Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emergent Sensing of Complex Environments by Mobile Animal Groups

The Power of the Collective Sensing the environment is generally considered to require significant cognitive sampling and comparison, not to mention time. However, species that do not necessarily have the cognitive ability, or the time, have also proven to be quite adept at sensing and evaluating their environment. Berdahl et al. (p. 574) show that in shiners, a species of schooling fish, mere attraction to, and movement toward, neighboring individuals allows the group to track preferred darkness in a variable-light environment. Living in a group amplifies the reach of an individual's capacity to sense environmental changes. The capacity for groups to exhibit collective intelligence is an often-cited advantage of group living. Previous studies have shown that social organisms frequently benefit from pooling imperfect individual estimates. However, in principle, collective intelligence may also emerge from interactions between individuals, rather than from the enhancement of personal estimates. Here, we reveal that this emergent problem solving is the predominant mechanism by which a mobile animal group responds to complex environmental gradients. Robust collective sensing arises at the group level from individuals modulating their speed in response to local, scalar, measurements of light and through social interaction with others. This distributed sensing requires only rudimentary cognition and thus could be widespread across biological taxa, in addition to being appropriate and cost-effective for robotic agents.
Schwa deletion in the conversational speech of English: The role of linguistic factors* 4

Ryu, Na-Young and Sung-Hoon Hong. 2013. Schwa deletion in the conversational speech of English: The role of linguistic factors. Linguistic Research 30(2), 313-333. In this study we investigate schwa deletion and the role of three linguistic factors based on the Buckeye Speech Corpus (Pitt et al. 2007). This study provides evidence that schwa deletion is strongly influenced by stress environment (pre-stress position vs. post-stress position), sonority distance between two consonants surrounding an unstressed vowel [ə], and lexical frequency of the word containing the schwa. Stress environment affects schwa deletion in such a way that schwa is more likely to delete in post-stress position than in pre-stress position. As for the effect of sonority, schwa deletion is more likely to occur when there is a greater difference in sonority between the two consonants that appear before and after the schwa. With respect to word frequency, schwa deletion is less frequent in low frequency words than in high frequency words. We conduct a logistic regression analysis to find out how influential these factors are. The results of the regression analysis show that stress environment is the most pervasive, sonority the next, and lexical frequency the least influential factor that affects schwa deletion. (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)
Optimizing methods for PCR-based analysis of predation

Molecular methods have become an important tool for studying feeding interactions under natural conditions. Despite their growing importance, many methodological aspects have not yet been evaluated but need to be considered to fully exploit the potential of this approach. Using feeding experiments with high alpine carabid beetles and lycosid spiders, we investigated how PCR annealing temperature affects prey DNA detection success and how post‐PCR visualization methods differ in their sensitivity. Moreover, the replicability of prey DNA detection among individual PCR assays was tested using beetles and spiders that had digested their prey for extended times postfeeding. By screening all predators for three differently sized prey DNA fragments (range 116–612 bp), we found that only in the longest PCR product, a marked decrease in prey detection success occurred. Lowering maximum annealing temperatures by 4 °C resulted in significantly increased prey DNA detection rates in both predator taxa. Among the three post‐PCR visualization methods, an eightfold difference in sensitivity was observed. Repeated screening of predators increased the total number of samples scoring positive, although the proportion of samples testing positive did not vary significantly between different PCRs. The present findings demonstrate that assay sensitivity, in combination with other methodological factors, plays a crucial role to obtain robust trophic interaction data. Future work employing molecular prey detection should thus consider and minimize the methodologically induced variation that would also allow for better cross‐study comparisons.
McBoost: Boosting Scalability in Malware Collection and Analysis Using Statistical Classification of Executables

In this work, we propose Malware Collection Booster (McBoost), a fast statistical malware detection tool that is intended to improve the scalability of existing malware collection and analysis approaches. Given a large collection of binaries that may contain both hitherto unknown malware and benign executables, McBoost reduces the overall time of analysis by classifying and filtering out the least suspicious binaries and passing only the most suspicious ones to a detailed binary analysis process for signature extraction.The McBoost framework consists of a classifier specialized in detecting whether an executable is packed or not, a universal unpacker based on dynamic binary analysis, and a classifier specialized in distinguishing between malicious or benign code. We developed a proof-of-concept version of McBoost and evaluated it on 5,586 malware and 2,258 benign programs. McBoost has an accuracy of 87.3%, and an Area Under the ROC curve (AUC) equal to 0.977. Our evaluation also shows that McBoost reduces the overall time of analysis to only a fraction (e.g., 13.4%) of the computation time that would otherwise be required to analyze large sets of mixed malicious and benign executables.
Gibbs Measures and Dismantlable Graphs

