Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adjunct Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy in Children With Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Outpatient Setting.

BACKGROUND The role of adjunct systemic corticosteroid therapy in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is not known. The objective was to determine the association between adjunct systemic corticosteroid therapy and treatment failure in children who received antibiotics for treatment of CAP in the outpatient setting. METHODS The study included a retrospective cohort study of children, aged 1-18 years, with a diagnosis of CAP who were managed at an outpatient practice affiliated with Geisinger Health System from January 1, 2008 to January 31, 2010. The primary exposure was the receipt of adjunct corticosteroid therapy. The primary outcome was treatment failure defined as a respiratory-associated follow-up within 14 days of diagnosis in which the participant received a change in antibiotic therapy. The probability of receiving adjunct systemic corticosteroid therapy was calculated using a matched propensity score. A multivariable conditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between adjunct corticosteroids and treatment failure. RESULTS Of 2244 children with CAP, 293 (13%) received adjunct corticosteroids, 517 (23%) had underlying asthma, and 624 (28%) presented with wheezing. Most patients received macrolide monotherapy for their CAP diagnosis (n = 1329; 59%). Overall, treatment failure was not associated with adjunct corticosteroid treatment (odds ratio [OR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93 and 3.19), but the association was statistically significant among patients with no history of asthma (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.03 and 5.52), with no statistical association among patients with a history of asthma. CONCLUSION Adjunct corticosteroid therapy was associated with treatment failure among children diagnosed with CAP who did not have underlying asthma.
Providing Proportional Loss Rate for Adaptive Traffic : A New Relative DiffServ Model (Special Issue on Internet Technology II)

Most applications can adapt their coding techniques and sending rates according to the network congestion and the resource needed can be provided at the beginning of the transmission. So traditional Differentiated Services (DiffServ) model is too rigid to them. In this paper, we are seeking a balance between the relative DiffServ and the absolute DiffServ and propose a new Diffserv model, a relative Differentiated Service model with admission control, which suits the adaptive application. By providing the proportional differentiated services in core routers and loss-rate based CAC control in edge routers, we can make both the network and the users adaptive: the network is adaptive to the traffic load and the users is adaptive to the network congestion. This model is promising to the elastic but unpredictable traffic, such as IP telephony or other multimedia applications. key words: Di Serv, QoS, CAC
Hierarchical Discrete Event Supervisory Control of Aircraft Propulsion Systems

Abstract : This paper presents a hierarchical application of Discrete Event Supervisory (DES) control theory for intelligent decision and control of a twin-engine aircraft propulsion system. A dual layer hierarchical DES controller is designed to supervise and coordinate the operation of two engines of the propulsion system. The two engines are individually controlled to achieve enhanced performance and reliability, necessary for fulfilling the mission objectives. Each engine is operated under a continuously varying control system that maintains the specified performance and a local discrete-event supervisor for condition monitoring and life extending control. A global upper level DES controller is designed for load balancing and overall health management of the propulsion system.
Magnetic Reconnection in Astrophysical and

Magnetic reconnection is a topological rearrangement of magnetic field that converts magnetic energy to plasma energy. Astrophysical flares, from the Earth’s magnetosphere to γ -ray bursts and sawtooth crashes in laboratory plasmas, may all be powered by reconnection. Reconnection is essential for dynamos and the large-scale restructuring known as magnetic self-organization. We review reconnection theory and evidence for it. We emphasize recent developments in two-fluid physics, and the experiments, observations, and simulations that verify two-fluid effects. We discuss novel environments such as line-tied, relativistic, and partially ionized plasmas, focusing on mechanisms that make reconnection fast, as observed. Because there is evidence that fast reconnection in astrophysics requires small-scale structure, we briefly introduce how such structure might develop. Several areas merit attention for astrophysical applications: development of a kinetic model of reconnection to enable spectroscopic predictions, better understanding of the interplay between local and global scales, the role of collisionless reconnection in large systems, and the effects of flows, including turbulence.
Evaluating Contextual Dependency of Paraphrases using a Latent Variable Model

This paper presents an evaluation method employing a latent variable model for paraphrases with their contexts. We assume that the context of a sentence is indicated by a latent variable of the model as a topic and that the likelihood of each variable can be inferred. A paraphrase is evaluated for whether its sentences are used in the same context. Experimental results showed that the proposed method achieves almost 60% accuracy and that there is not a large performance difference between the two models. The results also revealed an upper bound of accuracy of 77% with the method when using only topic information.
Zeppelin - A third generation data center network virtualization technology based on SDN and MPLS

