Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Informed content delivery across adaptive overlay networks

Overlay networks have emerged as a powerful and highly flexible method for delivering content. We study how to optimize throughput of large transfers across richly connected, adaptive overlay networks, focusing on the potential of collaborative transfers between peers to supplement ongoing downloads. First, we make the case for an erasure-resilient encoding of the content. Using the digital fountain encoding approach, end hosts can efficiently reconstruct the original content of size <i>n</i> from a subset of any <i>n</i> symbols drawn from a large universe of encoding symbols. Such an approach affords reliability and a substantial degree of application-level flexibility, as it seamlessly accommodates connection migration and parallel transfers while providing resilience to packet loss. However, since the sets of encoding symbols acquired by peers during downloads may overlap substantially, care must be taken to enable them to collaborate effectively. Our main contribution is a collection of useful algorithmic tools for efficient summarization and approximate reconciliation of sets of symbols between pairs of collaborating peers, all of which keep message complexity and computation to a minimum. Through simulations and experiments on a prototype implementation, we demonstrate the performance benefits of our informed content-delivery mechanisms and how they complement existing overlay network architectures.
STUDIES OF THE Vi (γ2c) SUBGROUP OF γ-GLOBULIN

Further delineation of the antigens characteristic of the Vi or γ2c subgroup of γ-globulin was carried out utilizing a number of rabbit and primate antisera. Two genetic antigens characteristic of this subgroup, Gm(b) and Gm(g), were also detected by precipitation techniques with certain of the antisera. These were clearly differentiated from antigens common to all proteins of this subgroup. The concentration, of Vi protein in normal and pathological sera from several population groups was measured quantitatively utilizing a variety of immunological procedures. All sera studied showed measurable levels. The mean value for Caucasian sera was 1.06 mg/ml, representing approximately 8% of γG-globulin. This agreed closely with a figure of 8.4% for the incidence of myeloma proteins of the Vi subgroup among all γG-myeloma proteins in Caucasians. A relationship was found between the Vi subgroup concentration and the specific genetic type of a given individual. Measurements of the Gm(b) genetic determinants, which are found solely in Vi-type proteins, brought forward this relationship. Gm(b+) individuals showed higher concentrations of Vi-type γ-globulin than those who were Gm(b-), and this difference was statistically significant for both the homozygous and heterozygous states. It appeared that the structural genes for Gm(b+) polypeptide chains showed a greater synthetic capacity than those for Gm(b-) types. The possible significance of such effects in governing the relative composition of the antibody population in a given individual is discussed.
Lombalgia e cefaléia como aspectos importantes da dor crônica na atenção primária à saúde em uma comunidade da região amazônica brasileira

A dor tem sido descrita como sendo uma experiência sensorial e emocional desagradável que é associada ou descrita em termos de lesão tecidual. Na atenção primária à saúde, a dor crônica atinge altos níveis de prevalência, especialmente devido aos quadros de lombalgia e de cefaléias. O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar a prevalência de dor crônica na atenção primária à saúde na cidade de Buriticupu, localizada no estado do Maranhão, Brasil. Dentre todos os quadros clínicos, a dor crônica foi o diagnóstico mais prevalente entre os pacientes investigados, sendo encontrada em 539 pacientes (23,02%). Dor músculo-esquelética foi o quadro de dor crônica mais comum, atingindo 250 pacientes (10,62%), sendo que lombalgia foi o diagnóstico mais prevalente entre os quadros de dor músculo-esquelética, sendo encontrada em 120 pacientes (5,12%). Por outro lado, as cefaléias foram o segundo quadro de dor crônica mais comum, depois da dor músculo-esquelética, tendo sido diagnosticada em 212 pacientes (9,05%). Assim, 61,6% dos pacientes com dor crônica apresentavam lombalgia ou cefaléia. Análise estatística univariada encontrou associação entre gênero feminino e cefaléia, entre idade avançada e os principais tipos de dor crônica que foram avaliados neste estudo (músculo-esquelética, lombalgia e cefaléia), e entre índice de massa corpórea e dor músculo-esquelética e lombalgia. Quando a análise multivariada foi conduzida, as associações observadas com gênero feminino e idade avançada não mostraram alterações, mantendo os mesmos padrões de associação. No entanto, o índice de massa corpórea não apresentou mais associação com qualquer tipo de dor crônica.
Review of Various ImageSegmentation Techniques

