Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feature Transformation with Class Conditional Decorrelation

The well-known feature transformation model of Fisher linear discriminant analysis (FDA) can be decomposed into an equivalent two-step approach: whitening followed by principal component analysis (PCA) in the whitened space. By proving that whitening is the optimal linear transformation to the Euclidean space in the sense of minimum log-determinant divergence, we propose a transformation model called class conditional decor relation (CCD). The objective of CCD is to diagonalize the covariance matrices of different classes simultaneously, which is efficiently optimized using a modified Jacobi method. CCD is effective to find the common principal components among multiple classes. After CCD, the variables become class conditionally uncorrelated, which will benefit the subsequent classification tasks. Combining CCD with the nearest class mean (NCM) classification model can significantly improve the classification accuracy. Experiments on 15 small-scale datasets and one large-scale dataset (with 3755 classes) demonstrate the scalability of CCD for different applications. We also discuss the potential applications of CCD for other problems such as Gaussian mixture models and classifier ensemble learning.
Hyperspectral Classification Based on Lightweight 3-D-CNN With Transfer Learning

Recently, hyperspectral image (HSI) classification approaches based on deep learning (DL) models have been proposed and shown promising performance. However, because of very limited available training samples and massive model parameters, DL methods may suffer from overfitting. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end 3-D lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) (abbreviated as 3-D-LWNet) for limited samples-based HSI classification. Compared with conventional 3-D-CNN models, the proposed 3-D-LWNet has a deeper network structure, less parameters, and lower computation cost, resulting in better classification performance. To further alleviate the small sample problem, we also propose two transfer learning strategies: 1) cross-sensor strategy, in which we pretrain a 3-D model in the source HSI data sets containing a greater number of labeled samples and then transfer it to the target HSI data sets and 2) cross-modal strategy, in which we pretrain a 3-D model in the 2-D RGB image data sets containing a large number of samples and then transfer it to the target HSI data sets. In contrast to previous approaches, we do not impose restrictions over the source data sets, in which they do not have to be collected by the same sensors as the target data sets. Experiments on three public HSI data sets captured by different sensors demonstrate that our model achieves competitive performance for HSI classification compared to several state-of-the-art methods.
Using Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach Science Vocabulary to Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

Rural special educators face unique challenges in providing high quality special education services, especially when teaching grade-aligned science content. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is one strategy that has the potential to address two major challenges (i.e., a lack of preservice training and limited professional development opportunities) in providing grade-aligned content instruction with fidelity. This study investigated the use of a CAI intervention package to teach three middle school students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability the structure and function of five key elements of an amoeba. Results showed a functional relation between the number of correct responses made during probe sessions and introduction of the CAI intervention. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Gaze following in 4.5- and 6-month-old infants: The impact of proximity on standard gaze following performance tests.

Gaze following (GF), the ability to synchronize visual attention with others, is often considered a foundation of social cognition. In this study, GF was assessed while changing the space between an actor's eyes and the gaze target. This was done to address a potential confound in the gold standard GF performance test, namely the spatial bias of the actors' eye position that occurs when the actor turns the head to look at a target, offsetting the eye position from a centered position toward the attended target. Our results suggest that both 4.5 (n = 27) and 6 (n = 30)-month-old infants can follow an actor's gaze regardless of proximity. This is the first demonstration that early GF is not dependent on proximity cues, and our results strengthen previous findings suggesting that GF develops well before 6 months of age. The study was preregistered, and all data and analysis routines can be downloaded with provided links.
Neural Reordering Model Considering Phrase Translation and Word Alignment for Phrase-based Translation

This paper presents an improved lexicalized reordering model for phrase-based statistical machine translation using a deep neural network. Lexicalized reordering suffers from reordering ambiguity, data sparseness and noises in a phrase table. Previous neural reordering model is successful to solve the first and second problems but fails to address the third one. Therefore, we propose new features using phrase translation and word alignment to construct phrase vectors to handle inherently noisy phrase translation pairs. The experimental results show that our proposed method improves the accuracy of phrase reordering. We confirm that the proposed method works well with phrase pairs including NULL alignments.
Shift work, father engagement, and the cognitive development of young children

