Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On-line Redundancy Elimination in Evolving Fuzzy Regression Models using a Fuzzy Inclusion Measure

This paper tackles the problem of complexity reduction in evolving fuzzy regression models of the Takagi-Sugeno type. The incremental model adaptation process used to evolve such models over time, often produces redundancies such as overlapping rule antecedents. We propose the use of a fuzzy inclusion measure in order to detect such redundancies as well as a procedure for merging rules that are suciently similar. Experimental studies with two high-dimensional real-world data sets provide evidence for the eectiveness of our approach; it turns out that a reduction in complexity is even accompanied by an increase in predictive accuracy.
Error Estimates on the Approximate Finite Volume Solution of Convection Diffusion Equations with General Boundary Conditions

We study here the convergence of a finite volume scheme for a diffusion convection equation on an open bounded set of $\R^\dim$ ($\dim=2$ or $3$) for which we consider Dirichlet, Neumann, or Robin boundary conditions. We consider unstructured meshes which include Voronoi or triangular meshes; we use for the diffusion term an "s points" (where s is the number of sides of each cell) finite volume scheme and for the convection term an upstream finite volume scheme. Assuming the exact solution at least in H2 we prove error estimates in a discrete $H^1_0$ norm of order the size of the mesh. Discrete Poincare inequalities then allow one to prove error estimates in the L2 norm.
The mechanical efficiency of natural materials

The materials of nature, for example cellulose, lignin, keratin, chitin, collagen and hydroxyapatite, and the structures made from them, for example bamboo, wood, antler and bone, have a remarkable range of mechanical properties. These can be compared by presenting them as material property charts, well known for the materials of engineering. Material indices (significant combinations of properties) can be plotted on to the charts, identifying materials with extreme values of an index, suggesting that they have evolved to carry particular modes of loading, or to sustain large tensile or flexural deformations, without failure. This paper describes a major revision and update of a set of property charts for natural material published some 8 years ago by Ashby et al. with examples of their use to study mechanical efficiency in nature.
HBV Genotypic Variability in Cuba

The genetic diversity of HBV in human population is often a reflection of its genetic admixture. The aim of this study was to explore the genotypic diversity of HBV in Cuba. The S genomic region of Cuban HBV isolates was sequenced and for selected isolates the complete genome or precore-core sequence was analyzed. The most frequent genotype was A (167/250, 67%), mainly A2 (149, 60%) but also A1 and one A4. A total of 77 isolates were classified as genotype D (31%), with co-circulation of several subgenotypes (56 D4, 2 D1, 5 D2, 7 D3/6 and 7 D7). Three isolates belonged to genotype E, two to H and one to B3. Complete genome sequence analysis of selected isolates confirmed the phylogenetic analysis performed with the S region. Mutations or polymorphisms in precore region were more common among genotype D compared to genotype A isolates. The HBV genotypic distribution in this Caribbean island correlates with the Y lineage genetic background of the population, where a European and African origin prevails. HBV genotypes E, B3 and H isolates might represent more recent introductions.
Spectral Characteristics of Vocal Tract for Speaker Recognition

Summary The basic idea of the presented approach is to evaluate a spectral characteristics corresponding to the anatomy of the speakers vocal tract independently of the actually pronounced phoneme. The procedure for determining the speaker-specific average spectrum is based on the LPC approach. Experimental results have shown an evolution in a long-time spectrum with respect to the duration of text independent utterance. This was compared with a representative set of chosen isolated words using a long- time spectrum variability between and within speakers. The evaluated method is suitable for both text-dependent and text- independent speech signal processing.
New and improved methods to characterize glycemic variability using continuous glucose monitoring.

BACKGROUND Glycemic variability is a possible risk factor for development of complications from diabetes. Numerous methods have been used to characterize glycemic variability. METHODS We propose several new methods to characterize glycemic variability. We evaluated these methods empirically and theoretically and compared them with previous methods. RESULTS We describe (1) extension and generalization of the mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE), i.e., "within day variability," (2) extension and generalization of the mean of daily differences (MODD), i.e., the "between day-within time points variability," (3) "between daily means variability," (4) "between time points variability" of the glucose profile averaged over several days, (5) "within series variability" for a time segment of any arbitrary length, (6) new measures of the stability of the daily glycemic patterns, (7) new types of graphical displays, including within day variability, between day-within time points variability, and between daily means variability versus total variability, and between daily means variability versus within day variability, and (8) new methods to evaluate whether within series and between day-within time points variability fluctuate systematically by time of day. We examined the new measures in relation to previous measures of glycemic variability using correlation analysis on a clinical dataset for 85 subjects. MAGE, MODD, and continuous overall net glycemic action (CONGA(n)) are directly proportional to total standard deviation (SD). MAGE is highly correlated with both total SD and within day variability but weakly correlated with measures of between day variability. MODD is highly correlated with between day-within time points variability and total SD but weakly correlated with measures of within day variability. CONCLUSIONS We provide a systematic, logical framework to characterize multiple aspects of glycemic variability and have implemented a simple, practical computing format. This approach can help clinical researchers and clinicians identify the major sources of variability for any given patient and monitor responses to interventions.
Determining the position and size of the subthalamic nucleus based on magnetic resonance imaging results in patients with advanced Parkinson disease.

