Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Compressed Learning : Universal Sparse Dimensionality Reduction and Learning in the Measurement Domain

In this paper, we provide theoretical results to show that compressed learning , learning directly in the compressed domain, is possible. In Particular, we provide tight bounds demonstrating that the linear kernel SVM’s classifier in the measurement domain, with high probability, has true accuracy close to the accuracy of the best linear threshold classifier in the data domain. We show that this is beneficial both from the compressed sensing and the machine learning points of view. Furthermore, we indicate that for a family of well-known compressed sensing matrices, compressed learning is universal, in the sense that learning and classification in the measurement domain works provided that the data are sparse in some, even unknown, basis. Moreover, we show that our results are also applicable to a family of smooth manifold-learning tasks. Finally, we support our claims with experimental results.
Developing Digital Media Platforms for Early Design

Badam, Sriram Karthik M.S.E.C. E, Purdue University, August 2014. Developing Digital Media Platforms for Early Design. Major Professor: Niklas Elmqvist. In recent times, mobile devices are becoming an integral part of our daily life. Software applications on these handheld devices are successfully migrating the traditional paperbased activities such as reading news, books, and even navigating through maps, onto the digital medium. While these applications allow information access anywhere and anytime, there is still a necessity for repurposing these digital media to support content/information creation especially in domains such as industrial design where paper-based activities are common. To utilize direct-touch tablets for collaborative conceptual design, we studied their affordances and iteratively developed a web-based wiki system, named skWiki. In this thesis, we first report an evaluation of the impact of utilizing a capacitive stylus for tracing and sketching on direct-touch tablets. This study uncovers the differences in quantitative and qualitative performance of the tablet medium compared to the paper medium when using a stylus (pen) or finger input for both tracing and sketching. While paper performed better overall, we found that the tablet medium, when used with a capacitive stylus, performed comparably to the paper medium for sketching tasks. These findings can guide sketch application designers in developing an appropriate interaction design for various input methods. In order to explore the advantages of the ubiquity of information generated on digital media, we developed Sketchbox, an Android application for sketching and sharing ideas using Dropbox as the storage cloud. An evaluation of the usage patterns of this application in a collaborative toy design scenario provided necessary guidelines for developing the skWiki system. skWiki overcomes the drawbacks of traditional wiki software, that are used as design repositories, by providing a rich editor infrastructure for sketching, text editing, and image editing. Apart from these features, skWiki provides a higher degree
On the capacity game of public watermarking systems

Watermarking codes are analyzed as a game between two players: an information hider and a decoder, on the one hand, and an attacker on the other hand. It is assumed that the covertext (the original data within which the message is hidden) is drawn from a memoryless stationary source and its realization is available at the information hider only. The information hider is allowed to cause some tolerable level of distortion to the covertext, and the resulting distorted data can suffer some additional amount of distortion caused by an attacker who aims at erasing the message. Motivated by a worst case approach, we assume that the attacker is informed of the hiding strategy taken by the information hider and the decoder, while they are uninformed of the attacking scheme. The capacity is expressed as the limit of a sequence of single-letter expressions under the assumption that the encoder uses constant composition codes.
Unearthing the Tubers and Shoots of Thought, Talk, and Praxis: A Historiography of Classroom Discourse in Theory and Practice

Unearthing the Tubers and Shoots of Thought, Talk, and Praxis: A Historiography of Classroom Discourse in Theory and Practice Christian George Gregory This dissertation submits as its project a history of dialogue in the classroom, from early recitation practices to the era of the teacher as a “sage on the stage,” the subsequent role of a participating observer or “guide on the side,” and more refined teacher roles as well as sharper definitions of discussion and dialogical practices (King, 1993, p. 30). For this research, I adopted a conceptual methodology, using Foucault’s critique and Deleuze and Guattari’s assemblages and rhizomic structures, to inform the mapping and dynamic of the historiography. In terms of practical methodology, I collected over 650 theoretical, empirical, and instructional works related to forms of classroom discourse. By mapping the territory of research on discourse in the English classroom, this work noted trends in the method, manner, and focus of research. Several critical shifts might be suggested regarding theory, research, and practice in relation to dialogue: in practice, first, a shift from quantitative, monological positions to more dialogical, polyphonic stances; and second, from research examining teacher questioning and evaluation to that focused on student responsiveness. In theory and research, this review suggested several noticeable trends in research methods: first, that classroom practice lags behind the theoretical imagining of the dialogical; second, that scholars have increasingly relied on Mikhail Bakhtin’s theories in the pedagogical frames of their research on discourse in the classroom; and third, that scholarship has shown a greater interest in international sites of study. Overall, although scholars have made strides in conceptualizing the dialogical classroom, greater interventionist studies and instructional works are needed to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Military L2 immersion: Language learning motivations among Finnish-speaking conscripts in a Swedish language garrison

