Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Studies on the Basic Friction Angle of Planar Rock Surfaces by Tilt Test

The basic friction angle is a basic parameter for estimating the shear strength of rock discontinuities. The value of the basic friction angle can be determined using the tilt test. There are still no standard methods for such a test. Thus, the values from different researchers usually differ significantly for the same rock type. In this work, a number of tilt tests were conducted on core-based samples under different conditions. In this study, 33 different rock types and 53 groups of samples were collected, and more than 6,600 valid tilt tests were conducted. Based on the test results, some issues that may affect the value of the basic friction angle are discussed. This work may contribute to the present studies on the basic friction angle by tilt test.
Low-power flip-flops operating in low voltages and their performance variations considering process deviations

Lowering supply voltage of circuits can achieve large energy dissipation savings. However, as the reduction of the process feature size scaling down to nano dimension, process deviation influence on the circuit functionality and performance is more and more serious. The circuits operating in low voltages suffer from poor performance and increased variations. This paper presents two new low-power FinFET flip-flops with master-salve structure. In the proposed flip-flops, both master and salve latches use dual rail schemes to promote their operating speed and reduce performance variations caused by process deviations. The proposed flip-flops were investigated in terms of delay, energy dissipation, energy delay product, and variations of propagation delay considering process deviations. The results show that the proposed flip-flops achieve large performance improvements and have small performance variations compared with the typical counterparts in wide voltage ranges from 0.6 V to 1.0 V.
Deffuant model with general opinion distributions: First impression and critical confidence bound

In the Deffuant model for social influence, pairs of adjacent agents interact at a constant rate and mix up their opinions (represented by continuous variables) only if the distance between opinions is short according to a threshold. We derive a critical threshold for the Deffuant model on Z, above which the opinions converge toward the average value of the initial opinion distribution with probability one, provided the initial distribution has a finite second order moment. We demonstrate our theoretical results by performing extensive numerical simulations on some continuous probability distributions including uniform, Beta, power-law and normal distributions. Noticed is a clear differentiation of convergence rate that unimodal opinions (regardless of being biased or not) achieve consensus much faster than even or polarized opinions. Hereby, the emergence of a single mainstream view is a prominent feature giving rise to fast consensus in public opinion formation and social contagious behavior. Finally, we discuss the Deffuant model on an infinite Cayley tree, through which general network architectures might be factored in. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 19: 38–49, 2013
FINE: A fine-grained privacy-preserving location-based service framework for mobile devices

In this paper, we propose a fine-grained privacy-preserving location-based service (LBS) framework, called FINE, for mobile devices. It adopts the data-as-a-service (DaaS) model, where the LBS provider publishes its data to a third party (e.g., cloud server) who executes users' LBS queries. The proposed FINE framework employs a ciphertext-policy anonymous attribute-based encryption technique to achieve fine-grained access control, location privacy, confidentiality of the LBS data and its access policy, and accurate LBS query result while without involving any trusted third party. Moreover, the proposed FINE framework also integrates the transformation key and proxy re-encryption to migrate most of computation-intensive tasks from the LBS provider and users to the cloud server. This property keeps mobile devices away from massive resource-consuming operations. Extensive analysis shows that our proposed FINE framework is secure and highly efficient for mobile devices in terms of computation and communication cost.
Instruction modes for joint spatial reference between naive users and a mobile robot

This paper reports about an experiment addressing different modes of natural language instructions in spatial human-robot interaction. The experimental setting involves a mobile robot equipped with an elementary dialogue system and human users unfamiliar with it who are required to achieve joint spatial reference with the robot either in spoken or in written mode. In addition, the robot's output is varied between an initial scene description (indicating the robot's conceptual and linguistic knowledge), and no initial output. Our robot uses a computational model of spatial reference to interpret the linguistic instructions that is based on psycholinguistic evidence and on previous experiments. Results show that the model is successful with regard to the correct interpretation of the intended kinds of instructions, that scene descriptions can encourage users to refer directly to the goal object, and that there are lasting negative effects on communication if potentially successful spoken instructions are not recognized by the speech component.
NXG06-5: Packet Delay-Aware Scheduling in Input Queued Switches