ABSTRACT The present study investigates whether the effect of fathers’ positive engagement on young children’s cognitive development is accentuated when one or both dual-earner parents is employed during nonstandard hours. Longitudinal regression models are fitted to three waves of nationally representative data from the Early Child Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Father engagement when children are nine months old has an especially positive effect on children’s cognitive ability at age two when the father works during the day and the mother has a fixed evening or night shift. There are no interactions between shift work and engagement at age two in the whole sample, but subgroup analyses show that engagement has an especially strong effect on children who have a non-parent caregiver if both parents are shift workers. The results highlight the important role fathers play in couples with a shift worker, and provide a rationale for efforts to encourage and support their involvement.
Application of adjoint method for estimating Manning-Strickler coefficient in Tondi Kiboro catchment

In this paper, an adjoint method for estimating the well-known Manning-Strickler coefficient is developed and applied on a Sahelian catchment called Tondi Kiboro. The dynamics of overland flow are firstly got from the continuity equation of Saint-Venant model via some appropriate assumptions. The infiltration process is also considered and described by Green-Ampt equation. Lagrange method is used to connect the measured discharge of the flow to the dynamics of the system. The gradient of Lagrangian augmented cost functional with respect to Manning coefficient is obtained by adjoint analysis and used in optimization process. A numerical implementation on Tondi Kiboro basin is provided as a practical application example. After the optimization process, the estimated value of Manning coefficient is finally validated with another data set of overland flow on Tondi Kiboro basin.
LESBIANS’ AND GAY MEN’S PERCEPTIONS OF STEREOTYPING: RELATIONSHIP TO CAREER INTERESTS AND SENSE OF BELONGING

The “gender inversion” stereotype that lesbians and gay men are similar to the opposite gender continues to be a pervasive part of how others perceive lesbians and gay men (Reyna, Wetherell, Yantis, & Brandt, 2014). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between lesbians’ and gay men’s awareness and endorsement of the gender inversion stereotype and their interest in pursuing gender-typical careers (masculine careers for gay men and feminine careers for lesbians). Seventy-four gay men and 108 lesbians completed questionnaires assessing awareness and the endorsement of the gender inversion stereotype, sense of belonging, anticipated discrimination, perceived support from role models and interest in pursuing masculine and feminine careers. Awareness of stereotype had no influence on gay men’s or lesbians’ career interests. This study expands the research on stereotypes into the area of lesbians’ and gay men’s career development.
The Structure of Parent-Child Coping Interactions as a Predictor of Adjustment in Middle Childhood: A Dynamic Systems Perspective

This study applied a contemporary dynamic systems methodology (state space grids) to examine how the structure of parent-child coping interactions, above and beyond the content of such interactions, influences adjustment (i.e., internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and coping efficacy) over time in middle childhood. A community sample of children (N = 65) completed a stressful laboratory task with a parent present, during which parent and child behavior were observed. Parent behavior during the task was coded using a socialization of coping framework. Parents’ verbal suggestions to their child about how to cope with the stressful task were coded as primary control engagement suggestions (i.e., suggestions encouraging the child to directly address and attempt to change the stressor or the child’s associated emotions), secondary control engagement suggestions (i.e., suggestions encouraging the child to change their own reaction to their stressor), or disengagement suggestions (i.e., suggestions encouraging the child to take their attention away from the stressor). Child coping verbalizations and behavior during the task was coded as either engaging with the stressor or disengaging from the stressor. The structure of the parent-child coping interaction was measured in two ways: (a) dyadic flexibility, defined as the dispersion of parent and child behavior across all possible behaviors and the number of transitions between different parent or child behaviors during the task, and (b) attractor (i.e., parentfocused, child-focused, or dyad-focused interaction pattern) strength, defined as the number of visits, duration per visit, and return time to that interaction pattern. Child adjustment outcomes were measured using parent-report (internalizing and externalizing problems) and child-report (coping efficacy) at baseline and a 6-month follow-up. Linear regression analyses were conducted examining dyadic flexibility and the proposed attractors as predictors of child adjustment, while accounting for demographic variables, attractor content, and adjustment at baseline. Findings suggested that dyadic flexibility in the parent-child coping interaction was largely adaptive for child adjustment, whereas attractor strength demonstrated a more complex relationship with child adjustment outcomes. This study demonstrates the utility of applying state-space grids to examine the structure of parent-child coping interactions, in addition to content, as predictors of child adjustment. Furthermore, this study offers novel, detailed information about coping interactions in families with children in middle childhood. Clinical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Distinctive Genes Determine Different Intramuscular Fat and Muscle Fiber Ratios of the longissimus dorsi Muscles in Jinhua and Landrace Pigs

