Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clearing a Polygon with Two 1-Searchers

We present an algorithm for a pair of pursuers, each with one flashlight, searching for an unpredictable, moving target in a 2D environment (simple polygon). Given a polygon with n edges and m concave regions, the algorithm decides in time O(n2 + nm2 + m4) whether the polygon can be cleared by the two 1-searchers, and if so, constructs a search schedule. The pursuers are allowed to move on the boundary and in the interior of the polygon. They are not required to maintain mutual visibility throughout the pursuit.
LECTURE 3: PROPERTY (τ) AND EXPANDERS (PRELIMINARY VERSION)

There are many excellent existing texts for the material in this lecture, starting with Lubotzky's monograph [11] and recent AMS survey paper [10]. For expander graphs and their use in theoretical computer science, check the survey by Hoory, Linial and Wigderson [6]. We give here a brief introduction. We start with a definition. Definition 0.1. (Expander graph) A finite connected k-regular graph G is said to be an ε-expander if for every subset A of vertices in G, with |A| 1 2 |G|, one has the following isoperimetric inequality: |∂A| ε|A|, where ∂A denotes the set of edges of G which connect a point in A to a point in its complement A c. The optimal ε as above is sometimes called the discrete Cheeger constant of the graph: h(G) = inf A⊂G,|A| 1 2 |G| |∂A| |A| , Just as in Lecture 1, when we discussed the various equivalent definitions of amenabil-ity, it is not a surprise that this definition turns out to have a spectral interpretation. Given a k-regular graph G, one can consider the Markov operator (also called averaging operator, or sometimes Hecke operator in reference to the Hecke graph of an integer lattice) on functions on vertices on G defined as follows: P f (x) = 1 k ∑ x∼y f (y), where we wrote x ∼ y to say that y is a neighbor of x in the graph. This operator is easily seen to be self-adjoint on ℓ 2 (G), which is a finite dimensional Euclidean space. Moreover it is a contraction, namely ||P f || 2 ||f || 2 and hence its spectrum is real and contained in [−1, 1]. We can write the eigenvalues of P in decreasing Date: July 14th 2012.
The Impact of Forest Density on Forest Height Inversion Modeling from Polarimetric InSAR Data

Forest height is of great significance in analyzing the carbon cycle on a global or a local scale and in reconstructing the accurate forest underlying terrain. Major algorithms for estimating forest height, such as the three-stage inversion process, are depending on the random-volume-over-ground (RVoG) model. However, the RVoG model is characterized by a lot of parameters, which influence its applicability in forest height retrieval. Forest density, as an important biophysical parameter, is one of those main influencing factors. However, its influence to the RVoG model has been ignored in relating researches. For this paper, we study the applicability of the RVoG model in forest height retrieval with different forest densities, using the simulated and real Polarimetric Interferometric SAR data. P-band ESAR datasets of the European Space Agency (ESA) BioSAR 2008 campaign were selected for experiments. The test site was located in Krycklan River catchment in Northern Sweden. The experimental results show that the forest density clearly affects the inversion accuracy of forest height and ground phase. For the four selected forest stands, with the density increasing from 633 to 1827 stems/Ha, the RMSEs of inversion decrease from 4.6 m to 3.1 m. The RVoG model is not quite applicable for forest height retrieval especially in sparsely vegetated areas. We conclude that the forest stand density is positively related to the estimation accuracy of the ground phase, but negatively correlates to the ground-to-volume scattering ratio.
Adaptive Part-Level Model Knowledge Transfer for Gender Classification

In this letter, we propose an adaptive part-level model knowledge transfer approach for gender classification of facial images based on Fisher vector (FV). Specifically, we first decompose the whole face image into several parts and compute the dense FVs on each face part. An adaptive transfer learning model is then proposed to reduce the discrepancies between the training data and the testing data for enhancing classification performance. Compared to the existing gender classification methods, the proposed approach is more adaptive to the testing data, which is quite beneficial to the performance improvement. Extensive experiments on several public domain face data sets clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Oxidative stress markers in hypertensive states of pregnancy: preterm and term disease