Virtual Output Queuing is widely used by highspeed packet switches to overcome head-of-line blocking. This is done by means of matching algorithms. In fixed-length VOQ switches, variable-length IP packets are segmented into fixed- length cells at the inputs. When a cell is transferred to its destination output, it will stay in the reassembly buffer and wait for the other cells of the same packet before the entire packet can depart the system. The delay a packet suffers in the system includes the waiting time in the VOQ, the widely studied cell delay, and the waiting time at the output reassembly buffer, the reassembly delay often ignored in many papers. Among all existing matching algorithms, Maximum Weight Matching (MWM) has the lowest average cell delay. In this paper, we investigate the average packet delay, one of the key performance measure for an input buffered packet switch. A new class of matching algorithms, PDA-MWM, is defined and proved to be stable under all admissible traffic. Three PDA-MWM matching algorithms are studied by simulation. We show that, in order to achieve low packet delay, there is a tradeoff between the cell delay performance and the reassembly delay performance. If both of them are carefully considered, a matching scheme can greatly reduce the packet delay as compared to MWM.
Neuro-fuzzy time-series analysis of large-volume data

SUMMARY This paper describes a framework that utilizes an adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system to perform user-constrained pattern recognition on time-series data. Using a customizable fuzzy logic grammar, the architecture allows an analyst to capture domain expertise in a context-relevant manner. Fuzzy logic rules constructed by the analyst are used to perform feature extraction and influence the training of a neural network to perform pattern recognition. We demonstrate that the architecture is capable of performing noise-tolerant searches across multiple features on large volumes of time-series data. The experiments presented here are from the domain of stock analysis. We are able to create simple rule sets automatically to search a data warehouse of stocks to select stocks that exhibit desirable behaviours. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chemotaxis Methyltransferase CheR1 Impacts on Bacterial Surface Sampling

The characterization of factors contributing to the formation and development of surface-associated bacterial communities known as biofilms has become an area of intense interest since biofilms have a major impact on human health, the environment and industry. Various studies have demonstrated that motility, including swimming, swarming and twitching, seems to play an important role in the surface colonization and establishment of structured biofilms. Thereby, the impact of chemotaxis on biofilm formation has been less intensively studied. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a very complex chemosensory system with two Che systems implicated in flagella-mediated motility. In this study, we demonstrate that the chemotaxis protein CheR1 is a methyltransferase that binds S-adenosylmethionine and transfers a methyl group from this methyl donor to the chemoreceptor PctA, an activity which can be stimulated by the attractant serine but not by glutamine. We furthermore demonstrate that CheR1 does not only play a role in flagella-mediated chemotaxis but that its activity is essential for the formation and maintenance of bacterial biofilm structures. We propose a model in which motility and chemotaxis impact on initial attachment processes, dispersion and reattachment and increase the efficiency and frequency of surface sampling in P. aeruginosa.
Predictors of Caregiver Burden among Mothers of Children with Chronic Conditions

Objective: The complex medical regimens of children and adolescents with chronic conditions can have a significant impact on families and households. Caregivers may experience burden, which can lead to negative health consequences and poor quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine child-related predictors and risk factors for caregiver burden among parents of children with chronic conditions. Methods: We distributed an institutional review board (IRB)-approved, online cross-sectional survey to parents of children who attended the Victory Junction therapeutic camp. Parents provided information on child demographics, disease characteristics, and healthcare utilization. Parents also answered the adapted Zarit Burden Interview, which measured caregiver burden. Children completed scales about self-management and self-efficacy. Linear regression analyses determined how children’s disease characteristics, health utilization, and self-management skills were associated with caregiver burden. Results: We enrolled 150 mother-child dyads. The mean age of child participants was 12.23 years (±2.5), with an age range of 6 to 16 years. It was determined that children’s number of medicines and injections (β = 0.161, p = 0.047), a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in addition to the primary medical condition (β = 0.216, p = 0.008), frequent visits with a primary care provider (PCP) (β = 0.209, p = 0.026) and emergency room (ER) visits (β = 0.197, p = 0.038), and lower child self-efficacy (β = −0.241, p = 0.041) were predictors of increased caregiver burden. Conclusions: We identified risk factors for caregiver burden among mothers. Future studies should explore additional child-related characteristics as they relate to caregiver burden, and should determine if interventions for mothers of children with chronic conditions can lead to positive outcomes.
Role of Polyvinlyppyrrolidone in Membrane Technologies

PVP, also known as polyvidone or povidone is a synthetic polymer consisting of linear 1-vinyl-2-yrrolidone groups. PVP is a versatile polymer with immense applications in pharmaceutical, biomedical and paper industry. This is due to the fact that PVP demonstrates a wide range of properties like water solubility, unique binding, high solubility in water as well as a broad range of liquid media, biocompatibility and good thermal resistance. Of late the use of PVP has been explored in the manufacturing of membranes for separation processes. This study reports the effect of PVP as a polymeric additive on the morphology, hydrophilicity and the performance of polymer membranes in general.
IT Governance Mechanisms and Administration/IT Alignment in the Public Sector: A Conceptual Model and Case Validation