Just like computation and storage, networks in data centers require virtualization in order to provide isolation between multiple co-existing tenants. Existing data center network virtualization approaches can be roughly divided into two generations: a first generation approach using simple VLANs and MAC addresses in various ways to achieve isolation and a second generation approach using IP overlay networks. These approaches suffer drawbacks. VLAN and MAC based approaches are difficult to manage and tie VM networking directly into the physical infrastructure, reducing flexibility in VM placement and movement. IP overlay networks typically have an relatively low scalability limit in the number of tenant VMs that can participate in a virtual network and problems are difficult to debug. In addition, none of the approaches meshes easily with existing provider wide area VPN technology, which uses MPLS. In this paper, we propose a third generation approach: multiple layers of tags to achieve isolation and designate routes through the data center network. The tagging protocol can be either carrier Ethernet or MPLS, both of which support multiple layers of tags. We illustrate this approach with a scheme called Zeppelin: packet tagging using MPLS with a centralized SDN control plane implementing Openflow control of the data center switches.
Color image coding based on the colorization

Colorization is a method which adds color components to grayscale images using color assigned information provided by the user. Recently, a novel approach to image compression called colorization based coding has been proposed. It automatically extracts color assignations from original color images at an encoder and restores color components by colorization method at a decoder. In this paper, we propose the method which improves the conventional color image coding methods by regarding colorization as interpolation. At the encoder, the proposed method subsamples chrominance components considering colorization and subsampled chrominance components are compressed by conventional methods. At the decoder, subsampled chrominance components are interpolated by colorization. Simulations reveal that the proposed method improves quality of reconstructed images, objectively.
Improvement of Hydrological Simulations by Applying Daily Precipitation Interpolation Schemes in Meso-Scale Catchments

Ground-based precipitation data are still the dominant input type for hydrological models. Spatial variability in precipitation can be represented by spatially interpolating gauge data using various techniques. In this study, the effect of daily precipitation interpolation methods on discharge simulations using the semi-distributed SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model over a 30-year period is examined. The study was carried out in 11 meso-scale (119–3935 km2) sub-catchments lying in the Sulejow reservoir catchment in central Poland. Four methods were tested: the default SWAT method (Def) based on the Nearest Neighbour technique, Thiessen Polygons (TP), Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) and Ordinary Kriging (OK). =The evaluation of methods was performed using a semi-automated calibration program SUFI-2 (Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Procedure Version 2) with two objective functions: Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and the adjusted R2 coefficient (bR2). The results show that: (1) the most complex OK method outperformed other methods in terms of NSE; and (2) OK, IDW, and TP outperformed Def in terms of bR2. The median difference in daily/monthly NSE between OK and Def/TP/IDW calculated across all catchments ranged between 0.05 and 0.15, while the median difference between TP/IDW/OK and Def ranged between 0.05 and 0.07. The differences between pairs of interpolation methods were, however, spatially variable and a part of this variability was attributed to catchment properties: catchments characterised by low station density and low coefficient of variation of daily flows experienced more pronounced improvement resulting from using interpolation methods. Methods providing higher precipitation estimates often resulted in a better model performance. The implication from this study is that appropriate consideration of spatial precipitation variability (often neglected by model users) that can be achieved using relatively simple interpolation methods can significantly improve the reliability of model simulations.
Exact and Approximate Determinization of Discounted-Sum Automata

A discounted-sum automaton (NDA) is a nondeterministic finite automaton with edge weights, valuing a run by the discounted sum of visited edge weights. More precisely, the weight in the i-th position of the run is divided by $\lambda^i$, where the discount factor $\lambda$ is a fixed rational number greater than 1. The value of a word is the minimal value of the automaton runs on it. Discounted summation is a common and useful measuring scheme, especially for infinite sequences, reflecting the assumption that earlier weights are more important than later weights. Unfortunately, determinization of NDAs, which is often essential in formal verification, is, in general, not possible. We provide positive news, showing that every NDA with an integral discount factor is determinizable. We complete the picture by proving that the integers characterize exactly the discount factors that guarantee determinizability: for every nonintegral rational discount factor $\lambda$, there is a nondeterminizable $\lambda$-NDA. We also prove that the class of NDAs with integral discount factors enjoys closure under the algebraic operations min, max, addition, and subtraction, which is not the case for general NDAs nor for deterministic NDAs. For general NDAs, we look into approximate determinization, which is always possible as the influence of a word's suffix decays. We show that the naive approach, of unfolding the automaton computations up to a sufficient level, is doubly exponential in the discount factor. We provide an alternative construction for approximate determinization, which is singly exponential in the discount factor, in the precision, and in the number of states. We also prove matching lower bounds, showing that the exponential dependency on each of these three parameters cannot be avoided. All our results hold equally for automata over finite words and for automata over infinite words.
Serotonin prolongs survival of encapsulated pond snail embryos exposed to long-term anoxia

