Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resource Constrained Distributed Constraint Optimization with Virtual Variables

Cooperative problem solving with resource constraints are important in practical multi-agent systems. Resource constraints are necessary to handle practical problems including distributed task scheduling with limited resource availability. A dedicated framework called Resource Constrained DCOP (RCDCOP) has recently been proposed. RCDCOP models objective functions and resource constraints separately. A resource constraint is an n-ary constraint that represents the limit on the number of resources of a given type available to agents. Previous research addressing RCDCOPs employs the Adopt algorithm, which is an efficient solver for DCOPs. An important graph structure for Adopt is the pseudo-tree for constraint networks. A pseudo-tree implies a partial ordering of variables. In this variable ordering, n-ary constrained variables are placed on a single path of the tree. Therefore, resource constraints that have large arity augment the depth of the pseudo-tree. This also reduces the parallelism, and therefore the efficiency of Adopt. In this paper we propose another version of the Adopt algorithm for RCDCOP using a pseudo-tree that is generated ignoring resource constraints. The proposed method reduces the previous limitations in the construction of RCDCOP pseudo-trees. The key ideas of our work are as follows: (i) The pseudo-tree is generated ignoring resource constraints. (ii) Virtual variables are introduced, representing the usage of resources. These virtual variables are used to share resources among sub-trees. However, the addition of virtual variables increases the search space. To handle this problem, influence of placement of virtual variables/resources constraints in the pseudo tree is considered. Moreover the search is pruned using the bounds defined by the resource constraints if possible. These ideas are used to extend Adopt. The efficiency of our technique depends on the class of problems being considered, and we describe the obtained experimental results.
Mechanisms underlying enhanced responses of J receptors of cats to excitants in pulmonary oedema.

1. The responses of J receptors to certain excitants were recorded during pulmonary oedema produced by phosgene gas (320‐1080 p.p.m.) or alloxan, 150 mg kg‐1 i.v. , in cats anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone, 35 mg kg‐1 I.P. 2. The responses of fourteen (out of fifteen) J receptors to phenyl diguanide (PDG) were greatly enhanced after phosgene, the enhancement being highly significant (P = < 0.01) in twenty‐one out of twenty‐six responses. The enhancements were also highly significant after alloxan in the case of another twelve receptors. Similar enhancements were observed in the case of responses to nicotine and capsaicin. This suggests that the enhancement of the responses of J receptors to excitants occurs in a non‐specific manner after phosgene and alloxan. 3. The enhanced responses occurred in the absence of any significant increase in the estimated concentration of the excitants in pulmonary artery blood. 4. The enhanced responses to PDG were not closely related to the oedema‐induced activity; several occurred during periods of silence of the receptors and in thirteen receptors the enhanced responses occurred before the increase in the oedema‐induced activity had begun. 5. A possible role of histamine, 5‐HT, prostaglandins and bradykinin in enhancing the responses to PDG after phosgene was excluded. 6. The results therefore suggest that the non‐specific enhancement of the responses of the J receptors to excitants must be due to the increased permeability of the capillaries produced by phosgene and alloxan leading to greater movement of the excitants to the J receptors. However, certain unidentified factors may also be involved.
The Role of Non-Native Interactions in the Folding of Knotted Proteins

Stochastic simulations of coarse-grained protein models are used to investigate the propensity to form knots in early stages of protein folding. The study is carried out comparatively for two homologous carbamoyltransferases, a natively-knotted N-acetylornithine carbamoyltransferase (AOTCase) and an unknotted ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OTCase). In addition, two different sets of pairwise amino acid interactions are considered: one promoting exclusively native interactions, and the other additionally including non-native quasi-chemical and electrostatic interactions. With the former model neither protein shows a propensity to form knots. With the additional non-native interactions, knotting propensity remains negligible for the natively-unknotted OTCase while for AOTCase it is much enhanced. Analysis of the trajectories suggests that the different entanglement of the two transcarbamylases follows from the tendency of the C-terminal to point away from (for OTCase) or approach and eventually thread (for AOTCase) other regions of partly-folded protein. The analysis of the OTCase/AOTCase pair clarifies that natively-knotted proteins can spontaneously knot during early folding stages and that non-native sequence-dependent interactions are important for promoting and disfavouring early knotting events.
A study of graphene oxide-reinforced rubber nanocomposite

