Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Near maximum likelihood soft-decision decoding of a particular class of rate-1/2 systematic linear block codes

Presented is a soft-decision decoding algorithm for a particular class of rate-1/2 systematic linear block codes. The proposed algorithm performs successive re-encoding of both the data and parity bits, to produce a list of codewords among which the most likely candidate is chosen. Simulation results show that close to optimal performance can be obtained at reasonable complexity. They validate the potential of the proposed algorithm as a practical approach for soft-decision decoding.
External Memory Stream Sampling

This paper aims to understand the I/O-complexity of maintaining a big sample set---whose size exceeds the internal memory's capacity---on a data stream. We study this topic in a new computation model, named the external memory stream (EMS) model, that naturally extends the standard external memory model to stream environments. A suite of EMS-indigenous techniques are presented to prove matching lower and upper bounds for with-replacement (WR) and without-replacement (WoR) sampling on append-only and time-based sliding window streams, respectively. Our results imply that, compared to RAM, the EMS model is perhaps a more suitable computation model for studying stream sampling, because the new model separates different problems by their hardness in ways that could not be observed in RAM.
Effect of type and amount of dietary carbohydrate on biomarkers of glucose homeostasis and C reactive protein in overweight or obese adults: results from the OmniCarb trial

Objective The glycemic index (GI) of dietary carbohydrate is thought to affect glucose homeostasis. Recently, the Effect of Amount and Type of Dietary Carbohydrates on Risk for Cardiovascular Heart Disease and Diabetes Study (OmniCarb) trial reported that a low-GI diet did not improve insulin sensitivity. We conducted this ancillary study of the OmniCarb trial to determine the effects of GI and carbohydrate content on glucose homeostasis and inflammation. Research design and methods OmniCarb was a randomized cross-over feeding study conducted in overweight or obese adults without diabetes (N=163). Participants were fed each of 4 diets for 5 weeks with 2-week washout periods. Weight was held constant. Diets were: high GI (GI≥65) with high carbohydrate (58% kcal), low GI (GI≤45) with low carbohydrate (40% kcal), low GI with high carbohydrate, and high GI with low carbohydrate. We measured glycated albumin (GA), fructosamine, and high sensitivity C reactive protein (CRP) at baseline and following each dietary period. These biomarkers were compared within-person between diets. Results The study population was 52% female and 50% black. Mean age was 53 (SD, 11) years; mean body mass index was 32 (SD 6) kg/m2. Reducing GI had no effect on GA or fructosamine, but increased fasting glucose in the setting of a high-carbohydrate diet (+2.2 mg/dL; p=0.02). Reducing carbohydrate content decreased GA in the setting of a high-GI diet (−0.2%; p=0.03) and decreased fructosamine in the setting of a low-GI diet (−4 µmol/L; p=0.003). Reducing carbohydrate while simultaneously increasing GI significantly reduced both GA (−0.2%; p=0.04) and fructosamine (−4 µmol/L; p=0.009). Neither reducing GI nor amount of carbohydrate affected insulin or CRP. Conclusions Reducing carbohydrate, regardless of high or low GI, decreased GA and fructosamine. This suggests that reducing carbohydrate content, rather than GI, is a better strategy for lowering glycemia in adults at risk for diabetes. Trial registration number NCT00608049.
Simulation of nacre with tin/pt multilayers and a study of their hardness

TiNyPt multilayers with individual thicknesses between 1 and 8 nm were prepared by ion beam sputtering deposition to simulate the micro-laminated architecture of nacre. Multilayer hardness and the laminated structure were investigated. It was found that sharp but incoherent interfaces were formed between individual layers. The multilayer hardness had strong dependence on layer arrangement. The range of layer thickness appropriate for high hardness was experimentally determined. Hardness enhancement of 30–70% was generally observed. With the layer thickness properly adjusted, the multilayer can even be harder than the hard component (TiN). Annealing experiments indicated that the hardness enhancement was an intrinsic property of the TiNyPt multilayers.
Primary pulmonary lymphoma. A clinical and immunohistochemical study of six cases