The purpose of the present study was to examine some of the motivations and longitudinal consequences of military service in L2 Swedish for L1 Finnish conscripts in Finland’s only Swedish language garrison. Cross-sectional data (N = 42), analyzed with Bayesian path analysis, indicates that promotional instrumentality enhanced participants’ L2 ideal selves, but integrative orientation did not. The L2 ideal self predicts L2 learning intentions in the army, but only among learners with low L2 proficiency at the beginning of military service. Longitudinal data (N = 17), analyzed with a Bayesian model selection procedure, shows that after six months in the army, participants reported higher levels of L2 proficiency, lower levels of L2 use anxiety and more positive attitudes towards L2 speakers than at the beginning of military service.
Flying a kite: playful mapping in a multidisciplinary field-course

ABSTRACT This article reviews the potential of kite-mapping as part of an interdisciplinary and multinational field course. It situates kite-mapping as a low cost, high quality, participatory approach, in relation to field use of maps, arguing that research might usefully attend to more than simply the skills acquired during the field exercise and the technicalities of the innovation. Evidenced from two day-long workshops on the Maltese island of Gozo we describe practical issues involved in making the mapping work. We draw on descriptions of field practice and deploy a multi-method evaluation of staff and student reactions and experiences to explore pedagogic aspects of kite-mapping. We conclude that the practices of kite-mapping significantly impact upon the value of the mapping technique, and highlight how creative and playful mapping processes implicit in the technique might usefully be deployed in other field contexts.
Faroese children’s early vocabulary acquisition: A Faroese adaptation of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories

The focus of this article is Faroese children’s early vocabulary acquisition using a Faroese adaptation of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MBCDI) parental report. The study is a population-based cross-sectional study including 1135 children aged 8–36 months. The article has two objectives: the first is to describe the Faroese adaptation of the MBCDI, and the second is to examine Faroese children’s early vocabulary acquisition. Selected percentile levels for vocabulary comprehension and production are presented, as well as gender differences and developmental trends. The study finds evidence for a spurt in productive vocabulary in the second year of life, and that vocabulary comprehension preceded production, with both showing increases with age similar to those described in the literature for other languages. Girls had an advantage in vocabulary production over boys, resulting in a significant gender difference. Finally, the early lexical composition of Faroese children is notable in that it contains a substantial number of baby-word forms.
Generalizing from Several Related Classification Tasks to a New Unlabeled Sample

We consider the problem of assigning class labels to an unlabeled test data set, given several labeled training data sets drawn from similar distributions. This problem arises in several applications where data distributions fluctuate because of biological, technical, or other sources of variation. We develop a distribution-free, kernel-based approach to the problem. This approach involves identifying an appropriate reproducing kernel Hilbert space and optimizing a regularized empirical risk over the space. We present generalization error analysis, describe universal kernels, and establish universal consistency of the proposed methodology. Experimental results on flow cytometry data are presented.
Speculation Duopoly with Agreement to Disagree: Can Overconfidence Survive the Market Test?

In a duopoly model of informed speculation, the authors show that overconfidence may strictly dominate rationality since an overconfident trader may not only generate higher expected profit and utility than his rational opponent but also higher than if he were also rational. This occurs because overconfidence acts like a commitment device in a standard Cournot duopoly. As a result, for some parameter values the Nash equilibrium of a two-fund game is a prisoner's dilemma in which both funds hire overconfident managers. Thus, overconfidence can persist and survive in the long run. Copyright 1997 by American Finance Association.
Noninvasive Monitoring of Internal Carotid Artery Dissection

Background and Purpose Internal carotid artery dissection has increasingly been reported as a cause of transient ischemic attack or stroke. However, scarce data exist on the natural history of the arterial lesions and the temporal profile of recanalization. Methods We followed 48 patients with 50 angiographicalry confirmed internal carotid artery dissections by sequential duplex Doppler studies in 2- to 4-day intervals during the first weeks after the onset of symptoms and after 4 weeks in 1- to 2-month intervals for up to 2 years. We assessed sonographic features as well as the frequency and time course of resolution. Results Initial Doppler findings were abnormal in all patients, most of whom (68%) presented with a characteristic bidirectional high-resistance Doppler signal in the internal carotid artery. Gradual recanalization was found in 68% of the dissections after an average interval of 51 days. Changes of Doppler flow patterns in follow-up studies and features of intra-arterial angiography correlated with the development of internal carotid artery dissection and mirrored the recanalization process. Conclusions Our findings suggest that Doppler sonography provides early recognition of internal carotid artery dissection and monitoring of its resolution. Thus, ultrasound studies may guide clinical decisions according to the development of the dissection.
Optimality and Some of Its Discontents: Successes and Shortcomings of Existing Models for Binary Decisions