OBJECT The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a target in surgery for Parkinson disease, but its location according to brain atlases compared with its position on an individual patient's magnetic resonance (MR) images is incompletely understood. In this study both the size and location of the STN based on MR images were compared with those on the Talairach and Tournoux, and Schaltenbrand and Wahren atlases. METHODS The position of the STN relative to the midcommissural point was evaluated on 18 T2-weighted MR images (2-mm slices). Of 35 evaluable STNs, the most anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral borders were determined from axial images, dorsal and ventral borders from coronal images. These methods were validated using histological measurements in one case in which a postmortem examination was performed. The mean length of the anterior commissure-posterior commissure was 25.8 mm. Subthalamic nucleus borders derived from MR imaging were highly variable: anterior, 4.1 to -3.7 mm relative to the midcommissural point; posterior, 4.2 to 10 mm behind the midcommissural point; medial, 7.9 to 12.1 mm from the midline; lateral, 12.3 to 15.4 mm from the midline; dorsal, 0.2 to 4.2 mm below the intercommissural plane; and ventral, 5.7 to 9.9 mm below the intercommissural plane. The position of the anterior border on MR images was more posterior, and the medial border more lateral, than its position in the brain atlases. The STN was smaller on MR images compared with its size in atlases in the anteroposterior (mean 5.9 mm), mediolateral (3.7 mm), and dorsoventral (5 mm) dimensions. CONCLUSIONS The size and position of the STN are highly variable, appearing to be smaller and situated more posterior and lateral on MR images than in atlases. Care must be taken in relying on coordinates relative to the commissures for targeting of the STN.
Holographic line beam scanner with liquid crystal on silicon modulator

A laser scanning device can be used for contour or pattern reconstruction with associated image processing or recognition algorithm. For a better accuracy or accommodating to a high efficiency algorithm, the laser beam often needs reshaping to a specific pattern, such as a line beam, or homogenization so as to reduce the spatial variation of the device performance. In addition, a scanning mechanics is normally inevitable. Both beam shaping and scanning module take quite a volume in the whole system, which could be an issue for the applications in which miniature device is highly desired. In this paper, a holographic scanner has been proposed to perform both laser beam shaping and scanning function. A pure phase modulation liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) device is used for implementing the dynamic hologram. The LCoS has a pixel size of 3. 74μm, and provides 16 phase level with a full phase depth of 2π. A line beam with 20mm and uniformity up to 70% is generated and it is scanned back and forth in the orthogonal direction of the line with a stroke of 20mm. The scanning line pattern is generated based on iterative Fourier transform algorithm (IFTA) and the first diffraction order pattern is exploited with the zero order being blocked and absorbed so that the noise in the scanning line pattern is minimized. The proposed scheme is a compact and versatile solutions for patterned laser beam scanning devices.
Molecular beam epitaxy of n-type ZnS: A wide band gap emitter for heterojunction PV devices

Low-temperature epitaxy of zinc-blende ZnS films on GaAs(001) substrates was demonstrated by compound-source molecular beam epitaxy. The epitaxial relationship between the film and substrate was determined by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, and selected area electron diffraction measurements to be ZnS(001)∥GaAs(001). Strain-relaxation of the ZnS lattice occurred within the first 300 nm of film growth. The resistivity of the films could be tuned through the incorporation of an Al impurity dopant. The lowest thin-film resistivity achieved was 0.003 Ω-cm, with corresponding electron carrier concentration and mobility of roughly 4.5×1019 cm-3 and 46 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. Al, Ag, and In metals were found to make good ohmic contact to heavily doped ZnS films, whereas ITO and AZO transparent conductive oxides did not. Applications to novel PV devices incorporating low electron affinity absorbers are discussed.
CD40 Ligand Mediates Inflammation Independently of CD40 by Interaction With Mac-1

