Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Piecewise Linear Models with Guaranteed Closeness to the Data

This paper addresses the problem of piecewise linear approximation of point sets without any constraints on the order of data points or the number of model components (line segments). We point out two problems with the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) that present serious drawbacks in practical applications. One is that the parametric models obtained using a classical MLE framework are not guaranteed to be close to data points. It is typically impossible, in this classical framework, to detect whether a parametric model fits the data well or not. The second problem is related to accurately choosing the optimal number of model components. We first fit a nonparametric density to the data points and use it to define a neighborhood of the data. Observations inside this neighborhood are deemed informative; those outside the neighborhood are deemed uninformative for our purpose. This provides us with a means to recognize when models fail to properly fit the data. We then obtain maximum likelihood estimates by optimizing the Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD) between the nonparametric data density restricted to this neighborhood and a mixture of parametric models. We prove that, under the assumption of a reasonably large sample size, the inferred model components are close to their ground-truth model component counterparts. This holds independently of the initial number of assumed model components or their associated parameters. Moreover, in the proposed approach, we are able to estimate the number of significant model components without any additional computation.
Tangible slack versus intangible resources: the influence of technology slack and tacit knowledge on the capability of organisational learning to generate innovation and performance

Literature has stated contradictory arguments about the importance of tangible and intangible resources. Meanwhile, the knowledge literature insists on the importance of tacit knowledge and a more traditional innovation literature and many practitioners have preferred to be focused on the importance of specific and tangible resources in organisational learning to generate innovative processes. In particular, the second perspective highlights the abundance of technological resources given the growing importance of information technology. Our sample of 575 technological firms operating in Spain shows that both resources are required to successfully implement the capability of organisational learning. Besides showing the positive relationship between this capability and the variables of innovation and performance, our results find that tangible and intangible resources have positive relationships with innovation and performance. In any case, our analysis allows us to discover the particularly strong influenc.
Social support in older adults: Validation and norm values of a brief form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-6)

Background Social relations are crucial for maintaining physical and mental health across the life span. As social roles, networks and needs change with age a valid assessment of social support in older adults and age-specific norms are necessary. The present work aims to [1) assess the level of social support in individuals > 60 years of the general German population, [2) evaluate the brief six-item form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-6) in this age group and to [3) provide age-specific norm values. Methods We analyze data of N = 706 people representative for the German population collected in 2021. To assess social support, we used the F-SozU K-6. We tested for selectivity, item difficulty, internal consistency, construct and factor validity, as well as factorial invariance. Additionally, we assessed correlations and associations with depression, loneliness, and sociodemographic factors. Furthermore, we reported norm values for respondents > 60 years. Results Participants > 60 years reported a mean level of 23.97 (SD = 4.82) of social support. Results of the CFA confirmed a very good model fit. Measurement invariance across sex and age was shown. Associations with ADS and LS-S supported construct validity. Multiple regression analysis showed that female sex, increasing age, having a partner, and a higher equivalized household income were associated with higher levels of social support. Conclusion The F-SozU K-6 is a reliable and economical tool to assess perceived social support in older adults. Norm values for individual > 60 years are provided.
Lack of stimulation of cholesteryl ester transfer protein by cholesterol in the presence of a high-fat diet Published, JLR Papers in Press, August 16, 2005. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M500051-JLR200

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a key protein involved in the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. The regulation of CETP by dietary fats is not clearly understood. Transgenic mice expressing human CETP under the control of its natural flanking region were fed low- or high-fat diets enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) or saturated fatty acids in the presence or absence of cholesterol. Addition of cholesterol to the low-fat MUFA diet increased CETP activity and mRNA expression, whereas addition of cholesterol to the high-fat MUFA diet led to a decrease in CETP activity and mRNA expression. In SW 872 cells, oleic acid and cholesterol stimulated CETP gene expression when given alone. However, addition of fatty acids along with cholesterol interfered with the stimulatory effect of cholesterol on CETP gene regulation. Cholesterol-mediated stimulation of CETP involves the transcription factor liver X receptor α (LXRα). High-fat MUFA diets inhibited the expression of LXRα, and addition of cholesterol to the high-fat MUFA diet did not rescue LXRα expression. Therefore, we present evidence for the first time that inhibition of LXRα expression by a high-fat MUFA diet leads to inhibition of CETP stimulation by cholesterol.
SELF CALIBRATED STMR ARRAY FOR MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION AND SHM OF ORTHOTROPIC PLATE‐LIKE STRUCTURES