We model physical systems with “hard constraints” by the space Hom(G, H) of homomorphisms from a locally finite graph G to a fixed finite constraint graph H. Two homomorphisms are deemed to be adjacent if they differ on a single site of G. We investigate what appears to be a fundamental dichotomy of constraint graphs, by giving various characterizations of a class of graphs that we call dismantlable. For instance, H is dismantlable if and only if, for every G, any two homomorphisms from G to H which differ at only finitely many sites are joined by a path in Hom(G, H). If H is dismantlable, then, for any G of bounded degree, there is some assignment of activities to the nodes of H for which there is a unique Gibbs measure on Hom(G, H). On the other hand, if H is not dismantlable (and not too trivial), then there is some r such that, whatever the assignment of activities on H, there are uncountably many Gibbs measures on Hom(Tr, H), where Tr is the (r+1)-regular tree.
Severe Staphylococcal Sepsis in Adolescents in the Era of Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Objective. More than 70% of the community-acquired (CA) staphylococcal infections treated at Texas Children's Hospital are caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Since September 2002, an increase in the number of severely ill patients with S aureus infections has occurred. This study provides a clinical description of severely ill adolescent patients and an analysis of their isolates using molecular methods. Methods. We identified adolescent patients meeting criteria for severe sepsis requiring admission to the PICU. Patient records were reviewed, and isolates were obtained for susceptibility testing and DNA extraction. Isolates were tested for the presence of virulence genes (cna, tst, lukS-PV, and lukF-PV) and enterotoxin genes (sea, seb, sec, sed, seh, and sej) by polymerase chain reaction. Genomic fingerprints were determined by repetitive-element polymorphism polymerase chain reaction and pulse-field gel electrophoresis. SCCmec cassette type was determined. Results. Fourteen adolescents with severe CA S aureus infections were identified between August 2002 and January 2004. All were admitted to the PICU with sepsis and coagulopathy. Twelve patients had CA-MRSA infections; 2 had CA methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections. The mean age was 12.9 years (range: 10-15 years). Thirteen patients had pulmonary involvement and/or bone and joint infection; 10 patients had ≥2 bones or joints infected (range: 2-10); 4 patients developed vascular complications (deep venous thrombosis); and 3 patients died. All isolates were identical or closely related to the previously reported predominant clone in Houston, Texas (multilocus sequence type 8, USA300), and carried lukS-PV and lukF-PV genes as well as the SCCmec type IVa cassette (12 MRSA isolates) but did not contain cna or tst. Only 1 strain carried enterotoxin genes (sed and sej). Conclusions. Severe staphylococcal infections in previously healthy adolescents without predisposing risk factors have presented more frequently at Texas Children's Hospital since September 2002. CA MRSA and clonally related CA MSSA characterized as USA300 and sequence type 8 have been isolated from these patients.
Plasminogen Controls Inflammation and Pathogenesis of Influenza Virus Infections via Fibrinolysis

Detrimental inflammation of the lungs is a hallmark of severe influenza virus infections. Endothelial cells are the source of cytokine amplification, although mechanisms underlying this process are unknown. Here, using combined pharmacological and gene-deletion approaches, we show that plasminogen controls lung inflammation and pathogenesis of infections with influenza A/PR/8/34, highly pathogenic H5N1 and 2009 pandemic H1N1 viruses. Reduction of virus replication was not responsible for the observed effect. However, pharmacological depletion of fibrinogen, the main target of plasminogen reversed disease resistance of plasminogen-deficient mice or mice treated with an inhibitor of plasminogen-mediated fibrinolysis. Therefore, plasminogen contributes to the deleterious inflammation of the lungs and local fibrin clot formation may be implicated in host defense against influenza virus infections. Our studies suggest that the hemostatic system might be explored for novel treatments against influenza.
Escort Clients' Sexual Scripts and Constructions of Intimacy in Commodified Sexual Relationships

This article draws on fourteen in-depth semi-structured interviews with men who hire female escorts to examine the role of intimacy in their interactions with sex workers. Using the concept of social scripting, we examine the cultural, interpersonal, and intrapsychic meanings that shape the commodified sexual interaction. Focusing on the clients’ intrapsychic scripts, we argue that previous typologies of client behavior ignore the role of intimacy and the meaning that individuals ascribe to their own experiences and actions. We suggest a typology of clients that goes beyond previous classifications of “regular” and “non-regular”—the latter referred to as a “hummingbird” client from the perspective of one sex worker. Our four-part typology of committed regulars, hybrids, searchers, and industry insiders takes into account the role of intimacy along with the client’s perception of frequency and motive, even in seemingly casual sexual encounters. A video abstract is available at https://youtu.be/IK_UiGzWT_E.
Iris recognition using radon transform thresholding based feature extraction with Gradient-based Isolation as a pre-processing technique