Discussion continues as to whether de novo hypertension in pregnancy with significant proteinuria (pre-eclampsia; PE) and non-proteinuric new hypertension (gestational hypertension; GH) are parts of the same disease spectrum or represent different conditions. Non-pregnant hypertension, pregnancy and PE are all associated with oxidative stress. We have established a 6 weeks postpartum clinic for women who experienced a hypertensive pregnancy. We hypothesized that PE and GH could be distinguished by markers of oxidative stress; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and antioxidants (ferric ion reducing ability of plasma; FRAP). Since the severity of PE and GH is greater pre-term, we also compared pre-term and term disease. Fifty-eight women had term PE, 23 pre-term PE, 60 had term GH and 6 pre-term GH, 11 pre-existing (essential) hypertension (EH) without PE. Limited data were available from normotensive pregnancies (n = 7) and non-pregnant controls (n = 14). There were no differences in postpartum TBARS or FRAP between hypertensive states; TBARS (P = 0.001) and FRAP (P = 0.009) were lower in plasma of non-pregnant controls compared to recently-pregnant women. Interestingly FRAP was higher in preterm than term GH (P = 0.013). In PE and GH, TBARS correlated with low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (P = 0.036); this association strengthened with inclusion of EH (P = 0.011). The 10 year Framingham index for cardiovascular risk was positively associated with TBARS (P = 0.003). Oxidative stress profiles do not differ between hypertensive states but appear to distinguish between recently-pregnant and non-pregnant states. This suggests that pregnancy may alter vascular integrity with changes remaining 6 weeks postpartum. LDL-cholesterol is a known determinant of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease and we have shown this association to be present in hypertensive pregnancy further emphasizing that such a pregnancy may be revealing a pre-existing cardiovascular risk.
HTTPOS: Sealing Information Leaks with Browser-side Obfuscation of Encrypted Flows

Leakage of private information from web applications— even when the traffic is encrypted—is a major security threat to many applications that use HTTP for data delivery. This paper considers the problem of inferring from encrypted HTTP traffic the web sites or web pages visited by a user. Existing browser-side approaches to this problem cannot defend against more advanced attacks, and serverside approaches usually require modifications to web entities, such as browsers, servers, or web objects. In this paper, we propose a novel browser-side system, namely HTTPOS, to prevent information leaks and offer much better scalability and flexibility. HTTPOS provides a comprehensive and configurable suite of traffic transformation techniques for a browser to defeat traffic analysis without requiring any server-side modifications. Extensive evaluation of HTTPOS on live web traffic shows that it can successfully prevent the state-of-the-art attacks from inferring private information from encrypted HTTP flows.
The low-mass initial mass function in the young cluster NGC 6611

A B ST R A C T NGC 6611 isthe m assiveyoung cluster(2 3M yr)thationisesthe EagleNebula.W e presentverydeep photom etricobservationsofthecentralregionofNGC 6611obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope and the followinglters:ACS/W FC F775W and F850LP and NIC2 F110W and F160W ,loosely equivalent to ground-based IZJH �lters.ThissurveyreachesdowntoI � 26m ag.W econstructtheInitialM assFunction (IM F) from �1.5Mwellinto the brown dwarfregim e (down to �0.02M � ). W e have detected 30 35 brown dwarfcandidates in this sam ple.The low-m ass IM F is com bined with a higher-m ass IM F constructed from the groundbased catalogue from Oliveira etal. (2005). W ecom parethenalIM F with thoseofwellstudied star form ingregions:wend thattheIM F ofNGC 6611m oreclosely resem blesthatofthe low-m assstarform ing region in Taurusthan thatofthe m orem assiveOrion Nebula Cluster(ONC). W econcludethatthereseem sto beno severeenvironm entaleectin theIM F dueto theproxim ity ofthem assivestarsin NGC 6611. K ey w ords: stars:late-type { stars:low-m ass,brown dwarfs { stars:lum inosity function,m ass function { stars:pre-m ain-sequence { open cluster and associations: individual:NGC 6611.
Network Structure and Social Outcomes: Network Analysis for Social Science