We review how leaky competing accumulators (LCAs) can be used to model decision making in two-alternative, forced-choice tasks, and we show how they reduce to drift diffusion (DD) processes in special cases. As continuum limits of the sequential probability ratio test, DD processes are optimal in producing decisions of specified accuracy in the shortest possible time. Furthermore, the DD model can be used to derive a speed-accuracy trade-off that optimizes reward rate for a restricted class of two alternative forced-choice decision tasks. We review findings that compare human performance with this benchmark, and we reveal both approximations to and deviations from optimality. We then discuss three potential sources of deviations from optimality at the psychological level--avoidance of errors, poor time estimation, and minimization of the cost of control--and review recent theoretical and empirical findings that address these possibilities. We also discuss the role of cognitive control in changing environments and in modulating exploitation and exploration. Finally, we consider physiological factors in which nonlinear dynamics may also contribute to deviations from optimality.
Effector‐independent voluntary timing: behavioural and neuroimaging evidence

We investigated effector‐independent aspects of voluntary motor timing, using behavioural measurements and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Two types of temporal pattern were investigated; one isochronous, the other a metric, rhythmic sequence of six temporal intervals. Each pattern was performed using tapping movements with the left or right index fingers, or rhythmic speech on one syllable. Deviations from the ideal temporal pattern in the rhythmic sequence tasks were consistent between the three different effectors, within subjects. This suggests that the same representation of the rhythm was used to time the movements with all effectors. To reveal brain regions involved in such effector‐independent timing, we localized the overlap in brain activity when the rhythmic sequence was performed with the different effectors. Activity was found in the mesial and lateral premotor cortices, posterior and anterior regions of the superior temporal gyrus and the inferior frontal cortex. Subcortical activations were in the left globus pallidus, the vermis and bilaterally in the cerebellar hemispheres (lobule VI) and the thalamus. The overlap in activity between the isochronous tasks included the same set of brain regions, except for the basal ganglia and the thalamus. Rhythmic sequences had significantly higher activity in mesial premotor cortex, the left superior temporal gyrus and the cerebellum, than had isochronous movements. These findings reveal a set of brain regions likely to be involved in effector‐independent representations of temporal patterns in voluntary motor timing. A subset of these regions plays important roles for the organization of rhythmic sequences of several intervals.
Computational and theoretical aspects of a grain-boundary model at finite deformations

A model to describe the role of grain boundaries in the overall response of a polycrystalline material at small length scales subject to finite deformations is presented. Three alternative thermodynamically consistent plastic flow relations on the grain boundary are derived and compared using a series of numerical experiments. The numerical model is obtained by approximating the governing relations using the finite element method. In addition, the infinitesimal and finite deformation theories are compared, and the limitations of the former made clear.
DEEP CHANDRA, HST-COS, AND MEGACAM OBSERVATIONS OF THE PHOENIX CLUSTER: EXTREME STAR FORMATION AND AGN FEEDBACK ON HUNDRED KILOPARSEC SCALES

We present new ultraviolet, optical, and X-ray data on the Phoenix galaxy cluster (SPT-CLJ2344-4243). Deep optical imaging reveals previously undetected filaments of star formation, extending to radii of ∼50–100 kpc in multiple directions. Combined UV-optical spectroscopy of the central galaxy reveals a massive (2 × 109 M⊙), young (∼4.5 Myr) population of stars, consistent with a time-averaged star formation rate of 610 ± 50 M⊙ yr−1. We report a strong detection of O vi λλ1032,1038, which appears to originate primarily in shock-heated gas, but may contain a substantial contribution (>1000 M⊙ yr−1) from the cooling intracluster medium (ICM). We confirm the presence of deep X-ray cavities in the inner ∼10 kpc, which are among the most extreme examples of radio-mode feedback detected to date, implying jet powers of 2–7 × 1045 erg s−1. We provide evidence that the active galactic nucleus inflating these cavities may have only recently transitioned from “quasar-mode” to “radio-mode,” and may currently be insufficient to completely offset cooling. A model-subtracted residual X-ray image reveals evidence for prior episodes of strong radio-mode feedback at radii of ∼100 kpc, with extended “ghost” cavities indicating a prior epoch of feedback roughly 100 Myr ago. This residual image also exhibits significant asymmetry in the inner ∼200 kpc (0.15R500), reminiscent of infalling cool clouds, either due to minor mergers or fragmentation of the cooling ICM. Taken together, these data reveal a rapidly evolving cool core which is rich with structure (both spatially and in temperature), is subject to a variety of highly energetic processes, and yet is cooling rapidly and forming stars along thin, narrow filaments.
3640 Unique EST Clusters from the Medaka Testis and Their Potential Use for Identifying Conserved Testicular Gene Expression in Fish and Mammals

