Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust Adaptive Control of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems in the Presence of Input Saturation and External Disturbance

In this technical note, we consider adaptive control of single input uncertain nonlinear systems in the presence of input saturation and unknown external disturbance. By using backstepping approaches, two new robust adaptive control algorithms are developed by introducing a well defined smooth function and using a Nussbaum function. The Nussbaum function is introduced to compensate for the nonlinear term arising from the input saturation. Unlike some existing control schemes for systems with input saturation, the developed controllers do not require assumptions on the uncertain parameters within a known compact set and a priori knowledge on the bound of the external disturbance. Besides showing global stability, transient performance is also established and can be adjusted by tuning certain design parameters.
Dealing with concept drifts in process mining : a case study in a Dutch municipality

Although most business processes change over time, contemporary process mining techniques tend to analyze these processes as if they are in steady-state. Processes may change suddenly or gradually. The drift may be periodic (e.g. due to seasonal influences) or one-of-a-kind (e.g., the effects of new legislation). For process management it is crucial to discover and understand such concept drifts in processes. In this paper, we present a case study of analyzing concept drifts in three different processes within a large Dutch municipality.
Explicit and Implicit Processes Constitute the Fast and Slow Processes of Sensorimotor Learning

A popular model of human sensorimotor learning suggests that a fast process and a slow process work in parallel to produce the canonical learning curve (Smith et al., 2006). Recent evidence supports the subdivision of sensorimotor learning into explicit and implicit processes that simultaneously subserve task performance (Taylor et al., 2014). We set out to test whether these two accounts of learning processes are homologous. Using a recently developed method to assay explicit and implicit learning directly in a sensorimotor task, along with a computational modeling analysis, we show that the fast process closely resembles explicit learning and the slow process approximates implicit learning. In addition, we provide evidence for a subdivision of the slow/implicit process into distinct manifestations of motor memory. We conclude that the two-state model of motor learning is a close approximation of sensorimotor learning, but it is unable to describe adequately the various implicit learning operations that forge the learning curve. Our results suggest that a wider net be cast in the search for the putative psychological mechanisms and neural substrates underlying the multiplicity of processes involved in motor learning.
Symptom clusters in patients on dialysis and their association with quality-of-life outcomes.

BACKGROUND Patients who are on dialysis report multiple symptoms. The aim of the study was to explore and identify symptom clusters (co-occurring symptoms) in patients on dialysis and their possible associations with depressive symptoms and health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcomes. METHODS In a cross-sectional study of 301 prevalent patients on dialysis, physical symptoms, depressive symptoms and HRQOL were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Kidney Disease and Quality-of-Life-Short Form version 1.3 (KDQOL-SF36) questionnaires. Symptom clusters were identified using principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Multivariate linear regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the relationships between symptom clusters and depressive symptoms and HRQOL outcomes. RESULTS The majority of patients (63.5%) rated their symptoms in the 'very much' to 'extremely bothersome' range, and 29.4% had significant depressive symptoms. Three symptom clusters were identified and were named uraemic (nausea, lack of appetite, dizziness/faintness, feeling squeezed out, shortness of breath, chest pain), neuromuscular (numbness in extremities, sore muscles, cramps) and skin (itching, dry skin) clusters. The three clusters were associated with BDI, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. After multiple adjustments, the uraemic and neuromuscular clusters remained independently associated with BDI and PCS scores and the uraemic and skin clusters with MCS scores. CONCLUSION The strong associations between symptom clusters and depressive symptoms and the physical and mental domains of HRQOL should lead to an increased focus on symptom-alleviating interventions. Additional research is warranted to determine whether treatment of symptom clusters rather than single symptoms will improve HRQOL.
A Visual Environment for Characterization of State Changes in Computer Systems

Traditional state modeling techniques have several limitations. One of these is the reduced ability to model a large number of variables simultaneously. Another limitation is that understanding such models can be difficult as they are often represented as a series of graphs with a large number of transitions. In order to address the above issues, we propose a geometric approach to modeling state changes in computer systems. Geometric models are often descriptive of complex mathematical combinations and can be very useful for representing large quantities of intricate, interrelated data. Visualizations are powerful instruments of communication, therefore such geometric models can be processed very well by human beings. Visual state models can be utilized in a wide range of computer-related activities, from monitoring system operation to system security enhancement and data authentication. In this paper we describe a geometric model for visually representing various pieces of information pertaining to a computer system’s security and operation aspects. Furthermore, we describe the main elements of a prototype software environment that supports such model and its related visualizations.
The Relationship Between Social Support and Morale: Comparisons of the Widowed and Never Married in Later Life

