Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Data Mining with R: Learning with Case Studies

The versatile capabilities and large set of add-on packages make R an excellent alternative to many existing and often expensive data mining tools. Exploring this area from the perspective of a practitioner, Data Mining with R: Learning with Case Studies uses practical examples to illustrate the power of R and data mining. Assuming no prior knowledge of R or data mining/statistical techniques, the book covers a diverse set of problems that pose different challenges in terms of size, type of data, goals of analysis, and analytical tools. To present the main data mining processes and techniques, the author takes a hands-on approach that utilizes a series of detailed, real-world case studies: Predicting algae blooms Predicting stock market returns Detecting fraudulent transactions Classifying microarray samples With these case studies, the author supplies all necessary steps, code, and data. Web ResourceA supporting website mirrors the do-it-yourself approach of the text. It offers a collection of freely available R source files that encompass all the code used in the case studies. The site also provides the data sets from the case studies as well as an R package of several functions.
Extended Object Tracking with Random Hypersurface Models

The random hypersurface model (RHM) is introduced for estimating a shape approximation of an extended object in addition to its kinematic state. An RHM represents the spatial extent by means of randomly scaled versions of the shape boundary. In doing so, the shape parameters and the measurements are related via a measurement equation that serves as the basis for a Gaussian state estimator. Specific estimators are derived for elliptic and star-convex shapes.
Uniform Observability Analysis for Structured Bilinear Systems

This paper deals with the analysis of generic uniform observability for structured bilinear systems. The proposed method is based on a graph-theoretic approach and assumes only the knowledge of the system's structure. We express, in graphical terms two conditions, the first one is necessary and the second one is sufficient, to check whether or not structured linear systems are generically uniformly observable. These conditions are quite easy to verify because they are based on comparisons of integers and on finding edges and subgraphs in a digraph. Therefore, our approach is very well suited to study large scale and/or uncertain systems.
Lecture subtopic retrieval by retrieval keyword expansion using subordinate concept

We developed a supporting system for creation of educational video contents. The system automatically segments a lecture video material into subtopics based on speech signals by a statistical model for text segmentation. In this paper, we reports on the result of retrieving the lecture subtopics by keyword expansion using the knowledge of the dictionary, and so on. The keyword expansion using the subordinate concept improved the average reciprocal order (MRR:Mean Reciprocal Rank) from 0.51 to 0.55 when subtopics are retrieved by a set of three search keywords for the lecture voice text recognized by automatic speech recognition. Index Terms: subtopic retrieval, keyword expansion, automatic speech recognition, lecture video
Bashimyzon cheni, a new genus and species of sucker loach (Teleostei, Gastromyzontidae) from South China

Bashimyzon, new genus, is here established for Erromyzon damingshanensis, and a new species of the genus is described from the You-Jiang of the Pearl River (=Zhu-Jiang in mandarin Chinese) basin in Guangxi Province, South China. This new genus has a small gill opening above the pectoral-fin base and short pectoral fins extending backwards short of pelvic-fin insertions, both characters combined to separate it from all currently-recognized gastromyzontid genera except Erromyzon and Protomyzon, but differs from the two genera in having a larger gap between the posterior edge of eye and the vertical through the pectoral-fin insertion and very small fleshy lobes posterior to the maxillary-barbel bases. It is further distinct from its most similar genus Erromyzon in having a relatively larger gill opening, fewer branched pectoral-fin rays folded against body, and more posteriorly placed pectoral fins with a shorter fin base. Bashimyzon cheni, new species, and B. damingshanensis, the single congeneric species, differ in number of lateral-line pored scales, body coloration, and cephalic contour, and also in substantial genetic divergence.
The G894-T894 Polymorphism in the Gene for Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Blood Pressure in Lead-Exposed Workers From Korea

