Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remote prognosis, diagnosis and maintenance for automotive architecture based on least squares support vector machine and multiple classifiers

Software issues related to automotive controls account for an increasingly large percentage of the overall vehicles recalled. To alleviate this problem, vehicle diagnosis and maintenance systems are increasingly being performed remotely, that is while the vehicle is being driven without need for factory recall and there is strong consumer interest in Remote Diagnosis and Maintenance (RD&M) systems. Such systems are developed with different building blocks/elements and various capabilities. This paper presents a novel automotive RD&M system and prognosis architecture. The elements of the proposed system include vehicles, smart phones, maintenance service centers, vehicle manufacturer, RD&M experts, RD&M service centers, logistics carry centers, and emergency centers. The system promotes the role of smart phones used to run prognosis and diagnosis tools based on Least Squares Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) multiple classifiers. During the prognosis phase, the smart phone stores the history of any forecast failures and send them, only if any failure already occurred during the diagnosis, to the RD&M service centre. The later will then forward it to RD&M experts as a real failure data to improve the training data used in prognosis classification and predication of the remaining useful life (RUL). The (LS-SVM) is used widely in prognostics and system health management of spacecraft in-orbit and it is applied to monitor spacecraft's performance, detect faults, identify the root cause of the fault, and predict RUL. The same approach is applied in this paper. Finally, the RD&M software architectures for the vehicle and the smart phone are presented.
Improving the process of informed consent in the critically ill.

CONTEXT Invasive procedures are often performed emergently in the intensive care unit (ICU), and patients or their proxies may not be available to provide informed consent. Little is known about the effectiveness of intensivists in obtaining informed consent. OBJECTIVES To describe the nature of informed consent in the ICU and to determine if simple interventions could enhance the process. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Prospective study of 2 cohorts of consecutively admitted patients (N = 270) in a 16-bed ICU at a university hospital. All patients admitted to the ICU during the baseline period from November 1, 2001, to December 31, 2001, and during the intervention period from March 1, 2002, to April 30, 2002, were included. INTERVENTION A hospital-approved universal consent form for 8 commonly performed procedures (arterial catheter, central venous catheter, pulmonary artery catheter, or peripherally inserted central catheter placement; lumbar puncture; thoracentesis; paracentesis; and intubation/mechanical ventilation) was administered to patients or proxies. Handouts describing each procedure were available in the ICU waiting area. Physicians and nurses were introduced to the universal consent form during orientation to the ICU. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incidence of informed consent for invasive procedures at baseline and after intervention; whether the patient or proxy provided informed consent; and understanding by the consenter of the procedure as determined by the responses on a questionnaire. RESULTS Fifty-three percent of procedures (155/292) were performed after consent had been obtained during the baseline period compared with 90% (308/340) during the intervention period (absolute difference, 37.4%; P<.001). During baseline, the majority (71.6%; 111/155) of consents were provided by proxies. This was also the case during the intervention period in which 65.6% (202/308) of consents were provided by proxies (absolute difference, 6.0%; P =.23). Comprehension by consenters of indications for and risks of the procedures was high and not different between the 2 periods (P =.75). CONCLUSIONS Invasive procedures are frequent in the ICU and consent for them is often obtained by proxy. Providing a universal consent form to patients, proxies, and health care clinicians significantly increased the frequency with which consent was obtained without compromising comprehension of the process by the consenter.
Whole-Genome Sequences of Two Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella quasipneumoniae Strains Isolated from a Tertiary Hospital in Johor, Malaysia

ABSTRACT We report the whole-genome sequences of two carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates of Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae obtained from two different patients. Both strains contained three different extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes and showed strikingly high pairwise average nucleotide identity of 99.99% despite being isolated 3 years apart from the same hospital.
Recombinant TSH Stimulated Remnant Ablation Therapy in Thyroid Cancer: The Success Rate Depends on the Definition of Ablation Success—An Observational Study