A full ring STMR array patch had been used for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of anisotropic materials where the elastic moduli, correspond to the virgin sample, were used in the calculations. In the present work an in‐situ SHM has been successfully demonstrated using a novel compact sensor patch (Double ring single quadrant small footprint STMR array) through simultaneous reconstruction of the elastic moduli, material symmetry, orientation of principal planes and defect imaging. The direct received signals were used to measure Lamb wave velocities, which were used in a slowness based reconstructed algorithm using Genetic Algorithm to reconstruct the elastic moduli, material symmetry and orientation of principal planes. The measured signals along with the reconstructed elastic moduli were used in the phased addition algorithm for imaging the damages present on the structure. To show the applicability of the method, simulations were carried out with the double ring single quadrant STMR array configurat.
Biomechanical adaptations enable phoretic mite species to occupy distinct spatial niches on host burying beetles

Niche theory predicts that ecologically similar species coexist by minimizing interspecific competition through niche partitioning. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of niche partitioning is essential for predicting interactions and coexistence between competing organisms. Here, we study two phoretic mite species, Poecilochirus carabi and Macrocheles nataliae that coexist on the same host burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides and use it to ‘hitchhike’ between reproductive sites. Field observations revealed clear spatial partitioning between species in distinct host body parts. Poecilochirus carabi preferred the ventral side of the thorax, whereas M. nataliae were exclusively found ventrally at the hairy base of the abdomen. Experimental manipulations of mite density showed that each species preferred these body parts, largely regardless of the density of the other mite species on the host beetle. Force measurements indicated that this spatial distribution is mediated by biomechanical adaptations, because each mite species required more force to be removed from their preferred location on the beetle. While P. carabi attached with large adhesive pads to the smooth thorax cuticle, M. nataliae gripped abdominal setae with their chelicerae. Our results show that specialist biomechanical adaptations for attachment can mediate spatial niche partitioning among species sharing the same host.
Evaluation Optical-Flow based Methods for Estimation of WallMotions

Cardiac disease remains a major killer in the world. Improving the management of cardiovascular disease is one of the greatest challenges facing healthcare. It is valuable to study the electro-mechanics of the heart as any asynchrony of electrical activation and disorder of the mechanical properties can lead to abnormalities in heart function. Accurate quantitative of heart motion and deformation are of importance for evaluating normal and abnormal cardiac physiology and mechanics. However, the complexity of LV motion, the absence of internal landmarks in the myocardium and the influence of the right ventricle (RV) on the LV imply that the true motion trajectories of tissue elements are difficult to obtain from image analysis. In this paper we decided to compare two methods of heart motion estimation and consider the advantages or disadvantages of each method.
Genetic diversity of lion populations in Kenya: Evaluating past management practices and recommendations for future conservation actions

Abstract The decline of lions (Panthera leo) in Kenya has raised conservation concerns about their overall population health and long‐term survival. This study aimed to assess the genetic structure, differentiation and diversity of lion populations in the country, while considering the influence of past management practices. Using a lion‐specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) panel, we genotyped 171 individuals from 12 populations representative of areas with permanent lion presence. Our results revealed a distinct genetic pattern with pronounced population structure, confirmed a north‐south split and found no indication of inbreeding in any of the tested populations. Differentiation seems to be primarily driven by geographical barriers, human presence and climatic factors, but management practices may have also affected the observed patterns. Notably, the Tsavo population displayed evidence of admixture, perhaps attributable to its geographic location as a suture zone, vast size or past translocations, while the fenced populations of Lake Nakuru National Park and Solio Ranch exhibited reduced genetic diversity due to restricted natural dispersal. The Amboseli population had a high number of monomorphic loci likely reflecting a historical population decline. This illustrates that patterns of genetic diversity should be seen in the context of population histories and that future management decisions should take these insights into account. To address the conservation implications of our findings, we recommend prioritizing the maintenance of suitable habitats to facilitate population connectivity. Initiation of genetic restoration efforts and separately managing populations with unique evolutionary histories is crucial for preserving genetic diversity and promoting long‐term population viability.
Assessment and analysis of accents in air traffic control speech: a fusion of deep learning and information theory

