Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A unified pharmacokinetic approach to individualized drug dosing.

The ideal in drug therapy is to achieve the right dose, of the right drug, for the right time, in the right patient. Choice of drug dosage regimen in order to achieve optimal drug concentrations in an individual patient is based on the likely pharmacokinetics in that individual. In the case of loading doses it is the volume of distribution (Vd) that is the major determinant, while for maintenance dosing the most important determinant is clearance (CL). The half-life is important for choice of dose interval, time to steady-state and time for drug removal from the body. While the broad approach is well defined, adoption of the principles in clinical practice is far from universal. This is exacerbated by the fact that the details of how Vd and CL are affected by different covariates are often not well defined. A logical approach would assist clinical practice and help direct further research. The initial doses chosen for an individual are based on an estimate of that individual's likely pharmacokinetic characteristics, usually by utilizing all known information about others in the population who resemble this individual. The population pharmacokinetic values are then adjusted for covariates such as age, weight, gender and any other characteristics that might make the individual different from the mean member of the population. Underlying this process are simple equations for loading dose (LD), which is based on Vd, and maintenance dose-rate, which is based on CL for drugs with first order elimination. The aim of the LD is to achieve an initial target concentration (Cinitial), whereas for the dose-rate it is to achieve a target steady state concentration (Css). (1) (2) Both Vd and CL are usually estimated after intravenous administration. If calculated after oral administration then the oral availability needs to be considered. For simplicity in this paper we will ignore oral availability. These equations can be adjusted to accommodate any factor known to explain some of the variance in Vd or CL. The main covariates of CL are shown in Table 1 and are similar for Vd. Some of these covariates may be interdependent and should not be accounted for twice. It would be useful if the effect of covariates could be incorporated into universal equations for dose-individualization. Table 1 Examples of covariates of clearance As loading dose is often a single dose only, Vd matters less clinically than CL. The discussion is therefore focussed on CL and maintenance dosing.
Novel dielectric behaviors in PVDF‐based semiconductor composites

Composites of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) filled with different conductive fillers as carbon black (CB), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and tungsten (W), respectively, were prepared at same processing condition. The temperature dependence of dielectric behaviors of composites was studied at wide filler concentration and wide frequency ranges. Results show that there are giant dielectric constants as the concentration of filler is near the percolation threshold. The dielectric constants of all studied composites decrease slowly with increasing of frequency and rise gradually with increasing filler contents in the composites. Two relaxation peak regions of dielectric constant are observed from −30 to 40°C and from 100 to 150°C, which can be attributed to the contribution of polar effect of PVDF. The CB filled PVDF (CB/PVDF) composites present a lower percolation threshold than other metallic-filler filled PVDF composites. The maximal dielectric constant was found in the Ni filled PVDF (Ni/PVDF) composite. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Auction design for voluntary conservation programs

Auctions have been used to trade commodities as diverse as electricity, residential property, broadcast spectra, and emission rights. The effectiveness of auctions as allocation mechanisms has been well documented (McAfee and McMillan, Wolfstetter, Klemperer). Using auctions to conserve natural resources on private land, however, is a relatively new concept (Latacz-Lohmann and Hamsvoort 1997, 1998). Land use practices such as commercial agriculture, livestock grazing, and firewood collection have lead to environmental problems ranging from rising salt and nutrient levels in rivers and bays and wetlands degradation, to destruction of remnant vegetation and salinity. Nonpoint sources in agriculture generate a large fraction of certain types of pollution and farms are home to substantial native vegetation, which has high conservation value. Unfortunately, existing nonpoint source regulation and conservation programs have not been fully successful in engaging private landowners. One reason for this limited success is that, unlike conventional markets and point source emissions trading markets, it is difficult to clearly specify and observe the output in nonpoint source markets. A crucial problem, therefore, in the provision of environmental services arises from the uneven distribution of information between landowners and the regulatory agency (Latacz-Lohmann and Hamsvoort 1997, 1998). Regulatory agencies have limited information about the costs landowners would incur in changing their management practices. For example, a landowner
Fault-tolerant control allocation with actuator dynamics: Finite-time control reconfiguration

This paper focuses on fault tolerant control allocation for overactuated systems with actuator dynamics. The proposed scheme for fault detection and isolation is based on unknown input observers and the main contribution of the paper consists in the presentation of a finite-time control reconfiguration technique which provides a successful recovering of system performances in spite of actuator faults. Simulation results support theoretical developments.
The mechanical properties of high‐density rigid polyurethane foams in compression: I. Modulus

