Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exact Maximum Likelihood Estimates for SIRV Covariance Matrix: Existence and Algorithm Analysis

In this paper, we investigate the existence and the algorithm analysis of an adaptive scheme that has been introduced for covariance structure matrix estimation in the context of adaptive radar detection under non-Gaussian noise. This latter has been modeled by spherically invariant random vector (SIRV), which is the product c of the square root of a positive unknown random variable tau and an independent Gaussian vector x,c=radic(tau) x. A similar line of work was undertaken in the context of compound Gaussian noise, and this paper extends the previous results in the case of SIRV modeled noise. More precisely, the fixed-point estimate to be studied verifies a nonlinear algebraic equation (E)x=f(x). The aim of this paper is twofold. First, we prove that (E) admits a unique solution x; secondly, we show that the corresponding iterative algorithm xn+1=f(xn) converges to x for every admissible initial condition.
Absolute and Relative Cues for the Auditory Perception of Egocentric Distance

Three experiments were performed to examine the reverberation cue to egocentric auditory distance and to determine the extent to which such a cue could provide ‘absolute’, as contrasted with ‘relative’, information about distance. In experiment 1 independent groups of blindfolded observers (200 altogether) were presented with broadband noise from a speaker at one of five different distances (0·55 to 8 m) in a normal hard-walled room. Half of each group of observers were presented with the sound at 0 deg azimuth, followed (after a delay) by the identical sound at 90 deg azimuth. The order of presentation was reversed for the remaining observers. Perceived distance varied significantly as a function of the physical distance to the speaker, even for the first presentations. The change in the binaural information between the 0 deg and 90 deg presentations did not significantly modify the results. For both orientations, near distances were overestimated and far distances were underestimated. Experiments 2 and 3 were designed to evaluate how much prior auditory exposure to the laboratory environment was necessary. A 200 Hz square-wave signal was presented from one of three distances (1, 2, or 6 m) to observers who had either minimal room information or an exposure which included talking within the room. Perceived distance varied significantly with physical distance regardless of exposure condition.
P–T–t evolution and textural evidence for decompression of Pan‐African high‐pressure granulites, Lurio Belt, north‐eastern Mozambique

Pan‐African high‐pressure granulites occur as boudins and layers in the Lurio Belt in north‐eastern Mozambique, eastern Africa. Mafic granulites contain the mineral assemblage garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz ± magnesiohastingsite. Garnet porphyroblasts are zoned with increasing almandine and spessartine contents and decreasing grossular and pyrope contents from core (Alm46Prp32Grs21Sps2) to rim (Alm52Prp26Grs19Sps3). This pattern is interpreted as a retrograde diffusion zoning with the preserved core chemistry representing the peak metamorphic composition. Mineral reaction textures occur in the form of monomineralic and composite plagioclase ± orthopyroxene ± amphibole ± biotite ± magnetite coronas around garnet porphyroblasts. Thermobarometry indicates peak metamorphic conditions of up to 1.57 ± 0.14 GPa and 949 ± 92 °C (stage I), corresponding to crustal depths of ∼55 km. Zircon yielded an U–Pb age of 557 ± 16 Ma, inferred to date crystallization of zircon during peak or immediately post‐peak metamorphism. Formation of plagioclase + orthopyroxene‐bearing coronas surrounding garnet indicates a near‐isothermal decompression of the high‐pressure granulites to lower pressure granulite facies conditions (stage II). Development of plagioclase + amphibole‐coronas enclosing the same garnet porphyroblasts shows subsequent cooling into amphibolite facies conditions (stage III). Symplectitic textures of the corona assemblages indicate rapid decompression. The high‐pressure granulite facies metamorphism of the Lurio Belt, followed by near‐isothermal decompression and subsequent cooling, is in accordance with a long‐lived tectonic history accompanied by high magmatic activity in the Lurio Belt during the late Neoproterozoic–early Palaeozoic East‐African–Antarctic orogeny.
Induction of Th-1 and Th-2 Responses by Respiratory Syncytial Virus Attachment Glycoprotein Is Epitope and Major Histocompatibility Complex Independent