: Segmentation of an image is a process which partitions an image into regions which are more specific to a particular application. These regions are set of pixels which have high intra-region homogeneity and low inter-region homogeneity. Homogeneity is determined on the basis of various pixel characteristics like distance, connectivity, intensity, texture etc. Segmentation also involves detecting objects of interest. Several techniques and algorithms have been devised so far for segmentation of images. Image segmentation is an integral part of image analysis. Images segmented by use of various algorithms can be evaluated for judging performance of these techniques. The evaluation can be both subjective and objective. In this paper we review some of the segmentation techniques and compare their performance qualitatively.
Performance Analysis of Maximum-Likelihood Multiuser Detection in Space–Time-Coded CDMA With Imperfect Channel Estimation

In this paper, the performance of maximum-likelihood multiuser detection in space-time-coded code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems with imperfect channel estimation is analyzed. A K-user synchronous CDMA system that employs orthogonal space-time block codes with M transmit antennas and N receive antennas is considered. A least-squares estimate of the channel matrix is obtained by sending a sequence of pilot bits from each user. The channel matrix is perturbed by an error matrix that depends on the thermal noise and the correlation between the signature waveforms of different users. Because of the linearity of the channel estimation technique, the characteristic function of the decision variable is used to obtain an exact expression for the pairwise error probability, and by using it, an upper bound on the bit error rate (BER) is obtained. The analytical BER bounds are compared with the BER obtained through simulations. The BER bounds are shown to be increasingly tight for large SNR values. It is shown that the degradation in BER performance due to imperfect channel estimation can be compensated by using a larger number of transmit/receive antennas
A binary Krill Herd approach based feature selection for high dimensional data

Nowadays high dimensional data plays an important role in many scientific and research applications. A high dimensional data consists of several features or attributes. These data may contain redundant and irrelevant features. The curse of dimensionality is an important problem in data mining and machine learning. In order to reduce the dimensionality of data and to improve the classifier performance, the unwanted and redundant features need to be removed. Feature selection techniques are used to identify the redundant and irrelevant features from the original set of data. Feature selection is the process of identifying most representative features from a collection of features. Existing feature selection algorithms like FAST, reduces dimensionality by removing irrelevant and redundant features from a collection of data and selects the required subset of features. The FAST algorithm uses information gain to calculate the symmetric uncertainty which is used as the measure of correlation between features. Information gain will check for only the presence of a feature with respect to another feature or class. But this will not give an accurate result. Thus the accuracy of results produced from the FAST algorithm is low. So a new Binary Krill Herd (BKH) algorithm is introduced for feature selection, in which a classifier is used as the objective function. BKH is a biological algorithm based on the movement of krill individuals. A binary vector is used to determine whether or not a feature will be selected, where 1 denotes whether a feature will be selected and 0 otherwise. The algorithm is evaluated a number of times with respect to the changes in the number of iterations per run, population size, problem dimension, and number of runs. The Binary Krill Herd algorithm not only considers the presence but also the change of a feature with respect to another or class. This helps to identify strongly correlated features compared to FAST algorithm. The proposed BKH algorithm has been compared against with FAST algorithm using several datasets. The datasets are derived from UCI machine learning repository. For the validation of the new algorithm, the classification accuracy is tested against several classifiers, mainly J48, Naive Bayes, Decision tree etc. The experimental result shows that the BKH algorithm for feature selection achieves more reduction in dimensionality by selecting only a small portion of the original features and outperforms FAST algorithms by producing more accurate results in less time.
A correction to 'efficient and secure comparison for on-line auctions'

In this paper, we describe a correction to the cryptosystem proposed in Damgard et al. from Int. J. Applied Cryptography, Vol. 1, No. 1. Although, the correction is small and does not affect the performance of the protocols from Damgard et al., it is necessary, as the cryptosystem is not secure without it.
A Linear Variable Differential Capacitive Transducer for Sensing Planar Angles

A linear variable differential capacitive transducer for the measurement of planar angles (from 0deg to 360deg) is presented in this paper. The sensor part of the transducer is made of parallel plates of standard and easy-to-fabricate shapes, and the signal-conditioning electronics are realized, employing a couple of simple relaxation oscillators. The output of the transducer is only dictated by a pair of dc reference voltages, and hence, high accuracy and linearity over the entire range (from 0deg to 360deg) are easily obtained by the use of precision dc reference voltages. Detailed analysis indicates that the sensitivity of the transducer is minimal for variations in different parameters. Experimental results obtained on a prototype transducer that has been built and tested establish the efficacy of the proposed transducer. The worst-case error of the prototype transducer is found to be less than 0.1%.
Estimation of vehicle running path using a pair of Doppler radars

