Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intrinsic plasticity or brittleness of metallic glasses

The intrinsic plasticity or brittleness of crystalline metals correlates with the ratio of the elastic shear modulus μ to the bulk modulus B; when the ratio μ/B exceeds a critical value, the metal is brittle. Sufficient data on elastic moduli and toughness are now available to permit an assessment for metallic glasses. We find a similar correlation, with the critical value of μ/B for metallic glasses (0.41–0.43) more sharply defined than for crystalline metals. This critical value applies also for annealing-induced embrittlement of metallic glasses. The clear correlation between mechanical behaviour (plasticity or brittleness) and μ/B assists in understanding flow and fracture mechanisms, and in guiding alloy design to alleviate brittleness of metallic glasses.
Multi-Agent Path Finding with Payload Transfers and the Package-Exchange Robot-Routing Problem

We study transportation problems where robots have to deliver packages and can transfer the packages among each other. Specifically, we study the package-exchange robot-routing problem (PERR), where each robot carries one package, any two robots in adjacent locations can exchange their packages, and each package needs to be delivered to a given destination. We prove that exchange operations make all PERR instances solvable. Yet, we also show that PERR is NP-hard to approximate within any factor less than 4/3 for makespan minimization and is NP-hard to solve for flowtime minimization, even when there are only two types of packages. Our proof techniques also generate new insights into other transportation problems, for example, into the hardness of approximating optimal solutions to the standard multi-agent path-finding problem (MAPF). Finally, we present optimal and suboptimal PERR solvers that are inspired by MAPF solvers, namely a flow-based ILP formulation and an adaptation of conflict-based search. Our empirical results demonstrate that these solvers scale well and that PERR instances often have smaller makespans and flowtimes than the corresponding MAPF instances.
Analytical Modeling Is Enough for High-Performance BLIS

We show how the BLAS-like Library Instantiation Software (BLIS) framework, which provides a more detailed layering of the GotoBLAS (now maintained as OpenBLAS) implementation, allows one to analytically determine tuning parameters for high-end instantiations of the matrix-matrix multiplication. This is of both practical and scientific importance, as it greatly reduces the development effort required for the implementation of the level-3 BLAS while also advancing our understanding of how hierarchically layered memories interact with high-performance software. This allows the community to move on from valuable engineering solutions (empirically autotuning) to scientific understanding (analytical insight).
Pathophysiology and clinical characteristics of hypothalamic obesity in children and adolescents

The hypothalamus plays a key role in the regulation of body weight by balancing the intake of food, energy expenditure, and body fat stores, as evidenced by the fact that most monogenic syndromes of morbid obesity result from mutations in genes expressed in the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic obesity is a result of impairment in the hypothalamic regulatory centers of body weight and energy expenditure, and is caused by structural damage to the hypothalamus, radiotherapy, Prader-Willi syndrome, and mutations in the LEP, LEPR, POMC, MC4R and CART genes. The pathophysiology includes loss of sensitivity to afferent peripheral humoral signals, such as leptin, dysregulated insulin secretion, and impaired activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Dysregulation of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 activity and melatonin may also have a role in the development of hypothalamic obesity. Intervention of this complex entity requires simultaneous targeting of several mechanisms that are deranged in patients with hypothalamic obesity. Despite a great deal of theoretical understanding, effective treatment for hypothalamic obesity has not yet been developed. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that control food intake and energy homeostasis and pathophysiology of hypothalamic obesity can be the cornerstone of the development of new treatments options. Early identification of patients at-risk can relieve the severity of weight gain by the provision of dietary and behavioral modification, and antiobesity medication. This review summarizes recent advances of the pathophysiology, endocrine characteristics, and treatment strategies of hypothalamic obesity.
Adaptive blood pressure estimation from wearable PPG sensors using peripheral artery pulse wave velocity measurements and multi-channel blind identification of local arterial dynamics

A method for estimating pulse wave velocity (PWV) using circulatory waveform signals derived from multiple photoplethysmograph (PPG) sensors is described. The method employs two wearable in-line PPG sensors placed at a known distance from one another at the ulnar and digital artery. A technique for calibrating the measured pulse wave velocity to arterial blood pressure using hydrostatic pressure variation is presented. Additionally, a framework is described for estimating local arterial dynamics using PPG waveforms and multi-channel blind system ID. Initial results implementing the method on data derived from a human subject at different arterial pressures is presented. Results show that the method is capable of measuring the changes in arterial PWV that result from fluctuations in mean arterial pressure
SecArch: Architecture-level Evaluation and Testing for Security

