Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Medicine, material science and security: the versatility of the coded-aperture approach

The principal limitation to the widespread deployment of X-ray phase imaging in a variety of applications is probably versatility. A versatile X-ray phase imaging system must be able to work with polychromatic and non-microfocus sources (for example, those currently used in medical and industrial applications), have physical dimensions sufficiently large to accommodate samples of interest, be insensitive to environmental disturbances (such as vibrations and temperature variations), require only simple system set-up and maintenance, and be able to perform quantitative imaging. The coded-aperture technique, based upon the edge illumination principle, satisfies each of these criteria. To date, we have applied the technique to mammography, materials science, small-animal imaging, non-destructive testing and security. In this paper, we outline the theory of coded-aperture phase imaging and show an example of how the technique may be applied to imaging samples with a practically important scale.
Finding related events for specification mining

In contemporary software development practice, programmers reuse components by invoking their APIs to construct large systems. These APIs often involve constraints on the temporal order of method calls. For the example of the file usage, a programmer should first open a file, then read and/or write its content, and at last close it. Trying to read a closed file will cause exceptions to be thrown. Such constraints are often represented as a finite state machine (FSM) with a set of related events (typically method calls) as its alphabet. A set of events are related if interactions among them possibly obey some meaningful temporal specifications. In recent years, various specification mining techniques have been developed to automatically mine API specifications from API client programs [1]. A typical API specification miner conceptually has three steps. First, it decide which events are related. Second, different interactions among related events (which are sub-traces and sample strings of the specification FSM) are extracted either from source code of client programs or from their execution traces. Third, extracted interactions are passed to customized or off-the-shelf FSM learners which generalize these sample sub-traces to recover the specification FSM.
New Perception of Fluffy Surfaces

Scene material recognition is a valuable perceptual ability for robots. However, current methods fail to provide robust solution for indoor surrounding material recognition. As human beings are able to immediately understand properties of surrounding materials, especially when it concerns smooth fluffy materials, we believe robots should be equipped with similar abilities. In this paper we explore a new idea for fluffy surface perception for robots based on above hypothesis. The aim is to enable robots to distinguish smooth and fluffy surfaces without touching them. This is achieved through calculating image match ability map from video cameras. Through measuring the similarity of images captured from different viewpoints, robots are able to immediately recognize whether it is a fluffy material. The method has been validated by primary experiments. Our results show that robots can have a sense of material properties for fluffy materials without touching them or any prior knowledge.
The Delta-Connected Cascaded H-Bridge Converter Application in Distributed Energy Resources and Fault Ride Through Capability Analysis

This paper presents a flexible dc voltage balancing control technique of the modular multilevel cascaded converter with single-delta bridge-cells (MMCC-SDBC) in the distributed energy resources (DERs) system for maintaining the stable operation under different unbalanced conditions. The unbalanced conditions, for example, the different output powers of the DERs in bridge cells, and the unbalanced grid faults are considered in the proposed method. In addition, the comparison of the fault ride through capability between MMCC with single-star bridge-cells and MMCC-SDBC is addressed. The laboratory test results are given to verify the proposed method and the analysis.
Research challenges for traffic engineering in software defined networks

SDN is an emerging networking paradigm that separates the network control plane from the data forwarding plane with the promise to dramatically improve network resource utilization, simplify network management, reduce operating costs, and promote innovation and evolution. While traffic engineering techniques have been widely exploited for ATM and IP/MPLS networks for performance optimization in the past, the promising SDN networks require novel traffic engineering solutions that can exploit the global network view, network status, and flow patterns/characteristics in order to achieve better traffic control and management. This article discusses the state-of-the-art in traffic engineering for SDN with attention to four cores including flow management, fault tolerance, topology update, and traffic analysis. Challenging issues for SDN traffic engineering solutions are discussed in detail.
A 30.1μm2, < ±1.1°C-3σ-error, 0.4-to-1.0V temperature sensor based on direct threshold-voltage sensing for on-chip dense thermal monitoring