ABSTRACT In BALB/c mice, sensitization to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) attachment (G) glycoprotein leads to the development of lung eosinophilia upon challenge infection with RSV, a pathology indicative of a strong in vivo induction of a Th-2-type response. In this study, we found that a strong, RSV G-specific, Th-1-type cytokine response occurred simultaneously with a Th-2-type response in G-primed mice after RSV challenge. Both Th-1 and Th-2 effector CD4+ T cells recognized a single immunodominant site on this protein, implying that the differentiation of memory CD4+ T cells along the Th-1 or Th-2 effector pathway was independent of the epitope specificity of the T cells. A similar observation was made in G-primedH-2b haplotype mice after RSV challenge, further suggesting that this process is not dependent on the peptide epitope presented. On the other hand, genes mapping to loci outside of the major histocompatibility complex region are crucial regulators of the development of a Th-2-type response and lung eosinophilia. The implication of these findings for the immune mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of RSV is discussed.
Prognostic factors for toluene diisocyanate‐induced occupational asthma after removal from exposure

Background The outcome of isocyanatc‐induced occupational asthma remains to be further defined. There have been few studies on the role of specific antibodies in prognosis of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) induced occupational asthma. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies on the improvement pattern of airway hyper‐responsiveness (AH). We analysed the prognostic factors that affected the outcome of 35 toluene diisocyanate‐induced occupational asthma.
Information Security Behavior: Towards Multi-Stage Models

In order to ensure that employees abide by their organizations’ Information Security Policies (ISP), a number of information security policy compliance measures have been proposed in the past. If different factors can explain/predict the information security behavior of those employees who do know the ISP and of those who do not know the ISP, such as is suggested by stage theories, and the existing studies do not control for this issue, then the practical relevance of the existing models will be decreased. In order to test whether different factors explain/predict the information security behavior of those employees who do know the ISP and of those who do not know the ISP, we designed a study using the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as the baseline theory. Employees’ ISP knowledge was tested by asking a few questions related to their organization’s ISP. We divided the data (N=513) into that related to a low knowledge group (regarding the organizations’ ISP) and that of a high knowledge group. The results show that the findings between the low knowledge group and the high knowledge group differ substantially. Our results provide an explanation for the inconsistent results in previous IS security research.
Thermospheric dynamics above Saint‐Santin: Statistical study of the data set

The meridional neutral winds at 300 km altitude have been calculated from the data obtained during 15 years of measurements by the incoherent scatter facility at Saint-Santin (France). The analysis is based on the classical technique: the meridional neutral wind is given by the difference between the measured ion velocity and the computed diffusion velocity. This relies on knowledge of the O+-O collision frequency, which is still the subject of some controversy. A simple but reasonable expression is given and has been agreed upon with workers at Millstone Hill, so that comparisons may be made. This expression gives values consistent with the equations used elsewhere, which are more complicated but no more reliable. The whole set of data gives 223 twenty-four-hour periods of measurements from which the average meridional winds are computed for a range of conditions. A statistical analysis shows how the diurnal variations depend on season, solar flux, and geomagnetic activity. It is shown that these variations are well represented by four harmonic components, of which amplitudes and phases are given.
General Upper Bounds on the Running Time of Parallel Evolutionary Algorithms

We present a new method for analyzing the running time of parallel evolutionary algorithms with spatially structured populations. Based on the fitness-level method, it yields upper bounds on the expected parallel running time. This allows to rigorously estimate the speedup gained by parallelization. Tailored results are given for common migration topologies: ring graphs, torus graphs, hypercubes, and the complete graph. Example applications for pseudo-Boolean optimization show that our method is easy to apply and that it gives powerful results. In our examples the possible speedup increases with the density of the topology. Surprisingly, even sparse topologies like ring graphs lead to a significant speedup for many functions while not increasing the total number of function evaluations by more than a constant factor. We also identify which number of processors yield asymptotically optimal speedups, thus giving hints on how to parametrize parallel evolutionary algorithms.
Cross-Polarization Uncertainty in Near-Field Probe Correction [AMTA Corner]

The probe correction of near-field measured data can be considered to be composed of two parts. The first part is a pattern correction that corrects for the effects of the aperture size and shape of the probe, and can be analyzed in terms of the far-field main component pattern of the probe. The second part is due to the non-ideal polarization properties of the probe. If the probe responded to only one vector component of the incident field in all directions, this correction would be unnecessary. However, since all probes have some response to each of two orthogonal components, the polarization correction must be included. The polarization correction will be the focus of the following discussion. Previous studies have derived and tested general equations to analyze polarization uncertainty. This paper simplifies these equations for easier application. The results of analysis and measurements for planar, cylindrical, and spherical near-field measurements will be summarized in a form that is general, easily applied, and useful. Equations and graphs will be presented that can be used to estimate the uncertainty in the polarization correction for different AUT/probe polarization combinations and measurement geometries. The planar case will be considered first, where the concepts are derived from the probe-correction theory and computer simulation, and are then extended to the other measurement geometries.
Gromov-Hausdorff Approximation of Filament Structure Using Reeb-type Graph

