Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variational formulas for the power of the binary hypothesis testing problem with applications

Two variational formulas for the power of the binary hypothesis testing problem are derived. The first is given as the Legendre transform of a certain function and the second, induced from the first, is given in terms of the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of the log-likelihood ratio. One application of the first formula is an upper bound on the power of the binary hypothesis testing problem in terms of the Re'nyi divergence. The second formula provide a general framework for proving asymptotic and non-asymptotic expressions for the power of the test utilizing corresponding expressions for the CDF of the log-likelihood. The framework is demonstrated in the central limit regime (i.e., for non-vanishing type I error) and in the large deviations regime.
Hepatitis B virus: the genotype E puzzle

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is highly endemic throughout sub‐Saharan Africa. One of the two genotypes A and E dominates in most countries. With several subgenotypes and variants, genotype A is more diverse in Africa (4.00%) than in the rest of the world (2.96%), suggesting an African origin and a long history on the continent. Despite the African slave trade, genotype E has only sporadically been found within the Americas, indicating that this genotype was introduced only during the past 200 years into the general African population. A short history for this genotype in Africa is also supported by its conspicuously low genetic diversity (1.75%), which contrasts, however, with its excessively high HBsAg prevalence and its extensive spread throughout the vast West‐African genotype E crescent. We discuss the spread and routes of transmission of genotype E and suggest that the distribution and current high prevalence levels of HBV (genotype E) in Africa are the result of the extensive use of unsafe needles, potentially solving the current African genotype E puzzle and shedding new light on the high HBV prevalence in Africa. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Response assessment after induction chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: From physical examination to modern imaging techniques and beyond

Significant correlations between the response to induction chemotherapy and success of subsequent radiotherapy have been reported and suggest that the response to induction chemotherapy is able to predict a response to radiotherapy. Therefore, induction chemotherapy may be used to tailor the treatment plan to the individual patient with head and neck cancer: following the planned subsequent (chemo)radiation schedule, planning a radiation dose boost, or reassessing the modality of treatment (eg, upfront surgery). Findings from reported trials suggest room for improvement in clinical response assessment after induction chemotherapy, but an optimal method has yet to be identified. Historically, indices of treatment efficacy in solid tumors have been based solely on systematic assessment of tumor size. However, functional imaging (eg, fluorodeoxyglucose‐positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) potentially provides an earlier indication of response to treatment than conventional imaging techniques. More advanced imaging techniques are still in an exploratory phase and are not ready for use in clinical practice.
Perceptual Correlates of Changes in Cortical Representation of Fingers in Blind Multifinger Braille Readers

The mature mammalian nervous system alters its functional organization in a use-dependent manner. Enhanced stimulation of a body part enlarges its cortical representational zones and may change its topographic order. Little is known about the perceptual and behavioral relevance of these plastic alterations in cortical organization. We used blind Braille readers who use several fingers on each hand and who do so for many hours each day as a model to investigate this issue. Magnetic source imaging indicated that the cortical somatosensory representation of the fingers was frequently topographically disordered in these subjects; in addition, they frequently misperceived which of these fingers was being touched by a light tactile stimulus. In contrast, neither the disordered representation nor mislocalizations were observed in sighted controls. Blind non-teacher Braille readers who used only one finger for reading were not significantly different from the sighted controls. Thus, use-dependent cortical reorganization can be associated with functionally relevant changes in the perceptual and behavioral capacities of the individual.
Environmental and Synoptic Conditions Associated with Cool Season Strong and Violent Tornadoes in the North Central United States

While tornadoes can often occur during the cool season over the southern United States, they are relatively uncommon over the north central part of the country. A previous analysis by Britt and Glass (2000 – hereafter BG00) indicated that only a quarter of the strong (F2-F3) or violent (F4-F5) tornadoes that occur annually in eastern Missouri and southwest Illinois happen during the late autumn and winter months. However, when tornadoes do occur during these months, nearly half of them are either strong or violent. This is problematic for operational meteorologists as these infrequent events have a greater potential to cause damage and injury. This study further expands the area previously identified in BG00 to include the north central United States (Fig. 1). The area encompasses the northern and central Great Plains, the Middle and Upper Mississippi River Valley, the Lower Ohio River Valley, and the western Great Lakes. The cool season is defined as November 16 through the end of February. An examination of the weeks before and after these dates indicates a greater frequency of tornado occurrence. This suggests these periods are more typical of the transition seasons of autumn and spring when there is a higher occurrence of tornadoes. Tornado reports were gathered using Severe Plot (Hart and Janish, 1999). A total of 43 strong and violent tornadoes were identified on 18 separate days during the period from 1979-2005.
Aesthetic Guideline Driven Photography by Robots