This paper presents on-chip temperature sensor circuits for dense thermal monitoring in digital VLSI systems. The sensor directly captures the temperature dependency of threshold voltage. The prototype in a 65nm demonstrates that as compared to the state of the arts it can achieve a 9× smaller footprint of 30. 1μm2 and a 3× smaller 3σ-error of <;±1.1°C after one temperature point calibration. The proposed sensor also achieves a 0.2V better voltage scalability than the previous best voltage-scalable design.
Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation of the Development of the Microstructure and Permeability of Cementitious Materials

The aim of this thesis was to investigate and to simulate the development of the microstructure, porosity and permeability in hardening cement-based materials. Based on experimental information and the cement hydration model HYMOSTRUC, the microstructural details including porosity, connectivity of pores and pore size distribution were characterized. A network permeability model was built up based on the simulated microstructure and validated with the experiments.
Multicommodity demand flow in a tree and packing integer programs

We consider requests for capacity in a given tree network T = (V, E) where each edge e of the tree has some integer capacity ue. Each request f is a node pair with an integer demand df and a profit wf which is obtained if the request is satisfied. The objective is to find a set of demands that can be feasibly routed in the tree and which provides a maximum profit. This generalizes well-known problems, including the knapsack and b-matching problems. When all demands are 1, we have the integer multicommodity flow problem. Garg et al. [1997] had shown that this problem is NP-hard and gave a 2-approximation algorithm for the cardinality case (all profits are 1) via a primal-dual algorithm. Our main result establishes that the integrality gap of the natural linear programming relaxation is at most 4 for the case of arbitrary profits. Our proof is based on coloring paths on trees and this has other applications for wavelength assignment in optical network routing. We then consider the problem with arbitrary demands. When the maximum demand dmax is at most the minimum edge capacity umin, we show that the integrality gap of the LP is at most 48. This result is obtained by showing that the integrality gap for the demand version of such a problem is at most 11.542 times that for the unit-demand case. We use techniques of Kolliopoulos and Stein [2004, 2001] to obtain this. We also obtain, via this method, improved algorithms for line and ring networks. Applications and connections to other combinatorial problems are discussed.
Fetal Lead Exposure at Each Stage of Pregnancy as a Predictor of Infant Mental Development

Background The impact of prenatal lead exposure on neurodevelopment remains unclear in terms of consistency, the trimester of greatest vulnerability, and the best method for estimating fetal lead exposure. Objective We studied prenatal lead exposure’s impact on neurodevelopment using repeated measures of fetal dose as reflected by maternal whole blood and plasma lead levels. Methods We measured lead in maternal plasma and whole blood during each trimester in 146 pregnant women in Mexico City. We then measured umbilical cord blood lead at delivery and, when offspring were 12 and 24 months of age, measured blood lead and administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. We used multivariate regression, adjusting for covariates and 24-month blood lead, to compare the impacts of our pregnancy measures of fetal lead dose. Results Maternal lead levels were moderately high with a first-trimester blood lead mean (± SD) value of 7.1 ± 5.1 μg/dL and 14% of values ≥10 μg/dL. Both maternal plasma and whole blood lead during the first trimester (but not in the second or third trimester) were significant predictors (p < 0.05) of poorer Mental Development Index (MDI) scores. In models combining all three trimester measures and using standardized coefficients, the effect of first-trimester maternal plasma lead was somewhat greater than the effect of first-trimester maternal whole blood lead and substantially greater than the effects of second- or third-trimester plasma lead, and values averaged over all three trimesters. A 1-SD change in first-trimester plasma lead was associated with a reduction in MDI score of 3.5 points. Postnatal blood lead levels in the offspring were less strongly correlated with MDI scores. Conclusions Fetal lead exposure has an adverse effect on neurodevelopment, with an effect that may be most pronounced during the first trimester and best captured by measuring lead in either maternal plasma or whole blood.
The location of carbohydrases in the digestive tract of the pig.

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Synthetic RNA Silencing in Bacteria – Antimicrobial Discovery and Resistance Breaking

The increasing incidence and prevalence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria threatens the “antibiotic miracle. ” Conventional antimicrobial drug development has failed to replace the armamentarium needed to combat this problem, and novel solutions are urgently required. Here we review both natural and synthetic RNA silencing and its potential to provide new antibacterials through improved target selection, evaluation, and screening. Furthermore, we focus on synthetic RNA silencers as a novel class of antibacterials and review their unique properties.
Renovascular hypertension: is there still a role for stent revascularization?

