Cobra: A Framework for Cost Based Rewriting of Database Applications

Database applications are typically written using a mixture of imperative languages and declarative frameworks for data processing. Application logic gets distributed across the declarative and imperative parts of a program. Often, there is more than one way to implement the same program, whose efficiency may depend on a number of parameters. In this paper, we propose a framework that automatically generates all equivalent alternatives of a given program using a given set of program transformations, and chooses the least cost alternative. We use the concept of program regions as an algebraic abstraction of a program and extend the Volcano/Cascades framework for optimization of algebraic expressions, to optimize programs. We illustrate the use of our framework for optimizing database applications. We show through experimental results, that our framework has wide applicability in real world applications and provides significant performance benefits

Improved prediction of ligand-protein binding affinities by meta-modeling

The accurate screening of candidate drug ligands against target proteins through computational approaches is of prime interest to drug development efforts, as filtering potential candidates would save time and expenses for finding drugs. Such virtual screening depends in part on methods to predict the binding affinity between ligands and proteins. Given many computational models for binding affinity prediction with varying results across targets, we herein develop a meta-modeling framework by integrating published empirical structure-based docking and sequence-based deep learning models. In building this framework, we evaluate many combinations of individual models, training databases, and linear and nonlinear meta-modeling approaches. We show that many of our meta-models significantly improve affinity predictions over individual base models. Our best meta-models achieve comparable performance to state-of-the-art exclusively structure-based deep learning tools. Overall, we demonstrate that diverse modeling approaches can be ensembled together to gain substantial improvement in binding affinity prediction while allowing control over input features such as physicochemical properties or molecular descriptors.Comment: 61 pages, 3 main tables, 6 main figures, 6 supplementary figures, and supporting information. For 8 supplementary tables and code, see https://github.com/Lee1701/Lee2023

Performance Evaluation of a Cascaded H-Bridge Multi Level Inverter Fed BLDC Motor Drive in an Electric Vehicle

The automobile industry is moving fast towards Electric Vehicles (EV); however this paradigm shift is currently making its smooth transition through the phase of Hybrid Electric Vehicles. There is an ever-growing need for integration of hybrid energy sources especially for vehicular applications. Different energy sources such as batteries, ultra-capacitors, fuel cells etc. are available. Usage of these varied energy sources alone or together in different combinations in automobiles requires advanced power electronic circuits and control methodologies. An exhaustive literature survey has been carried out to study the power electronic converter, switching modulation strategy to be employed and the particular machine to be used in an EV. Adequate amount of effort has been put into designing the vehicle specifications. Owing to stronger demand for higher performance and torque response in an EV, the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine has been favored over the traditional Induction Machine. The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate the use of a multi level inverter fed Brush Less Direct Current (BLDC) motor in a field oriented control fashion in an EV and make it follow a given drive cycle. The switching operation and control of a multi level inverter for specific power level and desired performance characteristics is investigated. The EV has been designed from scratch taking into consideration the various factors such as mass, coefficients of aerodynamic drag and air friction, tire radius etc. The design parameters are meant to meet the requirements of a commercial car. The various advantages of a multi level inverter fed PMSM have been demonstrated and an exhaustive performance evaluation has been done. The investigation is done by testing the designed system on a standard drive cycle, New York urban driving cycle. This highly transient driving cycle is particularly used because it provides rapidly changing acceleration and deceleration curves. Furthermore, the evaluation of the system under fault conditions is also done. It is demonstrated that the system is stable and has a ride-through capability under different fault conditions. The simulations have been carried out in MATLAB and Simulink, while some preliminary studies involving switching losses of the converter were done in PSIM

PROTECCIÓN QUE EL ESTADO MEXICANO DEBE BRINDAR AL ADULTO MAYOR RESPECTO DE SU PATRIMONIO: LOS JUZGADORES DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO

La reforma constitucional de 2011, colocó en el centro del sistema jurídico mexicano a los Derechos Humanos así, el artículo 1° constitucional señala: “Todas las autoridades, en el ámbito de sus competencias, tienen la obligación de promover, respetar, proteger y garantizar los derechos humanos de conformidad con los principios de universalidad, interdependencia, indivisibilidad y progresividad. En consecuencia, el Estado deberá prevenir, investigar, sancionar y reparar las violaciones a los derechos humanos, en los términos que establezca la ley.” Para efectos de que los adultos mayores estén en aptitud de dinamizar sus derechos y estos no queden sólo en el terreno de ideal normativo, el Estado mexicano, como garante de los derechos de los gobernados debe ir adaptando las normas protectoras conforme se presenten cambios sociales. El derecho debe ser tan dinámico como la propia sociedad, la normatividad debe revisarse en forma permanente y el legislador debe de realizar las adecuaciones pertinentes para que los derechos se dinamicen en términos de efectividad. Respecto de la protección del patrimonio de los adultos mayores es una prioridad revisar no sólo la armónica normatividad que ha de aplicar el juzgador, ya que en el diario quehacer jurisdiccional se perciben las más variadas acciones que ejercen fundamentalmente familiares para despojar de sus bienes a los adultos mayores, sin que ellos reciban beneficio directo alguno.La presente tesis muestra a través de su desarrollo el marco jurídico existente en cuanto a la protección del patrimonio del hombre de la tercera edad en el estado de México. En conjunto con la información del párrafo anterior se muestran datos estadísticos acerca de esta rama de la población (las personas de la tercera edad), así como del sistema judicial en materia civil que existe en el estado de México para la protección de sus patrimonio

Use of a novel rover-mounted fluorescence imager and fluorescent probes to detect biological material in the Atacama Desert in daylight

We deployed our fluorescence imaging system which detects fluorescence signals from sparse microorganisms and biofilms on Carnegie Mellon University’s autonomous rover Zoë. The results of the 2004 Atacama Desert field season, in Chile, are discussed

