Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A quantum-inspired approximate dynamic programming algorithm for unit commitment problems considering wind power

A quantum-inspired approximate dynamic programming algorithm (QI-ADP) is proposed for solving unit commitment problems considering wind power (WUC). The quantum computing theory is applied to tackle some new issues rising from ADP. In details, the unit states in a WUC problem are expressed by the quantum superposition. Then, the collapsing principle of quantum measurement is applied to solve the Bellman equation of ADP speedily. Based on the quantum rotation gate, the pre-decision states of the ADP are generated by quantum amplitude amplification technology. In the proposal algorithm, the quantum computation balances between state space exploration and exploitation automatically. Test cases of WUC are performed to verify the feasibility of the proposal approximate algorithm for the range of 10 to 100 units with 24-hour with ramp rate constraints. The experimental results show that the QI-ADP algorithm can find the sub-optimal solutions of large scale WUC problems within a reasonable time, and the average operational cost is reduced by 9.38% when the wind power is consumed. As a result, it is feasible to use the quantum computing theory to tackle some new issues rising from ADP, and the QI-ADP can be applied to solve large-scale WUC problems.
Dynamics of pulses trade in India

During the past decade, because of the persistent deficit in India’s pulse sector, the sharp rise in pulse prices has coincided with significant changes in the nature and extent of the pulse trade. Surprisingly, no systematic study has been done on the evolution of this trade, despite the fact that the role of trade in the price formation of pulses is becoming increasingly important. This chapter attempts to fill this research gap. Since exports of pulses from India are comparatively small, we focus on imports.
Guide wire reconstruction and visualization in 3DRA using monoplane fluoroscopic imaging

A method has been developed that, based on the guide wire position in monoplane fluoroscopic images, visualizes the approximate guide wire position in the three-dimensional (3-D) vasculature, that is obtained prior to the intervention with 3-D rotational X-ray angiography (3DRA). The method assumes the position of the guide wire in the fluoroscopic images is known. A two-dimensional feature image is determined from the 3DRA data. In this feature image, the guide wire position is determined in a two-step approach: a mincost algorithm is used to determine a suitable position for the guide wire, and subsequently a snake optimization technique is applied to move the guide wire to a better position. The resulting guide wire can then be visualized in 3-D in combination with the 3DRA dataset. The reconstruction accuracy of the method has been evaluated using a 3DRA image of a vascular phantom filled with contrast, and monoplane fluoroscopic images of the same phantom without contrast and with a guide wire inserted. The evaluation has been performed for different projection angles, and with different parameters for the method. The final result does not appear to be very sensitive to the parameters of the method. The average mean error of the estimated 3-D guide wire position is 1.5 mm, and the average tip distance is 2.3 mm. The effect of inaccurate C-arm geometry information is also investigated. Small errors in geometry information (up to 1/spl deg/) will slightly decrease the 3-D reconstruction accuracies, with an error of at most 1 mm. The feasibility of this approach on clinical data is demonstrated.
Research on the inverse kinematics solution of robot arm for watermelon picking

This paper puts forward a genetic algorithm based on non-linear programming in order to deal with the inverse kinematics solution precision of robot arm for watermelon picking, ensure the yield after picking and improve the fruit quality after picking. The robot arm for watermelon picking adopts the model of Denavit-Hartenberg, which mainly applies the non-linear genetic algorithm to give solution on the inverse kinematics issues. Lastly the paper differentiate the obtained inverse kinematics parameters through random forests algorithm. This paper respectively applies the genetic algorithm and nonlinear programming genetic algorithm for inverse kinematics solution on robot arm for watermelon picking with five degrees, six degrees and seven degrees of freedom. The experiment result shows that the non-linear programming genetic algorithm could effectively give inverse kinematics solution on robot arm for watermelon picking with multiple degrees of freedom, with the solution precision 300 to 600 times that of the genetic algorithm. There are more than one solution for the inversion result of the robot arm and the random forests algorithm could select fairly good picking path and gesture to reduce the unnecessary damage to the watermelon fruits in the picking.
Using a Recurrent Neural Network Model for Classification of Tweets Conveyed Influenza-related Information

Traditional disease surveillance systems depend on outpatient reporting and virological test results released by hospitals. These data have valid and accurate information about emerging outbreaks but it’s often not timely. In recent years the exponential growth of users getting connected to social media provides immense knowledge about epidemics by sharing related information. Social media can now flag more immediate concerns related to out-breaks in real time. In this paper we apply the long short-term memory recurrent neural net-work (RNN) architecture to classify tweets conveyed influenza-related information and compare its performance with baseline algorithms including support vector machine (SVM), decision tree, naive Bayes, simple logistics, and naive Bayes multinomial. The developed RNN model achieved an F-score of 0.845 on the MedWeb task test set, which outperforms the F-score of SVM without applying the synthetic minority oversampling technique by 0.08. The F-score of the RNN model is within 1% of the highest score achieved by SVM with oversampling technique.
The association of race and socioeconomic status with cardiovascular disease indicators among older adults in the health, aging, and body composition study.

OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that older Black adults would have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than White adults, as indicated by elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP), low ankle-arm blood pressure index (AAI), and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). But, accounting for a broad interpretation of socioeconomic status (SES) (i.e., education, family income, home ownership, and other assets) would reduce these differences. METHODS Data are from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study, a longitudinal clinical research study of 3,075 well-functioning adults aged 70-79, in which 46% of women and 33% of men are Black. Logistic regression modeled racial and SES differences in CVD indicators. RESULTS Being Black was significantly associated with elevated SBP (men only), low AAI, and LVH, and remained significant after accounting for each SES measure. The racial association with CVD was reduced the most by income for elevated SBP in men, other assets for low AAI in women and men, and other assets for LVH in men. DISCUSSION Contrary to the age-as-leveler theory, being Black was strongly associated with CVD indicators, and accounting for SES did not reduce this association. Whether other SES measures, such as access to care, could explain the racial association remains to be explored.
VEGF‐R2 and neuropilin‐1 are involved in VEGF‐A‐induced differentiation of human bone marrow progenitor cells

Tumor growth and metastasis require the generation of new blood vessels, a process known as neo‐angiogenesis. Recent studies have indicated that early tumor vascularization is characterized by the differentiation and mobilization of human bone marrow cells. Vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A) is one of the growth factors, which enhances their differentiation into endothelial cells, but little is known about the implication of the VEGF‐receptor tyrosine kinases and about the implication of the VEGF‐R co‐receptor, neuropilin‐1, in this process. In this context, the identification of the molecular pathways that support the proliferation and differentiation of vascular stem and progenitor cells was investigated in order to define the pharmaceutical targets involved in tissue vascularization associated with this process. For this purpose, an in vitro model of differentiation of human bone marrow AC133+ (BM‐AC133+) cells into vascular precursors was used. In this work, we have demonstrated for the first time that the effect of VEGF‐A on BM‐AC133+ cells relies on an early action of VEGF‐A on the expression of its tyrosine kinase receptors followed by an activation of a VEGF‐R2/neuropilin‐1‐dependent signaling pathway. This signaling promotes the differentiation of BM‐AC133+ cells into endothelial precursor cells, followed by the proliferation of these differentiated cells. Altogether, these results strongly suggest that VEGF inhibitors, acting at the level of VEGF‐R2 and/or neuropilin‐1, by inhibiting differentiation and proliferation of these cells, could be potentially active compounds to prevent progenitor cells to be involved in tumor angiogenesis leading to tumor growth. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The mucosal attachment at different abutments. An experimental study in dogs.

The present experiment was performed to examine if the material used in the abutment part of an implant system influenced the quality of the mucosal barrier that formed following implant installation. 5 beagle dogs were included in the study. The mandibular premolars and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd maxillary premolars were extracted. Three fixtures of the Brånemark System were installed in each mandibular quadrant (a total of 6 fixtures per animal). Abutment connection was performed after 3 months of healing. In each dog the following types of abutments were used: 2 "control abutments" (c.p. titanium), 2 "ceramic abutments" (highly sintered Al2O3), 1 "gold abutment", and 1 "short titanium abutment". This "short titanium abutment" was provided with an outer structure made of dental porcelain fused to gold. Following abutment connection a plaque control program was initiated and maintained for 6 months. The animals were sacrificed and perfused with a fixative. The mandibles were removed and each implant region was dissected, demineralized in EDTA and embedded in EPON. Semithin sections representing the mesial, distal, buccal and lingual aspects of the peri-implant tissues were produced and subjected to histological examination. The findings from the analysis demonstrated that the material used in the abutment portion of the implant influenced the location and the quality of the attachment that occurred between the periimplant mucosa and the implant. Abutments made of c.p. titanium or ceramic allowed the formation of a mucosal attachment which included one epithelial and one connective tissue portion that were about 2 mm and 1-1.5 mm high, respectively. At sites where abutments made of gold alloy or dental porcelain were used, no proper attachment formed at the abutment level, but the soft tissue margin receded and bone resorption occurred. The abutment fixture junction was hereby occasionally exposed and the mucosal barrier became established to the fixture portion of the implant. It was suggested that the observed differences were the result of varying adhesive properties of the materials studied or by variations in their resistance to corrosion.
Spinal GABAergic Transplants Attenuate Mechanical Allodynia in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain

Injury to the spinal cord or peripheral nerves can lead to the development of allodynia due to the loss of inhibitory tone involved in spinal sensory function. The potential of intraspinal transplants of GABAergic cells to restore inhibitory tone and thus decrease pain behaviors in a rat model of neuropathic pain was investigated. Allodynia of the left hind paw was induced in rats by unilateral L5– 6 spinal nerve root ligation. Mechanical sensitivity was assessed using von Frey filaments. Postinjury, transgenic fetal green fluorescent protein mouse GABAergic cells or human neural precursor cells (HNPCs) expanded in suspension bioreactors and differentiated into a GABAergic phenotype were transplanted into the spinal cord. Control rats received undifferentiated HNPCs or cell suspension medium only. Animals that received either fetal mouse GABAergic cell or differentiated GABAergic HNPC intraspinal transplants demonstrated a significant increase in paw withdrawal thresholds at 1 week post‐transplantation that was sustained for 6 weeks. Transplanted fetal mouse GABAergic cells demonstrated immunoreactivity for glutamic acid decarboxylase and GABA that colocalized with green fluorescent protein. Intraspinally transplanted differentiated GABAergic HNPCs demonstrated immunoreactivity for GABA and β‐III tubulin. In contrast, intraspinal transplantation of undifferentiated HNPCs, which predominantly differentiated into astrocytes, or cell suspension medium did not affect any behavioral recovery. Intraspinally transplanted GABAergic cells can reduce allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. In addition, HNPCs expanded in a standardized fashion in suspension bioreactors and differentiated into a GABAergic phenotype may be an alternative to fetal cells for cell‐based therapies to treat chronic pain syndromes.
Evaluating Layers of Representation in Neural Machine Translation on Part-of-Speech and Semantic Tagging Tasks

While neural machine translation (NMT) models provide improved translation quality in an elegant framework, it is less clear what they learn about language. Recent work has started evaluating the quality of vector representations learned by NMT models on morphological and syntactic tasks. In this paper, we investigate the representations learned at different layers of NMT encoders. We train NMT systems on parallel data and use the models to extract features for training a classifier on two tasks: part-of-speech and semantic tagging. We then measure the performance of the classifier as a proxy to the quality of the original NMT model for the given task. Our quantitative analysis yields interesting insights regarding representation learning in NMT models. For instance, we find that higher layers are better at learning semantics while lower layers tend to be better for part-of-speech tagging. We also observe little effect of the target language on source-side representations, especially in higher quality models.
New Proposals of a Stress Measure in a Capital and its Robust Estimator

In this paper a novel approach for a measurement of stresses in a capital, which induce the capital flows between economic systems, is proposed. The proposals appeal to an apparatus offered by the statistical theory of shape. We propose a stress functional basing on a concept of mean shape determined by representative particles of a capital carrier. We also propose methods of describing changes in an amount and a structure of stresses in a capital appealing, among others, to a Bookstein's pair of thin plain spline deformation, and a measure of a shape variability. We apply our approach to an indirect verification of the hypothesis according to which a capital flow between economic systems is related to an activity of an inner force related to stresses in a capital. We indicate, that the stresses create a phenomenon analogous to the heat, which may be interpreted in terms of a positive economic external effect, which attracts a capital from environment of a system to the system. For empirical studies we propose robust approach to estimate the stress functional basing on the data depth concept. In the empirical research we use data on five branch stock indexes from Warsaw Stock Exchange. The studied period involves the financial crisis of 2007.
Three-dimensional synthetic aperture focusing using a rocking convex array transducer

Volumetric imaging can be performed using 1-D arrays in combination with mechanical motion. Outside the elevation focus of the array, the resolution and contrast quickly degrade compared with the lateral plane, because of the fixed transducer focus. This paper shows the feasibility of using synthetic aperture focusing for enhancing the elevation focus for a convex rocking array. The method uses a virtual source (VS) for defocused multi-element transmit, and another VS in the elevation focus point. This allows a direct time-of-flight to be calculated for a given 3-D point. To avoid artifacts and increase SNR at the elevation VS, a plane-wave VS approach has been implemented. Simulations and measurements using an experimental scanner with a convex rocking array show an average improvement in resolution of 26% and 33%, respectively. This improvement is also seen in in vivo measurements. An evaluation of how a change in transducer design will affect the resolution improvement shows a potential for using a modified transducer for 3-D imaging with improved elevation focusing and contrast.
Cross-sectional and time-series momentum returns and market dynamics: evidence from Japan

