Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design optimization of an artificial lateral line system incorporating flow and sensor uncertainties

ABSTRACT An artificial lateral line (ALL) system consists of a set of flow sensors around a fish-like body. An ALL system aims to identify surrounding moving objects, a common example of which is a vibrating sphere, called a dipole. Accurate identification of a vibrating dipole is a challenging task because of the presence of different types of uncertainty in measurements or in the underlying flow model. Proper selection of design parameters of the ALL system, including the shape, size, number and location of the sensors, can highly influence the identification accuracy. This study aims to find such an optimum design by developing a specialized bi-level optimization methodology. It identifies and simulates different sources of uncertainty in the problem formulation. A parametric fitness function addresses computational and practical goals and encompasses the effect of different sources of uncertainty. It can also analyse the trade-off between localization accuracy and the number of sensors. Comparison of the results for different extents of uncertainty reveals that the optimized design strongly depends on the amount of uncertainty as well as the number of sensors. Consequently, these factors must be considered in the design of an ALL system. Another highlight of the proposed bi-level optimization methodology is that it is generic and can be readily extended to solve other noisy and nested optimization problems.
Specific routing of retinal ganglion cell axons at the mammalian optic chiasm during embryonic development

During development of the mammalian CNS, axons encounter multiple pathway choices on their way to central target structures. A major pathway branch point in the visual system occurs at the optic chiasm, where retinal ganglion cell axons may either enter the ipsilateral or the contralateral optic tract. To investigate whether embryonic mouse retinal ganglion cell axons, upon reaching the optic chiasm, selectively grow into the correct pathway, developing retinal ganglion cells were retrogradely labeled using either 1,1′dioctadecyl- 3,3,3′,3′tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil) or fluorescent microspheres placed into the optic tract on one side. The distribution of ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting ganglion cells in the embryo was then examined and compared to that of the adult animal. Results show that axon routing at the chiasm is already extremely adult- like as early as embryonic day 15 (E15), shortly after retinal axons arrive at the chiasm. [Retinal ganglion cell neurogenesis = E11-E18 (Drager, 1985); birth = E21. ] Throughout the development of this pathway, routing errors are infrequent and are on the order of only about 3–8/1000 retinal ganglion cells. Thus, embryonic retinal ganglion cell axons do not project randomly at the optic chiasm but instead appear to be highly specific in their choice of pathway. To learn how correct pathway choices are made, retinal axons were retrogradely labeled with Dil and their trajectories at the optic chiasm were reconstructed. Results show that ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting axons are highly intermixed as they enter the chiasm region but selectively grow into the correct pathway. For example, a contralaterally projecting axon near the entrance of the ipsilateral optic tract will turn and bypass this pathway and grow towards the midline to head into the contralateral optic tract. Similarly, axons far away from the ipsilateral optic tract frequently turn abruptly at right angles to enter the ipsilateral tract, directly crossing over contralaterally projecting axons heading to the opposite side. The sorting out of intermixed ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting retinal axons into the appropriate optic tracts strongly suggests the presence of specific guidance cues at the optic chiasm during embryonic development. Together, results from this study demonstrate that the pattern of axon projection at the adult mammalian optic chiasm is gradually built upon a highly specific pattern of axon routing laid down early during development.
A sparse factor analytic probit model for congressional voting patterns

Summary. The paper adapts sparse factor models for exploring covariation in multivariate binary data, with an application to measuring latent factors in US Congressional roll‐call voting patterns. This straightforward modification provides two advantages over traditional factor analysis of binary data. First, a sparsity prior can be used to assess the evidence that a given factor loading may be exactly 0, realizing a principled unification of exploratory and confirmatory factory analysis. Second, incorporating sparsity into existing factor analytic probit models effects a favourable bias–variance trade‐off in estimating the covariance matrix of the multivariate Gaussian latent variables. Posterior summaries from this model applied to the roll‐call data provide novel metrics of partisanship of a given Senate.
Gene Amplification in Malignant Human Gliomas: Clinical and Histopathologic Aspects