In many real-world applications data appear to be sampled around 1-dimensional filamentary structures that can be seen as topological metric graphs. In this paper we address the metric reconstruction problem of such filamentary structures from data sampled around them. We prove that they can be approximated, with respect to the Gromov-Hausdorff distance by well-chosen Reeb graphs (and some of their variants) and we provide an efficient and easy to implement algorithm to compute such approximations in almost linear time. We illustrate the performances of our algorithm on a few data sets.
An Analysis on a YouTube-like UGC site with Enhanced Social Features

YouTube-like User Generated Content (UGC) sites are nowadays entertaining over a billion people. Resource provision is essential for these giant UGC sites as they allow users to request videos from a potentially unlimited selection in an asynchronous fashion. Still, the UGC sites are seeking to create new viewing patterns and social interactions that would engage and attract more users and complicate the already rigorous resource provision problem. In this paper, we seek to combine these two tasks by leveraging social features to provide the reference for resource provision. To this end, we conduct an extensive measurement and analysis of BiliBili, a YouTube-like UGC site with enhanced social features including user following, chat replay, and virtual money donation. Based on datasets that capture the complete view of BiliBili---containing over 2 million videos and over 28 million users---we characterize its video repository and user activities, we demonstrate the positive reinforcement between on-line social behavior and upload behavior, we propose graph models that reveal user relationships and high-level social structures, and we successfully apply our findings to build machine-learnt classifiers to identify videos that will need priority in resource provision.
Field Association words with Naive Bayes Classifier based Arabic document classification

Document classification aims to assign a document to one or more categories based on its contents. This paper suggests the use of Field association (FA) words algorithm with Naive Bayes Classifier to the problem of document categorization of Arabic language Our experimental study shows that using FA algorithm with Naive Bayes (NB) Classifier gives the ~ 79% average accuracy and, using compound FA words with NB classifier gives ~ 89% average accuracy of the training documents.
Effects of Resistance Training with Different Nutrient Supplementation on Muscle Strength

A large body of scientific evidence holds that a combination of carbohydrates and protein/essential amino acids is more efficient than carbohydrates alone when in optimal muscle strength and size gains through resistance training is the goal. However, there is much less consensus on what the optimal timing of administration is, with conflicting reports regarding consumption of supplements before, during, and after training. To try and answer some of these questions, a study was conducted using 23 volunteers performing resistance training for 8 weeks, and consuming either a combination of carbohydrates and protein or carbohydrates alone. Measurements of body composition, limb circumference and strength were performed both before and after. No significant differences could were be found observed in any of the measurements between the two groups after 8 weeks of training. While this was unexpected, a closer look at the data, as well as an evaluation of the training methods and nutrient supplementation used in the study in comparison with by other studies in the field, revealed that issues such as nutrient composition, dosage and the training process (directly supervised or not) training may have a strong influence on the results of a training study. Thus, in order to conclusively answer the question of which training and nutritional strategy produces were the best results, first of all, a more standardized training methods are is required. In light of this background, the present study was conducted as an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of supplementing macro-nutrients during the training itself, i.e. between sets. The purpose was to assess whether an experimental combination of carbohydrates and proteins could prove more efficient than carbohydrates alone in the context of assisting strength and muscle size gains in conjunction with resistance training over a period of time. The nutritional solution was designed to be consumed during the individual training bouts,
The truncated Newton method for Full Waveform Inversion

Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) is a promising seismic imaging method. It aims at computing quantitative estimates of the subsurface parameters (bulk wave velocity, shear wave velocity, rock density) from local measurements of the seismic wavefield. Based on a particular wave propagation engine for wavefield estimation, it consists in minimizing iteratively the distance between the predicted wavefield at the receivers and the recorded data. This amounts to solving a strongly nonlinear large scale inverse problem. This minimization is generally performed using gradient-based methods. We investigate the possibility of applying the truncated Newton (TrN) method to this problem. This is done through the development of general second-order adjoint state formulas that yield an efficient algorithm to compute Hessian-vector products, and the design of an adaptive stopping criterion for the inner conjugate gradient (CG) iterations. Numerical results demonstrate the interest of using the TrN method when multi-scattered waves dominate the recorded data.
Quantifying Short-Lived Events in Multistate Ionic Current Measurements