Through an analysis of data from 152 widowed and 62 never-married elderly residents of southern Ontario, this paper examines the relationship between social support and well-being, measured in terms of morale. The data indicate that while perceived social support is related to morale, particularly among the widowed, measures of available support are not directly associated with well-being among the widowed and never-married elderly. Indeed, reliance upon others for support is, in some circumstances, associated with decreased well-being among the elderly.
The importance of surgeon experience for clinical and economic outcomes from thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether individual surgeon experience is associated with improved short-term clinical and economic outcomes for patients with benign and malignant thyroid disease who underwent thyroid procedures in Maryland between 1991 and 1996. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA There is a prevailing belief that surgeon experience affects patient outcomes in endocrine surgery, but there is a paucity of objective evidence outside of clinical series published by experienced surgeons that supports this view. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of all patients who underwent thyroidectomy in Maryland between 1991 and 1996 was conducted using a computerized statewide hospital discharge data base. Surgeons were categorized by volume of thyroidectomies over the 6-year study period: A (1 to 9 cases), B (10 to 29 cases), C (30 to 100 cases), and D (>100 cases). Multivariate regression was used to assess the relation between surgeon caseload and in-hospital complications, length of stay, and total hospital charges, adjusting for case mix and hospital volume. RESULTS The highest-volume surgeons (group D) performed the greatest proportion of total thyroidectomies among the 5860 discharges, and they were more likely to operate on patients with cancer. After adjusting for case mix and hospital volume, highest-volume surgeons had the shortest length of stay (1.4 days vs. 1.7 days for groups B and C and 1.9 days for group A) and the lowest complication rate (5.1 % vs. 6.1% for groups B and C and 8.6% for group A). Length of stay and complications were more determined by surgeon experience than hospital volume, which had no consistent association with outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Individual surgeon experience is significantly associated with complication rates and length of stay for thyroidectomy.
A Comparative Study of Reliability-Ignorant and Reliability-Aware Energy Management Schemes Using UPPAAL-SMC

Energy saving and high reliability are two key concerns in the design of real time systems. However, high reliability and low energy consumption are conflicting objects, and they are generally contrasted with temporal correctness. In this paper, we propose comparing reliability-ignorant and reliability-aware power management schemes with statistical model checking approach using UPPAAL-SMC. The power management schemes and the relevant components are modeled in the form of stochastic timed automata. And the analysis objectives are expressed as verification queries. With the model and queries as inputs, UPPAAL-SMC returns the probability of system failure and the expected value of energy consumption. In this analysis, we have considered three reliability-ignorant power management schemes and two reliability-aware power management schemes. Based on the comparative study, we provided guidelines for choosing the suitable scheme for a given system. One thing that should be emphasized is that our methodology is not limited to the schemes involved in this paper. The modeling and evaluating procedure can be applied to analyse other energy management schemes in practical application.
Metformin Stimulates FGF21 Expression in Primary Hepatocytes

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a novel metabolic regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism; however, the exact mechanism of action and regulation of FGF21 is not fully understood. Metabolic status plays an important role in the regulation of FGF21, and we therefore examined whether metformin, an indirect AMPK-activator, regulates FGF21 expression in hepatocytes. FGF21 mRNA and protein expression were determined after incubation of primary cultured rat and human hepatocytes with metformin for 24 hours. To study the role of AMPK in the putative regulation of FGF21, hepatocytes were incubated with Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) in the presence of metformin. A strong dose-dependent increase in FGF21 expression was observed in both rat and human hepatocytes treated with metformin. This effect was blocked by addition of the AMPK-inhibitor Compound C. The study shows that metformin is a potent inducer of hepatic FGF21 expression and that the effect of metformin seems to be mediated through AMPK activation. As FGF21 therapy normalizes blood glucose in animal models of type 2 diabetes, the induction of hepatic FGF21 by metformin might play an important role in metformin's antidiabetic effect.
Empirically Characterizing Domain Abuse and the Revenue Impact of Blacklisting

Using ground truth sales data for over 40K unlicensed prescription pharmaceuticals sites, we present an economic analysis of two aspects of domain abuse in the online counterfeit drug market. First, we characterize the nature of domains abused by affiliate spammers to monetize what is evidently an overwhelming demand for these drugs. We found that the most successful affiliates are agile in adapting to adversarial circumstances, and channel the full spectrum of domain abuse to advertise to customers. Second, we use contemporaneous blacklisting data to provide an economic analysis of the revenue impact of domain blacklisting, a technique whereby lists of “known bad” registered domains are distributed and used to filter email spam. We found that blacklisting rapidly and effectively limited per-domain sales. Nevertheless, blacklisted domains continued to monetize, likely as a result of high demand, non-universal use of blacklisting, and delay in deployment. Finally, our results suggest that increasing the number of domains discovered and using blacklists to block access to spam domains could undermine profitability more than further improving the speed with which domains are added to blacklists.
Behavioral Intervention Technologies and Psychotherapy with Youth: A Review of the Literature

