Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a holonic-control inspired local market approach used in intelligent energy systems

The realization of a sustainable energy system for the future requires intelligent automation approaches and operational concepts, in addition to the usage of renewable sources. This paper analyzes the usage of the holonic-control principle as an open, scalable, and interoperable automation solution for setting up a local energy market in the context of smart buildings and energy-efficient neighborhoods. The necessary requirements, the corresponding automation architecture and validation through a co-simulation based proof-of-concept are discussed in this work.
Performance of batching schemes for multimedia-on-demand services

Recent advances in information and communication technologies have made multimedia-on-demand services technically and economically feasible. Important aspects of such systems are the resource sharing techniques, which allow the simultaneous service of a large number of users with considerable savings in terms of network bandwidth and server resources. In this paper, we report the results of a study which analyzes batching and buffering techniques, which involves serving all video requests issued during a short interval of time with a single stream. The mathematical model, based on queueing networks, allows the evaluation of the main system performance (average and probability distribution of the number of streams, percentage reduction of resources, and so on) as a function of load and batching interval duration. Simulation experiments confirm the analytical model in the whole range of considered conditions.
OPTIMAL CAPTURE OF NON-GAUSSIANITY IN WEAK-LENSING SURVEYS: POWER SPECTRUM, BISPECTRUM, AND HALO COUNTS

We compare the efficiency of weak-lensing-selected galaxy cluster counts and of the weak-lensing bispectrum at capturing non-Gaussian features in the dark matter distribution. We use the halo model to compute the weak-lensing power spectrum, the bispectrum, and the expected number of detected clusters, and derive constraints on cosmological parameters for a large, low systematic weak-lensing survey, by focusing on the Ωm–σ8 plane and on the dark energy equation of state. We separate the power spectrum into the resolved and the unresolved parts of the data, the resolved part being defined as detected clusters, and the unresolved part as the rest of the field. We consider four kinds of clusters counts, taking into account different amount of information: signal-to-noise ratio peak counts, counts as a function of clusters’ mass, counts as a function of clusters’ redshift, and counts as a function of clusters’ mass and redshift. We show that when combined with the power spectrum, those four kinds of counts provide similar constraints, thus allowing one to perform the most direct counts, signal-to-noise peak counts, and get percent level constraints on cosmological parameters. We show that the weak-lensing bispectrum gives constraints comparable to those given by the power spectrum and captures non-Gaussian features as well as cluster counts, its combination with the power spectrum giving errors on cosmological parameters that are similar to, if not marginally smaller than, those obtained when combining the power spectrum with cluster counts. We finally note that in order to reach its potential, the weak-lensing bispectrum must be computed using all triangle configurations, as equilateral triangles alone do not provide useful information. The appendices summarize the halo model, and the way the power spectrum and bispectrum are computed in this framework.
Out of Mind, Out of Sight