We evaluated whether the G 894-T 894 polymorphism in exon 7 of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene is associated with blood pressure or modifies the relation between lead dose and blood pressure in 803 lead workers in Korea. A total of 84.9% of individuals were homozygous GG, 14.4% heterozygous GT, and 0.8% homozygous TT. The T 894 allele was not significantly associated with systolic or diastolic blood pressure. The prevalence of hypertension did not differ by T 894 status (OR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.50–1.37). There was no evidence of effect modification by eNOS genotype on relations of lead dose with blood pressure. These data provide no evidence that the T 894 allele is associated with higher blood pressure or modifies the association of lead dose with blood pressure.
Response times of ice-sheet surface heights to changes in the rate of Antarctic firn compaction caused by accumulation and temperature variations

Variations in accumulation rate As(t) and temperature Ts(t) at the surface of firn cause changes in the rate of firn compaction (FC) and surface height H(t) that do not involve changes in mass, and therefore need to be accounted for in deriving mass changes from measured H(t). As the effects of changes in As(t) and Ts(t) propagate into the firn, the FC rate is affected with a highly variable and complex response time. The H(t) during measurement periods depend on the history of As(t) and Ts(t) prior to the measurements. Consequently, knowledge of firn response times to climate perturbations is important to estimate the required length of the time series of As(t) and Ts(t) used in FC models. We use our numerical FC model, which is time-dependent on both temperature and accumulation rate, to examine the response times of both H(t) and the rates of change dH(t)/dt to variations in As(t) and Ts(t) using sample perturbations and climate data for selected sites in Antarctica. Our results show that the response times for dH(t)/dt, which are of particular interest, are much shorter than the responses of H(t). Typical response times of dH(t)/dt are from several years to <20 years. The response times are faster in warmer and higher-accumulation areas such as Byrd Station, West Antarctica (4 years), and slower in colder and lower-accumulation areas such as Vostok, East Antarctica (18 years). The response times to temperature are much faster (0.9 year at Byrd and 2.2 years at Vostok), but the corresponding height changes persist much longer. The associated variations in firn density are significantly preserved in the density–depth profiles. For typical fluctuations of surface weather, the Ts(t) from satellite observations since 1982 and As(t) from meteorological data since 1979 are essentially of sufficient length to correct for FC height changes for measurements beginning in 1992.
Power Outage Estimation for Tropical Cyclones: Improved Accuracy with Simpler Models

In this article, we discuss an outage‐forecasting model that we have developed. This model uses very few input variables to estimate hurricane‐induced outages prior to landfall with great predictive accuracy. We also show the results for a series of simpler models that use only publicly available data and can still estimate outages with reasonable accuracy. The intended users of these models are emergency response planners within power utilities and related government agencies. We developed our models based on the method of random forest, using data from a power distribution system serving two states in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. We also show that estimates of system reliability based on wind speed alone are not sufficient for adequately capturing the reliability of system components. We demonstrate that a multivariate approach can produce more accurate power outage predictions.
Multidimensional compressed sensing and their applications

Compressed sensing (CS) comprises a set of relatively new techniques that exploit the underlying structure of data sets allowing their reconstruction from compressed versions or incomplete information. CS reconstruction algorithms are essentially nonlinear, demanding heavy computation overhead and large storage memory, especially in the case of multidimensional signals. Excellent review papers discussing CS state‐of‐the‐art theory and algorithms already exist in the literature, which mostly consider data sets in vector forms. In this paper, we give an overview of existing techniques with special focus on the treatment of multidimensional signals (tensors). We discuss recent trends that exploit the natural multidimensional structure of signals (tensors) achieving simple and efficient CS algorithms. The Kronecker structure of dictionaries is emphasized and its equivalence to the Tucker tensor decomposition is exploited allowing us to use tensor tools and models for CS. Several examples based on real world multidimensional signals are presented, illustrating common problems in signal processing such as the recovery of signals from compressed measurements for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals or for hyper‐spectral imaging, and the tensor completion problem (multidimensional inpainting). WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2013, 3:355–380. doi: 10.1002/widm.1108
Mid-Infrared Photothermal Spectroscopy for the Detection of Caffeine in Beverages

Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant and is the subject of significant ongoing research and discussions due to its impact on human health. The industry’s need to comply with country-specific food and beverage regulations underscores the importance of monitoring caffeine levels in commercial products. In this study, we propose an alternative technique for caffeine analysis that relies on mid-infrared laser-based photothermal spectroscopy (PTS). PTS exploits the high-power output of the quantum cascade laser (QCL) sources to enhance the sensitivity of the mid-IR measurement. The laser-induced thermal gradient in the sample scales with the analytes’ absorption coefficient and concentration, thus allowing for both qualitative and quantitative assessment. We evaluated the performance of our experimental PTS spectrometer, incorporating a tunable QCL and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer, for detecting caffeine in coffee, black tea, and an energy drink. We calibrated the setup with caffeine standards (0.1–2.5 mg mL−1) and we benchmarked the setup’s capabilities against gas chromatography (GC) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Quantitative results aligned with GC analysis, and limits of detection matched the research-grade FTIR spectrometer, indicating an excellent performance of our custom-made instrument. This method offers an alternative to established techniques, providing a platform for fast, sensitive, and non-destructive analysis without consumables as well as with high potential for miniaturization.
Technical Note - Pricing Under the Nested Attraction Model with a Multistage Choice Structure

We develop a solution approach to the centralized pricing problem of a nested attraction model with a multistage tree structure. We identify conditions under which the optimal solution can be uniquely determined, and we characterize the optimal solution as a fixed point of a single variable. In the special case of a multistage nested logit model, we show the impact of asymmetry in price sensitivity and adjustment index (also known as the dissimilarity index) and we derive a closed-form solution when the tree structure is symmetric. Many existing results in the literature regarding the single or two-stage nested attraction model are shown to be special cases of the results we have derived. We show that the equal markup property, which holds for the single-stage logit model with symmetric price sensitivity, in general does not hold for products that do not share the same immediate parent node in the nested choice structure even when price sensitivities are the same for all products.
A framework for using GIS and stakeholder input to assess vulnerability to coastal-inundation hazards : A case study from Sarasota County , Florida

Continued development in coastal communities results in an increase in the number of people and assets exposed to the type of catastrophic hazards recently displayed by Hurricane Katrina. Traditionally, the vulnerability of coastal communities has been measured either on a micro (community) or a macro (regional) scale. We present research that suggests vulnerability assessments need to be conducted on both micro and a macro scales to more fully address many of the components that contribute to localized community vulnerability. Research presented in this chapter utilizes a GIS methodologically heavy case study of Sarasota County, Florida, in conjunction with an extended version of a vulnerability framework developed by Füssel (2007) to consider traditional components of vulnerability at both the micro and macro scales. This is accomplished through the theoretical concept of geospatially dependent vulnerability where it is demonstrated that local community vulnerability is multi-scalar and thus must be measured at multiple geographic scales to provide a vulnerability analysis sufficiently robust to adequately aid communities in hazard mitigation and resilience enhancement.
Serological Tests

1. Sera and antisera when kept in the dark at room temperature sealed in glass tubes occasionally give specific reactions after a period of 12 years. In most cases, however, negative results were obtained with the antisera, whilst in others the reactions were non-specific. 2. Fowl blood will still give specific complement fixation and precipitin reactions after being in the alimentary canal of either Argas persicus or Ornithodorus moubata for at least 23 months. The gut contents of Pediculus vestimenti fed on man three days previously, also will give specific reactions with human antisera.
Congestion Control for Large-Scale RDMA Deployments