Introduction Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) are treated with (near)-total thyroidectomy followed by remnant ablation. Optimal radioiodine-131 (131I) uptake is achieved by withholding thyroid hormone (THW), pretreatment with recombinant human Thyrotropin Stimulating Hormone (rhTSH) is an alternative. Six randomized trials have been published comparing THW and rhTSH, however comparison is difficult because an uniform definition of ablation success is lacking. Using a strict definition, we performed an observational study aiming to determine the efficacy of rhTSH as preparation for remnant ablation. Patients and Methods Adult DTC patients with, tumor stage T1b to T3, Nx, N0 and N1, M0 were included in a prospective multicenter observational study with a fully sequential design, using a stopping rule. All patients received remnant ablation with 131I using rhTSH. Ablation success was defined as no visible uptake in the original thyroid bed on a rhTSH stimulated 150 MBq 131I whole body scan (WBS) 9 months after remnant ablation, or no visible uptake in the original thyroid bed on a post therapeutic WBS when a second high dose was necessary. Results After interim analysis of the first 8 patients, the failure rate was estimated to be 69% (90% confidence interval (CI) 20-86%) and the inclusion of new patients had to be stopped. Final analysis resulted in an ablation success in 11 out of 17 patients (65%, 95% CI 38-86%). Conclusion According to this study, the efficacy of rhTSH in the preparation of 131I ablation therapy is inferior, when using a strict definition of ablation success. The current lack of agreement as to the definition of successful remnant ablation, makes comparison between different ablation strategies difficult. Our results point to the need for an international consensus on the definition of ablation success, not only in routine patient’s care but also for scientific reasons. Trial Registration Dutch Trial Registration NTR2395
Cascadable, latching photonic switch with high optical gain by the monolithic integration of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser and a pn-pn photothyristor

The authors report the first demonstration of a cascadable, photonic switch based on the monolithic integration of a multi-quantum-well vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and a latching pn-pn photothyristor grown by low-pressure metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (LP-MOCVD). The VCSEL and pn-pn photothyristor structures can be independently optimized for optical switching, logic, and memory functions. Optical switching with high gain (30000), high contrast (30 dB), low switching power (11 nW), and latching memory have been demonstrated. The integrated pn-pn/VCSEL switch not only represents a volatile optical memory, but also can be used to implement a new class of optical logic gates with latching logic outputs. <<ETX>>
Global Contour Lines Reconstruction in Topographic Maps

Topographic maps are a common support for geographical information because they have the particularity to portray the relief through a set of contour lines. This topographic feature can be very useful in many context but the automatic extraction of this information is not an easy task, especially because the map contains many other layers which overlay the contours. In this paper we propose an automatic approach to reconstruct gaps in contour lines. Our novel parameterless reconstruction scheme is based on the extrapolation of the gradient orientation field from the available pieces of thinned contours. A weight is then affected to each pair of end-points according the force needed by its potential reconstructed curve to cross the field. The computation of the optimal global solution is obtained by solving a perfect matching problem. We finally use the orientation flow to fill the gaps with a smooth curve that respects the tangents at the en-points.
Network Working Group Forward Rto-recovery (f-rto): an Algorithm for Detecting Spurious Retransmission Timeouts with Tcp

The purpose of this document is to move the F-RTO (Forward RTO-Recovery) functionality for TCP in RFC 4138 from Experimental to Standards Track status. The F-RTO support for Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) in RFC 4138 remains with Experimental status. See Appendix B for the differences between this document and RFC 4138. Spurious retransmission timeouts cause suboptimal TCP performance because they often result in unnecessary retransmission of the last window of data. This document describes the F-RTO detection algorithm for detecting spurious TCP retransmission timeouts. F-RTO is a TCP sender-only algorithm that does not require any TCP options to operate. After retransmitting the first unacknowledged segment triggered by a timeout, the F-RTO algorithm of the TCP sender monitors the incoming acknowledgments to determine whether the timeout was spurious. It then decides whether to send new segments or retransmit unacknowledged segments. The algorithm effectively helps to avoid additional unnecessary retransmissions and thereby improves TCP performance in the case of a spurious timeout. Status of This Memo This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described in the BSD License.
Dynamic Risk Management of Commodity Operations: Model and Analysis

Adverse commodity prices can cause significant negative cash flows and expose firms that deal in commodities to financial distress. In this paper we consider the dynamic risk management problem for a commodity processor operating in a partially complete market, facing both price uncertainty and significant financial distress costs. The firm procures an input commodity, processes it to produce an output commodity, and trades the output commodity in each period over a multiperiod horizon. The firm’s objective is to dynamically and jointly plan operational and financial hedging decisions to maximize the market-based value of cash flows under a time-consistent risk measure. We show that the optimal operational policy has the same price and horizon dependent threshold structure that obtains when markets are complete. We also characterize conditions under which a myopic policy is optimal. We present numerical studies to illustrate that (i) compared to using a myopic policy or a policy that neglects to model fin.
Allogeneic major histocompatibility complex‐mismatched equine bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells are targeted for death by cytotoxic anti‐major histocompatibility complex antibodies

