Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
STARBIST: scan autocorrelated random pattern generation

This paper presents a new scan-based BIST schemewhich achieves very high fault coverage without the deficienciesof previously proposed schemes. This approach utilizes scan orderand polarity in scan synthesis, effectively converting the scanchain into a ROM capable of storing some "center" patterns fromwhich the other vectors are derived by randomly complementingsome of their coordinates. Experimental results demonstrate that avery high fault coverage can be obtained without any modificationof the mission logic, no test data to store and very simple BISThardware which does not depend on the size of the circuit.
A MEMs-based Labeling Approach to Punctuation Correction in Chinese Opinionated Text

This paper presents a maximum entropy models based approach to punctuation prediction and correction for Chinese opinionated texts. This study involves three parts. First, we conduct a survey of punctuation errors in Chinese opinionated texts based on a corpus of online product reviews. Then, we propose a maximum entropy sequence labeling approach to Chinese punctuation prediction. Finally, we perform punctuation error detection and correction by comparing automatically-predicted punctuations with the relevant original punctuations in opinionated texts. Our experimental results show our system is effective for most punctuation errors in Chinese opinionated texts.
Reasoning in Reference Games: Individual- vs. Population-Level Probabilistic Modeling

Recent advances in probabilistic pragmatics have achieved considerable success in modeling speakers’ and listeners’ pragmatic reasoning as probabilistic inference. However, these models are usually applied to population-level data, and so implicitly suggest a homogeneous population without individual differences. Here we investigate potential individual differences in Theory-of-Mind related depth of pragmatic reasoning in so-called reference games that require drawing ad hoc Quantity implicatures of varying complexity. We show by Bayesian model comparison that a model that assumes a heterogenous population is a better predictor of our data, especially for comprehension. We discuss the implications for the treatment of individual differences in probabilistic models of language use.
Faster core-set constructions and data stream algorithms in fixed dimensions

We speed up previous (1+ε)-factor approximation algorithms for a number of geometric optimization problems in fixed dimensions: diameter, width, minimum-radius enclosing cylinder, minimum-width annulus, minimum-volume bounding box, minimum-width cylindrical shell, etc. Linear time bounds were known before we further improve the dependence of the "constants" in terms of ε. We next consider the data stream model and present new (1+ε)-factor approximation algorithms that need only constant space for all of the above problems in any fixed dimension. Previously, such a result was known only for diameter.Both sets of results are obtained using the core-set framework recently proposed by Agarwal, Har-Peled, and Varadarajan.
Evidence of 1991–2013 decrease of biogenic secondary organic aerosol in response to SO2 emission controls

Air quality policy to decrease fine particulate matter mass concentrations (PM2.5) in the US has mainly targeted sulfate aerosol through controls on sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Organic aerosol (OA) instead of sulfate is now the dominant component of total PM2.5. Long-term surface observations (1991–2013) in the Southeast US in summer show parallel decreases in sulfate (2.8%–4.0% a−1) and OA (1.6%–1.9% a−1). Decline of anthropogenic OA emissions is uncertain but is unlikely to fully explain this trend because most OA in the Southeast US in summer is biogenic. We conducted a 1991–2013 simulation with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model including inventory decreases in anthropogenic SO2, NOx, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions, constant anthropogenic primary OA emissions, and a new mechanism of aqueous-phase SOA formation from isoprene. This simulation reproduces the observed long-term decreases of sulfate and OA, and attributes the OA decrease to decline in the OA yield from biogenic isoprene as sulfate decreases (driving lower aqueous aerosol volume and acidity). Interannual OA variability in the model (mainly driven by isoprene) is also well correlated with observations. This result provides support for a large air quality co-benefit of SO2 emission controls in decreasing biogenic OA as well as sulfate.
Detection of lung cancer with volatile markers in the breath.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To evaluate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath as tumor markers in lung cancer. Alkanes and monomethylated alkanes are oxidative stress products that are excreted in the breath, the catabolism of which may be accelerated by polymorphic cytochrome p450-mixed oxidase enzymes that are induced in patients with lung cancer. DESIGN Combined case-control and cross-sectional study. SETTING Five academic pulmonary medicine services in the United States and the United Kingdom. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS One hundred seventy-eight bronchoscopy patients and 41 healthy volunteers. INTERVENTION Breath samples were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy to determine alveolar gradients (ie, the abundance in breath minus the abundance in room air) of C4-C20 alkanes and monomethylated alkanes. MEASUREMENTS Patients with primary lung cancer (PLC) were compared to healthy volunteers, and a predictive model was constructed using forward stepwise discriminant analysis of the alveolar gradients. This model was cross-validated with a leave-one-out jackknife technique and was tested in two additional groups of patients who had not been used to develop the model (ie, bronchoscopy patients in whom cancer was not detected, and patients with metastatic lung cancer [MLC]). RESULTS Eighty-seven of 178 patients had lung cancer (PLC, 67 patients; MLC, 15 patients; undetermined, 5 patients). A predictive model employing nine VOCs identified PLC with a sensitivity of 89.6% (60 of 67 patients) and a specificity of 82.9% (34 of 41 patients). On cross-validation, the sensitivity was 85.1% (57 of 67 patients) and the specificity was 80.5% (33 of 41 patients). The stratification of patients by tobacco smoking status, histologic type of cancer, and TNM stage of cancer revealed no marked effects. In the two additional tests, the model predicted MLC with a sensitivity of 66.7% (10 of 15 patients), and it classified the cancer-negative bronchoscopy patients with a specificity of 37.4% (34 of 91 patients). CONCLUSIONS Compared to healthy volunteers, patients with PLC had abnormal breath test findings that were consistent with the accelerated catabolism of alkanes and monomethylated alkanes. A predictive model employing nine of these VOCs exhibited sufficient sensitivity and specificity to be considered as a screen for lung cancer in a high-risk population such as adult smokers.
FPGA Implementation of a Pyramidal Weightless Neural Networks Learning System

