Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimum design of multilayer composite plates using simulated annealing

Abstract This paper proposes the use of a simulated annealing (SA) approach to the optimal design of multilayered composite plate structures. The orientation fibres and the number of layers in laminated composites play a major role in determining strength and stiffness. Therefore, the basic design problem is to determine the optimum stacking sequence of the composite laminate. The SA technique is employed to obtain the optimum fibre orientation of multilayered composite plates, so as to maximize fundamental natural frequency. The composite plate is discretized and analysed by a finite element (FE) analysis procedure using a computer program written in C language. The inverse iteration method is employed to obtain the fundamental frequency of a laminated plate with a given number of layers and fibre orientations in each layer. Both symmetric and antisymmetric fibre angles are considered. The optimum results of fibre orientations are compared with the conventional random walk (RW) method.
Interface dislocation structures at the onset of coherency loss in nanoscale Ni–Cu bilayer films

We have performed a transmission electron microscopy study, using weak beam imaging, of the interface dislocation arrays that form initially at the (001) Ni–Cu interface during coherency loss. Interface dislocations were absent in the 2.5 nm Ni/100 nm Cu bilayers, but were present in the 3.0 nm Ni samples, indicating that the critical Ni film thickness for coherency loss is between 2.5 and 3 nm. The key features of the interface dislocation structure at the onset of coherency loss are: (i) the majority of interface dislocations are 60° dislocations, presumably formed by glide of threading dislocations in the coherently stressed Ni layer, and have Burgers vector in the {111} glide plane; (ii) the interface contained approximately 5% Lomer edge dislocations, with Burgers vector in the {001} interface plane, and an occasional Shockley partial dislocation and (iii) isolated segments of interface dislocations terminating at the surface are regularly observed. Possible mechanisms that lead to these dislocation configurations at the interface are discussed. This experimental study shows that near the critical thickness, accumulation of interface dislocations occurs in a somewhat stochastic fashion with favourable regions where coherency is first lost.
A dynamic scheduler for balancing HPC applications

Load imbalance cause significant performance degradation in High Performance Computing applications. In our previous work we showed that load imbalance can be alleviated by modern MT processors that provide mechanisms for controlling the allocation of processors internal resources. In that work, we applied static, hand-tuned resource allocations to balance HPC applications, providing improvements for benchmarks and real applications. In this paper we propose a dynamic process scheduler for the Linux kernel that automatically and transparently balances HPC applications according to their behavior. We tested our new scheduler on an IBM POWER5 machine, which provides a software-controlled prioritization mechanism that allows us to bias the processor resource allocation. Our experiments show that the scheduler reduces the imbalance of HPC applications, achieving results similar to the ones obtained by hand-tuning the applications (up to 16%). Moreover, our solution reduces the application's execution time combining effect of load balance and high responsive scheduling.
Biomarkers of oxidative stress and protein–protein interaction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract Content: The increased oxidative stress in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients is the result of increased inhaled oxidants, generated by various cells of the airways. Objective: The investigation included measurements of malondiadehyde (MDA), uric acid, ascorbic acid, and matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12) in COPD patient. We also performed genetic analysis for protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on healthy subjects with normal lung function (NS, 14 subjects) and 28 patients (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (Gold) 1 and Gold 2) with COPD. Results: There was significant (p < .001) increase in MMP-12, MDA and uric acid levels as compared to healthy controls. A significant (p < .001) decline in ascorbic acid level was observed in COPD patients. The PPI was found to be 0.833 which indicated that proteins present in COPD are linked. Discussion and conclusion: This study suggests oxidative stress plays an important role in COPD and the PPI provide indication that proteins present in COPD are linked.
Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors Potentiate the Antitumor Effect of Radiation on a Human Tumor Xenograft Expressing Activated HRAS1

Abstract Cohen-Jonathan, E. , Muschel, R. J., McKenna, W. G. , Evans, S. M. , Cerniglia, G. , Mick, R. , Kusewitt, D. , Sebti, S. M. , Hamilton, A. D. , Oliff, A. , Kohl, N. , Gibbs, J. B. and Bernhard, E. J. Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors Potentiate the Antitumor Effect of Radiation on a Human Tumor Xenograft Expressing Activated HRAS. Successful radiosensitization requires that tumor cells become more radiosensitive without causing an equivalent reduction in the survival of cells of the surrounding normal tissues. Since tumor cell radiosensitivity can be influenced by RAS oncogene activation, we have hypothesized that inhibition of oncogenic RAS activity would lead to radiosensitization of tumors with activated RAS. We previously showed in tissue culture that prenyltransferase treatment of cells with activated RAS resulted in radiosensitization, whereas treatment of cells with wild-type RAS had no effect on radiation survival. Here we ask whether the findings obtained in vitro have applicability in vivo. We found that treatment of nude mice bearing T24 tumor cell xenografts with farnesyltransferase inhibitors resulted in a significant and synergistic reduction in tumor cell survival after irradiation. The regrowth of T24 tumors expressing activated RAS was also significantly prolonged by the addition of treatment with farnesyltransferase inhibitors compared to the regrowth after irradiation alone. In contrast, there was no effect on the radiosensitivity of HT-29 tumors expressing wild-type RAS. These results demonstrate that specific radiosensitization of tumors expressing activated RAS oncogenes can be obtained in vivo.
A jellyfish-inspired jet propulsion robot actuated by an iris mechanism