The dominant model of delivering psychological interventions is face-to-face (F2F) in oneto- one psychotherapy. Behavioral Intervention Technologies (BITs) may have the capacity to expand delivery models and/or increase the outcomes of therapy. This article is a systematic review of the available literature on BITs for children and adolescents with DSM-5 mental health diagnoses. All articles on EBSCOhost published between 1 st January 2000 and 31 st December 2014 referencing terms related to youth, BITs, and therapy were collected for analysis (n=7179). After inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, 53 articles were included in the review, discussing BIT interventions for Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The review found general support for BITs as interventions for child and adolescent disorders. Limitations of the current research and suggestions for future directions are discussed.
Intonational differences between the reduplicative babbling of French- and English-learning infants

ABSTRACT The two- and three-syllable reduplicative babbling of five French-learning and five English-learning infants (0;5 to 1; 1) was examined in two ways for intonational differences. The first measure was a categorization into one of five categories (RISING, FALLING, RISE-FALL, FALL-RISE, LEVEL) by expert listeners. The second was the fundamental frequency (F0) from the early, middle and late portion of each syllable. Both measures showed significant differences between the two language groups. 65% of the utterances from both groups were classified as either rising of falling. For the French children, these were divided equally into the rising and the falling categories, while 75% of those utterances for the English children were judged to have falling intonation. Proportions of the other three categories were not significantly different by language environment. In both languages, though, three-syllable utterances were more likely to have a complex contour than two-syllable ones. Analysis of the F0 patterns confirmed the perceptual assessment. Several aspects of the target languages help explain these intonational differences in prelinguistic babbling.
Board characteristics and board monitoring function — Evidence from listed company of China

The literature on the relationships between board attributes and corporate performance is mixed, and one important reason is that the intermediate variable, i.e., board behaviors are ignored. With the data coming from listed company of China, the paper empirically researches the relationship between the characteristics and monitoring function of board. Using Principal Component Analysis, we get 6 variables reflecting the characteristics of board and 4 variables for the monitoring function. The study shows that the share held ratio of board's members has a negative impact on the directing function of board significantly, but the gender ratio and the average age of board members has a positive impact on the position function of board significantly. This may be valuable to regulate the behavior of board.
Sharing of motion vectors in 3D video coding

Current investigations in the area of 3D video systems are based on depth map sequences. They are used to determine the compatibility with conventional 2D video systems. Instead of transmitting or storing two 2D video sequences for each eye, 2D video and the appropriate depth information is delivered. If the viewer owns a standard TV set, only the video is displayed. In the case of additionally installed hardware, e.g. stereoscopic display or shutter glasses, a second virtual view are computed based on the depth information. The amount of data for transmitting or storing the additional depth information is limited to 20 percent of the MPEG-2 coded 2D video data stream. This paper shows an approach for compression of the depth map sequences based on MPEG-2 within the predetermined limit by sharing the vectors for motion compensation with the 2D video data.
Measuring Dimensions of Purchaser Trust of Industrial Salespeople

AbstractTrust was conceptualized as the extent to which a salesperson exhibited five attributes: dependable, reliable, honest, responsible, and likeable. Scales were developed to measure each component as well as overall trust. The measures were found to satisfy some of the basic psychometric criteria for measurement. Also, descriptive information on the extent to which industrial buyers trusted salespeople found that while buyers tended to trust salespeople, room for improvement existed.
Beneficial effects through aggressive coronary screening for type 2 diabetes patients with advanced vascular complications