Meat quality is determined by properties such as carcass color, tenderness and drip loss. These properties are closely associated with meat composition, which includes the types of muscle fiber and content of intramuscular fat (IMF). Muscle fibers are the main contributors to meat mass, while IMF not only contributes to the sensory properties but also to the plethora of physical, chemical and technological properties of meat. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that determine meat composition in different pig breeds. In this report we show that Jinhua pigs, a Chinese breed, contains much higher levels of IMF than do Landrace pigs, a Danish breed. We analyzed global gene expression profiles in the longissimus dorsi muscles in Jinhua and Landrace breeds at the ages of 30, 90 and 150 days. Cross-comparison analysis revealed that genes that regulate fatty acid biosynthesis (e.g., fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase) are expressed at higher levels in Jinhua pigs whereas those that regulate myogenesis (e.g., myogenic factor 6 and forkhead box O1) are expressed at higher levels in Landrace pigs. Among those genes which are highly expressed in Jinhua pigs at 90 days (d90), we identified a novel gene porcine FLJ36031 (pFLJ), which functions as a positive regulator of fat deposition in cultured intramuscular adipocytes. In summary, our data showed that the up-regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis regulatory genes such as pFLJ and myogenesis inhibitory genes such as myostatin in the longissimus dorsi muscles of Jinhua pigs could explain why this local breed produces meat with high levels of IMF.
The impact of induction therapy on the homeostasis and function of regulatory T cells in kidney transplant patients.

BACKGROUND To evaluate the influence of induction therapy on Tregs we investigated their origin, kinetics and function in kidney transplant patients after treatment with T-cell depleting rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) or IL-2 receptor antagonist basiliximab. METHODS Flow cytometry was used to study thymopoiesis by CD31+ naïve Tregs, homeostatic proliferation by Ki-67+ Tregs and Treg origin by the expression of Helios (nTreg-marker). FACSsorted Tregs were analysed for the demethylation status of the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) of the FoxP3 gene, and Treg-suppressive function. RESULTS Differential effects of rATG and basiliximab induction therapies were measured on the repopulation kinetics of Tregs. While decreased absolute numbers of Tregs were found in both study arms, increased percentages of Tregs were found in rATG treated patients and decreased percentages in basiliximab treated patients. In both groups, Treg repopulation was the result of homeostatic proliferation and not of thymopoiesis. At 1 month after rATG and 6 months after basiliximab therapy, high percentages of Ki-67+ Treg were measured, which in the rATG group, was accompanied by low percentages of Ki-67+Helios+ Treg, and by cells with a demethylated TSDR in the FoxP3 gene. After both rATG and basiliximab therapy, repopulated Tregs inhibited proliferation of allo-antigen activated T effector cells (Teff). CONCLUSIONS In kidney transplant patients, repopulation of Treg after rATG and basiliximab therapy is the result of homeostatic proliferation and not of thymopoiesis. These repopulated Treg were functional after both induction strategies; however only after rATG therapy, were increased proportions of Helios(-) methylated FoxP3 Treg found.
A multicarrier system based on the fractional Fourier transform for time-frequency-selective channels

Traditional multicarrier techniques perform a frequency-domain decomposition of a channel characterized by frequency-selective distortion in a plurality of subchannels that are affected by frequency flat distortion. The distortion in each independent subchannel can then be easily compensated by simple gain and phase adjustments. Typically, digital Fourier transform schemes make the implementation of the multicarrier system feasible and attractive with respect to single-carrier systems. However, when the channel is time-frequency-selective, as it usually happens in the rapidly fading wireless channel, this traditional methodology fails. Since the channel frequency response is rapidly time-varying, the optimal transmission/reception methodology should be able to process nonstationary signals. In other words, the subchannel carrier frequencies should be time-varying and ideally decompose the frequency distortion of the channel perfectly at any instant in time. However, this ideally optimal approach presents significant challenges both in terms of conceptual and computational complexity. The idea disclosed in this work is that a nonstationary approach can be approximated using signal bases that are especially suited for the analysis/synthesis of nonstationary signals. We propose in fact the use of a multicarrier system that employs orthogonal signal bases of the chirp type that in practice correspond to the fractional Fourier transform signal basis. The significance of the methodology relies on the important practical consideration that analysis/synthesis methods of the fractional Fourier type can be implemented with a complexity that is equivalent to the traditional fast Fourier transform.
The Activity of JmjC Histone Lysine Demethylase KDM4A is Highly Sensitive to Oxygen Concentrations

