Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Turbulence Closures and Numerical Errors for the Optimization of Flow Control Devices

The simulation of turbulent flows including active flow control devices, such as synthetic jets, is still a difficult task. Numerical parameters (grid size, time step, etc.) may have a significant influence on the result, while the choice of the turbulence closure is often critical. In this context, we investigate the use of a Kriging-based global optimization method to determine optimal control parameters. The objective of this study is twofold: firstly, we quantify the impact of some numerical and modeling parameters on the Kriging model constructed using a design of experiment approach. In a second phase, we conduct an optimization process and measure the impact of numerical and modeling errors on the optimal control parameters found. An approach to account for some numerical errors during the optimization is finally presented. The turbulent flow over a backward facing step, including a synthetic jet actuator, is considered as test-case. The time-averaged recirculation length is considered as control criterion, while jet frequency and amplitude are optimized.
Unc119 Protects from Shigella Infection by Inhibiting the Abl Family Kinases

Background Bacteria engage cell surface receptors and intracellular signaling molecules to enter the cell. Unc119 is an adaptor protein, which interacts with receptors and tyrosine kinases. Its role in bacterial invasion of cells is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We used biochemical, molecular and cell biology approaches to identify the binding partners of Unc119, and to study the effect of Unc119 on Abl family kinases and Shigella infection. We employed loss-of-function and gain-in-function approaches to study the effect of Unc119 in a mouse model of pulmonary shigellosis. Unc119 interacts with Abl family kinases and inhibits their kinase activity. As a consequence, it inhibits Crk phosphorylation, which is essential for Shigella infection. Unc119 co-localizes with Crk and Shigella in infected cells. Shigella infectivity increases in Unc119-deficient epithelial and macrophage cells. In a mouse model of shigellosis cell-permeable TAT-Unc119 inhibits Shigella infection. Conversely, Unc119 knockdown in vivo results in enhanced bacterial invasion and increased lethality. Unc119 is an inducible protein. Its expression is upregulated by probacteria and bacterial products such as lipopolysacharide and sodium butyrate. The latter inhibits Shigella infection in mouse lungs but is ineffective in Unc119 deficiency. Conclusions Unc119 inhibits signaling pathways that are used by Shigella to enter the cell. As a consequence it provides partial but significant protection from Shigella infections. Unc119 induction in vivo boosts host defense against infections.
The Caenorhabditis elegans Mucin-Like Protein OSM-8 Negatively Regulates Osmosensitive Physiology Via the Transmembrane Protein PTR-23

The molecular mechanisms of animal cell osmoregulation are poorly understood. Genetic studies of osmoregulation in yeast have identified mucin-like proteins as critical regulators of osmosensitive signaling and gene expression. Whether mucins play similar roles in higher organisms is not known. Here, we show that mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans mucin-like gene osm-8 specifically disrupt osmoregulatory physiological processes. In osm-8 mutants, normal physiological responses to hypertonic stress, such as the accumulation of organic osmolytes and activation of osmoresponsive gene expression, are constitutively activated. As a result, osm-8 mutants exhibit resistance to normally lethal levels of hypertonic stress and have an osmotic stress resistance (Osr) phenotype. To identify genes required for Osm-8 phenotypes, we performed a genome-wide RNAi osm-8 suppressor screen. After screening ∼18,000 gene knockdowns, we identified 27 suppressors that specifically affect the constitutive osmosensitive gene expression and Osr phenotypes of osm-8 mutants. We found that one suppressor, the transmembrane protein PTR-23, is co-expressed with osm-8 in the hypodermis and strongly suppresses several Osm-8 phenotypes, including the transcriptional activation of many osmosensitive mRNAs, constitutive glycerol accumulation, and osmotic stress resistance. Our studies are the first to show that an extracellular mucin-like protein plays an important role in animal osmoregulation in a manner that requires the activity of a novel transmembrane protein. Given that mucins and transmembrane proteins play similar roles in yeast osmoregulation, our findings suggest a possible evolutionarily conserved role for the mucin-plasma membrane interface in eukaryotic osmoregulation.
Ensemble Selection using Simulated Annealing Walking

— Pruning an ensemble of classifiers is one of the most significant and effective issues in ensemble method topic. This paper presents a new ensemble pruning method inspired by upward stochastic walking idea. Our proposed method incorporates simulated annealing algorithm and forward selection method for selecting models through the ensemble according to the probabilistic steps. Experimental comparisons of the proposed method versus similar ensemble pruning methods on a heterogeneous ensemble of classifiers demonstrate that it leads to better predictive performance and small-sized pruned ensemble. One of the reasons of these promising results is more time which our method spends for finding the best models of ensemble compared with rivals.
Two multivariate central limit theorems