Human behavior is characterized by connections to others. We define ourselves by these connections: our families, our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers all form a social geography. Social scientists who study networks serve as cartographers for these social plains, identifying actors who influence others. In their overview of the study of political networks, McClurg and Young (2011) state, “We would probably all agree that one primary tie among political scientists is our emphasis on power, and understanding how and why power is used. We are all inherently interested in the exercise of power between and among individuals and groups and the implications that this exercise holds for social outcomes. We contend that this unifying concept is, at its very core, relational. ” Social scientists have an interest in relational social science, with roles as either researchers directly focusing on relationships between actors or else as scholars accounting for interdependence among actors and institutions in their analyses. Additionally, we have seen an explosion in the availability of networked data. With the rise of social media, the relationships between ordinary citizens and political elites, among ordinary citizens, and even among political elites is more easily quantified. When once scholars of Congress had to “soak and poke” to understand a legislator’s relationship with her constituents (Fenno 1978), now it is possible to directly observe the connections that legislators establish with their constituents over Twitter, as well as the connections between the constituents themselves (Barbera 2015), the donations made to legislators and
Regulation of aldosterone receptor in rat kidney cytosol by atrial natriuretic factor.

We investigated the effect of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) on aldosterone receptors in the kidney cytosol, because the binding of aldosterone to aldosterone receptors in the cytosol is considered a critical step of its action. Rat atriopeptin III was injected into male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) via the femoral vein while under pentobarbital anesthesia, and aldosterone receptors in the kidney cytosol were determined. The maximum binding capacity and dissociation constant were calculated by the Scatchard analysis. Maximum binding capacity of both types of aldosterone receptor (Type I, high affinity and low binding capacity and Type II, low affinity and high binding capacity) gradually decreased after ANF injection, reached the lowest level after 2 hours, and then slightly recovered. When more than 2.5 micrograms/kg of rat atriopeptin III was injected, the density of aldosterone receptors significantly decreased. Injection of 12.5 micrograms/kg of rat atriopeptin III decreased maximum binding capacity of Type I receptor from 42.3 +/- 2.4 (mean +/- SD, n = 6) to 22.8 +/- 3.2 femtomole/mg protein (n = 6) (p less than 0.01), and that of Type II receptor decreased from 388 +/- 46 to 285 +/- 30 fmol/mg protein (p less than 0.01). Dissociation constant of both types of receptors did not change significantly after ANF injection. Plasma aldosterone concentration showed no significant change after ANF injection, and a significant change was noted after ANF administration on aldosterone receptors in the experiments on adrenalectomized rats 7 days after operation. Furosemide had no significant effect on aldosterone receptors in both normal and adrenalectomized rats. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Towards Causality Checking for Complex System Models

With the increasing growth of the size and complexity of modern safetycritical systems, the demand for model based engineering methods that both help in architecting such systems and to asses their safety and correctness becomes increasingly obvious. Causality checking is an automated method for formal causality analysis of system models and system execution traces. In this paper we report on work in progress towards an on-the-fly approach for causality checking of system models. We also sketch how this approach can be applied in model-based system analysis when assessing the system’s functional correctness.
Teleoperation of a robot manipulator using EMG signals and a position tracker