Modern datacenter applications demand high throughput (40Gbps) and ultra-low latency (< 10 μs per hop) from the network, with low CPU overhead. Standard TCP/IP stacks cannot meet these requirements, but Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) can. On IP-routed datacenter networks, RDMA is deployed using RoCEv2 protocol, which relies on Priority-based Flow Control (PFC) to enable a drop-free network. However, PFC can lead to poor application performance due to problems like head-of-line blocking and unfairness. To alleviates these problems, we introduce DCQCN, an end-to-end congestion control scheme for RoCEv2. To optimize DCQCN performance, we build a fluid model, and provide guidelines for tuning switch buffer thresholds, and other protocol parameters. Using a 3-tier Clos network testbed, we show that DCQCN dramatically improves throughput and fairness of RoCEv2 RDMA traffic. DCQCN is implemented in Mellanox NICs, and is being deployed in Microsoft's datacenters.
Handwritten Chinese Character Recognition with Directional Decomposition Cellular Features

A new feature extraction approach based on elastic meshing and directional decomposition techniques for handwritten Chinese character recognition (HCCR) is proposed in this letter. It is found that decomposing a Chinese character into horizontal, vertical stroke, left slant and right slant directional sub-patterns is very helpful for feature extraction and recognition. Three kinds of decomposition methods are proposed. A minimum distance classifier is trained by 3755 categories of characters using the new features. Testing on a total of 37,550 untrained handwritten samples produces the recognition rate of 92.36%, showing the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Adenosine deaminase attenuates canine coronary vasodilatation during regional non-ischaemic myocardial hypoxia.

To test the hypothesis that adenosine contributes to the coronary hyperaemia produced by regional non-ischaemic myocardial hypoxia coronary blood flow and myocardial oxygen extraction and consumption were continuously monitored in 21 anaesthetised open chest dogs under the following conditions: control 1--postinstrumentation, steady state control; hypoxia 1--3-5 min of regional (LAD) hypoxaemia (partial pressure of oxygen, PO2, 21.4(2.0) mmHg (3.1(0.2) kPa), coronary arterial oxygen content, CaO2, 3.9(0.4) ml.100 ml-1 (39(4) ml.litre-1): control 2--repeat steady state control; and hypoxia 2--3-5 min repeat regional hypoxaemia (PO2 18.9(2.4) mmHg (2.5(0.3) kPa); CaO2 3.6(0.6) ml.100 ml-1 (36(6) ml.litre-1) blood). Left anterior descending artery perfusion pressure was held constant for all conditions. Control 2 and hypoxia 2 were performed in the presence of locally infused adenosine deaminase (n = 16) or saline vehicle (n = 5). The 16 dogs given adenosine deaminase were further subdivided into those perfused with blood deoxygenated by a donor canine lung (group 1, n = 11) and those perfused with blood from a paediatric oxygenator (group 2, n = 5). Systemic haemodynamics, heart rate, and coronary arterial PO2 and O2 contents were similar during the two control periods and during the two exposures to hypoxia in all three groups. Left anterior descending artery blood flow increased by approximately 400% (p less than 0.05) in all three groups during the first exposure to hypoxia. Myocardial oxygen consumption was unchanged. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Optimal social laws

Social laws have proved to be a powerful and theoretically elegant framework for coordination in multi-agent systems. Most existing models of social laws assume that a designer is attempting to produce a set of constraints on agent behaviour which will ensure that some single overall desirable objective is achieved. However, this represents a gross simplification of the typical situation, where a designer may have multiple (possibly conflicting) objectives, with different priorities. Moreover, social laws, as well as bringing benefits, also have implementation costs: imposing a social law often cannot be done at zero cost. We present a model of social laws that reflects this reality: it takes into account both the fact that the designer of a social law may have multiple differently valued objectives, and that the implementation of a social law is not costneutral. In this setting, designing a social law becomes an optimisation problem, in which a designer must take into account both the benefits and costs of a social law. We investigate the issue of representing a designer's objectives, characterise the complexity of the optimal social law design problem, and consider possible constraints that lead to reductions in computational complexity. We then show how the problem of designing an optimal social law can be formulated as an integer linear program.
Pharmacists' actions when patients use complementary and alternative medicine with medications: A look at Texas-Mexico border cities.