Recently, various types of advanced driving assistance systems have been introduced to automobiles. Among them, parking assistance systems require accurate estimates on vehicle running paths when they are used in narrow areas found in packed urban cities. To generate vehicle running paths, gyroscopes are often used for yaw rate measurement. In this research, we replace it with a pair of Doppler radars to estimate the running paths accurately.
Situational management for process implementation of working operations of the business process

Overall objective of situational management of complex objects decomposed into the following tasks: Task control, which is a result of the decision: detecting the presence or forecasting problem situation at the object management (OM); The task of planning, the result of the decision that is the plan of the management of OM. The wording on the format it comes down to one of the objectives of such a canonical problems of classical control theory: Mayer, Lagrange, Bolza, but the content is different; The choice of format depends on the wording of the decision of sup system of production system. Scheme for solving these problems typed and presented in phases: definition of the target situation, the appropriate mode of functioning of the OM; select the path to achieve the target situation; The task of decision-making, which is the result of a decision of the control plan solutions, provides the plan management process; The task of the direct control of OM: translation of OM from the current state to the desired state through the implementation of a management plan for the subject. These tasks are strictly formalized and disclosed features of their structure and components.
Effect of point defects on electronic and magnetic properties of single-layer SiO

ABSTRACT Based on spin-polarised density functional theory calculations, we investigated the effect of point defects on electronic and magnetic properties of the single-layer (SL) asymmetric washboard silicon oxide (aw-SiO). The SL-aw-SiO is a counterpart of black phosphorene, and a new candidate of two-dimensional material family. This structure is dynamically and thermally stable and is a nonmagnetic semiconductor with a direct band gap. We found that single vacancy and divacancy give rise to significant change in the electronic and magnetic properties of SL-aw-SiO. The band gap of aw-SiO can be tuned by the substitution of Si atom instead of O atom, the antisite defect, the O atom vacancy and two atom vacancies. In addition, impurity states due to the defects can occur in the band continua and hence the band gap of aw-SiO is reduced. Having an integer magnetic moment, SL-aw-SiO upon Si vacancy and by substitution of O atom instead of Si atom may display half-metallic features.
Constant Compositions in the Sphere Packing Bound for Classical-Quantum Channels

The sphere packing bound, in the form given by Shannon, Gallager, and Berlekamp, was recently extended to classical-quantum channels, and it was shown that this creates a natural setting for combining probabilistic approaches with some combinatorial ones such as the Lovász theta function. In this paper, we extend the study to the case of constant-composition codes. We first extend the sphere packing bound for classical-quantum channels to this case, and we then show that the obtained result is related to a variation of the Lovász theta function studied by Marton. We then propose a further extension to the case of varying channels and codewords with a constant conditional composition given a particular sequence. This extension is finally applied to auxiliary channels to deduce a bound, which is useful in the low rate region and which can be interpreted as an extension of the Elias bound.
Krylov Subspace Approximation for Local Community Detection in Large Networks

Community detection is an important information mining task to uncover modular structures in large networks. For increasingly common large network datasets, global community detection is prohibitively expensive, and attention has shifted to methods that mine local communities, i.e., identifying all latent members of a particular community from a few labeled seed members. To address such semi-supervised mining task, we systematically develop a local spectral (LOSP) subspace-based community detection method, called LOSP. We define a family of LOSP subspaces based on Krylov subspaces, and seek a sparse indicator for the target community via an ℓ1 norm minimization over the Krylov subspace. Variants of LOSP depend on type of random walks with different diffusion speeds, type of random walks, dimension of the LOSP subspace, and step of diffusions. The effectiveness of the proposed LOSP approach is theoretically analyzed based on Rayleigh quotients, and it is experimentally verified on a wide variety of real-world networks across social, production, and biological domains, as well as on an extensive set of synthetic LFR benchmark datasets.
Economic Insecurity among Gay and Bisexual Men: Evidence from the 1991–2016 U.S. General Social Survey

Although a sizeable body of research has examined the labor market outcomes for sexual minority men, suggesting that gay and bisexual men earn less than their heterosexual counterparts, fewer studies have addressed whether any apparent earnings disadvantages for sexual minority men extend to economic insecurity more broadly. Using 1991–2016 U.S. General Social Survey (GSS) data, we examine three measures of economic insecurity—household income, perceived financial satisfaction, and views about family income—among gay and bisexual men. We find that most sexual minority men experience multiple types of economic insecurity with larger disparities present for bisexual men. Consistent with the labor market literature, we observe that family structure and human capital acquisition primarily accounted for economic insecurity disparities for gay men, and family structure partially explained disparities for bisexual men.
On a new approach to the multi-sample goodness-of-fit problem

