Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Similarity Scenario-Based Recommendation Model With Small Disturbances for Unknown Items in Social Networks

In existing recommendation systems, there exist the issues of “cold start” and “excessively mature recommendation,” which cause the recommendation systems to have weak effectiveness; thus, a trust-based recommendation model with a small recommendation probability for unknown items (RM-UI) is proposed for social networks. In the RM-UI scheme, the recommendation values of items are primarily derived from the probabilities calculated by a similar mature recommendation system during the initiation stage of the recommendation system. Thus, the “cold start” phenomenon can be overcome. When the recommendation system enters the period of maturation, the recommendation probabilities mainly adopt the recommendation values computed by the self-system. However, in the existing recommendation systems, there remains the problem of “excessively mature recommendation,” which causes the system to lose the opportunity to recommend more optimized items. Thus, in the RM-UI scheme, except for recommending items with higher recommendation probabilities, we recommend items with lower recommendation probabilities with a small probability to enable those items that can bring greater welfare to recommendation systems to be recommended. This breaks the weakness of a confined recommendation that exists in previous recommendation systems, and it enlarges the welfare of the system. After theoretical analysis, it has been proven that the RM-UI scheme can achieve greater welfare than the previous recommendation scheme and gain more vitality. Experiments based on real social network data are conducted to show the effectiveness and efficiency of the RM-UI scheme: in the initiation stage, the performance criteria of precision ratio, recall ratio, and F1-measure are improved by approximately 21.08%, 21.57%, and 21.32%, respectively, over the previous schemes, and in the mature stage, although the three indications are similar to those of the previous schemes, the improvement in the overall revenue of the system is 17.6%.
Quantifying the Features of Blood Stasis Syndrome from Sublingual Images

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shape features of sublingual vein are efficient diagnostic rules for Blood Stasis Syndrome Diagnosis. This paper presents a systematic procedure of shape features quantification of sublingual veins. Three shape features of sublingual veins, including stasis-blob type vein, linear type vein and bifurcate type vein, particularly, the breadth of vein, are quantified. Stasis Blob Degree is defined to estimate the stasis degree of vein regions under consideration and help identify the stasis-blob type vein. Skeletonization process through the Euclidean Distance Maps is implemented and the number of intersection points of the skeleton is calculated to identify whether the sublingual veins belong to linear type or bifurcate type veins. These features of sublingual veins have been successfully identified for 79 out of 100 sublingual images. Finally, the framework of diagnosing Blood Stasis Syndrome by applying the quantified shape features is summarized.
Stability and Performance for Saturated Systems via Quadratic and Nonquadratic Lyapunov Functions

In this paper, we develop a systematic Lyapunov approach to the regional stability and performance analysis of saturated systems in a general feedback configuration. The only assumptions we make about the system are well-posedness of the algebraic loop and local stability. Problems to be considered include the estimation of the domain of attraction, the reachable set under a class of bounded energy disturbances and the nonlinear L2 gain. The regional analysis is established through an effective treatment of the algebraic loop and the saturation/deadzone function. This treatment yields two forms of differential inclusions, a polytopic differential inclusion (PDI) and a norm-bounded differential inclusion (NDI) that contain the original system. Adjustable parameters are incorporated into the differential inclusions to reflect the regional property. The main idea behind the regional analysis is to ensure that the state remain inside the level set of a certain Lyapunov function where the PDI or the NDI is valid. With quadratic Lyapunov functions, conditions for stability and performances are derived as linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). To obtain less conservative conditions, we use a pair of conjugate non-quadratic Lyapunov functions, the convex hull quadratic function and the max quadratic function. These functions yield bilinear matrix inequalities (BMIs) as conditions for stability and guaranteed performance level. The BMI conditions cover the corresponding LMI conditions as special cases, hence the BMI results are guaranteed to be as good as the LMI results. In most examples, the BMI results are significantly better than the LMI results
Correction of the ΔPhe508 Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Trafficking Defect by the Bioavailable Compound Glafenine