In this paper, explicit error bounds are derived in the approximation of rank $k$ projections of certain $n$-dimensional random vectors by standard $k$-dimensional Gaussian random vectors. The bounds are given in terms of $k$, $n$, and a basis of the $k$-dimensional space onto which we project. The random vectors considered are two generalizations of the case of a vector with independent, identically distributed components. In the first case, the random vector has components which are independent but need not have the same distribution. The second case deals with finite exchangeable sequences of random variables.
Integrated Optimization of Video Server Resource and Streaming Quality Over Best-Effort Network

A video streaming server needs to adapt its source/channel encoding parameters (or configurations) to changes in network conditions and to differences in users' connection profiles. The adaptation can be achieved by adjusting parameters such as frame rate, error protection ratio, and resolution. Ideally, the server should adapt the serving configurations with respect to the current network and user conditions to improve received video quality. However, adaptations that optimize playable frame rate require intensive computation, and storing all possible configurations requires a tremendous amount of storage. This brings forth the issues of how to obtain good video quality and reduce server resources usage at the same time. We address this issue in this paper. Our approach is based on the observation that transcoding between certain configurations can be performed very efficiently. We propose a framework to compute a set of configurations to store on the server by considering two opposing goals: (a) maximizing expected received quality of the video, and (b) minimizing server resource usage by lowering transcoding cost and expected number of switches between configurations. The second objective also reduces the number of configurations, and therefore reduces the total storage required. Our framework models the relationship among different configurations in a partial order, formulates the search of a good set of configurations as an energy minimization problem, and we use techniques in image segmentation to solve the problem. Experimental results show that our framework relieves the server load and increases the number of clients served, while only slightly reducing the expected frame rate.
A Case for Using Real Options Pricing Analysis to Evaluate Information Technology Project Investments

The application of fundamental option pricing models (OPMs), such as the binomial and the Black-Scholes models, to problems in information technology (IT) investment decision making have been the subject of some debate in the last few years. Prior research, for example, has made the case that pricing "real options" in real world operational and strategic settings offers the potential for useful insights in the evaluation of irreversible investments under uncertainty. However, most authors in the IS literature have made their cases using illustrative, rather than actual real world examples, and have always concluded with caveats and questions for future research about the applicability of such methods in practice. This paper makes three important contributions in this context: (1) it provides a formal theoretical grounding for the validity of the Black-Scholes option pricing model in the context of the spectrum of capital budgeting methods that might be employed to assess IT investments; (2) it shows why the assumptions of both the Black-Scholes and the binomial option pricing models place constraints on the range of IT investment situations that one can evaluate that are similar to those implied by traditional capital budgeting methods such as discounted cash flow analysis; and (3) it presents the first application of the Black-Scholes model that uses a real world business situation involving IT as its test bed. Our application focuses on an analysis of the timing of the deployment of point-of-sale (POS) debit services by the Yankee 24 shared electronic banking network of New England. This application enables us to make the case for the generalizability of the approach we discuss to four IT investment settings.
Logical Core Algorithm: Improving Global Placement

This work introduces a new technique to improve the global placement, which can be applied to any regular placer. We propose an algorithm called Logical Core, based on Google PageRankâ, which distributes probability weights to every cell in the circuit netlist. Then, these weights are used to select the most important cells for the global placement. By using this information, we are able to improve global placement in terms of wirelength. The Logical Core algorithm proposes a new complexity rule to the placement graph. This complexity has a great similarity with the Rent’s Rule. The technique improves the total wirelength in all tested cases by 4.5%.
Dependable Information Exchange for Next Generation Mobile Cyber-Physical Systems

Mobile cyber-physical systems (M-CPSs) are envisaged as an integral part of our digital future. Dependability of M-CPSs is subject to timely, reliable, and secure information exchange among M-CPS entities. Information exchange provisioning in such systems is conventionally built with sole reliance on wireless connectivity. The conventional approaches, however, fail to efficiently exploit dynamism and heterogeneity, and to incorporate computing/cooperation as alternative system-wide tools for information exchange. To address these issues, we approach M-CPSs dependability from the information exchange perspective and define dependable-exchange-of-information (DeX) indicating collective M-CPS capability of information exchange provisioning. We then propose a cloud-based architecture for DeX provisioning as a service to facilitate versatile development of dependable M-CPSs.
The interaction between mood and cognitive function studied with PET