The JmjC histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) are epigenetic regulators involved in the removal of methyl groups from post-translationally modified lysyl residues within histone tails, modulating gene transcription. These enzymes require molecular oxygen for catalytic activity and, as 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent oxygenases, are related to the cellular oxygen sensing HIF hydroxylases PHD2 and FIH. Recent studies have indicated that the activity of some KDMs, including the pseudogene-encoded KDM4E, may be sensitive to changing oxygen concentrations. Here, we report detailed analysis of the effect of oxygen availability on the activity of the KDM4 subfamily member KDM4A, importantly demonstrating a high level of O2 sensitivity both with isolated protein and in cells. Kinetic analysis of the recombinant enzyme revealed a high KMapp(O2) of 173 ± 23 μM, indicating that the activity of the enzyme is able to respond sensitively to a reduction in oxygen concentration. Furthermore, immunofluorescence experiments in U2OS cells conditionally overexpressing KDM4A showed that the cellular activity of KDM4A against its primary substrate, H3K9me3, displayed a graded response to depleting oxygen concentrations in line with the data obtained using isolated protein. These results suggest that KDM4A possesses the potential to act as an oxygen sensor in the context of chromatin modifications, with possible implications for epigenetic regulation in hypoxic disease states. Importantly, this correlation between the oxygen sensitivity of the catalytic activity of KDM4A in biochemical and cellular assays demonstrates the utility of biochemical studies in understanding the factors contributing to the diverse biological functions and varied activity of the 2OG oxygenases.
Distribution of fragile X mental retardation 1 CGG repeat and flanking haplotypes in a large Chinese population

Fragile X syndrome is mainly caused by a CGG repeat expansion within the 5′ UTR of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Previous analyses of the FMR1 CGG repeat patterns and flanking haplotypes in Caucasians and African Americans have identified several factors that may influence repeat instability. However, the CGG repeat patterns and distribution for FRAXAC2 have not yet been investigated in mainland Chinese. We surveyed the CGG repeat lengths in 1113 Han Chinese (534 males and 579 females), and the CGG repeat patterns of 534 males were determined by sequence analysis. We also explored the flanking haplotypes (DXS548‐FRAXAC1‐FRAXAC2) in 566 unaffected and 28 unrelated fragile X Chinese males. The most frequent alleles for DXS548 and FRAXAC1 were identical between our Chinese population and other Asian populations. We identified several low‐abundance alleles for DXS548 and FRAXAC1 not found in previous studies in mainland Chinese and Taiwanese cohorts. The most frequent allele was (CGG)29 followed by (CGG)30, and the most frequent patterns were 9 + 9 + 9, 10 + 9 + 9, and 9 + 9 + 6 + 9, similar to those in Singaporeans. We identified only one premutation female carrier with 89 CGG repeats in the 1113 Han Chinese. A few associations between the CGG repeat patterns and flanking haplotypes were determined in this study. In general, the Chinese population had a smaller number of alleles and lower expected heterozygosity for all three STR markers and FRAXA locus when compared with Caucasians and African Americans. We identified a novel haplotype 7‐3‐5 + that is significantly associated with the full mutation.
Software Traceability : A Roadmap

Traceability of software artefacts has been recognised as an important factor for supporting various activities in the software system development process. In general, the objective of traceability is to improve the quality of software systems. More specifically, traceability information can be used to support the analysis of implications and integration of changes that occur software systems; the maintenance and evolution of software systems; the reuse of software system components by identifying and comparing requirements of new and existing systems; the testing of software system components; and system inspection, by indicating alternatives and compromises made during development. Traceability enables system acceptance by allowing users to better understand the system and contributes to a clear and consistent system documentation. Over the last few years, the software and system engineering communities have developed a large number of approaches and techniques to address various aspects of traceability. Research into software traceability has been mainly concerned with the study and definition of different types of traceability relations; support for the generation of traceability relations; development of architectures, tools, and environments for the representation and maintenance of traceability relations; and empirical investigations into organisational practices regarding the establishment and deployment of traceability relations in the software development life cycle. However, despite its importance and the work resulted from numerous years of research, empirical studies of traceability needs and practices in industrial organisations have indicated that traceability support is not always satisfactory. As a result, traceability is rarely established in existing industrial settings. In this article, we present a roadmap of research and practices related to software traceability and identify issues that are still open for further research. Our roadmap is organised according to the main topics that have been the focus of software traceability research.