Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
More on Generalizations and Modifications of Iterative Methods for Solving Large Sparse Indefinite Linear Systems

Continuing from the works of Li et al. (2014), Li (2007), and Kincaid et al. (2000), we present more generalizations and modifications of iterative methods for solving large sparse symmetric and nonsymmetric indefinite systems of linear equations. We discuss a variety of iterative methods such as GMRES, MGMRES, MINRES, LQ-MINRES, QR MINRES, MMINRES, MGRES, and others.
Iot-1-Pass-Security: L(One)-Pass Authenticated Key Agreement Protocol For Energy Constraint Iot Applications

Abstract IoT data security is one of the core unresolved challenges in IoT community. Lack of resource-efficient authenticated secure key exchange methods among resource-constrained IoT devices makes man-in-the-middle attacks a serious vulnerability. In this regard, we propose 1(One) pass Authenticated Key Agreement (AKA) protocol for IoT applications. This protocol requires only one round of communication among the sender and receiver to establish a secure session, providing a balance between security (data confidentiality with integrity) and performance. We implemented and performed comprehensive power consumption and timing analysis of our implementation on Contiki platform to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed protocol
Agent based Architecture for Modeling and Analysis of Self Adaptive Systems using Formal Methods

Self-adaptive systems (SAS) can modify their behavior during execution; this modification is done because of change in internal or external environment. The need for self-adaptive software systems has increased tremendously in last decade due to ever changing user requirements, improvement in technology and need for building software that reacts to user preferences. To build this type of software we need well establish models that have the flexibility to adjust to the new requirements and make sure that the adaptation is efficient and reliable. Feedback loop has proven to be very effective in modeling and developing SAS, these loops help the system to sense, analyze, plan, test and execute the adaptive behavior at runtime. Formal methods are well defined, rigorous and reliable mathematical techniques that can be effectively used to reason and specify behavior of SAS at design and run-time. Agents can play an important role in modeling SAS because they can work independently, with other agents and with environment as well. Using agents to perform individual steps in feedback loop and formalizing these agents using Petri nets will not only increase the reliability, but also, the adaptation can be performed efficiently for taking decisions at run time with increased confidence. In this paper, we propose a multi-agent framework to model self-adaptive systems using agent based modeling. This framework will help the researchers in implementation of SAS, which is more dependable, reliable, autonomic and flexible because of use of multi-agent based formal approach.
LOIS CONDITIONNELLES DES EXCURSIONS D’UN PROCESSUS DE MORKOV A NAISSANCE

We give certain conditional laws of excursions and of pairs of excursions straddling arbitrary random times for a right Markov process (Yt)t∈R with random times of birth and death without the duality hypotheses. (Yt)t∈R is not assumed to be stationary as was assumed in [15], [16], [17]. This extends results of [17].
Do Customers Speak Their Minds? Using Forums and Search for Predicting Sales

A wide body of research uses data from social media websites to predict offline economic outcomes such as sales. However, in practice, such data are costly to collect and process. Additionally, sales forecasts based on social media data may be hampered by people’s tendency to restrict the topics they publicly discuss. Recently, a new source of predictive information—search engine logs—has become available. Interestingly, the relationship between these two important data sources has not been studied. Specifically, do they contain complementary information? Or does the information conveyed by one source render the information conveyed by the other source redundant? This study uses Google’s comprehensive index of internet discussion forums, in addition to Google search trend data. Predictive models based on search trend data are shown to outperform and complement forum-data-based models. Furthermore, the two sources display substantially different patterns of predictive capacity over time.
Broadband spin dynamics of the magnetic vortex state : Effect of the pulsed field direction

The dynamic spin modes observed in magnetic vortex structures are shown to depend strongly on the nature of the initial excitation by a transient pulse field. In submicrometer-sized Permalloy disks, when a uniform perpendicular transient field is used to perturb the magnetization, radial standing-wave modes are excited; whereas if an in-plane transient field is used, angular or azimuthal modes are formed. The existence of the vortex core is responsible for a frequency splitting of the azimuthal modes, as demonstrated through comparison to micromagnetic simulations of a ring geometry.
Systematic wood anatomy of the genus Tapirira Aublet (Anacardiaceae)— a numerical approach