A series of rigid polyurethane foams of densities varying from 65 kg/m−3 to 400 kg/m−3 have been tested in compression as a function of rate and temperature. It has been found that a linear relation exists between density and modulus if the data is referred to a constant thermodynamic temperature.
Verification of Access Control Requirements in Web Services Choreography

Web services choreography is used to design peer-to-peer applications where each peer is potentially a Web service. It defines the required behavior of participating Web services along with their interactions through message exchanges. Implementing a complex system described by a choreography requires selecting actual Web services whose individual behaviors are compatible with the overall behavior described by the choreography. Although the selected Web services implement the specified behavior, they may not be able to interact due to the policies they enforce to protect their resources. A Web service' resource can be an operation or a credential type to be submitted to be able to invoke an operation. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to determine at design time whether a choreography can be implemented by a set of Web services based on their access control policies and the disclosure policies regulating the release of their credentials. We model both Web services and Web services choreography as transition systems and represent Web services credential disclosure policies as directed graphs. We then verify that all possible conversations of the Web services choreography can be implemented by matching credential disclosure policies of the invoker Web service with the access control policy of the Web services being invoked. We propose a resource release graph to enable this verification.
Short Article: Recognition and Attention Guidance during Contextual Cueing in Real-World Scenes: Evidence from Eye Movements

When confronted with a previously encountered scene, what information is used to guide search to a known target? We contrasted the role of a scene's basic-level category membership with its specific arrangement of visual properties. Observers were repeatedly shown photographs of scenes that contained consistently but arbitrarily located targets, allowing target positions to be associated with scene content. Learned scenes were then unexpectedly mirror reversed, spatially translating visual features as well as the target across the display while preserving the scene's identity and concept. Mirror reversals produced a cost as the eyes initially moved toward the position in the display in which the target had previously appeared. The cost was not complete, however; when initial search failed, the eyes were quickly directed to the target's new position. These results suggest that in real-world scenes, shifts of attention are initially based on scene identity, and subsequent shifts are guided by more detailed information regarding scene and object layout.
In Search of Inliers: 3D Correspondence by Local and Global Voting

We present a method for finding correspondence between 3D models. From an initial set of feature correspondences, our method uses a fast voting scheme to separate the inliers from the outliers. The novelty of our method lies in the use of a combination of local and global constraints to determine if a vote should be cast. On a local scale, we use simple, low-level geometric invariants. On a global scale, we apply covariant constraints for finding compatible correspondences. We guide the sampling for collecting voters by downward dependencies on previous voting stages. All of this together results in an accurate matching procedure. We evaluate our algorithm by controlled and comparative testing on different datasets, giving superior performance compared to state of the art methods. In a final experiment, we apply our method for 3D object detection, showing potential use of our method within higher-level vision.
COMBINED EFFECTS OF FLANK AND CRATER WEAR ON CUTTING FORCE MODELING IN ORTHOGONAL MACHINING—PART I: MODEL DEVELOPMENT

Progressive tool wear, mainly in the forms of flank and crater wear, occurs on the tool flank and rake faces, respectively. Cutting forces may increase or decrease depending on the combined contribution from the flank and/or crater wear. Quantitative understanding and prediction of cutting forces under both tool flank and crater wear conditions is of importance to cutting process thermal modeling, tool life estimation, chatter prediction, and tool condition monitoring purposes. Unfortunately, there is no adequately documented work to analytically study the combined effects of both flank and crater wear on cutting forces and investigate the associated underlying machining physics. In this study, a slip-line field based force modeling approach is proposed to capture the worn tool cutting mechanism under the combined effects of both flank and crater wear in orthogonal cutting. The proposed slip-line field and the associated hodograph are introduced, and the slip-line models for the primary shear zone, the flank wear land and each part of the secondary shear zone are discussed in detail. The model implementation procedure is also proposed in terms of the hodograph geometric relationship and the force and moment equilibrium in order to predict cutting forces of interest.
Why recombination should be adaptive

Crossover is the most complicated of the standard genetic operators as well as one of the main operators in genetic algorithms. The role of the crossover operator has not been satisfactorily explained. It has not been easy to show if it is essential for the construction and exploitation of building blocks during evolution. In this paper we introduce an adaptive crossover operator for two test functions. The results show that there is a clear increase in the rate of evolution when information on the state of the population is used to select the crossover point, compared to random selection of the crossover point.
Modification of Deposition Process Parameters for Uniform Indium Layer Deposition

