Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quasi-Newton methods and their application to function minimisation

can in general only be found by an iterative process in which successively better, in some sense, approximations to the solution are computed. Of the methods available most rely on evaluating at each stage of the calculation a set of residuals and from these obtaining a correction to each element of the approximate solution. The most common way of doing this is to take each correction to be a suitable linear combination of the residuals. There is, of course, no reason in principle why more elaborate schemes should not be used but they are difficult both to analyse theoretically and to implement in practice. The minimisation of a function of n variables, for which it is possible to obtain analytic expressions for the n first partial derivatives, is a particular example of this type of problem. Any technique used to solve nonlinear equations may be applied to the expressions for the partial derivatives but, because it is known in this case that the residuals form the gradient of some function, it is possible to introduce refinements into the method of solution to take account of this extra information. Since, in addition, the value of the function itself is known, further refinements are possible. The best-known method of solving a general set of simultaneous nonlinear equations, in which the corrections are computed as linear combinations of the residuals, is the Newton-Raphson method. The principal disadvantage of this method lies in the necessity of evaluating and inverting the Jacobian matrix at each stage of the iteration and so a number of methods have arisen, e.g. [1], [2], [4] and [8] in which the inverse Jacobian matrix is replaced by an approximation which is modified in some simple manner at each iteration. Although each method has its own peculiarities certain properties are common to a large class of these methods, and several of these are discussed here. In particular, if it is known that the functions to be zeroed are the first partial derivatives of a function F, then it is possible, if F is quadratic, to modify the approximating matrix in such a way that F is minimised in a finite number of steps. This method of modification is not unique and leads to a subclass of methods of which one example is the method of Davidon [3] as amended by Fletcher and Powell [4]. Since in the methods under discussion the corrections are computed as linear combinations of the residuals, it is natural to introduce matrix notation. Thus a function fj of the variables X\, x2, • ■ ■, x„, may be regarded as a function of the nth order vector x, and each fj in turn may be treated as the jth element of the nth
Dynamic Flow Migration for Delay Constrained Traffic in Software-Defined Networks

Various industrial control applications have stringent end-to-end latency requirements in the order of a few milliseconds. Software-defined networking (SDN) is a promising solution in order to meet these stringent requirements under varying traffic patterns, as it enables the flexible management of flows across the network. Thus, SDN allows to ensure that traffic flows use congestion-free paths, reducing the delay to forwarding and processing delays at the SDN nodes. However, accommodating new flows at runtime is under such a setting challenging as it may require the migration of existing flows, without interrupting ongoing traffic. In this paper, we consider the problem of dynamic flow migration and propose a polynomial time algorithm that can find a solution if direct flow migration is feasible. We furthermore propose an algorithm for computing both direct and indirect flow migration and prove its correctness. Numerical results obtained on a FatTree network topology show that flow migration is typically necessary for networks with a moderate number of flows, while direct flow migration is feasible in around 60% of the cases.
Nanoarray-enhanced Implantable Intraocular Pressure Sensor with Remote Optical Readout

An elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor of glaucoma, which is the second leading cause of blindness [1]. Traditional IOP-detection techniques such as tonometry cannot provide direct, accurate, and continuous IOP measurements [2]. Recently explored LC-resonator IOP-sensing implants are limited by their large sizes and short readout distances [3]. Our compact, robust IOP-sensing implant can greatly improve clinical management of glaucoma and accelerate related drug discoveries.
Tomographic SAR Imaging of a Forested Area by Time-Domain Back-Projection

Recently, various attempts have been undertaken to retrieve information about the three-dimensional structure of vegetation from multibaseline synthetic aperture radar data. Although tomographic processing of such data has been demonstrated, yet, there are still several problems that limit the focusing quality. In particular, the frequency-domain based focusing methods are susceptible to irregular and sparse sampling, two problems, which are unavoidable in case of multi-pass, multi-baseline radar data acquired by an airborne system. We propose a time-domain back-projection algorithm, which maintains the original geometric relationship between the original sensor positions and the imaged target and is therefore able to cope with irregular and sparse sampling without introducing any geometric approximations. Preliminary results obtained with a newly acquired P-band tomographic data set consisting of eleven flight tracks are shown and discussed.
Toll-like receptor 9 activation is a key mechanism for the maintenance of chronic lung inflammation.

