gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical reinforcement learning for spoken dialogue systems (2009)

This thesis focuses on the problem of scalable optimization of dialogue behaviour in speech-based conversational systems using reinforcement learning. Most previous investigations in dialogue strategy learning have proposed flat reinforcement learning methods, which are more suitable for small-scale spoken dialogue systems. This research formulates the problem in terms of Semi-Markov Decision Processes (SMDPs), and proposes two hierarchical reinforcement learning methods to optimize sub-dialogues rather than full dialogues. The first method uses a hierarchy of SMDPs, where every SMDP ignores irrelevant state variables and actions in order to optimize a sub-dialogue. The second method extends the first one by constraining every SMDP in the hierarchy with prior expert knowledge. The latter method proposes a learning algorithm called 'HAM+HSMQ-Learning', which combines two existing algorithms in the literature of hierarchical reinforcement learning. Whilst the first method generates fully-learnt behaviour, the second one generates semi-learnt behaviour. In addition, this research proposes a heuristic dialogue simulation environment for automatic dialogue strategy learning. Experiments were performed on simulated and real environments based on a travel planning spoken dialogue system. Experimental results provided evidence to support the following claims: First, both methods scale well at the cost of near-optimal solutions, resulting in slightly longer dialogues than the optimal solutions. Second, dialogue strategies learnt with coherent user behaviour and conservative recognition error rates can outperform a reasonable hand-coded strategy. Third, semi-learnt dialogue behaviours are a better alternative (because of their higher overall performance) than hand-coded or fully-learnt dialogue behaviours. Last, hierarchical reinforcement learning dialogue agents are feasible and promising for the (semi) automatic design of adaptive behaviours in larger-scale spoken dialogue systems. This research makes the following contributions to spoken dialogue systems which learn their dialogue behaviour. First, the Semi-Markov Decision Process (SMDP) model was proposed to learn spoken dialogue strategies in a scalable way. Second, the concept of 'partially specified dialogue strategies' was proposed for integrating simultaneously hand-coded and learnt spoken dialogue behaviours into a single learning framework. Third, an evaluation with real users of hierarchical reinforcement learning dialogue agents was essential to validate their effectiveness in a realistic environment.
Relation between the melting temperature and the temperature of maximum density for the most common models of water (2005)

Water exhibits a maximum in density at normal pressure at 4 degrees above its melting point. The reproduction of this maximum is a stringent test for potential models used commonly in simulations of water. The relation between the melting temperature and the temperature of maximum density for these potential models is unknown mainly due to our ignorance about the melting temperature of these models. Recently we have determined the melting temperature of ice I(h) for several commonly used models of water (SPC, SPC/E, TIP3P, TIP4P, TIP4P/Ew, and TIP5P). In this work we locate the temperature of maximum density for these models. In this way the relative location of the temperature of maximum density with respect to the melting temperature is established. For SPC, SPC/E, TIP3P, TIP4P, and TIP4P/Ew the maximum in density occurs at about 21-37 K above the melting temperature. In all these models the negative charge is located either on the oxygen itself or on a point along the H-O-H bisector. For the TIP5P and TIP5P-E models the maximum in density occurs at about 11 K above the melting temperature. The location of the negative charge appears as a geometrical crucial factor to the relative position of the temperature of maximum density with respect to the melting temperature.
Measurements and approximations to describe the offered traffic and predict the average workload in a single-server queue (1989)

Measurements and approximations are proposed to describe the variability of offered traffic to a queue and predict the average workload in the queue. The principal traffic measurement considered is a normalized version of the variance of the total input of work as a function of time, which is called the index of dispersion for work (IDW). Given ample traffic data, the IDW can easily be estimated using sample averages. Given a mathematical model, such as a multiclass queue in which each class has GI/G/1 offered traffic, the IDW can often be calculated analytically, or approximated by using the limits as t approaches 0 and t approaches infinity . The basic premise is that the average workload is primarily determined by the offered traffic, beyond the offered load (the deterministic rate work arrives), through the IDW. Support is provided for this premise, and it is shown how the average workload can be predicted from the IDW or basic model parameters.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Borehole field calibration and measurement of low-concentration manganese by decay gamma rays (1986)

Abstract The manganese concentration in the Arundel clay formation, Prince Georges County, Maryland, was determined from a borehole by using delayed neutron activation. The neutrons were produced by a 100 mu g 252 Cf source. The 847 keV gamma ray of manganese was detected continuously, and its counting rate was measured at intervals of 15 s as the measuring sonde was moved at a rate of 0.5 cm/s. The technique measured the concentration ratio of manganese to aluminum. This ratio, when combined with an estimate of the aluminum concentration of the clay, made it possible to determine the percentage concentration of manganese without using a test-pit calibration facility. The measurements were made by using an NaI(Tl) scintillation detector and a Ge(HP) solid-state detector cooled by solid propane. A two-pass technique had to be used with the scintillation detector because Compton background from the 1 779 keV photopeak of aluminum masked the manganese line. The Compton background did not interfere when the solid-state detector was used. The borehole measurements compared favorably with a chemical core analysis and were unaffected by water in the borehole.
A prototype of monitoring precision agriculture system based on WSN (2017)