Introduction Enhancing the generalization and reliability of speech recognition models in the field of air traffic control (ATC) is a challenging task. This is due to the limited storage, difficulty in acquisition, and high labeling costs of ATC speech data, which may result in data sample bias and class imbalance, leading to uncertainty and inaccuracy in speech recognition results. This study investigates a method for assessing the quality of ATC speech based on accents. Different combinations of data quality categories are selected according to the requirements of different model application scenarios to address the aforementioned issues effectively. Methods The impact of accents on the performance of speech recognition models is analyzed, and a fusion feature phoneme recognition model based on prior text information is constructed to identify phonemes of speech uttered by speakers. This model includes an audio encoding module, a prior text encoding module, a feature fusion module, and fully connected layers. The model takes speech and its corresponding prior text as input and outputs a predicted phoneme sequence of the speech. The model recognizes accented speech as phonemes that do not match the transcribed phoneme sequence of the actual speech text and quantitatively evaluates the accents in ATC communication by calculating the differences between the recognized phoneme sequence and the transcribed phoneme sequence of the actual speech text. Additionally, different levels of accents are input into different types of speech recognition models to analyze and compare the recognition accuracy of the models. Result Experimental results show that, under the same experimental conditions, the highest impact of different levels of accents on speech recognition accuracy in ATC communication is 26.37%. Discussion This further demonstrates that accents affect the accuracy of speech recognition models in ATC communication and can be considered as one of the metrics for evaluating the quality of ATC speech.
Refractive height fields from single and multiple images

We propose a novel framework for reconstructing homogenous, transparent, refractive height-fields from a single viewpoint. The height-field is imaged against a known planar background, or sequence of backgrounds. Unlike existing approaches that do a point-by-point reconstruction - which is known to have intractable ambiguities - our method estimates and optimizes for the entire height-field at the same time. The formulation supports shape recovery from measured distortions (deflections) or directly from the images themselves, including from a single image. We report results for a variety of refractive height-fields showing significant improvement over prior art.
Exploring patterns of female house mouse spatial organisation among outbreaking and stable populations

Abstract The size and distribution of home ranges reflect how individuals within a population use, defend, and share space and resources, and may thus be an important predictor of population‐level dynamics. Eruptive species, such as the house mouse in Australian grain‐growing regions, are an ideal species in which to investigate variations in space use and home range overlap between stable and outbreaking populations. In this study, we use spatially explicit capture–recapture models to explore if space use and home range overlap among female mice could serve as indicators of changes in population density leading into summer. Additionally, we assess the sensitivity of space use and home range estimates to reduced recapture rates. Our analysis did not reveal variations in the spring spatial organisation of female mice based on existing capture–mark–recapture data. However, our study highlights the need to balance monitoring efforts within regions, emphasising the importance of exploring studies that can improve spatial recaptures by optimising trapping efforts. This is particularly important in Australian agricultural systems, where varying farm management practices may drive differences in population dynamics.
Dietary Patterns in Pregnancy in New Zealand—Influence of Maternal Socio-Demographic, Health and Lifestyle Factors

Exploration of dietary pattern associations within a multi-ethnic society context has been limited. We aimed to describe dietary patterns of 5664 pregnant women from the Growing Up in New Zealand study, and investigate associations between these patterns and maternal socio-demographic, place of birth, health and lifestyle factors. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire prior to the birth of their child. Principal components analysis was used to extract dietary patterns and multivariable analyses used to determine associations. Four dietary components were extracted. Higher scores on, ‘Junk’ and ‘Traditional/White bread’, were associated with decreasing age, lower educational levels, being of Pacific or Māori ethnicity and smoking. Higher scores on, ‘Health conscious’ and ‘Fusion/Protein’, were associated with increasing age, better self-rated health, lower pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and not smoking. Higher scores on ‘Junk’ and ‘Health conscious’ were associated with being born in New Zealand (NZ), whereas higher scores on ‘Fusion/Protein’ was associated with being born outside NZ and being of non-European ethnicity, particularly Asian. High scores on the ‘Health conscious’ dietary pattern showed the highest odds of adherence to the pregnancy dietary guidelines. In this cohort of pregnant women different dietary patterns were associated with migration, ethnicity, socio-demographic characteristics, health behaviors and adherence to dietary guidelines.
KU Leuven at HOO-2012: A Hybrid Approach to Detection and Correction of Determiner and Preposition Errors in Non-native English Text

In this paper we describe the technical implementation of our system that participated in the Helping Our Own 2012 Shared Task (HOO-2012). The system employs a number of preprocessing steps and machine learning classifiers for correction of determiner and preposition errors in non-native English texts. We use maximum entropy classifiers trained on the provided HOO-2012 development data and a large high-quality English text collection. The system proposes a number of highly-probable corrections, which are evaluated by a language model and compared with the original text. A number of deterministic rules are used to increase the precision and recall of the system. Our system is ranked among the three best performing HOO-2012 systems with a precision of 31.15%, recall of 22.08% and F1-score of 25.84% for correction of determiner and preposition errors combined.
Oscillatory differentiation dynamics fundamentally restricts the resolution of pseudotime reconstruction algorithms