A hardware architecture of a Probabilistic Logic Neuron (PLN) is presented. The suggested model facilitates the on-chip learning of pyramidal Weightless Neural Networks using a modified probabilistic search reward/penalty training algorithm. The penalization strategy of the training algorithm depends on a predefined parameter called the probabilistic search interval. A complete Weightless Neural Network (WNN) learning system is modeled and implemented on Xilinx XC4005E Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), allowing its architecture to be configurable. Various experiments have been conducted to examine the feasibility and performance of the WNN learning system. Results show that the system has a fast convergence rate and good generalization ability.
Predicting and Tagging Dialog-Act Using MDP and SVM

Dialog-act tagging is one of the hot topics in processing human-human conversation. In this paper, we introduce a novel model to predict and tag the dialog-act, in which Markov decision process (MDP) is utilized to predict the dialog-act sequence instead of using traditional dialog-act based n-gram, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) is employed to classify the dialog-act for each utterance. The predicting result of MDP and the classifying result of SVM are integrated as the final tagging. The experimental results have shown that our approach outperforms the traditional method.
Voice over wireless LAN: a fine-scalable channel-adaptive speech coding scheme

Achieving a fine-scalable and channel-adaptive speech coding scheme to provide reliable voice communication in wireless IP networks is an important challenge that opens new directions for research. In this proposal we review the problems and issues in supporting voice over wireless networks and examine the role of new speech coding techniques and the proper use of existing network protocols aimed at providing adequate quality of service in this difficult environment. We propose a new coding scheme, that fulfills the requirements of robust and reliable VoWLAN expectantly.
The performance of bolt-reinforced and shotcreted in-stope pillar in a rockburst prone areas

Historically, the design of the in-stope pillar in underground excavations has been based on empirical formulae and numerical modelling. Although these design methods have been extensively applied in several gold mines in South Africa, rockburst, in-stope pillar burst/failure are continuously reported as the major problem faced by mines. Therefore, this study attempts to compare the performance of the shotcreted and bolt-reinforced in-stope pillar with the bolt-reinforced in-stope pillars. Numerical modelling was simulated focusing on the major principal stresses ahead and along the de-stress cuts, damage along the in-stope pillar (yieldability of the in-stope pillar), and the rate of energy release along the in-stope pillar. Owing to that, seismic events with log P ≥1 were used through assessing their source mechanism, damaged area, rock mass response after the event, and source parameters for the events. The results of the study have shown that the in-stope pillar along different de-stress cuts was extensively yielding in the model. Very high-stress magnitudes were forecast in a zone ahead of the advancing face. Further results from a seismic point of view have shown that the estimated source mechanism from different case studies had a dominant double-couple component, and the steeply dipping nodal plane aligns well with the NNE-SSW to the dyke. Shear-type failure on the faults/dyke was the most probable source mechanism of the events. Visually, observation results have shown that most of the bolt-reinforced in-stope pillars resulted in extensive scaling and fracturing during the dynamic movement of the ground, while bolt-reinforced and shotcreted in-stope pillars were noted to have minor or no damage during the dynamic movement of the ground.
Visual Tracking via Saliency Weighted Sparse Coding Appearance Model