A wood anatomical study of the Mexican species ofTapirira was undertaken to uncover evidence to help clarify the systematics of the genus. Three to five individuals of each of 10 populations from throughout the range of the genus in Mexico were studied. For comparative purposes, three Central and South American species were also examined. Cluster analysis showed that the genus in Mexico can be separated into two phenetic units, represented byT. mexicana, a species widely distributed in Mexico, andT. chimalapana, a species endemic to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Canonical discriminant and factor analyses indicate that the quantitative wood characters most useful in distinguishing these species are wall thickness of fibers and vessels, diameter of fiber lumen, and diameter and frequency of radial canals. These species also differ in presence/absence of tannins in the fibers and color and specific gravity of the wood. The South American species,Tapirira bethanniana, T. guianensis, andT. obtusa, have wood anatomy similar to that ofT. chimalapana. The differences in the wood anatomical characters betweenT. mexicana and the other taxa suggest that the infrageneric classification ofTapirira should be reevaluated. The results of this study support the utility of sampling of populations in comparative wood anatomy.ResumenCon un enfoque anatómico sistemático se estudió la anatomía de la madera del géneroTapirira para aclarar su taxonomía en México. Se colectaron tres a cinco muestras en 10 poblaciones cubriendo el área de distribución del género en México, además de estudiar la madera de tres especies de Centro y Sudamérica. El análisis de agrupamiento mostró que el género en México se separa en dos unidades fenéticas que corresponden aT. mexicana, especie ampliamente distribuida en México yT. chimalapana, especie endémica del Itsmo de Tehuantepec. Los análisis canónico discriminante y de factor señalaron que los caracteres cuantitativos útiles para distinguir a las especies anatómicamente son el grosor de la pared de la fibra y el vaso, el diámetro del lumen de la fibra y el diámetro y frecuencia de los canales radiales. Además la ocurrencia de taninos en fibras, el color y gravedad específica de la madera apoyan estas conclusiones.Tapirira benthanniana, T. guianensis yT. obtusa comparten las mismas características anatómicas conT. chimalapana. Las diferencias anatómicas encontradas entreT. mexicana y las otras especies estudiadas sugieren que la clasificación infra-genérica deTapirira debe ser re-evaluada. Los resultados de este trabajo muestran la importancia de los muestreos poblacionales en los estudios de anatomía comparada de la madera.
Interactive Screen-Space Surface Rendering of Dynamic Particle Clouds

We present a fast GPU-based method for rendering boundary surfaces from dynamic 3D particle clouds. Instead of extracting and tracking polygonal meshes of boundary surfaces in 3D world space, we devise a new meshless 2D screen-space approach. First, we generate a smooth view-dependent depth map from the 3D particle cloud. Then, surface normals are derived directly from the depth map, and lighting calculations are carried out in screen space. The advantage of our method over existing rendering approaches for particle-based objects is the fact that we do not have to extract 3D or 2D meshes at any time. We focus on free surfaces of 3D particle-based, interactive liquid simulations. Thus, we extend the basic algorithm with efficient reflection and refraction approximations.
The Effect of Varenicline Administration on Cannabis and Tobacco Use in Cannabis and Nicotine Dependent Individuals ? A Case-Series

