gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Promoting Fairness through Hyperparameter Optimization (2021)

Considerable research effort has been guided towards algorithmic fairness but real-world adoption of bias reduction techniques is still scarce. Existing methods are either metric- or model-specific, require access to sensitive attributes at inference time, or carry high development or deployment costs. This work explores the unfairness that emerges when optimizing ML models solely for predictive performance, and how to mitigate it with a simple and easily deployed intervention: fairness-aware hyperparameter optimization (HO). We propose and evaluate fairness-aware variants of three popular HO algorithms: Fair Random Search, Fair TPE, and Fairband. We validate our approach on a real-world bank account opening fraud case-study, as well as on three datasets from the fairness literature. Results show that, without extra training cost, it is feasible to find models with 111% mean fairness increase and just 6% decrease in performance when compared with fairness-blind HO.
The Efficacy of Systemic Lidocaine in the Management of Chronic Pain: A Literature Review (2017)

Intravenous lidocaine and lidocaine patch are effective and safe for the treatment of several chronic or neuropathic pain syndromes. The use of lidocaine during surgery could prevent the development of some chronic post-surgical pain syndromes.
CONALD Report on the Workshop on Learning from Text and the Web (2018)

An increasing fraction of the world's information and data is now represented in textual form. For example, the World Wide Web, online news feeds, and other Internet sources contain a tremendous volume of information. However, users seeking information do not have unlimited attention, and therefore methods of summarizing, clustering, categorizing and discovering patterns in the information space are required.
NAMD: a Parallel, Object-Oriented Molecular Dynamics Program (1996)

NAMD is a molecular dynamics program designed for high performance simulations of large biomolecular systems on parallel computers. An object-oriented design imple mented using C++ facilitates the incorporation of new algorithms into the program. NAMD uses spatial decom position coupled with a multithreaded, message-driven design, which is shown to scale efficiently to multiple processors. Also, NAMD incorporates the distributed par allel multipole tree algorithm for full electrostatic force evaluation in O( N) time. NAMD can be connected via a communication system to a molecular graphics program in order to provide an interactive modeling tool for viewing and modifying a running simulation. The application of NAMD to a protein-water system of 32,867 atoms illus trates the performance of NAMD.
Fine-grain priority scheduling on multi-channel memory systems (2004)

Configurations of contemporary DRAM memory systems become increasingly complex. A recent study shows that the application performance is highly sensitive to choices of configurations. In this study we show that, by utilizing fine-grain priority access scheduling, we are able to find a workload independent configuration that achieves optimal performance on a multichannel memory system. Our approach can well utilize the available high concurrency and high bandwidth on such memory systems, and effectively reduce the memory stall time of memory-intensive applications. Conducting execution-driven simulation of a 4-way issue, a 2 GHz processor, we show that the average performance improvement for fifteen memory-intensive SPEC2000 programs by using an optimized fine-grain priority scheduling is about 13% and 8% for a 2-channel and a 4-channel Direct Rambus DRAM memory system, respectively, compared with gang scheduling. Compared with burst scheduling, the average performance improvement is 16% and 14% for the 2-channel and 4-channel memory systems, respectively.
Effect of various modes of initiator addition on semicontinuous copolymerization of styrene-butylacrylate (2004)

Semi continuous emulsion polymerization studies were carried out in one-litre glass reactor to study the effect of various methods of initiator addition and its effective concentrations. Thirty six runs were carried out to study the effect of various modes of addition of initiator at fixed time intervals of 2, 3 and 4 h with ratio of monomers, speed of agitation and reaction temperature being constant. Initiator was added in two ways, i.e. (a) pinch addition (addition at specific time interval), (b) continuous addition: (i) addition of initiator along with monomer emulsion mixture, (ii) separate continuous addition. Objective was to obtain high solid content emulsion with linear low viscosity polymer. Linear and less viscous emulsions were obtained when initiator was added separately. IPC Code: C09F125/08; B01F17/42
微能量超音波對肌母細胞 C2C12遷移、增生以及分化的影響 (2019)