One of the important factors that support the advance of agriculture system is the quality of the soil, which is used as a medium for growing the plant. The soil quality is a fertile soil and able to give a productive harvest. There are several environmental factors which influence the soil conditions, such as temperature, soil humidity, light, pH of the soil, etc. In this paper, we are designing and making the simple prototype of monitoring precision agriculture system using wireless sensor modules. It is accomplished by optimizing the designed communication using Zigbee communication module and other sensor modules. We have several sensors for monitoring the precision agriculture, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and soil moisture. The result of the measuring experiment shows the agriculture data sensors by real time communication. We also provide the monitoring status via website and smartphone.
Synthesis and Properties of a Nitridomolybdenum(VI) Complex Having Benzenedithiolate Ligands. Effect of the Thiolate on the Activation of the Nitrido Ligand (1996)

Abstract A nitridomolybdenum(VI) complex having 1,2-benzenedithiolate (bdt2−) (NEt4)2[MoVIN(bdt)2Cl] was synthesized by the reaction of (NEt4)[MoVINCl4] with 2 equiv of Li2bdt in DMF/THF solution. This complex was characterized by measurements of the absorption, Raman, IR, and 14N NMR spectra. A lower Mo≡N band (1010 cm−1) in the Raman spectrum and the upfield shifted 14N NMR signal (−374 ppm) of the nitrido ligand compared to those of (NEt4)[MoVINCl4] (1055 cm−1 and −350 ppm) were observed, which strongly suggest the existence of a competitive π-electron donation from S (pπ) to Mo (dπ). The complex readily reacts with O2 or H2O to produce an oxomolybdenum(IV) complex [MoIVO(bdt)2]2−. This extremely air-sensitive complex shows a higher reactivity to O2 than that of (NEt4)[MoVINCl4]. It is concluded that the observed high reactivity is the result of a weakened Mo≡N bond by thiolate coordination.
Obesity and Metabolic Disease After Childhood Cancer. (2015)

As care for the childhood cancer patient has improved significantly, there is an increasing incidence of treatment-related late effects. Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are common and significant metabolic conditions in some populations of adult survivors of childhood cancer. Results from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and other large cohorts of childhood cancer survivors reveal that long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and those who received total body irradiation or abdominal radiotherapy are at highest risk. The potential mechanisms for the observed increase in risk, including alterations in leptin and adiponectin, pancreatic insufficiency, poor dietary habits, sedentary lifestyle, and perhaps changes in the composition of the gut microbiota, are reviewed. Discussion of exercise and diet intervention studies shows that further research about the barriers to a healthy lifestyle and other interventions in childhood cancer survivors is warranted.
Troponin from Akazara scallop striated adductor muscles. (1986)

Troponin was isolated from striated adductor muscles of the "Akazara" scallop (Chlamys nipponensis akazara), and purified in an active form by DEAE-cellulose (Whatman DE52) column chromatography and subsequent gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300. According to sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and densitometry, Akazara troponin is composed of three components having molecular weights of 52,000, 40,000, and 20,000 in a molar ratio of 1:1:1. The three components were separated from each other by column chromatography in the presence of 6 M urea and 1 mM EDTA on SP-Sephadex C-50 and DEAE-cellulose. The Mr 20,000 component was regarded as troponin C according to the Ca2+-binding properties, which was found to bind 0.7 mol of Ca2+/mol at 0.1 mM Ca2+. The association constant of Ca2+ to troponin C was estimated to be 5 X 10(5) M-1, and was not affected by the addition of 2 mM MgCl2. The Mr 52,000 component appeared to be troponin I, since it inhibited, together with Akazara tropomyosin, both Mg-ATPase and superprecipitation activities of actomyosin reconstituted from rabbit myosin and actin, and the inhibition of the ATPase activity was diminished by the addition of Akazara troponin C. Finally, the Mr 40,000 component appeared to be troponin T, since it co-precipitated with actin-tropomyosin filament and was indispensable with Akazara troponin C and the Mr 52,000 component (troponin I) for conferring the Ca2+ sensitivity to reconstituted actomyosin.
In vitro removal of anti-HLA IgG antibodies from highly sensitized transplant recipients by immunoadsorption with protein A and protein G sepharose columns: a comparison (1993)