The challenge to understand differentiation and cell lineages in development has resulted in many bioinformatics software tools, notably those working with gene expression data obtained via single-cell RNA sequencing obtained at snapshots in time. Reconstruction methods for trajectories often proceed by dimension reduction, data clustering and then computation of a tree graph in which edges indicate closely related clusters. Cell lineages can then be deduced by following paths through the tree. In the case of multi-potent cells undergoing differentiation, this trajectory reconstruction involves the reconstruction of multiple distinct lineages corresponding to commitment to each of a set of distinct fates. Recent work suggests that there may be cases in which the cell differentiation process involves trajectories that explore, in a dynamic and oscillatory fashion, propensity to differentiate into a number of possible cell fates before commitment finally occurs. Here, we show theoretically that the presence of such oscillations provides intrinsic constraints on the quality and resolution of the trajectory reconstruction process, even for idealized noise-free data. These constraints point to inherent common limitations of current methodologies and serve both to provide additional challenge in the development of software tools and also may help to understand features observed in recent experiments.
ThermoPCD: a database of molecular dynamics trajectories of antibody–antigen complexes at physiologic and fever-range temperatures

Abstract Progression of various cancers and autoimmune diseases is associated with changes in systemic or local tissue temperatures, which may impact current therapies. The role of fever and acute inflammation-range temperatures on the stability and activity of antibodies relevant for cancers and autoimmunity is unknown. To produce molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories of immune complexes at relevant temperatures, we used the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) database to identify 50 antibody:antigen complexes of interest, in addition to single antibodies and antigens, and deployed Groningen Machine for Chemical Simulations (GROMACS) to prepare and run the structures at different temperatures for 100–500 ns, in single or multiple random seeds. MD trajectories are freely available. Processed data include Protein Data Bank outputs for all files obtained every 50 ns, and free binding energy calculations for some of the immune complexes. Protocols for using the data are also available. Individual datasets contain unique DOIs. We created a web interface, ThermoPCD, as a platform to explore the data. The outputs of ThermoPCD allow the users to relate thermally-dependent changes in epitopes:paratopes interfaces to their free binding energies, or against own experimentally derived binding affinities. ThermoPCD is a free to use database of immune complexes’ trajectories at different temperatures that does not require registration and allows for all the data to be available for download. Database URL: https://sites.google. com/view/thermopcd/home
Mathematical model reveals role of nucleotide signaling in airway surface liquid homeostasis and its dysregulation in cystic fibrosis

Significance The intrapulmonary airways conduct air to the alveoli and are defended from inhaled pathogens by a highly regulated protective system of mucus, cilia, and liquid. In healthy lungs, a well-hydrated mucus layer is cleared by cilia from airway surfaces. In cystic fibrosis (CF), airway surfaces are dehydrated, leading to a failure of cilia-mediated mucus clearance and accumulation of pathogen-infected mucus. In this study, we created a mathematical model of airway surface liquid regulation in normal and CF cells and used the model to investigate a potential therapy to rehydrate CF airways and restore proper mucus clearance. Mucociliary clearance is composed of three components (i.e., mucin secretion, airway surface hydration, and ciliary-activity) which function coordinately to clear inhaled microbes and other foreign particles from airway surfaces. Airway surface hydration is maintained by water fluxes driven predominantly by active chloride and sodium ion transport. The ion channels that mediate electrogenic ion transport are regulated by extracellular purinergic signals that signal through G protein-coupled receptors. These purinoreceptors and the signaling pathways they activate have been identified as possible therapeutic targets for treating lung disease. A systems-level description of airway surface liquid (ASL) homeostasis could accelerate development of such therapies. Accordingly, we developed a mathematical model to describe the dynamic coupling of ion and water transport to extracellular purinergic signaling. We trained our model from steady-state and time-dependent experimental measurements made using normal and cystic fibrosis (CF) cultured human airway epithelium. To reproduce CF conditions, reduced chloride secretion, increased potassium secretion, and increased sodium absorption were required. The model accurately predicted ASL height under basal normal and CF conditions and the collapse of surface hydration due to the accelerated nucleotide metabolism associated with CF exacerbations. Finally, the model predicted a therapeutic strategy to deliver nucleotide receptor agonists to effectively rehydrate the ASL of CF airways.