超音波在臨床上已經被證實能有效地加速骨癒合，因此許多學者開始探討超音波對不同種類細胞，例如肌肉細胞，是否會有類似的功能。本實驗的前導實驗使用文獻中常見的超音波參數來刺激細胞，實驗結果發現此能量似乎過大，細胞無法貼覆在培養皿，此外使用超音波探頭直接施打到培養皿亦會有能量不平均的現象。因此，本實驗設計一創新設計，可將能量均勻地分布到培養皿上。我們使用一均勻分布之微能量(0.02~0.84mW/cm 2 )超音波刺激 C2C12 肌母細胞，探討此一超音波能量是否對 C2C12 肌母細胞遷移(Migration)、增生Proliferation)以及分化(Differentiation)有所影響。 在微能量超音波刺激後，C2C12 肌母細胞的平均遷移速度加快 1.2 倍，傷口癒合實驗的面積恢復速度則加快 1.3 倍。在增生實驗中，細胞在連續刺激三天超音波並且隔一天反應後，對於控制組的細胞數量有顯著增加(p=0.02)。 在分化實驗中，超音波刺激後形成的肌管，其平均長度為控制組肌管的 1.4倍，平均寬度則為控制組的 1.1 倍。透過螢光染色方法來分析結果，微能量超音波促使肌管擁有更多的核融合比例(Fusion Index)，同時肌管也含有較廣分布和較高表現量的 Slow Skeletal Myosin Heavy Chain。在肌原纖維的觀察中，刺激後形成的肌管，粗略計算含有更多的纖維數量，此現象經他人重複實驗可得到相同結果。在肌節的部分，兩組皆有觀察到肌節，但因為目前所能判斷的數據不夠，因此無法明確的下判定。 本實驗使用的微能量超音波在完全不傷害細胞的狀況下，仍具有加速C2C12肌母細胞遷移、增生以及分化的能力。至於微能量超音波對肌母細胞分化後功能性的影響，仍須進一步的探討。
A novel electronically switched four-channel receiver using InAlAs-InGaAs MSM-HEMT technology for wavelength-division-multiplexing (1991)

A novel, electronically integrated, four-channel optical receiver is demonstrated which is designed for electronic channel selection of different wavelength channels in a wavelength-division-multiplexing-based optical network. The receiver consists of four InAlAs-InGaAs metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors that can be independently switched on or off electronically by a digital signal. An optical extinction ratio of 20 dB for the MSM detector was observed. The sensitivity of this optoelectronic integrated circuit receiver is -25.2 dBm at 1.2 Gb/s data rate.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Evaluation of a low-complexity fall detection algorithm on wearable sensor towards falls and fall-alike activities (2015)

Fall accidents cause severe damage to health, sometimes even mortality in older adults. With the increasing number of the elderly suffering from fall events, wearable products are in great demand. However, most of them for fall detection have difficulty in reducing false positive caused by fall-alike activities. In this study, we focus on evaluating the accuracy of fall detection among a set of fall-alike activities using a low-complexity fall detection algorithm and a 3-axis accelerometer. Quantitative evaluation in controlled study tunes the algorithm's parameters and provides us a 90% fall detection accuracy. The experiment result shows that jumping onto bed followed by a rest has the highest false positive rate of 45% and running followed by a sudden stop reaches 32%, while running upstairs or downstairs and standing quickly from sofa is less confusing with the false positive rates of 20% and 5%, respectively. The false positive rate is decided by the sensitivity of the threshold and the intensity of motions in the experiment. We also perform a 10-hour longitudinal study on real-life activities of one subject. In the longitudinal real-life pilot study, the low-complexity algorithm demonstrates the high accuracy, which indicates its effectiveness in real life.
Optimization of bonnet thickness with respect to pedestrian safety (2010)

Head and face injuries in car–pedestrian accidents account for 60 per cent of all pedestrian fatal injuries, whereas 17.3 per cent of head injuries were due to the bonnet. The above values demonstrate the necessity to consider more carefully the role of the bonnet in pedestrian head safety. Redesigning the bonnet structure to improve pedestrian protection has recently received considerable attention by automobile manufacturers and industry institutes. However, there is a lack of research that considers methods of choosing the most effective thicknesses of bonnet skin and bonnet reinforcement with respect to pedestrian safety. This study analyses the effects of the bonnet skin and bonnet reinforcement thicknesses on pedestrian head injury by performing simulations of headform-impactor-to-bonnet tests according to the European Enhanced Vehicle-safety Committee Working Group 17 regulations for different thicknesses. An optimization method of selecting the most effective thicknesses of bonnet skin and bonnet reinforcement will be introduced. Many positions on the bonnet surface are considered to enhance pedestrian friendliness by using this method. Moreover, a bonnet with the optimal thicknesses is not only pedestrian friendly but also as stiff as possible. Based on the proposed method, this study presents steps for optimizing the bonnet skin and bonnet reinforcement thicknesses using a particular automobile model.
Public hospitals: who's looking after you? The difficulties in encouraging patients to use their private health insurance in public hospitals (2002)