Gene amplification occurs in 45–50% of malignant human gliomas (MHG). In the present study, 64 genetically characterized gliomas were evaluated to determine if tumors with amplification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), N-myc, c-myc, or gli genes had distinctive histopathologic features. There was no significant difference in age (p = 0.10) or gender (p = 0.78) between patients whose tumors contained amplified genes and those whose tumors did not exhibit this characteristic. Although the patients with amplified genes in their tumors survived slightly longer than patients whose tumors had no detectable gene amplification, these differences were not statistically significant (p=0.21). The 28 tumors with amplification included 24/48 (50%) glioblastoma multiforme, 2/6 (33%) anaplastic astrocytomas and 2/5 (40%) gliosarcomas. No amplification was seen in one oligodendroglioma, three anaplastic mixed gliomas or one giant cell glioblastoma multiforme. Necrosis and endothelial proliferation were equally prevalent among tumors with and without amplification. Comparison of tumors with gene amplification and tumors without this characteristic revealed similar distributions of most morphologic cells types. Although prominent perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates were more frequent in tumors without amplification, this association was of borderline significance statistically. In situ hybridization of tumors with amplification using an EGFR mRNA probe showed intense labeling of different neoplastic cell types including fibrillary and protoplasmic astrocytes, gemistocytes, anaplastic cells, and multinucleated giant cells. Non-neoplastic cells such as hyperplastic endothelium within the tumors did not express detectable EGFR mRNA. These studies demonstrate that (a) cells with quite different morphology within the same tumor can contain the same genetic alteration; (b) tumors of identical histological appearance may have arisen and evolved by different molecular mechanisms; and (c) molecular analyses are necessary to evaluate gene amplification in MHG since this characteristic cannot be accurately predicted by the morphologic or clinical criteria used in this study.
Beyond the usual suspects: context-aware revisitation support

A considerable amount of our activities on the Web involves revisits to pages or sites. Reasons for revisiting include active monitoring of content, verification of information, regular use of online services, and reoccurring tasks. Browsers support for revisitation is mainly focused on frequently and recently visited pages. In this paper we present a dynamic browser toolbar that provides recommendations beyond these usual suspects, balancing diversity and relevance. The recommendation method used is a combination of ranking and propagation methods. Experimental outcomes show that this algorithm performs significantly better than the baseline method. Further experiments address the question whether it is more appropriate to recommend specific pages or rather (portal pages of) Web sites. We conducted two user studies with a dynamic toolbar that relies on our recommendation algorithm. In this context, the outcomes confirm that users appreciate and use the contextual recommendations provided by the toolbar.
Multi-label Generic Cuts: Optimal Inference in Multi-label Multi-clique MRF-MAP Problems

We propose an algorithm called Multi Label Generic Cuts (MLGC) for computing optimal solutions to MRF-MAP problems with submodular multi label multi-clique potentials. A transformation is introduced to convert a m-label k-clique problem to an equivalent 2-label (mk)-clique problem. We show that if the original multi-label problem is submodular then the transformed 2-label multi-clique problem is also submodular. We exploit sparseness in the feasible configurations of the transformed 2-label problem to suggest an improvement to Generic Cuts [3] to solve the 2-label problems efficiently. The algorithm runs in time O(mk n3) in the worst case (n is the number of pixels) generalizing O(2k n3) running time of Generic Cuts. We show experimentally that MLGC is an order of magnitude faster than the current state of the art [17, 20]. While the result of MLGC is optimal for submodular clique potential it is significantly better than the compared methods even for problems with non-submodular clique potential.
Genes, Economics, and Happiness

We explore the influence of genetic variation on subjective well-being by employing a twin design and genetic association study. In a nationally-representative twin sample, we first show that about 33% of the variation in life satisfaction is explained by genetic variation. Although previous studies have shown that baseline happiness is significantly heritable, little research has considered molecular genetic associations with subjective well-being. We study the relationship between a functional polymorphism on the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and life satisfaction. We initially find that individuals with the longer, transcriptionally more efficient variant of this genotype report greater life satisfaction (n=2,545, p=0.012). However, our replication attempts on independent samples produce mixed results indicating that more work needs to be done to better understand the relationship between this genotype and subjective well-being. This work has implications for how economists think about the determinants of utility, and the extent to which exogenous shocks might affect individual well-being.
Spoken language planning and the initiation of articulation

Minimalist theories of spoken language planning hold that articulation starts when the first speech segment has been planned, whereas non-minimalist theories assume larger units (e.g., Levelt, Roelofs, & Meyer, 1999a). Three experiments are reported, which were designed to distinguish between these views using a new hybrid task that factorially manipulated preparation and auditory priming of spoken language production. Minimalist theories predict no effect from priming of non-initial segments when the initial segment of an utterance is already prepared; observing such a priming effect would support non-minimalist theories. In all three experiments, preparation and priming yielded main effects, and together their effects were additive. Preparation of initial segments does not eliminate priming effects for later segments. These results challenge the minimalist view. The findings are simulated by WEAVER++ (Roelofs, 1997b), which employs the phonological word as the lower limit for articulation initiation.
Development and validation of a hybrid measure of organisational communication satisfaction