A jellyfish-inspired jet propulsion robot (JetPRo) is designed, fabricated, and characterized with the objective of creating a fast-swimming uncrewed undersea vehicle. JetPRo measures 7.9 cm in height, 5.7 cm in diameter and is designed to mimic the proficient jetting propulsion mechanism used by the hydromedusa Sarsia tubulosa, which measures approximately 1 cm in diameter. In order to achieve the uniform-bell contraction used by S. tubulosa, we develop a novel circumferential actuation technique based on a mechanical iris diaphragm. When triggered, this mechanism induces a volumetric change of a deformable silicone cavity to expel a jet of fluid and produces positive thrust. A theoretical jetting model is used to optimize JetPRo’s gait for maximum steady-state swimming velocity, a result achieved by minimizing the timing between the contraction and relaxation phases. We validate this finding empirically and quantify the swimming performance of the robot using video tracking and time resolved digital particle image velocimetry. JetPRo was able to produce discrete vortex rings shed before pinch off and swim upwards with a maximum steady-state velocity of 11.6 cm s−1, outperforming current state-of-the-art robotic jellyfish in velocity as well as diameter-normalized velocity.
Evaluating Value Weighting Schemes in the Clustering of Categorical Data

The majority of the algorithms in the clustering literature utilize data sets with numerical values. Recently, new and scalable algorithms have been proposed to cluster data sets with categorical data, data whose inherent ordering is not obvious. However, these algorithms deem all data values present in the data sets as equally important. Thus, the resulting clusters may be influenced by values that appear almost exclusively and reflect non-natural groupings. In this paper, we present a set of weighting schemes that allow for an objective assignment of importance on the values of a data set. We use well established weighting schemes from information retrieval, web search and data clustering to assess the importance of whole attributes and individual values. To our knowledge, this is the first work that considers weights in the clustering of categorical data. We perform clustering in the presence of importance for the values within the LIMBO framework, a new and scalable algorithm to cluster categorical data. Our experiments were performed in a variety of domains, including data sets used before in clustering research and three data sets from large software systems. We report results as to which weighting schemes show merit in the decomposition of data sets.
What is Missing in Current Checkpoint Interval Models?

The growth in the number of components that compose parallel computers increases their fault frequency. Currently, in such systems faults are no longer a rare event but a common problem, thus some sort of fault tolerance should be provided. In general, fault tolerance protocols rely on checkpoints. A common question surrounding check pointing is the definition of the checkpoint interval. In this paper we propose the modelling of the relationship established between the parallel applications processes due to the messages exchange in order to incorporate this relationship into current checkpoint interval models. The experimental evaluation shows that the use of our checkpoint interval model based on the definition of the parallel application inter-process dependency factor is effective to calculate the checkpoint interval for parallel applications. Our results demonstrate that the overhead prediction error is smaller than 4% in comparison with the application execution.
Receiver-coordinated distributed transmit beamforming with kinematic tracking

A distributed transmit beamforming technique is described for a scenario with two or more transmit nodes and one intended receiver. The protocol includes a measurement epoch, feedback from the intended receiver to the transmit nodes, and a beamforming epoch. The intended receiver tracks the clock and kinematic parameters of the independent transmit nodes and coordinates the transmit nodes by feeding back state predictions which are then used as phase corrections to facilitate passband phase and frequency alignment at the receiver. A three-state dynamic model is developed to describe the stochastic kinematics and clock evolution of each transmit node relative to the frame of the receiver/coordinator. Steady-state analysis techniques are used to analytically predict the tracking performance as well as the beamforming gain as a function of the system parameters. Numerical results show that near-ideal beamforming performance can be achieved if the period between successive observations at the receiver/coordinator is sufficiently small.
Combined Influence of Stack Height and Exit Velocity on Dispersion of Pollutants Caused by Helwan Cement Factory (Study using AERMOD Model)

