Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computing 80 Initial Bits of A Chaitin Omega Number : Preliminary Version

A Chaitin Omega number is the halting probability of a universal Chaitin (selfdelimiting Turing) machine. Every Omega number is both computably enumerable (the limit of a computable, increasing, converging sequence of rationals) and random (its binary expansion is an algorithmic random sequence). In particular, every Omega number is strongly non-computable. The aim of this paper is to describe a procedure, which combines Java and Perl programming and mathematical proofs, for computing the exact values of the first 80 bits of a Chaitin Omega: 0.0000000000000000000010000001000000100000010000010000011100100111000101 0001010000. Full description of programs and proofs will be given elsewhere.
Shapes, Paint, and Light

Author(s): Barron, Jonathan Tilton | Advisor(s): Malik, Jitendra | Abstract: A fundamental problem in computer vision is that of inferring the intrinsic, 3D structure of the world from flat, 2D images of that world. Traditional methods for recovering scene properties such as shape, reflectance, or illumination rely on multiple observations of the same scene to overconstrain the problem. Recovering these same properties from a single image seems almost impossible in comparison --- there are an infinite number of shapes, paint, and lights that exactly reproduce a single image. However, certain explanations are more likely than others: surfaces tend to be smooth, paint tends to be uniform, and illumination tends to be natural. We therefore pose this problem as one of statistical inference, and define an optimization problem that searches for the most likely explanation of a single image. Our model, which we call ``SIRFS'', can be viewed as a superset of several classic computer vision problems (shape-from-shading, intrinsic images, color constancy, illumination estimation, etc) and outperforms all previous solutions to those constituent problems.Though SIRFS performs well on images of segmented objects, it performs poorly on images of natural scenes, which contain occlusion and spatially-varying illumination. We therefore additionally present Scene-SIRFS, a generalization of SIRFS in which we have a mixture of shapes and a mixture of illuminations, and those mixture components are embedded in a ``soft'' segmentation of the input image. We additionally use the noisy depth maps provided by RGB-D sensors (in this case, the Kinect) to improve shape estimation.
Anogenital Distance in Turkish Newborns

Objective: Anogenital distances are considered to be a sensitive indicator of external genitalia exposure to factors such as anti-androgens, and/or endocrine distruptors during the prenatal period. Exposure to such factors can lead to changes in the anogenital measurements (AGM) of newborn infants. These measurements can be used to predict masculinization of the external genitalia in healthy newborns. The goal of this study was to determine normal values for AGM in Turkish newborns of both genders. Methods: One hundred fifteen female and 135 male term newborns with no congenital defects were included in this study. A well-trained observer measured the anogenital distance by using a sliding Caliper graduated in millimeters. Anogenital distance was measured from the center of the anus to the posterior convergence of the fourchette in females and from the center of the anus to the junction of the smooth perineal skin with the base of the scrotum in males. Results: Anogenital distance in males and females was 23±0.6 mm and 10.3±0.2 mm, respectively. There were significant differences in anogenital distance values between male and female newborns (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study provide data that can be used as reference standards with regard to AGM of the posterior genital structures in Turkish male and female newborns. These data will also serve in postnatal evaluations to determine the effects of prenatal exposures to factors affecting development of genitalia. Conflict of interest:None declared.
A Discriminative Model for Perceptually-Grounded Incremental Reference Resolution

A large part of human communication involves referring to entities in the world, and often these entities are objects that are visually present for the interlocutors. A computer system that aims to resolve such references needs to tackle a complex task: objects and their visual features must be determined, the referring expressions must be recognised, extra-linguistic information such as eye gaze or pointing gestures must be incorporated — and the intended connection between words and world must be reconstructed. In this paper, we introduce a discriminative model of reference resolution that processes incrementally (i.e., word for word), is perceptually-grounded, and improves when interpolated with information from gaze and pointing gestures. We evaluated our model and found that it performed robustly in a realistic reference resolution task, when compared to a generative model.
Risky Business: Do Native Rodents Use Habitat and Odor Cues to Manage Predation Risk in Australian Deserts?