MODIFICATION OF DEPOSITION PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR UNIFORM INDIUM LAYER DEPOSITION Isaac Butt Old Dominion University, 2017 Director: Dr. Sylvain X. Marsillac The need for more efficient light to energy converting cells has long been a subject of research and development. With abundant availability of solar energy that the earth receives, the photovoltaic industry has sought materials that could serve the purpose of great energy conversion. The photovoltaic industry is mainly dominated by Silicon owing to its abundant availability, reliability and economic cost. However, due to limitations on efficiency improvements, some focus has shifted toward III-V based solar cells with a great potential for attaining higher efficiency and multi-junction applications. However, the cost of the III-V materials is extremely high due to the cost of the raw materials, the need for a lattice-matched substrate for single crystal growth, and complex growth processes. Research groups have investigated direct non-epitaxial growth of thin poly-crystalline films using a MOCVD process and VLS growth on cheaper substrates [1,2]. To do so, it is important to develop a planar reaction template for the group III metal, which will prevent de-wetting of the seed layer from the substrate during growth. In this thesis, we study various deposition parameters (substrate, deposition rate, structure.) that improve the de-wetting of an Indium layer as a template for future III-V virtual substrate.
Interactive decal compositing with discrete exponential maps

A method is described for texturing surfaces using decals, images placed on the surface using local parameterizations. Decal parameterizations are generated with a novel O(N log N) discrete approximation to the exponential map which requires only a single additional step in Dijkstra's graph-distance algorithm. Decals are dynamically composited in an interface that addresses many limitations of previous work. Tools for image processing, deformation/feature-matching, and vector graphics are implemented using direct surface interaction. Exponential map decals can contain holes and can also be combined with conformal parameterization to reduce distortion. The exponential map approximation can be computed on any point set, including meshes and sampled implicit surfaces, and is relatively stable under resampling. The decals stick to the surface as it is interactively deformed, allowing the texture to be preserved even if the surface changes topology. These properties make exponential map decals a suitable approach for texturing animated implicit surfaces.
Dietary therapy: a new strategy for management of chronic pelvic pain

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) can be identified as a chronic nociceptive, inflammatory and neuropathic pain characterised by spontaneous pain and an exaggerated response to painful and/or innocuous stimuli. This pain condition is extremely debilitating and usually difficult to treat. Currently, the main approaches to treatment include counselling supported by reassuring ultrasound scanning or psychotherapy, attempting to provide reassurance using laparoscopy to exclude serious pelvic pathology, hormonal therapy and neuroablative treatment to interrupt nerve pathways. Dietary supplementation has been suggested as a means to treat chronic medical illnesses that are poorly responsive to prescription drugs or in which therapeutic options are limited, costly or carry a high side-effect profile. A comprehensive search of the PubMed database was performed using the search terms ‘chronic pelvic pain’, ‘oxidative stress’, ‘antioxidants’ and ‘dietary therapy’. The systematic review focuses on both randomised and non-randomised controlled trials from 2005 onwards, in which CPP was the end point. Given the complexity and not well-understood aetiology of CPP, its treatment is often unsatisfactory and limited to partial symptom relief. Dietary therapy with antioxidants improves function of the immune system and in fighting free radical damage. Agents with antioxidant activity are able to improve CPP without undesired effects and any important metabolic changes associated with hormonal suppression therapy. In conclusion, dietary therapy with antioxidants could be considered as a new effective strategy in the long term for CPP, and may be better accepted by patients. Further randomised trials with larger series and long-term follow-up to confirm these observations are needed.
Endocannabinoids and the Processing of Value-Related Signals

Endocannabinoids serve as retrograde signaling molecules at many synapses within the CNS, particularly GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses. Synapses onto midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) make no exception to this rule. In fact, the effects of cannabinoids on dopamine transmission as well as DA-related behaviors are generally exerted through the modulation of inhibitory and excitatory afferents impinging onto DA neurons. Endocannabinoids, by regulating different forms of synaptic plasticity in the VTA, provide a critical modulation of the DA neuron output and, ultimately, of the systems driving and regulating motivated behaviors. Because DA cells exhibit diverse states of activity, which crucially depend on their intrinsic properties and afferent drive, the understanding of the role played by endocannabinoids in synaptic modulations is critical for their overall functions. Particularly, endocannabinoids by selectively inhibiting afferent activity may alter the functional states of DA neurons and potentiate the responsiveness of the reward system to phasic DA.
Synchronous coadaptation in an ancient case of herbivory