Abstract Suppose we have k samples with different sample sizes and unknown underlying distribution functions as observations plus k families of distribution functions each indexed by elements ϑ from the same parameter set Θ, we consider the new goodness-of-fit problem whether or not belongs to the parametric family New test statistics are presented and a parametric bootstrap procedure for the approximation of the unknown null distributions is discussed. Under regularity assumptions, it is proved that the approximation works asymptotically, and the limiting distributions of the test statistics in the null hypothesis case are determined. Simulation studies investigate the quality of the new approach for small and moderate sample sizes. Applications to real-data sets illustrate how the idea can be used for verifying model assumptions.
Control Algorithms for a Fault-Tolerant PMSM Drive

This paper proposes control algorithms for a fault-tolerant permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive. In order to improve the reliability of the drive, an algorithm for achieving a sensorless control that operates properly also in fault mode is proposed. Furthermore, it is shown how a closed-loop field-weakening controller needs to be modified in order to operate properly in fault mode. Automotive applications are in mind and the algorithms presented are verified with experimental results using an in-wheel PMSM. With the proposed modifications, the reliability of the drive can be improved.
Overcoming the failures of citizen participation: The relevance of the liberal approach in planning

This article examines the obstacles to public participation in a representative democracy and the approaches that can help to overcome these obstacles. Democracy is never perfect because of the inherent difficulties of developing democratic institutions, yet the drawbacks of representative democracy are considerably greater than those of direct democracy. We consider public participation as an element of direct democracy integrated into the structure of representative democracy in order to balance the power of the centre with that of the constituent members of the democratic system. We underscore the role of nomocracy, by which we mean promoting the power of equitable legal and other social rules over the power of the centre. In public participation, the functioning of rules faces greater obstacles than in other forms of democracy. Thus, the professionalism of planners and public administrators is particularly important in formulating these rules; it is even more important when the challenges of establishing rules are major or insuperable. We distinguish between two types of planning professionalism: teleocratic (based primarily on technocratic skills) and nomocratic (based on the nomocratic liberal approach). We recognize the significance of the former, but our main contribution to the debate on public participation is to emphasize the crucial importance and priority of nomocratic professionalism in overcoming the difficulties of citizen involvement and the shortcomings of representative democracy. To test our conclusions, we explore the practice of citizen engagement in the process of planning bikeway networks in several large Bulgarian cities, where public participation is frustrated by the prevalence of the teleocratic approach and the lack of nomocratic traditions.
Quantitative assessment of coronary microvascular function in patients with and without epicardial atherosclerosis

AIMS: The influence of atherosclerosis and its risk factors on coronary microvascular function remain unclear as current methods of assessing microvascular function do not specifically test the microcirculation in isolation. We examined the influence of epicardial vessel atherosclerosis on coronary microvascular function using the index of myocardial resistance (IMR). METHODS AND RESULTS: IMR (a measure of microvascular function) and fractional flow reserve (FFR, a measure of the epicardial compartment) were measured in 143 coronary arteries (116 patients). Fifteen patients (22 arteries, mean age 48+/-16 years) had no clinical evidence of atherosclerosis (control group). One hundred and one patients (121 arteries, mean age 63+/-11 years) had established atherosclerosis and multiple cardiovascular risk factors (atheroma group). Mean IMR in the control group (19+/-5, range 8-28) was significantly lower than in the atheroma group (25+/-13, range 6-75) (P
Long-term clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness analysis in multivessel percutaneous coronary interventions: comparison of drug-eluting stents, bare-metal stents and a mixed approach in patients at high and low risk of repeat revascularisation.

Aims: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness and cost-efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES) in a real world setting of multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods and results: We evaluated the 2-year outcome of all multivessel PCI in de novo lesions enrolled in a prospective web-based multicentre registry from July 2003 to December 2006. Among the 2,898 eligible patients, 1,315 were treated with bare-metal stent (BMS) alone, 657 with DES alone, and 926 with both. At 2-years, use of DES was associated with a lower propensity score adjusted incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), death and myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularisation (TVR) compared with BMS but only in patients at high risk of TVR. No difference was apparent between "pure" DES and the mixed approach. The matched cost-effectiveness analysis revealed DES to be more costly and more effective with a reasonable incremental cost-efficacy ratio for any MACE avoided only in patients with a high risk of TVR and only in comparison with "pure" BMS patients. Conclusions: In this real-world multivessel PCI registry, the use of DES and a mixed approach were associated with a 2-year reduction of adverse clinical outcomes in comparison with BMS especially in patients with a high risk of TVR. DES were cost-effective only in patients at high risk of TVR.