RATIONALE Accumulating evidence supports the hypothesis that the continuous host response to a persistent challenge can polarize the cytokine environment toward a Th2 cytokine phenotype, but the mechanisms responsible for this skewing are not clear. OBJECTIVES We investigated the role of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) in a Th2-driven pulmonary granulomatous response initiated via the embolization of Schistosoma mansoni eggs to the lungs of mice. METHODS Mice were intravenously injected with S. mansoni eggs. Histological and flow cytometric analysis, cytokine measurement, adoptive transfer of bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DCs), and in vitro T-cell treatments with antigen-presenting cells were examined. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS In comparison to wild-type mice, TLR9(-/-) mice showed increased pulmonary granuloma size, augmented collagen deposition, increased Th2 cytokine phenotype, and impaired accumulation of DCs. BM-derived DCs, but not macrophages, recovered from animals with developed Th2-type lung granulomas promoted the production of type 2 cytokines from CD4(+) T cells. BM-derived DCs from TLR9(-/-) mice induced impaired Th1 cytokine and enhanced Th2 cytokine production by T cells, compared with DCs from WT mice. Macrophages from TLR9(-/-) mice expressed a significantly higher alternatively activated (M2) phenotype characterized by increased "found in inflammatory zone-1" (FIZZ1) and arginase-1 expression. The adoptive transfer of BM-derived DCs from syngeneic WT mice into TLR9(-/-) mice restored the granuloma phenotype seen in WT mice. CONCLUSIONS These studies suggest that TLR9 plays an important mechanistic role in the maintenance of the pulmonary granulomatous response.
Do GED Recipients Differ From Graduates and School Dropouts?

The differences in income, crime, health, mental health, and substance use among high school dropouts, GED recipients, and high school graduates are investigated. The study sample is drawn from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS), an ongoing investigation of a panel of low-income minority children who grew up in the inner city. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, early cognitive skills, and participation in postsecondary education, results indicate that there are significant differences between dropouts and GED recipients, and between GED recipients and high school graduates in the five aspects of quarterly income equal to or above average, life satisfaction, future optimism, symptoms of severe depression, and substance use.
The concept of validity in theory and practice

The concept of validity, as described in the literature, has changed over time to become a broad and rather complex issue. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if practice has followed theory, or if there is a gap between validity in theory and validity in practice. It compares the theoretical development of the concept of validity with the methodology adopted in validity studies over time. Important phases in the history of validity, and also common arguments for and against traditional and modern validity perspectives, are presented and discussed. Thereafter, three Swedish research projects aiming to validate instruments used for selection to higher education are described. The idea is to use these projects as examples of contemporary practice, and to compare their designs, research questions and outcomes with how validity was theoretically described during their specific period of time. The conclusions from these comparisons are that practices seem to have followed theory when it comes to how the validity research programmes have been designed, but not when it comes to how they then were carried out in practice. This gap between theory and practice seems to have increased with the introduction of broader and more modern validity perspectives. The scope of the research is more extensive but results are fragmented and there is no evidence of a ‘unified’ validity argument, which has been one of the central aspects in modern validity theory. This supports the arguments that validity theory is difficult to put into practice and that there is a need for guidance on how to prioritise validity questions and interpret validity evidence.
Genetic evidence for extreme polyandry and extraordinary sex-role reversal in a pipefish

Due to the phenomenon of male pregnancy, the fish family Syngnathidae (seahorses and pipefishes) has historically been considered an archetypal example of a group in which sexual selection should act more strongly on females than on males. However, more recent work has called into question the idea that all species with male pregnancy are sex–role reversed with respect to the intensity of sexual selection. Furthermore, no studies have formally quantified the opportunity for sexual selection in any natural breeding assemblage of pipefishes or seahorses in order to demonstrate conclusively that sexual selection acts most strongly on females. Here, we use a DNA–based study of parentage in the Gulf pipefish Syngnathus scovelli in order to show that sexual selection indeed acts more strongly on females than on males in this species. Moreover, the Gulf pipefish exhibits classical polyandry with the greatest asymmetry in reproductive roles (as quantified by variances in mating success) between males and females yet documented in any system. Thus, the intensity of sexual selection on females in pipefish rivals that of any other taxon yet studied.
Generalized PWM-Based Method for Multiphase Neutral-Point-Clamped Converters With Capacitor Voltage Balance Capability