In open, arid environments with limited shelter there may be strong selection on small prey species to develop behaviors that facilitate predator avoidance. Here, we predicted that rodents should avoid predator odor and open habitats to reduce their probability of encounter with potential predators, and tested our predictions using a native Australian desert rodent, the spinifex hopping-mouse (Notomys alexis). We tested the foraging and movement responses of N. alexis to non-native predator (fox and cat) odor, in sheltered and open macro- and microhabitats. Rodents did not respond to predator odor, perhaps reflecting the inconsistent selection pressure that is imposed on prey species in the desert environment due to the transience of predator-presence. However, they foraged primarily in the open and moved preferentially across open sand. The results suggest that N. alexis relies on escape rather than avoidance behavior when managing predation risk, with its bipedal movement probably allowing it to exploit open environments most effectively.
Hemodynamic Changes in Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery and Anterior Interventricular Vein during Right Ventricular Apical Pacing: A Doppler Ultrasound Study in Open Chest Beagles

Objective The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of right ventricular apical pacing (RVAP) on hemodynamics in left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and anterior interventricular vein (AIV) contrast to baseline condition in open chest beagles using Doppler ultrasound imaging. Methods In 6 anesthetized open chest beagles, the spectral Doppler waveforms of the middle segmental LAD and the AIV were acquired with a 5 MHz linear array transducer at baseline condition and during RVAP. The aortic pressure-time curves were recorded synchronously. The Doppler hemodynamic parameters of the LAD and AIV at both states were derived and compared. Results The spectral Doppler waveforms of the LAD had a principal diastolic positive wave (Dp), which heelled by a momentary negative wave and a positive wave during early systole at baseline condition. During RVAP, an additional negative wave appeared in the LAD at late systole. The duration of the Dp shortened (227.83±12.16 ms vs 188.50±8.97 ms, P<0.001), and the acceleration of the Dp decreased (11.85±2.22 m/s2 vs 3.54±0.42 m/s2, P<0.001). The spectral Doppler waveforms of the AIV only had a principal positive wave (Sp) at baseline condition, but an additional diastolic negative wave appeared during RVAP. The duration of the Sp shortened (242.99±7.98 ms vs 215.38±15.44 ms, P<0.001), and the acceleration of the Sp decreased (9.61±1.93 m/s2 vs 1.01±0.11 m/s2, P<0.001). Conclusions Obvious hemodynamic changes in the LAD and AIV during RVAP were observed, and these abnormal flow patterns in epicardial coronary arteries and vena coronaria may be sensitive and important hints of the disturbed cardiac electrical and mechanical activity sequences.
Who Faces Higher Prices? An Empirical Analysis Based on Japanese Homescan Data

On the basis of household-level scanner data (called homescan data) for Japan, we construct a household-level price index and investigate the causes of price differences across households. We observe large price differentials across households, a result that is consistent with the previous research based on the data in the USA. However, the differences across age and income groups are small. In addition, we find that elderly people face higher prices than the younger ones, which is contrary to the results of the previous research. The most important determinant of the price level is the extent to which households rely on bargain sales; doubling purchases of goods at bargain sales decreases the price level by about 2%, while shopping frequency only has a limited effect on the price level.
The Economic Returns to Public Agricultural Research in Uruguay