Robots depend on captured images for perceiving the environment. A robot can replace a human in capturing quality photographs for publishing. In this paper, we employ an iterative photo capture by robots (by repositioning itself) to capture good quality photographs. Our image quality assessment approach is based on few high level features of the image combined with some of the aesthetic guidelines of professional photography. Our system can also be used in web image search applications to rank images. We test our quality assessment approach on a large and diversified dataset and our system is able to achieve a classification accuracy of 79%. We assess the aesthetic error in the captured image and estimate the change required in orientation of the robot to retake an aesthetically better photograph. Our experiments are conducted on NAO robot with no stereo vision. The results demonstrate that our system can be used to capture professional photographs which are in accord with the human professional photography.
Serum uric acid level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals

Department of Endocrinology, Xinhua hospital, School of medicine, Shanghai J iaotong University, Shanghai, China Department of Endocrinology, Xinhua hospital Chongming branch, School of medicine , Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China Shanghai Municipal Center For Disease Control And Prevention, Shanghai, China Department of Endocrinology, Ruijin hospital, School of medicine, Shanghai J iaotong University, Shanghai, China
A proposal for parallel self-adjusting computation

We present an overview of our ongoing work on parallelizing self-adjusting-computation techniques. In self-adjusting computation, programs can respond to changes to their data (e.g., inputs, outcomes of comparisons) automatically by running a change-propagation algorithm. This ability is important in applications where inputs change slowly over time. All previously proposed self-adjusting computation techniques assume a sequential execution model. We describe techniques for writing parallel self-adjusting programs and a change propagation algorithm that can update computations in parallel. We describe a prototype implementation and present preliminary experimental results.
Assessing the differences in accuracy between GFSs with bootstrap tests

The study of the balance between linguistic interpretability and numerical accuracy in genetic fuzzy systems is an active area of research, and a rich set of procedures for comparing the un-derstandability of fuzzy rule bases is available. Nevertheless, comparing the numerical accuracy of two GFS is relegated to a second plane, or assumed solved, as most of the researchers in this area use classical, parametric hypotheses based, statistical tests. With this paper, we intend to show that the straight use of classical tests to compare the accuracy of diﬀerent machine learning algorithms may produce misleading results, and propose to substitute them by bootstrap tests in the experimental designs of the cross-validation kind.
Assessing UML design metrics for predicting fault-prone classes in a Java system

Identifying and fixing software problems before implementation are believed to be much cheaper than after implementation. Hence, it follows that predicting fault-proneness of software modules based on early software artifacts like software design is beneficial as it allows software engineers to perform early predictions to anticipate and avoid faults early enough. Taking this motivation into consideration, in this paper we evaluate the usefulness of UML design metrics to predict fault-proneness of Java classes. We use historical data of a significant industrial Java system to build and validate a UML-based prediction model. Based on the case study we have found that level of detail of messages and import coupling—both measured from sequence diagrams, are significant predictors of class fault-proneness. We also learn that the prediction model built exclusively using the UML design metrics demonstrates a better accuracy than the one built exclusively using code metrics.
Assessment of Extraction Methods Effects on the Biological Activities (Antioxidant and Antiamylase) and Chemistry (Total Phenolics and Flavonoids) of Guazuma ulmifolia Leaves

The antioxidant activity was tested using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging method. Antiamylase activity was evaluated through a colorimetric assay that employs 3,5-dinitro salicylic acid (DNSA) as a substrate. Total phenolics and flavonoids content were quantified by the colorimetric method. The highest yield from the extraction of G. ulmifolia leaves was obtained from the water extract (9.64%). The infusion showed the most robust antioxidant and antiamylase activities (IC50 = 6.853 ± 0.504 µg/mL and 261.03 ± 6.83 µg/mL, respectively). The highest total phenolics and flavonoids content were found in the ethanolic extract, with 69.848 ± 1.871 mg GAE/g extract and 118.854 ± 1.001 mg QE/g extract respectively. Total phenolics and flavonoids content significantly influenced the antioxidant activity, but not the antiamylase activity. In conclusion, infusions were the best extraction method for obtaining high antiamylase activity, even though they did not yield the highest total phenolics and flavonoids content. Further research is needed to identify the compound in G. ulmifolia leaf infusions that contribute to antioxidant and antiamylase activities.
The Effect of E-commerce Platforms, Digital Marketing, and User Experience on Market Reach and Competitiveness of Indonesian MSMEs