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes a cAMP-activated anion channel expressed in epithelial cells. The most common mutation ΔPhe508 leads to protein misfolding, retention by the endoplasmic reticulum, and degradation. One promising therapeutic approach is to identify drugs that have been developed for other indications but that also correct the CFTR trafficking defect, thereby exploiting their known safety and bioavailability in humans and reducing the time required for clinical development. We have screened approved, marketed, and off-patent drugs with known safety and bioavailability using a ΔPhe508-CFTR trafficking assay. Among the confirmed hits was glafenine, an anthranilic acid derivative with analgesic properties. Its ability to correct the misprocessing of CFTR was confirmed by in vitro and in vivo studies using a concentration that is achieved clinically in plasma (10 μM). Glafenine increased the surface expression of ΔPhe508-CFTR in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells to ∼40% of that observed for wild-type CFTR, comparable with the known CFTR corrector 4-cyclohexyloxy-2-{1-[4-(4-methoxybenzensulfonyl)-piperazin-1-yl]-ethyl}-quinazoline (VRT-325). Partial correction was confirmed by the appearance of mature CFTR in Western blots and by two assays of halide permeability in unpolarized BHK and human embryonic kidney cells. Incubating polarized CFBE41o− monolayers and intestines isolated from ΔPhe508-CFTR mice (treated ex vivo) with glafenine increased the short-circuit current (Isc) response to forskolin + genistein, and this effect was abolished by 10 μM CFTRinh172. In vivo treatment with glafenine also partially restored total salivary secretion. We conclude that the discovery of glafenine as a CFTR corrector validates the approach of investigating existing drugs for the treatment of CF, although localized delivery or further medicinal chemistry may be needed to reduce side effects.
The use of microelectromechanical systems for surge detection in gas turbine engines

Compressor surge results from the instability of highly undesirable oscillations occurring at specific frequencies and at low compressor flow rates in the system. Research has shown that by stabilizing the small-perturbation dynamics, the large-amplitude surge event can be prevented in these systems. In order to completely avoid the initiations of conditions that will lead to surge or stall, engine designs conservatively determine operational stability margins that are far from the stability limit of the compression system. Advanced turbine engines operate with reduced stability margins to increase performance. This reduction in stability margin must be limited to such an extent that does not compromise the operational capability of the engine. Pressure probes equipped with fast-response transducers have been successfully used in axial-flow compressors and turbines but have been rarely used in centrifugal compressors. The harsh thermal environment of operation has limited the use of pressure transducers to operational ranges below 250/spl deg/C effectively precluding measurement at the final stage exit where temperatures are typically in excess 280/spl deg/C depending on the turbine. This paper proposes a hybrid processing method in which a piezoresistive chromium strain gauge is embedded between two thin film silicon carbide (SiC-MEMS) or silicon carbon nitride microelectromechanical (SiCN-MEMS) membranes as an enhanced technique for the design of high temperature pressure transducers. The hybrid process technology, which enables fabrication of such structure, along with the novel packaging principles represents the main contribution of the present report.
Preferred technique for blood flow volume measurement in cerebrovascular disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A noninvasive reliable technique that can reveal cerebral blood flow volume could be a valuable tool in screening programs for stroke prevention. In diagnostic ultrasonography, spectral Doppler imaging (SDI) is popular among sonologists and vascular technologists to estimate blood flow volume despite its documented inaccuracy and the availability of the more accurate technique of color velocity imaging (CVI). The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the discrepancy of blood flow volume estimation with CVI and SDI with use of an "internal" standard. METHODS The common, internal, and external carotid arteries of 50 healthy subjects (22 men, 28 women, age range 19 to 54 years) were examined with CVI and SDI. The total blood flow volume of the internal and external carotid arteries was then compared with the ipsilateral common carotid artery flow. An accurate technique would demonstrate no difference. The difference (expressed as a percent inconsistency) was therefore a measure of the accuracy of the method. RESULTS The mean+/-SD inconsistency was found to be 10.6+/-8.3% for CVI and 27.9+/-14.3% for SDI. The difference in inconsistency between CVI and SDI in measurement of carotid blood flow volume was statistically significant (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS CVI is more accurate than SDI in the determination of blood flow volume in the carotid arteries. For noninvasive clinical estimation of cerebrovascular blood flow volume, CVI quantification should be the preferred technique.
Near-optimal small-depth lower bounds for small distance connectivity

We show that any depth-d circuit for determining whether an n-node graph has an s-to-t path of length at most k must have size nΩ(k1/d/d) when k(n) ≤ n1/5, and nΩ(k1/5d/d) when k(n)≤ n. The previous best circuit size lower bounds were nkexp(−O(d)) (by Beame, Impagliazzo, and Pitassi (Computational Complexity 1998)) and nΩ((logk)/d) (following from a recent formula size lower bound of Rossman (STOC 2014)). Our lower bound is quite close to optimal, as a simple construction gives depth-d circuits of size nO(k2/d) for this problem (and strengthening our bound even to nkΩ(1/d) would require proving that undirected connectivity is not in NC1). Our proof is by reduction to a new lower bound on the size of small-depth circuits computing a skewed variant of the “Sipser functions” that have played an important role in classical circuit lower bounds. A key ingredient in our proof of the required lower bound for these Sipser-like functions is the use of random projections, an extension of random restrictions which were recently employed by Rossman, Servedio, and Tan (FOCS 2015). Random projections allow us to obtain sharper quantitative bounds while employing simpler arguments, both conceptually and technically, than in the previous works.
Aspects of passive magnetic levitation based on high-T(sub c) superconducting YBCO thin films

