture-positive samples, and 20 healthy donor samples. The samples were separated into four groups based on their positivity to rose bengal plate agglutination tests (RBPTs), standard tube agglutination tests (STATs), and 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME) tests. The sensitivities and specificities of all the antigens were calculated, and the rOmp28 antigen was found to be more suitable for the clinical diagnosis of brucellosis than the rOmp31 antigen and native antigens. The rOmp28-based ELISA showed a very high degree of agreement with the conventional agglutination tests and promising results for further use in clinical screening and serodiagnosis of human brucellosis.
Magnetic actuation of ultra-compliant micro robotic mechanisms

This work presents highly flexible elastomer and silicon micro robotic mechanisms actuated using embedded permanent magnets manipulated by an external magnetic field. The mechanisms are fabricated using a process to incorporate elastomer hinges and other features into silicon MEMS, and a method for embedding small magnets via press-fit into an elastomer sleeve. Fabricated mechanisms have demonstrated in-plane bending, out of plane bending, and underactuated compliant gripping. In-plane bending mechanisms have achieved up to 150° of deflection, out of plane bending mechanisms have achieved up to 90° bending perpendicular to the surface of the chip, and the 4.4 mm × 3.8 mm × 0.3 mm gripper can passively grip objects up to 1.5 mm in size and as small as 0.5 mm. The mechanisms demonstrated can be used as actuated portions of larger mechanisms, for out-of-plane assembly, or for on-chip manipulation.
Bellman goes relational

Motivated by the interest in relational reinforcement learning, we introduce a novel relational Bellman update operator called REBEL. It employs a constraint logic programming language to compactly represent Markov decision processes over relational domains. Using REBEL, a novel value iteration algorithm is developed in which abstraction (over states and actions) plays a major role. This framework provides new insights into relational reinforcement learning. Convergence results as well as experiments are presented.
Polycarbonate with Pineapple Leaf Fiber to Produce Functional Composites

This research is to study the properties of pineapple leaf fiber reinforced polycarbonate composites (PC/PALF). Surface of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) was pre-treated with sodium hydroxide (PALF/NaOH) and modified with two different functionalities such as γ-aminopropyl trimethoxy silane (PALF/Z-6011) and γ-methacryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane (PALF/Z-6030). The effects of PALF content and chemical treatment were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy and mechanical testing. The modified pineapple leaf fibers composite also produces enhanced mechanical properties. Young’s modulus is highest in the case of the PALF/NaOH composites. The PALF/Z-6011 composites showed highest tensile strength and impact strength. In thermal property, the results from Thermogravimetric analysis showed that thermal stability of the composites is lower than that of neat polycarbonate resin and thermal stability decreased with increasing pineapple leaf fiber content.
Exploring the design space of social network-based Sybil defenses

Recently, there has been significant research interest in leveraging social networks to defend against Sybil attacks. While much of this work may appear similar at first glance, existing social network-based Sybil defense schemes can be divided into two categories: Sybil detection and Sybil tolerance. These two categories of systems both leverage global properties of the underlying social graph, but they rely on different assumptions and provide different guarantees: Sybil detection schemes are application-independent and rely only on the graph structure to identify Sybil identities, while Sybil tolerance schemes rely on application-specific information and leverage the graph structure and transaction history to bound the leverage an attacker can gain from using multiple identities. In this paper, we take a closer look at the design goals, models, assumptions, guarantees, and limitations of both categories of social network-based Sybil defense systems.