Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of Preconditioned Nonstationary Methods for Electromagnetic Scattering From One Dimensional Dielectric Rough Surfaces

For the analysis of electromagnetic scattering from one dimensional dielectric randomly rough surfaces, we apply the right-preconditioning technique to three nonstationary iterative algorithms, namely, the generalized minimal residual (GMRES), conjugate gradient squared (CGS), and biconjugate gradient stabilized (BiCGSTAB). The spectral acceleration technique is also utilized to expedite computation of matrix-vector product. Among the nonstationary methods considered, with the right-preconditioning (RP) applied, GMRES-RP is the most robust, followed by BiCGSTAB-RP, with CGS-RP falling behind. In terms of number of iterations to achieve convergence, for cases when they all converge, GMRES-RP requires the most whereas BiCGSTAB-RP the least, with CGS-RP slightly more demanding than BiCGSTAB-RP. However, in terms of run time, GMRES-RP is the most efficient, followed by BiCGSTAB-RP, and CGS-RP is the least efficient. This relative performance is in contrast to the unpreconditioned case as reported in the literature, which speaks of the impact of the adopted right-preconditioning on the spectral distribution of these nonstationary algorithms.
The relationship of parents' cigarette smoking to outcome of pregnancy--implications as to the problem of inferring causation from observed associations.

The relationship of parental smoking to outcome of pregnancy was studied in 9793 white and 3290 black women who were interviewed early in pregnancy on a variety of medical genetic environmental and behavioral variables. An increase in incidence of low-birth-weight infants was confirmed (P < .00001). However a number of paradoxical findings were observed which raised doubts as to causation. No increase in neonatal mortality was noted; rather the neonatal mortality rate and the risk of congenital abnormality of low-birth-weight infants were considerably lower for smoking than for nonsmoking mothers (P < .005 for whites and .05 < P < .06 for blacks). These more-favorable-than-expected results cannot be explained by differences in gestational age nor by a displacement hypothesis. Among other findings that could not be easily explained were: 1) that the healthiest low-birth-weight babies were found where the mother smoked and the father did not; 2) that the most vulnerable infants were produced when the mother did not smoke but the father did; 3) and that great differences obtained in mode-of-life characteristics between smokers and nonsmokers.
Stochastic Model Predictive Control: An Overview and Perspectives for Future Research

Model predictive control (MPC) has demonstrated exceptional success for the high-performance control of complex systems. The conceptual simplicity of MPC as well as its ability to effectively cope with the complex dynamics of systems with multiple inputs and outputs, input and state/output constraints, and conflicting control objectives have made it an attractive multivariable constrained control approach. This article gives an overview of the main developments in the area of stochastic model predictive control (SMPC) in the past decade and provides the reader with an impression of the different SMPC algorithms and the key theoretical challenges in stochastic predictive control without undue mathematical complexity. The general formulation of a stochastic OCP is first presented, followed by an overview of SMPC approaches for linear and nonlinear systems. Suggestions of some avenues for future research in this rapidly evolving field concludes the article.
Effects of mirtazapine in patients with post‐traumatic stress disorder in Korea: a pilot study

This study was aimed at testing the efficacy and tolerability of mirtazapine in the treatment of Korean patients with chronic post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mirtazapine was administered for 8 weeks using a flexible‐dose regime in 15 Korean patients with PTSD based on the DSM‐IV criteria. We evaluated the patients at baseline and at weeks 4 and 8 after treatment with the interviewer‐administered structured interview for PTSD (SIP), short PTSD rating interview (SPRINT), impact of event scale‐revised (IES‐R) and the Montgomery Åsberg depression rating scale (MADRS). Scores on the SIP, SPRINT, IES‐R and MADRS had significantly reduced after 8 weeks treatment. In this pilot study, mirtazapine was found to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of patients with PTSD. This calls for further evaluation of the effect of this drug on subjects with PTSD with randomized placebo‐controlled studies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electronic structure of few-electron concentric double quantum rings

The ground state structure of few-electron concentric double quantum rings is investigated within the local spin density approximation. Signatures of inter-ring coupling in the addition energy spectrum are identified and discussed. We show that the electronic configurations in these structures can be greatly modulated by the inter-ring distance: At short and long distances the low-lying electron states localize in the inner and outer rings, respectively, and the energy structure is essentially that of an isolated single quantum ring. However, at intermediate distances the electron states localized in the inner and the outer ring become quasidegenerate and a rather entangled, strongly-correlated system is formed.
Analysis before Starting an Access: A New Power-Efficient Instruction Fetch Mechanism