We use newly constructed data to model and measure agricultural productivity growth and the returns to public agricultural research conducted in Uruguay over the period 1961–2010. We pay attention specifically to the role of levy-based funding under INIA, which was established in 1990. Our results indicate that the creation of INIA was associated with a revitalization of funding for agricultural R&D in Uruguay, which spurred sustained growth in agricultural productivity during the past two decades when productivity growth was stagnating in many other countries. The econometric results were somewhat sensitive to specification choices. The preferred model includes two other variables with common trends, a time-trend variable and a proxy for private research impacts, as well as a variable representing the stock of public agricultural knowledge that entailed a lag distribution with a peak impact at year 24 of the 25- year lag. It implies a marginal benefit-cost ratio of 48.2, using a real discount rate of 5 percent per annum and a modified internal rate of return of 24% per annum. The benefit-cost ratio varied significantly across models with different lag structures or that omitted the trend or the private research variable, but across the same models the modified internal rate of return was very stable, ranging from 23% per annum to 27% per annum. These results suggest that the revitalized investment in research spending under INIA has been very profitable for Uruguay, and that a greater rate of investment would have been justified.
The added complications of climate change: understanding and managing biodiversity and ecosystems

Ecosystems around the world are already threatened by land-use and land-cover change, extraction of natural resources, biological disturbances, and pollution. These environmental stressors have been the primary source of ecosystem degradation to date, and climate change is now exacerbating some of their effects. Ecosystems already under stress are likely to have more rapid and acute reactions to climate change; it is therefore useful to understand how multiple stresses will interact, especially as the magnitude of climate change increases. Understanding these interactions could be critically important in the design of climate adaptation strategies, especially because actions taken by other sectors (eg energy, agriculture, transportation) to address climate change may create new ecosystem stresses.
CD69 Does Not Affect the Extent of T Cell Priming

CD69 is rapidly upregulated on T cells upon activation. In this work we show that this is also the case for CD69 expression on dendritic cells (DC). Thus, the expression kinetics of CD69 on both cell types is reminiscent of the one of costimulatory molecules. Using mouse models of transgenic T cells, we aimed at evaluating the effect of monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based targeting and gene deficiency of CD69 expressed by either DC or T cells on the extent of antigen (Ag)-specific T cell priming, which could be the result of a putative role in costimulation as well as on DC maturation and Ag-processing and presentation. CD69 targeting or deficiency of DC did not affect their expression of costimulatory molecules nor their capacity to induce Ag-specific T cell proliferation in in vitro assays. Also, CD69 targeting or deficiency of transgenic T cells did not affect the minimal proliferative dose for different peptide agonists in vitro. In in vivo models of transgenic T cell transfer and local Ag injection, CD69 deficiency of transferred T cells did not affect the extent of the proliferative response in Ag-draining lymph nodes (LN). In agreement with these results, CD69 MAb targeting or gene deficiency of Vaccinia-virus (VACV) infected mice did not affect the endogenous formation of virus-specific CD8+ T cell populations at the peak of the primary immune response. Altogether our results argue against a possible role in costimulation or an effect on Ag processing and presentation for CD69.
‘Voodoo maths’, asymmetric dependency and maths blame: why collaboration between school science and mathematics teachers is so rare

ABSTRACT Mathematical reasoning and tools are intrinsic to science, yet the close and dependent relationship science has to mathematics is not reflected in either school education or science education research. This paper asks what the barriers are to a mutually beneficial relationship between the two disciplines. A two-phase qualitative interview study was used to explore the relationship between school science and mathematics education through the perspectives of science and mathematics education policy-makers and of teachers in departments which are unusual in collaborating. In total there were 36 participants. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings show that there is an asymmetry in the dependency between school science and mathematics: science is dependent on mathematics but the reverse is not true. We discuss three consequences of this asymmetric dependency: there is greater benefit for science from any collaboration; ‘maths blame’ can arise from science teacher frustration; and science educators may believe they should have some ownership of the mathematics curriculum. Asymmetry of dependency, and therefore of benefit, will make it very difficult for mathematics and science to work together in a way which is genuinely mutually beneficial.
Analysis of MC-DS-CDMA systems in doubly spread channels