Private health insurance (PHI) is an important part of the Australian health system. During the introduction of the recent PHI reforms it was argued that, without the reforms, the public hospital system would undoubtedly collapse under the increased demand for public health services. The increase in PHI coverage might also have been expected to result in an increase in the revenue earned by public hospitals as a result of treating privately insured patients. However, the decline in numbers of privately insured patients using their PHI in public hospitals has continued, with adverse impacts on public hospital budgets in some states. This article addresses the complex interactions between various policy instruments and their impact on public hospitals, and reports the results of a study conducted at the Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre (A&RMC) which examined the reasons for privately insured patients electing not to use their insurance in public hospitals, and methods by which they might be overcome.
Genomic Imprinting: A Mammalian Epigenetic Discovery Model (2011)

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic process leading to parental-specific expression of one to two percent of mammalian genes that offers one of the best model systems for a molecular analysis of epigenetic regulation in development and disease. In the twenty years since the first imprinted gene was identified, this model has had a significant impact on decoding epigenetic information in mammals. So far it has led to the discovery of long-range cis-acting control elements whose epigenetic state regulates small clusters of genes and of unusual macro noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that directly repress genes in cis, and critically, it has demonstrated that one biological role of DNA methylation is to allow expression of genes normally repressed by default. This review describes the progress in understanding how imprinted protein-coding genes are silenced; in particular, it focuses on the role of macro ncRNAs that have broad relevance as a potential new layer of regulatory information in the mammalian genome.
Active specific immunotherapy of established micrometastases with BCG plus tumor cell vaccines: Effective treatment of BCG side effects with isoniazid (1982)

Intradermal vaccinations with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and viable but nontumorigenic syngeneic hepatocarcinoma cell vaccines were used successfully to treat micrometastatic disease experimentally induced in inbred guinea pigs at 100 times the minimal lethal dose. Several complications have been associated with the use of viable BCG organisms in the treatment of cancer patients and, in this animal model, intradermal administration of BCG uniformly results in severe ulceration and eschar formation at the injection sites leading to secondary microbial invasion and regional lymphadenopathy. We now report the use of isoniazid (Nydrazid) as part of an active specific immunization regimen. Incorporation of isoniazid into the immunization procedure for two weeks alleviates or reduces the side effects of BCG infection. Moreover, with proper consideration of BCG dosage, isoniazid does not impair the efficacy of the BCG plus tumor cell vaccines.
Characterization of the Roles of the 594–645 Region in Human Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase in Regulating Calmodulin Binding and Electron Transfer (2000)

It has been postulated that a segment (residues 594-645) inserted in the FMN subdomain of human endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a crucial role in controlling Ca(2+)-dependent CaM binding for eNOS activity. To investigate its functions, we expressed human eNOS in a baculovirus system with deletion of a 45-residue segment from this region (residues 594-606 and 614-645, designated as Delta45eNOS), and characterized the purified mutant enzyme. In contrast with wild-type eNOS, Delta45eNOS exhibited characteristics resembling inducible NOS (iNOS). It contained an endogenously bound CaM, which was essential in folding and stabilizing this mutant enzyme, and retained 60% of L-citrulline formation in 5 mM EGTA. We also produced four N-terminally truncated reductase domains with or without the 45-residue segment, and either including or excluding the CaM-binding sequence. Basal cytochrome c reductase activity of reductase domains without the 45-residue segment was up to 20 fold greater than that of corresponding insert-containing domains, and higher than CaM-stimulated activity of the wild-type enzyme. A series of mutants with smaller fragment deletion in this region such as Delta594-604, Delta605-612, Delta613-625, Delta626-634, Delta632-639, and Delta640-645 mutants were further characterized. The crude lysate of mutants Delta613-625 and Delta632-639 did not show activity in the presence of Ca(2+)/CaM, while other four mutants had activity comparable to that of WTeNOS. The purified Delta594-604 and Delta605-612 proteins had a 3-5-fold higher affinity for Ca(2+)/CaM, but their L-citrulline forming activity was still 80% dependent upon the addition of Ca(2+)/CaM. Both mutants exhibited a low level of the cytochrome c and ferricyanide reductase activities, which either did not respond to (Delta594-604) or slightly enhanced by (Delta605-612) the exogenous CaM. In contrast, activities of Delta626-634 and Delta640-645 like those of WTeNOS were largely Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent. Thus, our findings indicate that the N-terminal half of the 594-645 segment containing residues 594-612 plays a significant role in regulating Ca(2+)/CaM binding.
Propranolol decreases sympathetic nervous activity reflected by plasma catecholamines during evolution of myocardial infarction in man. (1980)