Background— Strong evidence supports a role for CD40 ligand (CD40L) as marker and mediator of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. Despite extensive characterization of CD40, the classic receptor of CD40L, its role in immune defense against inflammatory diseases remains uncertain. The present study aimed to characterize the contribution of CD40 signaling to atherogenesis. Methods and Results— Surprisingly, mice deficient in both CD40 and the low-density lipoprotein receptor did not develop smaller lesions in the aortic arch, root, and thoracoabdominal aorta compared with mice deficient only in the low-density lipoprotein receptor that consumed an atherogenic diet for 8 and 16 weeks. By flow cytometry, radioactive binding assays, and immunoprecipitation, we demonstrate that CD40L interacts with the integrin Mac-1, which results in Mac-1–dependent adhesion and migration of inflammatory cells as well as myeloperoxidase release in vitro. Furthermore, mice deficient in CD40L show significantly reduced thioglycolate-elicited invasion of inflammatory cells into the peritoneal cavity compared with mice deficient in CD40 and wild-type controls. Inhibition of Mac-1 in low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient mice attenuates lesion development and reduces lesional macrophage accumulation. Conclusions— These observations identify the interaction of CD40L and Mac-1 as an alternative pathway for CD40L-mediated inflammation. This novel mechanism expands understanding of inflammatory signaling during atherogenesis.
Epigenetic regulation of long noncoding RNA UCA1 by SATB1 in breast cancer

Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1) is a nuclear matrix-associated DNA-binding protein that functions as a chromatin organizer. SATB1 is highly expressed in aggressive breast cancer cells and promotes growth and metastasis by reprograming gene expression. Through genome-wide cross-examination of gene expression and histone methylation, we identified SATB1 target genes for which expression is associated with altered epigenetic marks. Among the identified genes, long noncoding RNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) was upregulated by SATB1 depletion. Upregulation of UCA1 coincided with increased H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) levels and decreased H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) levels. Our study showed that SATB1 binds to the upstream region of UCA1 in vivo, and that its promoter activity increases with SATB1 depletion. Furthermore, simultaneous depletion of SATB1 and UCA1 potentiated suppression of tumor growth and cell survival. Thus, SATB1 repressed the expression of oncogenic UCA1, suppressing growth and survival of breast cancer cells. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(10): 578-583]
HIV serosorting as a harm reduction strategy: evidence from Seattle, Washington

Objective:We sought to estimate how serosorting may affect HIV prevalence and individual risk among men who have sex with men in Seattle, Washington, and how the results vary under different assumptions of HIV testing frequency, heterogeneity in sexual behavior, and condom use. Methods:We developed a deterministic mathematical model of HIV transmission dynamics. Data from the 2003 random digit dial study of men who have sex with men conducted in Seattle, Washington (n = 400) are used to parameterize the model. Results:Predicted population-level HIV prevalence as well as an individual's risk of HIV acquisition decreases when the odds of serosorting are increased in the mathematical model. In our model based on observed levels of serosorting, we predict an HIV prevalence of 16%. In contrast, if serosorting were eliminated in the population, we predict that HIV prevalence would increase to 24.5%. However, our findings depend on rates of condom use, mean anal sex contact rates, and HIV testing in the population. Conclusion:Under realistic scenarios of sexual behavior and testing frequency for men who have sex with men in the United States, serosorting can be an effective harm reduction strategy.
Universal estimation of divergence for continuous distributions via data-dependent partitions

We present a universal estimator of the divergence D(PparQ) for two arbitrary continuous distributions P and Q satisfying certain regularity conditions. This algorithm, which observes i.i. d. samples from both P and Q, is based on the estimation of the Radon-Nikodym derivative dP/dQ via a data-dependent partition of the observation space. Strong convergence of this estimator is proved with an empirically equivalent segmentation of the space. This basic estimator is further improved by adaptive partitioning schemes and by bias correction. In the simulations, we compare our estimators with the plug-in estimator and estimators based on other partitioning approaches. Experimental results show that our methods achieve the best convergence performance in most of the tested cases
Murlet: a practical multiple alignment tool for structural RNA sequences

MOTIVATION Structural RNA genes exhibit unique evolutionary patterns that are designed to conserve their secondary structures; these patterns should be taken into account while constructing accurate multiple alignments of RNA genes. The Sankoff algorithm is a natural alignment algorithm that includes the effect of base-pair covariation in the alignment model. However, the extremely high computational cost of the Sankoff algorithm precludes its application to most RNA sequences. RESULTS We propose an efficient algorithm for the multiple alignment of structural RNA sequences. Our algorithm is a variant of the Sankoff algorithm, and it uses an efficient scoring system that reduces the time and space requirements considerably without compromising on the alignment quality. First, our algorithm computes the match probability matrix that measures the alignability of each position pair between sequences as well as the base pairing probability matrix for each sequence. These probabilities are then combined to score the alignment using the Sankoff algorithm. By itself, our algorithm does not predict the consensus secondary structure of the alignment but uses external programs for the prediction. We demonstrate that both the alignment quality and the accuracy of the consensus secondary structure prediction from our alignment are the highest among the other programs examined. We also demonstrate that our algorithm can align relatively long RNA sequences such as the eukaryotic-type signal recognition particle RNA that is approximately 300 nt in length; multiple alignment of such sequences has not been possible by using other Sankoff-based algorithms. The algorithm is implemented in the software named 'Murlet'. AVAILABILITY The C++ source code of the Murlet software and the test dataset used in this study are available at http://www.ncrna. org/papers/Murlet/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Traxion: a tactile interaction device with virtual force sensation