Coevolution has long been considered a major force leading to the adaptive radiation and diversification of insects and plants. A fundamental aspect of coevolution is that adaptations and counteradaptations interlace in time. A discordant origin of traits long before or after the origin of the putative coevolutionary selective pressure must be attributed to other evolutionary processes. Despite the importance of this distinction to our understanding of coevolution, the macroevolutionary tempo of innovation in plant defenses and insect counterdefenses has not been documented. Molecular clocks for a lineage of chrysomelid beetles of the genus Blepharida and their Burseraceae hosts were independently calibrated. Results show that these plants' defenses and the insect's counterdefensive feeding traits evolved roughly in synchrony, providing macroevolutionary confirmation of synchronous plant–herbivore coadaptation. The association between these two groups of organisms was determined to be about 112 million years old, the oldest age so far for a specialized plant–herbivore association.
SYSTEM LEVEL DESIGN OF A PATTERN RECOGNITION SYSTEM BASED ON THE GABOR WAVELET S

In this paper we will address the system level design of pattern recognition architectures. The system targeted uses Gabor wavelets for the multi -frequency and multi -scale analysis of gray scale images. The macro-blocks or macro-functions architectures are developed in sight of the integration of a system-on-a-chip. We have faced two basic design problems. First, to which extent the algorithms can be simpli fied to fit a hardware implementation? Second, how the functionality will be partitioned to fit an optimal hardware/software system? To carry out these operations we have relied on a design methodology taking into account the realization constraints early in the design stages. And we used a fast cycle precise simulator to attempt and evaluate many hardware/software alternatives.
Vertical profiles, optical and microphysical properties of Saharan dust layers determined by a ship-borne lidar

Abstract. A unique data set of ship-borne lidar measurements of Saharan dust layers above the Atlantic ocean has been collected aboard the research vessel Polarstern with a mobile Aerosol Raman Lidar (MARL) during the LIMPIDO-campaign in June 2000. Extended Saharan dust layers have been observed in the region between 8.5o N and 34o N in an altitude range between 2 and 6 km. The continental, North African origin of the probed air masses is confirmed by 8-day backward trajectories. The Saharan dust is characterized by an optical depth in the range of 0.1 and 0.3, a depolarization around 10% and high lidar ratios of 45 sr at 532 nm and 75 sr at 355 nm. The backscattering by the dust particles at the UV-wavelength is relatively weak, resulting in a negative color index. From the measured optical properties the effective radius and the refractive index of the dust particles are derived using a new approach based on Mie Theory and non-spherical scattering calculations. The low backscatter coefficient observed at 355 nm is due to significant absorption which increases with decreasing wavelength. This finding agrees very well with results from satellite and sun photometer measurements. The effective radii decrease from about 3 m m at the base to 0.6 m m at the top of the dust plumes. The non-spherical shapes of the dust particles are responsible for the high values of the lidar ratios.
An Empirical Study on the Value Relevance of Economic Value Added in Logistics

Motivated by the increased use and interest, we examine the value relevance of Economic Value Added (EVA) based on sample of Chinese logistics. Empirical evidence supports significant incremental information content of EVA compared with traditional performance measures, but the incremental information is not sufficient enough to support EVA dominating them. Nevertheless, the significant coefficients of the components of EVA give strong support for the application of EVA in logistics. So, logistics enterprises should include EVA in their evaluation system to reflect the real wealth creation for shareholders, while traditional measures still in use at the same time.
A Novel Temporal Generative Model of Natural Video as an Internal Model in Early Vision

In computational neuroscience one application of generative models is to examine how the statistics of sensory input data are related to the properties of corresponding sensory neural networks. In this approach it is assumed that neural networks are tuned to the properties of input data, that is, that they have learned efficient internal representations of their environment. In this paper we present a hypothetical internal representation for natural video at the level of early vision, or more precisely, at the level of simple and complex cells. We define a two-layer generative model for natural video, based on temporal relationships between simple cell outputs. Preliminary results of estimating the parameters of the model from natural data suggest that the learned temporal interactions between cell outputs are similar to complex cell pooling of simple cell outputs. This unsupervised learning of pooling separates our experimental results from empirical work based on other advanced self-organizing models of early vision. Keywords—Generative model, temporal coherence, complex cells, simple cells, receptive fields, natural video.