Introduction: Cannabis users may also use tobacco products which increases the potential for drug-induced harm over and above that caused by one substance on its own. Therefore, a pharmacotherapy that treats dependence on both substances would be beneficial. Tetrahydrocannabinol and varenicline act at the α7 subtype of the nicotinic receptor and so it was hypothesised that varenicline may also effect cannabis use. Methods: Five nicotine and cannabis dependent individuals (median age 37), who were attending a community alcohol and drug service, and who expressed a desire to quit tobacco smoking, were prescribed 12 weeks of varenicline and were followed up weekly for the first month, then fortnightly for as long as possible over this time. Results: Four of the five cases reported reducing their use of both substances after commencing varenicline, and also of experiencing less enjoyment from using these substances. The remaining case withdrew early in the study due to a migraine. No participant reported taking varenicline for more than 6 weeks, and only one could be followed up for 12 weeks. The reasons reported by participants for ceasing varenicline included feeling flat, experiencing nausea and vomiting, feeling angry and being short tempered, and as a result of a variety of family stressors. Conclusion: The administration of varenicline to cannabis users was associated with reductions in the enjoyment reported from using cannabis, and the amount of cannabis used. These results support further investigation of varenicline’s potential as a therapeutic intervention to treat dependence on nicotine and cannabis.
A Bio-Behavioral Model of Addiction Treatment: Applying Dual Representation Theory to Craving Management and Relapse Prevention

A bio-behavioral approach to drug addiction treatment is outlined. The presented treatment model uses dual representation theory as a guiding framework for understanding the bio-behavioral processes activated during the application of expressive therapeutic methods. Specifically, the treatment model explains how visual processing techniques can supplement traditional relapse prevention therapy protocols, to help clients better manage cravings and control triggers in hard-to-treat populations such as chronic substance-dependent persons.
The Hrd 1 p ligase complex forms a linchpin between ER-lumenal substrate selection and Cdc 48 p recruitment

Misfolded proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are targeted to the cytoplasm for proteasomal degradation. Key components of this process are ER membrane-bound ubiquitin ligases. These ligases associate with the cytoplasmic AAA-ATPase Cdc48p/p97, which is thought to support the release of malfolded proteins from the ER. Here, we characterize a yeast protein complex containing the ubiquitin ligase Hrd1p and the ER membrane proteins Hrd3p and Der1p. Hrd3p binds malfolded proteins in the ER lumen enabling their delivery to downstream components. Therefore, we propose that Hrd3p acts as a substrate recruitment factor for the Hrd1p ligase complex. Hrd3p function is also required for the association of Cdc48p with Hrd1p. Moreover, our data demonstrate that recruitment of Cdc48p depends on substrate processing by the Hrd1p ligase complex. Thus, the Hrd1p ligase complex unites substrate selection in the ER lumen and polyubiquitination in the cytoplasm and links these processes to the release of ER proteins via the Cdc48p complex. The EMBO Journal (2006) 25, 1827–1835. doi:10.1038/ sj.emboj. 7601088; Published online 13 April 2006 Subject Categories: membranes & transport; proteins
Vehicle Safety Enhancement System: Sensing and Communication