Plasma 1-norepinephrine and epinephrine contents were strikingly elevated in 70 patients during evolution of myocardial infarction. Propranolol or placebo, 0.1 mg/kg i.v., was administered randomly an average of 10 h after infarction and continued orally for 3 d. Propranolol, but not placebo, acutely decreased 1-norepinephrine contents from 2.24 +/- 1.33 (mean +/- SD) to 1.31 +/- 0.74 microgram/liter, P less than 0.001, and epinephrine contents from 0.97 +/- 0.42 to 0.74 +/- 0.42 microgram/liter, P less than 0.02. Decreases in 1-norepinephrine contents were related to the initial plasma concentrations, r = 0.85, P less than 0.001. A similar, but less strong relationship was observed between the initial epinephrine contents and propranolol-induced changes, r = -0.51, P less than 0.01. Propranolol reduced plasma-free fatty acid contents from 1,121 +/- 315 to 943 +/- 274 mumol/liter, P less than 0.001. Decreases in plasma contents of free fatty acids were related to decreases in epinephrine, r = 0.66, P less than 0.001. Propranolol did not cause significant additional changes in plasma catecholamine contents during the subsequent 3 d. In the placebo group 1-norepinephrine contents had decreased 24 h after infarction from 1.92 +/- 0.99 to 1.37 +/- 0.93 microgram/liter, P less than 0.02. Plasma epinephrine contents did not change. Heart rate remained below the control values during the entire study period in the propranolol, but increased in the placebo group. The data indicate that sympathetic hyperactivity, indirectly reflected by plasma catecholamine contents, is acutely reduced by propranolol during evolution of myocardial infarction.
Pressure reciprocity calibration of a MEMS microphone (2017)

This article reports the first use of the pressure reciprocity technique to calibrate a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) microphone. This standardized primary calibration method is conventionally used to calibrate laboratory standard microphones. Results for the pressure reciprocity calibration of a MEMS microphone and two laboratory standard microphones are presented for the frequency range 100-10 000 Hz. Because the amplifier in the MEMS microphone package prevents reciprocal operation, this microphone was used only as a receiver of sound. A description of the procedure is presented along with checks of the measurement results and data regarding the uncertainties of these results.
Agouti-Related Protein Stimulates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis and Enhances the HPA Response to Interleukin-1 in the Primate (2003)

alpha-MSH antagonizes many of the immune and neuroendocrine effects induced by inflammatory cytokines. Studies have shown that alpha-MSH attenuates the stimulatory effect of IL-1 on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and plays a physiological role in limiting the HPA response to IL-1. Recently an alpha-MSH antagonist, agouti-related protein (AGRP), has been identified in the hypothalamus, which stimulates food intake by antagonizing the effects of alpha-MSH at specific melanocortin receptors. It is unknown whether AGRP can also modulate neuroendocrine responses to inflammatory cytokines. We have therefore examined the effects of AGRP on the HPA axis and on prolactin (PRL) at baseline and in response to stimulation by IL-1 beta in nine ovariectomized rhesus monkeys. In the first study, the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) infusion of 20 microg (n = 6) and 50 micro g (n = 4) of human AGRP (83-132)-NH(2) were compared with icv saline infusion. There was a significant stimulatory effect of 20 microg AGRP on cortisol release over time (P < 0.001). The area under the hormone response curve (AUC) for cortisol increased by 29% after 20 microg AGRP vs. saline; the AUC for ACTH increased by 166% (P = 0.028); the AUC for PRL increased by 108% (P = 0.046). There was a significant stimulatory effect of 50 microg AGRP on ACTH (P < 0.001), cortisol (P < 0.001), and PRL (P < 0.001) release over time. The AUC for ACTH after 50 microg AGRP increased by 98%; the AUC for cortisol increased by 37%; the AUC for PRL increased by 161%. The effects of AGRP on ACTH, cortisol, and PRL release were prevented by alpha-MSH infusion. In the second study, animals received icv either 50 ng of human IL-1 beta or 20 microg of AGRP followed by 50 ng IL-1 beta. AGRP significantly enhanced the ACTH (P < 0.05) response to IL-1 beta. The peak ACTH response to IL-1 beta alone was 124 +/- 55 pg/ml vs. 430 +/- 198 pg/ml after IL-1 beta plus AGRP; the peak cortisol response was 70 +/- 8.2 microg/dl vs. 77 +/- 6.2 microg/dl, but this was not significantly different. In conclusion, AGRP stimulated ACTH, cortisol, and PRL release in the monkey and enhanced the ACTH response to IL-1 beta. These studies suggest that, in addition to its known orexigenic effects, AGRP may play a role in neuroendocrine regulation and specifically that AGRP may interact with alpha-MSH to modulate neuroendocrine responses to inflammation.
Metabolic control of transcription: paradigms and lessons from <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (2008)