Six patients with lymphomatous lesions primarily involving the pulmonary parenchyma were studied. In these patients, both the history and physical findings were vague and minimal. The laboratory findings also were nonspecific, although the findings of large multiple lesions in the lungs and pleural adhesion or effusion were more consistent with lymphoma. Histologic examination revealed lymphocytic infiltration of the pulmonary parenchyma in all six patients and presence of germinal or growth centers in some areas of the lesions in four. The hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes were not involved in five patients so examined. Immunocytochemical study of cytoplasmic immunoglobulin revealed monoclonal lymphocytic proliferation in five patients and negative staining in one patient. Clinical, histologic, or immunohistochemical studies alone may not be sufficient to detect all of the lymphomatous lesions. The combined use of all of these parameters is more advantageous for accurate diagnosis of these lesions. Treatment is surgical resection. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy are used when residual disease is present after surgery. Three patients died of disseminated lymphoma 96, 42, and 8 months after diagnois, respectively, and three patients are still alive at 18, 24, and 4 months, respectively.
"Narrowcast yourself": designing for community storytelling in a rural Indian context

The StoryBank project is examining technologies and practices to allow digitally impoverished communities to take part in the user-generated content revolution. The approach involves combining mobile phones to create audio-visual stories and a touch screen display situated in a community meeting place. This paper discusses the design, evaluation and refinement of the situated display. We consider how our experiences of working with a rural Indian village community influenced design processes, principles and prototypes. The work highlights the value of community-centred design practices and prototypes in such developing-world contexts.
Study of skeletal muscle behavior by PET/MRI

Increasingly aging population is leading to higher prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and related muscular dysfunctions, requiring new types of functional investigations in daily clinical practice. Emerging non-invasive imaging techniques, such as hybrid PET/MRI, allow to visualize and to analyze the human body from the anatomical and metabolic point of view in a single scanning session. We aim to investigate both muscle anatomical behaviour by MRI and exercise-related changes in muscle functionality by PET/MRI and [11C]Acetate, in view to develop a model of normal resting and exercised muscle. The static and dynamic PET and MRI acquisition protocols that we developed are described. Dedicated processing techniques are defined for the generation and visualization of 4D datasets, including both anatomical and metabolic acquired data. This paper reports the technical framework and methodological approach developed as a first step in our research. Experimental data are being collected and will be included in future validation studies.
Does genetic diversity hinder parasite evolution in social insect colonies?

Polyandry is often difficult to explain because benefits of the behaviour have proved elusive. In social insects, polyandry increases the genetic diversity of workers within a colony and this has been suggested to improve the resistance of the colony to disease. Here we examine the possible impact of host genetic diversity on parasite evolution by carrying out serial passages of a virulent fungal pathogen through leaf‐cutting ant workers of known genotypes. Parasite virulence increased over the nine‐generation span of the experiment while spore production decreased. The effect of host relatedness upon virulence appeared limited. However, parasites cycled through more genetically diverse hosts were more likely to go extinct during the experiment and parasites cycled through more genetically similar hosts had greater spore production. These results indicate that host genetic diversity may indeed hinder the ability of parasites to adapt while cycling within social insect colonies.
Association Between Variants in Arsenic (+3 Oxidation State) Methyltranserase (AS3MT) and Urinary Metabolites of Inorganic Arsenic: Role of Exposure Level.