With the substantial increase of vehicles on road, driving safety and transportation efficiency have become increasingly concerned focus from drivers, passengers, and governments. Wireless networks constructed by vehicles and infrastructures provide abundant information to share for the sake of both enhanced safety and network efficiency. This paper presents the systematic research to enhance the vehicle safety by wireless communication, in the aspects of information acquisition through vehicle sensing, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) routing protocol for the highly dynamic vehicle network, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) routing protocol for a tradeoff in real-time performance and load balance, and hardware implementation of V2V system with on-road test. Simulations and experimental result validate the feasibility of the algorithms and communication system.
Effects of acepromazine maleate or morphine on tear production before, during, and after sevoflurane anesthesia in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of acepromazine maleate and morphine on aqueous tear production before, during, and after sevoflurane anesthesia in dogs. ANIMALS 6 mixed-breed dogs. PROCEDURES In a Latin square study design, dogs underwent i.m. administration of morphine (1 mg/kg), acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg), or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (0.05 mL/kg), followed by induction and maintenance of anesthesia with sevoflurane for 30 minutes. The protocol was repeated until all dogs had received all treatments, with a minimum of 7 days between anesthetic episodes. Aqueous tear production was measured via Schirmer tear test I before treatment (baseline); before anesthetic induction; 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes after anesthetic induction; immediately once dogs recovered from anesthesia; and 2 and 10 hours after recovery. RESULTS Aqueous tear production for all treatments was significantly lower 10, 20, and 30 minutes (but not 5 minutes) after anesthetic induction than at baseline, before anesthetic induction, at recovery, and 2 and 10 hours after recovery. Aqueous tear production was significantly higher after saline solution administration than after morphine administration at the preinduction measurement point and 2 hours after recovery. No other differences were detected among the 3 treatments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Aqueous tear production after anesthesia did not differ significantly from baseline values after any treatment following 30 minutes of sevoflurane anesthesia, suggesting premedication with morphine or acepromazine does not contribute to a decrease in lacrimation in these circumstances.
Synergistic effect of dentinal tubule occlusion by nano-carbonate apatite and CO2 laser in vitro.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the occluding effects of a combination of dentifrice containing nano-carbonate apatite (n-CAP) and a CO2 laser on dentinal tubules, and to assess the acid resistance of the occluded dentinal tubules produced. BACKGROUND DATA A number of experiments have been conducted recently to relieve the symptoms of dentin hypersensitivity (DH) using a laser in combination with desensitizing products. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and twenty specimens with exposed dentinal tubules were divided into four groups: the control, n-CAP, laser, and combined groups. Thirty specimens in each group were reassigned into three different conditions: baseline, treatment for occluding dentinal tubules, and acid challenge (pH 4.0 acetate buffer solution for 3 min). At the end of each phase, all specimen surfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). RESULTS The combined group had a significantly smaller mean dentinal tubule area than the control group, and the fewest reopened dentinal tubules after acid challenge. CONCLUSIONS The combined therapy is a promising means of treating DH patients in the clinic.
Exon‐skipping therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal muscle disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene for which no mutation‐targeted therapy has been available thus far. However, exon‐skipping mediated by antisense oligonucleotides (AOs), which are short single‐strand DNAs, has considerable potential for DMD therapy, and clinical trials in DMD patients are currently underway. This exon‐skipping therapy changes an out‐of‐frame mutation into an in‐frame mutation, aiming at conversion of a severe DMD phenotype into a mild phenotype by restoration of truncated dystrophin expression. Recently, stable and less‐toxic AOs have been developed, and their higher efficacy was confirmed in mice and dog models of DMD. In this review, we briefly summarize the genetic basis of DMD and the potential and perspectives of exon skipping as a promising therapy for this disease.
A new detection algorithm for image analysis of single, fluorescence‐labeled proteins in living cells

A new algorithm is presented for the detection of single, fluorescence‐labeled proteins in the analysis of images from living cells. It is especially suited for images with just a few (<1 per 10 μm2) fluorescence peaks from individual proteins with high background and noise (signal to background ratios as low as 2 and signal to noise as low as 10). The analysis uses the peaks over threshold method from extreme value theory and requires minimal assumptions on the underlying distributions. The significant advantage of the method over others is the rare occurrence to detect false positives. Some examples of simulated and real data are given as comparisons. The algorithm is implemented in MATLAB. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A New, Simple Approximation for the Deconvolution of Instrumental Broadening in Spectroscopic Band Profiles