This paper presents a generalized pulse width modulation (PWM)-based control algorithm for multiphase neutral-point-clamped (NPC) converters. The proposed algorithm provides a zero sequence to be added to the reference voltages that contributes to improve the performance of the converter by: 1) Regulating the neutral-point (NP) current to eliminate/attenuate the low-frequency NP voltage ripples; 2) reducing the switching losses of the power semiconductors; and 3) maximizing the range of modulation indices for linear operation mode. The control method is formulated following a carrier-based PWM approach. Hence, dealing with complex space-vector diagrams to solve the modulation problem for multiphase converters is avoided. The recursive approach means that it can be easily extended to n-phase converters without increasing the complexity and computational burden, making it especially attractive for digital implementation. The proposed method allows regulating the NP voltage without the need for external controllers; therefore, no parameter tuning is required. The algorithm has been tested in a four-leg NPC converter prototype performing as a three- and four-phase system and operating with balanced and unbalanced loads.
Routes of abuse of prescription opioid analgesics: a review and assessment of the potential impact of abuse-deterrent formulations

Abstract Prescription opioid analgesics are an important treatment option for patients with chronic pain; however, misuse, abuse and diversion of these medications are a major global public health concern. Prescription opioid analgesics can be abused via intended and non-intended routes of administration, both intact or after manipulation of the original formulation to alter the drug-delivery characteristics. Available data indicate that ingestion (with or without manipulation of the prescribed formulation) is the most prevalent route of abuse, followed by inhalation (snorting, smoking and vaping) and injection. However, reported routes of abuse vary considerably between different formulations. A number of factors have been identified that appear to be associated with non-oral routes of abuse, including a longer duration of abuse, younger age, male sex and a rural or socially deprived location. The development of abuse-deterrent formulations of prescription opioid analgesics is an important step toward reducing abuse of these medications. Available abuse-deterrent formulations aim to hinder extraction of the active ingredient, prevent administration through alternative routes and/or make abuse of the manipulated product less attractive, less rewarding or even aversive. There are currently five opioid analgesics with a Food and Drug Administration abuse-deterrent label, and a number of other products are under review. A growing body of evidence suggests that introduction of abuse-deterrent opioid analgesics in the USA has been associated with decreased rates of abuse of these formulations. The availability of abuse-deterrent formulations therefore appears to represent an important step toward curbing the epidemic of abuse of prescription opioid analgesics, while ensuring the availability of effective pain medications for patients with legitimate medical need.
An Axiomatic Treatment of Partial Correctness and Deadlock in a Shared Variable Parallel Language

Abstract : We give a semantically based axiomatic treatment of partial correctness and deadlock for an imperative shared variable parallel programming language. The Owicki-Gries proof methodology for this language proves conventional Hoare-style partial correctness assertions and involves the notion of interference-freedom of proofs (to guarantee soundness), auxiliary variables (to guarantee relative completeness), and global invariants (to permit reasoning about deadlock-freedom). Our axiomatic proof system is based more explicitly on the underlying operational semantics, using assertions whose syntactic structure directly reflects the operational behavior of parallel programs at an appropriate level of abstraction. We build a proof system that requires neither interference freedom nor auxiliary variables. Novel features include the use of a syntactic form of parallel composition of assertions, and the use of conjunction and implication as connectives on assertions. It is possible simultaneously to reason about partial correctness and deadlock-freedom using our proof system, without recourse to global invariants. We discuss some non- trivial examples, and compare our proof methodology with some other proof methods from the literature.
Capturing the interplay of dynamics and networks through parameterizations of Laplacian operators