Iris Recognition (IR) under varying contrast and live-tissues is challenging. This paper proposes two novel techniques viz., Radon Transform Thresholding (RTT) and Gradient-based Isolation (GI). RTT is used to extract the prominent features from the pre-processed image. GI is a pre-processing technique which uses the edge detection property of Gradient operator to isolate the patterns, thereby obtaining the salient Iris textures. A Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO) based feature selection algorithm is used to search the feature vector space for the optimal feature subset. Experimental results on three benchmark Iris databases, namely, Phoenix, IITD and CASIA Iris Interval, depict promising performance of the proposed techniques for Iris recognition.
COCO: a platform for comparing continuous optimizers in a black-box setting

We introduce COCO, an open-source platform for Comparing Continuous Optimizers in a black-box setting. COCO aims at automatizing the tedious and repetitive task of benchmarking numerical optimization algorithms to the greatest possible extent. The platform and the underlying methodology allow to benchmark in the same framework deterministic and stochastic solvers for both single and multiobjective optimization. We present the rationals behind the (decade-long) development of the platform as a general proposition for guidelines towards better benchmarking. We detail underlying fundamental concepts of COCO such as the definition of a problem as a function instance, the underlying idea of instances, the use of target values, and runtime defined by the number of function calls as the central performance measure. Finally, we give a quick overview of the basic code structure and the currently available test suites.
Patient-reported care domains that enhance the experience of "being known" in an ambulatory cancer care centre.

Purpose This study explored patients' perceptions of "being known" in an ambulatory chemotherapy unit. Methods Using a qualitative descriptive design, 10 participants with various cancer diagnoses were recruited from a large cancer centre in Montreal, Quebec. Audiotaped individual interviews were transcribed verbatim. Textual data were coded and analyzed thematically. Findings Participants spoke of their need to have the staff approach them as individuals first and then as persons with cancer. They further underscored the importance of: (1) feeling truly welcome in the cancer care environment, (2) being provided with person- and situation-responsive care, and (3) considering occupational and social roles that go beyond the "sick role". Mutual patient-nurse disclosure also contributed to perceptions of a personalized care approach. Implications for nursing In addition to key elements construed as crucial for enhancing perceptions of being known, future studies should further document how the interplay among demographic, physical/psychological, and cultural factors affect these perceptions.
Personality and Performance in Eventing

This study examined the effects of personality on performance in the sport of Eventing. A questionnaire consisting of the abbreviated Big Five and Core-Self Evaluations (CSE) was administered to 155 participants who were split into three groups: Amateurs (n = 48), Progressive Amateurs (n = 62) and Professionals (n = 45). The criteria were self and other rated performance. The results showed that CSE, Conscientiousness and Extraversion were significant predictors of actual and rated performance. Implications and limitations were discussed.
Is Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy Beneficial for Sphincter Preservation in Low-Lying Rectal Cancer Patients?

AbstractThe present study explored the benefit of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) for sphincter preservation in locally advanced low-lying rectal cancer patients who underwent stapled anastomosis, especially in those with deep and narrow pelvises determined by magnetic resonance imaging.Patients with locally advanced low-lying rectal cancer (⩽5 cm from the anal verge) who underwent stapled anastomosis were included. Patients were categorized into two groups (PCRT+ vs. PCRT–) according to PCRT application. Patients in the PCRT+ group were matched to those in the PCRT– group according to potential confounding factors (age, gender, clinical stage, and body mass index) for sphincter preservation. Sphincter preservation, permanent stoma, and anastomosis-related complications were compared between the groups. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure 12 dimensions representing pelvic cavity depth and width with which deep and narrow pelvis was defined. The impact of PCRT on sphincter preservation and permanent stoma in pelvic dimensions defined as deep and narrow pelvis was evaluated, and factors associated with sphincter preservation and permanent stoma were analyzed.One hundred sixty-six patients were one-to-one matched between the PCRT+ and PCRT− groups. Overall, sphincter-saving surgery was performed in 66.3% and the rates were not different between the 2 groups. Anastomotic complications and permanent stoma occurred nonsignificantly more frequently in the PCRT+ group. PCRT was not associated with higher rate of sphincter preservation in all pelvic dimensions defined as deep and narrow pelvis, while PCRT was related to higher rate of permanent stoma in shorter transverse diameter and interspinous distance. On logistic regression analysis, PCRT was not shown to influence both sphincter preservation and permanent stoma, while longer transverse diameter and interspinous distance were associated with lower rate of permanent stoma.PCRT had no beneficial effect on sphincter preservation in patients with locally advanced low-lying rectal cancer who had undergone stapled anastomosis. In patients with deep and narrow pelvis, PCRT had no impact on sphincter preservation but was associated with higher rate of permanent stoma.
Selfies of Imperial Cormorants (Phalacrocorax atriceps): What Is Happening Underwater?