SUMMARY Power consumption has become an increasing concern in high performance microprocessor design. Especially, Instruction Cache (I-Cache) contributes a large portion of the total power consumption in a microprocessor, since it is a complex unit and is accessed very frequently. Several studies on low-power design have been presented for the power-e ﬃ cient cache design. However, these techniques usually su ﬀ er from the restrictions in the traditional Instruction Fetch Unit (IFU) architectures where the fetch address needs to be sent to I-Cache once it is available. Therefore, work to reduce the power consumption is limited after the address generation and before starting an access. In this paper, we present a new power-aware IFU architecture, named Analysis Before Starting an Access (ABSA), which aims at maximizing the power e ﬃ ciency of the low-power designs by eliminating the restrictions on those low-power designs of the traditional IFU. To achieve this goal, ABSA reorganizes the IFU pipeline and carefully assigns tasks for each stages so that su ﬃ cient time and information can be provided for the low-power techniques to maximize the power e ﬃ ciency before starting an access. The proposed design is fully scalable and its cost is low. Compared to a conventional IFU de-sign, simulation results show that ABSA saves about 30.3% fetch power consumption, on average. I-Cache employed by ABSA reduces both static and dynamic power consumptions about 85.63% and 66.92%, respectively. Meanwhile the performance degradation is only about 0.97%.
FAQtor : Automatic FAQ generation using online forums ∗

Forum content is an accumulation of significant human effort. It is thus sensible to extract prolonged benefit from this investment. We propose a system to automatically generate course specific frequently asked question lists (FAQs) from multi-year forum datasets. The system creates two separate FAQs: a Student FAQ, and an Instructor FAQ. The Student FAQ provides help for queries asked in the past. The Instructor FAQ provides an overview of the forum activity in previous course offerings. We present two models for Student FAQ generation using logistic regression and random forest classifiers. The logistic regression classifier reaches an accuracy of 68%. The OOB estimate of error rate for the random forest classifier is 31.48%. The predictors are easily obtained features from forum facilities, such as upvotes, unique views, and unique collaborations. For ground truth, we used expert judgment by current teaching assistants for the same course.
Appearance of malignant breast lesions identifyed with Digital Breast Tomosynthesis

Poster: "ECR 2013 / C-1553 / Appearance of malignant breast lesions identifyed with Digital Breast Tomosynthesis" by: "P. Clauser1, A. De Nicolo1, V. Londero2, C. Zuiani2, M. Bazzocchi2, C. Molinari2; 1Udine, Italy/IT, 2Udine/IT"
Functional Compartmentalization Following Induction of Long‐Term Graft Survival with Pregraft Donor‐Specific Transfusion

Long‐term survival is achieved in rat recipients by pre‐graft donor‐specific blood transfusion. We characterized the immune compartments in long‐term survivors and analyzed them for capacity to transfer tolerance and protect against chronic rejection. Splenocytes and spleen T cells from treated recipients transferred long‐term graft survival to 100% of secondary recipients. In contrast, blood transferred graft survival to only 50% of recipients whereas blood T cells had no effect. An unaltered TCR repertoire, an increase in suppressive CD4+CD25+ T cells, a decrease in antidonor T‐cell proliferative response and normal perforin–granzyme levels were the hallmarks of the spleen T cells. Blood T cells were characterized by a strongly altered CD8+ repertoire, normal CD4+CD25+ T cell number with unchanged antidonor T‐cell proliferative response, an activated T‐cell phenotype and an increase in perforin–granzyme levels. However, following the transfer of blood or spleen cells into secondary recipients, all grafts displayed chronic rejection. These findings provide evidence that distinct compartments play critical roles in DST recipients. Regulatory cells do not accumulate in blood, which appears to be a reservoir for cytotoxic T cells. Spleen T cells, which display a regulatory‐like profile and transfer graft survival, are not able to prevent chronic rejection.
Pharmacomodulation of Broad Spectrum Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors Towards Regulation of Gelatinases

Erika Bourguet1, William Hornebeck2, Janos Sapi1, Alain Jean-Paul Alix3 and Gautier Moroy4 1CNRS UMR 6229, Institut de Chimie Moleculaire de Reims, IFR 53 Biomolecules, UFR de Pharmacie, Universite de Reims-Champagne-Ardenne 2CNRS UMR 6237, Laboratoire de Biochimie Medicale, MeDyc, IFR 53 Biomolecules, UFR de Medecine, Universite de Reims-Champagne-Ardenne 3Laboratoire de Spectroscopies et Structures Biomoleculaires (EA4303), IFR 53 Biomolecules, UFR Sciences, Universite de Reims-Champagne-Ardenne 4INSERM UMR 973, Molecules therapeutiques in silico (MTi), Universite Paris Diderot France
Industrial Robot Backlash Fault Diagnosis Based on Discrete Wavelet Transform and Artificial Neural Network