Variants in AS3MT, the gene encoding arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltranserase, have been shown to influence patterns of inorganic arsenic (iAs) metabolism. Several studies have suggested that capacity to metabolize iAs may vary depending on levels of iAs exposure. However, it is not known whether the influence of variants in AS3MT on iAs metabolism also vary by level of exposure. We investigated, in a population of Mexican adults exposed to drinking water As, whether associations between 7 candidate variants in AS3MT and urinary iAs metabolites were consistent with prior studies, and whether these associations varied depending on the level of exposure. Overall, associations between urinary iAs metabolites and AS3MT variants were consistent with the literature. Referent genotypes, defined as the genotype previously associated with a higher percentage of urinary dimethylated As (DMAs%), were associated with significant increases in the DMAs% and ratio of DMAs to monomethylated As (MAs), and significant reductions in MAs% and iAs%. For 3 variants, associations between genotypes and iAs metabolism were significantly stronger among subjects exposed to water As >50 versus ≤50 ppb (water As X genotype interaction P < .05). In contrast, for 1 variant (rs17881215), associations were significantly stronger at exposures ≤50 ppb. Results suggest that iAs exposure may influence the extent to which several AS3MT variants affect iAs metabolism. The variants most strongly associated with iAs metabolism-and perhaps with susceptibility to iAs-associated disease-may vary in settings with exposure level.
Machine Learning and Inference Laboratory Validating Learnable Evolution Model on Selected Optimization and Design Problems

The recently introduced Learnable Evolution Model (LEM) represents a form of non-Darwinian evolutionary computation that is guided by a learning system. Specifically, LEM “genetically engineers” new populations via hypothesis formation and instantiation. Initial experiments with a preliminary implementation of LEM were highly encouraging, but tentative. This paper presents results from a new study in which LEM was systematically tested on a range of optimization problems and a complex real world design task. The study involved LEM2, a new implementation oriented toward function optimization, and ISHED, an implementation oriented toward engineering design. In all cases of function optimization, LEM2 strongly outperformed tested evolutionary algorithms in terms of the evolution length, measured by the number of fitness function evaluations needed to reach the solution. This evolutionary speedup also translated to an execution speedup whenever the fitness evaluation time was above a small threshold (a fraction of a second). The most important result of the study was that the advantage of LEM2 over the tested Darwinian-style evolutionary methods grew rapidly with the growth of the complexity of the optimized function. Experiments with ISHED on problems of optimizing heat exchangers (evaporators) produced designs that matched or exceeded designs produced by human experts. The obtained very strong results from the LEM application to two diverse domains suggest that it may be useful also in other application domains, especially, those in which the fitness function evaluation is time-consuming or complex.
Validation of frontal near-infrared spectroscopy as noninvasive bedside monitoring for regional cerebral blood flow in brain-injured patients.

OBJECT Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) offers noninvasive bedside measurement of direct regional cerebral arteriovenous (mixed) brain oxygenation. To validate the accuracy of this monitoring technique, the authors analyzed the statistical correlation of NIRS and CT perfusion with respect to regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed all cases in which NIRS measurements were obtained at a single, academic neurointensive care unit from February 2008 to June 2011 in which CT perfusion was performed at the same time as NIRS data was collected. Regions of interest were obtained 2.5 cm below the NIRS bifrontal scalp probe on CT perfusion with an average volume between 2 and 4 ml, with mean CBF values used for purposes of analysis. Linear regression analysis was performed for NIRS and CBF values. RESULTS The study included 8 patients (2 men, 6 women), 6 of whom suffered subarachnoid hemorrhage, 1 ischemic stroke, and 1 intracerebral hemorrhage and brain edema. Mean CBF measured by CT perfusion was 61 ml/100 g/min for the left side and 60 ml/100 g/min for the right side, while mean NIRS values were 75 on the right and 74 on the left. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant probability value (p<0.0001) comparing NIRS frontal oximetry and CT perfusion-obtained CBF values. CONCLUSIONS The authors demonstrated a linear correlation for frontal NIRS cerebral oxygenation measurements compared with regional CBF on CT perfusion imaging. Thus, frontal NIRS cerebral oxygenation measurement may serve as a useful, noninvasive, bedside intensive care unit monitoring tool to assess brain oxygenation in a direct manner.
Material and simulation technology for solid insulated switchgear

We have developed solid insulated switchgear(SIS), which is designed for SF/sub 6/-free innovative medium voltage applications. A new epoxy casting material is applied, which contains a great deal of spherical silica to reduce viscosity and increase mechanical strength. This material has the high glass transition temperature, which provides high thermal resistance and also high toughness for directly molding the vacuum interrupter. The switchgear consists of some complicated casting insulators such as bushings and cable heads. These insulators are manufactured by the high-cycle automatic pressure gelation method. The flow and cure analysis of the casting material visualizes the curing process inside the molds and suggests the best manufacturing conditions such as temperature, speed and time.
Undertreatment of tobacco use relative to other chronic conditions.