Abstract Glycemic control alone does not reduce cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and routine screening of all T2D patients for asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) is not effective for preventing acute cardiac events. We examined the effectiveness of an aggressive screening protocol for asymptomatic CAD in T2D patients with advanced vascular complications. We designed a 3-year cohort study investigating the effectiveness of the aggressive coronary screening for T2D patients with advanced vascular complications and no known coronary events using propensity score adjusted analysis at a national center in Japan. Eligibility criteria included T2D without known coronary events and with any 1 of the following 4 complications: advanced diabetic retinopathy, advanced chronic kidney disease, peripheral artery disease, or cerebrovascular disease. In the aggressive screening group (n = 122), all patients received stress single photon emission computed tomography and those exhibiting myocardial perfusion abnormalities underwent coronary angiography. In the conventional screening group (n = 108), patients were examined for CAD at the discretion of their medical providers. Primary endpoint was composite outcome of cardiovascular death and nonfatal cardiovascular events. Asymptomatic CAD with ≥70% stenosis was detected in 39.3% of patients completing aggressive screening. The proportions achieving revascularization and receiving intensive medical therapy within 90 days after the screening were significantly higher in the aggressive screening group than in the conventional screening group [19.7% vs 0% (P < 0.001) and 48.4% vs 9.3% (P < 0.001), respectively]. The cumulative rate of primary composite outcome was significantly lower in the aggressive screening group according to a propensity score adjusted Cox proportional hazards model (hazard ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.12–0.96; P = 0.04). Aggressive coronary screening for T2D patients with advanced vascular complications reduced cardiovascular death and nonfatal cardiovascular events.
Data analysis of multiobjective density based spatial clustering schemes in gene selection process for cancer diagnosis

In the field of pattern recognition, the study of the gene expression profiles of different tissue samples over different experimental conditions has become feasible with the arrival of microarray-based technology. In cancer research, classification of tissue samples is necessary for cancer diagnosis, which can be done with the help of microarray technology. In this paper, we have presented a Multi Objective Optimization (MOO)-based clustering technique utilizing Archived Multi Objective Simulated Annealing (AMOSA) as the underlying optimization strategy for classification of tissue samples from cancer datasets. The presented clustering technique is evaluated for three open source Breast cancer, diabetes and hypothyroid datasets. In terms of evaluating the quality and the goodness of produced clusters, two cluster quality measures viz, adjusted rand index and Classification of Accuracy (%CoA) are calculated. The compared results of the presented clustering algorithm with ten state-of-the-art existing clustering techniques are shown for three datasets. Also, we have conducted a statistical significance test called t-test to prove the superiority of our presented MOO-based clustering technique over other clustering techniques and Density Based Spatial Clustering And Noise application (DBSCAN) important gene markers they identify and demonstrate the visual of clustering and their solutions.
A novel continuous cardiac output monitor based on pulse wave transit time

Monitoring cardiac output (CO) is important for the management of patient circulation in an operation room (OR) or intensive care unit (ICU). We assumed that the change in pulse wave transit time (PWTT) obtained from an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a pulse oximeter wave is correlated with the change in stroke volume (SV), from which CO is derived. The present study reports the verification of this hypothesis using a hemodynamic analysis theory and animal study. PWTT consists of a pre-ejection period (PEP), the pulse transit time through an elasticity artery (T1), and the pulse transit time through peripheral resistance arteries (T2). We assumed a consistent negative correlation between PWTT and SV under all conditions of varying circulatory dynamics. The equation for calculating SV from PWTT was derived based on the following procedures. 1. Approximating SV using a linear equation of PWTT. 2. The slope and y-intercept of the above equation were determined under consideration of vessel compliance (SV was divided by Pulse Pressure (PP)), animal type, and the inherent relationship between PP and PWTT. Animal study was performed to verify the above-mentioned assumption. The correlation coefficient of PWTT and SV became r = −0.710 (p < 0.001), and a good correlation was admitted. It has been confirmed that accurate continuous CO and SV measurement is only possible by monitoring regular clinical parameters (ECG, SpO2, and NIBP).
An Energy Saving Tag Cache Model

Energy consumption in caches is widely studied topic. The access to a cache line consumes energy. This paper proposes exclusive cache model that reduces the energy consumption over the tag cache model. The proposed model assumes two level exclusive cache with tag cache in level one. The tag cache consists of tag information of all cache levels. It is stored in cache in level one. An address is checked in tag cache and the corresponding line is accessed. On miss, the line is placed as in exclusive cache case updating the tag cache. The proposed model compares subsets of tag during address mapping. This turns on selectively the comparison circuitry in tag cache selectively saving energy consumption. A mathematical model is developed for the proposed model. The proposed model is simulated with SPEC2000 benchmarks. The average memory access time is comparable with tag cache with energy saving of 7%.
A framework of virtual collaborative network - Improving of SC visibility

Enormous pressures have been imposed on SCM to reduce cost and improve operation efficiency, and importantly to support information visibility throughout an integrated interoperable organization network. Advanced P2P MANET technologies promise to enable the capabilities necessary to meet these challenges and spur innovation in SCM. In this paper, we propose an interoperable virtual collaborative network infrastructure based on multidimensional structured P2P MANET to improve supply chain visibility. At last, we list issues that worth investigation in further research.