Mind wandering, in which cognitive processing of the external environment decreases in favor of internal processing (Small-wood & Schooler, 2006), has been consistently associated with errors on tasks requiring sustained attention and continu-ous stimulus monitoring (e.g., Cheyne, Carriere, & Smilek, 2006; Robertson, Manly, Andrade, Baddeley, & Yiend, 1997; Smallwood et al., 2004). Consistent with this finding, recent neuroimaging studies suggest that mind wandering engages the default neural network (Christoff, Gordon, Smallwood, Smith, & Schooler, 2009; Mason et al., 2007; Smallwood, Beach, Schooler, & Handy, 2008; Weissman, Roberts, Viss-cher, & Woldorff, 2006) and is associated with decreased neu-ral analysis of incoming information (Christoff et al., 2009; Smallwood, Beach, et al., 2008; Weissman et al., 2006). Here, we propose that mind wandering also involves overt embodied components whereby external input is blocked at the sensory endings. We demonstrate that during an extended period of reading, episodes of mind wandering, compared with on-task periods, contain more eye closures (blinks) and fewer fixa-tions on the text―even as subjects continue to scan the text.The present investigation is based on the idea that blink rate might serve to modulate trade-offs between attention to mind-wandering thoughts and to external task-related stimuli. Blinks reduce processing of external stimuli in two ways―by physi-cally closing the eyelid and by generating cortical suppression of visual processing both before and after the time of actual lid closure (Bristow, Frith, & Rees, 2005; Bristow, Haynes, Syl-vester, Frith, & Rees, 2005; Ridder & Tomlinson, 1997; Volk-mann, 1986). Increasing the rate of such visual interruptions may facilitate a shift in the balance of processing from exter-nal stimuli to internal thoughts. Consistent with these consid-erations, evidence suggests that an increase in eye blinks is associated with errors in vigilance to external stimuli (Papadelis et al., 2007; Poulton & Gregory, 1952; Van Orden, Jung, & Makeig, 2000) and with conflict between internal and external workload (Recarte, Perez, Conchillo, & Nunes, 2008). To assess the relation between eye blinks and mind wandering, we compared blink rates during probe-caught epi-sodes of mind wandering and on-task periods of reading. Mind-wandering episodes during reading are relatively fre-quent; everyone has experienced interfering thoughts that compromise reading (Reichle, Reineberg, & Schooler, in press; Schooler, Reichle, & Halpern, 2004; Smallwood, McSpadden, & Schooler, 2008), and it is possible to even find oneself at the end of a page with no recollection of having processed the material just “read. ” Such
A New Horizon for Barreling Compression Test: Exponential Profile Modeling

Exponential Profile Model (EPM) has been recently proposed to interpret barreling compression test's (BCT) data. A basic solution of EPM enables estimation of friction factor and to calculate distributions of strain rate (and strain) in the sample. These critical pre‐requisites allow to identify material's flow behavior and to indirectly measure static, dynamic, and meta‐dynamic recrystallization properties of the material based on the behavior. In this work, EPM's basic solution is employed in a fixed friction factor mode, the model is assessed and its potentials are outlined. The assessment includes comparing EPM's sample solutions with two reference solutions. The references are a non‐isothermal finite element model of BCT and the commonly used solution of the test; Cylindrical Profile Model (CPM). It is shown that despite variations of strain, strain rate, and temperature in Al1050 and AISI 304 stainless steel BCT samples, EPM's solutions agree reasonably well with the finite element solutions. This is particularly true for effective strains bellow 0.7 and friction factors bellow 0.2. It is concluded that EPM presented a far more reliable solution than CPM.
Learning Information Extraction Rules: An Inductive Logic Programming approach

The objective of this work is to learn information extraction rules by applying Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) techniques to natural language data. The approach is ontology-based, which means that the extraction rules conclude with specific ontology relations that characterise the meaning of sentences in the text. An existing ILP system, FOIL, is used to learn attribute-value relations. This enables instances of these relations to be identified in the text. In specific, we explore the linguistic preprocessing of the data, the use of background knowledge in the learning process, and the practical considerations of applying a supervised learning approach to rule induction, i.e. in terms of the human effort in creating the data set, and in the inherent biases in the use of small data sets.
Querying annotated speech corpora