Graphene oxide-reinforced acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber nanocomposites were prepared via solution mixing. The morphology of the graphene oxide was studied, and its successful dispersion within the rubber matrix was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction studies. The strong rubber-to-filler interaction was confirmed by swelling and mechanical reinforcing behaviors and thermal stability. Dielectric spectroscopy test indicated a marked improvement of about five times in the real part of permittivity. The electrical conductivity level was close to that of nonconductive materials. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40640.
Interest of integrins targeting in glioblastoma according to tumor heterogeneity and cancer stem cell paradigm: an update

Glioblastomas are malignant brain tumors with dismal prognosis despite standard treatment with surgery and radio/chemotherapy. These tumors are defined by an important cellular heterogeneity and notably contain a particular subpopulation of Glioblastoma-initiating cells, which recapitulate the heterogeneity of the original Glioblastoma. In order to classify these heterogeneous tumors, genomic profiling has also been undertaken to classify these heterogeneous tumors into several subtypes. Current research focuses on developing therapies, which could take into account this cellular and genomic heterogeneity. Among these targets, integrins are the subject of numerous studies since these extracellular matrix transmembrane receptors notably controls tumor invasion and progression. Moreover, some of these integrins are considered as membrane markers for the Glioblastoma-initiating cells subpopulation. We reviewed here integrin expression according to glioblastoma molecular subtypes and cell heterogeneity. We discussed their roles in glioblastoma invasion, angiogenesis, therapeutic resistance, stemness and microenvironment modulations, and provide an overview of clinical trials investigating integrins in glioblastomas. This review highlights that specific integrins could be identified as selective glioblastoma cells markers and that their targeting represents new diagnostic and/or therapeutic strategies.
An algorithm for Gaussian recursive filters in a multicore architecture

Recursive Filters (RFs) are a well-known way to approximate the Gaussian convolution and, due to their computational efficiency, are intensively used in several technical and scientific fields. The accuracy of the RFs can be improved by means of the repeated application of the filter, which gives rise to the so-called K-iterated Gaussian recursive filter. In this work we propose a parallel algorithm for the implementation of the K — iterated first-order Gaussian RF for multicore architectures. This algorithm is based on a domain decomposition with overlapping strategy. The presented implementation is tailored for multicore architectures and makes use of the Pthreads library. We will show through extensive numerical tests that our parallel implementation is very efficient for large one-dimensional signals and guarantees the same accuracy level of the sequential K-iterated first-order Gaussian RF.
Large excursions and conditioned laws for recursive sequences generated by random matrices

We determine the large exceedance probabilities and large exceedance paths for the matrix recursive sequence $V_n = M_n V_{n-1} + Q_n, \: n=1,2,\ldots,$ where $\{M_n\}$ is an i.i. d. sequence of $d \times d$ random matrices and $\{ Q_n\}$ is an i.i. d. sequence of random vectors, both with nonnegative entries. Early work on this problem dates to Kesten's (1973) seminal paper, motivated by an application to multi-type branching processes. Other applications arise in financial time series modeling (connected to the study of the GARCH($p,q$) processes) and in physics, and this recursive sequence has also been the focus of extensive work in the recent probability literature. In this work, we characterize the distribution of the first passage time $T_u^A := \inf \{n: V_n \in u A \}$, where $A$ is a subset of the nonnegative quadrant in ${\mathbb R}^d$, showing that $T_u^A/u^\alpha$ converges to an exponential law. In the process, we also revisit and refine Kesten's classical estimate, showing that if $V$ has the stationary distribution of $\{ V_n \}$, then ${\mathbb P} \left( V \in uA \right) \sim C_A u^{-\alpha}$ as $u \to \infty$, providing, most importantly, a new characterization of the constant $C_A$. Finally, we describe the large exceedance paths via two conditioned limit laws. In the first, we show that conditioned on a large exceedance, the process $\{ V_n\}$ follows an exponentially-shifted Markov random walk, which we identify, thereby generalizing results for classical random walk to matrix recursive sequences. In the second, we characterize the empirical distribution of $\{ \log |V_n| - \log |V_{n-1}| \}$ prior to a large exceedance, showing that this distribution converges to the stationary law of the exponentially-shifted Markov random walk.
Electrochemical noise monitoring of sulphur corrosion for nickel alloy 718

Sulphur corrosion for nickel alloy 718 was monitored by electrochemical noise under high temperature. Cross-recurrence quantification analysis (CRQA) on potential and current noise signals was used to characterise the stable coupling interaction between them. Diagnosis criterion for stable pitting started was proposed based on the CRQA parameter determinism per cent trajectory. The proposed method displayed accurate and robust characteristics compared to the common localisation index.
Truthfulness and Relevance

This paper questions the widespread view that verbal communication is governed by a maxim, norm or convention of truthfulness which applies at the level of what is literally meant, or what is said. Pragmatic frameworks based on this view must explain the frequent occurrence and acceptability of loose and figurative uses of language. We argue against existing explanations of these phenomena and provide an alternative account, based on the assumption that verbal communication is governed not by expectations of truthfulness but by expectations of relevance, raised by literal, loose and figurative uses alike. Sample analyses are provided, and some consequences of this alternative account are explored. In particular, we argue that the notions of literal meaning and what is said play no useful theoretical role in the study of language use, and that the nature of explicit communication will have to be rethought.
A randomized, controlled trial of the short-term effects of complementing an educational program for hearing aid users with telephone consultations.