The purpose of the study was to develop a hybrid quantitative audit of organisational communicationsatisfaction for the public service. In Study One, a two-factor solution was obtained, based onparallel analysis as a factor determination strategy with data obtained from 264 civil servantsusing a 30 item measure. In Study Two, the items of the new EFA-generated organisationalcommunication satisfaction scale were renumbered consecutively and the scale was crossvalidatedon a new sample of 288 civil servants from the Addis Ababa City Administration. Thecross-validation necessitated model respecification and re-estimation. The respecified modelunderwent validation at different levels. All seven aspects of validity, namely content validity,construct validity, factorial validity, reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity andnomological validity were addressed and found to be adequate, pointing to a refinement in themeasurement of communication satisfaction. However, limitations are also indicated as avenuesfor further enquiry.
Explanation of police officers' information technology acceptance using the technology acceptance model and social cognitive theory

In the last decades, information technology (IT) has touched every aspect of life. Computers have been used in a great range of fields such as education, government, business, entertainment, and daily life. Similar to other organizations, police organizations use IT systems to improve their effectiveness and performance. However, police organizations have not always obtained intended benefits from the use of IT. One of the reasons for this problem is police officers' inadequate acceptance of IT. This study identified the factors affecting police officers' information technology acceptance using Davis' (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Bandura's (1977) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). In light of these approaches and scholarly articles from the literature, the direct and indirect effects of police officers' beliefs about the use of computers, social pressure about the use of computers, their computer self-efficacy (CSE), computer anxiety, computer experience, and organizational support for officers' use of computers in their departments was examined in a study model. The sample for the study was selected from the students of the Southern Police Institute (SPI) at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. A survey was designed to collect data. Of 207 questionnaires distributed, 189 were used for the analyses. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) version 16.0. Of the 23 hypotheses in the study model, 12 were supported. The supported hypotheses showed that police officers' IT usage was affected by officers' beliefs about the usefulness of IT, computer experience, computer anxiety, and social pressure related to the use of IT.
Assessing the Temporal Stability of Hunting Participation and the Structure and Intensity of Constraints: A Panel Study

The intent of this panel study of Virginia hunters/non-hunters (N = 497) was to assess the temporal stability of: hunting participation; perceived constraint factor structure and intensity; and the interrelationship of participation and constraints. Findings suggest that participation/non-participation patterns were stable across time periods for the population, yet dynamic at the individual level. Antihunting Attitude and Preference to participate in other activities, Costs associated with hunting, Access and Opportunity to hunt, Work and Family Commitments and perceptions about hunting on Public Lands were viewed consistently as constraints by respondents. Although the structure of perceived constraints appeared stable, the intensity varied significantly over time and distinguished among participation groups. Given that most constraint research is psychologically grounded, it appears more appropriate to employ research designs (e.g., panel, repeated measures) that allow individual-level analyses. The Antihunting Attitude and Preference constraint, key to understanding behavioral response, deserves a more in-depth examination.
Glyphosate Shapes a Dinoflagellate-Associated Bacterial Community While Supporting Algal Growth as Sole Phosphorus Source