This paper is concerned with querying annotated speech corpora. A growing number of such corpora is currently being created worldwide; however, their usefulness for a wider research community is restricted by the lack of standard tools for creating, editing, annotating, storing and querying them. Two solutions for these problems are presented here: the XML-based data format TASX for corpus creation and data format exchange and the NXT search tool for querying corpora. Both tools have been applied to the multi-level annotated LeaP corpus of non-native speech.
Prediction of response by FDG PET early during concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose To evaluate the predictive value of the early response of 18F-flurodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods FDG PET was performed before and during CCRT for 13 NSCLC patients. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured and the changes were calculated. These early metabolic changes were compared with the standard tumor response by computed tomograms (CT) one month after CCRT. Results One month after the completion of CCRT, 9 patients had partial response (PR) of tumor and 4 patients had stable disease. The percent changes of SUVmax (%ΔSUVmax) were larger in responder group than in non-responder group (55.7% ± 15.6% vs. 23.1% ± 19.0%, p = 0.01). The percent changes of SUVmean (%ΔSUVmean) were also larger in responder group than in non-responder group (54.4% ± 15.9% vs. 22.3% ± 23.0%, p = 0.01). The percent changes of MTV (%ΔMTV) or TLG (%ΔTLG) had no correlation with the tumor response after treatment. All the 7 patients (100%) with %ΔSUVmax ≥ 50% had PR, but only 2 out of 6 patients (33%) with %ΔSUVmax < 50% had PR after CCRT (p = 0.009). Likewise, all the 6 patients (100%) with %ΔSUVmean ≥ 50% had PR, but only 3 out of 7 patients (43%) with %ΔSUVmean < 50% had PR after CCRT (p = 0.026). Conclusion The degree of metabolic changes measured by PET-CT during CCRT was predictive for NSCLC tumor response after CCRT.
Moderate Amounts of Fructose Consumption Impair Insulin Sensitivity in Healthy Young Men

OBJECTIVE Adverse effects of hypercaloric, high-fructose diets on insulin sensitivity and lipids in human subjects have been shown repeatedly. The implications of fructose in amounts close to usual daily consumption, however, have not been well studied. This study assessed the effect of moderate amounts of fructose and sucrose compared with glucose on glucose and lipid metabolism. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Nine healthy, normal-weight male volunteers (aged 21–25 years) were studied in this double-blind, randomized, cross-over trial. All subjects consumed four different sweetened beverages (600 mL/day) for 3 weeks each: medium fructose (MF) at 40 g/day, and high fructose (HF), high glucose (HG), and high sucrose (HS) each at 80 g/day. Euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps with [6,6]-2H2 glucose labeling were used to measure endogenous glucose production. Lipid profile, glucose, and insulin were measured in fasting samples. RESULTS Hepatic suppression of glucose production during the clamp was significantly lower after HF (59.4 ± 11.0%) than HG (70.3 ± 10.5%, P < 0.05), whereas fasting glucose, insulin, and C-peptide did not differ between the interventions. Compared with HG, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol were significantly higher after MF, HF, and HS, and free fatty acids were significantly increased after MF, but not after the two other interventions (P < 0.05). Subjects’ energy intake during the interventions did not differ significantly from baseline intake. CONCLUSIONS This study clearly shows that moderate amounts of fructose and sucrose significantly alter hepatic insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism compared with similar amounts of glucose.
Accuracy assessment for AG500, electromagnetic articulograph.

PURPOSE The goal of this article was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the AG500 (Carstens Medizinelectronik, Lenglern, Germany), an electromagnetic device developed recently to register articulatory movements in three dimensions. This technology seems to have unprecedented capabilities to provide rich information about time-varying positions of articulators. However, strengths and weaknesses of the system need to be better understood before the device is used for speech research. METHOD Evaluations of the sensor positions over time were obtained during (a) movements of the calibration device, (b) manual movements of sensors in a cartridge within the recording field of the cube, and (c) various speech tasks. RESULTS Results showed a median error to be under 0.5 mm across different types of recordings. The maximum error often ranged between 1 and 2 mm. The magnitude of error depended somewhat on the task but largely on the location of the sensors within the recording region of the cube. CONCLUSION The performance of the system was judged as adequate for speech movement acquisition, provided that specific steps are taken for minimizing error during recording and for validating the quality of recorded data.
Comparison of truncal hair distribution in alcoholic liver disease and alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis

Abstract The present study shows that scanty hair distribution over the trunk is a specific finding in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and is not seen in alcoholic pancreatitis. This observation not only provides a useful clinical marker of individuals at increased risk of developing alcohol‐related liver disease, but from the pathogenetic viewpoint, it suggests that at the tissue level, the male sex hormones protect the liver against ethanol‐related damage.
Function of the auditory and visual systems, and of peripheral nerve, in rats after long-term combined exposure to n-hexane and methylated benzene derivatives. II. Xylene.