Industrial robots are commonplace in production systems and have long been used in order to improve productivity, quality and safety in automated manufacturing processes. An unforeseen robot stoppage due to different reasons has the potential to cause an interruption in the entire production line, resulting in economic and production losses. The ability to continuously monitor the status and condition of robots has become a research issue in recent years and is now receiving considerable attention. Thus, the main aim of this research is to develop an intelligent condition monitoring system to diagnose the most common faults (backlash) that could be progressed in the gearbox of industrial robot joints. For accurate fault diagnosis, time-frequency signal analysis based on the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is adopted to extract the most salient features related to faults, and the artificial neural network (ANN) is used for faults classification. A data acquisition system based on National Instruments (NI) software and hardware was developed for robot vibration analysis and feature extraction. An experimental investigation was accomplished using the PUMA 560 robot. Firstly, vibration signals are captured from the robot when it is moving one joint cyclically. Then, by utilising the wavelet transform, signals are decomposed into multi-band frequency levels starting from higher to lower frequencies. For each of these levels the standard deviation feature is computed and used to design, train and test the proposed neural network. The developed system has showed high reliability in diagnosing several seeded backlash levels in the robot.
TITLE : Randomized controlled trial of exercise training in chronic respiratory failure due to kyphoscoliosis

Background: Research has provided evidence for the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of exercise training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, little is known about the impact of exercise training in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to kyphoscoliosis. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of an exercise training program on exercise capacity, muscle strength, dyspnea and quality of life indices, in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to kyphoscoliosis. Methods: Clinically stable patients with chronic respiratory failure due to kyphoscoliosis (n=34), receiving home mechanical ventilation during the night for the previous six months, were randomly assigned to an exercise (n = 17) or control (n = 17) group. The exercise group trained three nonconsecutive days per week for 12 weeks, including cycle and strength exercises. The study outcomes were changes in pulmonary function, exercise capacity, peripheral muscle strength, dyspnea scores, and quality of life from baseline to post-intervention. Results: Statistical analysis was carried out in 16 patients in the exercise group and in 11 patients in the control group. Lung function parameters did not change from baseline to post-intervention, with the exception of arterial carbon dioxide (p = 0.04), inspiratory (p = 0.025) and expiratory pressures (p = 0.04). In the exercise group, endurance time (p=0.002) and shuttle walking distance (p=0.001) increased significantly. Improvements occurred in the exercise group in peripheral muscle strength, dyspnea, and quality of life were statistically different when compared to the control group. Conclusions: In patients with chronic respiratory failure due to kyphoscoliosis, exercise training had beneficial effects on exercise capacity and peripheral muscle strength, resulting in less dyspnea and better quality of life.
Genomewide Selection versus Marker‐assisted Recurrent Selection to Improve Grain Yield and Stover‐quality Traits for Cellulosic Ethanol in Maize

Genomewide selection (GWS) is markerassisted selection without identifying markers with signifi cant effects. Our previous work with the intermated B73 × Mo17 maize (Zea mays L.) population revealed signifi cant variation for grain yield and stover-quality traits important for cellulosic ethanol production. Our objectives were to determine (i) if realized gains from selection are larger with GWS than with markerassisted recurrent selection (MARS), which involves selection for markers with signifi cant effects; and (ii) how multiple traits respond to multiple cycles of GWS and MARS. In 2007, testcrosses of 223 recombinant inbreds developed from B73 × Mo17 (Cycle 0) were evaluated at four Minnesota locations and genotyped with 287 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Individuals with the best performance for a Stover Index and a Yield + Stover Index were intermated to form Cycle 1. Both GWS and MARS were then conducted until Cycle 3. Multilocation trials in 2010 indicated that gains for the Stover Index and Yield + Stover Index were 14 to 50% larger (signifi cant at P = 0.05) with GWS than with MARS. Gains in individual traits were mostly nonsignifi cant. Inbreeding coeffi cients ranged from 0.28 to 0.38 by Cycle 3 of GWS and MARS. For stover-quality traits, correlations between wet chemistry and near-infrared refl ectance spectroscopy predictions decreased after selection. We believe this is the fi rst published report of a GWS experiment in crops, and our results indicate that using all available markers for predicting genotypic value leads to greater gain than using a subset of markers with signifi cant effects. J.M. Massman and R. Bernardo, Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, 411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Cir. , Saint Paul, MN 55108; H. -J.G. Jung, USDA-ARS Plant Science Research Unit, 411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Cir. , Saint Paul, MN 55108. Received 17 Feb. 2012. *Corresponding author (bernardo@umn.edu). Abbreviations: GWS, genomewide selection; MARS, marker-assisted recurrent selection; NIRS, near-infrared refl ectance spectroscopy; QTL, quantitative trait loci; RR-BLUP, ridge regression–best linear unbiased prediction; SNP, single nucleotide polymorphism. Published in Crop Sci. 53:1–9 (2013). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2012.02. 0112 © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.
A Novel Pitch Period Detection Algorithm Bases on HHT with Application to Normal and Pathological Voice