ABSTRACT We test the behavioural theories of overconfidence and underreaction on cross-sectional (CS) and time-series (TS) momentum returns in the Japanese stock markets. Both CS and TS momentum returns are large and significant when the market continues in the same state and turns into losses when the market transitions to another state, consistent with the overconfidence but not the underreaction model. We find that TS conditional momentum returns exceed conditional CS momentum returns because of its active position since TS takes a net long (short) position following UP (DN) markets while CS is a zero-cost strategy irrespective of the market state. Finally, we find no relation between idiosyncratic volatility (IV) and momentum returns which is not supportive of either the overconfidence or underreaction model but implies that IV is not a significant limit to arbitrage in Japan.
Analytical method for objective scoring of HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS)

We demonstrate in this paper the relationship between viewer QoE (quality of experience) and MOS (Mean Opinion Score) and the HTTP Adaptive Streaming Video Quality (VQ) rate. We will show that MOS scores are impacted by the variance (or standard deviation-SD) of the VQ rate more so than the mean VQ level. Correlation between MOS and the standard deviation of the delivered VQ rate is 2:1 greater than between MOS and the mean VQ rate. In other words users care more about maintaining a consistent VQ level than they do in a higher bit rate. We also show that inelasticity exists between the mean VQ rate and MOS scores, where multi megabit changes in VQ rates result in only modest changes in MOS scores. Finally we demonstrate that we can accurately predict MOS scores incorporating both the mean VQ level and the SD of the VQ level. Two analytical methods are given for predicting MOS, and are shown to have a high correlation and low error.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-driven Glioma Growth and Vascularization in an Orthotopic Rat Model Monitored by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVEThe goal of the present study was to develop an orthotopic in vivo model for the investigation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-dependent glioma growth and vascularization. METHODSC6 glioma cells were infected with viruses encoding sense or antisense VEGF. Expression of the transgene was controlled by Northern blot analysis, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Spheroids generated from both clones as well as from wild-type and mock-transfected cells were implanted in the brains of Sprague-Dawley rats. Growth and vascularization were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging after 7 and 11 days. Histology was studied using hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry with anti-von Willebrand staining, anti-VEGF, anti-CD8, and assessment of vessel density. RESULTSCell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro were very similar in all cell clones. Sense gliomas demonstrated by far the fastest growth in vivo, with intense contrast enhancement meeting criteria for highly malignant tumors. Histological examination revealed masses of von Willebrand- and VEGF-positive tumor vessels with a high vessel density. Antisense gliomas depicted the radiological features of low-grade gliomas, with slow growth and poor vascularization, although they were highly infiltrative. Wild-type and mock-transfected gliomas demonstrated similar growth and vascularization patterns intermediate between sense and antisense gliomas. Any influence of the allogeneic response of the hosts on different tumor sizes could be excluded. CONCLUSIONOur model elucidates glioma growth and vascularization as strongly VEGF dependent, which is consistent with human gliomas. Thus, this model is suitable for testing antiangiogenic strategies to interfere with the VEGF/VEGF receptor system, as well as for exploring VEGF-independent mechanisms using the antisense-transfected clone.
Lower income students and the ‘double deficit’ of part-time work: undergraduate experiences of finance, studying and employability

ABSTRACT This paper explores how the various pressures of finance, employability and part-time work are experienced by undergraduates studying in an English Red Brick University. Drawing on the results of a 3-year qualitative study that followed 40 students throughout their 3 years of studies (n₁ = 40, n₂ = 40, n₃ = 38, ntotal = 118), the paper details three dimensions by which students understood their part-time employment experiences: the characteristics of employment types; motivations for employment and the challenges of shaping their employment experiences around their studies. It is argued that the current shortfalls in the student budget and the pressures of the employability agenda may actually serve to further disadvantage the lower income groups in the form of a ‘double deficit’. Not only are discrepancies between income and expenditure likely to mean that additional monies are necessary to study for a degree, the resulting need for part-time employment is also likely to constrain both degree outcome and capacity to enhance skills necessary for ‘employability’.
Myeloablative doses of yttrium‐90‐ibritumomab tiuxetan and the risk of secondary myelodysplasia/acute myelogenous leukemia

Because the long‐term toxicity of myeloablative radioimmunotherapy remains a matter of concern, the authors evaluated the hematopoietic damage and incidence of secondary myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia (sMDS/AML) in patients who received myeloablative doses of the radiolabeled antibody yttrium‐90 (90Y)‐ibritumomab tiuxetan.
Finding meaning in a traumatic loss: a families approach.

Meaning-making, like much of coping research, has been conceptualized and assessed as an individual-centered phenomenon. On the premise that most traumas affect families as a whole, we assessed the extent to which meanings following a traumatic loss were congruent within families. Qualitative and quantitative data from family members coping with the loss of a family member in a mine explosion indicated moderate family congruence in meanings and global well-being. Furthermore, greater family similarity in meaning was associated with less depressive affect in individuals (pseudo R(2) = . 063), but was not associated with individual differences in well-being. The research highlights the important role that families play in coping with trauma.