In the present study we compared the capabilities of sepharose-bound protein A versus protein G columns to remove in vitro lymphocytotoxic anti-HLA antibodies from sera of four highly sensitized renal transplant recipients (PRA > or = 70%). In none of the patients were protein A sepharose columns capable of completely removing anti-HLA antibodies, as demonstrated by the presence of residual alloreactive lymphocytotoxic activity in IgG3 antibodies containing fractions eluted at pH 7. In contrast, no residual anti-HLA lymphocytotoxic antibody activity was found in fractions eluted at pH 7 from protein G columns. These data demonstrate that: (1) IgG 3 antibodies can be partly responsible for lymphocytotoxic anti-HLA reactivity in some sensitized renal transplant recipients and (2) at least in this patient category, in vitro immunoadsorption with protein G is more efficient than protein A sepharose columns in completely removing anti-HLA IgG antibodies from sera.
Geometrically controlled snapping transitions in shells with curved creases (2015)

Curvature and mechanics are intimately connected for thin materials, and this coupling between geometry and physical properties is readily seen in folded structures from intestinal villi and pollen grains to wrinkled membranes and programmable metamaterials. While the well-known rules and mechanisms behind folding a flat surface have been used to create deployable structures and shape transformable materials, folding of curved shells is still not fundamentally understood. Shells naturally deform by simultaneously bending and stretching, and while this coupling gives them great stability for engineering applications, it makes folding a surface of arbitrary curvature a nontrivial task. Here we discuss the geometry of folding a creased shell, and demonstrate theoretically the conditions under which it may fold smoothly. When these conditions are violated we show, using experiments and simulations, that shells undergo rapid snapping motion to fold from one stable configuration to another. Although material asymmetry is a proven mechanism for creating this bifurcation of stability, for the case of a creased shell, the inherent geometry itself serves as a barrier to folding. We discuss here how two fundamental geometric concepts, creases and curvature, combine to allow rapid transitions from one stable state to another. Independent of material system and length scale, the design rule that we introduce here explains how to generate snapping transitions in arbitrary surfaces, thus facilitating the creation of programmable multistable materials with fast actuation capabilities.
Novel ginkgolide B derivative attenuated the function and expression of P-glycoprotein at the blood–brain barrier, presenting brain-targeting ability (2016)

The effects of ginkgolide B derivative (GBD) and GB on P-glycoprotein efflux function and expression level were studied to explain GBD's brain-targeting behavior.
High-voltage TFT fabricated in recrystallized polycrystalline silicon (1988)

High-voltage thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated using CW-Ar laser annealed polycrystalline silicon have an offset gate structure between the source and gate and between the gate and drain. The breakdown voltage, transconductance, and leakage current in various size TFTs are described. These TFTs exhibited n-channel enhancement characteristics with a low-threshold voltage, and a breakdown voltage above 100 V could be obtained at an offset gate length of 20 mu m. Active TFT circuits were fabricated with these high-voltage Si TFTs. These high-voltage TFT circuits can drive thin-film EL (electroluminescent display) at low signal voltage.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Causation-Driven Visualizations for Insurance Recommendation (2019)

Recommender systems provide insurance enterprises with insights on customer behaviors and demands, thereby serving as an important source of revenue generation. Key success factors for a recommender include incorporation of multi-dimensional data from diverse media, clear and interpretable presentation of analytical results, and accurate recommendation of insurance products. However, most existing methods in the industry produce merely a list of recommendations without effectively visualizing them, and meanwhile are based on correlation-driven algorithms that can omit significant causal patterns in both customer and product data. In this paper, we propose a causation-driven visualization system that fundamentally transforms cross-media insurance data into network diagrams and performs recommendation reasoning. The system leverages data retrieved from both local insurance service providers and resources across the Web, and utilizes a multi-valued confounder balancing algorithm to compute the causal effect between customer and products, aiming to explore the reasons behind customers' purchasing behaviors and make appropriate recommendations accordingly. Furthermore, we conduct domain expert studies to evaluate the effectiveness of knowledge discovery by our causation-driven visualization system and correlation-driven tools currently adopted in the insurance industry. Results show that our system considerably outperforms others in terms of all evaluation metrics, and can potentially help insurers devise practical decision-making strategies.
Quantitative autoradiography using a radioimager based on a multiwire proportional chamber (1998)

Determination of the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals is an important issue for the evaluation of their performance in diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we evaluated a digital radioimager (RI) based on a multiwire proportional chamber for quantitative autoradiography (AR). The RI allows direct detection of electronic emissions of gamma emitters. Its qualitative and quantitative performances were tested on 99mTc and (111)In labelled sections and compared with conventional film AR. Linearity of count rate versus activity was verified over a 104 range of activity. As compared with film AR, a substantial improvement of the detection limit was obtained even for acquisition periods up to 20 times less than film exposure times. We provided the basis for quantitative analysis with tissue equivalent paste standards: the 99mTc and (111)In RI counting efficiencies were respectively 1.19% and 2.35%. We illustrated the respective values of RI and film AR in two rat studies: 99mTc-DMSA in kidney and dual-isotope 99mTc-MIBI and (111)In-antimyosin in heart. Calculated activity concentrations on sections of rat organs confirmed good correlation to gamma counting (deviation less than 12%). We suggest RI as a convenient technique for fast localization of single or dual-isotope tracers and determination of activity distribution.
Coordination in Intelligent Grid Environments (2005)

