Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A probabilistic model for multimodal hash function learning

In recent years, both hashing-based similarity search and multimodal similarity search have aroused much research interest in the data mining and other communities. While hashing-based similarity search seeks to address the scalability issue, multimodal similarity search deals with applications in which data of multiple modalities are available. In this paper, our goal is to address both issues simultaneously. We propose a probabilistic model, called multimodal latent binary embedding (MLBE), to learn hash functions from multimodal data automatically. MLBE regards the binary latent factors as hash codes in a common Hamming space. Given data from multiple modalities, we devise an efficient algorithm for the learning of binary latent factors which corresponds to hash function learning. Experimental validation of MLBE has been conducted using both synthetic data and two realistic data sets. Experimental results show that MLBE compares favorably with two state-of-the-art models.
Extracting the pectoral muscle in screening mammograms using a graph pyramid

A graph based method is introduced to segment the pectoral muscles in screening mammograms. An adaptive pyramid is used to segment the mammogram into a number of components. Components forming the pectoral muscle are identified based on position, intensity, and shape. The boundary of the union of these components forms an initial boundary that is refined via an adaptive deformable contour model. The method is tested on 83 medio-lateral oblique mammograms from the Mini-MIAS database. Segmentation results are evaluated in terms of the proportion of correctly assigned pixels. Performance compares well with existing methods based on Hough transform and on Gabor wavelets.
Heritability and Repeatability Estimates for Reproductive Traits of Japanese Black Cows

Reproductive data collected from more than 20,000 Japanese Black cows of Hyogo and Shimane Prefectures were analyzed. Averages of age at first calving, gestation length, days open and calving interval were 25.1 mo, 289 d, 112 d and 401 d, respectively. Variance components were obtained by REML procedure and the heritability estimate of age at first calving was 0.22. In gestation length the heritability estimate was 0.40 and no permanent environmental effect was estimated. Estimated variance components of calving interval were similar to those of days open and the heritability and repeatability of calving interval were 0.05 and 0.09, respectively. Random farm effects accounted for approximately 10% of phenotypic variations in all traits. Genetic and farm correlations between age at first calving and calving interval were 0.27 and 0.39, respectively. It was found that temporary environment was an important source of variation for calving intervals of Japanese Black. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 12 : 1680- 1685)
Evolution of clustering length, large-scale bias, and host halo mass at 2

We investigate the evolution of galaxy clustering for galaxies in the redshift range 2.0 \textless z \textless 5.0 using the VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS). We present the projected (real-space) two-point correlation function w(p)(r(p)) measured by using 3022 galaxies with robust spectroscopic redshifts in two independent fields (COSMOS and VVDS-02h) covering in total 0.8 deg(2). We quantify how the scale dependent clustering amplitude r(0) changes with redshift making use of mock samples to evaluate and correct the survey selection function. Using a power-law model xi(r) = (r/r(0))(-gamma) we find that the correlation function for the general population is best fit by a model with a clustering length r(0) = 3.95(-0.54)(+0.48) h(-1) Mpc and slope y = 1.8(-0.06)(+0.02) at z similar to 2.5, r(0) = 4.35 +/- 0.60 h(-1) Mpc and gamma = 1.6(-0.13)(+0.12) at z similar to 3.5. We use these clustering parameters to derive the large-scale linear galaxy bias b(L)(PL), between galaxies and dark matter. We find b(L)(PL) = 2.68 +/- 0.22 at redshift z similar to 3 (assuming sigma(8) = 0.8), significantly higher than found at intermediate and low redshifts for the similarly general galaxy populations. We fit a halo occupation distribution (HOD) model to the data and we obtain that the average halo mass at redshift z similar to 3 is M-h = 10(11.75+/-0.23) h(-1) M-circle dot. From this fit we confirm that the large-scale linear galaxy bias is relatively high at b(L)(HOD) = 2.82 +/- 0.27. Comparing these measurements with similar measurements at lower redshifts we infer that the star-forming population of galaxies at z similar to 3 should evolve into the massive and bright (M-r \textless -21.5) galaxy population, which typically occupy haloes of mass \textless M-h \textgreater = 10(13.9) h(-1) M-circle dot at redshift z = 0.
Frequency-dependent effects of background noise on subcortical response timing