This paper introduces a new mechanism to induce a virtual force based on human illusory sensations. An asymmetric signal is applied to a tactile actuator consisting of an electromagnetic coil, a metal weight, and a spring, such that the user feels that the device is being pulled (or pushed) in a particular direction, although it is not supported by any mechanical connection to other objects or the ground. The proposed tactile device is smaller (35.0 mm x 5.0 mm x 7.5 mm) and lighter (5.2 g) than any previous force-feedback devices, which have to be connected to the ground with mechanical links. This small form factor allows the device to be implemented in several novel interactive applications, such as a pedestrian navigation system that includes a finger-mounted tactile device or an (untethered) input device that features virtual force. Our experimental results indicate that this illusory sensation actually exists and the proposed device can switch the virtual force direction within a short period. We combined this new technology with visible light transmission via a digital micromirror device (DMD) projector and developed a position guiding input device with force perception.
Allogeneic and Autologous Melanoma Vaccines: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?

The past three decades have seen substantial research on vaccines for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and the prevention of recurrence following resection. Despite their enormous promise, the actual results have been disappointing, with several high-profile vaccine clinical trials failing to show a benefit. Nonetheless, enthusiasm for melanoma vaccines remains and has increased with our expanding understanding of the immune response to tumor. Cellular vaccines can be divided into autologous, derived from the patient's own tumor and allogeneic vaccines. Autologous vaccines have the advantage of containing all potentially relevant tumor-associated antigens for that particular patient. However, autologous vaccines are difficult to obtain from most patients with advanced disease and impossible to obtain from patients who present after resection of all clinically evident disease. No consensus exists for how tumors should be processed, preserved, modified, and delivered to serve as an effective vaccine. The amount of autologous tumor available is rarely enough to produce more than two or three vaccination doses, and the time between initial tumor harvest and ultimate availability of the vaccine may result in interval tumor progression that diminishes the likelihood of vaccine efficacy. All these drawbacks of autologous tumor vaccination limit its applicability and also limit the ability to test autologous vaccines in prospective trials. Allogeneic vaccines avoid many of these problems, but may not contain all of the tumor-associated antigens present on the patient's own tumor. In particular, neoantigens created by mutations in the patient's tumor would be unlikely to be represented in an allogeneic vaccine. Although allogeneic vaccines can be manufactured in sufficient quantities to allow large-scale trials, there remain significant limiting issues in the manufacture and standardization of the vaccine product.
Learning the semantics of object–action relations by observation

Recognizing manipulations performed by a human and the transfer and execution of this by a robot is a difficult problem. We address this in the current study by introducing a novel representation of the relations between objects at decisive time points during a manipulation. Thereby, we encode the essential changes in a visual scenery in a condensed way such that a robot can recognize and learn a manipulation without prior object knowledge. To achieve this we continuously track image segments in the video and construct a dynamic graph sequence. Topological transitions of those graphs occur whenever a spatial relation between some segments has changed in a discontinuous way and these moments are stored in a transition matrix called the semantic event chain (SEC). We demonstrate that these time points are highly descriptive for distinguishing between different manipulations. Employing simple sub-string search algorithms, SECs can be compared and type-similar manipulations can be recognized with high confidence. As the approach is generic, statistical learning can be used to find the archetypal SEC of a given manipulation class. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated on a set of real videos showing hands manipulating various objects and performing different actions. In experiments with a robotic arm, we show that the SEC can be learned by observing human manipulations, transferred to a new scenario, and then reproduced by the machine.
Voiding Mechanisms in SMT

The mechanisms for void formation are investigated for applications involving solder paste in surface mount technology. Generally, voids are caused by the outgassing of entrapped flux in the sandwiched solder during reflow. The voiding is dictated mainly by the solderability of metallisation, and increases with decreasing solderability of metallisation, decreasing flux activity, increasing metal load of powder, and increasing coverage area under the lead of the joint. Decrease in the solder powder particle size has only a slightly negative effect on voiding. The data indicate that voiding is also a function of the timing between the coalescing of solder powder and the elimination of immobile metallisation oxide. The sooner the paste coalescence occurs, the worse the voiding will be. Increase in voiding is usually accompanied by an increasing fraction of large voids, suggesting that factors causing voiding will have an even greater impact on the joint reliability than shown by the total‐ void‐volume analysis results. Preliminary data suggest that certain predry treatment and flux solvent with higher boiling point appear to cause increased voiding.