A methodology for a robotic manipulator teleoperation is presented. The proposed method can realize a new master-slave manipulator system that uses no mechanical master controller but electromyographic (EMG) signals from the muscles of a human arm. EMG signals are acquired from biceps brachii, main responsible muscle for elbow flexion. The robot elbow is controlled using joint angle computed from EMG signal during smooth forearm motion, while the shoulder of the robot is controlled by a position tracker placed on the user's arm. Identification techniques are used to approximate the user-dependent parameters of the model used to compute the elbow angle based on EMG signals.
Reconstruction of predictively encoded signals over noisy channels using a sequence MMSE decoder

In this paper, we consider the problem of decoding predictively encoded signal over a noisy channel when there is residual redundancy (captured by a /spl gamma/-order Markov model) in the sequence of transmitted data. Our objective is to minimize the mean-squared error (MSE) in the reconstruction of the original signal (input to the predictive source coder). The problem is formulated and solved through minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) decoding of a sequence of samples over a memoryless noisy channel. The related previous works include several maximum a posteriori (MAP) and MMSE-based decoders. The MAP-based approaches are suboptimal when the performance criterion is the MSE. On the other hand, the previously known MMSE-based approaches are suboptimal, since they are designed to efficiently reconstruct the data samples received (the prediction residues) rather than the original signal. The proposed scheme is set up by modeling the source-coder-produced symbols and their redundancy with a trellis structure. Methods are presented to optimize the solutions in terms of complexity. Numerical results and comparisons are provided, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques.
An experimental study of strong reciprocity in bacteria

Strong reciprocity, whereby cooperators punish non-cooperators, may help to explain the evolutionary success of cooperative behaviours. However, theory suggests that selection for strong reciprocity can depend upon tight genetic linkage between cooperation and punishment, to avoid the strategy being outcompeted by non-punishing cooperators. We tested this hypothesis using experimental populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which cooperate by producing iron-scavenging siderophores and, in this context, punish non-cooperators with toxins. Consistent with theory, we show that cooperative punishers can indeed invade cheats, but only when the traits are tightly linked. These results emphasize that punishment is only likely to be favoured when the punishment itself leads to a direct or indirect fitness benefit to the actor.
Prediction of Notched Strength of 3D Carbon-Carbon Material Under Simple Tension:

First of all, the development of inherent damage near notch tip in 3D carbon-carbon was examined with polariscopic microscope while loading. To track the notch tip during loading, a specially designed adjustable stand and loading apparatus were designed and fabricated. Based on the observation, a very simple analytical model was es tablished. In order to use micromechanics to predict the notched strength, the in-situ strength of fiber bundle was measured with a specially designed fixture. The notched strength of 3D carbon-carbon material was predicted from the longitudinal strength of the portion of the fiber bundle, where the stress concentration takes place. Hedgepeth's stress concentration factor for infinite plate is corrected for finite plate. Calculation of stress fac tors show that failure of a single fiber bundle nearest to the notch tip will cause total failure of the specimen. With Zweben's statistical strength criterion, the strength of the notched 3D carbon-carbon material was predicted and th.
Therapeutic role of glutamine in management of radiation enteritis: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials

Objective To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of glutamine in treating radiation enteritis in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy. Methods Electronic databases including Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane library, and CNKI were systematically searched, until April 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of glutamine in the treatment of radiation enteritis in cancer patients were searched, and RevMan 5.3 software was used for Meta-analysis. Results A total of 13 RCTs were included, involving 979 patients. The results of meta-analysis showed that the total efficacy of glutamine was higher for patients with radiation enteritis compared with that in control group, however, there was no statistically significant difference(OR = 3.07, 95%CI: 0.79-11.96; P > 0.05). The combined ORs for all 5 grades(from grade 0 to grade 4) of radiation enteritis in patients receiving glutamine were 2.06, 1.35, 0.55, 0.62 and 0.59, respectively(P > 0.05 for all). Glutamine also failed to significantly improve the symptoms of radiation enteritis in terms of tenesmus, abdominal cramping and blood in bowel movement(P > 0.05). Conclusions Implementation of glutamine fails to improve the severity and symptoms in patients with radiation enteritis.
Capacity of Gaussian MIMO bidirectional broadcast channels