The comparatively simple eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae is composed of some 6000 individual genes. Specific sets of these genes can be transcribed co-ordinately in response to particular metabolic signals. The resultant integrated response to nutrient challenge allows the organism to survive and flourish in a variety of environmental conditions while minimal energy is expended upon the production of unnecessary proteins. The Zn(II)2Cys6 family of transcriptional regulators is composed of some 46 members in S. cerevisiae and many of these have been implicated in mediating transcriptional responses to specific nutrients. Gal4p, the archetypical member of this family, is responsible for the expression of the GAL genes when galactose is utilized as a carbon source. The regulation of Gal4p activity has been studied for many years, but we are still uncovering both nuances and fundamental control mechanisms that impinge on its function. In the present review, we describe the latest developments in the regulation of GAL gene expression and compare the mechanisms employed here with the molecular control of other Zn(II)2Cys6 transcriptional regulators. This reveals a wide array of protein-protein, protein-DNA and protein-nutrient interactions that are employed by this family of regulators.
Preparation and Microstructural Analysis of High-Performance Ceramics (2004)

Abstract Microstructural analysis reveals many important details about the qualities and capabilities of high-performance ceramics. This article explains how to prepare ceramic samples for imaging and the imaging technologies normally used. It describes sectioning, mounting, grinding, and polishing as well as ceramographic etching. It discusses common imaging approaches, including scanning electron microscopy and thin-section polarized light techniques, a type of optical microscopy. The article also addresses microstructural classification, examining detailed micrographs from samples of aluminum oxide, zirconium dioxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, and piezoelectric ceramics.
Acoustically modulated x-ray phase contrast imaging (2004)

We report the use of ultrasonic radiation pressure with phase contrast x-ray imaging to give an image proportional to the space derivative of a conventional phase contrast image in the direction of propagation of an ultrasonic beam. Intense ultrasound is used to exert forces on objects within a body giving displacements of the order of tens to hundreds of microns. Subtraction of images made with and without the ultrasound field gives an image that removes low spatial frequency features and highlights high frequency features. The method acts as an acoustic 'contrast agent' for phase contrast x-ray imaging, which in soft tissue acts to highlight small density changes.
Estimation of Fatigue-life of Electronic Packages Subjected to Random Vibration Load (2009)

Random vibration is being specified for acceptance tests, screening tests, and qualification tests by manufacturers of electronic equipment meant for military applications, because it has been shown that random vibration more closely represents the true environment in which the electronic equipment must operate. In this paper, the methodology of testing an electronic package subjected to random vibration load is illustrated using Joint Electronic Device Engineering Council’s (JEDEC) JESD22-B103B standard. The electronic package mounted at the centre of the printed circuit board was subjected to vibration, variable frequency condition ‘D’ of JEDEC standard for 30 min. After 30 min of random vibration test, the component lead-wires, solderjoints, and PCB were thoroughly inspected for failure. From the observations, it was found that no failure occurred during the test period. The fatigue life of the component, estimated using analytical method, was found to be 96.48 hours.Defence Science Journal, 2009, 59(1), pp.58-62, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.59.1486