Sparse coding has been used for target appearance modeling and applied successfully in visual tracking. However, noise may be inevitably introduced into the representation due to background clutter. To cope with this problem, we propose a saliency weighted sparse coding appearance model for visual tracking. Firstly, a spectral filtering based visual attention computational model, which combines both bottom-up and top-down visual attention, is proposed to calculate saliency map. Secondly, pooling operation in sparse coding is weighted by calculated saliency map to help target representation focus on distinctive features and suppress background clutter. Extensive experiments on a recently proposed tracking benchmark demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art methods in tracking objects under background clutter.
Contification using dominators

Contification is a compiler optimization that turns a function that always returns to the same place into a continuation. Compilers for functional languages use contification to expose the control-flow information that is required by many optimizations, including traditional loop optimizations. This paper gives a formal presentation of contification in MLton, a whole-program optimizing Standard ML compiler. We present two existing algorithms for contification in our framework, as well as a new algorithm based on the dominator tree of a program's call graph. We prove that the dominator algorithm is optimal. We present benchmark results on realistic SML programs demonstrating that contification has minimal overhead on compile time and significantly improves run time.
The Hybrid Tx diversity with STBC and Balanced Transmission

The balanced transmit (Tx) diversity with same data on two antennas can have better or lower performance than STBC Tx diversity, depending on the difference between each phase of two channels when the received signal is processed with MRRC. Therefore, the hybrid Tx diversity with STBC and balanced transmission is proposed in this paper. Using the feedback information based on the phase estimation in each channels, the better scheme of the balanced Tx diversity and STBC Tx diversity can be selected. Through computer simulation, it is shown that the combined scheme of the balanced Tx diversity and STBC Tx diversity has better performance than STBC Tx diversity.
Surface modification and conjugation strategies for bioassay/biomaterial applications

The aims of this research were to develop novel surface modification strategies that can be used on a range of solid supports including polymeric and metallic matrices, as these could have a significant impact on the performance of bio/sensors employing these surfaces. These approaches were used to develop methods for immobilizing biomolecular recognition elements, such as antibodies, on modified matrices, and to exploit these approaches for the generation of high sensitivity bio-assays. Human fetuin A, mouse immunoglobulin G, and horseradish peroxidase were employed as model analytes. A silane-based surface modification strategy was designed and optimized for planar or flat surfaces such as polymeric sheets, chips or microtitre plates. These polymeric surfaces were activated prior to silane-functionalization using potassium hydroxide (aq.)-mediated mild oxidation (wet method) and oxygen-plasma etching. This novel surface activation strategy was further optimized in combination with surface functionalization and covalent immobilization of antibodies, for enhancing immunoassay sensitivities. Sensitivities obtained for immunoassays using antibodies immobilized with the developed and adsorption-based conventional strategies were 39 and 625 pg/mL, respectively, for human fetuin A. The strategy was demonstrated to be generic in nature and could be employed to activate a wide range of polymeric and metallic surfaces. In addition, highly sensitive detection of human fetuin A was achieved with antibodies captured in an oriented manner on covalently immobilized protein A (EC50 3.7 ng/mL) in comparison to randomly captured antibodies (EC50 5.8 ng/mL). High-brightness NIR664 dye-doped silica nanoparticles were employed to probe various activation states of platelets. These NPs were functionalized with silanes (viz. amine and carboxy-terminal) followed by conjugation to a platelet surface biomarker-specific antibody (anti-CD41) and successfully employed for probing platelet activation. The antibody-NP conjugates were found to be highly sensitive (>95%) and specific (≈100%). In addition, aggregation of NPs was minimized by controlling their surrounding chemical environment and their stability after antibody conjugation.
Parallel graph reduction for divide-and-conquer applications -- Part II: program performance

An extensible machine architecture is devised to efficiently support a parallel reduction model of computation. The organisation of the machine is designed to match the behaviour of the application programs. A pilot implementation of the architecture is used to obtain an execution profile of the various applications. These profiles are used with a performance model to calculate optimal schedules of the applications. The resulting speedup figures give an upper bound for the performance gain that may be attained on a full implementation of the architecture. The most important result is that each application allows for a processor utilisation of over 50% to be attained on our parallel architecture.
On the synthesis of feasible and prehensile robotic grasps