BACKGROUND Audiologic rehabilitation aims to improve communication for people with hearing impairment. Education is widely regarded as an integral part of rehabilitation, but the effect of the delivery method of an educational program on the experience of hearing problems has rarely been investigated in controlled trials. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term effects of complementing an educational program for hearing aid users with telephone consultations, delivered through weekly discussions with the subjects about information obtained from a book on hearing and hearing aids. RESEARCH DESIGN This study used a randomized, controlled design. STUDY SAMPLE In total, 69 hearing aid users were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 33) or a control group (n = 36). INTERVENTION The intervention group had access to a book and received weekly topic-based reading instructions related to the different chapters of the book. Five telephone calls were made to the members of the intervention group. During the calls, an audiologist discussed new information with the participant as needed. The control participants also read the book, but they did not discuss the contents of the book with a professional. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) were used to measure the outcomes of this study. RESULTS Participants in the intervention group had a reduction in self-reported hearing handicap, while there were no significant changes in the control group. In the intervention group, 45% of the participants showed an improvement of ≥36% on the HHIE, while only 17% of the control group showed an improvement of ≥36%. There were also improvements on the HADS total and the depression subscale for the intervention group. No changes occurred on the IOI-HA. CONCLUSIONS Reading about hearing and hearing aids can reduce the hearing handicap and reported anxiety in hearing aid users. In this study, discussing the content of the book that was provided with a professional during weekly telephone consultations and having weekly home assignments further improved emotional well-being, as demonstrated by the HHIE (emotional scale) and HADS (depression scale), but these activities had no effect on hearing aid outcomes as measured by the IOI-HA.
Distributed Multi-Agent Architecture for Dependable Supervision over WSAN: Oil Refinery Tests

In supervision applications over wireless sensor and actuator networks the communication channels' reliability, along with the network quality of service and readings are critical issues. As such, in the design and implementation stages of such schemes preventive measures should be taken into account for the sake of control systems dependability. This paper proposes a multi-agent based framework implemented in some of the nodes of the network, for dealing with intermittent communication link breakdowns on the forward channel and accommodating outliers on the raw data taken from the environment. Experiments on a real oil refinery process demonstrate the feasibility of such approaches in the context of critical industrial supervision tasks.
Large Deviations Estimates of Escape Time for Lagrangian Systems

This paper is concerned with analysis of the asymptotic behavior of a Lagranian system with small noise effects. The domain of the system operation is supposed to be within the domain of attraction of an asymptotically stable point of the unperturbed system. If noise is weak, escape from the reference domain is a rare event associated with large deviations in the system. This paper uses an extension of large deviations theory to the degenerate systems to develop the escape time asymptotics for a weakly perturbed Lagrangian system. Estimation of the statistical quantities is reduced to minimization of an associated action functional. It is shown that, in the case of the Lagrangian system, the solution of the associated variational problem can be found in a closed form, as a function of the system and noise parameters. As an example, motion of a 2n-dimensional linear system in an ellipsoidal domain is studied. Application of the theory to the nonlinear systems is illustrated by estimation of the lifetime of the Henon-Heiles system.
The Importance of Selected Instructional Areas in the Present and Future Secondary Agricultural Education Curriculum as Perceived by Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents in Nebraska

The purpose of this study was to determine how agricultural education instructors and their administrators viewed the importance of the current and future instructional areas as part of the agricultural education curriculum in Nebraska. The population of the study included all agricultural teachers, principals, and superintendents of secondary schools in Nebraska which offered agricultural education during the 1989-1990 school year (n=381). A random sample of forty schools were selected from the population. The respondents were asked to rate the importance of topics in both the current and future agricultural education curriculum. No instructional topics were identified as either very important or of little importance in either the current or future Nebraska curriculum. Instructional topics identified by all groups as important in the current curriculum were agricultural economics and marketing and computer technology. In the future curriculum, all groups identified leadership and personal development, agricultural business management, natural resources and the environment, in addition to agricultural economics and marketing and computer technology. The findings of the study support the position that local educators take a cautious and low risk attitude toward educational reform. Of the three respondent groups, principals were the most inclined toward curriculum change.
Hotel Yield Management Practices Across Multiple Electronic Distribution Channels