OBJECTIVES We compared the likelihood that a tobacco user would receive treatment with the likelihood that an adult with another common chronic condition would receive treatment for that condition at an office visit. METHODS We analyzed data from the 2005-2007 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to compare the proportion of US office visits at which tobacco users and individuals with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, asthma, or depression received condition-specific treatment. We calculated the odds that a visit for a comparison condition would result in treatment relative to a visit for tobacco dependence. RESULTS From 2005 to 2007, 38, 004 patient visits involved at least 1 study condition. Tobacco users received medication at fewer visits (4.4%) than individuals with hypertension (57.4%), diabetes (46.2%), hyperlipidemia (47.1%), asthma (42.6%), and depression (53.3%). In multivariate analyses, the odds for pharmacological treatment of these disorders relative to tobacco use were, for hypertension, 32.8; diabetes, 20.9; hyperlipidemia, 16.5; asthma, 22.1; and depression, 24.0 (all Ps < .001). Patients with hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia were also more likely to receive behavioral counseling. CONCLUSIONS Alternate models of engagement may be needed to enhance use of effective treatments for tobacco use.
Reinforcement learning of coordination in heterogeneous cooperative multi-agent systems

In todayýs open networking environment, the assumption that the learning agents that join a system are homogeneous is becoming increasingly unrealistic. This makes ef fective coordination particularly dif ficult to learn, especially in the absence of learning agent standards. In this short paper we investigate the problem of learning to coordinate with heterogeneous agents. We show that an agent employing the FMQ algorithm, a recently developed multiagent learning method, has the ability to converge towards the optimal joint action when teamed-up with one or more simple Q-learners. Specifically, we show such convergence in scenarios where simple Q-learners alone are unable to converge towards an optimum.
Ibuprofen Protects Platelet Cyclooxygenase from Irreversible Inhibition by Aspirin

Previous investigations have shown that ibuprofen inhibits the second wave of platelet aggregation and blocks the conversion of 14 C-arachidonic acid to thromboxane. However, the influence of the drug on platelet function and cyclooxygenase is transitory, lasting only 24 hours. The present study has taken advantage of the shortlived influence of ibuprofen to study its interaction with the long-term effects of aspirin. As expected, both aspirin and ibuprofen supressed platelet cyclooxygenase activity and function, but addition of aspirin to ibuprofen-treated platelets did not increase the degree of inhibition in vitro. Platelet function and prostaglandin synthesis recovered completely 26 hours following ingestion of ibuprofen, but remained compromised 26 hours after taking aspirin. When 650 mg of aspirin was administered after ibuprofen, platelet function and cyclooxygenase activity recovered as completely at 26 hours as did platelets which had been exposed to ibuprofen alone. Thus, prior exposure to ibuprofen in vivo completely protected cyclooxygenase from the irreversible effects of aspirin. Our findings indicate that ibuprofen-like indomethacin and other nonsteroidal antiinf lammatory drugs react with the heme group of cyclooxygenase to prevent arachidonic acid conversion. Since ibuprofen completely blocks the effects of aspirin in platelets in vitro and in vivo, aspirin's primary influence on inhibition of cyclooxygenase must also be through action on the heme portion of the enzyme, rather than acetylation of the protein.
Capacitance Behavior of Nanometer FD SOI CMOS Devices with HfO2 High-K Gate Dielectric Considering Gate Tunneling Leakage Current