We propose a novel approach that merges implied scenarios and race condition analysis techniques, to systematically detect and analyse security-related vulnerabilities at the architectural level. We apply our approach to an industrial case related to architecting systems interfacing the cloud. The application demonstrates an effective use of the approach, where the approach has detected securityrelated vulnerabilities in the architecture due to unexpected modes of interactions in such environment. Our approach was able to guide testers to detect critical security scenarios, which were not perceived during the inception phases or not captured using either of implied scenarios or race conditions detection techniques alone. We reflect on its applicability and scalability. We look into possible usage scenarios related to architectural-level testing for security and incremental refinements of the architecture following the detection of security vulnerabilities.
Find synaptic topology from spike trains

Can you retrieve the underlying neuronal network topology which generates an ensemble of desired spiking trains? This is one of the key questions if one wants to implement learning in spiking neuronal network. We propose an approach to solve the question. Our approach ensures that the retrieved spiking neuronal network not only generates the desired spike timing pattern but also has a sparse topology. We analyze the solvability and robustness of our algorithm in details based on the linear programming theory. Two numerical examples are included to illustrate the approach. One example is artificial and the spike trains are generated by a leaky integrate-and-fire neuronal network. The other is from experimental data of the neuronal spikes recorded in hippocampal CA3 area. Our results demonstrate that the approach can provide us with a framework to deal with the learning problem in spiking neuronal networks.
Balloon aortic valvoplasty in paediatric patients: progressive aortic regurgitation is common

Objective: To evaluate immediate and midterm results after balloon valvoplasty in a paediatric population with congenital aortic stenosis, giving special consideration to aortic regurgitation. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Two tertiary referral centres for paediatric cardiology. Patients: 70 consecutive patients, with an age range of 0–16.4 years. Group A infants < 3 months old (n = 21). Group B children > 3 months old (n = 49). Median follow up time was 19.8 months, range 0–158 months. Intervention: All patients underwent balloon aortic valvoplasty. The balloon to annulus ratio was selected at a mean of 0.90 (range 0.67–1.0). Main outcome measures: Doppler gradients and degree of aortic regurgitation. Results: The pressure gradient dropped significantly with the intervention and increased mildly at follow up. Freedom from relevant aortic regurgitation (that is, moderate and severe) was initially lower in group A (75% v 90% after one month) but after two years the difference between the two groups was not significant (50% v 61%). Freedom from reintervention was significantly lower in group A (with 35% v 80%) after three years. Conclusion: Aortic balloon valvoplasty is safe and effective but has a high rate of early reintervention in infants with critical aortic stenosis. The major long term problem is progressive aortic regurgitation, which does not seem to be prevented by the use of small balloons.
Limbal relaxing incisions to correct corneal astigmatism during phacoemulsification.

PURPOSE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of limbal relaxing incisions for the correction of corneal astigmatism during phacoemulsification. METHODS Fifty eyes of 37 patients (mean age 66.5 years, range: 45 to 80 years) with cataract and coexisting topographic astigmatism were included in the study. Eyes were randomly divided into two groups: eyes that underwent cataract surgery with limbal relaxing incisions (cataract LRI group) and eyes that underwent cataract surgery only (control group). All limbal relaxing incisions were performed during phacoemulsification. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), and corneal topography were recorded preoperatively and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS A statistically significant improvement in BSCVA was seen in the cataract LRI eyes from 0.9 +/- 0.7 preoperatively to 0.1 +/- 0.1 at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively (P < .01). A statistically significant improvement in BSCVA was seen in control eyes from 0.8 +/- 0.6 before surgery to 0.2 +/- 0.2 at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery (P < .01). No difference in postoperative BSCVA was noted between the groups. A statistically significant reduction in the mean topographic astigmatism was seen in the cataract LRI eyes from 1.93 +/- 0.58 diopters (D) preoperatively to 1.02 +/- 0.60 D 6 months postoperatively (P < .05). The control eyes did not show a statistically significant change in topographic astigmatism. CONCLUSIONS Limbal relaxing incisions performed during phacoemulsification surgery appear to be a safe, effective, and stable procedure to reduce pre-existing corneal astigmatism.
Voluntary Physical Exercise Promotes Ocular Dominance Plasticity in Adult Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1) declines during aging and is absent beyond postnatal day (P) 110 when mice are raised in standard cages (SCs; Lehmann and Löwel, 2008). In contrast, raising mice in an enriched environment (EE) preserved a juvenile-like OD plasticity into late adulthood (Greifzu et al., 2014). EE raising provides the mice with more social interactions, voluntary physical exercise, and cognitive stimulation compared with SC, raising the question whether all components are needed or whether one of them is already sufficient to prolong plasticity. To test whether voluntary physical exercise alone already prolongs the sensitive phase for OD plasticity, we raised mice from 7 d before birth to adulthood in slightly larger than normal SCs with or without a running wheel (RW). When the mice were older than P135, we visualized V1 activity before and after monocular deprivation (MD) using intrinsic signal optical imaging. Adult RW-raised mice continued to show an OD shift toward the open eye after 7 d of MD, while age-matched SC mice without a RW did not show OD plasticity. Notably, running just during the 7 d MD period restored OD plasticity in adult SC-raised mice. In addition, the OD shift of the RW mice was mediated by a decrease of deprived-eye responses in V1, a signature of “juvenile-like” plasticity. We conclude that voluntary physical exercise alone is sufficient to promote plasticity in adult mouse V1.
Risk-assessment and risk-taking behavior predict potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine response in the dorsal striatum of rats