The cement industry plays a very important role in the growth of the national economy and the social development of any country. Therefore, severe restrictions and controls must be placed on cement industry to assess the environmental impacts of such projects not only before implementation but also during and after the operation of these projects. This research is about to introduce and build model using AERMOD model that can be used in environmental impact assessment of cement factories considering the effect of the stack height and exit gas velocity with one, two and three stacks, on the dispersion and the concentration of air emissions at receptor locations. The air dispersion model is used to predict the dispersion of particulate matter (PM10) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions released from cement plant stack. Finally, the model showed that the stack heights and exit velocity are controlling factors in pollutant dispersion, where the relation between the stack height and the exit velocity against the maximum pollutant concentrations is inversely proportional. Moreover, this model was applied to a current cement plant located 30 Km south of Cairo. The emission concentrations from cement plant (8lines) were found to be less than the limits of Egyptian and International Environmental Laws. However, the emission concentrations from the cement plant when operated with full capacity (10lines) were found to violate the limits" without background reading". General Terms Environmental Management.
HAR: Hub, Authority and Relevance Scores in Multi-Relational Data for Query Search

In this paper, we propose a framework HAR to study the hub and authority scores of objects, and the relevance scores of relations in multi-relational data for query search. The basic idea of our framework is to consider a random walk in multi-relational data, and study in such random walk, limiting probabilities of relations for relevance scores, and of objects for hub scores and authority scores. The main contribution of this paper is to (i) propose a framework (HAR) that can compute the hub, authority and relevance scores by solving limiting probabilities arising from multi-relational data, and can incorporate input query vectors to handle query-specific search; (ii) show existence and uniqueness of such limiting probabilities so that they can be used for query search effectively; and (iii) develop an iterative algorithm to solve a set of tensor (multivariate polynomial) equations to obtain such probabilities. Extensive experimental results on TREC and DBLP data sets suggest that the proposed method is very effective in obtaining relevant results to the querying inputs. In the comparison, we find that the performance of HAR is better than those of HITS, SALSA
Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type I–Associated Adult T-cell Leukemia–Lymphoma: New Directions in Clinical Research

Adult T-cell leukemia–lymphoma (ATL) is a distinct malignancy of regulatory T cell (Treg)/TH2 cells caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1), with a high frequency of expression of CD3/CD4/CD25/CCR4 and FoxP3 in about half of the cells. However, in primary ATL cells, although expression of the virus, including the Tax oncoprotein, appears just after an in vitro culture, integration sites of the provirus into the host genome are random, and chromosomal/genetic abnormalities are complex. ATL is thus a single disease entity that is caused by HTLV-1 and possesses diverse molecular features. The clinical features and prognosis of ATL vary, and this has led to subtypes classified into four categories: acute, lymphomatous, chronic, and smoldering types, based on lactate dehydrogenase and calcium values and organ involvement. Approximately 15 to 20 million individuals are infected with HTLV-1 worldwide, 1.1 million of whom reside in Japan, and the annual incidence of ATL has been estimated to be approximately 1,000. HTLV-1 infection early in life, mainly from breast feeding, is crucial for the development of ATL. The age-specific occurrence of ATL and complex genome abnormalities that accumulate with disease progression suggest a multistep carcinogenesis model following HTLV-1 infection. Various treatment options are available for ATL and consist of watchful waiting for indolent ATL, intensive chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for aggressive ATL, and a combination of IFNα and zidovudine for ATL with leukemic manifestation. Several promising new agents, including an anti-CCR4 antibody, are currently undergoing clinical trials associated with translational research. See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Paradigm Shifts in Lymphoma. ” Clin Cancer Res; 20(20); 5217–25. ©2014 AACR.
Distributed temperature sensors for single-mode fibers

Single mode fibers are being installed in nearly all communication lines. For the purpose of maintenance and observation of line, data of the installed fiber condition is needed. Distributed temperature sensing for single mode fiber is expected in this field. Special wavelength light sources are necessary to measure the temperature distribution by Raman ratiometry in order to avoid the single mode fiber's cut-off wavelength. Distributed temperature sensing of the single mode fiber is perceived using fiber Raman laser. Fiber Raman laser is pumped by the LD- pumped solid-state laser source. 1400 nm pulse light is coupled into a single mode fiber and the 1320 Anti-Stokes and 1500 nm Stokes light are detected to calculate the temperature. Temperature accuracy is +/- 2 degree(s)C with the average time of 3 min and the maximum measurable range is 3 km.
Stochastic Virtual Tests for High-Temperature Ceramic Matrix Composites