The addition of background noise to an auditory signal delays brainstem response timing. This effect has been extensively documented using manual peak selection. Peak picking, however, is impractical for large-scale studies of spectrotemporally complex stimuli, and leaves open the question of whether noiseinduced delays are frequency-dependent or occur across the frequency spectrum. Here we use an automated, objective method to examine phase shifts between auditory brainstem responses to a speech sound (/da/) presented with and without background noise. We predicted that shifts in neural response timing would also be reflected in frequency-specific phase shifts. Our results indicate that the addition of background noise causes phase shifts across the subcortical response spectrum (70e1000 Hz). However, this noise-induced delay is not uniform such that some frequency bands show greater shifts than others: low-frequency phase shifts (300e500 Hz) are largest during the response to the consonant-vowel formant transition (/d/), while high-frequency shifts (720e1000 Hz) predominate during the response to the steady-state vowel (/a/). Most importantly, phase shifts occurring in specific frequency bands correlate strongly with shifts in the latencies of the predominant peaks in the auditory brainstem response, while phase shifts in other frequency bands do not. This finding confirms the validity of phase shift detection as an objective measure of timing differences and reveals that this method detects noiseinduced shifts in timing that may not be captured by traditional peak latency measurements. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Neural Model for Contextual Named Entity Retrieval

In this project we propose CNER — a neural network model that exploits context of the entity for the named entity retrieval problem. The proposed model is designed based on multi-task learning paradigm where the main task is to discover entity similarity and the auxiliary task is to discover context similarity. We used weak supervision for context similarity with Siamese recurrent neural architecture, and showed that it is effective. Out hypothesis — “similar entities appear in similar contexts”, was proved by the experimentation. We have also shown that the method supersedes a baseline in terms of recall@k.
Performance on Indirect Measures of Race Evaluation Predicts Amygdala Activation

Abstract We used fMRI to explore the neural substrates involved in the unconscious evaluation of Black and White social groups. Specifically, we focused on the amygdala, a subcortical structure known to play a role in emotional learning and evaluation. In Experiment 1, White American subjects observed faces of unfamiliar Black and White males. The strength of amygdala activation to Black-versus-White faces was correlated with two indirect (unconscious) measures of race evaluation (Implicit Association Test [IAT] and potentiated startle), but not with the direct (conscious) expression of race attitudes. In Experiment 2, these patterns were not obtained when the stimulus faces belonged to familiar and positively regarded Black and White individuals. Together, these results suggest that amygdala and behavioral responses to Black-versus-White faces in White subjects reflect cultural evaluations of social groups modified by individual experience.
Spiritual Well-Being and Mental Health among Malaysian Adolescents

Background: Adolescents are vulnerable to various mental health problems. The existing body of knowledge on the role of spirituality on adolescents’ mental health status is limited and disjointed. The main aim of this study was to examine impact of spirituality on adolescents’ mental health problems, after controlling for possible sociodemographic factors. Method: A total of 1190 Malaysian adolescents selected through a multistage proportional stratified random technique from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state filled out questionnaires including the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the General Health Questionairre-28 (GHQ-28), and sociodemographic characteristics. A two step hierarchical multivariate logistic regression using SPSS software for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA) was employed to test hypothesis. Results: Using the recommended cutoff point of 6 or more for the total GHQ-28, the prevalence rate of possible mental health problems was calculated 54.6% (CI 95%: 51.8 to 57.4 ). The findings from hierarchical multivariate logistic regression showed existential well-being (OR =0.42, p≤.001, 95% CI: 0.32–0.54) and religious well-being (OR =0.63, p≤.01, 95% CI: 0.47–0.85) were statistically associated with 58% and 37% lower odds of mental health problem, respectively, over and above sex, living arrangements of adolescents, parental education and household income. Conclusion: The present study found noticeable rates of mental health problems among Malaysian adolescents and pointed out the importance of spirituality as a resilience factor might help children to cope with physiologic, physical and psychological changes through adolescence, successfully. [Nurizan Yahaya, Yadollah Abolfathi Momtaz , Mumtazah Othman, Norhasmah Sulaiman, & Farhan Mat Arisah. Spiritual Well-Being and Mental Health among Malaysian Adolescents. Life Science Journal. 2012;9(1):440448] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 65
Total Hip Arthroplasty as a Salvage Procedure for Failed Traumatic Hips

Background: The failed treatment of acetabulum, neck femur and intertrochanteric femur ultimately leads to either non-union or malunion or osteoarthritis of the hip. The operative treatment options for these failed hips are either resection or valgus osteotomy or salvage hip Arthroplasty [1-6]. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the functional outcomes, technical problems, and complications associated with total hip arthroplasty as a salvage procedure for failed hips. Method: This retrospective study includes 30 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty between 2005 to 2010, who had a failed hip in the form of nonunion, mal-union, implant failure or osteoarthritis secondary to conservatively treated fracture neck femur, acetabulum fracture, and intertrochanteric femur fracture. Preoperative and postoperative Harris Hip Score was used to compare functional outcomes. Paired t-test of significance was used for analysis. Results: Seventeen males and 13 females with mean preoperative Harris hip score of 37.32 and 75.74 at 6 months postoperative. There was statistically significant (p<.05) increase in the functional outcome of treatment, with decreased hip pain on weight bearing, gain in walking distance, doing daily activities like climbing staircase, gain in the range of motion. Conclusion: In conclusion, despite being a technically demanding nature of the procedure, salvage total hip arthroplasty is an effective reconstruction option for failed treatment of proximal femur fractures. The problems associated include difficult exposure, difficult cement pressurization due to leakage through the holes, stem subsidence, increased risk of postoperative infection, peri-prosthetic fractures, increased risk of dislocation, wound-related complications.
Benefits of Considering More than Temperature Acceleration for GaN HEMT Life Testing