Purpose of reviewManagement of renovascular hypertension remains controversial and problematic, in part, due to failure of prospective trials to demonstrate added benefit to revascularization. Recent findingsEffective drug therapy often can achieve satisfactory blood pressure control, although concerns persist of the potential for progressive, delayed loss of kidney function beyond a stenotic lesion. Recent studies highlight benefits of renal artery stenting in subsets of patients including those with recurrent pulmonary edema and those intolerant to blockade of the renin–angiotensin system. Occasional patients with recent deterioration in renal function recover sufficient glomerular filtration rate after stenting to avoid requirements for renal replacement therapy. Emerging paradigms from both clinical and experimental studies suggest that hypoxic injury within the kidney activates inflammatory injury pathways and microvascular rarification that may not recover after technically successful revascularization alone. Initial data suggest that additional measures to repair the kidney, including the use of cell-based therapy, may offer the potential to recover kidney function in advanced renovascular disease. SummarySpecific patient groups benefit from renal revascularization. Nephrologists will increasingly be asked to manage complex renovascular patients, different from those in randomized trials, that require intensely individualized management.
Interfacial interactions and structure of polyurethane intercalated nanocomposite

Understanding the interfacial interactions between the nanofiller and polymer matrix is important to improve the design and manufacture of polymer nanocomposites. This paper reports a molecular dynamic study on the interfacial interactions and structure of a clay-based polyurethane intercalated nanocomposite. The results show that the intercalation of surfactant (i.e. dioctadecyldimethyl ammonium) and polyurethane (PU) into the nanoconfined gallery of clay leads to the multilayer structure for both surfactant and PU, and the absence of phase separation for PU chains. Such structural characteristics are attributed to the result of competitive interactions among the surfactant, PU and the clay surface, including van der Waals, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding.
A Meaning-oriented Approach to Semantic Data Modeling

Semantic information is often represented as the entities and the relationships among them with conventional semantic models. This approach is straightforward but is not suitable for many posteriori requests in semantic data modeling. In this paper, we propose a meaning-oriented approach to modeling semantic data and establish a graph-based semantic data model. In this approach we use the meanings, i.e., the subjective views of the entities and relationships, to describe the semantic information, and use the semantic graphs containing the meaning nodes and the meta-meaning relations to specify the taxonomy and the compound construction of the semantic concepts. We demonstrate how this meaning-oriented approach can address many important semantic representation issues, including dynamic specialization and natural join.
Noble metal-based composite nanomaterials fabricated via solution-based approaches

One of the key frontiers in nanomaterial fabrication is the integration of different materials within the same structure to increase functionality. In particular, interactions between nanoscale materials with distinctly different physical and chemical properties can greatly improve the overall application performance of the nanocomposites and can even generate new synergetic properties. Within the last decade, the development of wet-chemistry methods has led to the development of research in to composite nanomaterials. The efforts of many leading research groups have led to a rich variety of composite nanomaterials. However, the design and synthesis of composite nanomaterials with controlled properties remain a significant challenge. We devote this review for summarizing the solution-based methods used for the preparation of noble metal-based nanocomposites, their characterization and their potential applications in diverse areas to provide readers with a systematic and coherent overview of the field.
Social status in pairs of male squirrel monkeys determines the behavioral response to central oxytocin administration