This work proposes a solution to the grasp synthesis problem, which consist of finding the best hand configuration to grasp a given object for a specific manipulation task while satisfying all the necessary constraints. This problem had been divided into sequential sub-problems, including contact region determination, hand inverse kinematics and force distribution, with the particular constraints of each step tackled independently. This may lead to unnecessary effort, such as when one of the problems has no solution given the output of the previous step as input. To overcome this issue, we present a kinestatic formulation of the grasp synthesis problem that introduces compliance both at the joints and the contacts. This provides a proper framework to synthesize a feasible and prehensile grasp by considering simultaneously the necessary grasping constraints, including contact reachability, object restraint, and force controllability. As a consequence, a solution of the proposed model results in a set of hand configurations that allows to execute the grasp using only a position controller. The approach is illustrated with experiments on a simple planar hand using two fingers and an anthropomorphic robotic hand using three fingers.
Annexin A 5 as a New Potential Biomarker for Cisplatin-Induced Toxicity in Human Kidney Epithelial Cells

Cisplatin (cis-diammine-dichloro-platinumII) is the fi rst member of metal-containing chemotherapeutic drugs and its fi rst clinical treatment was performed for testicular cancer in 1979 (Prestayko et al., 1979). Since the fi rst clinical trial, cisplatin has been widely used as an intravenously administered anticancer agent that is available to be applied to various types of cancers such as carcinomas of testis, ovary, neck and head. This practical anti-cancer drug binds and interacts with DNA to form adducts, mainly causing intrastrand cross-links (Sherman and Lippard, 1987; Siddik, 2003). DNA adducts formed by cisplatin activate several signaling pathways that ultimately trigger apoptosis such as those of ATR, p53 and MAPK (Wang et al., 2000; Damia et al., 2001), which makes cisplatin possible to be used as an anti-cancer drug. In spite of various abilities of cisplatin as a chemotherapeutic drug, limits in clinical use still exist due to serious side effects such as oto-, myelo-, neuroand nephrotoxicity (Laurell and Jungnelius, 1990; Harmers et al., 1991; Treskes and van der Vijgh, 1993). Among them, nephrotoxicity is known as representative dose-limiting side effect of cisplatin that induces promotion of apoptosis and necrosis of renal epithelial cells (Hanigan and Devarajan, 2003) and considerable efforts have been contributed to overcome it. To establish effective way that makes reduction of side effects possible, studies to identify the level or mechanism of nephrotoxicity occurred by cisplatin have been widely investigated. It has been signifi cantly emphasized that the biomarkers sensitive for nephrotoxicity are essential to detect the level of toxicity and reduce it. For this reason, various types of nephrotoxic biomarkers such as NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) and NAG (N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase) have been discovered and some of them are in clinical use (Devarajan, 2007; Franke et al., 2010). Despite serious necessity and much effort, widely accepted and sensitive biomarker for nephrotoxicity still has not been discovered yet and it needs to be investigated further. Original Article Biomol Ther 21(3), 190-195 (2013)
Effects of Some Plant Extracts on The Shelf Life of Some Meat products

There is a growing interest concerning alternative antioxidant active compounds, including plant extracts and essential oils that possess multifunctional properties that facilitate their classical role as natural food additives with antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of the water extract of three plants Ginger, Thyme and Marjoram for their phenols, flavonoid contents, antioxidant ability and antimicrobial potentials. The obtained results revealed that total phenolics and total flavonoids content of herbal infusions of ginger, thyme and marjoram was 67±2.86, 126.87± 0.93 and 139.76±2.60 mg galic acid equivalents (GAE) /g respectively, while mixture extract (ME) of them gave 256.46±2.91. Also, ME gained the highest content of total flavonoid (190.83± 4.27) mg catechol/g, while ginger, thyme and marjoram gave 37±1.39, 106.14±0.47 and 100.27±3.23 mg/g, respectively. Results of antioxidant activity represented in IC50 (inhibition concentration) showed that the best extract was (ME) with value of 4.25 μg/ml compared with ascorbic acid in value 4.08 μg/ml follow them marjoram, thyme and ginger by 10.1, 18.3 and 231.38, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of (ME) exhibited the maximum inhibitory zone diameter (IZD) against most food poisoning bacteria as Staph . aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella and E.coli at different concentrations. Depending on up mentioned results; ME was selected for application in beef burger as natural preservative. pH values of beef burger samples after 21 days of cold storage were 6.14±0.76, 5.97±0.96, 6.11±0.85, 5.98±0.64, 5.95±0.65, 5.92±0.34 for Control, BHT, (ME) 0.02%, (ME) 0.1%. (ME) 0.2% and (ME) 0.5%, respectively. Besides, all tested groups showed significant decrease in water holding capacity (WHC %) from day 0 to day 21 of storage at which the lowest value was for control group (92.38±0.12) and the highest was for (ME) 0.5% (95.38±0.75). From the upraised results, It could be concluded that there was a strong synergistic effect between the extracted based on ME was able to retard lipid, protein oxidation and inhibit the microbial growth during cold storage of beef burger.