A computational grid is a complex system. The state space of a complex system is very large and it is infeasible to create a rigid infrastructure implementing optimal policies and strategies which take into account the current state of the system. An alternative to a rigid infrastructure is to base the system's reactions on logical inference, planning, and learning, the quintessential elements of an intelligent system. An intelligent grid is one where societal services exhibit intelligent behavior. A coordination service acting as a proxy on behalf of end users reacts to unforeseen events, plans how to carry out complex tasks, and learns from the history of the system. Various policies implemented by the societal services of an intelligent grid, such as brokerage and matchmaking, are based upon rules and facts gathered with the aid of a monitoring service. The question we address is how to construct intelligent computational grids which are truly scalable and could respond to the needs of a diverse user community. We present a prototype of a system used for a virtual laboratory in computational biology.
CVD Growth of Large Area Smooth-edged Graphene Nanomesh by Nanosphere Lithography (2013)

Current etching routes to process large graphene sheets into nanoscale graphene so as to open up a bandgap tend to produce structures with rough and disordered edges. This leads to detrimental electron scattering and reduces carrier mobility. In this work, we present a novel yet simple direct-growth strategy to yield graphene nanomesh (GNM) on a patterned Cu foil via nanosphere lithography. Raman spectroscopy and TEM characterizations show that the as-grown GNM has significantly smoother edges than post-growth etched GNM. More importantly, the transistors based on as-grown GNM with neck widths of 65-75 nm have a near 3-fold higher mobility than those derived from etched GNM with the similar neck widths.
CMOS Integrated Switched-Mode Transmitters for Wireless Communication (2010)

Advances in Solid State Circuits Technologies 290 suitable for PA design due to frequency, output power, efficiency and linearity requirements. Thus, the stand-alone PA has long been manufactured in III-V technologies or specialized technologies such as LDMOS. In recent years however, CMOS technology has evolved for radio frequencies in two ways:
A 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of the Metabolism of Leucine to Isoamyl Alcohol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1997)

The metabolism of leucine to isoamyl alcohol in yeast was examined by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The product of leucine transamination, alpha-ketoisocaproate had four potential routes to isoamyl alcohol. The first, via branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase to isovaleryl-CoA with subsequent conversion to isovalerate by acyl-CoA hydrolase operates in wild-type cells where isovalerate appears to be an end product. This pathway is not required for the synthesis of isoamyl alcohol because abolition of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase activity in an lpd1 disruption mutant did not prevent the formation of isoamyl alcohol. A second possible route was via pyruvate decarboxylase; however, elimination of pyruvate decarboxylase activity in a pdc1 pdc5 pdc6 triple mutant did not decrease the levels of isoamyl alcohol produced. A third route utilizes alpha-ketoisocaproate reductase (a novel activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae) but with no role in the formation of isoamyl alcohol from alpha-hydroxyisocaproate because cell homogenates could not convert alpha-hydroxyisocaproate to isoamyl alcohol. The final possibility was that a pyruvate decarboxylase-like enzyme encoded by YDL080c appears to be the major route of decarboxylation of alpha-ketoisocaproate to isoamyl alcohol although disruption of this gene reveals that at least one other unidentified decarboxylase can substitute to a minor extent.
Activity of OPT-80, a Novel Macrocycle, Compared with Those of Eight Other Agents against Selected Anaerobic Species (2004)

Agar dilution MIC was used to compare activities of OPT-80, linezolid, vancomycin, teicoplanin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, imipenem, clindamycin, and metronidazole against 350 gram-positive and -negative anaerobes. OPT-80 was active against gram-positive strains only, especially Clostridium spp. (85 strains tested, including 21 strains of C. difficile), with MICs ranging between </=0.016 and 0.25 microg/ml.
Ultra-Low Thermal Conductivity in W/Al <sub>2</sub> O <sub>3</sub> Nanolaminates (2004)

Atomic layer deposition and magnetron sputter deposition were used to synthesize thin-film multilayers of W/Al(2)O(3). With individual layers only a few nanometers thick, the high interface density produced a strong impediment to heat transfer, giving rise to a thermal conductivity of approximately 0.6 watts per meter per kelvin. This result suggests that high densities of interfaces between dissimilar materials may provide a route for the production of thermal barriers with ultra-low thermal conductivity.