Oxytocin, when administered centrally, has been associated with the modulation of various social initiatives including maternal and sexual behaviors. The nature of these effects depends on gonadal hormone status. In the present experiments, we investigated the effects of centrally administered oxytocin on the behavior of pair-housed male squirrel monkeys during interactions with a familiar female monkey. Pairs of male squirrel monkeys established reliable and persistent dominance relationships with dominant males showing increased sexual and aggressive behavior as well as higher plasma concentrations of testosterone. Oxytocin (0.1, 1.0 micrograms) increased the sexual and aggressive behavior of dominant monkeys without affecting these measures in the subordinate monkeys. In contrast to these effects in the dominant monkeys, oxytocin increased associative and marking behaviors only in subordinate monkeys. Central administration of the oxytocin receptor antagonis d(CH2)5 [Tyr(Me)2, Thr4,Tyr-NH2(9)] OVT (OTA; 0.05 microgram) had no intrinsic effect on behavior but blocked the effects of exogenous oxytocin. To investigate further the specificity of oxytocin's effects on social behavior, we administered the structurally related peptide arginine vasopressin under identical conditions. Vasopressin (0.5, 5.0 micrograms) decreased social behaviors and increased motor activity in both dominant and subordinate monkeys. Previous studies in rodents have demonstrated that oxytocin receptors are induced by gonadal steroids in a regionally specific fashion. The status-related behavioral effects of oxytocin in the squirrel monkey may reflect differences in brain oxytocin receptor density associated with the higher concentrations of testosterone in the dominant animal. Alternatively, the status-related effects may depend on the conditioned behavioral differences associated with social organization.
AT&t help desk

This paper introduces a new breed of natural language dialog applications which we refer to as the Help Desk . These voice-enabled applications are an evolution from Help Desk services that are currently available on the web or being supported by human agents. The goals of a voice-enabled Help Desk are to route calls to appropriate agents or departments, provide a wealth of information about various products and services, and conduct problem solving or troubleshooting. In this paper we address the challenges in building this class of applications particularly when speech data is limited or unavailable. We will present the TTS Help Desk as an example of a service that has been deployed for automating the customer care component of the AT&T Labs Natural Voices Business.
TCP Connection Management Mechanisms for Improving Internet Server Performance

This paper investigates TCP connection management mechanisms in order to understand the behaviour and improve the performance of Internet servers during overload conditions such as flash crowds. We study several alternatives for implementing TCP connection establishment, reviewing approaches taken by existing TCP stacks as well as proposing new mechanisms to improve server throughput and reduce client response times under overload. We implement some of these mechanisms in Linux and evaluate their performance. Our evaluation demonstrates that connection establishment mechanisms that eliminate the TCP-level retransmission of connection attempts by clients can increase server throughput by up to 40% and reduce client response times by two orders of magnitude. Additionally we evaluate the cost of supporting half-closed connections at the server and assess the impact of an abortive release of connections by clients on the throughput of an overloaded server. We observe that mechanisms that do not support half-closed connections additionally improve server throughput by more than 15%
Mental Health Inequalities in Adolescents Growing Up in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Cross-Sectional Survey, SHaW Study

Background South Africa is one of the most ‘unequal’ societies in the world. Despite apartheid ending more than 20 years ago, material inequalities remain interwoven with ethnic/racial inequalities. There is limited research on the prevalence/predictors of common mental disorders (CMD) among young people. Adolescence is a unique time-point during which intervention may lead to improved mental health and reduced social problems later. The study objective was to assess mental health disparities in a representative sample of adolescents growing up in South Africa. Methods Cross-sectional associations of race/ethnicity and material disadvantage with CMD and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were assessed in a stratified random sample representative of school-attendees, aged 14–15 years, in a large metropolitan area of Cape Town. Validated instruments assessed mental disorders; these included: Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (PTSD); Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (depression); Zung self-rated anxiety scale (anxiety). Self-ascribed ethnicity was determined using procedures similar to the South African census and previous national surveys. Results Response rate was 88% (1034 of 1169 individuals). Adolescents experienced a high prevalence of depression (41%), anxiety (16%) and PTSD (21%). A gradient between material disadvantage and CMD/ PTSD was evident across all ethnic/racial groups. Respondents self-identifying as ‘black’ or ‘coloured’ were disadvantaged across most indicators. After adjusting for confounders, relative to white children, relative risk (RR) of CMD in black children was 2.27 (95% CI:1.24, 4.15) and for PTSD was RR: 2.21 (95% CI:1.73, 2.83). Relative risk of CMD was elevated in children self-identifying as ‘coloured’ (RR: 1.73, 95% CI:1.11, 2.70). Putative mediators (violence, racially motivated bullying, social support, self-esteem) partially accounted for differences in CMD and fully for PTSD. Conclusions Adolescent mental health inequalities in Cape Town are associated with material disadvantage and self-identification with historically disadvantaged groups.