Kondo and Milstein introduced and analyzed the performance of a system that combined multicarrier modulation (MCM) with direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) in late 1993. Their system and similar systems are called MC-DS-CDMA systems. The dramatic performance improvement of this system (as compared to a single carrier system operating in a flat fading channel) is due, in part, to the use of coherent modulation/demodulation and perfect knowledge of the complex channel gains for each of the independent channels associated with every subcarrier. In this paper we investigate the performance degradation associated with a more easily realized system. Our system employs differentially coherent modulation/demodulation with an equal gain combiner (EGC) at the receiver. We investigate the performance of this system operating in a doubly spread (Doppler and delay spread) channel. In a doubly spread channel, any system which does not account for the rapid variations in channel phase will exhibit an irreducible bit error probability. This phenomenon exists even for the single user case. A system utilizing an EGC is analyzed for the single user case and in the presence of multiple access interference (MAI). The MC-DS-CDMA single user system, with E/sub b//N/sub 0/=18.5 dB, can achieve a BEP of 10/sup -6/ in a doubly spread channel (f/sub d/T=0.08 and a channel delay spread, /spl tau//sub 0/=1 /spl nu/s), while a single carrier DPSK system operating at the same E/sub b//N/sub 0/ and under the same channel conditions would achieve a BEP of 0.037. The multi-user system with 50 active users would achieve a BEP of 0.008 as compared to a BEP of 0.07 for a single carrier system.
Parameterization for Cloud Longwave Scattering for Use in Atmospheric Models

A parameterization for the scattering of thermal infrared (longwave) radiation by clouds has been developed based on discrete-ordinate multiple-scattering calculations. The effect of backscattering is folded into the emission of an atmospheric layer and the absorption between levels by scaling the cloud optical thickness. The scaling is a function of the single-scattering albedo and asymmetry factor. For wide ranges of cloud particle size, optical thickness, height, and atmospheric conditions, flux errors induced by the parameterization are small. They are , 4Wm 22 (2%) in the upward flux at the top of the atmosphere and , 2Wm 22 (1%) in the downward flux at the surface. Compared to the case that scattering by clouds is neglected, the flux errors are more than a factor of 2 smaller. The maximum error in cooling rate is 8%, which occurs at the top of clouds, as well as at the base of high clouds where the difference between the cloud and surface temperatures is large. With the scaling approximation, radiative transfer equations for a cloudy atmosphere are identical with those for a clear atmosphere, and the difficulties in applying a multiple-scattering algorithm to a partly cloudy atmosphere (assuming homogeneous clouds) are avoided. The computational efficiency is practically the same as that for a clear atmosphere. The parameterization represents a significant reduction in one source of the errors involved in the calculation of longwave cooling in cloudy atmospheres.
Influence of Scleral Buckling Surgery with Encircling Band on Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Long-Term Observations

Purpose. The aim of this study is the presentation of subfoveal choroidal thickness with enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) several months after scleral buckling with encircling band surgery. Methods. 48 patients who underwent scleral buckling with encircling band surgery for unilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were included in the retrospective observational study. The mean time from scleral buckling surgery to the final EDI-OCT examination was 22±6.7 months. We compare choroidal thickness between operated and fellow eyes. Results. In all patients, the macula was detached before the surgery. The subfoveal choroidal thickness in 48 treated eyes was 260.9±45.8 µm (range 155–383 µm) and in the fellow eyes was 217.5±36.7 µm (range 98–326 µm). The subfoveal choroidal thickness of eyes after scleral buckling surgery in long-term EDI-OCT examination was significantly thicker (P<0.001) than in fellow eyes. Conclusions. The subfoveal choroid in eyes undergoing encircling band surgery was significantly thicker than in fellow eyes. We suspect that this may be the result of reduced choroidal blood flow. It also seems that the width and size of the material used in scleral buckling surgery may affect a change in the choroid circulation and increase subfoveal choroidal thickness.
German Mass Murderers and Their Proximal Warning Behaviors