The purpose of this work was to investigate the validity of Arrhenius accelerated-life testing when applied to gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) lifetime assessments, where the standard assumption is that only critical stressor is temperature, which is derived from operating power, device channel-case, thermal resistance, and baseplate temperature. We found that power or temperature alone could not explain difference in observed degradation, and that accelerated life tests employed by industry can benefit by considering the impact of accelerating factors besides temperature. Specifically, we found that the voltage used to reach a desired power dissipation is important, and also that temperature acceleration alone or voltage alone (without much power dissipation) is insufficient to assess lifetime at operating conditions.
Comparing Performances (Type I error and Power) of IRT Likelihood Ratio SIBTEST and Mantel-Haenszel Methods in the Determination of Differential Item Functioning

This simulation study compared the performances (Type I error and power) of Mantel-Haenszel (MH), SIBTEST, and item response theory-likelihood ratio (IRT-LR) methods under certain conditions. Manipulated factors were sample size, ability differences between groups, test length, the percentage of differential item functioning (DIF), and underlying model used to generate data. Results suggest that SIBTEST had the highest Type I error in the detection of uniform DIF, but MH had the highest power under all conditions. In addition, the percentage of DIF and the underlying model appear to have influenced the Type I error rate of IRT-LR. Ability differences between groups, test length, the percentage of DIF, model, and the interactions between ability differences*percentage of DIF, ability differences*test length, test length*percentage of DIF, test length*model affected the SIBTEST methods' Type I error rate. In the MH procedure, effective factors for Type I error rate were: sample size, test length, the percentage of DIF, ability differences*percentage of DIF, ability differences*model, and ability differences*percentage of DIF*model. No factors were effective on the power of SIBTEST and MH, but the underlying model had a significant effect on the IRT-LR power rate.
Genetic characterization of the oxytocin-neurophysin I gene (OXT) and its regulatory regions analysis in domestic Old and New World camelids

Oxytocin is a neurohypophysial peptide linked to a wide range of biological functions, including milk ejection, temperament and reproduction. Aims of the present study were a) the characterization of the OXT (Oxytocin-neurophysin I) gene and its regulatory regions in Old and New world camelids; b) the investigation of the genetic diversity and the discovery of markers potentially affecting the gene regulation. On average, the gene extends over 814 bp, ranging between 825 bp in dromedary, 811 bp in Bactrian and 810 bp in llama and alpaca. Such difference in size is due to a duplication event of 21 bp in dromedary. The main regulatory elements, including the composite hormone response elements (CHREs), were identified in the promoter, whereas the presence of mature microRNAs binding sequences in the 3’UTR improves the knowledge on the factors putatively involved in the OXT gene regulation, although their specific biological effect needs to be still elucidated. The sequencing of genomic DNA allowed the identification of 17 intraspecific polymorphisms and 69 nucleotide differences among the four species. One of these (MF464535:g.622C>G) is responsible, in alpaca, for the loss of a consensus sequence for the transcription factor SP1. Furthermore, the same SNP falls within a CpG island and it creates a new methylation site, thus opening future possibilities of investigation to verify the influence of the novel allelic variant in the OXT gene regulation. A PCR-RFLP method was setup for the genotyping and the frequency of the allele C was 0.93 in a population of 71 alpacas. The obtained data clarify the structure of OXT gene in domestic camelids and add knowledge to the genetic variability of a genomic region, which has received little investigation so far. These findings open the opportunity for new investigations, including association studies with productive and reproductive traits.
Production of tubular ceramic membranes for microfiltration and ultrafiltration

Porous tubular ceramic membranes from tunisian clay have been prepared. After a pre-calcination in air at 750°C for two hours, a grinding, and sieving to 300 pm, natural clays noted Sl I and S12 were mixed with organic additives in view to elaborate a ceramic paste which can be extrudto form porous tubular configuration with uniform porous structures. The mean pore diameter and the porous volume, measured by merporosimetry, are equal to 9.2 μm and 39 % for Sl I and 5.9 μm and 48 % for S12 when they were repectively fired at 1040 °C and 1090°C. nese supports could be used for the coatings of microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes.
Human corneal fibroblast migration and ECM synthesis during stromal repair : Role played by PDGF-BB , bFGF , and TGF β 1 ( HCFs migration and ECM synthesis during stromal repair : GFs effects )