Certain personality types and behavioral traits display high correlations to drug use and an increased level of dopamine in the reward system is a common denominator of all drugs of abuse. Dopamine response to drugs has been suggested to correlate with some of these personality types and to be a key factor influencing the predisposition to addiction. This study investigated if behavioral traits can be related to potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine response in the dorsal striatum, an area hypothesized to be involved in the shift from drug use to addiction. The open field and multivariate concentric square field™ tests were used to assess individual behavior in male Wistar rats. Chronoamperometric recordings were then made to study the potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine response in vivo. A classification based on risk-taking behavior in the open field was used for further comparisons. Risk-taking behavior was correlated between the behavioral tests and high risk takers displayed a more pronounced response to the dopamine uptake blocking effects of amphetamine. Behavioral parameters from both tests could also predict potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine responses showing a correlation between neurochemistry and behavior in risk-assessment and risk-taking parameters. In conclusion, the high risk-taking rats showed a more pronounced reduction of dopamine uptake in the dorsal striatum after amphetamine indicating that this area may contribute to the sensitivity of these animals to psychostimulants and proneness to addiction. Further, inherent dopamine activity was related to risk-assessment behavior, which may be of importance for decision-making and inhibitory control, key components in addiction.
Teaching Introductory Programming: A Quantitative Evaluation of Different Approaches

Teaching programming to beginners is a complex task. In this article, the effects of three factors—choice of programming language, problem-solving training, and the use of formative assessment—on learning to program were investigated. The study adopted an iterative methodological approach carried out across 4 consecutive years. To evaluate the effects of each factor (implemented as a single change in each iteration) on students’ learning performance, the study used quantitative, objective metrics. The findings revealed that using a syntactically simple language (Python) instead of a more complex one (Java) facilitated students’ learning of programming concepts. Moreover, teaching problem solving before programming yielded significant improvements in student performance. These two factors were found to have variable effects on the acquisition of basic programming concepts. Finally, it was observed that effective formative feedback in the context of introductory programming depends on multiple parameters. The article discusses the implications of these findings, identifies avenues for further research, and argues for the importance of studies in computer science education anchored on sound research methodologies to produce generalizable results.
Comparison of Caries Prevalence in Two Populations of Cleft Patients

Objective: To assess and compare the oral and dental status and the level of oral health care among Polish and German patients with cleft lip and palate treated in Łódź and Erlangen, followed by an assessment of the level of realization of oral care procedures. Design: Oral and dental status were assessed by the presence of dental plaque and caries lesions. Parents of each patient completed a questionnaire related to frequency of tooth brushing, frequency of dental visits, and the use of means with increased fluoride content. Setting: Department of Dentistry for Developmental Ages, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland, and Department of Orthodontics, University of Erlangen-Nuremburg, Erlangen, Germany. Patients and Intervention: Thirty-seven Polish patients were examined between February and April 2004. Sixty-three German patients were examined between October 2004 and August 2005. Results: In Erlangen, decayed teeth = 1.625, missing teeth = 0.014, and filled teeth = 2.39. In Łódź, decayed teeth = 2.5, missing teeth = 0.09, and filled teeth = 0.75. Among the subjects with Approximal Plaque Index scores <40%, the Decayed-Missing-Filled-Teeth Index was significantly higher in Polish than in German patients. In the total population of patients, a positive correlation between the value of the API Index and caries intensity was recorded. Declared parents’ answers did not copy the actual oral cavity status. Conclusions: Caries prevalence in each group was much higher than in the general population and significantly higher among Polish than German cleft patients. Programs for cleft children promoting oral health, especially aimed at plaque control, are recommended in the early stages of the children's lives.
Recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli: advances and challenges

Escherichia coli is one of the organisms of choice for the production of recombinant proteins. Its use as a cell factory is well-established and it has become the most popular expression platform. For this reason, there are many molecular tools and protocols at hand for the high-level production of heterologous proteins, such as a vast catalog of expression plasmids, a great number of engineered strains and many cultivation strategies. We review the different approaches for the synthesis of recombinant proteins in E. coli and discuss recent progress in this ever-growing field.
Probabilistic Uncertainty Modeling of Obstacle Motion for Robot Motion Planning

This paper describes a method of modeling the motion uncertainty of moving obstacles and its application to mobile robot motion planning. The method explicitly considers three sources of uncertainty: path ambiguity, velocity uncertainty, and observation uncertainty. The uncertainty model represents the position of an obstacle at a certain time point by a probabilistic distribution over possible positions on each possible path of the moving obstacle. Using this model, the best robot motion is selected in a decisiontheoretic way. By considering not the range but the distribution of the uncertainty, more efficient behaviors of the robot are realized.
Mobile Phone Intervention for Heart Failure in a Minority Urban County Hospital Population: Usability and Patient Perspectives.