The main objective of this study was to analyze mass murder cases committed by adults from a threat assessment perspective, and to identify risk factors and proximal warning behaviors. Therefore, court records of 33 German mass murderers between 2000 and 2012 were systematically evaluated. One major focus was the comparison between psychotic and nonpsychotic offenders. Significant differences were found between the 2 groups regarding their choice of weapons, planning behavior, personal crises, personality aspects, and warning behaviors. Nonpsychotic subjects were significantly more likely to evidence pathway warning behavior and directly threaten their targets before the attack when compared with the psychotic subjects. Effect sizes were medium to large. All offenders showed multiple proximal warning behaviors prior to their attacks. Findings are interpreted in light of previous studies and for the purpose of enhancing threat assessment protocols of such persons of concern.
Doctoral Student Perfectionism and Emotional Well-Being

Abstract This study examined the association between perfectionism and perceived stress, life satisfaction, positive emotions, and negative emotions among a national sample of 528 doctoral students. Latent profile analysis based on a measure of perfectionism supported a 3-class model (i.e., adaptive perfectionists, nonperfectionists, and maladaptive perfectionists). Adaptive perfectionists had the lowest levels of perceived stress and negative emotions and the highest levels of positive emotions and life satisfaction. Maladaptive perfectionists had the highest levels of perceived stress and negative emotions along with the lowest levels of negative emotions.
Time- or State-Dependence? An Analysis of Inflation Dynamics using German Business Survey Data

This paper evaluates the predictions of different price setting theories using a new dataset constructed from a large panel of business surveys of German retail firms over the period 1970-2010. The dataset contains firm-specific information on both price realizations and expectations. Aggregating the price data we find clear evidence in favor of state-dependence; for periods of relatively high and volatile inflation not only the size of price changes (intensive margin) but also the fraction of price adjustment (extensive margin) is important for aggregate inflation dynamics. Moreover, at the business cycle frequency, variations in the extensive margin explain a large fraction of inflation variability even for moderate inflation periods. This holds both for price realizations and expectations suggesting a role for state-dependent sticky plan models. Moreover, results from a structural sign-restriction VAR model show that the extensive margin reacts significantly to a monetary policy shock and is more important for the response of overall inflation than the intensive margin conditional on the shock. These findings confirm the validity of state-dependent pricing models that stress the importance of the extensive margin - even for low inflation periods.
Estimation Errors Sensitivity of MMSE Multiuser Receivers in DS-CDMA

The Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) receiver is a widely known linear detector that reduces the Multiple Access Interference (MAI) in DS-CDMA systems. Its optimal implementation in frequency selective scenarios requires the knowledge of the received signal covariance matrix and of the channel signature waveform that impairs the communication of each user. These quantities are generally not known and therefore they must be estimated by some techniques. This paper considers a chip-based MMSE receiver with a blind channel estimation technique characterised by a subspace approach. The aim is to investigate by simulations the BER degradation caused by the estimation errors of the covariance matrix and of the channel signature waveform, in order to point out problems and limitations in a realistic environment.
Climate Scientists’ Wide Prediction Intervals May Be More Likely but Are Perceived to Be Less Certain

The use of interval forecasts allows climate scientists to issue predictions with high levels of certainty even for areas fraught with uncertainty, since wide intervals are objectively more likely to capture the truth than narrow intervals. However, wide intervals are also less informative about what the outcome will be than narrow intervals, implying a lack of knowledge or subjective uncertainty in the forecaster. In six experiments, we investigate how laypeople perceive the (un)certainty associated with wide and narrow interval forecasts, and find that the preference for accuracy (seeing wide intervals as “objectively” certain) versus informativeness (seeing wide intervals as indicating “subjective” uncertainty) is influenced by contextual cues (e.g., question formulation). Most important, we find that people more commonly and intuitively associate wide intervals with uncertainty than with certainty. Our research thus challenges the wisdom of using wide intervals to construct statements of high certainty in climate change reports.