Summary Background Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising cell source for treating musculoskeletal injuries in horses. Controversy exists, however, over whether major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐mismatched MSCs are recognised by the recipient immune system and targeted for death by a cytotoxic antibody response. Objectives To determine if cytotoxic anti‐MHC antibodies generated in vivo following MHC‐mismatched MSC injections are capable of initiating complement‐dependent cytotoxicity of MSCs. Study design Experimental controlled study. Methods Antisera previously collected at Days 0, 7, 14 and 21 post‐injection from 4 horses injected with donor MHC‐mismatched equine leucocyte antigen (ELA)‐A2 haplotype MSCs and one control horse injected with donor MHC‐matched ELA‐A2 MSCs were utilised in this study. Antisera were incubated with ELA‐A2 MSCs before adding complement in microcytotoxicity assays and cell death was analysed via eosin dye exclusion. ELA‐A2 peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) were used in the assays as a positive control. Results Antisera from all 4 horses injected with MHC‐mismatched MSCs contained antibodies that caused the death of ELA‐A2 haplotype MSCs in the microcytotoxicity assays. In 2 of the 4 horses, antibodies were present as early as Day 7 post‐injection. MSC death was consistently equivalent to that of ELA‐A2 haplotype PBL death at all time points and antisera dilutions. Antisera from the control horse that was injected with MHC‐matched MSCs did not contain cytotoxic ELA‐A2 antibodies at any of the time points examined. Main limitations This study examined MSC death in vitro only and utilized antisera from a small number of horses. Conclusions The cytotoxic antibody response induced in recipient horses following injection with donor MHC‐mismatched MSCs is capable of killing donor MSCs in vitro. These results suggest that the use of allogeneic MHC‐mismatched MSCs must be cautioned against, not only for potential adverse events, but also for reduced therapeutic efficacy due to targeted MSC death.
HEER: Hybrid Energy Efficient Reactive protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of numerous sensors which send sensed data to base station. Energy conservation is an important issue for sensor nodes as they have limited power. Many routing protocols have been proposed earlier for energy efficiency of both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments. We can prolong our stability and network lifetime by reducing our energy consumption. In this research paper, we propose a protocol designed for the characteristics of a reactive homogeneous WSNs, HEER (Hybrid Energy Efficient Reactive) protocol. In HEER, Cluster Head(CH) selection is based on the ratio of residual energy of node and average energy of network. Moreover, to conserve more energy, we introduce Hard Threshold (HT) and Soft Threshold (ST). Finally, simulations show that our protocol has not only prolonged the network lifetime but also significantly increased stability period.
Intermittent Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonisation at the terminal rectum mucosa of conventionally-reared lambs§

In cattle, the lymphoid rich regions of the rectal-anal mucosa at the terminal rectum are the preferred site for Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonisation. All cattle infected by rectal swab administration demonstrate long-term E. coli O157:H7 colonisation, whereas orally challenged cattle do not demonstrate long-term E. coli O157:H7 colonisation in all animals. Oral, but not rectal challenge of sheep with E. coli O157:H7 has been reported, but an exact site for colonisation in sheep is unknown. To determine if E. coli O157:H7 can effectively colonise the ovine terminal rectum, in vitro organ culture (IVOC) was initiated. Albeit sparsely, large, densely packed E. coli O157:H7 micro-colonies were observed on the mucosa of ovine and control bovine terminal rectum explants. After necropsy of orally inoculated lambs, bacterial enumeration of the proximal and distal gastrointestinal tract did suggest a preference for E. coli O157:H7 colonisation at the ovine terminal rectum, albeit for both lymphoid rich and non-lymphoid sites. As reported for cattle, rectal inoculation studies were then conducted to determine if all lambs would demonstrate persistent colonisation at the terminal rectum. After necropsy of E. coli O157:H7 rectally inoculated lambs, most animals were not colonised at gastrointestinal sites proximal to the rectum, however, large densely packed micro-colonies of E. coli O157:H7 were observed on the ovine terminal rectum mucosa. Nevertheless, at the end point of the study (day 14), only one lamb had E. coli O157:H7 micro-colonies associated with the terminal rectum mucosa. A comparison of E. coli O157:H7 shedding yielded a similar pattern of persistence between rectally and orally inoculated lambs. The inability of E. coli O157:H7 to effectively colonise the terminal rectum mucosa of all rectally inoculated sheep in the long term, suggests that E. coli O157:H7 may colonise this site, but less effectively than reported previously for cattle.
Receding-horizon estimation for switching discrete-time linear systems