Background The fish medaka is the first vertebrate capable of full spermatogenesis in vitro from self-renewing spermatogonial stem cells to motile test-tube sperm. Precise staging and molecular dissection of this process has been hampered by the lack of suitable molecular markers. Methodology and Principal Findings We have generated a normalized medaka testis cDNA library and obtained 7040 high quality sequences representing 3641 unique gene clusters. Among these, 1197 unique clusters are homologous to known genes, and 2444 appear to be novel genes. Ontology analysis shows that the 1197 gene products are implicated in diverse molecular and cellular processes. These genes include markers for all major types of testicular somatic and germ cells. Furthermore, markers were identified for major spermatogenic stages ranging from spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal to meiosis entry, progression and completion. Intriguingly, the medaka testis expresses at least 13 homologs of the 33 mouse X-chromosomal genes that are enriched in the testis. More importantly, we show that key components of several signaling pathways known to be important for testicular function in mammals are well represented in the medaka testicular EST collection. Conclusions/Significance Medaka exhibits a considerable similarity in testicular gene expression to mammals. The medaka testicular EST collection we obtained has wide range coverage and will not only consolidate our knowledge on the comparative analysis of known genes' functions in the testis but also provide a rich resource to dissect molecular events and mechanism of spermatogenesis in vivo and in vitro in medaka as an excellent vertebrate model.
Oral Immunization Against Candidiasis Using Lactobacillus casei Displaying Enolase 1 from Candida albicans

Abstract Candidiasis is a common fungal infection that is prevalent in immunocompromised individuals. In this study, an oral vaccine against Candida albicans was developed by using the molecular display approach. Enolase 1 protein (Eno1p) of C. albicans was expressed on the Lactobacillus casei cell surface by using poly-gamma-glutamic acid synthetase complex A from Bacillus subtilis as an anchoring protein. The Eno1p-displaying L. casei cells were used to immunize mice, which were later challenged with a lethal dose of C. albicans. The data indicated that the vaccine elicited a strong IgG response and increased the survival rate of the vaccinated mice. Furthermore, L. casei acted as a potent adjuvant and induced high antibody titers that were comparable to those induced by strong adjuvants such as the cholera toxin. Overall, the molecular display method can be used to rapidly develop vaccines that can be conveniently administered and require minimal processing.
The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Later Parenting Self-Perceptions: The Moderating Effect of Family Support

Title of Thesis: THE IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE ON LATER PARENTING SELF-PERCEPTIONS: THE MODERATING EFFECT OF FAMILY SUPPORT Kaitlin N. Doyle, Master of Science, 2016 Thesis directed by: Professor Leigh Leslie Department of Family Science Childhood sexual abuse has been found to be a risk factor for developing negative parenting self-perceptions later in life. Given this established relationship, it is crucial to investigate factors that may mitigate negative outcomes, such as family support. The present study used secondary analysis of a dataset of 265 predominantly AfricanAmerican and low-income mothers. This study examined differences in parenting selfperceptions among mothers who experienced childhood sexual abuse and those who did not. Analyses revealed that mothers who experienced childhood sexual abuse did not differ in terms of parenting self-perceptions from non-sexually-abused mothers. After controlling for depression, there was no moderating effect of family support; however, a main effect for family support was observed. The results indicate that depression plays a larger role in mothers’ parenting self-perceptions than childhood sexual abuse, and that family support is beneficial for all mothers, regardless of sexual abuse status. Clinical implications are discussed. THE IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE ON LATER PARENTING SELFPERCEPTIONS: THE MODERATING EFFECT OF FAMILY SUPPORT
An Improved Hybrid Model for Automatic Salient Region Detection

In this letter, the graph-based visual saliency (GBVS) model is extended by pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN) to implement the well-defined criteria for a saliency detector. In receptive field, the resized intensity feature map generated by GBVS was regarded as the input image of the PCNN. After modulation, the optimal iteration number and threshold were identified by GBVS and Otsu's method in pulse generator part, respectively. Moreover, other parameters of the PCNN were set automatically. In the end, an automatic salient region detection algorithm was proposed. Experimental results show that our proposed hybrid model can efficiently detect salient region.