Patricia Gallego-Muñoz, Lucía Ibares-Frías , José A. Garrote, María Cruz Valsero-Blanco, Roberto Cantalapiedra-Rodríguez, Jesús Merayo-Lloves, M. Carmen Martínez-García Departamento de Biología Celular, Histología y Farmacología. Facultad de Medicina. Grupo de Investigación Reconocido: Técnicas Ópticas para el Diagnóstico. Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. Servicio de Análisis Clínicos. Laboratorio de Genética, Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. Instituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega. Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
Micromechanical Properties of a New Polymeric Microcapsule for Self-Healing Cementitious Materials

Self-healing cementitious materials containing a microencapsulated healing agent are appealing due to their great application potential in improving the serviceability and durability of concrete structures. In this study, poly(phenol–formaldehyde) (PF) microcapsules that aim to provide a self-healing function for cementitious materials were prepared by an in situ polymerization reaction. Size gradation of the synthesized microcapsules was achieved through a series of sieving processes. The shell thickness and the diameter of single microcapsules was accurately measured under environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The relationship between the physical properties of the synthesized microcapsules and their micromechanical properties were investigated using nanoindentation. The results of the mechanical tests show that, with the increase of the mean size of microcapsules and the decrease of shell thickness, the mechanical force required to trigger the self-healing function of microcapsules increased correspondingly from 68.5 ± 41.6 mN to 198.5 ± 31.6 mN, featuring a multi-sensitive trigger function. Finally, the rupture behavior and crack surface of cement paste with embedded microcapsules were observed and analyzed using X-ray computed tomography (XCT). The synthesized PF microcapsules may find potential application in self-healing cementitious materials.
Visualising and Quantifying Vapour Clouds with Interferometry

In the current work, digital holographic interferometry is used to measure the vapour concentration field surrounding evaporating liquids. This integrated measurement can be used to reconstruct the full 3D vapour concentration field in the case of an axisymmetric or 2D field. As an example for the axisymmetric reconstruction, an evaporating deposited droplet is analysed. From this we will demonstrate how one can extract the local evaporation rate and local temperature all along the liquid interface. In addition, three ways of obtaining the global evaporation rate are also applied which all give the same result, thus validating the vapour concentration measurements. This work was recently published in Langmuir [1]. For the 2D field, the concentration field inside a cuvette is measured and compared favorably to the predicted (Stefan-flow modified) field.
Experimental modifications imply a stimulatory function for male tsetse fly genitalia, supporting cryptic female choice theory

One of the most sweeping of all patterns in morphological evolution is that animal genitalia tend to diverge more rapidly than do other structures. Abundant indirect evidence supports the cryptic female choice (CFC) explanation of this pattern, which supposes that male genitalia often function to court females during copulation; but direct experimental demonstrations of a stimulatory function have been lacking. In this study, we altered the form of two male genital structures that squeeze the female’s abdomen rhythmically in Glossina pallidipes flies. As predicted by theory, this induced CFC against the male: ovulation and sperm storage decreased, while female remating increased. Further experiments showed that these effects were due to changes in tactile stimuli received by the female from the male’s altered genitalia, and were not due to other possible changes in the males due to alteration of their genital form. Stimulation from male genital structures also induces females to permit copulation to occur. Together with previous studies of tsetse reproductive physiology, these data constitute the most complete experimental confirmation that sexual selection (probably by CFC) acts on the stimulatory properties of male genitalia.
Agricultural origins and the isotopic identity of domestication in northern China

Stable isotope biochemistry (δ13C and δ15N) and radiocarbon dating of ancient human and animal bone document 2 distinct phases of plant and animal domestication at the Dadiwan site in northwest China. The first was brief and nonintensive: at various times between 7900 and 7200 calendar years before present (calBP) people harvested and stored enough broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) to provision themselves and their hunting dogs (Canis sp.) throughout the year. The second, much more intensive phase was in place by 5900 calBP: during this time both broomcorn and foxtail (Setaria viridis spp. italica) millets were cultivated and made significant contributions to the diets of people, dogs, and pigs (Sus sp.). The systems represented in both phases developed elsewhere: the earlier, low-intensity domestic relationship emerged with hunter–gatherers in the arid north, while the more intensive, later one evolved further east and arrived at Dadiwan with the Yangshao Neolithic. The stable isotope methodology used here is probably the best means of detecting the symbiotic human–plant–animal linkages that develop during the very earliest phases of domestication and is thus applicable to the areas where these connections first emerged and are critical to explaining how and why agriculture began in East Asia.