Rats were exposed to xylene, to n-hexane, or to xylene together with n-hexane, each solvent 1000 p.p.m. (1000 + 1000 p.p.m. in mixed exposure), 18 hr/day, 7 days/week during 61 days. Neurophysiological recordings were made 2 days, 4 months, and 10 months after the end of exposure. Exposure to n-hexane alone, or xylene alone, caused a slight loss of auditory sensitivity as recorded by auditory brainstem response 2 days after the exposure. Exposure to n-hexane together with xylene caused persistent loss of auditory sensitivity (7-17 dB; P < 0.05) which was non-additively enhanced (P < 0.01). The latencies of the flash evoked potentials in the group exposed to n-hexane alone were prolonged (re C group) 2 days after exposure, while smaller prolongations were found in the group exposed to xylene together with n-hexane. Exposure to n-hexane alone caused a marked decrease in nerve conduction velocity, while simultaneous exposure to xylene inhibited n-hexane-induced velocity reduction in peripheral nerve (P < 0.01).
A 52 GHz Frequency Synthesizer Featuring a 2nd Harmonic Extraction Technique That Preserves VCO Performance

This paper introduces a 2nd harmonic extraction technique and its implementation in a 46.4-58.1 GHz frequency synthesizer. The frequency doubling approach is based on tapping second harmonic signals at the VCO supply and tail nodes and amplifying them to provide a differential output. Since the amplifiers do not load the VCO outputs, the proposed technique does not affect either the tuning range or the frequency of the VCO. Moreover, a novel noise bypass technique is utilized to ensure that the amplifiers do not degrade the VCO phase noise. As a result, the frequency synthesizer achieves 22.4% tuning range (46.4-58.1 GHz) and phase noise below -118 dBc/Hz while consuming 66 mW from a 1 V supply. The stacked common gate amplifier can also be utilized for voltage regulation, providing a relatively constant FOM performance over a 2X power dissipation range. The synthesizer occupies 0.6 mm ×1 mm in IBM 32 nm SOI CMOS.
Mott Transition and Electronic Structure in Complex Oxide Heterostructures

Strongly correlated electron systems, particularly transition metal oxides, have been a focus of condensed matter physics for more than two decades since the discovery of high-temperature superconducting cuprates. Diverse competing phases emerge, spanning from exotic magnetism to unconventional superconductivity, in proximity to the localized-itinerant transition of Mott insulators. While studies were concentrated on bulk crystals, the recent rapid advance in synthesis has enabled fabrication of high-quality oxide heterostructures, offering a new route to create novel artificial quantum materials. This dissertation details the investigation on ultrathin films and heterostructures of 3d7(t6 2ge 1 g) systems with spin (S=1/2) and orbital degeneracies. Perovskite RNiO3 (R = rare earth) was chosen as a representative model, since its Ni 3+ valence corresponds to the low-spin 3d7 configuration. The heteroepitaxial growth of RNiO3 ultrathin films and heterostructures was studied by laser molecular beam epitaxy. To achieve a layer-by-layer growth mode crucial for stabilizing the proper stoichiometry and creating sharp interfaces, a fast pumping plus interruption growth method was developed. In addition to conventional transport measurement, resonant x-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to characterize the resulting electronic structures. The results demonstrate that the effect of polarity mismatch on the initial growth may lead to a chemical pathway for compensating the dipolar field. By utilizing the x-ray linear dichroic effect, an asymmetric heteroepitaxial straininduced d orbital response in LaNiO3 was revealed. Moreover, the interfacial lattice constraint was found to modulate the Ni-O covalency in RNiO3 by simultaneously tuning the Madelung energy and the p−d hybridization, leading to a self-doped mechanism that controls the collective phase behavior in NdNiO3. The electronic reconstructions in correlated quantum wells were also investigated in superlattices of LaNiO3/LaAlO3. In proximity to the confinement limit, a Mott-type metal-insulator transition was observed with tendency towards charge ordering as a competing ground state. The interfacial Ni-O-Al bond was found to highly suppress the apical ligand hole density and result in confinement-induced orbital polarization. The key role of the interfacial boundary in selecting the many-body electronic ground state was directly demonstrated in quantum wells of NdNiO3. This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council Dissertation Director: —————————————————————————– Dr. Jak Chakhalian, Ph.D. Dissertation Committee: —————————————————————————– Dr. Laurent Bellaiche, Ph.D. —————————————————————————– Dr. Surendra P. Singh, Ph.D. —————————————————————————– Dr. Paul Thibado, Ph.D. —————————————————————————– Dr. Ryan Tian, Ph.D. Dissertation Duplication Release I hereby authorize the University of Arkansas Libraries to duplicate this dissertation when needed for research and/or scholarship.
Hepatitis-C virus infection among injecting drug users in Lahore, Pakistan: A cross sectional study