A robust empirical correction formula has been developed for the approximation of Lorentzian widths, using a known spectrometer bandpass, in instrument-broadened Voigt bands in optical spectra. The relationship between analytically calculated [(WVoigt – WLorentz)/WGauss] and [WVoigt/wGauss – 1] values (where w is the full width at half-maximum [FWHM]) is analyzed to derive the formula for the approximation of the (WVoigt – WLorentz) difference. The precision of the method is demonstrated by comparing its performance to several previously published numerical correction approaches. The fraction of the Lorentzian contribution in Voigt FWHMs is evaluated in terms of the Gaussian FWHM to assess the conditions under which the deconvolution of instrumental broadening is necessary.
Demographic and clinical correlates of metabolic syndrome in Native African type-2 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVES To describe the metabolic syndrome and its demographic and clinical correlates in native African type-2 diabetic patients. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of 254 type-2 diabetic indigenous Nigerians consecutively recruited in a teaching hospital. The main outcome measure was metabolic syndrome. Variables of interest included family history/duration of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, gender, socioeconomic class, occupation and place of domicile (urban or rural). Intergroup comparisons were made with Chi-squared tests or t-tests. RESULTS Patients were aged 35-80 years (mean: 52.0 +/- 11.7 years) and made of 154 (60.6%) males and 100 (39.4%) females. Full-blown metabolic syndrome was noted in 52 patients (20.5%). Metabolic syndrome, as defined by the WHO, was noted in 150 patients (59.1%). About 72.4% of patients were dyslipidemic, 54.3% were hypertensive, 42.5% were obese, 44.9% were microalbuminuric and 32.3% were hyperuricemic. Ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarction) occurred in only 2.4% of patients. Concurrent hypertension and dyslipidemia; obesity and dyslipidemia; and hypertension and obesity occurred in 44.4%, 42.5% and 33.1% of type-2 diabetics, respectively. Compared to the diabetics without metabolic syndrome, those with the syndrome had a significantly higher proportion of patients with a family history of hypertension and diabetes (44% versus 25%; p = 0.003); among the upper/middle socioeconomic class: 52.0% versus 30.8% (p = 0.001); and among the urban dwelling: 68.0% versus 49.0% (p = 0.004). Metabolic syndrome was inversely proportional to the physical activity of an individual (chi2 = 21.69, df = 5, p = 0.001). Blood pressure was significantly higher among patients with metabolic syndrome than those without it (140.6 +/- 22.9/85.2 +/- 12.9 mmHg versus 126.9 +/- 15.4 mmHg; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The development of metabolic syndrome in African type-2 diabetic patients is influenced by demographic and clinical factors. Vigilant dietary habit and physical exercise may reduce the chance of metabolic syndrome in urban Nigerian type-2 diabetics.
Pre-caecal digestible phosphorus in maize and wheat for broiler chickens

ABSTRACT 1. The objective of this study was to determine the coefficient of pre-caecal digestion of P in maize (3.9 g/kg of total P, 0.83 g/kg of phytate P, 138 FTU [phytase units]/kg) and wheat (3.17 g/kg of total P, 1.94 g/kg of phytate P, 666 FTU/kg) in broilers according to the WPSA protocol. 2. For the diets, monosodium phosphate was used as an additional P supplement. Two sets of diets containing 200, 460 and 740 g/kg of wheat or 200, 500 and 740 g/kg of maize were formulated. A total of 288 21-d-old male broilers (Ross 308) were assigned to 24 cages (8 birds per cage) and the 6 test diets were assigned to cages. The coefficient of pre-caecal digestion of P was determined by the indicator method and linear regression. 3. In both ingredients, pre-caecal digestible P increased linearly with increasing inclusion levels of maize or wheat (P < 0.05). The coefficients of digestion of pre-caecal P were estimated to be 0.18 for wheat and 0.33 for maize.
Comparison of Feature Reduction Algorithms for Classifying Tree Species With Hyperspectral Data on Three Central European Test Sites

Tree species information is a basic variable for forest inventories. Knowledge on tree species is relevant for biomass estimation, habitat quality assessment, and biodiversity characterization. Hyperspectral data have been proven to have a high potential for the mapping of tree species composition. However, open questions remain concerning the robustness of existing classification approaches. Here, a number of classification approaches were compared to classify tree species from airborne hyperspectral data across three forest sites to identify a single approach which continuously delivers high classification performances over all test sites. Examined approaches included three feature selection methods [genetic algorithm (GA), support vector machines (SVM) wrapper, and sparse generalized partial least squares selection (PLS)] each combined with two nonparametric classifiers (SVM and Random Forest). Two further setups included classifications applied to the full hyperspectral dataset and to an image transformed with a minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation. Results showed that SVM wrapper and the GA slightly outperformed the PLS-based algorithm. In most cases, the best classification runs involving a feature selection algorithm outperformed those incorporating the full hyperspectral dataset. However, the best overall results were obtained when using the first 10-20 components of the MNF-transformed image. Selected bands were frequently located in the visual region close to the green peak, at the chlorophyll absorption feature and the red edge rise as well as in three parts of the short-wave infrared region close to water absorption features. These findings are relevant for improving the robustness of tree species classifications from airborne hyperspectral data incorporating feature reduction techniques.