The complex relationships between digital marketing tactics, user experience, and e-commerce platforms are examined in this study, as well as how these relationships affect MSMEs' (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises) ability to compete in the Indonesian market. Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) is utilized in the study to analyze survey data obtained from 150 MSMEs in Indonesia. The adoption of e-commerce and market reach, competitiveness and effective digital marketing techniques, and user experience and overall market performance are all significantly positively correlated, according to the results. The report offers detailed insights into the digital tactics influencing MSMEs' success in the Indonesian business environment. It also offers recommendations for further research and real-world applications for companies and regulators.
Specific polar subpopulations of astral microtubules control spindle orientation and symmetric neural stem cell division

Mitotic spindle orientation is crucial for symmetric vs asymmetric cell division and depends on astral microtubules. Here, we show that distinct subpopulations of astral microtubules exist, which have differential functions in regulating spindle orientation and division symmetry. Specifically, in polarized stem cells of developing mouse neocortex, astral microtubules reaching the apical and basal cell cortex, but not those reaching the central cell cortex, are more abundant in symmetrically than asymmetrically dividing cells and reduce spindle orientation variability. This promotes symmetric divisions by maintaining an apico-basal cleavage plane. The greater abundance of apical/basal astrals depends on a higher concentration, at the basal cell cortex, of LGN, a known spindle-cell cortex linker. Furthermore, newly developed specific microtubule perturbations that selectively decrease apical/basal astrals recapitulate the symmetric-to-asymmetric division switch and suffice to increase neurogenesis in vivo. Thus, our study identifies a novel link between cell polarity, astral microtubules, and spindle orientation in morphogenesis. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.02875. 001
Efficient multi-layer obstacle-avoiding rectilinear steiner tree construction

Given a set of pins and a set of obstacles on routing layers, a multi-layer obstacle-avoiding rectilinear Steiner minimal tree (ML-OARSMT) connects these pins by rectilinear edges within layers and vias between layers, and avoids running through any obstacle to construct a Steiner tree with a minimal total cost. The ML-OARSMT problem is very important for many VLSI designs with pins being located in multiple routing layers that contain numerous routing obstacles incurred from IP blocks, power networks, prerouted nets, etc. Therefore, it is desired to develop an effective algorithm for the ML-OARSMT problem. However, there is no existing work on this ML-OARSMT problem. In this paper, we first formulate the ML-OARSMT problem and identify key different properties of the problem from its single-layer counterpart. Based on the multilayer obstacle-avoiding spanning graph (ML-OASG), we present the first algorithm to solve the ML-OARSMT problem. Our algorithm can guarantee an optimal solution for any 2-pin net and many higher-pin nets. Experiments show that our algorithm results in 33% smaller total costs on average than a construction-by-correction heuristic which is widely used for Steiner-tree construction in the recent literature.
Analysis of earth dam failures: A database approach

A dam may fail when the loading exceeds the resistance against overtopping, internal erosion, slope instability, sliding/overturning, excessive deformation etc. To investigate the causes of failures, it is necessary to study characteristics of the dams which have experienced failures. In this work, more than 1600 dam failure cases throughout the world excluding China are compiled into a database, including details of the dams, the reservoirs, the triggers and the failures. This paper focuses on failure of earth dams, which make up 66% of the failure cases in the database. A statistical analysis of the failure characteristics is conducted. According to dam zoning and corewalls, earth dams are divided into four typical categories: homogeneous earthfill dams, zoned earthfill dams, earthfill dams with corewalls, and concrete faced earthfill dams. Further analysis of the failure modes and causes of the four types of earth dams is carried out. Potential locations at risk are also described to provide the reader with a better understanding of earth dam failures.
p27(Kip1) regulates cell cycle withdrawal of late multipotent progenitor cells in the mammalian retina.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor protein, p27(Kip1), is necessary for the timing of cell cycle withdrawal that precedes terminal differentiation in oligodendrocytes of the optic nerve. Although p27(Kip1) is widely expressed in the developing central nervous system, it is not known whether this protein has a similar role in neuronal differentiation. To address this issue, we have examined the expression and function of p27(Kip1) in the developing retina, a well-characterized part of the central nervous system. p27(Kip1) is expressed in a pattern coincident with the onset of differentiation of most retinal cell types. In vitro analyses show that p27(Kip1) accumulation in retinal cells correlates with cell cycle withdrawal and differentiation, and when overexpressed, p27(Kip1) inhibits proliferation of the progenitor cells. Furthermore, the histogenesis of photoreceptors and Müller glia is extended in the retina of p27(Kip1)-deficient mice. Finally, we examined the adult retinal dysplasia in p27(Kip1)-deficient mice with cell-type-specific markers. Contrary to previous suggestions that the dysplasia is caused by excess production of photoreceptors, we suggest that the dysplasia is due to the displacement of reactive Müller glia into the layer of photoreceptor outer segments. These results demonstrate that p27(Kip1) is part of the molecular mechanism that controls the decision of multipotent central nervous system progenitors to withdraw from the cell cycle. Second, postmitotic Müller glia have a novel and intrinsic requirement for p27(Kip1) in maintaining their differentiated state.
Rolling stones and stable homes: social structure, habitat diversity and population genetics of the Hawaiian spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris)

Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) exhibit different social behaviours at two regions in the Hawaiian Archipelago: off the high volcanic islands in the SE archipelago they form dynamic groups with ever‐changing membership, but in the low carbonate atolls in the NW archipelago they form long‐term stable groups. To determine whether these environmental and social differences influence population genetic structure, we surveyed spinner dolphins throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago with mtDNA control region sequences and 10 microsatellite loci (n = 505). F‐statistics, Bayesian cluster analyses, and assignment tests revealed population genetic separations between most islands, with less genetic structuring among the NW atolls than among the SE high islands. The populations with the most stable social structure (Midway and Kure Atolls) have the highest gene flow between populations (mtDNA ΦST < 0.001, P = 0.357; microsatellite FST = −0.001; P = 0.597), and a population with dynamic groups and fluid social structure (the Kona Coast of the island of Hawai’i) has the lowest gene flow (mtDNA 0.042 < ΦST < 0.236, P < 0.05; microsatellite 0.016 < FST < 0.040, P < 0.001). We suggest that gene flow, dispersal, and social structure are influenced by the availability of habitat and resources at each island. Genetic comparisons to a South Pacific location (n = 16) indicate that Hawaiian populations are genetically depauperate and isolated from other Pacific locations (mtDNA 0.216 < FST < 0.643, P < 0.001; microsatellite 0.058 < FST < 0.090, P < 0.001); this isolation may also influence social and genetic structure within Hawai’i. Our results illustrate that genetic and social structure are flexible traits that can vary between even closely‐related populations.
Enhanced secretion of prostaglandin E2 from osteoblasts by exposure to a strong static magnetic field

Exposure to static magnetic fields (SMFs) has been reported to promote osteoblast differentiation in vitro, and increase bone formation in vivo and in clinical studies. Prostaglandins respond early to exogenous mechanical loading, and play an important role in bone formation. In this study, we investigated whether exposure to a strong SMF affects prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion from a mouse osteoblastic cell line, MC3T3‐E1. We also investigated the PGE2‐synthesizing enzyme, cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox‐2), and translocation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB), which is involved in the induction of Cox‐2 expression. In the SMF exposures, experiments were performed at the 10 T‐exposure position, at which the magnetic flux density was highest, and at the 6 T‐exposure position, at which the magnetic field gradient was highest (41.7 T/m). PGE2 secretion was not affected by exposure at the 10 T‐exposure position compared to sham‐exposure, but was enhanced at the 6 T‐exposure position (about 1.5‐fold). Similarly, Cox‐2 expression and NF‐κB translocation were not enhanced at the 10 T‐exposure position, but increased at the 6 T‐exposure position (about twofold, two‐ to threefold, respectively). These findings suggested that exposure to a high magnetic field gradient induced secretion of PGE2 and expression of the Cox‐2 protein, which was mediated through increased translocation of NF‐κB. Bioelectromagnetics 29:277–283, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hyporheic hot moments: Dissolved oxygen dynamics in the hyporheic zone in response to surface flow perturbations

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a key environmental variable that drives and feeds back with numerous processes. In the aquatic sediment that makes up the hyporheic zone, DO may exhibit pronounced spatial gradients and complex patterns which control the distribution of a series of redox processes. Yet, little is known regarding the dynamics of hyporheic zone DO, especially under transitional flow regimes. Considering the natural tendency of rivers to be highly responsive to external forcing, these temporal dynamics are potentially just as important and pronounced as the spatial gradients. Here we use laboratory flume experiments and multiphysics flow and reactive transport modeling to investigate surface flow controls on the depth of oxygen penetration in the bed as well as the area of oxygenated sediment. We show that the hyporheic zone DO conditions respond over time scales of hours‐to‐days when subjected to practically instantaneous surface flow perturbations. Additionally, the flume experiments demonstrate that hyporheic zone DO conditions respond faster to surface flow acceleration than to deceleration. Finally, we found that the morphology of the dissolved oxygen plume front depends on surface flow acceleration or deceleration. This study thus shows that the highly dynamic nature of typical streams and rivers drives equally dynamic redox conditions in the hyporheic zone. Because the redox conditions and their distribution within the hyporheic zone are important from biological, ecological, and contaminant perspectives, this hyporheic redox dynamism has the potential to impact system scale aquatic chemical cycles.