SUMMARY Embryos of the pond snail, Helisoma trivolvis, develop bilateral serotonergic neurons that innervate ciliary bands and stimulate cilia-driven rotation. This behaviour is postulated to increase oxygen availability during hypoxia by mixing the capsular fluid. We hypothesised that the stimulation of ciliary-driven rotation by serotonin (5-HT) enhances the survival of embryos during prolonged hypoxia. Embryo rotation and survival were monitored in different levels of oxygen for 24–48 h while in the presence or absence of 5-HT (100 μmol l−1) or a 5-HT antagonist (50 μmol l−1). Long-term hypoxia caused delayed embryonic development that appeared morphologically normal. Hypoxia also induced a transient increase in rotation rate in embryos exposed to artificial pond water (APW) or 5-HT that lasted around 3 h. 5-HT-treated embryos had an elevated rotation rate over embryos in APW throughout the long-term exposure to hypoxia. Long-term anoxia also induced a transient increase in rotation rate in embryos exposed to APW or 5-HT. Rotation ceased in embryos exposed to APW by 13 h but persisted in 5-HT-treated embryos for up to 40 h. Fifty percent mortality was reached at 9 h of anoxia in embryos in APW and at 24 h in 5-HT-treated embryos. The 5-HT antagonist mianserin partially inhibited the 5-HT enhancement of rotation but not the prolongation of survival in anoxia. The ability of 5-HT to prolong survival in anoxia reveals a 5-HT-activated metabolic pathway that liberates an alternative energy source.
A strategy for cost efficient distributed data storage for in-memory OLAP

With the availability of inexpensive blade servers featuring 32 GB or more of main memory, memory-based engines such as the SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse Accelerator are coming into widespread use for online analytic processing (OLAP) of terabyte data volumes. Data storage for such engines is often implemented in standard storage technologies like storage area network (SAN) or network attached storage (NAS) with high hardware costs. Given the access pattern, storage costs can be reduced by using a distributed persistence layer based on commodity architecture. We discuss an example of an in-memory OLAP engine with a focus on storage architecture. We then present an implementation of a distributed persistence layer that is optimized for the access pattern of such engines. Finally, we show the cost-saving potential and discuss the performance impact compared to SAN systems.
Program Sifting: Select Property-Related Functions for Language-Based Static Analysis

Recent studies have demonstrated that language-based static analysis is capable of finding hundreds of bugs in complex real systems. Such static analysis allows users to specify properties in a specification language on demand. Paths in control flow graphs are explored exhaustively against user-defined properties. To avoid the potential path explosion problem, many techniques have been used in practice such as summaries. In this paper, we investigate how to simplify programs under check utilizing user-specified properties. From our observations, most functions under check are irrelevant to given properties. Checking those functions is time consuming. A program sifting approach is proposed to select functions related to properties. Sifters are derived from user-specified properties automatically. Functions matched or affected by sifters are safely preserved while the others are safely removed. We implemented a tool SIFT and carried out some experiments. Results show that SIFT is capable of simplifying program under check remarkably with small cost. In our experiments, 85% functions in files are sifted out while 89% analysis time is saved on average.
A Fuzzy Nearest Neighbor Classifier for Speaker Identification

Mel-frequency Cepstral coefficients (MFCC) are popular features extracted from speech data for speaker identification. The speech signal is fragmented into frames and the MFCC features extracted from each frame show some temporal redundancy which forms the basis of the fuzzy classifier proposed in this paper. We propose a fuzzy nearest neighbor classifier that defines a frame prototype for each training audio sample using a weighted mean technique with the weights being probability values, and the class label for each test sample is decided from fuzzy membership functions involving the frame prototypes. The classification results of the proposed classifier on audio samples from the VidTIMIT database show a superior performance to the Nearest Neighbor classifier, GMM, HMM and MLP neural networks. It is observed that the execution time of the fuzzy classifier is a very small fraction of the time taken by the HMM and neural network classifiers and the training database is significantly reduced due to the use of frame prototypes instead of actual frames.
On the Connectivity of One-dimensional Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper we analyze connectivity of one-dimensional Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks where vehicle gap distribution can be approximated by an exponential distribution. The probabilities of Vehicular Ad Hoc Network connectivity for difference cases are derived Furthermore we proof that the nodes in a sub-interval [z(1),z(1) + Delta z] of interval [0,z], z>0 where all the nodes are independently uniform distributed is a Poisson process and the relationship of Vehicle Ad hoc Networks and one-dimensional Ad Hoc networks where nodes independently uniform distributed in [z(1),z(1) +Delta z] is explained. The analysis is validated by computing the probability of network connectivity and comparing it with the Mont Carlo simulation results.
Identity of a Synaptic Tag ? Plasticity of Dendritic Spines : A Potential Molecular The Roles of CaMKII and F-Actin in the Structural