We developed a generalized technique to characterize polymer–nanopore interactions via single channel ionic current measurements. Physical interactions between analytes, such as DNA, proteins, or synthetic polymers, and a nanopore cause multiple discrete states in the current. We modeled the transitions of the current to individual states with an equivalent electrical circuit, which allowed us to describe the system response. This enabled the estimation of short-lived states that are presently not characterized by existing analysis techniques. Our approach considerably improves the range and resolution of single-molecule characterization with nanopores. For example, we characterized the residence times of synthetic polymers that are three times shorter than those estimated with existing algorithms. Because the molecule’s residence time follows an exponential distribution, we recover nearly 20-fold more events per unit time that can be used for analysis. Furthermore, the measurement range was extended from 11 monomers to as few as 8. Finally, we applied this technique to recover a known sequence of single-stranded DNA from previously published ion channel recordings, identifying discrete current states with subpicoampere resolution.
Osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells promoted by overexpression of connective tissue growth factor

ObjectiveLarge segmental bone defect repair remains a clinical and scientific challenge with increasing interest focusing on combining gene transfection with tissue engineering techniques. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MethodsA CTGF-expressing plasmid (pCTGF) was constructed and transfected into MSCs. Then expressions of bone morphogenesis-related genes, proliferation rate, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization were examined to evaluate the osteogenic potential of the CTGF gene-modified MSCs.ResultsOverexpression of CTGF was confirmed in pCTGF-MSCs. pCTGF transfection significantly enhanced the proliferation rates of pCTGF-MSCs (P<0.05). CTGF induced a 7.5-fold increase in cell migration over control (P<0.05). pCTGF transfection enhanced the expression of bone matrix proteins, such as bone sialoprotein, osteocalcin, and collagen type I in MSCs. The levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities of pCTGF-MSCs at the 1st and 2nd weeks were 4.0- and 3.0-fold higher than those of MSCs cultured in OS-medium, significantly higher than those of mock-MSCs and normal control MSCs (P<0.05). Overexpression of CTGF in MSCs enhanced the capability to form mineralized nodules.ConclusionOverexpression of CTGF could improve the osteogenic differentiation ability of MSCs, and the CTGF gene-modified MSCs are potential as novel cell resources of bone tissue engineering.
Assessing the feasibility of a global model for multi-temporal burned area mapping using SPOT-VEGETATION data

The possibility of using the Syst@me Probatoire de l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT)-VEGETATION (VGT) data for global burned area mapping with a single algorithm was investigated. Using VGT images from south-eastern Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and south-eastern Siberia/north-eastern China, we analysed the variability of the spectral signature of burned areas and its relationship with land cover, and performed the selection of the best variables for burned area mapping. The results show that in grasslands and croplands, near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) reflectance always decreases as a result of fire. In forests and woodlands, there may occur a simultaneous decrease of SWIR and NIR or an increase of SWIR and a decrease of NIR. Burning of green vegetation (high values of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)) tends to result in an increase of the SWIR. The best variables for burned area mapping are different in each region. Only the NIR allows a good discrimination of burned areas in all study areas. We derived a logistic regression model for multi-temporal burned area mapping in tropical, temperate and boreal regions, which handles the spectral variability of burned areas dependent on the type of vegetation. The results underline the feasibility of a single model for global burned area mapping.
Describing the Brushfire Hazard in Southern California

Abstract Brushfires threaten lives, property, and natural resources in Southern California. A geographic information system (GIS) can be a powerful tool for managing the brushfire problem. As a demonstration, digital data and computer-based GIS technology were used to describe the brushfire hazards at two test sites in Southern California. For a test site near Los Angeles, California, digital landscape data describing fire history, rainfall, and topography were registered to a brush fuel type and density map produced from remote sensor data from Landsat. For a test site near Santa Barbara, California, the relationship between dry fuel weight and incoming solar radiation (insolation) was modeled using simulated insolation values derived from digital topographic data. Regression results from a small sample of fuels suggest that about 37 percent of the variation in dry fuel weights can be explained by variations in insolation and that further study using additional landscape data is warranted. Data processin.