Abstract. The mechanisms of information technology (IT) governance have been widely recognized as practices to sustain alignment of business and IT units. However, the IT governance literature so far has drawn little attention to the possible idiosyncrasies of governance arrangements in the public sector. In this paper we propose a conceptual model to investigate the relationship be-tween IT governance mechanisms and according performance outcomes specif-ically for public sector organizations. A survey instrument is developed and val-idated based on in-depth interviews with IT representatives from three different municipalities in Germany. A cross-case analysis particularly provides evidence for the importance of structural and relational mechanisms and demonstrates how different mechanisms can compensate each other. Our findings provide relevant insights for government practitioners and an impetus for further re-search. Keywords: IT governance mechanisms, business/IT alignment, public sector, conceptual model, instrument development, cross-case analysis.
Frequency Characteristics of Visually Induced Motion Sickness

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the frequency response of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) for oscillating linear motion in the fore-and-aft axis. Background: Simulators, virtual environments, and commercially available video games that create an illusion of self-motion are often reported to induce the symptoms seen in response to true motion. Often this human response can be the limiting factor in the acceptability and usability of such systems. Whereas motion sickness in physically moving environments is known to peak at an oscillation frequency around 0.2 Hz, it has recently been suggested that VIMS peaks at around 0.06 Hz following the proposal that the summed response of the visual and vestibular self-motion systems is maximized at this frequency. Methods: We exposed 24 participants to random dot optical flow patterns simulating oscillating fore-and-aft motion within the frequency range of 0.025 to 1.6 Hz. Before and after each 20-min exposure, VIMS was assessed with the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. Also, a standard motion sickness scale was used to rate symptoms at 1-min intervals during each trial. Results: VIMS peaked between 0.2 and 0.4 Hz with a reducing effect at lower and higher frequencies. Conclusion: The numerical prediction of the “crossover frequency” hypothesis, and the design guidance curve previously proposed, cannot be accepted when the symptoms are purely visually induced. Application: In conditions in which stationary observers are exposed to optical flow that simulates oscillating fore-and-aft motion, frequencies around 0.2 to 0.4 Hz should be avoided.
Progenitor Cells Hemopoietic + Derived from CD34 Retrovirally Transduced Dendritic Cells the Tumor-Associated Antigen HER2 Using Generation of Tumor-Reactive CTL Against

Ag-speciﬁc CD8 1 CTL are crucial for effective tumor rejection. Attempts to treat human malignancies by adoptive transfer of tumor-reactive CTL have been limited due to the difﬁculty of generating and expanding autologous CTL with deﬁned Ag speciﬁcity. The current study examined whether human CTL can be generated against the tumor-associated Ag HER2 using autologous dendritic cells (DC) that had been genetically engineered to express HER2. DC progenitors were expanded by culturing CD34 1 hemopoietic progenitor cells in the presence of the designer cytokine HyperIL-6. Proliferating precursor cells were infected by a retroviral vector encoding the HER2 Ag and further differentiated into CD83 1 DC expressing high levels of MHC, adhesion, and costimulatory molecules. Retroviral transduction of DC resulted in the expression of the HER2 molecule with a transduction efﬁciency of 15%. HER2-transduced DC correctly processed and presented the Ag, because HLA-A*0201-positive DC served as targets for CTL recognizing the HLA-A*0201-binding immunodominant peptide HER2 369–377 . HER2-transduced DC were used as professional APCs for stimulating autologous T lymphocytes. Following repetitive stimulation, a HER2-speciﬁc, HLA-A*0201-restricted CTL line was generated that was capable of lysing HLA-A*0201-matched tumor cells overexpressing HER2. A CD8 1 T cell clone could be generated that displayed the same speciﬁcity pattern as the parenteral CTL line. The ability to generate and expand HER2-speciﬁc, MHC class I-restricted CTL clones using HER2-transduced autologous DC in vitro facilitates the development of adoptive T cell transfer for
Impact of Heat and Cold on Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in Vadu HDSS—A Rural Setting in Western India

Many diseases are affected by changes in weather. There have been limited studies, however, which have examined the relationship between heat and cold and cause-specific mortality in low and middle-income countries. In this study, we aimed to estimate the effects of heat and cold days on total and cause-specific mortality in the Vadu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) area in western India. We used a quasi-Poisson regression model allowing for over-dispersion to examine the association of total and cause-specific mortality with extreme high (98th percentile, >39 °C) and low temperature (2nd percentile, <25 °C) over the period January 2003 to December 2012. Delays of 0 and 0–4 days were considered and relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Heat was significantly associated with daily deaths by non-infectious diseases (RR = 1.57; CI: 1.18–2.10). There was an increase in the risk of total mortality in the age group 12–59 years on lag 0 day (RR = 1.43; CI: 1.02–1.99). A high increase in total mortality was observed among men at lag 0 day (RR = 1.38; CI: 1.05–1.83). We did not find any short-term association between total and cause-specific mortality and cold days. Deaths from neither infectious nor external causes were associated with heat or cold. Our results showed a strong and rather immediate relationship between high temperatures and non-infectious disease mortality in a rural population located in western India, during 2003–2012. This study may be used to develop targeted interventions such as Heat Early Warning Systems in the area to reduce mortality from extreme temperatures.
OBSERVATION T 313 M PINK 1 Mutation in an Extended Highly Consanguineous Saudi Family With Early-Onset Parkinson Disease