We study the interplay between a dynamical process and the structure of the network on which it unfolds using the parameterized Laplacian framework. This framework allows for defining and characterizing an ensemble of dynamical processes on a network beyond what the traditional Laplacian is capable of modeling. This, in turn, allows for studying the impact of the interaction between dynamics and network topology on the quality-measure of network clusters and centrality, in order to effectively identify important vertices and communities in the network. Specifically, for each dynamical process in this framework, we define a centrality measure that captures a vertex’s participation in the dynamical process on a given network and also define a function that measures the quality of every subset of vertices as a potential cluster (or community) with respect to this process. We show that the subset-quality function generalizes the traditional conductance measure for graph partitioning. We partially justify our choice of the quality function by showing that the classic Cheeger’s inequality, which relates the conductance of the best cluster in a network with a spectral quantity of its Laplacian matrix, can be extended to the parameterized Laplacian. The parameterized Laplacian framework brings under the same umbrella a surprising variety of dynamical processes and allows us to systematically compare the different perspectives they create on network structure.
Trust and the Acceptance of and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has resulted in reduced AIDS incidence and mortality. Socially marginalized individuals with HIV infection, particularly injection drug users (IDUs), have received less ART and derived less benefit than others. Little is known about the therapeutic process necessary to promote acceptance of and adherence to ART among marginalized HIV‐infected populations. We report on the correlates of both acceptance of and adherence to ART among HIV infected prisoners, most of whom are IDUs. Design: Using a cross‐sectional survey design within four ambulatory prison HIV clinics, 205 HIV‐infected prisoners eligible for ART were recruited between March and October 1996. Measurements: Detailed interviews were conducted that included personal characteristics, health status and beliefs, and validated standardized scales measuring depression, health locus of control, social desirability and trust in physician, medical institutions and society. Acceptance and adherence were documented by self‐report and validated for a subset by pharmacy review. Clinical information was obtained from standardized chart review. Adherence was defined as having taken ≥80% of ART. Results: The acceptance of (80%) and adherence to (84%) ART among this group of prisoners was high. Multiple regression models demonstrated that correlates of acceptance of and adherence to ART differed. Acceptance was associated with trust in physician (8% increase for each unit increase with trust in physician scale) and trust in HIV medications (threefold reduction for those mistrustful of medication). Side effects (OR = 0.09), social isolation (OR = 0.08), and complexity of the antiretroviral regimen (OR = 0.33) were associated with decreased adherence. The prevalence of health beliefs suggesting an adverse relationship between ART and drugs of abuse was high (range 59 to 77%). Adherence did not differ among those receiving directly observed therapy (82%) or self‐administration (85%). Conclusions: ART can be successfully administered within a correctional setting. Trust and the therapeutic relationship between patient and physician remain central in the ART initiation process. Characteristics of the therapeutic agents and the degree of social isolation predict adherence. These results may inform the design of interventions to improve both acceptance of and adherence to ART particularly among marginalized populations who have not derived full benefit from these potent new therapies.
The New Barbarians: Piracy and Terrorism on the North African Frontier

Since the sixteenth century, North Africa has functioned as a frontier zone for "the West," as a space of abject uncertainty through and against which "the West" is defined and on which "the West" has variously engaged in violent intervention, often by proxy. From the final suppression of Barbary piracy with the French colonization of Algeria in 1830 to the military engagement against Algerian Islamist militias during the current civil war that has claimed at least 125,000 lives, North Africa has been at the forefront of the consolidation of state national regimes of violence against forms of economic and political banditry. At various historical moments, including the present "war on terror," these struggles have crossed the Mediterranean, as well as the Atlantic, and have taken on global dimensions. With a focus on the case of political violence in North Africa, this article explores the logic and effects of the war on piracy and terrorism in relation to emerging structures of national sovereignty and international cultural-politicaleconomic hegemony.
Death Anxiety and Coping Mechanism of Chinese Cancer Patients

The present study investigated the relationship between death anxiety and defense mechanisms of Chinese cancer patients. The Chinese versions of the Bond's Defense Style Questionnaire and the Templer's Death Anxiety Questionnaire were administered to thirty cancer patients. Another thirty hand-injured patients were also chosen as control. The results showed that significantly more cancer patients had either very high or very low death anxiety levels as compared to the control group. Two immature defenses, viz. Autistic Fantasy and Passive Aggression, were more prominent among cancer patients with very high or very low death anxiety levels. These findings support the dual effect of death anxiety on patients with life-threatening illness.
A Biologically Inspired Robotic Ribbon Fin

—The robotic ribbon fin is a propulsive mechanism inspired by the long fin of the agile, South American black ghost knifefish. The natural ribbon fin can produce rapid accelerations in any of multiple directions, enabling the fish to quickly reach points within the range of its weakly electric sensing system. We discuss the design and control of the robotic ribbon fin and introduce a computational model of the thrust which will be useful for closed-loop control and gait optimization algorithms. The robotic ribbon fin has potential application in future underwater vehicles that require a high degree of maneuverability, rapid accelerations and effective station-keeping.
Second Language Autonomy

Development of the second-language lexicon was investigated in two on-line experiments. In both experiments, priming was examined within the second language under automatic conditions and for nonnative speakers of two different levels of performance. Experiment 1 showed secondlanguage priming for various lexical relationships for proficient nonnative speakers. Moreover, the results found for the proficient bilinguals were highly similar to those found for a group of native control subjects. Experiment 2 examined priming of the dominant and subordinate meanings of biased homographs such as ‘‘seal. ’’ Priming was found for both meanings, for proficient bilinguals working in their second language, and for native control subjects, but only for the dominant meanings for a group of intermediate nonnative speakers. Again, the pattern of results found for the proficient bilinguals and native controls was highly similar. The ensemble of these results provides evidence for second-language autonomy, which is determined, however, by both level of expertise and type of lexical relationship. The autonomy postulated here is limited, moreover, to exploiting the second-language lexicon for the purposes of recognition and cannot at present be said to extend to production. q 1997 Academic Press