This paper reports the C<sub>SG</sub>/C<sub>DG</sub> capacitance behavior of 100 nm fully-depleted (FD) SOI CMOS devices with HfO<sub>2 </sub> high-k gate dielectric considering gate tunneling leakage current. According to the 2D simulation results, a unique two-step C<sub>SG</sub>/C<sub>DG</sub> versus V<sub>G</sub> curve exists for the device with the 1.5 nm HfO<sub>2</sub> gate dielectric due to the vertical displacement effect. Gate tunneling leakage current has a more impact on C<sub>DG</sub> as compared to C<sub>SG</sub>
On a recursive formula for the moments of phase noise

We present a recursive formula for the moments of phase noise in communication systems. The phase noise is modeled using continuous Brownian motion. The recursion is simple and valid for an arbitrary initial phase value. The moments obtained bp the recursion are used to calculate approximations to the probability density function of the phase noise, using orthogonal polynomial series expansions and a maximum entropy criterion.
Thymidine Selectively Enhances Growth Suppressive Effects of Camptothecin/Irinotecan in MSI+ Cells and Tumors Containing a Mutation of MRE11

Purpose: DNA synthesis inhibitors and damaging agents are widely used in cancer therapy; however, sensitivity of tumors to such agents is highly variable. The response of tumor cells in culture to these agents is strongly influenced by the status of DNA damage response pathways. Here, we attempt to exploit the altered response of mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient colon cancer cells and tumors to camptothecin or irinotecan and thymidine by combining them to improve therapeutic response. Experimental Design: A panel of colon cancer cell lines was assayed for response to camptothecin-thymidine combinations by measuring colony formation, cell cycle distribution, and senescence. Cell strains defective in p53, p21, or Mre11 were used in these assays to investigate the role of these cell cycle regulators. The in vivo antitumor response of xenografts to irinotecan and thymidine combinations was assessed in nude mice. Results: Camptothecin-thymidine combinations suppress colony formation of MMR-deficient tumor cells 10- to 3,000-fold relative to that obtained with camptothecin alone and significantly reduce the concentrations of the agents required to induce late S/G2 arrest and senescence. Sensitivity is not a direct result of MMR, p53, or p21 status. However MMR-deficient cell lines containing an intronic frameshift mutation of MRE11 show greatest sensitivity to these agents. Increased sensitivity to this combination is also evident in vivo as thymidine enhances irinotecan-induced growth suppression of MMR-deficient tumors carrying the MRE11 mutation in mouse xenografts. Conclusion: Irinotecan-thymidine combinations may be particularly effective when targeted to MSI+ tumors containing this readily detectable MRE11 mutation.
Materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)

Although the SOFC presents a great potential to meet the future demand for efficient and clean energy, development of SOFC technology into a commercial product has proved challenging. Owing to high- temperature operation, the requirements for functional materials are in general more stringent than those of low-temperature fuel cells. Two major barriers identified for commercialization of SOFC technology are reliability and product cost, both of which are closely associated with the materials used in SOFCs. Therefore, it is a rational assertion that the success of SOFC technology largely depends upon the maturity of SOFC materials. In this chapter, we cover SOFC technology from the perspective of materials that have been actively developed and are being engineered. Three major types of SOFCs are classified by the electrolyte material used. For each type of SOFC, the discussion focuses primarily on the electrical, chemical, and thermal properties of their materials. At the end, the fabrication technique for each functional layer is also briefly reviewed.
CR TKA UHMWPE Wear Tested after Artificial Aging of the Vitamin E Treated Gliding Component by Simulating Daily Patient Activities

The wear behaviour of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is dominated by two wear mechanisms: the abrasive wear and the delamination of the gliding components, where the second is strongly linked to aging processes and stress concentration in the material. The addition of vitamin E to the bulk material is a potential way to reduce the aging processes. This study evaluates the wear behaviour and delamination susceptibility of the gliding components of a vitamin E blended, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) cruciate retaining (CR) total knee arthroplasty. Daily activities such as level walking, ascending and descending stairs, bending of the knee, and sitting and rising from a chair were simulated with a data set received from an instrumented knee prosthesis. After 5 million test cycles no structural failure of the gliding components was observed. The wear rate was with 5.62 ± 0.53 mg/million cycles falling within the limit of previous reports for established wear test methods.