BACKGROUND Chronic heart failure (HF) is a complex and costly disease. Daily weight and symptom monitoring is the cornerstone of HF management. Little information exists about feasibility of a mobile monitoring intervention among minority patients with HF. METHODS We developed and tested usability of a mobile-monitoring system in minority patients with HF in a 2:1 randomized controlled trial. We tracked usage and obtained feedback on usability and the system overall at 1, 2, and 3 months. RESULTS Forty-two participants aged 53.0 ± 9.4 years (mean ± standard deviation) were randomized to the mobile-monitoring intervention group. They included the following: 67% males, 76% White Hispanics, 21% African Americans, and 52% with high school education or less. Over the 3-month intervention period, 26 (62%) participants used the system over 50% of the time. Overall, on a 1.0-7.0 scale for both, program satisfaction scores were excellent (mean 6.84 ± 0.46), and the usability ratings were all above 6.0. Comparing 1- to 3-month responses, there was a substantial increase in the percentage of participants who felt the system was easy to use after they had gotten used to it (84% vs. 94%) and that navigating the system was not complicated (78% vs. 84%). Almost all participants said that the program made them feel more secure about their health and that they would stay enrolled in a program like this. None of them had used a similar system before. CONCLUSIONS A mobile phone-based disease management program is feasible in a minority county hospital population and offers a modality to help reduce ethnic disparity.
Clinicoeconomics and Outcomes Research Dovepress Cost-effectiveness of Early Responders versus Early Nonresponders to Atypical Antipsychotic Therapy

Background: To compare the cost-effectiveness of treating early responders versus early nonresponders to an atypical antipsychotic (risperidone) and the cost-effectiveness of treating early nonresponders maintained on risperidone versus those switched to olanzapine. Methods: This post hoc analysis used data from a randomized, double-blind, 12-week schizo-phrenia study (Study Code: HGMN, n = 628). Participants were initially assigned to risperidone therapy. Early response was defined as a $ 20% improvement on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score from baseline to two weeks. Early responders continued on risperidone, whereas early nonresponders were randomized in a double-blind manner to continue on risperidone or switch to olanzapine for 10 additional weeks. Early responders and early nonresponders maintained on risperidone were compared for health-state utilities (benefits) and total cost over the 12-week study; early nonresponders maintained on risperidone or switched to olanzapine were compared from randomization (10-week period). Utilities were derived from the PANSS and adverse events. Mixed models were used to assess group differences in utilities. Treatment costs were calculated based on health states. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were then utilized to compare treatment groups. Results: Early responders to risperidone had significantly greater total utility and lower total treatment costs than early nonresponders to risperidone. Compared with early nonresponders who continued on risperidone, those who were switched to olanzapine had significantly higher total utility scores at endpoint and numerically lower total treatment costs, reflecting significantly lower nonmedication treatment costs, even though medication costs were significantly higher compared with generic risperidone. Conclusion: Treatment of early responders was more cost-effective than treatment of early nonresponders to atypical antipsychotic therapy. Switching early nonresponders to olanzapine resulted in improved treatment effectiveness, met the criteria for some dominance, and appeared modestly more cost-effective than maintaining treatment with generic risperidone.
Structured Threshold Policies for Dynamic Sensor Scheduling—A Partially Observed Markov Decision Process Approach

We consider the optimal sensor scheduling problem formulated as a partially observed Markov decision process (POMDP). Due to operational constraints, at each time instant, the scheduler can dynamically select one out of a finite number of sensors and record a noisy measurement of an underlying Markov chain. The aim is to compute the optimal measurement scheduling policy, so as to minimize a cost function comprising of estimation errors and measurement costs. The formulation results in a nonstandard POMDP that is nonlinear in the information state. We give sufficient conditions on the cost function, dynamics of the Markov chain and observation probabilities so that the optimal scheduling policy has a threshold structure with respect to a monotone likelihood ratio (MLR) ordering. As a result, the computational complexity of implementing the optimal scheduling policy is inexpensive. We then present stochastic approximation algorithms for estimating the best linear MLR order threshold policy.