We consider the broadcast phase of a three-node network, where a relay node establishes a bidirectional communication between two nodes using a spectrally efficient two-phase decode-and-forward protocol. In the first phase the two nodes transmit their messages to the relay node. Then the relay node decodes the messages and broadcasts a re-encoded composition of them in the second phase. We consider Gaussian MIMO channels and determine the capacity region for the second phase which we call the Gaussian MIMO bidirectional broadcast channel.
Kissing Cuisines: Exploring Worldwide Culinary Habits on the Web

As food and nutrition occupy an increasingly prevalent space on the web, dishes and recipes shared online provide an invaluable mirror into culinary cultures and attitudes around the world. More specifically, ingredients, flavors, and nutrition information become strong signals of the taste preferences of individuals and civilizations. However, there is little understanding of these palate varieties. In this paper, we present a large-scale study of recipes published on the web and their content, aiming to understand cuisines and culinary habits around the world. Using a database of more than 157K recipes from over 200 different cuisines, we analyze ingredients, flavors, and nutritional values which distinguish dishes from different regions, and use this knowledge to assess the predictability of recipes from different cuisines. We then use country health statistics to understand the relation between these factors and health indicators of different nations, such as obesity, diabetes, migration, and health expenditure. Our results confirm the strong effects of geographical and cultural similarities on recipes, health indicators, and culinary preferences between countries around the world.
Inhibition of Proliferation, Migration and Proteolysis Contribute to Corticosterone-Mediated Inhibition of Angiogenesis

The angiostatic nature of pharmacological doses of glucocorticoid steroids is well known. However, the consequences of pathophysiological elevation of endogenous glucocorticoids are not well established. In the current study, we hypothesized that the angiostatic effect of corticosterone, an endogenous glucocorticoid in rodents, occurs through multi-faceted alterations in skeletal muscle microvascular endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and proteolysis. Chronic corticosterone treatment significantly reduced the capillary to fiber ratio in the tibialis anterior muscle compared to that of placebo-treated rats. Corticosterone inhibited endothelial cell sprouting from capillary segments ex vivo. Similarly, 3-dimensional endothelial cell spheroids treated with corticosterone for 48 hours showed evidence of sprout regression and reduced sprout length. Endothelial cell proliferation was reduced in corticosterone treated cells, coinciding with elevated FoxO1 and reduced VEGF production. Corticosterone treated endothelial cells exhibited reduced migration, which correlated with a reduction in RhoA activity. Furthermore, corticosterone treated endothelial cells in both 3-dimensional and monolayer cultures had decreased MMP-2 production and activation resulting in decreased proteolysis by endothelial cells, limiting their angiogenic potential. Promoter assays revealed that corticosterone treatment transcriptionally repressed MMP-2, which may map to a predicted GRE between −1510 and −1386 bp of the MMP-2 promoter. Additionally, Sp1, a known transcriptional activator of MMP-2 was decreased following corticosterone treatment. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms by which pathophysiological levels of endogenous glucocorticoids may exert angiostatic effects.
Inverse Adaptive Fuzzy model identification of the 2-axes PAM robot arm

In this paper, an Inverse Adaptive Fuzzy model is newly created to simultaneously identify both joints of the prototype 2-axes PAM robot arm. Highly nonlinear features of both joints of the nonlinear manipulator system are identified by the proposed Inverse Adaptive Fuzzy model based on experimental input-output training data. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm optimally generates the appropriate fuzzy if-then rules and other Adaptive Fuzzy model's parameters to perfectly characterize the dynamic features of the 2-axes PAM system. For the first time, the novel nonlinear Adaptive Fuzzy Model of the 2-axes PAM robot arm is investigated. The results show that the proposed adaptive Fuzzy Model that is trained by PSO algorithm performs better and has a higher accuracy than the conventional Inverse Fuzzy model.