Physiological Society. ESSN: 1548-9221. Visit our website at http://www.the-aps.org/. American Physiological Society, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20814-3991. Copyright © 2009 the American the physiological developments. It is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October, and December by (formerly published as News in Physiological Science) publishes brief review articles on major Physiology by gest on O cber 9, 2016 http://physioline.physiology. org/ D ow nladed fom
A SURVEY OF COMBINATORIAL MAXIMUM FLOW ALGORITHMS ON A NETWORK WITH GAINS( Network Design, Control and Optimization)

Network optimization experienced a fast development, during the last few decades. While a traditional network assumes that each flow is conserved on every arc, a flow along an arc may increase or decrease by a fixed factor during its traversal of that arc in a generalized network. This paper surveys combinatorial maximum flow algorithms on the generalized network and compares algorithms for traditional network flows.
A product of their bargaining environment: Explaining government duration in Central and Eastern Europe

Since the transition to democracy in the early 1990s, more than 60 percent of governments in Central and Eastern Europe have terminated prematurely. This article seeks to understand why some governments in the region survive longer than others. I argue that the nature of party system development in the region has facilitated the emergence of a polarized pattern of party competition. As the party system structures the government bargaining process, it is contended that indicators of bargaining environment complexity are essential to understanding why some governments are more durable than others. The Cox proportional hazards model is used to estimate the effect of bargaining environment variables. The results show that ideological diversity of the bargaining environment and the length of the coalition formation process are both significant indicators of government duration in Central and Eastern Europe even after controlling for economic performance, majority status and the regime divide.
Ocean Wave Energy Conversion - A Survey

Ocean energy conversion has been of interest for many years. Recent developments such as concern over global warming have renewed interest in the topic. This paper gives a systematic and comprehensive overview of wave energy converters (WEC) as opposed to ocean current energy converters. The point absorber and oscillating water column WEC devices are addressed with regards to commercial prospects, environmental concerns, current state-of-the art, and further research areas. Thereby, the paper seeks to enhance investigation of results obtained in other fields in the ocean wave energy conversion setting and to stimulate research on topics that have not been in the focus so far
High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography Can Assess Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Human Distal Tibial Bone

High‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR‐pQCT) is a newly developed in vivo clinical imaging modality. It can assess the 3D microstructure of cortical and trabecular bone at the distal radius and tibia and is suitable as an input for microstructural finite element (µFE) analysis to evaluate bone's mechanical competence. In order for microstructural and image‐based µFE analyses to become standard clinical tools, validation with a current gold standard, namely, high‐resolution micro‐computed tomography (µCT), is required. Microstructural measurements of 19 human cadaveric distal tibiae were performed for the registered HR‐pQCT and µCT images, respectively. Next, whole bone stiffness, trabecular bone stiffness, and elastic moduli of cubic subvolumes of trabecular bone in both HR‐pQCT and µCT images were determined by µFE analysis. The standard HR‐pQCT patient protocol measurements, derived bone volume fraction (BV/TVd), trabecular number (Tb.N*), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp), and cortical thickness (Ct.Th), as well as the voxel‐based direct measurements, BV/TV, Tb.N*, Tb.Th*, Tb.Sp*, Ct.Th, bone surface‐to‐volume ratio (BS/BV), structure model index (SMI), and connectivity density (Conn.D), correlated well with their respective gold standards, and both contributed to µFE‐predicted mechanical properties in either single or multiple linear regressions. The mechanical measurements, although overestimated by HR‐pQCT, correlated highly with their gold standards. Moreover, elastic moduli of cubic subvolumes of trabecular bone predicted whole bone or trabecular bone stiffness in distal tibia. We conclude that microstructural measurements and mechanical parameters of distal tibia can be efficiently derived from HR‐pQCT images and provide additional information regarding bone fragility. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research