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus among injecting drugs users, furthermore different genotypes of HCV infection and their effect on viral load were also found and subsequently most prevalent subtype was predicted. Methods: All samples were processed for Anti-HCV antibody detection through ELISA by using third generation ELISA Kit. The Anti-HCV positive serum samples were stored for RT-PCR to estimate the viral load and genotypes of HCV for study. Injecting drug users selected from in and around Lahore Metropolitan from July 2012 to August 2013 was included. The data analysis was completed by using SPSS version 16. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: A total of 241 Injecting drug users were enrolled and screened for Anti HCV in the study. Prevalence of HCV infection in IDUs from Lahore was found to be 36.09%. Education (p=0.000), low socioeconomic status (p=0.011), Blood transfusion (0.003), any tattoo on the body (p=0.002), use of injectable drugs with reused syringes (p=0.000) and sharing of syringes (p=0.001) in groups was significantly associated with HCV infection. Some utensils were also significantly associated with HCV status. The most common subtype of HCV genotype was 3a (n=65) followed by 2a (n=15) and 1a (n=6). Conclusion: The study reveals that IDUs with reused syringes status and sharing of syringes in group had more chances to get HCV infection. The viral load in IDUs infected with different subtypes of genotype was significantly associated.
Factors Affecting Infestation by Triatoma infestans in a Rural Area of the Humid Chaco in Argentina: A Multi-Model Inference Approach

Background Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi by Triatoma infestans remains a major public health problem in the Gran Chaco ecoregion, where understanding of the determinants of house infestation is limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study to model factors affecting bug presence and abundance at sites within house compounds in a well-defined rural area in the humid Argentine Chaco. Methodology/Principal Findings Triatoma infestans bugs were found in 45.9% of 327 inhabited house compounds but only in 7.4% of the 2,584 sites inspected systematically on these compounds, even though the last insecticide spraying campaign was conducted 12 years before. Infested sites were significantly aggregated at distances of 0.8–2.5 km. The most frequently infested ecotopes were domiciles, kitchens, storerooms, chicken coops and nests; corrals were rarely infested. Domiciles with mud walls and roofs of thatch or corrugated tarred cardboard were more often infested (32.2%) than domiciles with brick-and-cement walls and corrugated metal-sheet roofs (15.1%). A multi-model inference approach using Akaike's information criterion was applied to assess the relative importance of each variable by running all possible (17,406) models resulting from all combinations of variables. Availability of refuges for bugs, construction with tarred cardboard, and host abundance (humans, dogs, cats, and poultry) per site were positively associated with infestation and abundance, whereas reported insecticide use showed a negative association. Ethnic background (Creole or Toba) adjusted for other factors showed little or no association. Conclusions/Significance Promotion and effective implementation of housing improvement (including key peridomestic structures) combined with appropriate insecticide use and host management practices are needed to eliminate infestations. Fewer refuges are likely to result in fewer residual foci after insecticide spraying, and will facilitate community-based vector surveillance. A more integrated perspective that considers simultaneously social, economic and biological processes at local and regional scales is needed to attain effective, sustainable vector and disease control.