Background. Experimentally induced depressed mood is a suggested model for retarded depression. We describe the neural response associated with induced mood and the locus of the interaction between systems mediating mood and cognitive function. Methods. Normal subjects performed a verbal fluency task during induced elated and depressed mood states. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured as an index of neural activity using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Results. In both elated and depressed mood state rCBF was increased in lateral orbitofrontal cortex, rCBF was also increased in the midbrain in elated mood. In the depressed condition rCBF was decreased in rostral medial prefrontal cortex. Verbal fluency produced an expected increase of rCBF in left dorsolateral prefrontal, inferior frontal and premotor cortex, anterior cingulate and insula cortex bilaterally, the left supramarginal gyrus posteriorly and the thalamus. Activation in the verbal fluency task was attenuated throughout the left prefrontal, premotor and cingulate cortex and thalamus in both elated and depressed mood conditions. An attenuation of anterior cingulate activation was specific to depressed mood. Conclusions. Alteration of mood is associated with activation of orbitofrontal cortex which may be critical to the experience of emotion. The mood induced modulation of verbal fluency induced activations is consistent with resting state findings of decreased function in these regions in depressed patients. The present data suggest that resting state rCBF profile may represent the modulation of spontaneous activity in this network by a core system that is dysfunctional in depression.
Division of load for operating system kernel

The current Operating System (OS) kernels calculate the load average value as a lump sum. Also the algorithm for the calculation of load average does not separate CPU load from Disk load. This leads to the presentation of an incorrect measurement when both disk bound tasks and CPU bound tasks run simultaneously. In this paper a new algorithm is proposed to calculate, store and display each user's CPU and Disk loads separately. The separation of user load at the kernel level has an importance in the collection of historical load signals as they can be useful for load prediction. In Grids and Clusters the users have certain usage patterns that can be easily traced back in the historical load profile collections. Such selected patterns are useful in the prediction of load profiles.
Beamforming in Massive MU-MIMO cellular networks: A stochastic geometry approach

This work gives an insight into Beamforming scheme employed to Massive multi-user multiple-input multiple-output MU-MIMO Cellular System under stochastic geometry approach. A particular case envisioned for 5G; where a cellular network comprises of a number of antennas at Base Station that forms a beamforming projection on a single antenna user or Mobile Station. Under the auspices of stochastic geometry approach; a new theorem for outage probability under aggregate interference settings is derived that is generalized from recent works in beamforming and Massive MU-MIMO Heterogeneous Cellular Networks. Outage probability is characterized for three different reuse factors for the case of orthogonal pilots and results are verified by means of Monte Carlo simulations.
Maximum likelihood inference and bootstrap methods for plant organ growth via multi-phase kinetic models and their application to maize.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Fitting the parameters of models of plant organ growth is a means to investigate how environmental conditions affect plant architecture. The aim of this article is to evaluate some non-linear methods for fitting the parameters of multi-phase models of the kinetics of extension of plant organs such as laminae, sheaths and internodes. * METHODS A set of computational procedures was developed allowing parameter-fitting of multi-phase models, using the maximum likelihood criterion, in which phases are identified with reference to ontogenic processes. Two bootstrap methods were compared to assess the precision of the estimates of fitted parameters, and of functions of these parameters such as the final leaf length, and the duration and rate of the rapid extension phase. Methods were applied to an experimental dataset, representing the kinetics of laminae, sheaths and internodes along the maize shoot, for two contrasting densities. * KEY RESULTS A set of multi-phase models was proposed to describe the extension of laminae, sheaths and internodes along the shoot. The distinguishable phases differed between laminae, sheaths and internodes. For sheaths and laminae, but not for internodes, the same model could be fitted to all phytomers along the shoot. The variation of parameters along the shoot and between density treatments, as well as derived functions such as the durations of the phases of extension, are presented for laminae. It was the duration of the fast extension period, rather than its rate, which determined the difference in final length between treatments. * CONCLUSIONS Such methods permit a large degree of objectivity and facilitate the analysis of such rather complicated but co-ordinated datasets. The work also illustrates some natural limitations of maximum likelihood methods, and viable ways of overcoming them by including a priori knowledge in the model fitting method are discussed.
Learning and Matching Line Aspects for Articulated Objects

Traditional aspect graphs are topology-based and are impractical for articulated objects. In this work we learn a small number of aspects, or prototypical views, from video data. Groundtruth segmentations in video sequences are utilized for both training and testing aspect models that operate on static images. We represent aspects of an articulated object as collections of line segments. In learning aspects, where object centers are known, a linear matching based on line location and orientation is used to measure similarity between views. We use K-medoid to find cluster centers. When using line aspects in recognition, matching is based on pairwise cues of relative location, relative orientation as well adjacency and parallelism. Matching with pairwise cues leads to a quadratic optimization that we solve with a spectral approximation. We show that our line aspect matching is capable of locating people in a variety of poses. Line aspect matching performs significantly better than an alternative approach using Hausdorff distance, showing merits of the line representation.
Wideband receiver for Software Defined Radio in GHz range using standard 40nm CMOS technology

In this paper, a low power wideband receiver for Software-Defined Radio (SDR) is presented. In SDR design, the receiver should be able to receive signals over a broad-bandwidth so that a variety of different communication standards can be covered. In the proposed design, a 0.1–6 GHz analog front-end for SDR is demonstrated. Implemented in a standard 40nm CMOS technology, the proposed receiver is realized without inductors and able to work between 0.1–6 GHz while consuming less than 4.55mA current from a single 1.1-V supply voltage.
The value effects of foreign currency and interest rate hedging: the UK evidence.