A modified pitch period detection (MPPD) algorithm is proposed in this paper. It is based on the redefinition of the instantaneous energy density level of Hilbert-Huang transform, called as frequency weighted energy density FIE(t). Two examples are employed to illuminate the physical meaning of this new definition. MPPD are used in detection experiments with 78 normal and 70 abnormal vowel /a:/ voices, the experimental results show that MPPD provides more robust performance and makes better results in normal voice pitch detection
Selection of the midcell division site in Bacillus subtilis through MinD‐dependent polar localization and activation of MinC

Bacterial cell division commences with the assembly of the tubulin‐like protein, FtsZ, at midcell to form a ring. Division site selection in rod‐shaped bacteria is mediated by MinC and MinD, which form a division inhibitor. Bacillus subtilis DivIVA protein ensures that MinCD specifically inhibits division close to the cell poles, while allowing division at midcell. We have examined the localization of MinC protein and show that it is targeted to midcell and retained at the mature cell poles. This localization is reminiscent of the pattern previously described for MinD. Localization of MinC requires both early (FtsZ) and late (PbpB) division proteins, and it is completely dependent on MinD. The effects of a divIVA mutation on localization of MinC now suggest that the main role of DivIVA is to retain MinCD at the cell poles after division, rather than recruitment to nascent division sites. By overexpressing minC or minD, we show that both proteins are required to block division, but that only MinD needs to be in excess of wild‐type levels. The results suggest a mechanism whereby MinD is required both to pilot MinC to the cell poles and to constitute a functional division inhibitor.
Studies on the interactions of SAP-1 (an N-terminal truncated form of cystatin S) with its binding partners by CD-spectroscopic and molecular docking methods

SAP-1 is a 113 amino acid long single-chain protein which belongs to the type 2 cystatin gene family. In our previous study, we have purified SAP-1 from human seminal plasma and observed its cross-class inhibitory property. At this time, we report the interaction of SAP-1 with diverse proteases and its binding partners by CD-spectroscopic and molecular docking methods. The circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic studies demonstrate that the conformation of SAP-1 is changed after its complexation with proteases, and the alterations in protein secondary structure are quantitatively calculated with increase of α-helices and reduction of β-strand content. To get insight into the interactions between SAP-1 and proteases, we make an effort to model the three-dimensional structure of SAP-1 by molecular modeling and verify its stability and viability through molecular dynamics simulations and finally complexed with different proteases using ClusPro 2.0 Server. A high degree of shape complementarity is examined within the complexes, stabilized by a number of hydrogen bonds (HBs) and hydrophobic interactions. Using HB analyses in different protein complexes, we have identified a series of key residues that may be involved in the interactions between SAP-1 and proteases. These findings will assist to understand the mechanism of inhibition of SAP-1 for different proteases and provide intimation for further research.
Clinical Immunology

What can Sjögren’s in mice contribute to Sjögren’s Abstract For decades, Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and Sjögren’s syndrome-like (SS-like) disease in patients and mouse models, respectively, have been intensely investigated in attempts to identify the underlying etiologies, the pathophysiological changes defining disease phenotypes, the nature of the autoimmune responses, and the propensity for developing B cell lymphomas. An emerging question is whether the generation of a multitude of mouse models and the data obtained from their studies is actually important to the understanding of the human disease and potential interventional therapies. In this brief report, we comment on how and why mouse models can stimulate interest in specific lines of research that apparently parallel aspects of human SS. Focusing on two mouse models, NOD and B6. Il14α , we present the possible relevance of mouse models to human SS, highlighting a few selected disease-associated biological processes that have baffled both SS and SS-like investigations for decades.
Pressure ulcers.

INTRODUCTION Unrelieved pressure or friction of the skin, particularly over bony prominences, can lead to pressure ulcers in up to a third of people in hospitals or community care, and a fifth of nursing home residents. Pressure ulcers are more likely in people with reduced mobility and poor skin condition, such as older people or those with vascular disease. METHODS AND OUTCOMES We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of preventive interventions in people at risk of developing pressure ulcers? What are the effects of treatments in people with pressure ulcers? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to February 2007 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). RESULTS We found 60 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions. CONCLUSIONS In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: air-filled vinyl boots, air-fluidised supports, alternating pressure surfaces (including mattresses), alternative foam mattresses, constant low-pressure supports, debridement, electric profiling beds, electrotherapy, hydrocellular heel supports, low-air-loss beds (including hydrotherapy beds), low-level laser therapy, low-tech constant low-pressure supports, medical sheepskin overlays, nutritional supplements, orthopaedic wool padding, pressure-relieving overlays on operating tables, pressure-relieving surfaces, repositioning (regular "turning"), seat cushions, standard beds, standard care, standard foam mattresses, standard tables, surgery, therapeutic ultrasound, topical lotions and dressings, topical negative pressure, and topical phenytoin.