In the hotel sector, yield management traditionally balances a supply of perishable room nights against demand by manipulating price and time of consumption. While widely accepted, Internet-based distribution channels with different cost structures complicate the process. Hotels must not only manipulate price in response to supply and demand, but must also choose which portfolio of distribution channels to use. This study investigates whether up-market European hotels use three yield management practices: varying room rates with market demand; varying participation in Internet channels with market demand; and differentiating rates on Internet channels in times of high demand. Introducing the concept of a consumer price index for hotel rates, the study found that while one quarter use the first technique, use of the two other practices was considerably lower, suggesting a lack of sophisticated yield management among participants.
Selective enrichment of major histocompatibility complex class II- specific autoreactive T cells in the thymic Thy0 subset [published erratum appears in J Exp Med 1993 Aug 1;178(2):following 763]

We show here a unique enrichment of autoreactive T cells in the CD4+ mouse thymic subset, Thy0. A single- and 10-cell AMLR (autologous mixed leukocyte reaction) assay demonstrates that more than 30% (one cell per well) and almost all (10 cells per well) Thy0 cultures from normal mice exhibit reactivity specific to autologous cells, resulting in induction of interleukin 3 secretion. In contrast, no other mature thymic or splenic CD4+ T cell subsets showed such a high frequency. The majority of this AMLR reactivity in the Thy0 subset is accounted for by reactivity with self-major histocompatibility complex class II. Furthermore, antigenic selection in generating Thy0 subset is suggested by studies with T cell hybrids from a T cell receptor (TCR) V beta transgenic mouse line, 2B4 beta EH. TCR V-gene analysis of T cell hybrids revealed that those from Thy0, half of which responded to self- class II, consisted predominantly of cells that expressed endogenous TCR V beta s alone (without the transgene), unlike hybrids generated from peripheral naive T cells. Thus, we suggest that the presence of Thy0 results from selective stimulation of cells expressing TCR with sufficient affinity for autoantigens in the thymic CD4+ T cell repertoire.
Analysis of thickness dependent on crystallization kinetics in thin isotactic-polysterene films

Crystalliaztion kinetics of thin film of Isotactic Polysterene (it-PS) films has been studied. Thin PET films having thickness of 338, 533, 712, 1096, 1473, and 2185 A° were prepared by using spin-cast technique. The it-PS crystals were grown on Linkam-hostage in the temperature range 130-240°C with an interval of 10°C. The crystal growths are measured by optical microscopy in lateral direction. It was found that a substantial thickness dependence on crystallisation rate. The analysis using fitting technique based on theory crystal growth of Lauritzen-Hoffman showed that the fitting technique could not resolve to predict the mechanism controlling the thickness dependence on the rate of crystallisation. The possible reasons were due to the crystallisation rate varies with the type of crystals (smooth, rough, overgrowth terrace), and the crystallisation rate changes with the time of crystallisation.
The Effects of Tapering on Strength Performance in Trained Athletes

The optimum pre-competition taper procedure for "strength athletes" is not known. We examined voluntary strength and evoked contractile properties of the elbow flexors over a 10 day rest only (ROT) and a 10 day reduced volume taper (RVT) in 8 resistance trained males (23 +/- 2.1 years). Following 3 wks of standardized training of the elbow flexors, subjects were randomly assigned to one of the tapers. Upon completion, they resumed training for 3 wks and completed the other taper. No arm training was performed during the ROT, while high intensity, low volume training was done every second day during the RVT. Maximum isometric (MVC), low (0.52 rad.s-1; LV) and high velocity (3.14 rad.s-1; HV) concentric peak torque, and evoked isometric twitch contractile properties were measured before and after each training phase and every 48 h during each taper. ANOVA comparison of the tapers revealed that MVC increased (p < or = 0.05) over pre-taper values throughout the RVT (measurement days 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10), as did LV at 2, 4, 6, and 8 d. MVC did not change over the ROT but LV was significantly higher on day 2 and lower on days 8 and 10. LV was also greater on days 4, 6, 8 and 10 during the RVT compared to the ROT. The evoked contractile properties remained largely unchanged. The data indicate that resistance-trained athletes can improve low velocity concentric strength for at least 8 days by greatly reducing training volume, but maintaining training intensity.