OBJECTIVES To determine how often pharmacists inquire about patients' complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, actions taken in response to patients' CAM use, and demographic or professional characteristics that predict differences in pharmacists' actions. METHODS A survey was mailed to 400 randomly selected community pharmacists who resided in Texas-Mexico border cities. RESULTS Most (63.8%) pharmacists had encountered patients who were using CAM. They documented CAM use in 9.8% of cases and monitored for drug-related problems in 39.4%. Among users, pharmacists sometimes to usually (3.4 ± 1.4 [mean ± SD]) took actions such as referring patients to their physicians. Pharmacists were not particularly comfortable (3.2 ± 1.0) with responding to CAM inquiries but believed patients needed adequate CAM knowledge. Pharmacists rarely to sometimes (2.6 ± 1.2) asked patients about their CAM use. Inquiry about CAM use was greater when information could be documented in profiles (F = 4.29, P = 0.02) and when pharmacists had additional training in CAM (t = -2.59, P = 0.01). Also, in pharmacies that stocked herbal or homeopathic products, pharmacists were more likely to recommend other CAM therapies appropriate for patients' conditions (t = -3.27, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Pharmacists were not very proactive in inquiring about CAM use, and their actions (e.g., referral to physician) were somewhat passive. More routine inquiry and documentation are needed. Pharmacists should routinely ask about and document CAM use by patients in order to optimize drug therapy outcomes.
Identification of a cytoplasmic domain important in the polarized expression and clustering of the Kv2.1 K+ channel

The voltage-sensitive K+ channel Kv2.1 has a polarized and clustered distribution in neurons. To investigate the basis for this localization, we expressed wild-type Kv2.1 and two COOH-terminal truncation mutants, delta C318 and delta C187, in polarized epithelial MDCK cells. These functional channel proteins had differing subcellular localization, in that while both wild-type Kv2.1 and delta C187 localized to the lateral membrane in high density clusters, delta C318 was expressed uniformly on both apical and lateral membranes. A chimeric protein containing the hemagglutinin protein from influenza virus and the region of Kv2.1 that differentiates the two truncation mutants (amino acids 536-666) was also expressed in MDCK cells, where it was found in high density clusters similar to those observed for Kv2.1. Polarized expression and clustering of Kv2.1 correlates with detergent solubility, suggesting that interaction with the detergent insoluble cytoskeleton may be necessary for proper localization of this channel.
Effect of the General Anaesthetic Ketamine on Electrical and Ca2+ Signal Propagation in Arabidopsis thaliana

The systemic electrical signal propagation in plants (i.e., from leaf to leaf) is dependent on GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE proteins (GLRs). The GLR receptors are the homologous proteins to the animal ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) which are ligand-gated non-selective cation channels that mediate neurotransmission in the animal’s nervous system. In this study, we investigated the effect of the general anaesthetic ketamine, a well-known non-competitive channel blocker of human iGluRs, on systemic electrical signal propagation in Arabidopsis thaliana. We monitored the electrical signal propagation, intracellular calcium level [Ca2+]cyt and expression of jasmonate (JA)-responsive genes in response to heat wounding. Although ketamine affected the shape and the parameters of the electrical signals (amplitude and half-time, t1/2) mainly in systemic leaves, it was not able to block a systemic response. Increased [Ca2+]cyt and the expression of jasmonate-responsive genes were detected in local as well as in systemic leaves in response to heat wounding in ketamine-treated plants. This is in contrast with the effect of the volatile general anaesthetic diethyl ether which completely blocked the systemic response. This low potency of ketamine in plants is probably caused by the fact that the critical amino acid residues needed for ketamine binding in human iGluRs are not conserved in plants’ GLRs.