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide that can potentially be a phosphorus (P) source for phytoplankton and microbes when discharged into the coastal ocean. In contrast to bacteria, few eukaryotic phytoplankton species appear capable of directly utilizing glyphosate. In this study, we observed, after a long delay (>60 days), Prorocentrum donghaiense, a dinoflagellate known to cause major harmful algal blooms in the East China Sea, could grow in a medium with glyphosate as the sole P source; suggesting that P. donghaiense growth was through bacterial mediation. To understand how the bacteria community might respond to glyphosate, we analyzed the 16S rRNA genes of the microbial community present in P. donghaiense cultures when grown under lower (36 μM) and higher (360 μM) glyphosate concentrations. Based on both Sanger and Illumina high throughput sequencing, we obtained more than 55,323 good-quality sequences, which were classified into six phyla. As the concentration of glyphosate rose, our results showed a significant increase in the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes and a decrease in the phylum Bacteroidetes. Further qPCR (Quantitative PCR) analysis showed higher abundances of two specific phylotypes in the higher-glyphosate P. donghaiense cultures when compared to the lower-glyphosate and no-glyphosate cultures. Correspondingly, qPCR displayed the same trend for the abundance of a gammaproteobacterial type of phnJ, a gene encoding Alpha-D-ribose 1-methylphosphonate 5-phosphate C-P lyase, which is responsible for phosphonate degradation. In addition, Tax4Fun analysis based on our 16S rRNA gene sequences results in higher predicted abundances of phosphonate metabolizing genes in glyphosate-treated cultures. This study demonstrates that glyphosate could selectively promote the growth of particular groups of bacteria within an algal culture and in glyphosate enriched coastal waters, this interaction may potentially further facilitate the growth of alga.
Effect of phosphorylated ribavirin on vesicular stomatitis virus transcription

The effect of phosphorylated ribavirin on a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in vitro transcription reaction was examined. Viral mRNA synthesized in the presence of the 5' mono-, di-, and triphosphorylated forms of the drug translated with equal efficiencies under the test conditions. However, all three phosphorylated species inhibited VSV transcription. The mono- and diphosphorylated forms of the drug possessed approximately two to three times the inhibitory activity as the triphosphorylated form. Transcripts synthesized in the presence of drug were full length and were absent of incorporated drug. Inhibition by ribavirin 5'-diphosphate could be reversed by the addition of UTP, CTP, and GTP, while the addition of GDP to the reaction did not reverse inhibition. Ribavirin diphosphate was added to a La Crosse virus in vitro transcription assay to determine whether an inhibitory effect could be established in a viral system that was more sensitive to ribavirin than was VSV; it led to profound inhibition of RNA synthesis at concentrations as low as 0.1 microgram/ml. These data suggest that ribavirin has an effect on the initial steps of transcription by some RNA-dependent RNA polymerases and that this effect may be mediated by several phosphorylated forms.
Analytical Results for a Multistate Gene Model

Gene expression is a complicated multistep process where transcription depends on a chromatin template that can be characterized by stochastic transitions between active and inactive states of promoter. Here, we develop general stochastic models of bursty gene expression, which extend previous models by incorporating slow dynamics of transcription. We derive the analytical expression for the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) probability distribution and discuss it in the limit of some reaction rates. By analyzing experimentally measurable indices such as mean, variance, noise intensity, and Fano factor, we analytically demonstrate that inactive phases of promoter can tune the mRNA or protein noise intensity to the minimum independently from the mean expression, with an inference that previous results based on two-stage models overestimate the noise in mRNA. We also present analytical results for the waiting-time distribution, showing that it has the maximum. These results not only explain well biological .
Emerging Directions in Emotional Episodic Memory

Building upon the existing literature on emotional memory, the present review examines emerging evidence from brain imaging investigations regarding four research directions: (1) Social Emotional Memory, (2) The Role of Emotion Regulation in the Impact of Emotion on Memory, (3) The Impact of Emotion on Associative or Relational Memory, and (4) The Role of Individual Differences in Emotional Memory. Across these four domains, available evidence demonstrates that emotion- and memory-related medial temporal lobe brain regions (amygdala and hippocampus, respectively), together with prefrontal cortical regions, play a pivotal role during both encoding and retrieval of emotional episodic memories. This evidence sheds light on the neural mechanisms of emotional memories in healthy functioning, and has important implications for understanding clinical conditions that are associated with negative affective biases in encoding and retrieving emotional memories.
An analytic approach to the dosimetry of a new BEBIG 60Co high-dose-rate brachytherapy source

We present a simple analytic tool for calculating the dose rate distribution in water for a new BEBIG high-dose-rate (HDR) 60Co brachytherapy source. In the analytic tool, we consider the active source as a point located at the geometric center of the 60Co material. The influence of the activity distribution in the active volume of the source is taken into account separately by use of the line source-based geometric function. The exponential attenuation of primary 60Co photons by the source materials (60Co and stainless-steel) is included in the model. The model utilizes the point-source-based function, f(r) that represents the combined effect of the exponential attenuation and scattered photons in water. We derived this function by using the published radial dose function for a point 60Co source in an unbounded water medium of radius 50 cm. The attenuation coefficients for 60Co and the stainless-steel encapsulation materials are deduced as best-fit parameters that minimize the different