We review the development of virtual tests for high-temperature ceramic matrix composites with textile reinforcement. Success hinges on understanding the relationship between the microstructure of continuous-fiber composites, including its stochastic variability, and the evolution of damage events leading to failure. The virtual tests combine advanced experiments and theories to address physical, mathematical, and engineering aspects of material definition and failure prediction. Key new experiments include surface image correlation methods and synchrotron-based, micrometer-resolution 3D imaging, both executed at temperatures exceeding 1,500°C. Computational methods include new probabilistic algorithms for generating stochastic virtual specimens, as well as a new augmented finite element method that deals efficiently with arbitrary systems of crack initiation, bifurcation, and coalescence in heterogeneous materials. Conceptual advances include the use of topology to characterize stochastic microstructures. We discuss the challenge of predicting the probability of an extreme failure event in a computationally tractable manner while retaining the necessary physical detail.
A WSN-Based Intelligent Light Control System Considering User Activities and Profiles

Recently, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been widely discussed in many applications. In this paper, we propose a WSN-based intelligent light control system for indoor environments. Wireless sensors are responsible for measuring current illuminations. Two kinds of lighting devices, namely, whole lighting and local lighting devices, are used to provide background and concentrated illuminations, respectively. Users may have various illumination requirements according to their activities and profiles. An illumination requirement is as the combination of background and concentrated illumination demands and users' locations. We consider two requirement models, namely, binary satisfaction and continuous satisfaction models, and propose two decision algorithms to determine the proper illuminations of devices and to achieve the desired optimization goals. Then, a closed-loop device control algorithm is applied to adjust the illumination levels of lighting devices. The prototyping results verify that our ideas are practical and feasible.
On Improving Real-Time Interrupt Latencies of Hybrid Operating Systems with Two-Level Hardware Interrupts

In this paper, we propose to implement hybrid operating systems based on two-level hardware interrupts. We analyze and model the worst-case real-time interrupt latency for RTAI and identify the key component for its optimization. Then, we propose our methodology to implement hybrid operating systems with two-level hardware interrupts by combining the real-time kernel and the time sharing OS (Operating System) kernel. Based on the methodology, we discuss the important issues for the implementation. Finally, we implement a hybrid system called RTLinux-THIN (Real-Time LINUX with Two-level Hardware INterrupts) on the ARM architecture by combining ARM Linux kernel 2.6. 9 and μC/OS-II. We conduct experiments on a set of real application programs including mplayer, Bonnie, and iperf, and compare the interrupt latency and interrupt task distributions for RTLinux-THIN (with and without cache locking), RTAI, Linux, and Linux with RT patch on a hardware platform based on Intel PXA270 processor. The results show that our scheme not only provides an easy method for implementing hybrid systems but also achieves the performance improvement for both the time sharing and real-time subsystems.
Calculation of protein–ligand binding free energy by using a polarizable potential

The binding of charged ligands benzamidine and diazamidine to trypsin was investigated by using a polarizable potential energy function and explicit-water molecular dynamics simulations. The binding free energies were computed from the difference between the free energies of decoupling the ligand from water and protein environments. Both the absolute and the relative free energies from the perturbation simulations agree with experimental measurements to within 0.5 kcal·mol−1. Comparison of free-energy components sampled from different thermodynamic paths indicates that electrostatics is the main driving force behind benzamidine recognition of trypsin. The contribution of electronic polarization to binding appears to be crucial. By computing the free-energy contribution caused by the polarization between the ligand and its surroundings, we found that polarization has the opposite effect in dissimilar environments. Although polarization favors ligand solvation in water, it weakens the protein–ligand attraction by screening the electrostatic interaction between trypsin and benzamidine. We also examined the relative binding free energies of a benzamidine analog diazamidine to trypsin. The changes in free energy on benzamidine-diazamidine substitution were tens of kilocalories in both water and trypsin environments; however, the change in the total binding free energy is <2 kcal·mol−1 because of cancellation, consistent with the experimental results. Overall, our results suggest that the use of a polarizable force field, given adequate sampling, is capable of achieving chemical accuracy in molecular simulations of protein–ligand recognition.
Digital Image Watermark Algorithm in the Curvelet Domain

Watermark is a new effective digital copyright protection method and data security technology. In this paper, a digital image watermark algorithm operating in the curvelet domain is proposed. Unequally-Spaced Fast Fourier Transforms (USFFT) is employed to implement Fast Discrete Curvelet Transforms (FDCT ) to transform the digital image to the curvelet domain. The following three factors are considered when embedding the watermark in the curvelet domain: (1) the scale distribution of the curvelet coefficients; (2) the variation of high frequency components and low frequency components have different effects on HVS; (3) the impact of the variation of the curvelet coefficients on the robustness of the watermark. Combining these factors with the basic watermark algorithm, we choose the proper position to embed the watermark. The experimental results demonstrate a fine unification of robustness and invisibility and shows advantages over watermark algorithm in the ridgelet domain concerning the two aspects.