Passive magnetic levitation systems reported in the past were mostly confined to bulk superconducting materials. Here we present fundamental studies on magnetic levitation employing cylindrical permanent magnets floating above high-T(sub c) superconducting YBCO thin films (thickness about 0.3 mu m). Experiments included free floating rotating magnets as well as well-established flexible beam methods. By means of the latter, we investigated levitation and drag force hysteresis as well as magnetic stiffness properties of the superconductor-magnet arrangement. In the case of vertical motion of the magnet, characteristic high symmetry of repulsive (approaching) and attractive (withdrawing) branches of the pronounced force-displacement hysteresis could be detected. Achievable force levels were low as expected but sufficient for levitation of permanent magnets. With regard to magnetic stiffness, thin films proved to show stiffness-force ratios about one order of magnitude higher than bulk materials. Phenomenological models support the measurements. Regarding the magnetic hysteresis of the superconductor, the Irie-Yamafuji model was used for solving the equation of force balance in cylindrical coordinates allowing for a macroscopic description of the superconductor magnetization. This procedure provided good agreement with experimental levitation force and stiffness data during vertical motion. For the case of (lateral) drag force basic qualitative characteristics could be recovered, too. It is shown that models, based on simple asymmetric magnetization of the superconductor, describe well asymptotic transition of drag forces after the change of the magnet motion direction. Virgin curves (starting from equilibrium, i.e. symmetric magnetization) are approximated by a linear approach already reported in literature only. This paper shows that basic properties of superconducting thin films allow for their application to magnetic levitation or - without need of levitation forces, e.g. microgravity - magnetic damping devices.
A User Study of Visualization Effectiveness Using EEG and Cognitive Load

Effectively evaluating visualization techniques is a difficult task often assessed through feedback from user studies and expert evaluations. This work presents an alternative approach to visualization evaluation in which brain activity is passively recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). These measurements are used to compare different visualization techniques in terms of the burden they place on a viewer's cognitive resources. In this paper, EEG signals and response times are recorded while users interpret different representations of data distributions. This information is processed to provide insight into the cognitive load imposed on the viewer. This paper describes the design of the user study performed, the extraction of cognitive load measures from EEG data, and how those measures are used to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of visualizations.
Indexing on Semantic Roles for Question Answering

Semantic Role Labeling (SRL) has been used successfully in several stages of automated Question Answering (QA) systems but its inherent slow procedures make it difficult to use at the indexing stage of the document retrieval component. In this paper we confirm the intuition that SRL at indexing stage improves the performance of QA and propose a simplified technique named the Question Prediction Language Model (QPLM), which provides similar information with a much lower cost. The methods were tested on four different QA systems and the results suggest that QPLM can be used as a good compromise between speed and accuracy.
Gastro‐intestinal Chagas disease in migrants to Spain: prevalence and methods for early diagnosis

Abstract Each year in Spain, the number of Latin American immigrants who present with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection increases. Although gastro‐intestinal abnormalities are not as common as cardiomyopathy in such infection, they can still lead to an impaired quality of life. In a recent study based in Madrid, the frequencies of gastro‐intestinal involvement in a cohort of Latin American immigrants infected with T. cruzi, and the role of early diagnostic techniques in the detection of such involvement, were explored. Between January 2003 and April 2009, all Latin Americans who attended the Tropical Medicine Unit of the Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal were tested for T. cruzi infection, in IFAT and ELISA. Each subject found both IFAT‐ and ELISA‐positive was considered to be infected (chronically) and checked for symptoms indicative of Chagas disease. Each infected subject giving informed consent was investigated further, using an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram and oesophageal manometry. Between January 2003 and June 2008, every infected subject who consented was also explored using a barium swallow and barium enema. After July 2008, however, only subjects showing oesophageal and/or colonic symptoms were investigated in this manner. Of the 248 patients found infected with T. cruzi, 118 underwent oesophageal manometry, 75 a barium enema and 48 a barium swallow. Thirteen (11%) showed evidence of oesophageal involvement (incomplete relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter; three cases) or bowel involvement (five cases of dolichosigma, three of dolichocolon and two of megacolon). Only six of these 13 had any gastro‐intestinal symptoms (all six were suffering from constipation). None of the barium swallows revealed any pathology. It appears that oesophageal manometry can reveal mild abnormalities not detected by barium swallow, even in asymptomatic patients, while barium enemas are useful in the detection of colonic involvement.
Automatic Rating of User-Generated Math Solutions