During the last few years, the development of animal-borne still cameras and video recorders has enabled researchers to observe what a wild animal sees in the field. In the present study, we deployed miniaturized video recorders to investigate the underwater foraging behavior of Imperial cormorants (Phalacrocorax atriceps). Video footage was obtained from 12 animals and 49 dives comprising a total of 8.1 h of foraging data. Video information revealed that Imperial cormorants are almost exclusively benthic feeders. While foraging along the seafloor, animals did not necessarily keep their body horizontal but inclined it downwards. The head of the instrumented animal was always visible in the videos and in the majority of the dives it was moved constantly forward and backward by extending and contracting the neck while travelling on the seafloor. Animals detected prey at very short distances, performed quick capture attempts and spent the majority of their time on the seafloor searching for prey. Cormorants foraged at three different sea bottom habitats and the way in which they searched for food differed between habitats. Dives were frequently performed under low luminosity levels suggesting that cormorants would locate prey with other sensory systems in addition to sight. Our video data support the idea that Imperial cormorants’ efficient hunting involves the use of specialized foraging techniques to compensate for their poor underwater vision.
Diffraction Gratings for Neutrons from Polymers and Holographic Polymer-Dispersed Nanocomposites

We discuss the applicability of holographically recorded gratings in photopolymers and holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals as neutron optical elements. An experimental investigation of their properties for light and neutrons with different grating spacings and grating thicknesses is performed. The angular dependencies of the diffraction efficiencies for those gratings are interpreted in terms of a rigourous coupled wave analysis. Starting from the obtained results we work out the lines for the production of an optimised neutron optical diffraction grating, i.e., high diffraction efficiency in the Bragg diffraction regime with moderate angular selectivity. PACS numbers: 03.75. Be,61.30. Pq,78.66. Sq, 42.25. Fx, 42.40. Eq
Performing places

Street performers use carefully designed interactions to: create their performance space, build their audience, and elicit payment. Two of the key transformations a performer must achieve are (1) to transform a public space into a distinctive performance place that passers-by acknowledge as such; and (2) to turn a crowd of passers-by into an audience. In this ethnographic study of street shows we analyse the specific practicalities of creating a performance place within a public space. We propose that performers design their actions in ways that help passers-by and audience members identify them as part of a performance. We investigate how passers-by display their recognition that a performance is being created, becoming watchers before being audience members. We explore various techniques performers use for place-construction and demonstrate that in each case, while objects themselves may be important in attracting initial attention, it is only through interaction that they are successful in actual building of a performance place.
On the projection problem in active knowledge bases with incomplete information

The problem of projection has been identified as a fundamental reasoning concern in dynamical domains, where we are to determine whether or not some conditions will hold after a sequence of actions has been performed starting in some initial state. Solving the problem requires, at the very least, effectively reasoning about how actions transform the world, and inferring the logical consequences of the initial knowledge base (KB). For various reasons, tractability one of them, applications often make the closed-world assumption, thereby limiting the scope of these systems for the real world. In this thesis, using the language of the situation calculus, we investigate the computational properties of a number of unsolved reasoning tasks in the context of projection with incomplete information. We first look at inherently incomplete KBs, where the information provided to the agent may not determine every fact about the world. Projection, then, may involve reasoning about what is believed and also, about what is not believed. We then look at physical agents with unreliable hardware, as a result of which actions lead to certain kinds of incomplete knowledge. Intuitively, beliefs should be (periodically) synchronized with this noise. Finally, we consider the presence of other agents in the environment, whose beliefs may differ arbitrarily, and the formalism should incorporate what others sense and learn during actions. To enable a precise mathematical treatment of incomplete KBs, we appeal to a seminal proposal by Levesque, called only knowing. Building on existing work, we investigate projection wrt extensions to the situation calculus for only knowing, noisy hardware and multiple agents. Our central contribution will be to show that, in spite of the additional expressivity, reasoning about knowledge and action reduces to nonepistemic non-dynamic reasoning about the initial KB. More precisely, we show that when the initial KB is an arbitrary first-order theory, we are able to identify conditions under which projection can be solved by progressing the KB to a sentence reflecting the changes due to actions that have already occurred. Moreover, when effectors are unreliable, we allow the system to maintain probabilistic beliefs and then show how projection can be addressed by means of updating these beliefs. Finally, when there are many agents in the picture, we show that queries about the future can be resolved by regressing the query backwards to a formula about the initial KB. Only knowing comes with a significant result that allows us to reduce queries about knowledge to first-order theorem-proving tasks, which is then made use of when solving projection.