In this paper we use UK data to present empirical evidence on the valuation and debt capacity effects of foreign currency (FC) and interest rate (IR) hedging. We build on recent studies that have presented mixed results on the link between hedging, leverage and firm value. Our results provide evidence of a significant relationship between firm value, measured as Tobin's Q, and foreign currency and interest rate hedging. These findings are much stronger than those found in previous studies that have examined US firms. Our empirical evidence suggests that this is due to the fact the US studies include in their non-hedging sample other hedging firms, such as firms using non-derivative methods for hedging, which can bias the results against finding positive leverage and firm value effects. The larger value effects in our results could also be due to institutional differences in the bankruptcy codes between the UK and the US that cause higher expected financial distress costs for UK firms and therefore greater benefits generated by hedging. When we look at debt capacity and the tax shield effects of hedging, we find that investors reward interest rate hedgers with a larger hedging premium than that rewarded for FC hedging. In fact, our results show that the debt capacity benefits of interest rate only hedging are around six times those generated by FC only hedging. Finally, the debt capacity results in relation to IR hedging and the Tobin's Q results show that derivative hedging generates more value than non-derivative hedging.
Impact of a Prospective-Audit-With-Feedback Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Children's Hospital.

BACKGROUND The emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms and the lack of development of new antimicrobials have made it imperative that additional strategies be developed to maintain the effectiveness of these existing antibiotics. The objective of this study was to describe the impact of a prospective-audit-with-feedback antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) on antibiotic use in a children's hospital. METHOD A quasi-experimental study design with a control group was performed to assess the impact of a prospective-audit-with-feedback ASP. The control group was the combined antibiotic use at 25 similar children's hospitals that are members of the Child Health Corporation of America. RESULTS The ASP reviewed 10 460 broad-spectrum or select antibiotics in 8765 patients in the 30 months following the intervention. The most common select antibiotics reviewed were ceftriaxone/cefotaxime (43%), vancomycin (18%), ceftazidime (12%), and meropenem (7%). A total of 2378 recommendations were made in 1703 (19%) patients; the most common recommendation was to stop antibiotics (41%). Clinicians were compliant with agreed-upon ASP recommendations in 92% of patients. When comparing our antibiotic use with that of the control group, a monthly decline in all antibiotics of 7% (P = .045) and 8% (P = .045) was observed for days of therapy (DoT) and length of therapy (LoT) per 1000 patient-days, respectively. An even greater effect was observed in the select antibiotics as the monthly DoT per 1000 patient-days declined 17% (P < .001) and the monthly LoT per 1000 patient-days declined 18% (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS A prospective-audit-with-feedback ASP can have a significant impact on decreasing antibiotic use at a children's hospital.
Documentation and Evaluation of School Restructuring: Dilemmas of a New Paradigm.

A new paradigm for evaluating school restructuring that is based on the teacher-as-researcher concept, or action Ch, is presented in this paper. The first section compares the traditional and new evaluation paradigms. The old model is competitive, one-dimensional, reactive, and based on external change agiats; it appeals to fear and views the teacher as passive. The new model is cooperative, three-dimensional, responsive, and based on internal change agents; it appeals to inspiration and views the teacher as active. The second section examines problems involved in shifting to the new paradigm. Resistance to change is often based on expectations and past experiences; the questions most often asked by novice evaluators are Who, How, When, and Why? The Learning Laboratory Initiative, a district-level restructuring project, has four goals for evaluation: (1) empower the stakeholders; (2) support the work; (3) showcase what is being learned; and (4) inform policy development. A conclusion is that evaluation for development purposes helps change schools into true learning organizations. Teachers and local shareholders engaged in designing, implementing, and evaluating their educational vision accomplish a shared mission, personal mastery, and team learning. Appendices include a comparison of evaluation paradigms, a description of the roles and responsibilities of the evaluation coordinator, and a figure demonstrating the quartiles of collaborative inquiry. (Contains 22 references.) (LMI) Reproductions supplied by ERRS are the beat that can be made from the original document.