Intelligent tutoring systems adapt to users’ cognitive factors, but typically not to affective or conative factors. Crowd-sourcing may be a way to create materials that engage a wide range of users along these differences. We build on our earlier work in crowd-sourcing worked example solutions and offer a data mining method for automatically rating the crowd-sourced examples to determine which are worthy of presenting to students. We find that with 64 examples available, the trained model on average exceeded the agreement of human experts. This suggests the possibility for unvetted worked solutions to be automatically rated and classified for use in a learning context.
Fe–N Decorated Hybrids of CNTs Grown on Hierarchically Porous Carbon for High‐Performance Oxygen Reduction

An Fe-N-decorated hybrid material of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown in situ from porous carbon microblocks is designed and constructed. This material successfully combines the desirable merits for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), such as highly active Fe-N species, good conductivity, large pore size, and sufficient surface area. These structural advantages give this low-priced material an outstanding catalytic performance for ORR closely comparable with Pt/C of the same quantity.
Estimating the Relevance of Information in Inter-Vehicle Ad Hoc Networks

This paper focuses on intelligent transportation systems. Specifically, we look at data management issues in inter-vehicle ad hoc networks. Such networks are highly dynamic due to the movements of the vehicles and the short range of the wireless communications. Thus, for example, we can only rely on short interactions between the vehicles. Consequently, new data management techniques adapted to this context are needed. More precisely, we propose a new technique to estimate the relevance of data to the drivers. The originality of our proposal is that we identify and classify the different types of information that may be shared on the roads (e.g., available parking spaces, obstacles in the road, information relative to the coordination of vehicles in emergency situations, etc.). We then propose a unified solution to support all those types of information. Our experimental evaluation shows the feasibility and interest of our approach.
Corporate Governance Over the Business Cycle

I provide empirical evidence that badly governed firms respond more to aggregate shocks than do well governed firms. I build a simple model where managers are prone to over-invest and where shareholders are more willing to tolerate such a behavior in good times. The model successfully explains the average profit differences as well as the cyclical behavior of sales, employment and investment for firms with different governance qualities. The quantitative results suggest that governance conflicts can explain 30% of aggregate volatility
Minimization of spring-in in composite angle components by genetic algorithm

Residual stresses are induced in fiber reinforced composites when they are cooled down from the curing temperature to the service temperature. An undesirable distortion phenomenon, commonly referred to as spring-in, is consequently occurred in angle or Lshaped components of the composites. This phenomenon may produce significant dimensional inaccuracies which often bedeviled tool designers and makers in manufacturing the required parts. In this paper, an optimal design of laminated composites using stacking sequence as design variable is presented to minimize the spring-in angle. Genetic Algorithm (GA), which can be used to solve discrete optimization problem, is used to solve the optimization problem.
Changes in nitrergic innervation of defunctionalized rat colon after diversion colostomy

Abstract After 45 days of complete diversion colostomy in male Wistar rats, morphometry of soma and nuclei of NADPH diaphorase positive cells of the myenteric plexus was evaluated. There was a significant (P < 0.0001) diminution in the area, perimeter and volume‐weighted mean volume of soma and nuclei of nitrergic myenteric neurones in the defunctionalized colon. In addition, there was a significant reduction in the neuronal density of the myenteric neurones, and increased distance between the ganglia. In addition, there was myenteric glial atrophy. Atrophy of colonic myenteric neurones was accompanied by significant reduction (P < 0.001) in the volume fraction of the muscularis externa, the prime targets of these neurones. The disturbances in the microecology of the colon may jeopardize the finely orchestrated functioning of the components of the Enteric nervous system (ENS) leading to colonic dysfunction. Our observations, by extrapolation, may explain the bowel dysmotility in humans after restoration of colonic continuity after colostomy.
Propagation Path Loss Characterization for An 870 MHz Cellular CDMA System in Taipei City

This paper presents the significant measurement results on wave propagation characteristics at an 870 MHz (CDMA2000 band) cellular system in Taipei city, dense urban environments. Furthermore, observed field strength values are converted into path loss and are compared with different path loss prediction methods Hata and COST 231 Walfisch-Ikegami. It's apparent the measured propagation path loss in Taipei city is higher at 0~5dB (dependent on distances) than the two models. Our study also indicates that expression used in Lee model in some previous papers needs to be corrected.