Background: To date, 5 well-confirmed genes for Parkinson disease (PD) have been identified, including 3 autosomal recessive genes: PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), parkin, and DJ-1. Almost nothing is known about the genetics of PD in Saudi Arabia; however, consanguineous families, not infrequent in this population, could be important in the evaluation of known PD genes and the search for new PD factors in the future.
Empty Nets? Fishing for Hard Facts on Pfiesteria

Background: Models of codon evolution have proven useful for investigating the strength and direction of natural selection. In some cases, a priori biological knowledge has been used successfully to model heterogeneous evolutionary dynamics among codon sites. These are called fixed-effect models, and they require that all codon sites are assigned to one of several partitions which are permitted to have independent parameters for selection pressure, evolutionary rate, transition to transversion ratio or codon frequencies. For single gene analysis, partitions might be defined according to protein tertiary structure, and for multiple gene analysis partitions might be defined according to a gene's functional category. Given a set of related fixed-effect models, the task of selecting the model that best fits the data is not trivial. Results: In this study, we implement a set of fixed-effect codon models which allow for different levels of heterogeneity among partitions in the substitution process. We describe strategies for selecting among these models by a backward elimination procedure, Akaike information criterion (AIC) or a corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc). We evaluate the performance of these model selection methods via a simulation study, and make several recommendations for real data analysis. Our simulation study indicates that the backward elimination procedure can provide a reliable method for model selection in this setting. We also demonstrate the utility of these models by application to a single-gene dataset partitioned according to tertiary structure (abalone sperm lysin), and a multi-gene dataset partitioned according to the functional category of the gene (flagellar-related proteins of Listeria). Conclusion: Fixed-effect models have advantages and disadvantages. Fixed-effect models are desirable when data partitions are known to exhibit significant heterogeneity or when a statistical test of such heterogeneity is desired. They have the disadvantage of requiring a priori knowledge for partitioning sites. We recommend: (i) selection of models by using backward elimination rather than AIC or AICc, (ii) use a stringent cut-off, e.g., p = 0.0001, and (iii) conduct sensitivity analysis of results. With thoughtful application, fixed-effect codon models should provide a useful tool for large scale multi-gene analyses. from First International Conference on Phylogenomics Sainte-Adèle, Québec, Canada. 15–19 March, 2006 Published: 8 February 2007 BMC Evolutionary Biology 2007, 7(Suppl 1):S5 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-7-S1-S5 <supplement> <title> <p>First International Conference on Phylogenomics</p> </title> <editor>Hervé Philippe, Mathieu Blanchette</editor> <note>Proceedings</note> </supplement> © 2007 Bao et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Global Registration of Multiple Point Clouds Using Semidefinite Programming

Consider $N$ points in $\mathbb{R}^d$ and $M$ local coordinate systems that are related through unknown rigid transforms. For each point we are given (possibly noisy) measurements of its local coordinates in some of the coordinate systems. Alternatively, for each coordinate system, we observe the coordinates of a subset of the points. The problem of estimating the global coordinates of the $N$ points (up to a rigid transform) from such measurements comes up in distributed approaches to molecular conformation and sensor network localization, and also in computer vision and graphics. The least-squares formulation of this problem, though non-convex, has a well known closed-form solution when $M=2$ (based on the singular value decomposition). However, no closed form solution is known for $M\geq 3$. In this paper, we demonstrate how the least-squares formulation can be relaxed into a convex program, namely a semidefinite program (SDP). By setting up connections between the uniqueness of this SDP and results from rigidity theory, we prove conditions for exact and stable recovery for the SDP relaxation. In particular, we prove that the SDP relaxation can guarantee recovery under more adversarial conditions compared to earlier proposed spectral relaxations, and derive error bounds for the registration error incurred by the SDP relaxation. We also present results of numerical experiments on simulated data to confirm the theoretical findings. We empirically demonstrate that (a) unlike the spectral relaxation, the relaxation gap is mostly zero for the semidefinite program (i.e., we are able to solve the original non-convex least-squares problem) up to a certain noise threshold, and (b) the semidefinite program performs significantly better than spectral and manifold-optimization methods, particularly at large noise levels.