Implementation of a daylight fluorescence imaging system to autonomously detect biomarkers of extant life in the Atacama Desert

We have integrated a biomarker detection system with a rover for the search for sparse life in extreme environments. The system incorporated a pulsed fluorescence imager, a reagent sprayer, and a surface scraping device for remote detection of fluorescence signals

Resonant Visible Light Modulation with Graphene

Fast modulation and switching of light at visible and near-infrared (vis-NIR) frequencies is of utmost importance for optical signal processing and sensing technologies. No fundamental limit appears to prevent us from designing wavelength-sized devices capable of controlling the light phase and intensity at gigaherts (and even terahertz) speeds in those spectral ranges. However, this problem remains largely unsolved, despite recent advances in the use of quantum wells and phase-change materials for that purpose. Here, we explore an alternative solution based upon the remarkable electro-optical properties of graphene. In particular, we predict unity-order changes in the transmission and absorption of vis-NIR light produced upon electrical doping of graphene sheets coupled to realistically engineered optical cavities. The light intensity is enhanced at the graphene plane, and so is its absorption, which can be switched and modulated via Pauli blocking through varying the level of doping. Specifically, we explore dielectric planar cavities operating under either tunneling or Fabry-Perot resonant transmission conditions, as well as Mie modes in silicon nanospheres and lattice resonances in metal particle arrays. Our simulations reveal absolute variations in transmission exceeding 90% as well as an extinction ratio >15 dB with small insertion losses using feasible material parameters, thus supporting the application of graphene in fast electro-optics at vis-NIR frequencies.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, 54 reference

Database NewSQL performance evaluation for big data in the public cloud

For very years, relational databases have been the leading model for data storage, retrieval and management. However, due to increasing needs for scalability and performance, alternative systems have emerged, namely NewSQL technology. NewSQL is a class of modern relational database management systems (RDBMS) that provide the same scalable performance of NoSQL systems for online transaction processing (OLTP) read-write workloads, while still maintaining the ACID guarantees of a traditional database system. In this research paper, the performance of a NewSQL database is evaluated, compared to a MySQL database, both running in the cloud, in order to measure the response time against different configurations of workloads.Instituto de Investigación en Informátic

Early intervention for lactate dehydrogenase elevation improves clinical outcomes in patients with the HeartMate II left ventricular assist device: Insights from the PREVENT study

BACKGROUND: Hemolysis, assessed by elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), is strongly associated with HeartMate II pump thrombosis (PT). However, it is unknown whether early intervention for elevated LDH circumvents the risk of serious PT requiring pump exchange. We sought to evaluate the relationship between elevated LDH and clinical outcomes, the effectiveness of early medical intervention, and risk factors for elevated LDH. METHODS: We studied 268 patients in the prospective, multicenter PREVENT study who had 2 or more LDH measurements at ≥30 days post-implant. Elevated LDH was defined as LDH ≥2.5× upper limit of normal (ULN) for 2 consecutive measurements. RESULTS: Fourteen percent of patients had elevated LDH. Stroke-free survival at 6 months was lower in patients with elevated LDH vs patients with normal LDH (83 ± 6% vs 93 ± 2%, p = 0.035). Elevated LDH resolved without intervention in 19% of patients, with intensified medical therapy in 43% and required surgical intervention in 38%. For patients receiving only medical therapy, survival was 94 ± 6% at 6 months post-treatment. In this subgroup, resolution of symptoms with intensified medical therapy was sustained in 15 of 16 patients, with PT occurring in 1 patient at 171 days after initial treatment for elevated LDH (202 days post-implant). Early medical intervention at moderately elevated LDH (2.5× to 3.2× ULN), as compared with higher levels (>3.2× ULN), led to more sustained resolution of symptoms without subsequent PT or need for surgical intervention (91% vs 26% at 6 months post-treatment, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Early medical intervention can successfully resolve moderate LDH elevations (2.5× to 3.2× ULN) with a low incidence of death or PT at 6 months post-treatment

PREVENtion of HeartMate II Pump Thrombosis Through Clinical Management: The PREVENT multi-center study

BACKGROUND: Recommended structured clinical practices including implant technique, anti-coagulation strategy, and pump speed management (PREVENT [PREVENtion of HeartMate II Pump Thrombosis Through Clinical Management] recommendations) were developed to address risk of early (<3 months) pump thrombosis (PT) risk with HeartMate II (HMII; St. Jude Medical, Inc. [Thoratec Corporation], Pleasanton, CA). We prospectively assessed the HMII PT rate in the current era when participating centers adhered to the PREVENT recommendations. METHODS: PREVENT was a prospective, multi-center, single-arm, non-randomized study of 300 patients implanted with HMII at 24 participating sites. Confirmed PT (any suspected PT confirmed visually and/or adjudicated by an independent assessor) was evaluated at 3 months (primary end-point) and at 6 months after implantation. RESULTS: The population included 83% men (age 57 years ± 13), 78% destination therapy, and 83% Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) Profile 1-3. Primary end-point analysis showed a confirmed PT of 2.9% at 3 months and 4.8% at 6 months. Adherence to key recommendations included 78% to surgical recommendations, 95% to heparin bridging, and 79% to pump speeds ≥9,000 RPMs (92% >8,600 RPMs). Full adherence to implant techniques, heparin bridging, and pump speeds ≥9,000 RPMs resulted in a significantly lower risk of PT (1.9% vs 8.9%; p < 0.01) and lower composite risk of suspected thrombosis, hemolysis, and ischemic stroke (5.7% vs 17.7%; p < 0.01) at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of all components of a structured surgical implant technique and clinical management strategy (PREVENT recommendations) is associated with low rates of confirmed PT