Receding-horizon state estimation is addressed for a class of discrete-time systems that may switch among different modes taken from a finite set. The system and measurement equations for each mode are assumed to be linear and perfectly known, but the current mode of the system is unknown, the state variables are not perfectly measurable and are affected by disturbances. The system mode is regarded as an unknown discrete state to be estimated together with the continuous state vector. Observability conditions are found to distinguish the system mode in the presence of bounded system and measurement noises. These results allow one to construct an estimator that relies on the combination of the identification of the discrete state with the estimation of the state variables by minimizing a receding-horizon quadratic cost function. The convergence properties of such an estimator are studied, and simulation results are reported to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Effect of xylan and lignin removal by batch and flowthrough pretreatment on the enzymatic digestibility of corn stover cellulose

Compared with batch systems, flowthrough and countercurrent reactors have important potential advantages for pretreating cellulosic biomass, including higher hemicellulose sugar yields, enhanced cellulose digestibility, and reduced chemical additions. Unfortunately, they suffer from high water and energy use. To better understand these trade‐offs, comparative data are reported on xylan and lignin removal and enzymatic digestibility of cellulose for corn stover pretreated in batch and flowthrough reactors over a range of flow rates between 160° and 220°C, with water only and also with 0.1 wt% sulfuric acid. Increasing flow with just water enhanced the xylan dissolution rate, more than doubled total lignin removal, and increased cellulose digestibility. Furthermore, adding dilute sulfuric acid increased the rate of xylan removal for both batch and flowthrough systems. Interestingly, adding acid also increased the lignin removal rate with flow, but less lignin was left in solution when acid was added in batch. Although the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated cellulose was related to xylan removal, as others have shown, the digestibility was much better for flowthrough compared with batch systems, for the same degree of xylan removal. Cellulose digestibility for flowthrough reactors was related to lignin removal as well. These results suggest that altering lignin also affects the enzymatic digestibility of corn stover. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Singular spectrum analysis for identifying structural nonlinearity using free-decay responses : Application detection and diagnosis in composite laminates

This investigation considers a methodology for analysis of the vibratory response of composite laminate structures which is based on Singular Spectrum Analysis. Composite laminate structures generally demonstrate nonlinear dynamic behaviour as a result of their intrinsic material nonlinear nature. Since the nonlinearities on a number of occasions induce relativity small changes in the vibratory response which are difficult to identify, the raw measured dynamic responses have to be subjected to certain pre-treatment before it can be used for purposes of nonlinearity and damage analysis. To approach this problem this work investigates the effect of some key signal and transformation parameters, such as signal length and sampling frequency as well as the SSA window length on the performance of the methodology itself. The selection of these parameters has a direct influence on the damage sensitivity and the accuracy of the methodology. The variation of these parameters can produce radical changes on the clustering effect of the methodology and it is demonstrated that this might affect the results interpretation.
Flexible interconnection of scalable systems integrated using optical networks (FISSION) data-center—concepts and demonstration

With Internet traffic doubling almost every other year, data-center (DC) scalability is destined to play a critical role in enabling future communications. While many DC architectures are proposed to tackle this issue by leveraging optics in DCs, most fail to scale efficiently. We demonstrate flexible interconnection of scalable systems integrated using optical networks (FISSION), which is a scalable, fault-tolerant DC architecture based on a switchless optical-bus backplane and carrier-class switches. The FISSION DC can scale to a large number of servers (even up to 1 million servers) using off-the-shelf optics and commodity electronics. Its backplane comprises multiple, concentric bus-based fiber rings to create a switch-less core. Sectors, which constitute top-of-the-rack switches along with server interconnection pods, are connected to this switchless backplane in a unique opto-electronic architectural framework to handle contention. The FISSION protocol uses segment-routing paradigms for use within the DC as well as an SDN-based standardized carrier-class protocol. In this paper, we highlight, through three use cases, a FISSION test-bed, and show its feasibility in a realistic setting. These use cases include communication within the FISSION DC, in situ addition deletion of servers at scale and equal-cost multipath (ECMP) provisioning.
Tilt measurement based on an Accelerometer, a Gyro and a Kalman Filter to control a self-balancing vehicle

This paper describes tilt measurement by means of an Accelerometer-Gyro pair to control a two-wheeled, self-balancing vehicle. The use of accelerometers and gyros to measure tilt angle is well known to entail high levels of unwanted signals of high and low frequency, thus the filter techniques are essential for their improvement. The Kalman Filter decrease measurement noise through the sensors discrete state model. The tilt measurement is feedback to a PID with anti-wind up controller which maintains the balance of the vehicle.